What
Does
“The
King
Stands
on
His
Field
When
the
Crop
Is
Ripe”
Mean
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
10,
1991
Our
sages
said
about
the
verse,
“The
Lord
stood
over
him”
(presented
in
The
View
of
Elders,
from
the
authors
of
the
Tosfot,
VaYetze),
“We
did
not
find
this
in
the
rest
of
the
patriarchs.
Rabbi
Simon
said,
‘The
king
does
not
stand
on
his
field,
neither
when
it
is
plowed,
nor
when
it
is
sowed,
but
when
the
crop
is
ripe.’
This
is
how
Abraham
plowed
it,
as
it
is
said,
‘Arise,
walk
through
the
land.’
Isaac
sowed
it,
as
it
is
said,
‘And
Isaac
sowed.’
Jacob
came
and
he
is
the
ripening
of
the
crop,
as
it
is
said,
‘The
holiness
of
Israel
is
for
the
Lord,
its
first
fruits,’
he
stood
over
it.”
We
should
understand
what
this
comes
to
teach
us
in
the
work:
What
is
“a
field,”
what
is
“When
the
crop
is
ripe,”
and
what
is
the
allegory
of
the
King
who
stands
over
his
field?
It
is
known
that
our
work
is
essentially
only
on
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
which
is
called
“faith.”
Our
sages
said
about
it,
“Habakkuk
came
and
founded
them
on
one:
‘A
righteous
lives
by
his
faith.’”
Faith
means
the
necessity
to
believe
in
the
Creator,
that
He
leads
the
world
in
guidance
of
good
and
doing
good.
And
even
though
one
still
does
not
have
this
feeling,
he
should
still
believe
and
say
that
the
fact
that
he
is
not
seeing
how
the
good
is
revealed
in
the
world,
he
should
still
believe
above
reason
that
he
does
not
see
the
good
revealed
before
his
eyes,
since
as
long
as
he
is
not
out
of
the
dominion
of
self-love,
he
cannot
see.
This
is
because
there
was
a
Tzimtzum
[restriction]
on
the
vessels
of
reception
so
that
the
light
cannot
shine
there
due
to
disparity
of
form,
as
it
is
written
in
the
Sulam
[Ladder
commentary
on
The
Zohar]
(“Introduction
of
the
Book
of
Zohar,”
Item
138).
For
this
reason,
one
cannot
see
the
truth.
Instead,
he
must
believe
that
this
is
so.
And
in
the
work
of
the
general
public,
the
states
of
guidance
of
reward
and
punishment
are
not
so
apparent.
But
in
individual
work,
when
a
person
wishes
to
try
to
achieve
the
degree
where
all
his
actions
are
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
when
he
begins
to
strain
to
reach
the
degree
of
a
giver,
his
entire
basis
should
be
built
on
the
greatness
of
the
Creator.
It
is
said
about
it
in
The
Zohar,
“One
should
fear
Him
because
He
is
great
and
ruling,”
and
then
begins
the
work
primarily
on
this
faith—that
the
Creator
leads
the
world
as
The
Good
Who
Does
Good.
And
then
states
of
ascents
and
descents
come
to
him.
In
other
words,
at
times,
he
has
reward
and
he
can
believe
in
the
Creator,
that
He
is
good
and
does
good,
and
one
can
love
the
Creator
because
of
His
greatness.
This
comes
to
a
person
through
great
efforts
in
faith
in
reward
and
punishment.
This
means
that
if
one
works
with
faith
above
reason,
he
is
rewarded,
and
his
reward
is
that
he
comes
to
feel
the
Creator’s
love
for
him.
And
the
punishment
is
that
if
he
wants
to
go
specifically
within
reason,
he
thus
becomes
remote
from
the
love
of
the
Creator.
Worse
yet,
sometimes
he
becomes
the
opposite,
a
hater
of
the
Creator,
since
he
has
many
complaints
against
the
Creator
because
he
has
already
prayed
to
the
Creator
many
times
and
he
sees
that
the
Creator
does
not
hear
the
prayer.
