509. The Revelation of the Love of the Creator
“And shone on them from Seir.” This means that from what the children of Seir said, that they do not want to receive, from this it shone for Israel and added to them much light and love. “Appeared from Mount Paran.” From what the children of Paran said, that they do not want to receive, much love and illumination was properly added to Israel (The Zohar, Hukat).
We should ask why the love of Israel was contingent upon the nations of the world not wanting to receive the Torah. This implies that had the nations of the world received the Torah, there would have been no room for the love of Israel. Can it be that if one loves another and wants to show his love for him, he expresses it in a way that because his friend does not wish to obey him, this is why he loves him? Is this a praise or condemnation, since he stipulates the love on his friend; he is the cause, while for himself, he has no love for him.
The thing is that the children of Seir and the children of Paran are within each and every one. The evil in man has many names according to its actions. There is love for the people of Israel in that man’s evil does not want to accept the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], and man overcomes the evil.
From this, the illuminations extend to the people of Israel, for in truth, the Creator wants to give to the created beings more than they want to receive. Only because of the bread of shame there is a correction that man must first show his choice. But as soon as one shows the choice, His love for him is immediately revealed.
The matter of choice pertains specifically when the bad in him reveals its power, meaning that it objects to his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot. Naturally, you find that precisely when the nations of the world in man show the power of resistance, there is room for choice.
Hence, precisely by the children of Paran not wanting to receive the Torah, this is the place where the Creator can show His love for him because the man has already discovered His power.
But if they do not object to him, he has no room to show his choice, and the Creator cannot reveal His love, for if He were to reveal His love for man, there would be no possibility for choice.