What
Is
the
Blessing,
“Who
Made
a
Miracle
for
Me
in
This
Place,”
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
15,
1991
Our
sages
said
(Berachot
54),
“A
person
had
a
miracle
and
was
saved
from
a
lion.
Raba
told
him,
‘Whenever
you
come
there,
bless,
‘Blessed
is
He,
who
made
a
miracle
for
me
in
this
place.’’”
We
should
understand
what
this
comes
to
teach
us
in
the
work.
It
is
known
that
the
purpose
of
creation
was
because
his
desire
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
For
this
purpose,
He
created
in
the
creatures
a
desire
and
yearning
to
receive
delight
and
pleasure.
Otherwise,
if
there
is
no
desire
for
the
pleasure,
a
person
cannot
enjoy,
as
we
see
in
nature
that
if
a
person
has
no
desire
for
something,
he
cannot
enjoy.
For
example,
if
a
person
is
not
hungry,
he
cannot
enjoy
eating,
etc.
Therefore,
we
see
and
say
that
the
Creator
created
within
our
nature
a
desire
to
receive
delight
and
pleasure.
We
should
not
ask,
Why
did
the
Creator
create
such
a
nature?
Since
our
sages
said
(Hagigah
11),
“If
one
asks
about
before
the
world
was
created,
the
writing
tells
us,
‘since
the
day
when
God
created
man
on
the
earth.’”
This
means
that
we
cannot
ask
anything
about
why
when
He
created
the
world,
He
created
it
specifically
with
this
nature
that
we
see.
After
all,
He
could
have
created
with
a
different
nature.
We
cannot
ask
about
this,
but
we
learn
everything
by
way
of
“By
Your
actions,
we
know
You.”
That
is,
we
begin
to
learn
from
the
actions
we
see
and
not
before.
Also,
we
see
another
nature,
that
the
branch
wants
to
resemble
its
root.
That
is,
as
the
quality
of
the
root
of
the
creatures,
which
is
the
Creator,
is
to
bestow
and
not
receive,
likewise,
when
one
must
eat
the
bread
of
shame,
he
is
ashamed.
In
the
words
of
The
Zohar,
this
is
called
“the
bread
of
shame.”
According
to
this
nature,
it
follows
that
when
a
person
receives
from
the
Creator
into
one’s
vessels
of
reception,
which
contradict
the
quality
of
the
Creator,
who
is
the
Giver,
he
feels
unpleasantness.
Because
of
this,
there
was
a
correction
called
“Tzimtzum
[restriction]
and
concealment,”
where
as
long
as
the
lower
one
has
no
equivalence
of
form,
called
“desire
to
bestow,”
a
person
is
placed
under
concealment
and
hiding
of
the
Kedusha
[holiness].
We
also
should
not
ask
about
this,
Why
did
the
Creator
create
a
nature
of
shame?
And
why
did
He
make
the
branch
want
to
resemble
its
root?
It
is
all
for
the
above
reason,
that
we
cannot
ask
about
prior
to
creation.
The
Kli
of
the
created
beings
is
the
desire
to
receive
pleasure.
Before
the
will
to
receive
was
created,
we
have
nothing
to
speak
of.
We
attribute
this
Kli
[vessel]
to
the
Creator,
meaning
that
we
need
not
work
with
this
Kli,
but
every
person
who
is
created,
if
he
did
not
corrupt
the
Kli,
that
Kli
is
perfect.
That
is
wherever
the
will
to
receive
sees
that
there
is
a
place
from
which
it
is
possible
to
derive
pleasure,
it
immediately
runs
there.
This
is
not
so
with
the
Kli
called
“desire
to
bestow,”
since
a
person
wants
equivalence
of
form.
Since
we
attribute
this
Kli
to
the
created
being,
meaning
a
person
has
to
make
this
Kli,
since
the
creature
wants
equivalence
of
form,
for
this
reason,
it
is
up
to
a
person
to
do
this.