And
from
that,
a
person
comes
to
a
state
of
ascents
and
descents.
However,
if
one
overcomes,
goes
above
reason,
and
says
“They
have
eyes
but
they
will
not
see,”
he
is
temporarily
rewarded
and
feels
close
to
the
Creator.
It
is
written
about
it
in
the
“Introduction
to
The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot”
(Item
132),
“We
must
know
that
the
above
attribute
of
‘medium’
applies
even
when
one
is
under
Providence
of
concealment
of
the
face.
By
great
exertion
in
faith
in
reward
and
punishment,
a
light
of
great
confidence
in
the
Creator
appears
to
them.
For
a
time,
they
are
granted
a
degree
of
disclosure
of
His
face
in
the
measure
of
the
medium.
But
the
drawback
is
that
they
cannot
permanently
remain
in
their
degrees,
since
standing
permanently
in
a
degree
is
possible
only
through
repentance
from
fear.”
It
follows
that
the
order
of
our
work
comprises
three
periods
before
we
reach
the
exit
from
the
work,
which
is
the
discernment
of
Adam
[human
being].
Our
sages
said
about
it
(Nidah
31),
“There
are
three
partners
in
a
person—the
Creator,
his
father,
and
his
mother.
His
father
gives
the
white;
his
mother
gives
the
red;
and
the
Creator
places
a
spirit
and
a
soul
[Ruach
and
Neshama,
respectively]
within
him.”
This
is
explained
in
the
work,
as
we
learn
that
there
are
three
lines—Hesed
[mercy/grace],
Din
[judgment],
and
Rachamim
[pity/mercy].
It
is
as
we
said
in
previous
essays,
that
for
a
person
to
be
able
to
walk,
one
needs
two
legs,
right
and
left.
These
are
like
the
two
verses
that
refute
one
another
until
the
third
verse
comes
and
sentences
between
them.
Thus,
the
two
lines
have
given
birth
to
the
decisive
line.
With
that,
we
can
interpret
the
meaning
of
“plowing,”
“sowing,”
and
the
“ripened
crop”
in
the
work.
The
right
line
is
the
plowing.
This
is
the
order
of
man’s
work
of
wanting
to
be
admitted
into
the
work
of
bestowal.
Man
is
created
to
care
only
for
himself.
And
since
there
was
a
correction
over
the
will
to
receive
for
himself,
to
avoid
the
matter
of
shame
due
to
the
disparity
of
form
from
the
Creator—since
what
we
see
of
Him
is
only
how
He
bestows
upon
the
creatures
and
there
is
no
self-reception
in
Him
whatsoever—hence,
a
Tzimtzum
[restriction]
and
concealment
were
made
over
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
so
the
creatures
cannot
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
He
wishes
to
impart
upon
the
creatures.
This
was
in
order
to
enable
man
to
correct
the
vessels
of
reception
to
work
only
in
order
to
bestow.
In
other
words,
man
must
invert
the
will
to
receive
in
him
and
receive
a
desire
to
bestow,
instead.
That
is,
what
was
previously
of
highest
importance
to
him—the
will
to
receive—will
now
be
of
inferior
importance.
He
will
not
wish
to
use
it,
but
on
the
contrary,
the
will
to
bestow,
which
was
of
inferior
importance
for
him
and
which
he
did
not
want
to
use,
will
now
be
of
high
regard.
This
means
that
now
this
will
to
bestow
is
important
for
him
and
he
wants
to
use
only
the
desire
to
bestow.
This
is
called
“plowing,”
when
the
soil
is
overturned
so
that
what
was
above
becomes
below,
and
what
was
below
becomes
above.
This
is
called
“right
line,”
Abraham,
Hesed.
In
other
words,
now
he
wishes
to
engage
only
in
Hesed,
called
“the
desire
to
bestow,”
and
the
right
line
is
called
“wholeness.”
