Three
Times
in
the
Work
Article
No.
24,
1985
A
person
should
discern
three
times
in
his
work:
1)
past,
2)
present,
3)
future.
“Past”
is
when
he
begins
with
the
work
of
the
Creator.
At
that
time
he
must
look
at
the
past,
meaning
the
reason
why
he
now
wants
to
take
upon
himself
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
That
is,
he
must
scrutinize
the
reason—if
this
reason
is
sufficient
for
him
to
begin
with
the
work
of
the
Creator
to
the
point
of
“And
you
shall
reflect
on
Him
day
and
night,”
when
he
has
nothing
to
think
of
but
the
Torah
because
he
has
come
to
a
resolution
that
nothing
is
worth
contemplating
but
the
Torah.
This
must
be
because
he
feels
he
is
in
big
trouble,
and
he
has
nothing
in
the
world
worth
living
for,
and
he
finds
nothing
but
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator.
But
to
be
rewarded
with
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
one
must
exit
self-love.
And
to
exit
self-love
he
believes
in
the
words
of
our
sages:
“I
have
created
the
evil
inclination;
I
have
created
the
Torah
as
a
spice.”
This
is
the
reason
that
compels
him
to
contemplate
the
Torah
day
and
night,
for
otherwise
he
cannot
exit
self-love.
It
follows
that
the
reason
for
the
Torah
is
Dvekut
with
the
Creator.
And
the
reason
that
obligates
him
to
be
rewarded
with
Dvekut
with
the
Creator
must
always
be
renewed,
since
there
are
many
who
are
against
this
reason.
Each
time
the
body
comes
with
new
questions
and
wants
to
question
that
reason.
At
one
time
it
tells
him
this
is
difficult;
another
time
it
tells
him
this
is
not
for
him,
and
brings
him
sparks
of
despair;
and
sometimes
it
brings
foreign
thoughts
into
his
mind
and
heart.
Therefore,
we
must
look
at
the
past,
meaning
we
must
always
examine
at
the
reason
that
gave
him
the
initial
awakening
for
it.
That
is,
perhaps
there
were
other
reasons
that
have
made
him
begin
the
work
of
the
Creator,
meaning
that
his
initial
reason
was
not
in
order
to
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
but
perhaps
it
was
another
reason.
Afterwards,
because
“from
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake]
we
come
to
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],”
the
second
reason
was
in
order
to
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator.
It
could
also
be
to
the
contrary,
that
the
first
reason
was
to
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
and
then,
for
various
reasons,
he
acquired
other
reasons
that
obligated
him
to
take
upon
himself
the
burden
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments].
It
follows
from
all
the
above
that
we
must
always
examine
the
reason
that
compels
us
to
walk
in
the
work
of
the
Creator.
This
is
regarded
as
having
to
learn
from
the
past,
referring
to
the
reasons
that
surround
all
the
ways
of
his
work.
That
is,
the
reason
is
regarded
as
the
goal:
according
to
the
greatness
and
importance
of
the
goal,
to
that
extent
a
person
can
exert.
However,
there
is
a
difference
in
what
is
regarded
as
“importance.”
With
regard
to
importance,
it
depends
on
what
a
person
regards
as
important.
Usually,
people
appreciate
things
that
yield
self-gratification,
meaning
only
what
concerns
self-love.
But
if
the
goal
is
to
bestow,
it
is
unnatural
that
one
should
regard
this
as
important.
For
this
reason,
if
the
reason
is
not
a
real
reason,
he
cannot
go
all
the
way,
meaning
achieve
Dvekut.
This
is
so
because
when
he
sees
that
he
will
not
have
self-gratification,
he
promptly
escapes
the
campaign
because
the
reason
for
which
he
took
upon
himself
to
keep
Torah
and
Mitzvot
was
not
so
as
to
bestow,
but
for
his
own
benefit.
For
this
reason,
when
he
does
not
feel
self-gratification
during
the
work,
he
is
compelled
to
be
negligent
in
the
work,
since
he
sees
that
he
does
not
feel
that
this
will
be
a
reward
for
him
because
the
whole
basis
of
his
work
was
in
Lo
Lishma.
However,
from
Lo
Lishma
we
come
to
Lishma,
so
the
order
is
that
he
is
shown
what
Lishma
feels
like,
meaning
not
for
his
own
benefit
but
for
the
benefit
of
the
Creator,
and
then
he
promptly
escapes
the
campaign.
Hence,
one
must
always
scrutinize
one’s
goal,
meaning
his
reason.
He
must
always
remember
that
the
goal
is
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator.
