Letter
No.
52
14
Tishrey,
Tav-Reish-Peh-Het,
October
10,
1927,
Sukkot
Eve,
London
To
...
may
his
candle
burn:
I
received
your
letter
and
the
notes.
...interpreted
for
me
the
verse,
“Seek
the
Lord
while
He
is
found;
call
upon
Him
while
He
is
near.”
This
is
perplexing.
If
the
Creator
is
already
with
him,
and
He
is
already
close,
why
is
there
still
a
need
to
seek
and
call
upon
Him?
He
explained
that
the
writing
speaks
to
those
who
have
already
been
rewarded
with
constant
closeness
to
the
Creator.
The
prophet
warns
them
that
although
it
seems
to
them
that
there
is
nothing
more
to
seek
or
to
obtain,
we
should
never
think
like
that,
for
it
is
like
cutting
down
the
plantings.
Rather,
one
should
seek
further
and
call
upon
the
Creator
for
greater
attainments.
Let
me
interpret
this
according
to
our
way.
Clearly,
anyone
who
has
been
rewarded
with
his
Maker’s
fondness,
the
Creator
grants
all
his
wishes,
as
do
lovers
and
friends
who
complement
each
other’s
wants,
each
according
to
his
ability.
Because
that
person
has
been
rewarded
with
befriending
the
Creator,
he
necessarily
consists
of
body
and
soul.
Therefore,
he
is
not
...
for
them
room
to
display
them
before
the
Creator.
Still,
“Love
will
cover
all
crimes.”
Especially
before
Him
there
are
no
obscenities
or
crimes,
as
it
is
written,
“No
filth
will
defile
You;
a
fire
that
consumes
fire
will
not
burn
You”
(see
“Poem
of
Unification”).
Therefore,
through
the
genuine
love
between
him
and
the
Creator,
it
is
inevitable
that
man
will
also
reveal
bodily
desires
before
Him.
Clearly,
the
Creator
will
not
fail
in
fulfilling
His
loved
one’s
every
wish,
both
proper
and
improper,
since
the
Creator’s
capability
is
tied
to
His
will.
But
once
the
Creator
has
satisfied
his
desire,
that
person
himself
seemingly
regrets
the
excessive
wishes
he
presented
before
the
Creator,
and
we
learned
that
from
above
there
is
giving
and
not
taking,
since
the
Creator
has
already
sanctified
him.
It
therefore
follows
that
the
person
must
mend
the
above-mentioned
wrong,
in
two:
1)
that
he
insulted
the
Creator’s
honor
by
presenting
bodily
wishes
before
the
King,
2)
that
he
was
not
careful
in
appreciating
the
gift
of
the
King
of
all
kings,
the
Creator,
whether
great
or
small.
This
is
so
because
there
are
two
values
to
each
gift.
The
first
value
is
the
gift—whether
it
is
great
or
small.
The
second
value
is
the
giver—whether
he
is
important
or
unimportant.
Naturally,
when
an
important
person
gives
even
a
small
thing,
the
gift
has
great
value,
according
to
the
importance
of
the
giver.
It
is
as
our
sages
said
...
to
be
in
the
king’s
palace
and
must
come
out
to
be
corrected.
And
once
he
goes
outside,
he
loses
all
the
attainments
he
has
already
been
rewarded
with
attaining
because
the
Creator’s
gifts
are
united
in
“world,
year,
soul.”
That
is,
there
must
be
a
chosen
“soul,”
a
chosen
“time,”
and
a
chosen
“place.”
And
since
he
has
changed
his
place,
his
year
and
soul
change,
too,
and
then
a
person
is
in
great
bewilderment.
The
prophet
warns
about
that:
“Seek
the
Lord
while
He
is
found,”
meaning
return
and
continue
to
attain
all
the
matters
of
spirituality
that
he
attained,
for
in
matters
that
concern
the
soul,
the
Creator
is
found
for
all.
It
is
written
about
that:
When
He
is
found,
“Call
upon
Him
when
He
is
near,”
being
the
bodily
matters,
which
he
has
already
attained
because
He
is
near.
