What
Is,
“And
Abraham
Was
Old,
of
Many
Days,”
in
the
Work?
Article
8,
1991
It
is
written
in
The
Zohar
(VaYeshev,
Item
3),
“‘A
poor
and
wise
child
is
better
than
an
old
and
foolish
king.’
‘A
wise
child
is
better’
is
the
good
inclination,
which
is
a
child
from
few
days
with
man,
since
he
is
with
man
from
thirteen
years
of
age
onward.
‘An
old
and
foolish
king’
is
the
evil
inclination,
called
‘King
and
man’s
ruler
in
the
world
over
people.’
He
is
certainly
‘old
and
foolish,’
since
he
has
been
with
man
from
the
day
he
is
born
into
the
world.
Therefore,
he
is
‘an
old
and
foolish
king.’
But
‘a
wise
child
is
better’
is
as
it
is
written,
‘I
was
a
youth
and
I
grew
old.’
This
is
a
youth
who
is
a
poor
child
with
nothing
of
his
own.
Why
is
he
called
‘a
youth’?
It
is
because
he
has
the
resumption
[renewal]
of
the
moon,
which
is
always
resumed,
and
he
is
always
a
child.”
It
appears
from
the
words
of
The
Zohar
that
“old”
indicates
the
evil
inclination,
whereas
the
good
inclination
is
called
“a
child.”
If
this
is
so,
what
is
the
meaning
of
“And
Abraham
was
old,
of
many
days”?
What
does
it
come
to
tell
us
when
it
says,
“Abraham
was
old”?
What
merit
is
there
to
Abraham
being
old
and
of
many
days,
for
it
seems
as
though
the
text
is
praising
Abraham.
It
is
written
in
the
“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar”
(Item
140)
about
the
verse,
“Day
to
day
pours
forth
speech,
and
night
to
night
reveals
knowledge.”
It
says
there,
“Prior
to
the
end
of
correction,
before
we
qualified
our
vessels
of
reception
to
receive
only
in
order
to
give
contentment
to
our
Maker
and
not
to
our
own
benefit,
Malchut
is
called
‘the
tree
of
good
and
evil,’”
since
Malchut
is
the
guidance
of
the
world
by
people’s
actions.
“Hence,
we
must
receive
the
guidance
of
good
and
evil
from
the
Malchut,
as
this
guidance
qualifies
us
to
ultimately
correct
our
vessels
of
reception.
Often,
the
guidance
of
good
and
evil
causes
us
ascents
and
descents,
and
each
ascent
is
regarded
as
a
separate
day
because
due
to
the
great
descent
that
he
had,
while
he
doubted
the
beginning,
during
the
ascent
he
is
as
a
newly
born
child.
Thus,
in
each
ascent,
it
is
as
though
he
begins
to
serve
the
Creator
anew.
This
is
why
each
ascent
is
considered
a
specific
day,
and
similarly,
each
descent
is
considered
a
specific
night.”
Now
we
can
interpret
what
we
asked,
Why
does
it
say,
“And
Abraham
was
old,
of
many
days”?
What
is
the
merit
in
Abraham
being
old?
The
answer
is
“many
days.”
That
is,
there
is
one
who
is
old,
which
is
one
state
that
extends
over
a
long
period
of
time,
and
the
prolonging
turns
this
state
into
an
old
one.
It
is
written
about
it
in
The
Zohar,
“Why
is
the
evil
inclination
called
‘old’?”
It
says
that
it
is
because
of
the
prolonged
time,
“since
he
is
with
man
from
the
day
one
is
born
into
the
world.”
In
other
words,
there
is
no
change
in
his
situation
and
he
has
been
the
same
since
he
was
born.
This
is
called
“An
old
and
foolish
king.”
We
should
ask,
But
he
is
an
angel,
as
it
is
written,
“For
He
will
command
His
angels
over
you,
to
keep
you
in
all
your
ways.”