Then,
when
he
is
shown
the
feeling
of
bestowal,
he
does
not
become
confused
but
knowns
that
it
is
difficult
because
it
is
against
his
nature.
Only
now,
once
he
sees
that
it
is
difficult
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
there
is
room
for
prayer
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart
because
he
sees
that
he
cannot
do
anything
except
pray
to
the
Creator
to
give
him
that
strength.
For
this
reason
we
must
always
study
the
past,
meaning
to
have
a
real
reason
that
compels
us
to
engage
in
the
work
of
holiness.
“Present”
is
a
discernment
that
a
person
feels
during
the
work.
A
person
should
do
the
work
of
holiness
on
several
aspects.
It
is
as
our
sages
said
(Avot,
Chapter
1,
Discourse
2),
“He
would
say,
‘The
world
stands
on
three
things—on
the
Torah,
on
work,
and
on
good
deeds.’”
“World”
means
“man,”
for
every
person
is
a
small
world
in
and
of
itself,
as
it
is
written
in
the
holy
Zohar.
In
order
for
man
to
exist,
meaning
for
man
to
exist
in
the
world,
and
feel
and
attain
the
Creator
as
benevolent,
he
needs
the
three
above-mentioned
things,
since
man
was
created
with
the
evil
inclination,
which
is
the
desire
to
receive
only
for
himself.
There
was
a
Tzimtzum
[restriction]
on
that
will
to
receive,
meaning
concealment
of
the
upper
abundance,
so
the
delight
and
pleasure
are
not
felt
before
a
person
achieves
equivalence
of
form,
when
all
his
actions
are
only
in
order
to
bestow.
For
this
reason,
we
need
the
Torah,
as
our
sages
said
(Kidushin,
30b),
“I
have
created
the
evil
inclination;
I
have
created
for
it
the
Torah
as
a
spice.”
Work
is
required
because
work
is
prayer.
A
prayer
is
work
in
the
heart.
That
is,
since
the
root
of
man’s
heart
is
the
will
to
receive,
and
he
needs
the
opposite,
meaning
that
it
will
work
only
to
bestow
and
not
receive,
it
follows
that
he
has
a
lot
of
work
in
inverting
it.
And
since
this
is
against
nature,
he
must
pray
to
the
Creator
to
help
him
come
out
of
his
nature
and
enter
what
is
discerned
as
above
nature.
This
is
called
a
“miracle,”
and
only
the
Creator
can
perform
miracles.
That
is,
for
man
to
be
able
to
exit
self-love
is
a
miraculous
act.
RASHI
interprets
“good
deeds”
to
mean
“lending
his
money
to
the
poor.
This
is
greater
than
charity
because
he
is
not
ashamed.
Moreover,
good
deeds
applies
to
rich
and
poor,
to
the
living
and
to
the
dead,
to
one’s
body
and
to
one’s
money.”
But
charity
is
as
was
said,
“Good
deeds
is
greater
than
charity,”
and
as
was
said,
“And
the
mercy
of
the
Lord
is
from
everlasting
to
everlasting
on
those
who
fear
Him,”
“For
I
said,
‘A
world
of
mercy
shall
be
built,’
to
teach
you
that
the
world
exists
for
mercy.”
Because
mercy
is
the
exit
from
self-love
to
love
of
the
Creator,
as
Rabbi
Akiva
said,
“Love
your
neighbor
as
yourself,
this
is
the
great
rule
of
Torah,”
in
the
“present,”
we
should
see
that
the
three
above
discernments
operate
in
him
in
the
present.
At
that
time
he
should
also
include
the
past
in
the
present,
meaning
the
goal
for
which
he
is
making
all
the
efforts.
“Future”:
He
needs
to
see
the
future,
what
can
be
attained
until
he
achieves
his
wholeness,
since
it
is
known
that
Ohr
Pnimi
[Inner
Light]
means
what
illuminates
in
the
present,
and
Ohr
Makif
[Surrounding
Light]
is
what
he
should
receive
in
the
future.
Usually,
when
a
person
makes
a
deal
and
invests
a
lot
of
money,
it
is
certainly
in
order
to
make
a
lot
of
money.
Accordingly,
we
understand
that
if
he
bought
a
lot
of
goods
it
was
in
order
to
make
a
lot
of
money
by
selling
the
goods
right
away.
That
is,
the
merchant
bought
goods
in
the
fair.
When
he
brought
the
goods,
and
his
town’s
people
saw
he
brought
a
lot
of
goods,
they
all
thought
that
he
would
soon
rent
many
shops
in
order
to
sell
the
goods
right
away.
But
then
they
saw
that
he
put
all
the
goods
in
warehouses
and
did
not
want
to
sell
the
goods.