This
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
the
verse,
“which
God
has
created
to
do.”
“Has
created”
refers
to
the
Kli,
called
“will
to
receive,”
and
“to
do”
pertains
to
the
creatures,
who
must
make
the
Kli
called
“desire
to
bestow.”
This
is
not
from
the
nature
that
the
Creator
created.
Rather,
He
began
creation
from
the
will
to
receive,
and
you,
the
created
beings,
must
make
the
desire
to
bestow.
Therefore,
when
a
person
must
begin
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
it
is
a
different
nature
than
the
one
with
which
man
was
created.
For
this
reason,
all
that
one
should
do
in
the
work
of
the
Creator
is
to
make
the
Kli,
which
is
the
opposite
action
to
the
Kli
with
which
man
was
created.
When
one
begins
to
come
into
the
work
of
bestowal,
he
still
does
not
feel
how
much
his
will
to
receive
interrupts
his
work
of
bestowal.
This
is
a
correction
so
that
man
will
not
see
the
truth
about
the
measure
of
evil
within
him,
since
when
he
sees
the
evil
within
him
he
will
certainly
run
from
the
work
and
will
not
even
want
to
begin
this
work.
This
is
why
Maimonides
says
that
we
must
first
accustom
a
person
in
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake],
“until
they
gain
knowledge
and
acquire
much
wisdom,”
and
then
they
are
shown
the
matter
of
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
called
“in
order
to
bestow.”
We
should
know
that
a
person
being
governed
by
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
is
called
“exile
in
Egypt,”
since
when
we
begin
this
work,
we
are
gradually
shown
from
above
the
measure
of
governance
of
evil
on
us,
as
it
is
written,
“And
the
children
of
Israel
sighed
from
the
work.”
That
is,
they
saw
that
they
could
not
perform
the
work
of
bestowal
that
they
started
to
do,
since
the
Egyptians
controlled
them.
At
that
time,
they
saw
that
they
could
not
emerge
from
the
exile
in
Egypt,
but
the
Creator
can
deliver
them.
This
is
called
“a
miracle,”
for
anything
that
one
cannot
do
by
himself,
but
by
help
from
above,
is
called
“a
miracle.”
This
is
the
miracle
of
the
exodus
from
Egypt
We
should
know
that
when
a
person
wants
to
achieve
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator,
he
has
ascents
and
descents.
The
order
is
that
during
the
descent,
when
a
person
comes
into
a
state
of
despair,
he
sometimes
comes
to
a
state
of
wondering
about
all
the
labor
he
has
done
in
vain.
This
is
called
“pondering
the
beginning,”
when
he
wants
to
escape
from
the
work
of
the
Creator
altogether.
But
suddenly,
he
receives
an
awakening
from
above
and
receives
vitality
and
passion
for
the
work,
and
completely
forgets
that
he
ever
had
a
descent.
Rather,
he
is
content
with
the
ascent.
At
that
time,
a
person
cannot
enjoy
the
ascent
more
than
when
he
was
placed
under
the
governance
of
evil
during
the
descent.
We
should
know
that
the
exile
he
feels,
that
he
is
in
exile,
is
measured
not
by
the
exile,
but
by
the
sensation
of
bad
and
suffering
that
he
suffers
because
he
is
in
exile.
Then,
when
he
is
tormented
because
he
is
under
the
rule
of
oppressors
and
he
must
do
all
that
they
demand
of
him,
and
he
has
no
right
to
do
what
he
wants,
but
he
must
serve
and
carry
out
all
that
the
nations
of
the
world
in
his
body
demand,
and
he
is
powerless
to
betray
them,
to
the
extent
of
the
pain
he
feels
and
his
desire
to
escape
them,
to
that
extent
he
can
enjoy
the
redemption.