The
prophet
warns
that
here
it
is
forbidden
to
ask
because
it
is
an
insult
to
the
King
to
come
to
Him
with
bodily
wishes.
Rather,
one
must
“call”
Him
only
“by
that
name.”
That
is,
when
he
presents
his
prayer
before
the
Creator,
one
must
mention
all
His
benefits,
which
He
has
done
for
him
before
with
benevolence,
satisfying
bodily
wishes
for
him,
so
it
is
a
given
that
He
will
satisfy
the
matters
of
the
soul
for
him
now.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
words
of
our
sages:
“The
heaven
between
me
and
you
will
make
a
way
for
a
plea.”
The
words
are
profound.
In
these
words,
the
rest
of
the
Haftarah
[final
part
of
each
Torah
portion]
is
explained—that
the
foreigner
concerns
bodily
matters,
and
the
eunuch
concerns
matters
of
the
soul,
and
the
enlightened
will
understand.
The
above
interpretation
is
immensely
profound;
who
will
understand
it?
Therefore,
I
will
explain
by
way
of
“seventy
faces
to
the
Torah”:
When
a
person
introspects
and
feels
his
poor
state,
he
awakens
to
return
to
the
Creator
and
pours
out
his
prayer
in
great
longing
to
adhere
to
the
Creator.
He
thinks
that
all
those
prayers
and
all
that
awakening
are
by
his
own
power.
He
sits
and
awaits
the
Creator’s
salvation,
small
or
great.
When
time
passes
and
he
sees
no
sign
of
welcome
from
the
Creator,
he
falls
into
despair
because
the
Creator
does
not
want
him,
since
after
all
this
longing,
He
did
not
turn
to
him
at
all.
It
is
written
about
this:
“Seek
the
Lord
while
He
is
found.”
That
is,
when
the
Creator
presents
Himself
to
you
for
asking,
then
you
will
necessarily
seek
Him,
too,
for
it
is
man’s
way
to
move
first.
In
other
words,
the
Creator
first
gives
you
the
heart
to
seek
Him.
When
you
know
this,
you
will
certainly
grow
stronger,
as
strong
as
you
can
ask,
for
the
King
is
calling
you.
So
it
says,
“Call
upon
Him
when
He
is
near.”
That
is,
when
you
call
on
the
Creator
to
bring
you
closer
to
Him,
know
that
He
is
already
near
you,
for
otherwise
there
is
no
doubt
you
would
not
be
calling
Him.
This
is
also
the
meaning
of
the
verse,
“Before
they
call,
I
will
answer,”
meaning
that
if
you
are
calling
Him,
then
He
has
already
turned
to
you
to
give
you
the
awakening
to
call
upon
Him.
“While
they
speak,
I
listen,”
meaning
the
measure
of
the
Creator’s
listening
depends
precisely
on
the
measure
of
the
longing
that
appears
during
the
saying
of
the
prayer.
When
one
feels
excessive
longing,
he
should
know
at
that
time
that
the
Creator
is
listening
to
him
attentively.
Clearly,
when
he
knows
this,
he
pours
his
heart
out
even
stronger,
for
there
is
no
greater
privilege
than
the
King
of
the
world
being
attentive
to
him.
This
is
quite
similar
to
what
our
sages
said,
“The
Creator
longs
for
the
prayer
of
righteous,”
for
the
Creator’s
desire
for
a
person
to
draw
near
Him
awakens
great
power
and
longing
in
the
person
to
crave
for
the
Creator,
for
“As
in
water
of
the
face
to
the
face,
so
the
heart
of
man
to
man.”
It
follows
that
the
saying
of
the
prayer
and
the
hearing
of
the
prayer
go
hand
in
hand
until
they
accumulate
to
the
full
measure
and
he
acquires
everything.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“spirit
draws
spirit
and
brings
spirit.”
Note
these
words,
for
they
are
the
first
foundations
in
the
ways
of
the
Creator.
You
wrote
and
asked
that
I
would
accept
you
as
a
student.