Yet,
everyone
saw
that
although
he
did
not
sell
the
goods,
he
was
as
happy
as
if
he
had
made
a
fortune.
The
people
close
to
the
merchant
could
not
understand
him.
They
asked,
“Why
the
happy
face?
After
all,
you
did
not
sell
a
thing,
and
you
did
not
make
any
money,
so
why
are
you
so
happy?”
He
told
them:
“I
bought
a
lot
of
goods
cheaply
because
their
prices
dropped,
and
all
the
merchant
were
reluctant
to
buy
them.
I
bought
them
because
I
know
by
calculation
that
two
years
from
now
they
will
be
in
great
demand
for
they
will
be
rare.
At
that
time
this
will
make
me
rich.
So
when
I
consider
my
future,
I
am
happy,
though
at
the
moment,
I
have
not
made
any
profit.”
Therefore,
we
see
that
if
the
future
shines
in
the
present,
although
he
still
has
nothing
in
the
present,
it
is
of
no
consequence.
Rather,
he
can
be
happy
about
the
future
as
about
the
present.
However,
this
is
so
precisely
if
the
future
shines
in
the
present.
In
the
language
of
Kabbalah,
it
is
considered
that
he
enjoys
the
Ohr
Makif,
meaning
that
he
enjoys
the
light
that
will
come
in
the
future.
That
is,
if
he
sees
that
there
is
a
valid
way
to
achieve
the
goal,
although
he
has
not
achieved
wholeness,
if
the
confidence
of
the
goal
illuminates
for
him
he
can
enjoy
in
the
present
as
though
the
Ohr
Makif
shines
for
him
now
in
the
Kelim.
Baal
HaSulam
said
similarly
about
the
words
of
our
sages,
“Righteous
say
psalms
about
the
future,”
meaning
that
the
righteous
can
say
psalms
about
what
is
destined
to
come
to
them
later.
That
is,
they
believe
that
in
the
end
they
will
be
rewarded
with
wholeness,
and
based
on
that
they
say
psalms,
even
though
they
have
no
yet
attained
wholeness.
This
matter
is
brought
in
The
Zohar
(Vayelech,
item
47):
“Rabbi
Elazar
said,
‘Israel
are
destined
to
say
psalms
from
below
upward
and
from
above
downward,
and
tie
the
knot
of
faith,
as
it
is
written,
‘Then
Israel
shall
sing
this
singing.’
It
does
not
say,
‘sang,’
but
‘Shall
sing,’
meaning
in
the
future.’”
It
follows
that
man
should
receive
illumination
from
Ohr
Makif,
which
is
from
the
future,
after
the
present,
and
needs
to
draw
it
into
the
present.
This
is
why
all
three
times—past,
present,
and
future—are
included
in
the
present.
However,
the
counsel
of
the
evil
inclination
is
always
to
the
contrary,
meaning
to
divide
the
three
times
so
they
do
not
illuminate
together.
Therefore,
we
must
always
go
against
the
evil
inclination
and
say,
“What
it
says
is
certainly
not
in
our
favor,
as
it
is
not
its
role
to
assist
us
in
the
work.”
For
example,
it
is
written
in
article
no.
11
(Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey)
that
when
the
evil
inclination
says
to
a
person,
“Why
are
you
exerting
so
long
in
prayer
and
Torah?
After
all,
your
aim
is
not
for
the
Creator.
I
can
understand
why
other
people
exert
in
Torah
and
prayer,
since
their
intention
is
for
the
Creator,
but
this
is
not
so
with
you.”
At
that
time
we
should
reply
to
it:
“On
the
contrary,
I
do
work
for
the
Creator,
and
I
do
not
want
to
listen
to
you,”
since
it
wishes
to
obstruct
him
in
the
work,
meaning
cause
not
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Afterwards
it
comes
and
argues,
“You
are
righteous,
and
your
intention
is
only
for
the
Creator.
You
are
not
like
other
people.”
At
that
time
one
should
say
to
it:
“On
the
contrary,
all
my
work
is
not
for
the
Creator,
and
I
know
that
everything
you
say
is
not
for
my
benefit,”
since
it
wishes
to
fail
him
with
the
transgression
of
pride,
which
is
the
worst
thing
of
all,
as
our
sages
said,
“Anyone
who
is
proud,
the
Creator
says,
‘He
and
I
cannot
dwell
in
the
same
abode.’”
Therefore,
one
cannot
determine
which
way
to
go—on
the
path
of
lowliness
or
on
the
path
of
greatness.
It
is
all
done
on
a
case
by
case
basis.