472. The Concealed Things Belong to the Lord Our God
September 1981
“The concealed things belong to the Lord our God, and the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to do all the words of this Torah [law].”
By intimation, we should interpret that “revealed” means “practiced,” and “concealed” means “intention.” The intention—which is the reason that obligates a person to do the act—is concealed from people, for one does not know what is in one’s friend’s heart.
A person might even deceive himself with regard to the intention and think that the reason that obligates him to do the deed is the benefit of the Creator, when perhaps it is his own benefit that obligates him to do the deed. This is why “concealed” implies the intention.
We should make two discernments in regard to this: 1) the general public, 2) the individual. The general public normally thinks mainly about the action and not about the intention, since it is impossible to force the public to aim the true aim during the act. But with regard to the individual, we speak mainly about the intention. Hence, perhaps with respect to the general public, he is righteous, but with respect to the individual, he is wicked.
In that regard, it can be said, “Even if the whole world tells you that you are righteous, be wicked in your own eyes.” That is, he should aim that it will be only for the Creator, meaning not in order to receive reward, and he is still regarded as wicked.
And when one sees that in terms of the concealed, he is completely removed from the goal, he must not despair. Rather, he must believe that “The concealed things belong to the Lord our God.” This means that He will give the concealed part, and we will do the revealed part, namely the actions.
According to the increase in actions, so grows the need to increase intentions, meaning for the concealed part. Since there is a rule that there is no light without a Kli [vessel], meaning a desire, through increasing the actions we increase the lack until it reaches a certain measure, and then “The concealed things belong to the Lord our God,” meaning that then He gives the concealed.