Thus,
although
one
sees
that
he
still
cannot
perform
Hesed,
he
should
imagine
that
he
has
already
been
rewarded
with
bestowal,
called
Hesed,
and
thank
the
Creator
for
rewarding
him
with
doing
things
in
order
to
bestow.
All
this
is
only
above
reason.
And
although
if
he
considers
the
situation
he
is
in,
he
will
see
otherwise,
it
is
a
matter
of
above
reason.
This
means
that
he
must
imagine
that
he
has
already
been
rewarded
with
a
desire
to
bestow,
as
though
he
has
already
been
rewarded
with
plowing.
Also,
one
should
lower
himself
and
say,
“I
am
content
and
thankful
for
whatever
thought
and
desire
to
do
something
in
spirituality
the
Creator
gives
me,
for
rewarding
me
with
doing
a
little
service
to
the
Creator,
meaning
that
I
can
do
something
for
the
Creator.”
And
he
is
happy
with
that
because
he
sees
that
the
Creator
did
not
give
the
rest
of
the
people
the
chance
to
serve
Him.
This
is
why
he
is
happy
with
that.
This
is
regarded
as
“wholeness,”
since
now
he
believes
above
reason
that
the
Creator
leads
the
world
in
a
manner
of
good
and
doing
good,
and
thus
he
can
now
show
love
for
the
Creator
and
always
be
happy.
However,
at
the
same
time
one
needs
to
walk
with
the
other
leg,
the
left,
meaning
to
criticize
his
actions.
He
should
have
a
desire
to
see
the
truth,
how
much
effort
he
can
give
in
order
to
bestow,
and
how
much
is
the
importance
of
spirituality.
Does
he
really
understand
that
it
is
better
to
work
only
for
the
Creator
and
not
for
himself?
In
that
state,
he
sees
very
differently:
All
his
actions
while
he
was
walking
on
the
right
line,
when
he
thought
that
he
was
truly
a
whole
man,
now
that
he
has
shifted
to
the
left
line
he
sees
that
he
has
nothing
that
is
truly
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
This
is
called
“sowing.”
For
example,
when
taking
good
wheat
seeds
and
sowing
them
in
the
field,
if
there
is
a
person
who
does
not
know
about
field
work,
he
would
look
at
the
person
who
took
the
seeds
and
sowed
them
in
the
ground
as
though
he
were
insane.
Similarly,
here,
when
one
takes
good
states
that
contain
wholeness,
for
which
he
has
already
thanked
the
Creator,
now
he
cancels
them.
It
is
like
that
man
who
took
good
wheat
seeds
and
sowed
them
in
the
field.
But
in
truth,
one
cannot
walk
on
one
leg.
Those
two
legs
are
considered
two
verses
that
refute
one
another.
This
is
why
Isaac
is
regarded
as
sowing
his
field,
which
is
left.
Our
sages
said
about
it,
“One
should
always
repel
with
the
left
and
attract
with
the
right”
(Sotah
47).
We
should
interpret
that
when
one
feels
that
he
is
close
to
the
Creator,
it
is
called,
“attracting
with
the
right.”
“Repelling
with
the
left”
means
that
when
he
criticizes,
he
sees
that
he
is
being
repelled
from
the
work
of
bestowal.
That
is,
our
sages
come
to
tell
us
that
man
needs
two
things,
right
and
left,
since
we
cannot
walk
on
a
single
leg.
This
is
considered
“Isaac,”
which
is
called
“sowing.”
Abraham,
who
is
called
“right,”
meaning
Hesed,
wholeness,
is
called
“whiteness,”
as
was
said
above
that
there
the
three
partners
are
his
father,
his
mother,
and
the
Creator.
His
father
is
the
first
discernment—the
first
line,
which
is
Hesed—showing
wholeness.
Wholeness
is
called
“white,”
as
it
is
written,
“Though
your
sins
be
as
scarlet,
they
shall
be
as
white
as
snow.”
This
is
called
“The
right
attracts,”
when
he
feels
that
he
is
being
brought
closer
to
the
Creator.
“And
his
mother
sows
the
red.”