As
we
see,
it
is
written
about
a
Hebrew
slave
(Exodus
21:2),
“If
you
buy
a
Hebrew
slave,
he
shall
serve
for
six
years,
and
on
the
seventh
he
shall
go
free
for
free.”
Certainly,
the
slave
should
be
happy
that
he
has
been
liberated
and
is
in
his
own
right,
and
that
he
has
no
master
over
him.
Yet,
we
see
what
the
Torah
says,
“And
if
the
slave
says,
‘I
love
my
master,
my
wife
and
my
children,
I
will
not
go
free.’”
We
see
that
it
is
possible
that
a
person
will
want
to
remain
a
slave.
And
yet,
it
is
written
(Deuteronomy
16:12),
“Remember
that
you
were
a
slave
in
Egypt.”
This
means
that
being
a
slave
is
a
bad
thing,
yet
sometimes
a
person
wants
to
remain
a
slave.
Thus,
what
does
it
mean
that
it
is
written,
“Remember
that
you
were
a
slave
in
Egypt”?
And
who
says
that
being
a
slave
is
so
bad?
After
all,
there
are
people
who
want
to
be
slaves,
as
was
said,
that
the
slave
said,
“I
love
my
master.”
The
thing
is
that
exile
is
according
to
the
level
of
suffering
and
pain
that
one
feels
in
the
exile.
To
that
extent,
it
is
possible
to
be
happy
about
the
redemption.
This
is
like
light
and
Kli
[vessel],
meaning
that
the
suffering
we
suffer
from
something
is
the
Kli
that
can
receive
light
if
it
liberates
itself
from
the
suffering.
For
this
reason,
in
the
exile
in
Egypt,
where
it
is
written,
“Remember
that
you
were
a
slave
in
Egypt,”
it
means
that
being
a
slave
is
so
bad
because
there,
in
Egypt,
the
people
of
Israel
suffered.
This
is
why
the
writing
says
“Remember,”
meaning
that
we
must
remember
the
suffering
we
suffered
there,
and
then
it
is
possible
to
be
happy
about
the
redemption
from
Egypt.
There,
in
Egypt,
the
writing
says,
“I
also
heard
the
groaning
of
the
children
of
Israel
because
the
Egyptians
are
enslaving
them,
and
I
remembered
My
covenant.”
It
follows
that
in
Egypt,
when
they
were
slaves,
it
is
written,
“We
were
slaves
to
Pharaoh
in
Egypt,”
because
they
suffered.
He
also
says,
“And
the
children
of
Israel
sighed
from
the
work.”
Therefore,
we
were
given
the
commandment
to
remember
Egypt,
as
it
is
written,
“so
that
you
remember
the
day
when
you
came
out
of
the
land
of
Egypt
all
the
days
of
your
life.”
It
follows
that
according
to
the
rule,
“There
is
no
light
without
a
Kli,
no
filling
without
a
lack,”
although
we
have
already
come
out
of
Egypt,
we
should
rejoice
at
the
redemption
from
Egypt.
For
this
reason,
we
must
remember
the
exile
in
Egypt,
meaning
remember
and
imagine
how
the
people
of
Israel
suffered
in
the
exile
in
Egypt.
Then
we
can
enjoy
the
redemption
from
Egypt
even
today.
Otherwise,
we
cannot
rejoice
over
the
redemption
from
Egypt
because
the
suffering
are
called
“the
Kelim
[vessels]
to
receive
the
joy.”
This
is
why
we
see
about
the
Hebrew
slave
that
he
did
not
want
to
go
free.
We
could
ask,
How
can
someone
not
want
to
go
free?
The
answer
is
that
because
he
did
not
suffer
while
being
a
slave,
he
does
not
want
to
go
free,
as
is
explained
when
he
says,
“I
love
my
master,
my
wife
and
my
children,
I
will
not
go
free.”
But
concerning
the
exile
in
Egypt,
it
is
written,
“so
that
you
remember
the
day
when
you
came
out
of
the
land
of
Egypt,”
since
there
they
suffered,
as
it
is
written,
“And
the
children
of
Israel
sighed
from
the
work.”