The
Zohar
interprets
that
this
pertains
to
the
good
inclination
and
the
evil
inclination.
So
how
can
we
say
that
it
is
a
fool?
The
answer
is
that
every
angel
is
named
after
its
task.
Hence,
since
the
evil
inclination
installs
a
spirit
of
folly
in
a
person,
as
our
sages
said,
“One
does
not
sin
unless
a
spirit
of
folly
has
entered
him,”
for
this
reason
the
evil
inclination
is
named
“fool,”
accordingly.
However,
he
always
plays
the
same
role—installing
the
spirit
of
folly
in
people.
This
is
why
he
is
called
“An
old
and
foolish
king.”
However,
in
Kedusha
[holiness],
when
a
person
begins
to
work
on
the
path
toward
achieving
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator,
meaning
that
all
his
actions
will
be
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
the
person
should
first
come
to
the
recognition
of
evil,
meaning
to
know
the
measure
of
the
evil
within
him.
It
is
as
our
sages
said,
“To
the
wicked,
the
evil
seems
like
hairsbreadth,
but
to
the
righteous,
it
seems
like
a
high
mountain.”
This
is
so
because
one
is
not
shown
more
evil
that
exists
within
him
than
he
has
good,
since
the
good
and
the
bad
must
be
balanced,
for
only
then
can
we
speak
of
choice,
as
our
sages
said,
“One
should
always
see
oneself
as
half
guilty,
half
innocent.”
Hence,
those
who
want
to
achieve
the
work
of
bestowal
undergo
ascents
and
descents,
as
said
in
The
Zohar,
which
interprets
“Day
to
day
pours
forth
speech,
and
night
to
night
reveals
knowledge.”
It
follows
that
the
quality
of
“old”
in
one
who
works
in
order
to
bestow
is
not
in
the
sense
that
one
state
has
taken
a
long
time.
Rather,
he
is
“old”
because
he
has
had
many
days
and
many
nights.
This
is
why
it
says,
“Abraham
was
old,
of
many
days.”
To
interpret
“many
days,”
“And
the
Lord
blessed
Abraham
with
all,”
what
is
“with
all”?
Since
he
had
many
days,
he
must
have
had
many
nights
in
between,
for
if
there
are
no
nights
in
between,
there
cannot
be
many
days.
“The
Lord
blessed
Abraham
with
all”
means
that
the
nights
were
also
blessed
with
him.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“And
the
Lord
blessed
Abraham
with
all.”
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
the
words
“A
wise
child
is
better,”
as
it
is
written,
“I
was
a
youth
and
I
grew
old.”
In
other
words,
although
“I”
grew
old,
“I”
remain
a
youth.
This
is
so
because
the
order
of
the
work
is
that
when
a
person
should
take
upon
himself
faith
above
reason,
since
the
body
objects
to
this,
this
work
is
daily.
In
other
words,
each
day
a
person
must
take
upon
himself
faith,
and
it
is
not
enough
that
yesterday
he
took
it
upon
himself,
as
it
is
written
(Deuteronomy
26:16),
“This
day
the
Lord
your
God
commands
you
to
do.”
RASHI
interprets,
“Each
day,
they
will
be
as
new
in
your
eyes,
as
if
on
that
day
you
were
commanded
them.”
It
follows
that
each
day
is
its
own
discernment,
since
each
day
he
is
a
youth
and
must
begin
anew
the
acceptance
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
This
is
as
the
ARI
says
(Shaar
HaKavanot,
p
61),
“In
each
and
every
prayer,
the
Mochin
enter,
and
after
the
prayer
they
depart.
You
should
know
that
the
matter
is
not
as
it
seems,
meaning
that
the
Mochin
that
come
are
the
ones
that
depart,
and
they
are
the
ones
that
return
with
each
prayer.
The
thing
is
that
with
each
prayer
new
Mochin
come.”
This
means
that
although
a
person
begins
anew
each
day,
it
does
not
mean
that
he
begins
from
the
same
place
he
began.
