What
Is,
“A
Cup
of
Blessing
Must
Be
Full,”
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
38,
1990
It
is
written
in
The
Zohar
(Pinhas,
Item
630),
“‘Full,’
which
is
said
regarding
a
cup
of
blessing,
is
as
it
is
written,
‘A
cup
full
of
the
blessing
of
the
Lord.’
So
a
man
should
be
whole,
as
it
is
written,
‘And
Jacob
came
whole.’
There
must
not
be
any
flaw
in
it,
for
‘all
that
has
a
blemish
will
not
approach.’
Likewise,
the
letters
Aleph-Lamed-Mem
[mute]
with
Yod-Hey
are
the
letters
of
Elokim
[God],
are
as
the
count
of
‘cup,’
namely
eighty-six
[in
Gematria].
For
this
reason,
the
cup
must
be
full,
for
if
you
reverse
the
word
Ilem
[Aleph-Lamed-Mem,
mute],
you
will
find
Maleh
[full],
for
the
[word]
‘cup,’
in
Gematria,
is
‘full,’
Yod-Hey.”
We
should
understand
the
following:
1)
What
does
it
imply
that
when
wine
is
poured
into
a
cup
and
it
is
full,
it
is
called
“a
cup
full
of
the
blessing
of
the
Creator”?
This
means
that
if
the
cup
is
not
filled
with
wine,
the
blessing
of
the
Creator
cannot
be?
2)
Why
does
it
say,
“So
a
man
should
be
whole,”
like
the
cup
with
the
wine?
What
does
it
add
to
us
by
this?
After
all,
if
the
cup
is
already
filled
with
the
blessing
of
the
Creator,
why
does
man
also
need
to
be
like
that,
implying
that
otherwise
he
cannot
receive
the
blessing?
Therefore,
with
regard
to
whom
is
the
cup
called
“blessing
of
the
Creator”?
Does
the
cup
need
the
blessing?
3)
The
most
perplexing
is
what
he
says,
that
man
should
be
whole,
as
it
is
written,
“All
that
has
a
blemish
will
not
approach.”
This
implies
that
one
who
has
a
flaw
can
no
longer
approach
the
Creator.
This
means
that
one
who
is
missing
a
limb
can
no
longer
approach
the
Creator
and
must
stay
far
from
the
Creator
and
has
no
freedom
of
choice.
4)
What
does
it
imply
that
he
says
Ilem
[mute]
and
Maleh
[full]
are
the
same
letters,
that
a
cup
in
Gematria
is
Maleh
Yod-Hey
[filled
with
the
Creator]?
To
understand
all
the
above,
we
must
remember
the
whole
order
of
the
work
that
we
were
given
to
do,
as
it
is
written,
“Which
God
has
created
to
do.”
We
said
several
times
that
there
are
two
opposite
discernments
before
us,
which
are
called
1)
the
purpose
of
creation,
which
is
His
desire
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
meaning
for
the
creatures
to
receive
delight
and
pleasure,
2)
the
correction
of
creation,
for
the
creatures
to
strive
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator,
so
He
will
enjoy.
That
is,
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
wants
to
enjoy,
and
the
Creator
gave
him
this
desire,
but
he
relinquishes
this
desire
and
wants
only
for
the
Creator
to
enjoy.
It
follows
that
the
two
are
opposites.
Hence,
it
is
hard
work
to
achieve
such
a
desire
called
“desire
to
bestow
contentment
upon
one’s
Maker,”
and
relinquish
the
desire
for
self-benefit.
In
order
to
be
able
to
emerge
from
the
control
of
the
will
to
receive,
we
must
begin
in
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake],
meaning
for
our
own
benefit.
In
other
words,
by
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],
he
will
be
rewarded
in
this
world,
as
it
is
written
in
The
Zohar,
that
he
will
have
life,
health,
and
sustenance.
Otherwise,
he
will
not
be
able
to
enjoy
the
corporeal
life
in
this
world.
When
a
person
believes
this,
he
has
someone
who
compels
him
to
observe
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
This
is
called
“believing
in
reward
and
punishment,
meaning
that
he
observes
Torah
and
Mitzvot
because
he
is
afraid
of
punishment
and
expects
to
receive
reward.
