Letter
No.
73
December
14,
1965
Let
me
clarify
a
bit
concerning
your
question,
“What
is
decoration
at
the
point
of
desire,”
which
you
said
was
difficult
for
you
to
understand.
To
understand
the
meaning
of
decoration
we
must
first
understand
to
what
things
are
referring,
meaning
what
is
perplexing
to
him
and
what
he
wants
to
explain.
We
know
that
there
are
only
two
things
in
the
world:
Creator
and
creatures.
This
means
that
the
Creator
wants
to
bestow
pleasures
upon
the
creatures,
as
it
is
written,
“His
desire
to
do
good
to
His
creations.”
Out
of
that
discernment,
the
first
world
that
emerged
is
called
“the
world
of
Ein
Sof
[no
end],”
which
means
that
since
He
desires
to
do
good,
He
has
created
“existence
from
absence”
a
desire
to
receive
the
pleasure
that
He
wants
to
give.
Of
course,
that
desire
was
precisely
the
size
suitable
for
reception
of
all
the
light,
for
otherwise,
meaning
if
the
Kli
[vessel]
is
smaller
than
the
light,
the
creature
will
not
emerge
whole,
and
the
certainly
Creator
created
something
whole,
meaning
that
He
has
created
a
desire
to
receive
that
specific
light
that
He
has
allocated
for
the
creatures.
And
according
to
that
desire,
the
light
extended
and
filled
it
completely.
This
is
regarded
as
the
upper
light
filling
the
whole
of
reality,
which
is
why
it
is
called
Ein
Sof,
since
the
will
to
receive
did
not
put
a
stop
and
conclusion
on
the
light,
but
rather
expanded
into
the
vessel
of
reception.
That
is,
had
that
discernment
been
drawn
back,
there
would
have
been
no
room
where
Godliness
were
felt
in
the
world.
Even
when
Adam
was
immersed
in
the
lust
for
reception
of
pleasures
only
for
himself,
he
still
felt
Godliness.
Only
once
the
Tzimtzum
[restriction]
on
receiving
with
the
intention
for
oneself
alone
took
place,
it
came
about
that
one
who
is
immersed
in
lust
does
not
feel
Godliness
and
the
beginning
of
one’s
work
is
to
believe
that
there
is
Godliness
in
the
world.
This
is
so
only
because
of
the
concealment
that
was
done
by
the
Tzimtzum.
We
learned
that
in
the
world
of
Ein
Sof,
“it
came
up
in
His
will
…
and
He
restricted
Himself.”
He
interprets
that
by
this
he
means
that
there
was
an
ascent
of
the
desire,
since
the
will
to
receive
is
opposite
from
the
desire
to
bestow,
which
is
why
he
chose
more
Dvekut
[adhesion].
Dvekut
means
equivalence
of
form,
and
he
wanted
to
be
similar
to
the
giver,
so
he
restricted
himself.
This
means
that
in
Ein
Sof
there
seems
to
have
been
oppositeness
between
the
Kli
and
the
giver
to
the
point
that
He
had
to
correct
it,
and
that
for
this
correction
he
had
set
up
the
Tzimtzum.
He
introduces
Pirkey
de
Rabbi
Eliezer,
where
it
is
written
that
before
the
world
was
created
there
was
“He
and
His
name
are
one.”
This
means
that
there
was
no
difference
between
the
light,
which
is
called
“He,”
and
“His
name,”
which
is
the
Kli,
meaning
the
will
to
receive.
He
interprets
that
the
Kli
is
called
“His
name”
because
Shmo
[His
name]
in
Gematria
is
Ratzon
[desire].
But
according
to
this,
it
is
perplexing,
for
if
there
were
no
oppositeness
between
the
Kli
and
the
light,
why
was
there
a
need
to
perform
a
correction
that
there
will
be
equivalence,
to
the
point
that
for
this
reason
he
performed
the
Tzimtzum?
This
is
why
he
explains
that
this
correction
was
not
due
to
a
lack,
where
he
felt
that
there
was
oppositeness,
but
in
order
to
decorate.
We
can
understand
the
difference
between
decoration
and
a
lack
through
an
allegory.
A
town’s
rabbi
made
a
convention
and
sent
for
all
the
wealthy
and
respectable
people
in
town
to
gather
in
the
synagogue,
for
he
wanted
to
tell
them
something.
The
rabbi
came
on
stage
and
gave
a
heartfelt
sermon
about
the
greatness
and
importance
of
charity.
Afterwards
he
told
them
that
since
and
good
man,
a
wise
disciple,
has
just
arrived
from
overseas,
and
he
had
children
and
a
family
of
eight,
and
they
did
not
have
food
for
even
one
meal,
no
place
to
stay,
and
the
family
is
now
in
the
women’s
section
of
the
synagogue,
so
he
would
like
each
one
to
donate
even
more
than
he
can
because
it
is
really
a
matter
of
life
and
death,
as
they
have
no
place
to
stay.
And
the
rabbi
wept
bitterly.
Naturally,
the
people
of
Israel
are
all
merciful
and
each
one
gave
more
than
he
could,
and
he
collected
thousands
of
pounds
for
that
family,
since
everyone
felt
the
lack,
and
therefore
everyone
took
part
in
mending
the
lack
that
they
felt.
