What
Are
a
Blessing
and
a
Curse,
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
42,
1990
The
interpreters
of
the
Torah
ask
about
the
verse,
“Behold,
I
set
before
you
today
a
blessing
and
a
curse.
The
blessing,
if
you
obey
the
commandments
of
the
Lord
your
God,
which
I
am
commanding
you
today.
And
the
curse,
if
you
do
not
obey.”
The
question
is,
Why
does
it
begin
in
singular
form
[in
Hebrew],
“Behold”?
And
they
also
ask,
why
is
it
written
specifically
“today”?
It
is
known
that
the
purpose
of
creation
is
His
desire
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
meaning
that
all
created
beings
will
feel
that
they
are
receiving
delight
and
pleasure
from
the
Creator.
This
is
called
“Blessed
is
our
God,
who
created
us
for
His
glory,”
meaning
that
the
creatures
receive
delight
and
pleasure
from
the
Creator,
and
it
glorifies
the
Creator
that
the
creatures
receive
from
Him
delight
and
pleasure.
It
follows
that
each
one
respects
the
Creator,
and
from
this,
the
Creator
is
honored.
Conversely,
if
the
creatures
do
not
receive
from
Him
delight
and
pleasure,
it
does
not
glorify
the
Creator.
That
is,
by
creating
creatures
that
do
not
feel
that
the
Creator
gives
them
delight
and
pleasure,
but
rather
that
they
are
tormented
and
suffer
in
the
world,
this
does
not
glorify
the
Creator.
This
is
as
it
is
written
(Psalms
50),
“Call
upon
Me
in
the
day
of
trouble;
I
shall
rescue
you,
and
you
will
honor
Me.”
RASHI
interpreted
“and
you
will
honor
Me”
as
“Honor
Me,
as
this
is
My
honor,
that
I
save
those
who
trust
in
Me.”
We
should
understand
this:
Does
the
Creator
need
respect,
that
the
creatures
will
respect
him?
After
all,
His
desire
is
only
to
bestow,
to
impart
delight
and
pleasure.
Why
is
it
said
that
the
Creator
receives
honors
by
saving
those
who
trust
Him?
The
answer
is
that
the
Creator
knows
that
the
creatures
know
that
He
created
the
world
in
order
to
give
to
the
created
beings
delight
and
pleasure
only
when
the
created
beings
respect
the
Creator
for
giving
them
delight
and
pleasure.
It
follows
that
the
matter
of
“Blessed
is
our
God,
who
created
us
for
His
glory”
applies
when
the
creatures
respect
the
Creator
because
we
received
delight
and
pleasure.
It
follows
that
the
creatures
thank
the
Creator
for
receiving
delight
and
pleasure,
and
this
feeling,
from
the
pleasure
that
the
creatures
receive
this
pleasure,
emerges
from
the
hearts
of
the
receivers
and
is
revealed
outward
through
gratitude.
That
is,
to
the
extent
of
the
reception
of
pleasure,
the
glory
of
the
giver
is
revealed.
We
see
in
corporeality
how
a
person
respects
his
friend
when
he
gives
him
a
great
gift,
and
how
he
respects
him
when
he
gives
him
a
small
gift.
This
means
that
the
honor
that
the
recipient
of
the
gift
gives
to
the
giver
of
the
gift
establishes
the
measure
of
the
size
of
the
gift,
meaning
the
measure
of
the
recipient’s
sensation.
For
example,
a
person
whom
the
Creator
brings
closer,
meaning
gives
him
a
thought
and
desire
to
serve
the
King,
there
is
certainly
a
difference
in
how
he
feels
if
he
is
serving
a
great
King:
He
is
certainly
happy
day
and
night
that
he
has
been
rewarded
with
serving
a
great
King.
That
is,
if
a
person
prays
to
the
Creator
and
imagines
that
he
is
standing
before
a
great
King,
how
impressed
he
is?
Or
if
he
is
speaking
to
a
small
king,
what
is
his
impression?
In
other
words,
according
to
a
person’s
sensation
to
whom
he
speaks
and
prays
is
his
joy
and
elation,
as
our
sages
said,
“Know
before
whom
you
stand,”
meaning
before
a
great
or
a
small
king.
It
turns
out
that
to
the
extent
that
a
person
respects
the
Creator,
to
that
extent
he
can
see
to
which
King
he
is
praying,
a
great
or
a
small
King.
