What
Is,
“There
Is
Nothing
that
Has
No
Place,”
in
the
Work?
Article
20,
1991
Our
sages
said
(Beresheet
Rabbah
68:9),
“Why
is
the
Creator
called
‘Place’?
It
is
because
He
is
the
place
of
the
world,
and
the
world
is
not
His
place.
From
what
is
it
written?
‘Here
is
a
place
with
Me.’
Thus,
the
Creator
is
the
place
of
the
world,
and
His
world
is
not
His
place.”
It
was
also
said
(Avot
4:3),
“There
is
nothing
that
has
no
place.”
We
should
understand
what
this
comes
to
teach
us
in
the
work.
In
the
work,
a
“place”
is
a
place
of
deficiency.
That
is,
if
a
person
has
some
lack,
we
should
say
that
he
has
a
place
in
which
to
receive
a
filling
for
the
lack.
But
if
he
has
no
lack,
it
cannot
be
said
that
it
can
be
filled,
since
there
is
no
one
to
fill.
For
example,
if
one
is
not
hungry,
he
cannot
eat.
This
is
considered
that
he
has
no
place
to
fill
his
hunger.
Or,
if
he
is
not
thirsty,
he
cannot
drink
water,
since
he
has
no
place
in
which
to
receive
the
filling.
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
the
difference
between
“the
place
of
the
world,”
and
“Blessed
is
the
place,”
meaning
the
place
of
the
Creator.
In
the
work,
we
should
interpret
that
the
Creator
is
the
place
of
His
world.
That
is,
the
correction
of
creation
is
that
the
place
of
the
Creator,
meaning
the
lack,
called
“the
place
of
the
Creator,”
is
that
the
Creator
wants
to
bestow,
meaning
the
deficiency.
The
deficiency
that
can
be
said
about
the
Creator
is
that
He
wants
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
That
desire
to
bestow,
when
the
world
is
deficient
because
they
want
to
bestow
like
the
Creator,
at
that
time
the
world
will
exist
in
wholeness.
At
that
time,
the
Creator
will
be
able
to
bestow
upon
them
delight
and
pleasure.
Why?
Because
the
reception
of
delight
and
pleasure
will
be
in
a
manner
of
correction.
However,
His
world
is
not
His
place.
That
is,
the
deficiency,
meaning
the
desire
that
is
in
the
world,
is
the
very
will
to
receive.
This
does
not
belong
to
the
Creator,
since
from
whom
would
He
receive?
Hence,
He,
meaning
the
desire
to
bestow
that
the
Creator
has,
is
what
His
world
must
take
upon
themselves,
and
not
use
the
nature
of
the
will
to
receive,
the
lack
with
which
creation—which
is
called
“existence
from
absence”—was
born.
This
is
called
“the
place
of
the
world.”
Man’s
work
is
only
about
how
to
emerge
from
the
nature
of
the
desire
that
is
in
the
world
and
acquire
a
different
desire,
which
is
the
desire
to
bestow.
This
is
hard
work,
and
it
can
be
obtained
only
through
the
Torah,
as
our
sages
said,
“I
have
created
the
evil
inclination;
I
have
created
the
Torah
as
a
spice.”
Specifically
through
the
Torah
can
we
emerge
from
the
control
of
the
will
to
receive
for
ourselves
and
obtain
the
desire
to
bestow,
since
this
is
a
second
nature,
to
which
only
the
light
of
Torah
helps.
It
follows
that
He,
meaning
the
Creator,
is
the
place
of
the
world,
meaning
that
the
world
must
obtain
the
deficiency
of
the
Creator,
who
is
the
desire
to
bestow.
However,
His
world,
which
is
the
will
to
receive,
meaning
the
lack
that
is
in
the
world
from
the
perspective
of
creation,
which
is
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself,
this
is
not
the
Creator’s
lack.
This
is
why
we
say,
“Blessed
is
the
place.”
That
is,
when
one
has
been
rewarded
with
receiving
the
lack
of
the
Creator,
which
is
the
desire
to
bestow,
the
person
thanks
the
Creator
for
giving
him
His
place,
meaning
the
desire
to
bestow,
which
is
what
the
Creator
has.
