381. The Lord Hears the Poor
January 29, 1972
“Rabbi Hiya said, ‘I wonder about this text, which says, ‘For the Lord hears the poor.’ Does He hear the poor and not others?’ Rabbi Shimon said, ‘It is because they are closer to the King, as it is written, ‘A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise…’’ Rabbi Shimon also said, ‘Come and see, all the people in the world are seen before the Creator in body and in soul, but the poor appears before the Creator only in a soul, for his body is broken, and the Creator is nearer to the soul than to the body.’”
The Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] interprets that a poor is seen before the Creator only in a soul because his body is broken, and the Creator is closer to the soul than to the body (The Zohar, BeShalach, Item 367).
To understand the above, we must know what is a “poor.” It is known that normally, a person can do things that will yield him two things: 1) knowledge, meaning that he will understand with his intellect the work that he is doing, namely the benefit from this action. Conversely, if he must do something that his mind mandates the opposite of what he is commanded to do, it is difficult for him to do this. 2) Pleasure. A person can do things that will yield him pleasure. But if he does something and does not enjoy, it is difficult for him to do this.
Therefore, when the two conditions in the act are met, meaning knowledge and pleasure, this act is regarded as a state of “wealth,” since this act imparts upon him knowledge and pleasure, and there is nothing more in reality for which the creatures yearn.
If only one condition is met, meaning that the act will not give him knowledge, meaning that the mind will not obligate him to do this, yet he derives pleasure from the act, this is still regarded as an act, and he overcomes the mind and does the deed because that act is still not regarded as poor, since it still has something to give, meaning that the act gives him pleasure.
Sometimes, the act does not give him pleasure but still gives him knowledge, meaning that the intellect affirms the action. Here he needs greater reinforcement to follow the intellect and not need the pleasure.
However, when an act has nothing to give him, neither knowledge nor pleasure, meaning above reason and above pleasure, this is called “poor and indigent,” when the act has no reward to give him.
Man has a body and a soul. The body is called a Kli [vessel] of the will to receive pleasure and knowledge. The soul is regarded as the power of bestowal that exists in man. And man has a body and a soul.
Hence, when one prays to the Creator and expects the Creator to impart upon him abundance, but in his situation, he has a healthy body, meaning that the body can still find knowledge and pleasure in his work, or at least one of them, this is still not considered poor and indigent, since the body will receive reward for his work.
However, when one wants to walk on the path of truth, meaning above reason, and in order to bestow, the body has nothing to receive, and then the body is considered broken. Thus, at that time he prays for the Creator to help him go with the soul, meaning with the desire to bestow. But the body interrupts him because he sees that he has nothing to gain from this path where a person wants to walk on the path of truth.
The Creator, who is the giver, is close to the soul. That is, there is equivalence with the soul because the soul wants to walk on the path of bestowal, and from this is all of his prayer. Therefore, the Creator hears his prayer.
This is the meaning of “For the Lord hears the poor.” But when a rich man, or when the act imparts upon him knowledge and pleasure, or at least one of them, then his prayer is only for the sake of the body, meaning for the will to receive. This is why it is not written that “He hears the prayer of the rich,” but only that of the poor, for He is close only to the poor, as close means equivalence of form.