It
follows
that
honoring
the
Creator
is
not
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
The
Creator
does
not
need
to
be
respected.
Rather,
this
respect
is
for
man’s
sake.
That
is,
a
person
needs
to
know
before
what
King
he
stands—small
or
great.
However,
in
order
for
the
Creator’s
will
to
be
carried
out
with
the
completeness
of
the
goal,
meaning
so
there
would
not
be
shame,
there
was
a
correction
called
“Tzimtzum
[restriction]
and
concealment,”
meaning
that
there
was
a
Tzimtzum
and
concealment
on
two
actions:
1)
The
Creator
Himself
is
hidden
from
us
and
we
must
believe
that
He
is
treating
us
with
private
Providence
over
all
creations.
2)
The
real
delight
and
pleasure
is
in
the
613
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],
which
The
Zohar
calls
“613
deposits,”
as
is
explained
in
the
Sulam
[Ladder
Commentary
on
The
Zohar]
(“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar,”
“General
Explanation
for
All
Fourteen
Commandments
and
How
They
Divide
into
the
Seven
Days
of
Creation,”
Item
1)
that
in
each
Mitzva
[singular
of
Mitzvot],
a
special
light
is
deposited.
However,
this,
too,
is
concealed
and
we
must
believe
that
there
is
where
we
will
find
the
delight
and
pleasure.
Yet,
this
concealment
was
only
for
the
sake
of
the
created
beings,
so
there
would
not
be
shame
upon
the
reception
of
the
delight
and
pleasure,
meaning
in
order
not
to
have
shame
by
the
creatures
receiving
the
delight
and
pleasure
because
they
feel
like
it,
as
this
is
opposite
from
the
Creator.
According
to
the
rule
that
each
branch
wants
to
resemble
its
root,
when
the
creatures
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure,
they
will
feel
unpleasantness.
Therefore,
the
creatures
must
try
to
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
meaning
in
order
to
bestow
contentment
upon
the
Creator,
and
then
there
is
equivalence
of
form
between
them,
meaning
that
the
creatures,
too,
will
do
everything
in
order
to
bestow,
like
the
Creator.
Then
there
will
be
no
place
for
shame,
which
is
called
“the
perfection
of
His
deeds.”
Yet,
how
can
a
person
achieve
this
degree
of
doing
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator?
After
all,
by
nature,
man
is
born
with
a
desire
to
receive
in
order
to
receive.
Our
sages
said
about
this,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided.”
That
is,
when
a
person
sees
that
he
is
far
from
all
his
actions
being
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
he
tries
in
everything
he
does.
When
he
sees
that
on
every
act
that
he
performs
there
is
no
intention
to
bestow,
he
asks
of
the
Creator
to
give
him
the
intention
to
bestow
on
the
act
that
he
performs.
In
other
words,
he
asks
the
Creator
that
thanks
to
the
act
that
he
performs,
the
act
will
be
as
an
awakening
from
below,
meaning
a
prayer
that
the
Creator
will
send
him
the
intention
to
bestow.
It
follows
that
the
awakening
from
below
is
the
Kli
[vessel]
that
the
Creator
can
fill.
But
when
he
has
no
actions
over
which
to
ask
that
the
Creator
will
send
him
the
intention
to
bestow
for
them,
this
is
as
is
written,
“There
is
no
light
without
a
Kli,”
meaning
no
intention
without
an
action.
For
this
reason,
a
person
must
do
many
actions,
and
the
actions
should
be
as
a
lack,
that
he
will
ask
the
Creator
to
satisfy
their
need.
However,
it
is
human
nature
that
when
he
knows
that
the
most
important
is
that
we
must
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
and
he
sees
that
his
actions
are
in
utter
lowliness,
he
becomes
contemptuous
of
his
actions.
He
says
that
in
any
case,
his
work
is
worthless,
so
why
bother
exert
so
hard
to
do
them?
Therefore,
when
it
is
not
difficult
for
him
to
work,
he
works.
But
when
it
is
hard
for
him,
he
does
not
have
the
strength
to
exert
himself
and
work
because
thoughts
come
to
him
from
the
world
that
there
is
no
need
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
because
secular
people
do
not
believe
in
reward
and
punishment.
Also,
when
he
sees
that
his
actions
are
lowly,
he
says
about
his
actions
that
they
are
incomplete.
He
says
that
he
knows
for
certain
that
no
reward
should
be
given
for
such
actions.
