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Atzilut is Private Providence The Striking of Thoughts upon Man The Meaning of Sins Becoming as Merits This Is the Path of Torah – 1 A Hedge for Wisdom – Silence - 1 For He Whom the Lord Loves He Admonishes - 1 The Fear of You and the Dread of You Shall Be upon All the Animals of the Earth - 1 The Garments of the Soul - 1 Beginning to Speak from the Connection with the Creator Sanctification of the Month Behold, I Am Setting Before You The Main Thing We Need Who Will Not Lift Up the Face Three Lines – 1 Turn Away from Evil and Do Good – 1 TANTA [Taamim, Nekudot, Tagin, Otiot] Find Favor and a Good Mind Who Hears a Prayer Fish Means Worries Raising the Hands The Discernments of “Woman” and “Sons” in the Torah Ruin by Elders—Construction; Construction by Youths—Ruin Our Faith in Books and Authors God Made It so that He Would Be Feared Questions in the Work Ani [I] and Ein [nothing/null] You Stand Here Today – 1 Turn Away from Evil and Do Good – 2 The Order of the Work The Difference between Kedusha [holiness] and Sitra Achra [other side] The Meaning of Exile Greeks Have Gathered Around Me The War of the Inclination What Is Handsome In the Work? Against Your Will You Live; Against Your Will You Die A Horse to Ride On Joy and Fear All Bitter Herb [Maror] Old and New The Torah Must Be Received with Both Hands Good Deeds Are Called Sons The Ruin of Kedusha [Holiness] Man Determines Nothing New Under the Sun The Meaning of “Torah Lishma [for Her sake]” From Lo Lishma to Lishma Joy that Comes from Dancing Definitions – 1 Exalt the Lord Our God Knowledge and Faith The Testimony of the Creator Upper and Lower It Is All Corrections Passion for Knowledge Faith Is Called “Action” The Desire to Bestow – 1 The Need and Importance of Teaching Faith Awakening – 1 Love of Others Colors in the Work What to Ask of the Creator—to Be His Servant Faith Within Reason How Good Are Your Tents, Jacob – 1 Man and the Torah Faith Is Regarded as Above Nature The Greatness of the Creator Is His Humbleness Foundations The Association of the Quality of Judgment with Mercy Devotion Concerning Suffering – 1 Concerning Fear The Torah Is Acquired through Suffering Two Kinds of Repentance For Your Crimes, Your Mother Was Sent Away Man’s Actions Run My Beloved Entry into the Work The Reason for the Faith Moses Is the Quality of Faith Am I In the Place of God? The Whole Earth Is Full of His Glory Mind and Heart As He is merciful, So You Are Merciful Repentance Inner Keys and Outer Keys One Learns Only Where One’s Heart Desires One Does Not Toil Over a Meal and Misses It Anyone Who Associates the Aim for the Creator with Another Thing Specifically through a Man and a Woman I Wish They Left Me and Kept My Law Why Israel Are Compared to an Olive Tree I Have a Minor Mitzva [commandment], Whose Name Is Sukkah A Person Builds a Building Turning His Ear from Hearing Torah The Creator Is Meticulous with the Righteous Man and His Role One Who Restrains Himself in Strife The General Public and the Chosen Few Delight Them with a Complete Building – 2 Fear and Love The Meaning of Evil Discernments in a Spiritual Kli [vessel] Man’s Work Prayer Concerning Equivalence of Form Happy Is the Man A Cure before the Blow Noah Was a Righteous Man Anyone with Whom the Spirit of the Creator Is Pleased Mind and Heart How to Draw Near Him He Who Has No Sons Abraham Begot Isaac And Judah Approached Him – 1 And Behold, the Lord Stood Over Him Joy While Learning Torah Jacob Sent Anyone Who Sanctifies the Seventh – 2 The Lord Hears the Poor When Pharaoh Sent the People This Is the Day that the Lord Has Made Hear, O Israel Save Your Servant, You, My God This Day, the Lord Your God Commands You You Stand Today - 2 The Concealed Things Belong to the Lord Our God There Is Fear Only in a Place of Wholeness What Is Joy? The Ascent of Malchut to Bina Concerning the surrounding lights He Who Comes to Defile “Right” Means Wholeness What Is, He Swallowed Maror [bitter herb], He Will Not Come Out, in the work? Three Lines – 3 Movement Due to Shame You Shall Tithe a Tenth Nourishment Laboring and Finding The Power of Thought The Exile of the Shechina [Divinity] Desire for Spirituality Cast Their Seed Among the Nations General Attainment and Personal Attainment Two Labors Concerning the Goal I Will Remove the Stony Heart The Act Is What Decides Righteous and Wicked The Face of the Lord Is in Evildoers The Upper One Scrutinizes for the Purpose of the Lower One Malchut of the Upper One Becomes Keter to the Lower One Why He Waited until the War Against Amalek And Jethro Heard Those of Little Faith Remember that You Were a Slave Peace at Home Overcoming The Mitzva of Sukkah Inheritance of the Land Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue By Your Actions, We Know You The Generations of Jacob Joseph If Any Man of You Brings an Offering - 1 Who Despises the Day of Smallness Branch and Root The Quality of Moses Miketz [After] There Has Never Risen a Prophet Like Moses One Who Walks along the Way Action and Thought Tzimtzum The Journeys of the Children of Israel The Measure of Overcoming Two Discernments in the Kelim Inverse Relation between Lights and Vessels Merging of the Body The Difference between the Soul and the Body Pleasure Cancels the Mind The Birth of the Moon Bo [Come] Internality and Externality The Godliness Made the Concealment The Need for Gentiles Dead Fish Turn Away from Evil and Do Good - 4 The Need for a Kli without Light Adam HaRishon Was a Heretic Three Prayers - 2 Good Writing and Signing Rosh Hashanah The Rosh Hashanah Prayer With a Shofar You Will Renew An Article for Sukkot What Is Hanukah What Is the Miracle of Hanukah The Meaning of Amalek When He Let His Hand Down, Amalek Prevailed Blotting Out Amalek Revealing the Concealment Until He Does Not Know The Meal of a Wicked One His Law He Contemplates Two Opposites I and Not a Messenger Concerning the Environment The Torah Spoke Regarding Four Sons The Need for an Act from Below The More One Speaks of the Exodus from Egypt And he said, “When You Deliver the Hebrew Women” And God Spoke to Moses And I Will Take You as My People Come unto Pharaoh Behold, a People Has Come Out of Egypt The Passover Offering Concerning the Beginning of the Month Peh-Sah [speaking mouth] The First Innovation Concerning the Exodus from Egypt The Duty to Tell the Story of the Exodus from Egypt Concerning the Matza [unleavened bread] The Time of Redemption Questions for the Exodus from Egypt Concerning the Omer [Count] The Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah

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Rabash / Turning His Ear from Hearing Torah

287. Turning His Ear from Hearing Torah

October 6, 1962, Bnei Brak

“Rabbi Hanina Bar Papa said, ‘Anyone who turns his ear from hearing Torah, his prayer becomes loathsome, as was said, ‘He who turns his ear from hearing Torah, his prayer, too, is abomination’’” (Midrash Rabbah, Haazinu).

We should ask, 1) What is the meaning of “turning his ear”? Why did he not simply say that he did not listen to the Torah, since the word “turning” implies that all we need is to listen, and we do not need to learn Torah, for by listening alone, we do our duty. 2) Why would his prayer become abomination? Can the whole world be learning Torah, and one who is not among the learners of Torah, his prayer will be abomination? 3) It is known that there is the issue of necessity and luxury. A prayer is regarded as necessity, and Torah is regarded as luxury. Therefore, the Torah is called “a gift,” since a gift pertains only to luxuries. Accordingly, we should understand why if he turns his ear from hearing luxuries, the necessity becomes abomination, too.

We should interpret that it is known that the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. To be able to receive the Creator’s gift abundantly and for the gift to be complete, without any feeling of unpleasantness, He has given us the work of choice and that our aim will be for the sake of the Creator. Otherwise, a person is placed under the governance of the Tzimtzum [restriction], meaning he does not feel that there is pleasure in the work of the Creator.

All this was so that by this, man will come to a state where he can receive all the King’s gifts and there will not be the quality of “bread of shame” in it, but only the completeness of the purpose.

It follows that the whole matter of work and prayer is that he can receive the luxuries that the Creator has for man. This is called Torah, which is a gift, regarded as luxuries. Hence, one who turns his ear, it means that he does not prepare himself to hear the Torah, since the Torah is a gift he should receive from the King.

This is the meaning of “We will do and we will hear.” “We will do” alone is not enough, for “We will hear” is also required. That is, through “We will do,” he will be rewarded with the quality of “We will hear,” for the purpose of creation was on the quality of “We will hear.” Hence, one who turns his ear from hearing Torah, his purpose is not needed; this is why it is loathsome, since anything that is unneeded becomes loathsome.