Sometimes
the
reward
and
punishment
are
expressed
in
a
person
as
reward
and
punishment
in
the
next
world,
where
there
are
the
Garden
of
Eden
and
Hell,
and
this
is
the
reason
compelling
him
to
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
And
since
from
Lo
Lishma
we
come
to
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
meaning
that
the
light
in
the
Torah
illuminates
to
him
that
there
is
a
different
manner
of
reward
and
punishment—where
the
reward
is
to
be
rewarded
with
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator.
At
that
time,
he
can
feel
the
greatness
of
the
King,
that
this
is
the
reward
he
expects,
and
he
regards
as
punishment
when
he
sees
and
feels
that
he
is
separated
from
the
Life
of
Lives
and
that
he
is
far
from
the
Creator.
This,
to
him,
is
the
biggest
punishment.
It
follows
that
even
when
a
person
already
has
some
sensation
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
which
the
Lo
Lishma
has
caused
him,
when
sometimes
he
begins
to
feel
a
little
bit
of
the
greatness
of
the
Creator,
this
causes
him
to
want
to
annul
before
Him
as
a
candle
before
a
torch.
At
that
time,
a
person
cannot
understand
why
he
wants
to
annul
before
Him
now,
and
annul
all
of
his
own
reality
before
the
Creator.
Rather,
this
comes
to
him
as
though
it
is
a
natural
thing,
meaning
that
even
though
he
does
not
understand
what
is
being
done
with
him
now—that
he
wants
to
annul—but
in
reality,
so
it
is.
This
is
called
“an
awakening
from
above,”
where
a
person’s
hand
does
not
reach.
“Hand”
means
attainment,
from
the
words
“When
a
hand
attains,”
meaning
that
a
person
does
not
understand
why
he
wants
to
completely
annul
before
Him.
However,
later,
when
the
awakening
departs
from
him,
a
person
begins
to
yearn
to
achieve
annulment
before
the
Creator,
and
wants
to
obtain
the
feeling
he
had
while
in
ascent,
but
now
he
begins
to
see
how
far
he
is
from
this,
and
all
his
organs
resist
such
ideas
as
annulling
self-benefit
and
that
all
his
concerns
will
be
how
to
bring
contentment
to
his
Maker.
At
that
time,
he
sees
that
the
world
has
grown
dark
on
him.
He
cannot
find
a
place
from
which
to
receive
vitality,
and
then
he
sees
that
he
is
in
a
state
of
descent
and
lowliness.
When
he
comes
to
such
a
descent,
he
sees
that
no
one
has
such
bad
thoughts.
However,
one
should
believe
in
the
sages
that
such
thoughts
come
from
above,
meaning
that
from
above,
they
want
this
person
who
now
wants
to
approach
the
Creator
to
suffer
descents
because
by
having
descents,
he
will
feel
the
need
for
the
Creator
to
lift
him.
This
is
as
it
is
written,
“He
lifts
the
indigent
from
the
trash.”
That
is,
precisely
when
he
feels
that
he
is
in
the
trash,
meaning
that
all
those
things
that
he
regarded
as
trash,
as
animal
food,
who
eat
the
waste
that
people
throw
in
the
trash,
and
of
which
they
say
that
it
is
food
that
is
unfit
for
human
consumption,
as
he
himself
says
during
an
ascent.
But
now
that
the
Creator
wants
to
bring
him
closer,
a
person
should
feel
his
lack,
and
then
he
can
receive
a
filling
for
the
lack.
It
follows
that
precisely
when
a
person
is
in
the
trash
and
from
there
searches
for
his
food,
when
he
sees
to
what
state
he
has
come
after
all
the
labor
he
has
given
in
order
to
obtain
the
desire
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker,
then
he
can
make
an
earnest
prayer.
Yet,
a
person
does
not
always
have
the
strength
to
believe.
However,
when
a
person
is
already
standing
near
the
place
from
which
he
will
receive
the
help
from
above,
and
“near”
means
that
the
Kli
[vessel],
meaning
the
desire
to
bestow,
is
far
away
from
him,
then
he
sees
that
only
the
Creator
can
save
him.
