877.
Three
Prayers
-
2
Balak,
July
1984
It
is
written
in
the
Shabbat
[Sabbath]
evening
songs
(in
“Anyone
Who
Sanctifies”):
“The
Lord,
God
of
Israel,
the
love
of
the
innocent
[also
“whole”
or
“naïve”];
the
Lord,
God
of
Israel,
everlasting
salvation.”
We
should
understand
the
importance
of
innocence
[also
“wholeness”
or
“naivety”].
On
the
face
of
it,
it
seems
as
though
one
who
has
less
of
an
intellect
can
be
more
innocent,
and
one
who
has
more
intellect
and
more
ability
to
criticize
cannot
be
naïve.
It
follows
that
the
quality
of
naivety
was
given
to
those
with
little
knowledge.
But
Baal
HaSulam
interpreted
that
first,
one
sees
only
Mumim
[flaws],
and
then
he
makes
of
it
Tamim
[naïve/innocent/whole].
The
explanation
is
that
when
one
sees
only
flaws
in
the
world,
in
individuals
and
in
the
collective,
this
is
called
Mumim,
and
it
is
called
“left
line.”
Afterward,
he
accepts
everything
above
reason,
and
this
is
called
Tamim.
It
follows
that
one
who
has
more
knowledge
has
more
flaws,
as
it
is
written,
“He
who
adds
knowledge
adds
pain,”
and
he
should
accept
all
this
above
reason.
It
follows
that
his
innocence
is
built
on
greater
knowledge.
Thus,
his
innocence
is
greater
than
one
whose
innocence
is
built
on
smaller
knowledge.
It
says,
“The
Lord,
God
of
Israel,
the
love
of
the
innocent;
the
Lord,
God
of
Israel,
everlasting
salvation.”
This
means
that
in
order
for
a
person
to
have
the
strength
to
overcome
once
he
sees
a
world
full
of
flaws,
he
cannot
help
himself
and
needs
salvation
from
above
to
be
able
to
go
into
innocence
above
reason.
This
is
the
“Lord,
God
of
Israel,
everlasting
salvation,”
meaning
to
bring
all
the
flaws
into
the
above
reason,
which
is
called
Tamim
[innocent/whole].
This
is
the
meaning
of
Ol-Mim
[Olamim
(everlasting)
split
in
two].
Ol
[burden]
comes
from
the
word
Ayil
[Aramaic:
entering],
meaning
to
insert
a
Mum
[flaw]
in
the
Tamim.
By
this
we
will
understand
the
words
of
The
Zohar
(Balak,
Items
187-188).
It
is
written
there
that
a
prayer
for
the
poor
precedes
the
rest
of
the
prayers.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“A
prayer
for
the
poor
when
he
envelops.”
“Envelops,”
from
the
words,
“And
the
enveloped,
for
Laban,”
which
means
delayed.
That
is,
it
delays
all
other
prayers
in
the
world.
He
asks,
Why
does
the
prayer
for
the
poor
delay
all
the
prayers?
It
is
because
the
poor
is
brokenhearted
and
the
poor
always
quarrels
with
the
Creator,
and
the
Creator
listens
and
hears
his
words,
see
there
in
the
Sulam
[Ladder
commentary
on
The
Zohar].
We
should
understand
why
the
Creator
hears
the
prayer
of
the
poor
before
all
other
prayers.
He
says
that
the
reason
is
that
the
Creator
is
near
to
the
brokenhearted.
We
should
understand
the
importance
of
the
brokenhearted
to
whom
the
Creator
is
close.
In
The
Zohar,
Malchut
is
called
“poor,
for
she
has
nothing
of
her
own
except
that
which
her
husband
brings
her.”
This
matter
is
explained
in
several
places
in
the
Sulam,
that
there
are
two
states
in
Malchut.
Once
it
is
explained
according
to
the
first
state,
that
she
is
called
“poor”
because
she
has
no
Hassadim
[mercies],
and
elsewhere,
he
calls
there,
in
the
Sulam,
the
second
state
of
Malchut,
that
she
is
called
“poor”
because
she
must
receive
from
Zeir
Anpin,
her
husband.
We
should
interpret
that
the
kingdom
of
heaven—when
one
wants
to
take
upon
himself
that
all
his
actions
will
be
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
not
in
order
to
receive
reward—at
that
time
Malchut
is
called
“poor”
because
she
has
nothing
to
give
to
the
person
working
for
her.
Normally,
when
someone
works
for
someone,
he
receives
a
reward
for
his
work.
