And
Hezekiah
Turned
His
Face
to
the
Wall
Article
No.
15,
1985
It
is
written
in
The
Zohar
(Vayechi,
item
386):
“Rabbi
Yehuda
started
and
said,
‘And
Hezekiah
turned
his
face
to
the
wall
and
prayed
to
the
Lord.’”
These
are
his
words
there
in
the
Sulam
[Ladder
commentary]:
“One
should
pray
only
next
to
a
wall
and
nothing
should
part
between
him
and
the
wall,
as
it
is
written,
‘And
Hezekiah
turned
his
face
to
the
wall.’”
We
should
understand
what
is
the
“wall”
next
to
which
we
should
pray.
Also,
what
is
the
“partition”
where
he
says
that
nothing
should
part.
The
Zohar
interprets
there
and
in
the
Sulam
(item
392):
“A
wall
is
the
Lord
of
all
the
land,
and
it
is
the
Shechina
[Divinity].”
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
what
he
says,
that
we
must
pray
next
to
a
wall,
meaning
close
to
the
Shechina.
However,
it
is
still
not
known
what
is
the
measure
of
proximity
to
the
wall.
He
interprets
that
nothing
should
part
between
him
and
the
wall.
This
is
why
we
should
interpret
the
issue
of
parting,
such
as
with
the
Tevillah
[ritual
bathing],
with
Netillat
Yadaim
[ritual
washing
of
the
hands],
and
with
the
four
species,
where
the
palm
branch,
myrtle,
and
willow
are
tied
with
a
palm
branch
leaf
because
it
is
of
the
same
kind.
It
follows
that
parting
between
him
and
that
wall
is—as
the
Shechina
bestows
upon
the
lower
ones,
so
man
should
remove
the
force
of
reception—that
his
desire
will
be
only
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator.
At
that
time
it
is
called
nearing
and
proximity
to
the
wall.
However,
first
we
must
know,
and
it
is
our
duty
to
try
to
understand
as
much
as
we
can
with
our
little
minds
what
we
need
to
pray
for,
meaning
which
deficiency
we
should
regard
and
say
that
this
is
the
main
thing
we
need,
and
that
if
we
can
satisfy
that
deficiency
we
will
not
need
anything
else.
It
is
known
that
the
essence
of
the
prayer
is
for
the
Shechina
being
in
exile.
However,
this
requires
explanation,
too.
It
is
written
in
many
places
that
the
main
thing
we
need
to
pray
for
is
to
raise
the
Shechina
from
the
dust.
There
are
many
interpretations
to
it,
and
the
little
we
can
understand
is
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
This
is
what
one
takes
upon
himself—that
he
has
nothing
in
the
world
that
is
his
purpose,
except
to
serve
the
king
not
in
order
to
receive
reward.
By
that
he
will
be
rewarded
with
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
and
will
be
able
to
delight
the
king,
as
in
“As
He
is
merciful,
so
you
are
merciful.”
At
that
time
he
will
be
fit
to
keep
the
thought
of
creation
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
However,
the
discernment
called
“bestowing
contentment
upon
the
Creator”
does
not
have
a
place
in
the
creatures
for
they
are
born
with
a
desire
to
receive.
For
this
reason,
the
are
utterly
incapable
of
comprehending
the
concept
of
bestowal.
This
is
similar
to
an
object
lying
in
the
dust
and
no
one
notices
that
it
should
be
picked
up.
This
is
called
“Shechina
in
the
dust.”
It
is
as
it
is
written
(The
Selichot
[forgiveness]
of
the
thirteen
qualities):
“I
will
remember
God
and
long
for
Him
when
I
see
every
city
built
on
its
foundations,
and
the
city
of
God
lowered
to
the
very
bottom.”
A
“city”
means
as
it
is
written
(Ecclesiastes,
9),
“a
small
city
with
few
men
in
it.”
Eben
Ezra
interprets
as
follows,
“The
ancient
interpreters
said
that
it
is
an
allegory:
“A
small
city”
is
man’s
body,
and
“few
men
in
it”
means
those
with
power
to
beget,
the
servants
of
the
soul.
