What
It
Means
that
the
Good
Inclination
and
the
Evil
Inclination
Guard
a
Person
in
the
Work
Article
No.
11,
1991
The
Zohar
says
(VaYishlach,
Items
1-4),
“Rabbi
Yehuda
started,
‘For
He
will
give
His
angels
charge
over
you,
to
keep
you
in
all
your
ways.’
When
a
person
comes
to
the
world,
the
evil
inclination
immediately
comes
with
him.
It
is
written,
‘My
sin
is
ever
before
me,’
for
it
makes
man
sin
before
his
Master.
The
good
inclination
comes
to
a
person
from
the
time
he
comes
to
be
purified.
And
when
does
one
come
to
be
purified?
When
he
is
thirteen
years
of
age.
At
that
time,
a
man
connects
in
both,
one
on
the
right,
and
one
on
the
left,
the
good
inclination
on
the
right,
and
the
evil
inclination
on
the
left.
And
these
are
really
two
appointed
angels.
When
a
man
comes
to
be
purified,
the
evil
inclination
surrenders
before
him
and
the
right
governs
the
left.
And
both
the
good
inclination
and
the
evil
inclination
join
to
keep
man
in
all
the
roads
he
travels.”
We
should
understand
that
when
we
are
speaking
in
terms
of
the
work,
we
understand
that
the
good
inclination
guards
a
person
when
he
walks
on
the
path
of
the
Creator
and
wants
to
achieve
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator,
so
he
receives
the
guarding
of
the
good
inclination.
Yet,
what
guarding
does
one
receive
from
the
evil
inclination,
for
which
he
will
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator?
This
implies
that
if
he
is
not
guarded
by
the
evil
inclination,
he
will
not
be
able
to
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator.
The
verse
says
(Genesis
25:23),
“And
the
Lord
said
to
her,
‘Two
nations
are
in
your
womb,
and
one
nation
shall
be
stronger
than
the
other,
and
the
older
shall
serve
the
younger.’”
RASHI
interprets,
“‘One
nation
shall
be
stronger
than
the
other,’
they
will
not
be
the
same
in
greatness;
when
one
rises,
the
other
falls.”
That
is,
they
will
not
be
in
greatness
at
the
same
time.
It
is
known
that
the
order
of
the
work
is
to
come
to
a
state
where
all
your
work
is
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
This
is
out
of
one’s
hands.
Rather,
this
force
is
something
he
should
receive
from
above,
as
our
sages
said,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided.”
However,
achieving
a
degree
of
bestowing
contentment
upon
one’s
Maker
permanently
comes
to
a
person
after
he
has
revealed
all
the
bad
in
him.
At
that
time,
a
person
receives
this
power
called
“second
nature,”
which
is
the
desire
to
bestow.
In
other
words,
a
person
must
first
reveal
all
the
bad
in
him,
which
is
called
that
he
already
has
a
complete
Kli
[vessel],
meaning
a
complete
lack.
At
that
time
he
receives
the
complete
light,
as
our
sages
said,
“The
light
in
it
reforms
him.”
However,
before
he
has
the
revelation
of
this
Kli,
meaning
a
need
for
the
help
of
the
Creator—since
the
help
must
be
complete
help,
as
our
sages
said,
“From
above,
there
is
no
giving
of
half
a
thing,
but
rather
a
complete
thing”—the
lower
one’s
deficiency
must
also
be
complete.
And
since
it
is
impossible
to
reveal
to
a
person
all
the
evil
because
while
he
still
does
not
have
good,
he
will
not
be
able
to
subdue
the
bad,
since
the
bad
will
be
more
than
the
good,
therefore,
when
a
person
begins
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],
he
increases
the
good
each
time,
and
to
that
extent
he
is
shown
the
evil.
At
that
time,
man’s
work
is
balanced,
as
our
sages
said
(Kidushin,
p
40),
“One
should
always
see
oneself
as
half
guilty,
half
innocent.”
For
this
reason,
he
is
shown
the
evil
gradually,
according
to
his
effort
to
acquire
the
good
through
his
efforts
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
According
to
the
above,
when
a
person
wants
to
walk
on
the
path
of
achieving
Dvekut
with
the
Creator
and
do
all
his
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
meaning
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
as
it
is
against
human
nature,
who
was
created
with
the
will
to
receive
for
his
own
sake,
and
all
of
man’s
work
is
that
he
is
told
that
he
will
not
obtain
this
by
his
own
strength,
but
only
the
Creator
can
give
him
this
power
called
desire
to
bestow,
and
a
person
should
only
prepare
the
Kli
to
receive
this
power
called
“second
nature,”
it
follows
that
specifically
through
the
evil
inclination,
which
grows
within
him
to
its
completion,
a
person
sees
his
real
deficiency—that
he
is
unable
to
obtain
the
desire
to
bestow
by
himself.