Red
points
to
a
deficiency,
Nukva
[Aramaic:
female],
where
he
sees
that
he
is
being
completely
repelled
from
the
work
of
bestowal.
Thus,
he
is
in
a
state
of
ascents
and
descents.
This
is
regarded
as
having
only
partial
faith,
as
he
says
(“Introduction
to
The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot,”
Item
14)
that
it
is
because
he
has
many
descents,
and
during
the
descent
he
is
without
faith.
However,
one
must
not
spend
much
time
on
the
left
line,
called
“the
second
line,”
since
at
that
time
one
is
in
a
state
of
separation.
Thus,
for
the
most
part,
one’s
work
should
be
in
a
state
of
wholeness.
This
is
called
“the
renewal
of
the
moon.”
It
means
that
one
must
constantly
renew
the
white
in
him,
the
right
line,
which
is
whiteness.
But
during
the
descent,
faith
departs
from
him
and
he
sometimes
remains
unconscious,
like
a
person
who
falls
under
a
truck
and
is
hurt,
though
he
does
not
know
that
he
has
fallen.
The
lesson
is
that
the
person
lies
under
his
load,
as
it
is
written,
“If
you
see
the
donkey
of
your
enemy
lying
under
its
burden”
because
he
cannot
go
above
reason,
as
the
work
of
going
above
reason
is
an
intolerable
load
and
burden
to
him.
Hence,
if
he
gets
distracted
from
it,
he
immediately
falls
under
the
truck.
This
is
called
“being
injured
in
a
road
accident.”
Hence,
one
must
always
be
careful
and
keep
to
the
right.
It
follows
that
the
correction
of
a
person
walking
on
the
left
line
is
because
he
does
not
wait
to
get
a
decline
and
fall,
and
then
he
will
wait
until
an
awakening
from
above
comes
to
him.
Instead,
he
draws
upon
him
the
left,
and
then
he
sees
that
he
is
in
a
state
of
descent,
meaning
that
he
does
not
have
a
single
spark
of
desire
to
work
in
order
to
bestow
and
not
for
his
own
benefit.
And
then
he
can
pray.
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
what
our
sages
said
of
David,
who
said,
“I
awaken
the
dawn,
and
the
dawn
does
not
awaken
me.”
That
is,
King
David
did
not
wait
for
the
dawn,
which
is
called
“black,”
which
is
darkness,
meaning
that
the
darkness
awakens
him.
Instead,
he
awakens
the
darkness.
He
prays
to
the
Creator
to
illuminate
His
face
for
him
and
thus
he
gains
time
from
having
the
preparation
for
the
darkness,
and
then
it
is
easier
to
correct
it.
And
the
two
above-mentioned
lines—right
and
left—beget
a
third
line,
the
middle
line.
It
is
as
our
sages
said,
“And
the
Creator
places
the
spirit
and
soul
within
him.”
Thus,
after
a
person
has
completed
the
work
in
two
lines,
all
the
evil
is
revealed
in
him.
This
came
to
him
because
those
two
lines
are
as
two
verses
that
refute
one
another.
And
one
sees
that
there
is
no
end
to
the
ups
and
downs,
and
then
he
makes
an
honest
prayer
for
the
Creator
to
help
him
receive
the
desire
to
bestow.
When
the
Creator
helps
him,
he
is
rewarded
with
complete,
permanent
faith,
since
he
already
has
the
vessels
of
bestowal.
Before
one
obtains
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
it
is
impossible
for
him
to
have
permanent
faith,
since
during
the
descent
he
loses
his
faith
and
cannot
permanently
believe
in
the
Creator.
It
is
explained
(“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar,”
Item
138),
“Since
we
use
the
vessels
of
reception
contrary
to
how
they
were
created,
we
necessarily
feel
the
acts
of
Providence
as
evil,
against
us.
Hence,
when
a
person
feels
bad,
he
is
accordingly
heretical
against
His
Providence,
and
the
Operator
is
hidden
from
him.”
Thus,
we
see
that
before
one
is
rewarded
with
vessels
of
bestowal,
he
cannot
have
permanent
faith.