As
Baal
HaSulam
said,
this
is
the
most
important
point
in
man’s
work,
for
then
he
has
close
contact
with
the
Creator
because
he
sees
one
hundred
percent
that
nothing
can
help
him
but
the
Creator
Himself.
Although
he
believes
this,
still,
this
faith
does
not
always
illuminate
for
him
that
specifically
now
is
the
best
time
to
receive
the
salvation
of
the
Creator,
that
specifically
now
he
can
be
saved
and
the
Creator
will
bring
him
closer,
meaning
give
him
the
desire
to
bestow
and
emerge
from
the
control
of
self-love,
which
is
called
“exodus
from
Egypt.”
In
other
words,
he
comes
out
of
the
control
of
the
Egyptians,
who
afflicted
Israel
and
did
not
let
them
do
the
holy
work.
“And
the
children
of
Israel
sighed
from
the
work,
and
their
cry
rose
up
to
God,”
and
then
the
Creator
brought
them
out
from
the
exile
in
Egypt.
In
other
words,
since
the
people
of
Israel
felt
the
enslavement
and
wanted
to
escape
from
this
exile
that
the
Egyptians
were
enslaving
them,
when
they
came
to
this
important
point
of
feeling
their
lowliness,
the
Creator
brought
them
out
of
Egypt.
This
is
as
the
ARI
says,
that
when
the
people
of
Israel
were
in
Egypt,
they
were
already
in
forty-nine
gates
of
Tuma’a
[impurity],
and
then
the
Creator
brought
them
out
from
Egypt.
This
means
that
they
already
came
to
the
worst
lowliness,
the
lowest
that
can
be,
and
then
the
Creator
brought
them
out.
It
follows
that
when
a
person
sees
that
he
is
in
utter
lowliness,
he
should
believe
that
specifically
now
is
the
time
when
the
Creator
will
bring
him
closer.
And
if
the
faith
does
not
shine
for
him
then,
on
the
spot,
he
escapes
the
campaign.
It
follows
that
the
whole
order
of
the
labor
that
He
has
given
is
seemingly
for
nothing.
But
later,
he
is
given
another
awakening
from
above,
and
once
again
he
forgets
what
he
had
during
the
descent,
and
thinks
once
more
that
he
will
no
longer
have
descents,
and
so
on
repeatedly.
A
person
needs
great
mercy
in
order
not
to
escape
the
campaign.
Although
he
uses
the
counsels
that
our
sages
said,
“I
have
created
the
evil
inclination;
I
have
created
the
Torah
as
a
spice,”
but
the
person
says
that
he
has
already
used
this
advice
several
times
to
no
avail.
He
also
says
that
he
has
already
used
the
advice
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided,”
and
it
is
as
though
all
the
counsels
are
not
for
him.
Thus,
he
does
not
know
what
to
do.
This
is
the
worst
state
for
a
person,
meaning
he
wants
to
escape
from
these
states
but
has
nowhere
to
run.
At
that
time
he
suffers
torments
at
being
between
despair
and
confidence.
But
then
a
person
says,
“Where
will
I
turn?”
At
that
time,
the
only
advice
is
prayer.
Yet,
this
prayer
is
also
without
any
guarantee,
so
it
follows
that
then
he
must
pray
to
believe
that
the
Creator
does
hear
a
prayer,
and
everything
that
one
feels
in
these
states
is
to
his
benefit.
But
this
can
be
only
above
reason,
meaning
although
the
mind
tells
him,
“After
all
the
calculations,
you
see
that
nothing
can
help
you,”
he
should
believe
this,
too,
above
reason,
that
the
Creator
can
deliver
him
from
the
will
to
receive
for
himself,
in
return
for
which
he
will
receive
the
desire
to
bestow.
Then,
when
a
person
receives
from
the
Creator
the
desire
to
bestow,
he
becomes
whole
with
the
Creator,
meaning
he
has
been
rewarded
with
equivalence
of
form,
which
is
called
“unification.”