Accordingly,
we
can
understand
what
we
asked,
What
does
it
mean
in
the
work
when
a
person
should
bless
in
the
place
where
a
miracle
was
done
to
him.
The
thing
is
that
when
a
person
begins
the
work
of
bestowal,
he
comes
to
states
of
ascents
and
descents.
An
ascent
is
that
after
a
person
has
been
under
the
governance
of
the
will
to
receive,
enslaved
to
fulfill
all
its
wishes,
and
he
wanted
to
overcome
it
and
not
obey
it,
but
the
will
to
receive
was
stronger
than
him,
that
person
suffered
from
being
removed
from
the
Creator.
Afterward,
he
received
an
awakening
from
above
and
began
once
more
to
feel
some
elation
of
Kedusha.
At
that
time,
the
person
wants
to
annul
before
Him
“like
a
candle
before
a
torch,”
and
then
a
person
enjoys
the
state
of
ascent.
However,
one
cannot
elicit
from
the
ascent,
progress
in
the
work
because
he
does
not
appreciate
the
nearing
he
has
now
received
from
the
Creator,
since
he
does
not
have
the
Kelim
[vessels].
In
other
words,
during
the
ascent,
he
forgets
that
he
once
had
a
descent.
Thus,
although
he
feels
that
now
he
is
close
to
the
Creator
and
he
appreciates
it,
he
soon
forgets.
Naturally,
he
no
longer
has
a
Kli,
meaning
a
lack,
so
he
can
appreciate,
as
it
is
written,
“as
the
advantage
of
the
light
from
within
the
darkness.”
For
this
reason,
he
makes
no
progress
as
he
should
be
making
through
the
ascent.
Hence,
during
an
ascent,
he
must
remember
and
say,
“In
this
place,
where
I
now
have
an
ascent,
I
had
a
descent
and
the
Creator
saved
me
and
raised
me
from
the
netherworld,
and
I
emerged
from
death,
called
‘removal
from
the
Creator,’
and
I
have
been
rewarded
with
some
measure
of
nearing
to
the
Creator,
which
is
called
‘some
measure
of
Dvekut
with
the
Life
of
Lives.’”
For
this,
a
person
should
be
thankful,
for
by
this
he
has
now
come
to
a
state
where
there
he
suffered,
and
now
he
is
in
a
mood
of
delight
and
pleasure
because
the
Creator
bringing
him
closer
has
given
him
new
Kelim
of
a
lack
that
he
can
fill
with
the
state
of
ascent
that
he
is
in
now.
It
follows
that
he
extends
a
light
of
joy
in
new
Kelim
that
he
has
obtained
now
by
looking
at
the
miracle
that
he
has
had,
where
the
Creator
saved
him.
Therefore,
when
he
considers
the
suffering,
it
is
as
though
now
he
is
the
recipient
of
the
suffering,
and
now
he
fills
them
up
with
pleasure.
It
follows
that
depicting
to
himself
the
state
of
descent
causes
him
that
the
ascent
he
has
received
now
will
spread
in
new
Kelim
according
to
the
rule
“There
is
no
light
without
a
Kli.”
Hence,
during
the
ascent,
when
he
begins
to
contemplate
the
state
of
descent
that
he
had,
the
suffering
of
the
descent
are
regarded
as
Kelim
in
which
the
light
of
the
ascent
may
spread.
This
is
similar
to
what
was
said
above
concerning
exile
and
redemption,
that
according
to
the
suffering
he
feels
during
the
exile,
so
he
can
enjoy
the
redemption.
That
is,
the
exile
is
the
Kelim
of
the
redemption.
This
means
that
the
redemption
cannot
fill
more
than
the
Kelim
it
has
from
the
exile.