A
person
should
achieve
this
degree
of
having
the
desire
to
bestow.
This
is
why
we
say,
“Blessed
is
the
place,”
for
giving
us
the
place,
meaning
His
deficiency,
which
is
the
desire
to
bestow,
for
with
this
desire
of
the
Creator,
the
Creator
can
satisfy
it
with
delight
and
pleasure.
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
what
we
asked,
What
is
“There
is
nothing
that
has
no
place”
in
the
work?
It
means
that
this
thing
that
a
person
wants
to
obtain,
meaning
the
desire
to
bestow,
which
is
what
a
person
feels
he
lacks,
a
person
must
first
work
so
that
the
thing
he
wants
to
obtain,
namely
the
desire
to
bestow,
must
first
have
a
place,
meaning
a
real
lack.
This
is
expressed
in
two
ways:
1)
to
feel
deficient,
2)
to
feel
that
only
the
Creator
can
help
him,
and
the
person
himself
is
utterly
unable
to
emerge
from
the
governance
of
the
will
to
receive
for
himself.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“There
is
nothing
that
has
no
place.”
It
means
that
the
order
of
the
work
is
that
one
must
first
prepare
the
place,
meaning
the
lack,
and
then
the
Creator
gives
the
filling
of
the
lack.
However,
we
should
know
that
although
the
heart
of
man’s
work
is
to
come
to
know
that
he
lacks
the
desire
to
bestow,
and
to
pray
for
the
Creator
to
satisfy
his
lack
and
give
him
that
desire,
one
should
also
walk
with
the
right
line,
which
is
regarded
as
wholeness.
That
is,
a
person
should
feel
himself
as
whole,
in
order
to
be
able
to
thank
the
Creator,
for
when
one
prays
for
something,
that
the
Creator
will
satisfy
his
deficiency,
he
is
considered
“cursed,”
and
“The
cursed
does
not
cling
to
the
Blessed.”
This
is
why
our
sages
said
(Berachot
32),
“One
should
always
establish
the
praise
of
the
Creator
and
then
pray,”
since
when
one
establishes
the
praise
of
the
Creator,
it
is
certain
that
if
a
person
sees
the
praise
of
the
Creator
and
praises
Him,
in
that
state
he
is
in
a
state
of
wholeness,
meaning
that
man
is
in
a
state
of
blessing,
and
naturally,
“The
blessed
clings
to
the
Blessed.”
At
that
time,
a
person
can
extend
the
blessing
from
above.
The
order
should
be
that
one
should
find
within
him
something
good
that
the
Creator
has
given
him.
Although
now
he
is
deficient,
he
should
invoke
within
him
Reshimot
[recollections]
of
something
good
he
had
from
the
Creator,
and
for
which
he
can
be
grateful
to
the
Creator.
It
does
not
matter
what
one
enjoys,
but
only
that
he
enjoyed
it
and
thanks
the
Creator
for
it.
Then
he
is
in
a
state
of
wholeness.
In
other
words,
then
he
was
at
peace
with
the
Creator
because
He
delighted
him,
so
he
can
already
be
in
gladness
from
what
he
had,
and
now
he
can
come
to
the
Creator
to
help
him
because
now
he
is
not
in
a
state
of
sadness,
where
he
feels
that
he
is
worse
off
than
all
other
people,
a
state
called
“cursed,”
and
“The
cursed
does
not
cling
to
the
Blessed.”
Rather,
now
he
is
in
a
state
of
“blessed.”
Hence,
a
person
should
look
within
him
for
something
that
will
enable
him
to
be
thankful
to
the
Creator.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
verse,
“And
none
shall
appear
before
Me
empty-handed.”
We
should
interpret
that
when
one
comes
to
ask
for
something
from
the
Creator,
he
should
not
be
empty-handed,
meaning
that
he
has
nothing.
Rather,
one
should
first
try
to
find
within
him
something
that
the
Creator
gave
him
and
for
which
he
blesses
the
Creator.
Afterward,
he
can
ask
of
the
Creator
because
he
is
thinking
about
what
he
received
from
the
Creator.