Rather,
“of
many
days”
means
that
he
has
many
new
days.
It
follows
that
“I
was
a
youth
and
I
grew
old.”
That
is,
the
old
age
is
not
from
one
state,
because
that
state
was
prolonged.
Rather,
“old”
in
Kedusha
means
that
he
has
had
a
long
time
of
many
resumptions,
meaning
that
growing
old
came
from
being
many
days
in
a
state
of
“youth,”
meaning
a
child.
Thus,
the
meaning
of
“I
was
a
youth
and
I
grew
old”
pertains
only
to
the
times
of
“youth”;
from
this
he
became
old.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
words,
“This
is
a
youth
who
is
a
poor
child
with
nothing
of
his
own.”
In
other
words,
all
the
work,
which
is
only
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
this
work
is
against
the
body,
where
he
wants
to
work
specifically
for
his
own
sake
and
not
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
At
that
time,
a
person
sees
that
after
each
ascent,
he
immediately
has
a
descent,
and
from
this
he
gets
the
matter
of
“nights
and
days.”
This
continues
until
a
person
decides
that
he
is
powerless
to
do
anything,
since
he
sees
that
everything
he
does
in
order
to
advance,
he
sees
the
opposite,
that
each
time,
he
has
more
evil.
At
that
time,
he
decides
and
says,
“Unless
the
Lord
builds
a
house,
they
who
built
it
labored
in
vain.”
For
this
reason,
when
a
person
is
rewarded
with
the
Creator
giving
him
the
desire
to
bestow,
meaning
that
he
has
been
rewarded
with
being
able
to
do
all
his
actions
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
he
sees
that
he
is
a
“child.”
That
is,
he
has
no
more
power
than
that
of
a
child,
meaning
he
has
nothing
of
his
own.
In
other
words,
he
has
achieved
nothing
by
himself,
but
rather
the
Creator
gave
him
everything.
At
that
time,
he
sees
that
the
Creator
gave
him
the
descents,
as
well,
and
for
himself,
he
has
nothing.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“Why
is
he
called
‘a
youth’?
It
is
because
he
has
the
resumption
[renewal]
of
the
moon.”
In
other
words,
as
the
moon
has
no
light
of
itself
except
what
it
receives
from
the
sun,
likewise,
when
man
is
rewarded
with
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
he
sees
that
he
has
gained
nothing
by
his
own
strength,
but
the
Creator
gave
him
everything,
while
he
is
always
a
“child.”
In
other
words,
in
every
situation,
he
is
as
a
child,
doing
nothing,
and
having
only
what
a
child
is
given,
while
he
himself
cannot
do
anything.
This
is
why
one
should
always
ask
the
Creator
to
give
him
the
power
to
prevail
in
the
work,
and
the
person
himself
is
completely
powerless.
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
what
is
written
(Genesis
15:6),
“And
he
believed
in
the
Lord
and
He
regarded
it
to
him
as
righteousness.”
This
seems
perplexing.
What
is
Abraham’s
praise
in
that
he
believed
in
the
Creator?
After
all,
any
person
who
had
the
revelation
of
Godliness
and
the
Creator
would
speak
to
him
would
believe
in
the
Creator.
We
should
interpret
that
once
Abraham
saw
that
he
had
no
power
of
his
own
to
be
rewarded
with
anything
in
Kedusha,
since
the
will
to
receive
is
the
ruler,
as
it
is
written,
“an
old
and
foolish
king,”
and
he
was
powerless
to
emerge
from
its
governance
and
be
rewarded
with
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
this
is
why
it
is
written
in
general,
“And
he
believed
in
the
Lord
and
He
regarded
it
to
him
as
righteousness.”
In
other
words,
the
fact
that
Abraham
could
be
rewarded
with
faith
is
only
charity
from
the
Creator;
the
Creator
gave
him
charity
and
delivered
him
from
the
governance
of
the
old
and
foolish
king,
who
objects
to
faith
above
reason.
