904. Man Is the Tree of the Field - 2
Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon, on the first of Tishrey, Rosh Hashanah [beginning of the year] for the tithing of the beast, and on the fifteenth of Shevat, Rosh Hashanah for the trees.
“Man is the tree of the field.” That is, we can discern two things in man’s works: 1) A discernment of faith, called Mitzva [commandment], and the discernment of Malchut and BON, and the discernment of “beast.” In Gematria, “beast” is BON. 2) A discernment of “Torah,” called ZA, and the quality of MA, and the quality of man, for man [Adam] is MA in Gematria.
Concerning donations and tithing, these are given specifically from possessions, from what man has acquired and possessed, and then he gives a tithing from this. Hence, there is a tithing of the beast, which is given from the quality of “beast,” which is the soul, and there is one from the fruits of the tree, which is the quality of “man.”
The time of the giving of tithing begins once ripening or planting is visible, when it is certain that he has gained. With vegetables, it is done after they are collected because they are not something that remains, and with trees it is after the ripening.
With regard to the Torah, if one is rewarded with ripening then he is sure that he will have fruits. But with faith it is after the collecting because they are new every morning, meaning that faith must be renewed each time. Conversely, with regard to the Torah, Torah protects and saves even while not engaging in it.
“Torah is glorious without ugliness” (Taanit 7). “Faith” is called “an ugly Kli [vessel]” because the whole world loathes it.
A Klipa [shell/peel] is similar to a moist fruit that is sent inside a box. As long as it is en-route, it must be kept in a guarded place so it does not get dirty. Hence, the Klipa guards the Kedusha [holiness].
Oppositeness. On one hand, we need big vessels of reception. On the other hand, if we have big vessels of reception, we are doomed. But if we have vessels of bestowal, we cannot receive anything for lack of a Kli [vessel].
Two general principles: On one hand, it seems as though he is living in his own right and has his own life in nature. On the other hand, he has no life in his actual nature, but only as an artificial possession. Should he forget one day and not buy life from the outside, he will fall and die.
We should understand why if the Creator wanted to give us life, He did not give us life in our nature, and instead we must always labor and acquire life from the outside?
The reality extends from the quality of judgment. Hence, although he is alive, he is small and weak and has no persistence whatsoever because as soon as he is born he undergoes the Tzimtzum [restriction]. For this reason, he has no persistence.
The existence of reality is through the joining of the quality of mercy with the quality of judgment, and everything that extends through labor is through a guidance of joining the quality of mercy with the quality of judgment. This is regarded as reward and punishment.
The Klipa guards the fruit, meaning for the fruit to reach the recipient. Hence, until a person is fit for the work of bestowal, the Klipa provides him with her powers so that through her, he will receive the fruit called “reception in order to bestow.” Just as when we take the fruit, the first touch of the fruit is on its peel, with the Lishma [for Her sake], called “the fruit,” we must first receive the Lo Lishma [not for Her sake].
Growing accustomed to the work is through Lo Lishma, for otherwise we might blemish, such as “He who knows his master,” etc.