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Baal HaSulam / Torah Lishma

22. Torah Lishma

I heard on Shevat 9, February 6, 1941

Torah is called Lishma [for Her sake] primarily when one learns in order to know with utter certainty, within reason, without any doubts of the clarity of the truth, that there is a judge and there is judgment. There is a judgment means that one sees reality as it appears to our eyes. This means that when we work in faith and bestowal, we see that we are growing and climbing daily, since we always see a change for the better.

And it is likewise to the contrary: When we work in a form of reception and knowledge, we see that we are declining every day down to the ultimate lowliness in reality.

When examining these two states, we see that there is judgment and there is a judge, since while we do not follow the laws of the Torah of truth, we are punished instantly. In that state, we see that there is just judgment. In other words, we see that this is precisely the best way, which is fit and can achieve the truth.

This is considered that the judgment is just, that only in this manner can we come to the ultimate goal: to understand within reason, with complete and absolute understanding of which there is no higher, that only by way of faith and bestowal can we achieve the purpose.

Thus, if one studies for this purpose, to understand that there is judgment and there is a judge, this is called Torah Lishma. This is also the meaning of what our sages said, “Great is the learning that leads to action.”

It seems that it should have said, “that brings to actions,” meaning to be able to do many actions, in the plural form, and not in singular form. However, the thing is that, as mentioned above, the learning should bring one only faith, and faith is called one Mitzva [commandment], which sentences the whole world to merit.

Faith is called “doing” because normally when one does something, there must first be a reason that makes him do within reason. It is like the correlation between the mind and the action.

However, when something is above reason, when the reason does not let him do that thing, but to the contrary, we must say that there is no reason in this act, but only an act. This is the meaning of “If one performs one Mitzva, happy is he for he has sentenced himself, etc., to the side of merit.” This is the meaning of “Great is the learning that leads to action,” meaning an act without reason, called “above reason.”