Av-Ram
[high
father]
means
that
he
wanted
to
go
specifically
above
reason,
which
is
regarded
as
“the
herdsmen
of
Abraham’s
cattle”
(as
written
in
Article
No.
1,
Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph).
But
the
whole
body
resists
it.
Hence,
when
the
Creator
gave
him
the
power
of
faith
above
reason,
Abraham
regarded
it
as
having
been
rewarded
with
faith,
as
it
is
written,
“And
he
believed
in
the
Lord,”
meaning
what
he
could
believe
in
the
Lord,
to
Him,
to
the
Creator.
“As
charity,”
that
the
Creator
gave
him
charity
by
giving
Abraham
the
power
of
faith.
However,
in
the
order
of
the
work,
we
see
that
there
are
ascents
and
descents.
During
an
ascent,
when
one
feels
the
importance,
when
he
feels
that
he
is
close
to
the
Creator
and
has
some
feeling
of
the
importance
and
greatness
of
the
Creator,
and
wants
to
annul
before
Him
because
he
feels
a
little
bit
of
love
of
the
Creator
and
wants
to
annul
before
Him
as
a
candle
before
a
torch,
in
that
state
he
does
not
remember
that
he
ever
suffered
a
state
of
descent.
Moreover,
he
does
not
want
to
remember
that
there
is
such
a
thing
called
“a
state
of
descent,”
and
he
yearns
for
his
state
of
ascent
to
be
permanent.
But
in
the
end,
he
suffers
a
descent.
Sometimes,
he
falls
into
such
a
lowly
state
that
he
says
that
there
is
no
way
he
will
ever
be
able
to
do
something
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
When
it
occurs
to
him
that
we
must
work
and
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds]
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
so
why
do
I
not
want
to
do
this,
he
gives
himself
a
true
answer,
in
his
opinion,
that
there
is
nothing
to
reply
to
this,
since
man,
meaning
the
will
to
receive
within
man,
is
the
ruler
during
the
descent,
and
it
says
that
it
is
willing
to
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
but
on
condition
that
I
will
know
what
my
will
to
receive
will
gain
from
this.
In
other
words,
he
is
willing
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
but
on
condition
that
his
self-benefit
will
profit
from
this.
It
follows
that
during
the
ascent,
if
he
looks
at
the
descents
that
he
receives
each
time,
he
is
impressed
with
how
such
a
thing
can
be—that
there
will
be
such
a
difference
between
ascents
and
descents,
as
the
gap
between
heaven
and
earth.
In
other
words,
during
the
ascent,
he
thinks
that
he
is
already
in
heaven,
that
he
no
longer
has
any
connection
to
corporeality,
and
that
from
this
day
forth,
his
only
engagement
in
the
world
will
be
that
which
concerns
spirituality.
He
even
becomes
upset
with
the
Creator
for
giving
him
corporeality,
to
engage
in
worldly
matters
and
that
he
must
dedicate
time
and
effort
to
these
things,
to
obtaining
corporeality.
At
that
time,
a
person
does
not
understand
for
what
purpose
the
Creator
created
this.
The
whole
corporeal
world
seems
to
him
redundant.
But
along
with
all
the
good
calculations,
he
suddenly
suffers
a
descent
and
falls
to
the
ground.
Sometimes,
during
the
descent,
he
loses
consciousness
altogether
and
completely
forgets
about
spirituality.
Sometimes,
he
does
remember
that
there
is
such
a
thing
as
spirituality
in
the
world,
but
sees
that
this
is
not
for
him.
However,
we
should
understand
why
the
Creator
gives
us
these
descents.
That
is,
first,
one
must
believe
that
the
Creator
gives
us
these
descents,
and
then
a
person
asks
for
what
purpose
the
Creator
gave
me
these
descents.