It
turns
out
that
in
this
state,
when
he
sees
that
his
actions
are
so
lowly
that
they
merit
no
reward,
it
follows
that
then
he
is
in
a
state
where
he
does
not
believe
in
reward
and
punishment.
Since
he
cannot
fool
himself
and
say
that
he
has
a
desire
“for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,”
since
he
sees
that
the
whole
body
objects
to
this,
so
when
he
says
to
himself,
“If
you
do
not
aim
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
you
will
be
punished,”
he
does
not
understand
this
because
he
does
not
see
how
he
will
ever
be
able
to
say
that
he
is
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
Therefore,
this
is
called
“not
believing
in
punishment,”
meaning
to
say
that
because
he
will
be
punished,
he
will
aim
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
He
cannot
understand
this
because
how
can
one
be
punished
for
something
that
is
impossible?
As
for
reward,
at
that
time
he
says
that
he
does
not
deserve
reward
for
such
actions.
It
follows
that
at
that
time
he
does
not
believe
in
reward
and
punishment,
like
secular
people,
who
do
not
believe
in
reward
and
punishment.
Therefore,
he
snubs
them.
However,
without
faith
in
the
sages,
we
cannot
go
forward.
Rather,
we
must
believe
in
the
sages,
who
said
that
the
order
of
the
work
is
that
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli.
For
this
reason,
a
person
must
believe
that
when
he
sees
that
his
actions
are
not
for
the
sake
of
heaven,
it
is
a
revelation
from
above,
that
he
is
shown
the
truth,
how
the
will
to
receive
governs
a
person,
and
he
cannot
do
anything
if
it
does
not
yield
self-benefit.
A
person
can
see
this
only
when
he
wishes
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth,
meaning
to
achieve
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator.
This
knowledge
is
given
to
a
person
in
order
for
him
to
need
the
Creator
to
help
him
and
give
him
the
desire
to
bestow.
This
desire
attaches
a
person
to
the
Creator,
meaning
that
once
he
is
rewarded
with
receiving
the
desire
to
bestow,
the
Creator
can
bestow
upon
him
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
was
in
the
intention
of
creation
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
It
follows
that
we
should
make
three
discernments
here:
1)
The
person
begins
to
feel
that
he
is
lacking
the
Kli
called
“desire
to
bestow,”
but
is
immersed
entirely
in
self-love.
This
deficiency
does
not
come
from
the
person
himself.
Rather,
one
must
believe
that
this
deficiency,
that
he
cannot
do
anything
in
order
to
bestow,
is
help
that
comes
to
a
person
from
above,
and
the
help
is
that
he
feels
a
lack.
2)
To
ask
of
the
Creator
to
give
him
a
blessing,
which
is
the
desire
to
bestow,
called
“Kli
of
Hesed
[mercy],”
where
he
wants
only
to
work
in
order
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker.
This
is
as
it
is
written
(“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar,”
“Otiot
de
Rav
Hamnuna
Saba
[The
Letters
of
Rav
Hamnuna
Saba],”
Items
37-38),
“[Hesed]
is
a
blessing,
as
it
is
written,
‘And
I
will
pour
out
a
blessing
for
you.’
This
is
the
meaning
of
‘I
said,
a
world
of
mercy
shall
be
built.’
The
words
Yibanne
[shall
be
built]
mean
construction
and
understanding
[in
Hebrew],
since
He
established
it
as
sufficient
distinction
to
distinguish
those
who
adhere
to
Kedusha
[holiness]
from
those
who
veer
off
from
following
the
Creator
to
cling
unto
another
God,
as
it
is
written,
‘And
test
Me
now
in
this,’
says
the
Lord
of
hosts,
‘if
I
will
not
open
for
you
the
windows
of
heaven
and
pour
out
for
you
a
blessing
until
it
overflows.’”
This
means
that
before
they
receive
the
Kelim
of
the
blessing,
meaning
vessels
of
bestowal,
there
are
no
Kelim
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
for
which
the
world
was
created.
This
is
so
because
everything
will
go
to
the
Klipot
and
not
to
Kedusha,
and
the
whole
basis
of
the
Kedusha
is
built
on
the
desire
to
bestow.
3)
When
his
613
Mitzvot
are
as
613
deposits.
This
is
the
time
when
he
obtains
the
613
lights
that
are
clothed
within
the
613
deposits.
This
is
considered
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
is
clothed
in
them.