The
following
year,
the
rabbi
assembled
the
town’s
powerful
and
respectable
and
gave
them
another
heartfelt
sermon,
and
cried
and
sighed
so
bitterly
that
it
could
break
one’s
heart.
He
let
them
know
the
merit
of
the
Mitzva
[good
deed/commandment]
of
mercy—that
through
mercy
we
will
come
out
of
exile
and
be
rewarded
with
complete
redemption.
Afterwards
he
told
them
that
his
wife
was
at
a
wedding
of
a
rich
man
who
came
from
the
United
States,
and
she
saw
there
that
the
rich
man’s
wife
wore
a
costly
fur
that
costs
3,000
pounds,
and
a
diamond
ring
that
costs
another
3,000
pounds,
so
now
she
is
asking
him
to
buy
her
these
Jewels
for
6,000
pounds.
The
rabbi
wept
bitterly
and
asked
for
them
to
have
mercy
on
him
and
give
him
that
amount.
He
would
not
have
asked
them
for
it
had
he
not
seen
that
last
year
they
gave
him
6,000
pounds
for
the
poor
man
so
he
could
get
by
with
his
family,
and
it
must
be
because
they
have
merciful
hearts,
so
he
is
asking
them
for
that
amount
for
Jewels
for
his
wife,
so
he
was
crying
and
yelling,
“Jews,
O
merciful
Jews!”
Naturally,
the
more
the
rabbi
cried,
the
more
they
laughed
at
him
and
said,
“Should
we
feel
sorry
for
your
wife
because
she
wants
to
decorate
herself?
What
mercy
is
there
here?
With
the
poor
man
there
was
necessity,
and
this
is
called
a
‘lack.’
We
all
felt
the
lack,
so
each
of
us
felt
compelled
to
mend
it.”
From
this
allegory
we
can
understand
the
difference
between
lack
and
decoration:
a
lack
is
when
he
is
bear
and
destitute;
then
you
can
speak
of
mercy.
But
when
you
have
a
bountiful
home
but
no
jewelry,
which
is
accessories
that
only
a
few
in
a
generation
have,
you
cannot
speak
of
a
lack,
since
they
can
live
without
it,
too.
It
is
likewise
here.
The
light
filled
the
whole
of
the
will
to
receive
until
there
was
no
place
empty,
without
abundance,
as
it
is
written
that
the
upper
light
filled
the
whole
of
reality
and
there
was
no
vacancy.
This
is
called
“He
and
His
name
are
one,”
when
there
is
no
discerned
difference
between
the
light
and
the
Kli,
since
without
a
Kli,
the
light
would
not
be
able
to
expand,
since
the
desire
to
do
good
to
His
creations
would
not
be
able
to
work
without
the
existence
of
a
desire
to
receive.
Therefore,
there
was
no
distinction
between
the
light
and
the
Kli,
as
both
are
equally
important
with
respect
to
the
goal.
This
brings
up
the
question,
“Why
was
there
a
Tzimtzum?”
The
answer
to
this
is
that
the
Tzimtzum
was
in
order
to
decorate.
This
means
that
decorations
are
needed
in
order
to
improve
the
gift.
Although
now
he
has
abundance
because
the
light
fills
the
whole
Kli,
it
is
still
possible
to
make
it
better,
meaning
that
the
reception
of
the
abundance
will
not
be
regarded
as
reception,
but
as
bestowal,
by
making
it
reception
in
order
to
bestow,
which
is
regarded
as
actual
bestowal.
This
is
why
the
Tzimtzum
is
regarded
as
free
choice,
meaning
that
he
had
the
choice
to
not
perform
a
Tzimtzum,
for
who
forced
him?
After
all
he
was
given
and
he
received,
and
if
he
wanted,
he
could
stay
in
that
state
and
have
abundance.
However,
he
chose
that
it
is
better
to
perform
a
Tzimtzum
and
receive
only
in
order
to
bestow,
for
by
that
he
will
be
equal
to
the
Emanator.
Only
afterwards,
after
the
Tzimtzum,
it
become
a
lack,
for
it
is
a
rule
that
a
desire
in
the
upper
one
becomes
a
mandatory
law
in
the
lower
one.
Hence,
the
lower
one
no
longer
has
a
choice,
meaning
that
even
when
he
wants,
he
is
not
given.
It
follows
that
now,
after
the
Tzimtzum,
the
will
to
receive
is
regarded
as
a
lack
because
you
can
no
longer
receive
anything
in
it,
and
it
is
discerned
as
darkness.
Only
when
beginning
to
do
things
in
order
to
bestow
do
we
begin
to
equalize
in
form
and
begin
to
come
out
of
the
rule
of
the
Tzimtzum.
Then
we
begin
to
feel
Godliness,
to
the
extent
that
we
can
work
in
order
to
bestow.
If
you
have
any
more
questions
on
that
topic
write
me
the
places
you
find
confusing
and
I
will
try
to
explain
to
the
best
of
my
ability.
But
mainly,
we
should
hope
that
the
Creator
will
give
and
bestow
upon
us
the
reason
of
the
upper
one
so
we
can
understand
and
learn
to
hear,
to
learn
and
to
teach
ourselves,
to
keep,
do,
and
observe.