In
other
words,
when
one
believes
that
the
Creator
is
sending
this
to
him,
the
descents
come
to
a
person
after
he
had
a
state
of
ascent
and
he
asked
the
Creator
to
bring
him
closer
to
Him,
and
he
believes
that
the
Creator
hears
a
prayer.
But
what
did
he
receive
in
return
for
his
prayer?
He
thought
that
after
the
prayer
he
would
receive
an
ascent
to
a
higher
degree
than
the
state
he
was
in
during
the
prayer.
But
in
the
end,
he
sees
that
the
Creator
has
given
him
a
worse
state
than
he
was
in
before
he
prayed
to
the
Creator.
The
answer
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said,
that
there
is
the
matter
of
“as
the
advantage
of
the
light
from
within
the
darkness.”
He
said
that
a
person
cannot
appreciate
the
importance
of
the
light,
and
to
know
how
to
keep
it,
unless
from
within
the
darkness.
At
that
time,
a
person
can
discern
the
distance
between
the
light
and
the
darkness.
We
should
interpret
his
words
with
an
allegory.
When
one
gives
a
present
to
a
friend,
which
is
worth
100
shekels
in
the
eyes
of
the
receiver,
the
receiver
is
happy
with
the
fact
that
his
friend
appreciates
him
and
sends
him
a
gift,
and
he
accepts
it
with
great
joy.
However,
if
the
recipient
finds
out
afterward
that
the
gift
is
worth
10,000
shekels,
we
can
understand
how
the
recipient
would
be
happy
now,
and
how
his
love
for
the
giver
of
the
gift
would
be
established
in
his
heart,
and
how
he
would
keep
the
gift
from
being
stolen
The
lesson
is
that
when
a
person
receives
an
awakening
from
above,
when
the
Creator
brings
him
closer
to
Him,
the
person
feels
some
importance
in
feeling
that
he
is
speaking
with
the
Creator,
but
a
person
cannot
accept
the
real
joy
from
this
nearing,
since
he
still
cannot
appreciate
the
greatness
and
importance
of
the
Creator
so
as
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
from
the
Creator
speaking
to
him.
The
reason
is
as
said
above,
“as
the
advantage
of
the
light
from
within
the
darkness.”
Since
a
person
does
not
suffer
because
he
is
far
from
the
Creator,
he
cannot
appreciate
the
greatness
and
importance
of
a
situation
where
he
is
close
to
the
Creator,
and
he
also
cannot
appreciate
the
suffering
of
being
away
from
the
Creator,
if
he
never
felt
what
it
means
to
be
close
to
the
Creator.
For
this
reason,
the
order
of
the
work
walks
on
two
legs—right
and
left,
as
our
sages
said
(Sotah
47),
“The
left
should
always
reject,
and
the
right
pull
nearer.”
“Right”
means
wholeness.
During
the
ascent,
when
a
person
feels
that
now
he
is
close
to
the
Creator,
he
has
vitality
and
joy,
and
he
lives
in
a
world
that
is
all
good.
Afterward,
it
is
desired
above
that
he
will
feel
the
importance
of
the
Creator
bringing
him
closer
to
Him,
so
he
can
enjoy
and
be
happy,
not
as
one
appreciates
it
as
in
the
allegory,
as
worth
100
shekels.
Therefore,
when
he
suffers
a
descent
and
feels
suffering
from
being
in
a
descent,
although
during
the
descent
he
does
not
always
feel
that
he
is
in
a
descent,
meaning
if
he
has
descended
from
his
level
and
does
not
suffer
because
he
fell,
it
is
not
considered
a
descent,
for
who
knows
that
he
has
fallen
if
the
person
does
not
feel
it?
Rather,
this
is
like
a
person
who
was
injured
in
a
road
accident
and
does
not
feel
that
he
has
fallen
under
the
car,
since
he
is
unconscious.
Who
does
know
that
he
has
fallen
under
the
truck?
only
people
on
the
outside.
But
what
does
he
feel
from
other
people
seeing
that
he
is
unconscious?