But
when
a
person
works
for
the
Creator,
not
in
order
to
receive
reward
for
his
labor,
it
follows
that
he
is
working
for
a
poor
one,
meaning
it
is
like
working
for
a
poor
person
who
has
nothing
with
which
to
pay
him.
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
a
prayer
for
the
poor:
A
person
prays
to
the
Creator
that
his
prayer
will
be
for
the
poor.
That
is,
he
prays
that
everything
he
does
will
be
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
meaning
he
wants
to
work
in
order
not
to
receive
reward.
This
work
means
that
he
wants
to
work
Lishma
[for
Her
sake].
That
is,
even
though
he
has
not
achieved
it,
he
still
wants
to.
This
is
the
first
discernment
in
the
work
of
the
Creator.
Before
one
achieves
the
state
of
Lishma,
he
works
not
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
but
for
his
own
sake.
By
this
we
will
understand
why
the
prayer
for
the
poor
is
accepted
before
all
the
prayers,
to
the
point
that
The
Zohar
says
that
it
delays
all
the
prayers,
that
it
precedes
the
prayer
for
David
and
the
prayer
for
Moses.
We
should
ask
why
it
should
delay
the
rest
of
the
prayers.
Is
it
impossible
to
answer
everyone
at
the
same
time,
but
they
must
be
answered
one
at
a
time?
We
can
understand
this
if
we
learn
all
these
three
prayers
in
one
person.
Normally,
we
should
discern
three
prayers:
1)
A
prayer
for
Moses,
who
is
the
quality
of
the
Torah.
2)
A
prayer
for
David,
who
is
Malchut
[kingship].
That
is,
he
has
been
rewarded
with
the
quality
Malchut
but
he
prays
that
the
kingdom
of
heaven
with
which
he
has
been
rewarded
will
not
depart
from
him.
3)
A
prayer
for
the
poor,
when
he
wants
to
begin
to
emerge
from
self-love
and
come
into
the
work
in
order
to
bestow
and
not
receive
any
reward,
but
only
for
the
Creator.
Then
the
body
begins
to
resist
this
work
because
it
is
against
his
nature.
At
that
time,
he
comes
to
a
state
where
he
sees
that
he
is
bare
and
destitute.
That
is,
he
has
no
support
from
which
to
receive
fuel
for
the
work.
In
other
words,
when
he
thought
that
he
should
engage
in
the
work
Lishma,
he
was
fine.
He
had
Torah
and
prayer
and
good
deeds,
and
he
had
possessions
to
enjoy.
He
looked
at
people
with
whom
he
came
in
contact
and
felt
that
he
was
far
above
them.
But
now
that
he
has
begun
to
walk
on
the
path
that
leads
to
Lishma,
he
feels
that
he
is
more
deprived
than
all
his
contemporaries,
since
they
have
vitality.
He
feels
them
just
as
he
had
felt
himself
before
he
began
to
change
his
way.
At
that
time,
he
feels
that
the
world
has
grown
dark
on
him,
as
it
is
written,
“Ever
since
I
came
to
Pharaoh
to
speak
in
Your
name,
he
has
done
harm
to
this
people,
and
You
did
not
save
Your
people
at
all.
And
the
Lord
said
to
Moses,
‘Now
you
will
see
what
I
will
do
to
Pharaoh,
for
with
a
mighty
hand
he
will
send
them,
and
with
a
mighty
hand
he
will
drive
them
out
of
his
land’”
(Exodus
5:23).
We
should
interpret
that
before
Moses
came
to
the
people
of
Israel
as
a
messenger
of
the
Creator,
that
He
wanted
to
lead
them
out
of
Egypt,
the
people
of
Israel
engaged
in
work
of
the
Creator
but
were
enslaved
to
Pharaoh
king
of
Egypt.
Pharaoh
king
of
Egypt
is
the
will
to
receive
that
is
found
in
the
created
beings,
which
cannot
do
anything
if
not
for
its
own
benefit.
This
is
the
ruler
in
all
created
beings
and
it
afflicts
all
those
who
want
to
emerge
from
its
dominion,
meaning
to
work
for
the
sake
of
others.
Moses
came
to
the
people
of
Israel
and
told
them
that
the
Creator
wants
to
deliver
them
from
under
the
governance
of
Pharaoh,
to
lead
each
and
every
one
of
the
people
of
Israel
from
under
Pharaoh’s
control,
which
is
found
within
each
and
every
one.