However,
by
being
rewarded
with
the
desire
to
bestow—which
extends
from
the
work
in
the
two
lines,
by
which
all
the
evil
appears
completely—one
comes
to
a
resolution
that
only
the
Creator
can
help
him.
Then
he
toils
in
this
work
and
does
not
escape
the
campaign,
and
he
is
rewarded
with
the
middle
line,
called
“the
Creator
gives
the
spirit
and
the
soul.”
This
is
called
“disclosure
of
the
face.”
It
is
regarded
as
what
is
written,
“How
is
there
repentance,
when
He
who
knows
the
mysteries
will
testify
that
he
will
not
turn
back
to
folly.”
With
this
we
can
interpret
what
we
asked,
“What
does
it
mean
in
the
work
that
it
is
written,
‘Jacob
came
and
he
is
the
ripening
of
the
crop,’
as
it
was
said,
‘The
holiness
of
Israel
is
for
the
Lord,
its
first
fruits,’
he
stood
over
it.”
Our
sages
gave
an
allegory
about
that,
“The
King
does
not
stand
on
his
field,
unless
when
the
crop
is
ripe.”
We
should
interpret
that
the
king
standing
on
his
field
refers
to
a
man.
Man
extends
from
Malchut,
and
Malchut
is
called
“a
field.”
And
man
should
come
to
a
state
of
“A
field
which
the
Lord
has
blessed.”
This
is
done
by
labor
in
the
above-mentioned
two
lines—the
plowing
of
Abraham
and
the
sowing
of
Isaac.
Afterward
comes
the
discernment
of
“When
the
crop
is
ripe,”
when
you
can
already
see
the
reward
from
the
work—the
crop—which
is
Jacob.
It
is
as
we
said
above—after
he
has
been
rewarded
with
help
from
the
Creator,
when
the
Creator
has
given
him
the
soul,
called
“disclosure
of
the
face,”
it
is
considered
that
the
Creator
stands
over
him
permanently,
meaning
that
then
he
is
rewarded
with
permanent
faith.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
is
written,
“And
the
Lord
stood
over
him.”
In
other
words,
once
a
person
has
reached
the
degree
of
the
middle
line,
which
is
considered
Jacob,
the
Creator
is
over
him,
as
mentioned
in
the
allegory
above,
where
the
King
stands
on
his
field
when
the
crop
is
ripe.
It
is
written
(“Introduction
to
The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot,”
Item
54),
“When
the
Creator
sees
that
one
has
completed
one’s
measure
of
exertion
and
finished
everything
he
had
to
do
in
strengthening
his
choice
in
faith
in
the
Creator,
the
Creator
helps
him.
Then,
one
attains
open
Providence,
meaning
the
revelation
of
the
face.
Then,
he
is
rewarded
with
complete
repentance.”
He
says
(“Introduction
to
The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot,”
Item
56),
“In
truth,
one
is
not
absolutely
certain
that
he
will
not
sin
again
before
he
is
rewarded
with
the
above
attainment
of
reward
and
punishment,
meaning
the
revelation
of
the
face.
And
this
revelation
of
the
face,
from
the
perspective
of
the
Creator’s
salvation,
is
called
‘testimony,’
...it
guarantees
that
he
will
not
sin
again.”
This
means
that
at
that
time
he
is
rewarded
with
permanent
faith.
Now
we
can
interpret
what
is
written,
“The
Lord
lives,
and
blessed
be
my
Rock.”
“My
soul
shall
be
glorified
in
the
Lord.”
We
should
understand
the
meaning
of
“The
Lord
lives,”
in
regard
to
the
Creator.
What
kind
of
praise
of
the
Creator
is
it?
In
the
work,
we
should
interpret
“Lives.”
Who
is
He
who
is
called
“The
Lord
lives”?
It
is
one
who
believes
in
the
Creator,
that
He
watches
over
the
world
benevolently.
This
person
is
called
“Lives.”