This
brings
him
to
a
state
where
the
Creator
gives
him
the
desire
to
bestow.
Thus,
both
the
good
inclination
and
the
evil
inclination
lead
a
person
to
achieve
the
goal
of
equivalence
of
form,
called
“Dvekut
with
the
Creator.”
By
this
we
can
interpret
what
we
asked,
Why
does
The
Zohar
say,
“For
He
will
give
His
angels
charge
over
you,
to
keep
you
in
all
your
ways,”
which
pertains
to
the
evil
inclination,
too,
which
guards
a
person
so
he
will
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator?
But
if
it
guards
a
person
so
he
will
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
why
is
it
called
“evil
inclination”?
“Evil
inclination”
implies
that
it
brings
a
person
thoughts
and
desires
that
object
to
Kedusha
[holiness].
That
is,
it
makes
a
person
think
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
exert
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
so
how
does
it
guard
a
person
so
he
will
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
so
he
will
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake?
The
answer
is
that
if
the
evil
is
not
revealed
to
a
person
to
its
true
extent,
he
cannot
receive
help
from
the
Creator
because
he
still
does
not
have
a
real
need.
It
follows
that
he
still
does
not
have
a
real
Kli.
The
evil
inclination
gives
him
thoughts
and
desires
against
the
Kedusha,
and
this
is
called
“the
evil
inclination,”
as
Baal
HaSulam
said,
that
the
evil
inclination
means
“a
depiction
of
evil,”
meaning
that
the
evil
inclination
depicts
to
a
person
that
if
he
works
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
it
will
be
bad
for
him.
When
the
evil
inclination
draws
such
depictions
to
a
person,
it
makes
him
leave
the
work
of
bestowing
upon
the
Creator.
For
this
reason,
when
a
person
comes
to
feel
the
depictions
of
the
evil
inclination,
he
wants
to
escape
from
this
work
that
is
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
At
that
time,
he
sees
that
it
is
impossible
to
overcome
the
depictions
that
the
evil
inclination
draws
for
him.
Yet,
only
then
can
he
overcome
and
say
that
the
Creator
will
help
him
emerge
from
the
control
of
the
evil
inclination,
since
then
he
sees
that
this
is
above
nature
for
a
person
to
be
able
to
do
something
against
the
black
state
where
a
person
sees
the
depiction
of
the
evil
inclination.
From
these
depictions,
a
person
sees
what
is
bad,
meaning
what
measure
of
evil
exists
in
man’s
heart,
who
cannot
do
anything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
unless
he
sees
there
something
for
his
own
benefit,
too.
Through
these
depictions,
a
person
acquires
an
image
of
the
bad
each
time.
One
cannot
see
these
images
all
at
once,
for
he
will
not
be
able
to
endure
them.
Rather,
one
is
shown
a
little
bit,
and
that
depiction
soon
leaves.
Then,
it
is
as
though
the
person
forgets
the
depiction
of
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
himself.
Hence,
he
has
the
strength
to
start
the
work
of
bestowal
once
again.
When
he
thinks
that
he
is
already
at
a
stage
where
he
can
work
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
the
evil
inclination
promptly
comes
to
him
and
gives
him
another
depiction
of
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
This
depiction
moves
him
once
again
from
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
specifically
through
the
evil
inclination,
a
person
can
achieve
the
state
of
truth,
meaning
that
one
cannot
deceive
oneself
and
say
that
he
is
serving
the
Creator
and
all
his
work
is
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
since
when
the
evil
inclination
gives
him
the
depictions
of
what
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
means,
he
sees
that
he
is
far
from
this
work.
It
follows
that
a
person
cannot
fool
himself
that
he
is
walking
on
the
path
of
truth,
since
he
sees
how
the
body
objects
to
this,
to
such
an
extent
that
he
must
believe
above
reason
that
the
Creator
can
help
him
emerge
from
the
governance
of
self-love.
It
follows
that
without
the
keeping
of
the
evil
inclination
he
would
never
be
able
to
see
the
truth.