This
is
why
in
the
work,
when
a
person
depicts
to
himself
the
state
of
descent,
this
is
considered
what
our
sages
said,
that
a
person
should
make
a
blessing,
“Blessed
is
He
who
made
a
miracle
for
me
in
this
place.”
There
are
many
ways
to
depict
the
suffering.
Let
us
take
as
an
example,
a
person
who
wants
to
rise
before
dawn,
and
he
set
the
alarm
clock.
But
when
the
alarm
goes
off,
the
body
does
not
want
to
get
up.
The
body
feels
suffering
if
he
should
rise
out
of
bed
now.
Nevertheless,
he
sluggishly
overcomes
and
comes
to
the
seminary.
When
he
sees
that
there
are
many
people
sitting
and
learning,
he
receives
a
desire
and
yearning
to
participate
in
the
lessons,
and
he
becomes
happy
and
high-spirited,
and
forgets
in
what
way
he
got
out
of
bed
and
came
to
the
seminary.
And
if
a
person
wants
to
receive
new
Kelim
in
which
there
will
be
joy,
he
must
depict
to
himself
in
what
way
he
got
out
of
bed,
meaning
what
level
of
desire
he
had
then,
and
what
mood
he
is
in
now.
Then
he
can
also
say,
“Blessed
is
He
who
made
a
miracle
for
me
in
this
place,”
meaning
how
the
Creator
now
gave
him
nearness
to
Him.
From
this
he
acquires
new
Kelim
where
the
joy
over
the
Creator
bringing
him
closer
to
Him
can
spread.
Likewise,
a
person
should
accustom
himself
with
anything
to
compare
between
the
time
of
suffering
and
the
time
of
pleasure,
and
to
bless
for
the
miracle
of
delivering
him
from
suffering
to
a
state
of
pleasure.
By
this,
he
will
be
able
to
thank
the
Creator
and
enjoy
in
the
new
Kelim
that
have
been
added
to
him
now
when
he
compares
the
two
times
to
one
another.
From
this,
a
person
can
advance
in
the
work.
This
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said,
that
it
does
not
matter
whether
a
person
receives
from
the
Creator
something
great
or
small.
What
matters
is
how
much
a
person
thanks
the
Creator.
To
the
extent
of
his
gratitude,
so
grows
the
giving
that
the
Creator
gives.
Therefore,
we
must
take
note
to
be
grateful,
to
appreciate
His
gift,
so
we
can
approach
the
Creator.
Hence,
when
a
person
always
looks
during
the
ascent
at
the
state
he
was
in
while
in
descent,
meaning
how
he
felt
during
the
descent,
he
can
make
a
distinction
as
in,
“as
the
advantage
of
the
light
from
within
the
darkness,”
and
he
already
has
new
Kelim
in
which
to
receive
joy
and
be
thankful
to
the
Creator.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
is
written,
that
a
person
should
bless,
“Blessed
is
He
who
made
a
miracle
for
me
in
this
place,”
meaning
in
the
place
where
he
is
now,
during
the
ascent,
since
there
cannot
be
an
ascent
if
there
was
no
prior
state
of
descent.
However,
how
can
there
be
a
descent
if
a
person
was
not
previously
in
an
ascent
and
descended
from
it?
The
answer
is
that
usually,
every
person
thinks
that
he
is
fine
the
way
he
is.
That
is,
a
person
does
not
see
that
he
is
worse
than
other
people
in
his
surroundings.
Therefore,
he
goes
with
the
flow
of
the
rest
of
the
world—a
little
bit
of
learning,
a
little
bit
of
praying,
a
little
bit
of
charity
and
good
deeds
and
so
forth.
But
his
main
concern
is
to
earn
well
and
have
a
nice
apartment
and
furniture,
etc.
This
is
so
because
he
feels
that
if
he
has
made
an
arrangement
for
himself
with
the
Creator
concerning
how
much
he
should
work
for
Him,
once
he
has
done
all
his
spiritual
chores,
he
feels
complete
and
is
free
to
worry
about
improving
his
material
state.