However,
the
main
work
is
in
the
first
state,
where
the
613
are
called
“613
counsels,”
meaning
tips
how
to
ask
the
Creator
to
give
him
vessels
of
bestowal.
In
that
state,
there
are
ups
and
downs
because
a
person
often
decides
that
this
work
of
ever
receiving
help
from
above,
vessels
of
bestowal,
is
impossible,
since
concerning
asking
the
Creator
to
give
him
these
vessels,
he
sees
that
complete
opposite—where
the
Creator
should
have
helped
him
acquire
vessels
of
bestowal,
he
sees
that
after
each
effort
he
makes,
he
receives
an
even
bigger
desire.
Therefore,
a
person
thinks
that
there
is
no
point
asking
for
it,
since
it
is
as
though
there
is
no
attention
from
above
watching
over
him.
As
a
results,
he
often
decides
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
work
pointlessly.
Here
a
person
needs
great
strengthening
so
as
not
to
escape
the
campaign
and
say
once
and
for
all,
“This
work
is
not
for
me.”
In
that
state
a
person
needs
heaven’s
mercy.
Here,
a
person
must
go
only
above
reason
because
he
sees
that
the
reason
is
correct.
That
is,
reasonably
thinking,
when
he
makes
his
calculation,
he
sees
that
he
should
escape
the
campaign,
and
he
should
thank
the
Creator
for
not
running,
for
not
being
thrown
from
above
outside
the
path
that
leads
to
the
King’s
palace.
That
is,
a
person
should
be
grateful
and
always
thank
the
Creator
that
he
did
not
accept
the
slander
that
the
body
always
tells
him,
“This
is
not
for
you.”
The
body
says
to
him:
“You
see
that
as
much
as
you
have
labored,
you
are
still
standing
in
the
same
place
as
when
you
began
the
work.”
It
tells
him,
“If
you
want
to
know
if
you
succeeded
at
all,
you
see
that
you
regressed
rather
than
progressed.”
This
is
the
reason
[view]
that
separates
him
from
Kedusha,
since
within
reason,
the
body
is
correct.
It
follows
that
the
fact
that
a
person
does
not
escape
from
the
campaign
is
also
not
by
his
own
powers.
Rather,
he
should
say
that
it
is
only
power
that
he
is
given
from
above
so
as
not
to
run.
In
other
words,
a
person
should
believe
that
on
one
hand,
he
is
allowed
to
see
how
far
he
is
from
working
in
order
to
bestow,
meaning
that
he
is
regressing.
On
the
other
hand,
he
must
believe
that
the
fact
that
he
is
not
escaping
the
campaign
and
often
believes
above
reason
that
he
will
be
brought
closer
and
will
be
rewarded
with
nearing
the
Creator,
it
follows
that
everything
he
does
in
the
work
is
built
only
on
faith
above
reason.
Now
we
can
understand
the
verse
“Behold,
I
set
before
you
today.”
“Today”
means
that
each
and
every
day
a
person
must
begin
anew
and
say
that
today
he
will
be
rewarded
with
“Behold,
I,”
meaning
with
“I
am
the
Lord
your
God,”
and
he
will
not
escape
the
campaign.
That
is,
he
should
not
say,
“I
have
already
prayed
many
times
for
the
Creator
to
give
me
the
vessels
of
bestowal
and
to
emerge
from
the
control
of
the
will
to
receive
for
myself,
but
I
receive
no
answer
to
my
prayer.
Thus,
what
is
the
point
of
praying
once
again?”
It
follows
that
the
word
“today”
implies
that
“each
day
they
should
be
as
new
in
your
eyes.”
That
is,
a
person
must
know
that
every
beginning
in
the
work
is
called
a
“day,”
and
the
prayer
that
a
person
makes
for
the
Creator
to
bring
him
closer
to
the
work,
that
prayer
is
called
a
“day.”
Yes,
since
the
prayer
for
nearing
the
Creator
makes
a
person’s
Kli,
which
is
the
need
and
desire,
and
the
desire
makes
a
person
suffer
because
the
Creator
is
not
bringing
him
closer,
therefore,
each
day
it
creates
in
a
person
one
hole.
Yet,
there
must
be
a
deep
deficiency,
and
to
be
recognized
as
a
big
deficiency
so
as
to
suit
a
big
filling.
For
this
reason,
each
day
we
must
begin
a
new
overcoming.