At
that
time,
a
person
is
considered
“unblemished,”
since
all
of
man’s
blemishes
are
that
he
has
bad
thoughts
about
spirituality.
That
is,
instead
of
feeling
the
importance
of
Kedusha
[holiness],
that
it
is
something
very
important,
when
he
wants
to
annul
before
Him,
when
he
has
love
of
the
Creator
because
of
the
yearning
for
the
Creator,
to
him
it
is
the
opposite.
That
is,
he
feels
the
resistance
of
the
body.
All
this
comes
for
lack
of
faith
in
the
greatness
of
the
Creator,
and
how
can
he
approach
the
Creator
with
the
blemishes
he
has
within
him?
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
we
asked,
How
did
they
say
that
one
who
has
a
blemish
shall
not
approach?
for
it
means
that
he
no
longer
has
any
choice
to
be
able
to
approach
the
Creator.
In
other
words,
the
verse,
“therefore
choose
life,”
was
not
said
about
him.
Can
this
be
said?
However,
in
the
work,
we
should
say
that
a
“blemish”
means
a
lack,
meaning
lack
of
faith
in
the
Creator.
Thus,
“all
that
has
a
blemish
will
not
approach,”
meaning
cannot
approach
the
Creator.
Instead,
first
he
must
correct
his
blemishes,
meaning
do
good
deeds
with
the
aim
to
be
rewarded
with
faith
in
the
Creator,
that
He
watches
over
the
world
as
The
Good
Who
Does
Good.
Now
we
will
explain
what
we
asked
why
it
is
implied
that
“a
cup
of
blessing
should
be
filled
with
wine,”
otherwise
it
is
not
regarded
as
a
cup
of
blessing.
And
he
says,
“So
a
man
should
be
whole.”
But
what
is
the
connection
between
the
cup
and
the
man,
that
if
the
cup
must
be
full,
so
should
man
be
whole?
The
answer
is
that
the
cup
is
the
Kli
in
which
wine
is
placed.
A
Kli
is
called
“a
lack,”
and
in
the
lack
enters
the
filling.
Wine
is
called
“abundance,”
and
with
respect
to
the
abundance,
there
is
never
a
lack,
since
“Nothing
is
missing
in
the
King’s
house,”
and
as
it
is
written,
“I
the
Lord
do
not
change,”
meaning
that
there
is
never
a
deficit
in
the
light.
Rather,
everything
depends
on
the
receiving
Kelim
[vessels],
so
they
are
complete
Kelim
and
not
broken
ones.
As
we
learned,
there
was
the
matter
of
the
breaking
of
the
vessels,
where
from
the
breaking
of
the
vessels
emerged
the
Klipot
[shells/peels].
The
breaking
of
the
vessels
means
that
just
as
when
a
physical
vessel
breaks,
if
you
place
a
liquid
in
the
Kli,
it
all
spills
out,
so
it
is
in
spirituality:
If
the
cup,
called
a
Kli,
is
not
full,
but
the
Kli
is
deficient
with
the
Creator,
the
abundance
exits
to
the
outer
ones,
namely
to
the
Klipot.
The
intimation
that
the
cup
must
be
full
means
that
the
cup
should
be
in
equivalence
of
form
with
the
abundance
that
comes
from
the
Giver.
Then
the
cup
can
be
full
and
the
abundance
will
not
go
to
the
external
ones.
In
order
to
understand
the
intimation,
they
added
and
said,
“so
a
man
should
be
whole”
and
there
will
be
no
flaw
in
him.
This
is
when
the
cup
is
called
“a
cup
of
blessing.”
In
other
words,
man,
who
is
the
Kli
that
should
receive
the
abundance
of
blessing,
should
be
whole
with
the
Creator.
This
means
that
all
of
man’s
concerns
should
be
only
about
the
benefit
of
the
Creator
and
not
about
his
own
benefit.
This
is
called
“a
complete
cup,”
implying
that
man
should
be
complete,
and
then
the
cup
can
be
full.
In
other
words,
if
the
Kli,
called
“cup,”
implying
to
the
receiving
individual,
the
blessing
can
be
full
in
the
Kli,
and
it
does
not
spill
over
from
the
blessing,
meaning
the
Kli,
to
the
outer
ones,
who
are
the
Klipot.