Thus,
just
as
everyone
understands
that
the
good
inclination
guards
a
person
on
the
way
to
achieving
his
completion
of
being
adhered
to
the
Creator,
meaning
to
work
entirely
to
bestow,
likewise,
without
the
evil
inclination,
a
person
would
think
that
he
is
doing
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
But
when
the
evil
inclination
comes
to
him
with
bad
depictions
and
tells
him
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
it
becomes
utterly
clear
to
a
person
that
everything
he
did
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
before
was
all
for
his
own
benefit,
since
now
he
sees
that
when
the
evil
inclination
shows
him
the
state
of
working
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
he
agrees
that
the
evil
inclination
is
correct
and
the
person
really
does
not
see
what
he
will
gain
by
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
This
causes
a
person
a
state
of
descent.
That
is,
before
the
evil
inclination
came
to
him
with
these
depictions,
he
knew
that
everything
he
did
was
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
meaning
that
he
was
observing
what
the
Creator
commanded
man
to
do.
Otherwise,
why
would
he
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot?
But
not
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator?
Everyone
knows
that
someone
who
works
not
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
his
work
is
worthless,
so
when
a
person
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
he
is
certain
that
he
is
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
But
now
that
the
evil
inclination
came
to
him
with
the
bad
depictions
of
work
in
order
to
bestow,
he
sees
that
he
is
far
from
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
and
working
not
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
is
unworthy
work,
so
he
wants
to
leave
the
work
of
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot
altogether,
since
by
nature,
a
person
cannot
work
for
no
reason.
When
a
person
works,
he
must
see
that
he
is
doing
something.
Hence,
if
he
sees
that
he
cannot
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator—as
the
evil
inclination
made
him
see
about
what
it
means
to
work
entirely
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
at
all
for
his
own
sake,
and
not
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
is
worthless—he
comes
to
a
state
where
he
wants
to
escape
the
campaign
altogether.
Now
we
understand
how
The
Zohar
interprets
the
verse,
“For
He
will
give
His
angels
charge
over
thee,
to
keep
thee
in
all
thy
ways.”
Without
the
evil
inclination,
a
person
would
never
be
able
to
achieve
the
work
of
bestowal,
since
only
the
Creator
can
give
this
power
of
being
able
to
do
everything
in
order
to
bestow,
and
without
a
lack,
a
person
cannot
receive
anything.
But
he
does
not
have
this
lack
for
the
Creator
to
give
him
the
other
nature,
meaning
the
desire
to
bestow,
since
he
thinks
that
he
is
doing
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
since
as
long
as
one
does
not
want
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
the
body
does
not
object
to
the
point
where
a
person
needs
the
help
of
the
Creator.
But
when
a
person
wants
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
the
work
of
the
evil
inclination
comes
to
him
and
begins
to
make
him
think
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
At
that
time,
the
evil
engenders
in
him
a
need
for
the
help
of
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
specifically
by
the
bad,
he
comes
closer
to
the
Creator.
That
is,
the
evil
inclination
keeps
him
from
fooling
himself
that
he
is
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
when
a
person
prays
to
the
Creator
to
help
him,
the
prayer
must
be
clear.
That
is,
he
must
know
what
he
is
missing,
meaning
that
the
lack
will
be
revealed
in
him
without
any
doubt,
for
if
the
deficiency
is
not
revealed
to
him
for
certain,
but
he
is
unclear
about
the
lack
he
feels,
this
is
not
a
prayer.
Hence,
when
the
evil
inclination
comes
to
him
with
bad
depictions,
the
person
knows
for
certain
what
he
needs,
and
this
is
called
“a
complete
deficiency.”
This
is
similar
to
what
is
written
about
Jacob,
who
said
“Deliver
me,
I
pray
Thee,
from
the
hand
of
my
brother,
from
the
hand
of
Esau;
for
I
fear
him,
that
he
will
come
and
strike
me
and
the
mothers
with
the
children”
(Genesis
32:11
and
VaYishlach,
Item
70).
It
says,
“This
implies
that
one
who
prays
his
prayer,
his
words
should
be
properly
interpreted.
When
he
said,
‘Deliver
me,
I
pray
Thee,’
it
seems
as
though
it
should
have
sufficed,
since
he
does
not
need
more
than
deliverance.
Yet,
he
told
the
Creator,
‘And
should
You
say
that
You
have
already
saved
me
from
Laban?’
This
is
why
he
explained,
‘from
the
hand
of
my
brother.’