Thus,
he
already
has
connection
with
the
Creator,
for
the
Creator
has
given
him
something,
whatever
it
is,
but
what
matters
is
that
he
can
thank
the
Creator
for
it,
and
already
has
a
connection
with
the
Creator
in
that
he
is
pleased
with
the
Creator
for
bestowing
upon
him.
Hence,
since
now
he
is
in
wholeness
with
the
Creator,
it
is
a
Segula
[remedy/cure/virtue]
for
the
Creator
to
grant
his
wishes.
This
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said,
that
by
this,
“The
blessed
clings
to
the
Blessed.”
Hence,
one
must
be
very
careful
not
to
fall
into
the
Klipa
[shell/peel]
of
sadness,
for
then
one
is
apart
from
the
Creator,
unlike
when
he
is
in
a
state
of
“blessed.”
And
most
important,
a
person
should
try
to
be
in
a
state
of
“rewarded,”
meaning
to
pray
to
the
Creator
that
he
will
be
rewarded,
for
when
one
is
in
a
state
of
“rewarded,”
he
has
a
yearning
for
Torah
and
prayer,
and
he
likes
everything
he
sees
in
Kedusha
[holiness].
This
gives
him
high
spirits
because
he
feels
the
taste
of
life
in
everything
that
pertains
to
Kedusha.
But
when
he
is
“not
rewarded,”
it
is
the
complete
opposite—he
has
no
desire
for
Torah
or
prayer.
Anything
he
does
in
Kedusha
is
forced
on
him,
and
when
he
introspects,
he
says
about
everything
that
pertains
to
Kedusha
that
it
is
to
him
as
the
potion
of
death,
that
he
wants
to
quickly
run
away
from
all
those
things
around
him.
Although
he
sees
that
people
around
him
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds]
and
have
high
spirits
in
the
work
that
they
do,
his
body
excuses
itself
by
saying
that
if
the
people
had
the
same
taste
that
he
is
feeling,
they
would
not
be
any
better
off
than
he
is.
Sometimes,
he
does
not
even
contemplate
explaining
why
they
can
and
he
cannot.
That
is,
their
enthusiastic
engagement
in
Torah
and
prayer
is
not
enough
to
give
him
a
yearning
in
the
work.
In
truth,
we
should
say
that
since
this
person
is
in
a
state
of
“not
rewarded,”
his
Torah
becomes
to
him
a
potion
of
death.
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
what
our
sages
said
(Yoma
72),
“Rabbi
Yehoshua
Ben
Levi
said,
‘Why
is
it
written,
‘This
is
the
law
that
Moses
set.’
If
he
is
rewarded,
it
becomes
to
him
a
potion
of
life;
if
he
is
not
rewarded,
it
becomes
to
him
a
potion
of
death.’”
We
should
interpret
in
the
work,
that
if
a
person
is
rewarded,
his
Torah
becomes
to
him
a
potion
of
life.
This
means
that
he
feels
the
taste
of
life
in
the
Torah
and
in
prayer,
and
in
everything
of
Kedusha.
And
if
he
is
not
rewarded,
his
Torah
becomes
to
him
a
potion
of
death,
meaning
that
he
feels
in
the
Torah
and
in
the
work
the
potion
of
death,
meaning
the
taste
of
the
potion
of
death,
and
wants
to
escape
the
campaign
and
the
work,
and
all
that
he
does
is
by
compulsion.
However,
we
should
know
that
the
order
of
man’s
work
is
in
two
ways:
1)
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake],
2)
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
meaning
in
order
to
bestow.
As
he
says
in
the
“Introduction
to
The
Book
of
Zohar”
(Item
29),
“Know
that
our
work
during
our
seventy
years
is
divided
to
four
divisions:
“The
First
Division
is
to
obtain
the
excessive
will
to
receive
without
restraints,
in
its
full,
corrupted
measure
from
under
the
hands
of
the
four
impure
worlds
ABYA.
If
we
do
not
have
that
corrupted
will
to
receive,
we
will
not
be
able
to
correct
it,
for
‘one
cannot
correct
that
which
is
not
in
him,’
for
the
Klipot
[shells/peels]
will
dominate
it
and
give
it
of
their
lights,
to
provide
one
with
all
the
material
he
needs
to
work
with
and
correct.”