Therefore,
here,
too,
we
should
interpret
the
“city
of
God”
to
mean
that
when
the
body
wants
God
to
dwell
in
it,
in
this
body,
all
the
organs
resist
it.
The
work
of
bestowal,
meaning
to
work
for
the
Creator,
is
work
in
utter
lowliness,
and
there
is
a
taste
of
dust
in
this
work.
It
is
written
in
the
curse
of
the
serpent
(Genesis,
3),
“You
are
more
cursed
than
all
beast,
and
more
than
every
animal
of
the
field;
you
will
walk
on
your
belly,
and
you
will
eat
dust
all
the
days
of
your
life.”
This
means
that
everything
he
will
eat
will
taste
like
dust.
It
is
likewise
here:
when
a
person
begins
to
work
for
the
Creator
and
does
not
see
that
self-love
will
draw
any
benefit
from
it,
this
work
is
degraded,
and
everything
he
does
in
it
tastes
like
dust.
This
is
called
“The
city
of
God
is
lowered
to
the
very
bottom.”
That
is,
if
there
is
a
partition
between
him
and
the
Shechina,
meaning
if
his
work
is
built
on
a
basis
of
self-love,
he
thinks
that
he
is
at
the
height
of
perfection.
But
when
he
wishes
to
remove
the
partition
between
him
and
the
wall,
and
wants
to
work
on
the
basis
of
bestowal,
he
feels
that
he
is
at
the
very
bottom,
since
he
does
not
see
that
in
this
work
he
will
have
anything
to
receive
for
his
will
to
receive.
At
that
time
all
the
organs
resist
this
work.
Now
we
will
understand
for
what
we
need
to
pray.
The
prayer
should
be
primarily
for
the
Shechina
being
in
the
dust.
This
means
that
work
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator
is
despicable
and
contemptible,
and
we
ask
of
the
Creator
to
open
our
eyes
and
remove
the
darkness
that
is
floating
before
our
eyes.
We
ask
about
this,
as
it
is
written
(Psalms
113),
“He
raises
the
poor
from
the
dust,
and
lifts
the
destitute
from
the
trash.”
It
is
known
that
the
holy
Shechina
is
called
poor
and
meager,
as
it
is
written
in
The
Zohar,
“and
it
is
placed
in
the
dust.”
“He
lifts
the
poor
from
the
trash”
refers
to
those
who
want
to
cling
to
the
Creator
but
feel
that
they
are
lowly,
and
they
do
not
see
how
they
can
emerge
from
this
mud.
At
that
time
they
ask
of
the
Creator
to
lift
them.
Where
the
body
agrees
with
the
work,
where
it
is
on
the
basis
of
the
will
to
receive,
since
they
have
no
clue
about
bestowal,
their
work
is
with
pride,
meaning
they
take
pride
in
being
servants
of
the
Creator
while
others
are
in
utter
lowliness,
and
they
always
see
others’
faults.
But
those
who
walk
on
the
path
of
truth,
who
want
to
achieve
bestowal,
are
lowly
because
they
see
that
“Were
it
not
for
the
Creator’s
help,
he
would
not
have
overcome
it.”
Thus,
they
find
no
special
merit
in
themselves
over
others.
These
people
are
called
“lowly”
because
they
want
to
connect
to
bestowal,
which
is
lowliness,
and
this
is
another
reason
why
they
are
called
“lowly.”
At
that
time
they
can
say
what
is
written,
“The
Lord
is
high,
great,
and
terrible.
He
lowers
the
proud
to
the
ground,
and
raises
the
lowly
to
the
heavens,”
for
at
that
time
they
say
that
what
was
lowly
before
is
now
high
and
sublime,
great
and
terrible.
This
is
because
now
they
feel
that
what
was
previously
work
in
self-love,
which
is
pride,
when
they
felt
proud
about
this
work,
has
now
become
lowliness,
since
they
are
ashamed
to
work
for
self-love.
But
who
gave
them
the
strength
to
feel
this?
It
was
the
Creator
who
gave
them.