You
also
suspected
that
I
am
displeased
with
you
because
I
already
have
enough
students.
But
to
tell
you
the
truth,
it
is
harder
for
me
with
you
than
with
others,
as
you
are
of
a
more
eminent
lineage.
You
must
have
heard
that
Rabbi
Elimelech
refused
any
students
with
eminent
lineages,
and
the
rav
of
Rufshitz
pleaded
with
him
and
cried
bitterly,
but
to
no
avail,
until
all
scent
of
eminence
had
faded
from
him.
This
is
what
he
said
to
him:
“Why
is
it
my
fault
that
my
father
is
so
eminent?”
Once
he
recognized
the
sincerity
of
his
words,
he
accepted
him.
Do
not
be
surprised
that
in
the
eyes
of
landlords,
it
seems
that
the
eminent
is
closer
to
the
Creator
than
an
ordinary
person,
as
he
sees
and
observes
the
good
deeds
of
his
father
from
his
youth,
and
the
childhood
upbringing
is
set
more
firmly
in
the
heart.
But
the
thing
is
that
in
each
and
every
movement
in
His
work
there
are
two
opposites
in
the
same
carrier,
as
I
have
elaborated
in
previous
letters,
as
the
receiver
consists
of
body
and
soul,
which
are
opposites.
Hence,
in
each
attainment,
great
or
small,
He
makes
two
opposite
forms.
There
are
two
concepts
in
the
work
of
the
Creator:
1)
“prayer
and
plea,”
2)
“praise
and
gratitude.”
Naturally,
both
must
be
at
their
highest.
To
complete
the
prayer,
a
person
must
feel
the
Creator’s
closeness
to
him
as
mandatory,
like
an
organ
that
is
hanging
loosely,
for
then
he
can
complain
and
pour
out
his
heart
before
Him.
But
opposite
that,
regarding
the
complete
praise
and
gratitude,
a
person
must
feel
the
Creator’s
closeness
to
him
as
an
addition,
a
supplement,
as
something
that
does
not
belong
to
him
at
all,
for
“What
is
man
that
You
should
know
him,
the
son
of
man
that
You
should
think
of
him?”
Then
he
can
certainly
give
complete
praise
and
gratitude
to
His
great
name
for
choosing
him
from
among
all
those
who
are
standing
ready
to
serve
the
Creator.
It
is
great
work
for
the
complex
man
to
be
completed
in
both
those
opposites,
so
they
are
set
in
his
heart
forever
at
the
same
time.
The
second
discernment,
to
feel
himself
lowly
and
far,
and
the
kindness
of
the
Creator
as
a
supplement,
is
a
far
harder
concept
than
the
first.
For
the
most
part,
all
those
who
are
rejected
fail
only
in
the
second
concept.
By
this
you
know
that
the
one
of
eminent
lineage
is
farther
from
the
second
concept
than
an
ordinary
person
because
he
feels
the
Creator’s
kindness
toward
him
as
mandatory.
Nonetheless,
I
have
no
such
suspicion
because
I
have
already
enslaved
myself
to
the
Creator,
to
serve
Him
in
any
way
I
can.
No
work
is
too
heavy
for
me
to
do
for
His
great
name.
On
the
contrary,
I
always
love
and
relish
at
great
exertions
that
bring
Him
contentment,
and
the
evidence
is
that
I
chose
the
land
of
Israel
as
my
workplace,
where
the
ruling
of
SAM
is
the
most.
And
not
only
that,
but
in
Jerusalem,
where
even
the
ARI
was
afraid
to
open
his
seminary.
...
I
also
collected
into
my
seminary
all
the
eminent
ones
from
Jerusalem
...
by
which
you
can
know
that
I
am
not
avoiding
work.
Thus,
everything
depends
only
on
you;
always
remember
that.
Time
is
short,
and
the
good
day
is
approaching,
so
I
cannot
elaborate
for
you
on
that.
But
if
you
believe
me,
you
will
also
be
rewarded
with
understanding
me…
Yehuda
Leib