This
is
until
the
completion
of
thirteen
years.
“The
second
division
is
from
thirteen
years
and
on.
At
that
point,
the
point
in
his
heart,
which
is
the
Achoraim
[posterior]
of
the
soul
of
Kedusha
[holiness]
that
is
clothed
in
his
will
to
receive
since
his
birth
is
given
strength.
However,
it
only
begins
to
awaken
after
thirteen
years
(for
the
above
reason),
and
then
one
begins
to
enter
the
system
of
the
worlds
of
Kedusha.
The
primary
intensification
of
the
will
to
receive
is
only
in
spirituality.
And
yet,
it
is
a
much
more
important
degree
than
the
first,
since
this
is
the
degree
that
brings
one
to
Lishma,
as
our
sages
said,
‘One
should
always
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
Lo
Lishma,
as
from
Lo
Lishma,
one
comes
to
Lishma.’
And
the
final
degree
in
this
division
is
to
fall
passionately
in
love
with
the
Creator,
until
the
object
of
passion
remains
before
one’s
eyes
all
day
long
and
all
night,
as
the
poet
said,
‘When
I
remember
Him,
He
does
not
let
me
sleep.’
“The
third
division
is
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
Lishma,
in
order
to
bestow
and
not
to
receive
reward.
This
work
cleanses
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
in
him
and
replaces
it
with
a
will
to
bestow.
To
the
extent
that
one
purifies
the
will
to
receive,
he
becomes
worthy
of
receiving
the
five
parts
of
the
soul
called
NRNHY.”
We
therefore
see
that
first
we
must
work
in
Lo
Lishma,
meaning
to
obtain
the
desire
and
yearning
for
the
light
of
pleasure
that
is
dressed
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
This
work,
which
one
should
do
only
for
his
own
sake,
meaning
to
engage
in
the
work
in
order
to
delight
that
will
to
receive
with
greater
pleasures
than
corporeal
pleasures.
It
follows
that
this
work,
called
Lo
Lishma,
is
because
he
works
only
in
order
to
derive
emotional
satisfaction,
and
not
in
order
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker.
In
other
words,
he
works
in
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot
for
his
own
sake
and
does
not
think
about
the
benefit
of
the
Creator.
When
one
begins
to
work
in
Lo
Lishma,
in
order
to
obtain
emotional
fulfillment,
he
begins
to
feel
a
good
taste
in
Torah
and
work,
and
he
has
high
spirits
and
begins
to
feel
the
love
of
the
Creator.
At
that
time,
he
has
the
grace
of
Kedusha.
Yet,
when
he
wants
to
begin
the
work
of
bestowal,
meaning
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
the
taste
he
felt
while
working
only
for
his
own
benefit
is
taken
away
from
him.
This
is
so
in
order
for
him
to
accustom
himself
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake.
Since
he
was
used
to
feeling
the
taste
of
the
work
in
the
state
of
the
second
division,
and
now
he
does
not
feel
that
same
taste
of
sweetness
he
felt
while
working
Lo
Lishma,
he
thinks
that
he
does
not
feel
a
good
taste
in
the
work
as
he
did
before
he
began
the
work
of
Lishma
because
he
has
become
worse
than
he
was
then.
Therefore,
he
says
that
he
sees
that
this
work
is
not
for
him,
and
he
wants
to
escape
the
campaign.
But
in
truth,
a
person
should
believe
that
the
fact
that
he
does
not
feel
a
good
taste
in
the
work
is
not
because
now
he
has
descended
from
the
degree
he
had
before.
Rather,
it
is
that
now
he
is
being
guided
from
above
to
accustom
himself
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
and
not
notice
himself—whether
he
enjoys
this
work.
Rather,
he
should
accustom
himself
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said
(in
“The
Order
of
the
Work,
by
Baal
HaSulam”),
that
one
should
believe
that
when
he
attributes
his
work
to
the
Creator,
the
Creator
accepts
his
work,
regardless
of
the
form
of
his
work.