Rather,
everything
stays
in
Kedusha,
since
man
has
no
blemish,
for
a
blemish
in
spirituality
means
that
there
is
a
mixture
of
will
to
receive.
If
a
person
has
corrected
himself
from
all
the
flaws,
which
is
the
will
to
receive
for
himself,
what
remains
is
a
cup
full
of
the
blessing
of
the
Creator
and
no
abundance
flows
out
to
the
external
ones.
Now
we
will
explain
what
he
says,
Ilem
[mute]
with
Yod-Hey
is
the
letters
Elokim
[God],
and
it
is
the
same
number
as
“cup”
[in
Gematria];
hence,
a
cup
must
be
full,
for
if
you
invert
the
[letters
of
the]
word
Ilem
you
will
find
Maleh
[full].
We
should
understand
what
this
implies
to
us.
The
ARI
explains
the
Lord,
God
[Elokim]
after
the
name
of
the
Kli
that
is
fit
to
receive
the
abundance,
called
“light.”
He
says
that
the
order
of
scrutinies
is
that
the
sparks
and
Kelim
must
be
raised
from
BYA
to
Atzilut
for
Ibur
[impregnation]
in
Ima.
At
that
time,
320
sparks
ascend,
comprising
thirty-two
Behinot
[discernments],
where
each
Behina
[singular
of
Behinot]
comprises
ten,
thus
320
Behinot.
The
breaking
occurred
because
of
Malchut
of
the
quality
of
judgment
that
was
in
each
Malchut
in
each
of
the
thirty-two
paths.
Hence,
the
first
correction
was
that
Abba,
called
Hochma,
sorted
and
removed
the
Malchut
of
each
Behina.
This
is
regarded
as
removing
the
Malchut
in
each
path,
which
is
called
Peh
[mouth],
which
is
Malchut,
from
which
the
degree
is
revealed
and
shines.
This
is
as
he
says
in
The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot
(Part
12,
Item
246):
“The
Ubar
[embryo]
does
not
speak
at
all,
for
it
is
Ilem,
from
Elokim.
Hence,
it
is
mute,
devoid
of
speech.
This
is
the
meaning
of
‘Or
who
makes
him
mute.’”
And
it
is
written
(The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot,
Part
12,
Item
221),
“Now
(at
the
time
of
Yenika
[nursing]),
they
will
be
filled
with
the
letters
Yod-Hey
and
become
complete
Elokim.”
We
should
discern
between
speech
and
mute
in
the
work.
Speech
means
revealing,
when
a
person
already
has
Yenika
in
spirituality,
and
he
feels
that
he
is
nursing
from
Kedusha,
for
nursing
on
milk
indicates
Hassadim,
for
the
quality
of
Hesed
[mercy]
is
bestowal,
when
a
person
is
rewarded
with
vessels
of
bestowal
and
all
his
actions
are
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
he
has
no
concerns
for
his
own
benefit.
This
is
regarded
as
the
quality
of
Hesed.
However,
before
the
Yenika
there
is
Ibur,
meaning
that
the
upper
one
corrects
him.
This
can
be
when
a
person
is
like
an
embryo
in
its
mother’s
womb,
where
the
embryo
annuls
before
the
mother
and
has
no
view
of
its
own,
but
as
our
sages
said,
“An
embryo
is
its
mother’s
thigh,
eats
what
its
mother
eats,”
and
has
no
authority
of
its
own
to
ask
any
questions.
Rather,
it
does
not
merit
a
name.
This
is
called
“mute,”
when
he
has
no
mouth
to
ask
questions.
This
is
so
when
a
person
can
go
with
his
eyes
shut,
above
reason,
and
believe
in
the
sages
and
go
all
the
way.
This
is
called
Ibur,
when
he
has
no
mouth.
Ibur
means
as
it
is
written
(The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot,
Part
8,
Item
17),
“The
level
of
Malchut,
which
is
the
most
restricted
Katnut
[smallness/infancy]
possible,
is
called
Ibur.