This
means
that
each
overcoming
creates
a
new
lack,
until
from
each
and
every
day
it
becomes
one
long
day,
when
there
is
the
ability
for
the
Creator
to
impart
the
filling
there,
called
“desire
to
bestow,”
which
is
that
he
receives
the
blessing,
which
is
the
quality
of
Hesed,
called
“vessels
of
bestowal.”
By
this
we
can
interpret
the
meaning
of
“we
will
do
and
we
will
hear.”
“We
will
do”
pertains
to
the
lower
one.
That
is,
the
lower
one
must
make
the
deficiency,
meaning
to
need
the
Creator
to
help
him
obtain
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
for
all
those
who
first
say,
“We
will
hear,”
meaning
that
the
body
must
first
hear
if
it
is
worthwhile
to
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
then
he
will
agree
to
work,
meaning
to
the
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
But
if
he
does
not
see
that
it
is
worthwhile
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
how
can
he
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator?
For
this
reason,
the
people
of
Israel—those
who
want
to
be
Yashar-El
[straight
to
God],
meaning
directly
to
the
Creator
and
not
for
their
own
sake—see
that
the
body
will
never
agree
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
Then
they
say,
“We
will
perform
actions
with
the
intention
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.”
Although
we
see
that
we
are
not
succeeding,
as
it
is
against
nature,
we
believe
that
if
we
ask
the
Creator
to
hear
our
prayer,
He
will
certainly
hear
the
prayer.
Then
we
will
hear,
meaning
we
will
be
rewarded
with
seeing
that
the
Creator
does
hear
the
prayer,
and
He
will
give
us
the
power
of
a
desire
to
bestow.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
people
of
Israel—although
the
evil
inclination
in
the
people
of
Israel
also
does
not
agree
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
one’s
own
sake—still
believed
that
the
Creator
hears
a
prayer,
and
if
we
ask
Him
to
give
us
this
power,
that
we
do
want
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
except
the
evil
inclination
in
us
objects
to
this,
and
certainly
the
Creator
hears
a
prayer.
We
will
certainly
be
rewarded
with
the
Creator
hearing
our
prayer,
by
receiving
from
Him
the
desire
to
bestow.
Then
we
will
certainly
be
able
to
say
that
the
Creator
hears.
We
can
interpret
what
Israel
said,
“For
our
part,
we
will
do
what
we
can
do,
and
we
will
ask
of
Him
to
hear
what
we
are
asking
of
Him,
and
then
we
will
be
rewarded
with
‘We
will
hear,’
meaning
that
the
Creator
will
give
us
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
are
vessels
of
the
blessing.
That
is,
the
upper
abundance
that
the
Creator
wants
to
give,
which
is
the
delight
and
pleasure,
can
clothe
in
these
Kelim
because
there
is
equivalence
between
the
light
and
the
Kli.”
It
follows
that
first
we
must
receive
a
lack,
meaning
for
a
person
to
receive
a
real
need
for
the
desire
to
bestow.
In
other
words,
he
should
feel
that
the
deficiency
is
so
great
that
no
one
in
the
world
can
satiate
the
need
but
the
Creator
Himself.
At
that
time
he
is
considered
“needy
of
the
Creator.”
At
that
time,
a
person
needs
heaven’s
mercy
so
as
not
to
escape
the
campaign,
for
usually,
when
a
person
works
and
sees
that
he
is
not
advancing,
he
escapes
the
work.
Therefore,
a
person
must
ask
the
Creator
to
help
him
not
flee
in
the
middle
of
the
work.
We
can
say
about
this
that
the
person
is
making
efforts
to
obtain
the
desire
to
bestow.
The
feeling
that
he
has
made
great
exertions
is
called
“old
age,”
meaning
that
he
has
been
a
long
time
in
this
work.
Therefore,
we
must
pray
to
the
Creator,
“Do
not
cast
us
off
in
the
time
of
old
age;
do
not
forsake
us
when
our
strength
fails.”
“When
our
strength
fails”
means
that
“We
have
run
out
of
patience,
that
after
all
the
prayers
that
we
have
given,
that
You
will
give
us
the
desire
to
bestow,
we
have
still
not
been
rewarded
with
receiving
it.
Do
not
cast
us
off
midway;
give
us
the
strength
to
endure
and
not
to
escape
the
campaign,
and
give
us
more
strength
to
pray
to
You
to
give
us
the
desire
to
bestow.”
We
should
know
that
in
the
work,
“old
age”
does
not
pertain
to
years.