It
follows
that
when
one
does
not
feel
a
good
taste
in
the
work,
he
should
say
that
now
he
has
an
opportunity
to
work
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
meaning
for
the
Creator
to
enjoy
his
work,
since
now
he
does
not
feel
any
flavor
in
the
work,
that
he
can
say
that
he
is
attracted
to
the
flavor.
However,
when
one
overcomes
and
works
in
order
for
the
Creator
to
enjoy
his
work,
he
should
try
to
enjoy
having
a
place
to
work
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
and
from
this
one
should
derive
high
spirits.
It
was
said
about
this
work,
“Serve
the
Lord
with
gladness.”
That
is,
when
one
sees
that
he
has
work,
meaning
when
he
sees
that
he
has
a
place
to
overcome,
since
the
body
wants
specifically
for
the
will
to
receive
to
enjoy
his
work,
he
should
overcome
and
work
specifically
because
the
Creator
will
enjoy
his
work,
since
now
he
does
not
feel
taste
in
the
work,
to
say
that
the
flavor
draws
him.
This
is
called
“work.”
From
this
work,
a
person
should
derive
joy,
from
seeing
that
now
he
has
a
chance
to
perform
work
that
will
be
only
in
order
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker.
Yet,
here
begin
the
ascents
and
descents,
since
each
time,
a
person
is
made
to
feel
the
truth
of
why
he
is
remote
from
the
Creator,
since
it
is
against
nature.
But
we
should
ask,
Why
did
the
Creator
make
it
so
that
man
will
be
unable
to
overcome
his
vessels
of
reception
by
himself,
but
will
need
the
help
of
the
Creator?
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
this,
that
if
a
person
did
not
see
that
he
cannot
overcome
the
evil
in
him
without
the
help
of
the
Creator,
he
would
remain
outside
of
Kedusha.
He
said
that
the
reason
is
that
if
man
could
overcome
the
evil
in
him,
he
would
naturally
taste
a
good
flavor
in
the
work
and
would
be
content
with
little.
That
is,
he
would
feel
“Thank
God,
I
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],”
and
he
would
feel
that
he
is
doing
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
so
what
else
does
he
need?
Therefore,
he
does
not
see
what
else
he
needs
to
add,
since
he
really
is
working
for
the
Creator.
And
since
one
cannot
work
without
a
lack,
he
would
remain
in
Katnut
[smallness/infancy]
of
Kedusha.
But
if
a
person
sees
that
he
cannot
overcome
and
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
and
each
time
he
has
descents
and
ascents,
by
which
he
sees
that
he
needs
the
help
of
the
Creator,
and
the
help
that
the
Creator
gives
is
as
The
Zohar
says
about
what
is
written,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided,”
it
asks,
“With
what
is
he
aided?”
and
he
replies,
“With
a
holy
soul.”
That
is,
each
time,
he
is
rewarded
with
a
higher
soul,
according
to
the
help
for
which
he
asks—initially
the
light
of
Nefesh,
then
Ruach,
until
he
is
rewarded
with
the
NRNHY
of
his
soul.
It
therefore
follows
that
the
ascents
and
descents
that
one
experiences
come
from
above
on
purpose,
so
that
through
them,
he
will
attain
what
pertains
to
his
soul.
However,
while
one
is
still
in
Lo
Lishma,
and
even
when
he
has
not
obtained
the
Lo
Lishma
in
the
manner
of
the
great
passion
for
the
Creator,
as
in
the
second
division,
as
in
“When
I
remember
Him,
He
does
not
let
me
sleep,”
he
should
still
begin
with
the
work
of
bestowal
and
not
wait
until
he
achieves
the
state
of
Lo
Lishma
called
“When
I
remember
Him,
He
does
not
let
me
sleep,”
since
one
might
remain
in
this
state
forever.
But
once
he
has
achieved
the
state
of
Lo
Lishma
and
feels
a
good
taste
in
the
work,
he
is
given
from
above
an
awakening
to
want
to
work
in
order
to
bestow.
At
that
time,
the
real
work
begins,
until
from
above
he
is
given
the
desire
to
bestow.