That
person
always
sees
that
as
much
as
he
may
try
to
make
his
corporeality
complete,
he
always
sees
that
he
is
in
deficit
compared
to
others.
This
is
regarded
as
a
person
being
in
a
state
of
wholeness.
However,
when
he
begins
the
work
of
bestowal,
he
comes
to
a
state
of
descent,
since
he
sees
how
far
he
is
from
the
intention
to
bestow.
It
follows
that
now
that
he
has
descended
from
the
previous
period,
when
he
understood
that
all
he
needed
was
to
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],
and
did
not
pay
attention
to
the
intention
to
bestow,
but
then
he
received
an
awakening
from
above
and
began
to
annul
before
Him
like
a
candle
before
a
torch,
and
forgot
the
state
of
descent
that
he
had.
Then,
when
he
is
now
in
a
state
of
ascent,
he
can
say,
“Blessed
is
He
who
made
a
miracle
for
me
in
this
place.”
In
other
words,
previously
he
was
in
a
state
where
he
had
a
road
accident
and
he
became
unconscious
about
spiritual
life.
That
is,
he
completely
forgot
about
the
need
to
work
in
order
to
bestow.
Afterward,
the
Creator
helped
him
and
he
came
to,
meaning
regained
contact
with
the
Creator.
By
this
depiction,
he
can
receive
new
Kelim
so
he
can
receive
abundance
of
joy
at
the
Creator
helping
him.
However,
we
must
know
that
when
a
person
asks
the
Creator
to
bring
him
closer
to
His
work,
meaning
to
do
the
holy
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
and
a
person
thinks
that
the
Creator
does
not
hear
his
prayer,
and
he
has
already
prayed
many
times,
but
it
is
as
though
the
Creator
does
not
hear
his
prayer,
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
that
that
one
should
believe
that
the
fact
that
now
he
is
praying
to
the
Creator,
he
should
not
say
that
this
was
by
his
own
awakening,
to
pray
to
the
Creator
to
bring
him
closer.
Rather,
even
before
he
came
to
pray,
the
Creator
already
answered
his
prayer.
That
is,
a
person
should
appreciate
the
fact
that
now
he
can
pray
to
the
Creator;
this
is
regarded
as
having
contact
with
the
Creator.
This
is
a
very
important
thing,
and
he
must
be
delighted
at
the
fact
that
the
Creator
has
given
him
a
desire
and
yearning
to
pray
to
Him.
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
what
our
sages
said
(Megillah
29),
“Rabbi
Shimon
Bar
Yochai
says,
‘Come
and
see
how
fond
is
the
Creator
of
Israel,
for
wherever
they
exile,
the
Shechina
[Divinity]
is
with
them.’”
We
should
interpret
that
“the
exile
of
Israel”
means
that
the
quality
of
Israel
in
a
person
has
drifted
from
the
Creator,
meaning
that
a
person
suffers
because
the
quality
of
Israel
in
him,
meaning
the
desire
Yashar-El
[straight
to
the
Creator],
where
one
should
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
that
desire
is
in
exile
under
the
rule
of
desires
of
the
nations
of
the
world,
and
he
regrets
it.
We
should
ask,
Why
specifically
now
is
he
feeling
removed
from
the
Creator,
while
prior
to
this
state,
he
felt
that
he
was
far
from
buying
a
bigger
flat
or
nicer
furniture?
All
of
a
sudden,
he
received
suffering
from
a
different
remoteness—that
he
is
far
from
the
Creator!
The
answer
is
that
“the
Shechina
is
with
them,”
meaning
that
the
Shechina
gave
him
this
feeling
that
he
is
far
from
the
Creator.
This
is
the
meaning
of,
“Before
one
prays
to
the
Creator,
the
Creator
gives
him
a
desire
and
yearning
to
pray.”