“Blessed
by
my
Rock”
is
one
who
receives
from
the
Creator
the
shape
of
this
faith,
where
the
Creator
is
His
desire
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
That
man
blesses
the
Creator
for
giving
him
the
faith,
since
alone
he
would
not
be
able
to
take
upon
himself
faith
above
reason,
for
this
is
the
gift
of
God.
We
should
also
interpret,
“My
soul
shall
be
glorified
in
the
Lord.”
“In
the
Lord”
means
in
the
Creator
bringing
him
close
to
Him.
For
this,
his
soul
is
glorified,
meaning
that
man’s
soul
is
deeply
thankful
to
the
Creator
for
bringing
him
closer.
This
is
called
“The
Creator
gives
the
spirit
and
the
soul.”
With
his
own
strength,
a
person
would
not
be
able
to
achieve
this.
For
this,
he
praises
the
Creator—that
now
that
he
has
faith.
He
blesses
the
Creator
only
for
what
the
Creator
gave
him.
Also,
the
Creator
is
called
“the
middle
line,”
as
was
said
above,
that
only
by
working
in
the
two
previous
lines,
one
is
later
rewarded
with
the
Creator
giving
the
spirit
and
the
soul.
Thus,
only
the
Creator
can
help
one
exit
the
dominion
of
the
vessels
of
reception.
Therefore,
during
the
descent
one
must
not
argue
with
his
will
to
receive
and
plead
that
it
is
better
for
him
if
the
will
to
receive
left
the
premises
and
made
room
for
the
desire
to
bestow,
and
he
wants
to
make
it
understand
so
it
will
surrender
before
him.
One
should
know
that
the
body
will
never
agree
to
this;
it
is
a
waste
of
words.
Instead,
he
should
ask
the
Creator,
for
only
He
has
the
strength
to
annul
it,
and
none
other.
In
other
words,
the
body
will
never
agree
to
this;
hence,
it
is
pointless
to
argue
with
the
body.
But
when
he
wishes
to
do
something
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
he
should
ask
the
Creator
to
give
him
the
strength
to
overcome
the
will
to
receive
for
himself.
With
the
above
said,
we
should
interpret
what
they
said
(Avot,
Chapter
1:5),
“Do
not
extend
in
conversation
with
the
woman.”
This
was
said
about
his
woman.
It
is
all
the
more
so
about
his
friend’s
woman.
Although
the
literal
meaning
is
the
main
one,
in
the
work,
we
can
interpret
that
the
woman
and
the
man
are
in
one
body.
Man’s
woman
is
called
“the
will
to
receive,”
which
is
called
“a
female,”
and
which
always
wants
only
to
receive.
Hence,
sometimes,
when
one
wishes
to
do
something
in
order
to
bestow,
which
is
called
“male,”
a
man,
and
the
will
to
receive
resists,
and
a
man
wishes
to
extend
in
discussion
with
his
will
to
receive
to
make
it
understand
that
it
is
better
for
it
to
let
him
work
in
order
to
bestow,
our
sages
said
that
it
is
a
waste
of
words.
They
said,
“This
is
said
about
his
own
woman,”
meaning
the
will
to
receive
in
himself.
“It
is
all
the
more
so
in
his
friend’s
woman,”
meaning
to
argue
with
the
friends’
will
to
receive—that
he
will
argue
with
them
and
make
them
see
that
it
is
better
to
do
everything
in
order
to
bestow—since
only
the
Creator
can
help
them
emerge
from
the
domination
of
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself.
Hence,
such
people—who
wish
to
walk
on
the
path
of
reaching
a
state
where
all
their
actions
are
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator—must
not
reproach
their
friends
about
why
they
do
not
engage
in
the
work
of
bestowal.
This
is
because
if
he
wants
to
correct
a
friend’s
will
to
receive,
it
is
as
though
that
man
has
power.
But
in
truth,
what
a
person
does
in
order
to
bestow
is
only
by
the
power
of
the
Creator.
This
is
why
it
is
forbidden
to
rebuke
one’s
friend.