Accordingly,
each
one
understands
that
Moses’
mission
is
that
we
must
begin
the
work
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
so
it
makes
sense
that
now,
if
we
begin
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth,
meaning
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
where
each
one
has
the
aim
to
bestow
while
doing
the
work
of
the
Creator,
now
each
one
will
begin
to
work
harder
and
with
great
enthusiasm,
and
the
passion
will
be
so
intense
that
it
will
be
difficult
for
him
to
retire
for
a
minute
to
think
about
corporeal
needs,
too,
which
are
utterly
necessary,
since
now
he
is
working
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
And
although
he
has
not
begun
this
work,
to
feel
that
he
is
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
since
he
wants
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth,
the
body
will
certainly
agree
to
make
more
concessions
for
him
than
it
did
while
he
was
not
working
on
the
path
of
truth,
meaning
Lishma.
But
the
reality
is
opposite.
Precisely
when
we
want
to
walk
on
the
way
of
Lishma,
the
body
begins
to
resist.
At
that
time,
it
begins
with
all
its
arguments,
meaning
the
argument
of
Pharaoh
king
of
Egypt,
which
is
the
argument,
“Who
is
the
Lord
that
I
should
obey
His
voice?”
and
the
argument
of
the
wicked,
who
says,
“What
is
this
work
for
you?”
At
that
time,
the
work
becomes
heavy,
and
each
time
he
needs
more
reinforcement.
We
should
interpret
this
matter
in
the
above-mentioned
verse,
“Ever
since
I
came
to
Pharaoh
to
speak
in
Your
name,
he
has
done
harm
to
this
people.”
That
is,
when
Moses
came
to
speak
“in
Your
name,”
meaning
that
they
should
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
“He
has
done
harm
to
this
people,”
they
become
worse.
In
other
words,
before
Moses
came
to
say
that
we
must
work
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
everyone
served
the
Creator
and
considered
themselves
righteous.
They
had
the
strength
to
work
and
the
fuel
to
know
why
they
were
working
was
clear
to
them.
But
after
Moses
came
as
an
emissary
of
the
Creator,
that
we
must
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
they
have
become
worse.
Thus,
accordingly,
they
would
be
better
off
not
getting
into
the
work
of
Lishma.
To
this
came
the
answer,
“And
the
Lord
said
to
Moses,
‘Now
you
will
see
what
I
will
do
to
Pharaoh,
for
with
a
mighty
hand
he
will
send
them.’”
The
answer
was
not
that
they
did
not
tell
the
truth,
but
what
I
want
from
them
is
to
feel
the
truth,
that
they
are
so
far
from
the
truth,
meaning
from
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
Then,
when
they
have
this
kind
of
demand,
that
they
cannot
work
Lishma,
then
you
will
see
how
I
give
you
the
strength
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
I
do
not
demand
that
you
will
be
able
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth.
All
I
need
is
for
you
to
have
a
Kli
[vessel]
to
receive
the
abundance.
Hence,
when
you
begin
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
you
will
see
that
you
are
incapable
of
this
work,
and
then
I
will
give
you
what
is
called
“with
a
mighty
hand
he
will
send
them,”
as
it
is
written,
“And
I
also
heard
the
groaning
of
the
children
of
Israel,
that
the
Egyptians
enslave
them,
and
I
remembered
My
covenant,
etc.,
and
I
will
deliver
you
from
under
the
afflictions
of
Egypt”
(Exodus
6).
It
follows
that
once
they
have
a
Kli
to
receive,
I
will
give
them
the
power
required
for
it.
Now
we
will
explain
what
we
began,
concerning
the
prayer
of
the
poor—why
this
prayer
delays
all
other
prayers.
Since
we
are
speaking
of
one
person
in
whom
all
these
states
unfold,
it
follows
that
the
prayer
of
David
cannot
be
accepted,
as
it
is
when
he
has
already
been
rewarded
with
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
but
he
prays
that
the
kingdom
of
heaven
will
not
cease
from
him.
One
can
pray
for
this
after
he
already
has
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
but
anyone
who
is
still
far
from
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
who
is
still
under
the
rule
of
Pharaoh
king
of
Egypt,
how
can
he
be
given
so
that
this
matter
will
not
cease
in
him
while
he
still
has
nothing?
Hence,
first
the
prayer
of
the
poor
is
accepted,
meaning
that
first
he
must
be
rewarded
with
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
called
“poor
and
meager.”
This
is
the
first
discernment—that
a
person
must
enter
in
the
work.
Afterward
comes
the
next
degree,
which
is
a
prayer
for
David,
meaning
that
his
kingdom
of
heaven
will
not
cease.
Then
comes
the
third
degree,
which
is
a
prayer
for
Moses,
which
is
the
Torah.