And
if
you
say
that
other
kin
are
called
brothers,
too,
as
Laban
said
to
Jacob,
‘Because
you
are
my
brother,
should
you
therefore
serve
me
for
nothing?’
He
therefore
explained,
‘from
the
hand
of
Esau.’
What
is
the
reason?
It
is
because
we
need
to
interpret
the
matter
properly.”
We
should
ask
about
this:
We
can
understand
that
when
we
speak
of
a
flesh
and
blood
king,
the
one
who
seeks
help
should
have
a
clear
request,
so
that
the
king
will
understand
what
he
is
asking.
However,
when
someone
asks
for
something
of
the
Creator,
why
should
the
request
be
so
clear?
Does
the
Creator
not
know
what
is
in
one’s
heart?
He
certainly
knows
man’s
thoughts,
since
the
Creator
is
called
“He
who
knows
the
thoughts,”
as
we
say,
“He
who
knows
the
thoughts,
please
save.”
Therefore,
why
must
we
clarify
the
prayer
and
request
that
we
pray
that
we
will
“interpret
the
matter
properly”?
The
answer
is
that
a
person
must
clarify
the
prayer
so
it
is
clear
and
interpreted
to
the
person.
That
is,
a
person
must
know
what
he
missing,
since
sometimes
he
thinks
that
he
needs
luxuries
and
prays
for
them
with
all
his
might,
while
about
things
that
concern
his
life,
without
which
he
cannot
receive
a
life
of
Kedusha
[holiness],
this
he
relinquishes.
He
thinks
that
he
needs
things
by
which
he
will
come
to
be
a
respectable
and
perfect
man,
and
this
is
what
he
asks,
when
in
fact,
he
is
lacking
things
that
pertain
to
his
life,
meaning
that
without
them
he
will
remain
as
though
dead,
as
our
sages
said,
“The
wicked
in
their
lives
are
called
‘dead.’”
Therefore,
when
the
evil
inclination
pictures
for
him
bad
depictions
about
the
work
of
bestowal
contentment
upon
his
Maker,
through
this
evil
he
sometimes
comes
to
a
state
of
“pondering
the
beginning,”
like
the
spies
who
slandered
the
land
of
Israel,
as
The
Zohar
interprets.
At
that
time
he
sees
that
he
is
truly
evil
and
has
no
faith
in
the
Creator.
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said,
that
one
should
see
to
it
that
on
the
path
he
is
walking,
he
will
make
every
effort
he
can
make,
as
an
awakening
from
below,
to
obtain
faith
in
the
Creator.
This
is
called
“I
am
the
Lord
your
God
and
you
will
have
no
other
gods.”
These
are
regarded
as
Kaneh
[trachea]
and
Veshet
[gullet],
which
are
two
signs
that
the
life
of
animals
depend
on.
That
is,
in
corporeality,
if
these
signs
stop,
life
ceases
from
an
animal.
Likewise,
in
the
work,
if
the
“I
am
…
and
you
will
have
now…”
stops,
the
spiritual
life
departs
from
him.
For
this
reason,
sometimes
a
person
cries
and
prays
to
the
Creator
to
help
him
with
what
he
thinks.
But
even
though
he
cries
bitterly,
his
request
is
not
answered,
since
he
is
in
mortal
danger
yet
asks
to
be
given
nonsense.
That
is,
a
person
thinks
that
he
is
fine,
that
all
he
needs,
in
his
view,
is
some
complementary
thing,
when
in
truth,
he
is
lifeless.
Therefore,
the
angel
called
“evil
inclination”
comes
and
through
its
depictions,
shows
him
that
it
is
not
worth
it
to
annul
before
Him
because
the
will
to
receive
will
gain
nothing
from
it.
At
that
time
a
person
can
see
the
truth—he
is
truly
wicked.
It
is
follows
that
specifically
the
revelation
of
this
evil
keeps
him,
so
he
will
ask
the
Creator
to
give
him
life,
called
“faith
in
the
Creator,”
so
he
can
adhere
to
the
Creator,
as
it
is
written,
“And
you
who
cleave
unto
the
Lord
your
God
are
alive
every
one
of
you
this
day.”
It
is
as
The
Zohar
says,
“For
He
will
give
His
angels
charge
over
thee,
to
keep
thee
in
all
thy
ways.”
That
is,
both
the
good
inclination
and
the
evil
inclination
keep
the
person,
so
he
will
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator.
Without
the
evil
inclination,
he
would
not
know
the
truth,
what
help
to
ask
of
the
Creator.
