363. Four Angels
December 1979
The Zohar writes that there were four kings, and what one asked, the other did not ask. David said, “I will pursue my enemies and catch them, and I will not return until they are consumed.”
Asa was very frightened … he wanted to chase his enemies but not to fight them, and the Creator will kill them. Jehoshaphat, too, asked and said, “I cannot chase or kill them. Instead, I will sing and You will kill them,” and the Creator did this for him.
Hezekiah King of Judah also said, “I cannot sing or chase or wage war…” and what is written? “And it came to pass that in the night, He struck the camp of Ashur,” while Hezekiah was sitting in his home, the Creator was killing them (the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar], Item 121).
From this we see that a person cannot say that he lacks innate skills or ability to overcome, or strength to overcome, so he can win the war against the enemies.
Rather, even if one has no strength at all, not to wage wars like David, or chase them like Asa, or sing like Jehoshaphat, but he rather sits in his home doing nothing, like Hezekiah, but he must ask the Creator and then the Creator helps him.
This means that all we need is a desire, but it must be a strong desire. A strong desire means that this desire leaves no room for other desires to enter the body, and one walks with this desire all the time, and then the Creator helps him.
However, if there is no strong desire, but the desire that wants to win the war against the inclination leaves room for other desires to permeate the body, then the prayer he prays to the Creator, which is called “desire,” is not a complete prayer.
This is similar to a story that is told about a Hassid [devout follower] who went to a righteous man who was famous as a maker of wonders, and asked for the righteous man’s blessing for his livelihood. Since he was a shoemaker, he blessed him with success in shoemaking.
When the Hassid came home, the friends told him, “Can’t you see that you are not successful as a shoemaker? We see that carpentry is a good craft; learn carpentry and be a carpenter.” Yet, in his new profession, he was also unsuccessful.
Then, the Hassid went to the righteous man once more and told him that he is a carpenter but he cannot make a living, so the righteous blessed him with success in carpentry. When he returned home, the friends said to him, “You see that you are unsuccessful as a carpenter. Since a tinsmith's work yields more profits, learn this trade and be a tinsmith.”
After some time, he did not succeed as a tinsmith so he went once more to the righteous man and told him that he had no sustenance. The righteous man blessed him once again with success. When he returned home, the friends said to him, “Since everyone succeeds as electricians, you should learn this trade.”
But just as in the previous times, he did not find success in his work. Then, he went once more to the righteous man and asked him, “Why everyone whom the righteous blesses finds success in their livelihood and your blessings come true, while mine do not?”
The righteous man replied that he must think about this matter, so he should come the next day, and then he will answer him. The next day, when he came, the righteous man said, “Look, my son, when I blessed you with success in shoemaking, an angel came and wanted to give you success in shoemaking. He asked all the people in the town where Mr. so and so the shoemaker lived, but everyone said that there was no shoemaker by that name in town, so the angel went back up with the blessing and the success.
“Afterward, I blessed you with success in carpentry. An angel came with success in his hand in order to give it to you and asked all the people in the town where Mr. so and so the carpenter lived, but everyone said that there was no carpenter by that name in town, so the angel went back up. There was a man there by the name he mentioned, but he was not a carpenter but a tinsmith. Likewise, each time, the angel went back up after not finding that certain person who engaged in that certain craft.”
Then the righteous man said to him, “What can I do for you if each time you work at a different craft? This is why my blessings are not helping, since you cannot receive the help for what you want because each time you want something else.”
The lesson is that when a person prays to the Creator and is sent salvation for his prayer, by the time the salvation comes down, he has a different desire and a different lack. But when one has a strong desire, which does not let any other desire permeate the body, then he can receive salvation for the prayers and requests that he makes.