This
is
why
at
that
time
a
person
says,
“Lowers
the
proud
to
the
ground,”
while
the
work
of
bestowal,
which
was
previously
lowly,
now
the
work
of
bestowal
has
become
to
him
of
the
highest
merit.
And
who
did
this
for
him?
Only
the
Creator.
At
that
time
a
person
says,
“And
raises
the
lowly
to
the
heaven.”
Shechina
in
exile
means
that
one
should
feel
that
she
is
in
exile.
That
is,
since
a
person
is
called
a
“small
world,”
for
he
consists
of
seventy
nations,
and
the
Israel
in
him
is
in
exile,
meaning
the
people
of
Israel
(in
him)
is
enslaved
to
the
nations
of
the
world
in
him
and
cannot
do
anything
for
their
own
good,
but
only
for
the
nations
of
the
world,
and
the
people
of
Israel
are
called
Yashar-El
[straight
to
the
Creator],
wanting
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator,
while
they
want
to
work
in
order
to
receive,
which
is
called
the
“nations
of
the
world.”
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
“Israel
that
have
exiled”
to
mean
that
if
Israel
are
in
exile
and
cannot
do
anything
Yashar-El,
the
Shechina
is
with
them.
She,
too,
is
in
exile,
as
though
she
cannot
rule
over
them
because
they
seemingly
rule
over
her.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
King
David
said
(Psalms,
115),
“Not
to
us,
O
Lord,
not
to
us,
but
to
Your
name
give
glory,
for
Your
mercy,
for
Your
truth.
Why
should
the
nations
say,
‘Where
is
their
God?’
and
our
God
is
in
the
heavens;
He
does
whatever
He
pleases.”
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
that
we
ask
of
the
Creator
to
help
us
come
out
of
exile.
This
is
the
meaning
of
saying,
“Not
to
us,”
meaning
to
our
will
to
receive.
That
is,
we
want
our
thoughts
and
desires
and
deeds
not
to
be
for
our
will
to
receive,
which
is
regarded
as
the
importance
being
only
for
the
nations
of
the
world.
Rather,
“To
Your
name
give
glory,”
so
that
the
Shechina
will
not
be
in
exile
and
regarded
as
dust,
but
that
the
glory
of
heaven
will
be
revealed,
which
is
called
“May
His
great
name
grow
and
be
sanctified.”
This
is
the
meaning
of
“Why
should
the
nations
say,”
meaning
the
nations
of
the
world
in
a
person,
which
are
called
“nations.”
What
do
they
say?
“Where
is
their
God?”
meaning
they
oppose
the
faith
of
Israel,
for
their
work
is
in
mind
and
heart,
and
all
of
their
(the
nations)
work
is
within
reason.
But
“our
God
is
in
the
heavens,”
meaning
specifically
above
reason,
called
“heaven,”
which
is
above
our
intellect.
And
why
did
(the
Creator)
make
our
work
be
above
reason?
We
do
not
say
that
He
could
not
do
otherwise.
Rather,
“He
does
whatever
He
pleases,”
and
He
understood
that
work
above
reason
is
a
better
way
to
achieve
the
goal,
to
be
able
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure,
yet
remain
in
order
to
bestow
and
not
for
self-gratification.
We
should
interpret
“for
Your
mercy,
for
Your
truth,”
that
we
pray
to
the
Creator,
“Give
glory
to
Your
name.”
“Your
mercy”
means
that
the
quality
of
mercy
will
be
poured
upon
us
so
we
will
have
the
strength
to
walk
in
the
quality
of
mercy,
called
“vessels
of
bestowal,”
and
by
that
we
will
have
equivalence
of
form.
Subsequently,
we
will
be
able
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure,
which
is
called
the
“quality
of
truth,”
as
interpreted
in
The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot
(Part
13
p
1,419,
and
in
Ohr
Pnimi
there):
“This
is
why
the
disclosure
of
His
guidance
is
called
‘truth,’
since
it
is
truly
His
will.
We
discover
this
truth
in
His
guidance,
which
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
and
this
is
why
that
correction
in
ZA
is
called
‘truth.’”
This
is
the
meaning
of
“Your
truth.”