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
what
our
sages
said,
“To
the
righteous,
the
evil
inclination
seems
like
a
high
mountain.”
We
should
explain
and
say
that
when
a
person
sees
that
the
evil
inclination
is
so
big,
like
a
high
mountain,
this
is
a
sign
that
he
is
righteous,
meaning
that
he
is
walking
on
the
path
of
truth,
by
which
to
come
to
be
righteous.
Otherwise,
the
evil
inclination
would
not
appear
to
him
as
a
high
mountain.
This
is
so
because
a
person
is
shown
the
evil
in
him
only
to
the
extent
of
the
good
that
he
has,
since
the
good
and
the
bad
must
always
be
balanced.
Then,
it
can
be
said
that
a
person
should
decide
and
choose
the
good.
By
this
we
can
interpret
what
is
written
(Genesis
28:12),
“And
behold,
the
angels
of
God
were
ascending
and
descending
on
it.”
The
famous
question
is,
Why
did
the
angels
of
God
ascend
first?
It
should
have
said
“descending”
first,
and
then
“ascending.”
In
the
work,
we
should
interpret
that
“angels
of
God”
are
those
people
who
want
to
be
messengers
of
the
Creator,
to
do
the
holy
work,
as
our
sages
said
(Sukkah
10),
“We
are
messengers
of
Mitzva
[singular
of
Mitzvot].”
Therefore,
those
who
want
to
be
as
angels,
to
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
are
called
“messengers
of
the
Creator.”
They
must
first
rise
in
degree,
meaning
do
good
deeds,
which
is
called
“an
ascent
in
degree,”
and
then,
when
they
are
in
an
ascent,
when
they
are
in
a
state
where
they
are
walking
on
the
path
of
wholeness,
they
might
think
that
they
are
in
utter
wholeness.
But
since
they
desire
to
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
they
are
shown
from
above
the
truth,
that
they
are
still
far
from
doing
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
Through
the
recognition
of
evil,
a
person
descends
from
his
degree
and
begins
to
see
the
truth,
to
see
what
he
is
missing.
This
is
the
order
of
the
work.
First,
a
person
receives
an
ascent
from
above,
and
then
he
receives
a
descent
from
above.
It
is
all
for
the
above-mentioned
reason
that
through
the
ascents
and
descents,
the
person
obtains
a
complete
lack.
And
the
lack
is
so
great
that
no
one
in
the
world
can
fill
the
lack
but
the
Creator
Himself.
This
is
called
“a
complete
Kli,”
ready
to
receive
His
help.
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
what
our
sages
said
(Avot,
Chapter
2:21),
“It
is
not
for
you
to
finish
the
work,
nor
are
you
free
to
idle
away
from
it.”
He
said
that
“It
is
not
for
you
to
finish
the
work”
refers
to
the
work
of
achieving
a
state
where
all
his
actions
are
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
A
person
cannot
finish
this
work.
Therefore,
why
should
one
begin
this
work,
which
he
cannot
finish
anyway?
Normally,
a
person
does
not
begin
a
work
that
he
knows
he
cannot
finish.
Thus,
why
did
they
say,
“nor
are
you
free
to
idle
away
from
it”?
This
implies
that
a
person
should
begin
this
work.
So,
the
question
is
for
what
purpose
should
he
start?
The
answer
is
that
in
everything,
there
must
be
desire
and
yearning
to
obtain
the
required
matter.
Otherwise,
when,
if
we
receive
something
without
a
prior
need
for
it,
it
is
impossible
to
enjoy,
as
it
is
known
that
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli.
For
this
reason,
a
person
must
begin
the
work
of
bestowal,
and
then
he
sees
that
after
he
has
made
many
efforts
to
obtain
that
force,
yet
he
cannot
have
it,
later,
when
the
Creator
gives
him
this
power
of
bestowal,
he
can
enjoy
it.
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
this,
that
this
is
the
meaning
of
“We
will
do
and
we
will
hear,”
which
Israel
said
when
the
nations
of
the
world
did
not
want
to
receive
it,
since
they
saw
that
it
was
impossible
to
go
against
nature.
But
the
people
of
Israel
said,
“We
will
do
by
force,
even
though
our
heart
does
not
want
this,
and
by
this
we
will
be
rewarded
with
hearing.
In
other
words,
the
Creator
will
let
us
hear
that
this
work
is
acceptable
to
the
heart.
This
is
called
“Reply
unto
your
heart.”