Rather,
“old
age”
means
that
a
person
has
come
to
a
state
where
he
says,
“I
see
that
I
have
made
great
efforts
in
order
to
obtain
something
in
spirituality,
and
I
see
that
I
am
not
succeeding.”
Therefore,
he
accepts
the
situation
he
is
in
and
says,
“Perhaps
younger
people
will
come
instead
of
me,
who
have
more
energy.
I
see
that
I
am
unfit.”
This
is
called
“old”
in
the
work.
However,
in
the
corporeal
world
we
also
see
that
sometimes
people
are
old
in
age,
meaning
old
in
years,
but
are
as
energetic
as
young
people.
There
could
be
a
person
who
is
already
more
than
eighty
years
old
but
with
more
energy
and
works
more
than
others
who
are
younger
than
him,
and
still
has
desire
and
yearning
to
achieve
something
in
the
corporeal
world.
But
in
the
work
of
the
Creator,
“old
age”
is
certainly
not
about
years.
Rather,
“old
age”
means
that
his
aspiration
to
achieve
the
goal
has
ceased.
Now
we
can
understand
what
they
ask,
why
does
it
say
“Behold”
in
singular
form
[in
Hebrew]
and
then
says,
“I
set
before
you,”
in
plural
form
[in
Hebrew]?
The
meaning
is
as
said
(in
Article
No.
41
from
Tav-Shin-Nun),
that
the
Creator
said
“Behold”
in
singular
form,
“I
set
before
you,”
meaning
that
“before
you”
there
is
the
authority
of
the
many,
meaning
two
authorities.
“And
I
will
give
you
the
‘Behold,’
meaning
that
you
will
be
rewarded
with
seeing
that
there
is
not
more
than
one
authority.
In
other
words,
all
your
actions
will
be
only
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator,
and
the
authority
of
the
will
to
receive
will
be
cancelled.”
By
this
we
should
interpret
what
our
sages
said
about
“It
is
carved
on
the
tablets,”
that
they
became
free
from
the
angel
of
death.
We
should
understand
what
is
freedom
from
the
angel
of
death
in
the
work.
We
must
know
that
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
is
the
angel
of
death.
It
is
as
our
sages
said,
“The
wicked
in
their
lives
are
called
‘dead,’”
since
they
are
separated
from
the
Life
of
Lives
due
to
disparity
of
form,
which
is
the
will
to
receive.
In
other
words,
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
separates
one
from
the
Life
of
Lives.
Thus,
who
is
the
angel
of
kills
a
person?
It
is
the
will
to
receive.
It
therefore
follows
that
when
a
person
is
rewarded
with
the
Creator
giving
him
the
desire
to
bestow,
with
which
we
are
rewarded
by
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
when
the
singular
authority
is
made
and
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
enters
the
singular
authority,
which
is
the
authority
of
the
Creator,
he
is
liberated
from
the
angel
of
death,
since
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
does
not
operate
in
him
because
the
Creator
has
given
him
the
singular
authority.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“Behold,
I
set
before
you,”
as
in,
“I
am
the
Lord
your
God,”
“I
set
before
you”
that
at
that
time
there
will
be
only
the
singular
authority.
Afterward,
the
verse
interprets
more,
to
know
what
is
a
blessing
and
what
is
a
curse.
It
says,
“The
blessing,
if
you
obey
the
commandments
of
the
Lord
your
God.”
In
other
words,
“What
is
the
blessing
that
I
give?
It
is
that
you
can
obey
the
commandments
of
the
Lord
your
God.”
This
is
done
specifically
by
being
rewarded
with
vessels
of
bestowal.
This
is
the
blessing,
as
it
is
written,
“the
blessing
that
you
will
hear.”
“And
the
curse,”
meaning
that
if
a
person
sees
that
he
cannot
hear,
he
must
know
that
he
is
under
the
authority
of
the
Sitra
Achra
[other
side],
which
is
the
opposite
of
Kedusha,
as
it
is
written,
“A
blessing
is
called
‘bestowal’
and
a
curse
is
called
‘reception.’”
It
therefore
follows
that
a
person
should
exert
every
day
with
a
new
beginning
so
as
not
to
appear
as
an
old
man.
He
should
try
to
acquire
the
singular
authority,
for
then
he
will
be
rewarded
with
receiving
the
delight
and
pleasure,
which
is
the
purpose
of
creation.