It
is
the
same
in
spirituality
when
he
suffers
a
descent.
It
is
known
above,
but
once
a
person
recovers,
he
realizes
that
he
is
in
a
state
of
descent,
and
then
begins
a
new
procession
and
he
is
given
from
above
another
ascent,
and
then
another
descent.
From
this,
a
person
acquires
the
distinction
between
light
and
darkness.
Also,
from
this,
a
person
acquires
letters
by
which
to
appreciate
it
when
the
Creator
brings
him
closer,
and
by
this
he
will
know
how
to
keep
himself
from
dropping
anything
into
the
Klipot
[shells/peels],
meaning
into
his
vessels
of
reception,
since
he
knows
what
he
is
losing
because
“as
the
advantage
of
the
light
from
within
the
darkness.”
This
is
the
meaning
of
descents
and
ascents
that
a
person
has
to
go
through
these
state.
One
who
is
clever
and
wants
to
save
time
does
not
wait
until
he
suffers
a
descent
from
above.
Rather,
while
he
is
in
an
ascent
and
wants
to
acquire
the
importance
of
the
state
of
closeness
to
the
Creator,
he
begins
to
depict
to
himself
what
is
a
state
of
descent,
meaning
how
he
suffered
from
being
far
from
the
Creator
compared
to
how
he
feels
now
that
he
is
close
to
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
even
during
the
ascent
he
learns
from
the
discernments
as
though
he
were
in
a
state
of
descent.
At
that
time,
he
can
calculate
and
discern
between
an
ascent
and
a
descent.
At
that
time
he
will
get
a
picture
of
the
advantage
of
light
over
darkness,
since
he
can
create
a
depiction
of
how
he
was
back
in
the
state
of
descent,
and
thought
that
the
whole
matter
of
the
work
of
bestowal
does
not
pertain
to
him,
and
how
he
suffered
from
these
states
when
he
wanted
to
escape
the
campaign,
and
only
from
one
place
he
could
get
some
relief,
meaning
only
from
one
hope,
that
he
thought,
“When
will
I
be
able
to
go
to
sleep?”
for
then
he
would
escape
from
all
the
states
of
impatience,
when
he
felt
that
the
world
has
grown
dark
on
him.
Now,
during
the
ascent,
he
sees
everything
differently.
At
that
time,
he
wants
to
work
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
and
he
has
no
concern
for
his
own
benefit.
From
all
those
calculations
that
he
will
do
during
the
ascent,
it
follows
that
now
he
has
a
place
where
he
can
discern
between
light
and
darkness,
and
he
does
not
need
to
wait
until
he
is
given
from
above
a
state
of
descent.
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
what
our
sages
said
(Shabbat
152),
“I
search
for
what
I
did
not
lose.”
RASHI
interprets,
“I
search
for
what
I
did
not
lose
out
of
old
age,
I
walk
bent,
swaying,
and
I
seem
as
though
I
seek
something
that
I
lost.”
We
should
understand
this
in
the
work,
what
it
comes
to
teach
us.
An
old
man
is
considered
wise,
meaning
he
wants
to
be
a
wise
disciple.
As
Baal
HaSulam
said,
the
Creator
is
called
“wise,”
and
His
manner
is
bestowal.
When
a
person
wants
to
learn
from
His
ways,
meaning
to
also
be
a
bestower,
that
person
is
called
“a
student
of
the
Wise.”
That
person
does
not
wait
until
he
suffers
a
descent
and
then
comes
to
ask
to
be
elevated
again,
meaning
that
he
lost
his
state
of
ascent
and
he
asks
to
be
lifted
up
once
more.
Instead,
before
he
loses
the
state
of
ascent,
he
searches
as
though
he
has
already
lost
it.
By
this
he
saves
time.
It
follows
that
as
far
as
descents
are
concerned,
there
is
room
for
man
to
rise
and
receive
a
place
to
discern
the
advantage
between
light
and
darkness.