It
comes
from
the
words
Evra
[anger]
and
Dinin
[Aramaic:
judgments],
as
it
is
written,
‘And
the
Lord
was
impregnated
in
me
for
your
sake.’”
We
should
interpret
the
meaning
of
“anger
and
judgments.”
When
a
person
must
go
with
this
eyes
shut,
above
reason,
the
body
resists
this
work.
Hence,
the
fact
that
a
person
always
has
to
overcome,
this
is
called
“anger,
wrath,
and
trouble,”
since
it
is
hard
work
to
always
overcome
and
annul
before
the
upper
one,
for
the
upper
one
to
do
with
him
what
the
upper
one
wants.
This
is
called
Ibur,
which
is
the
most
restricted
Katnut
possible.
The
correction
is
as
our
sages
said,
“Abba,
who
is
Hochma,
gives
the
white,”
meaning
he
whitens
the
lower
one
from
its
will
to
receive,
so
a
person
begins
to
feel
that
the
will
to
receive
is
waste,
as
it
is
written,
“Though
your
sins
are
as
scarlet,
they
will
be
as
white
as
snow.”
At
that
time,
it
is
considered
that
“His
mother
gives
the
red,”
meaning
that
Bina
is
called
“light
of
Hassadim,”
which
is
the
light
that
comes
into
vessels
of
bestowal.
That
is,
once
a
person
has
come
to
know
that
the
will
to
receive
is
called
“waste,”
he
receives
the
desire
to
bestow.
All
this
is
considered
that
the
upper
one
works
and
the
lower
one
annuls
itself
without
any
criticism.
This
is
regarded
as
having
no
“mouth,”
and
this
is
called
“mute,”
which
means
he
has
no
mouth.
Afterward
come
the
states
of
“birth”
and
Yenika
[nursing].
At
that
time,
he
already
has
a
mouth,
meaning
that
he
has
his
own
authority
and
he
already
knows
what
he
is
doing.
He
already
has
permission
to
make
his
own
choices,
which
is
regarded
as
being
on
his
own.
This
is
regarded
as
receiving
Ruach,
which
illuminates
when
he
already
has
his
own
authority
in
Kedusha.
But
in
Ibur,
he
had
only
Nefesh,
from
the
word
Nefisha
[rest/stillness],
meaning
still,
which
has
no
independent
movement
but
the
upper
one
moves
it
in
every
action.
At
that
time,
he
receives
a
complete
name
from
Elokim,
meaning
that
being
in
Ibur,
Ilem
[mute]
from
Elokim
[God],
meaning
that
he
did
not
have
his
own
authority,
that
he
owned
the
work,
but
rather
everything
was
attributed
to
the
upper
one.
When
he
was
born
and
has
his
own
Yenika
in
Kedusha,
he
is
a
full
name
of
Elokim.
This
is
the
intimation
that
that
which
was
mute
from
its
own
perspective,
has
now
become
full.
That
is,
he
has
been
rewarded
with
Yod-Hey
from
Elokim,
which
implies
a
complete
name,
“cup”
in
Gematria,
which
is
the
number
four—Elokim,
which
is
86—and
then
the
cup
is
full.
In
other
words,
when
a
person
has
corrected
himself
into
the
domain
of
Kedusha,
it
is
called
“a
complete
Kli,”
and
this
is
called
“a
cup
of
blessing,”
meaning
that
the
blessing
can
already
be
in
it,
since
the
Kli
is
corrected
so
that
everything
that
it
receives
will
remain
in
Kedusha.
By
this
we
understand
what
it
implies
that
the
cup
should
be
filled
with
wine.
It
implies
to
us
that
the
abundance
will
remain
in
the
Kli
and
nothing
will
spill
out
from
there
to
the
outer
ones.
Rather,
everything
will
be
in
order
to
bestow.
It
follows
that
when
speaking
of
the
Mitzvot,
it
all
pertains
to
branch
and
root.
This
is
why
a
cup
of
blessing
must
be
full,
which
implies
to
spirituality,
meaning
the
order
of
man’s
work
to
achieve
the
purpose
of
creation.