In
Every
Thing
We
Must
Discern
between
Light
and
Kli
Article
No.
25,
1985
In
every
thing
we
must
discern
between
light
and
Kli
[vessel],
meaning
between
the
Giver,
who
is
the
Creator,
and
the
receiver,
who
is
the
creature.
And
since
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli,
meaning
if
there
is
no
one
to
attain
it,
then
who
can
speak
of
it?
Therefore,
we
can
only
speak
of
light
that
is
clothed
in
a
Kli,
meaning
the
abundance
that
the
Giver
gives
to
the
body,
namely
the
measure
of
impression
of
the
body
from
the
abundance
that
pours
down
to
it.
We
must
believe
that
everything
a
person
receives
into
his
body
comes
from
Him,
both
corporeality
and
spirituality,
since
it
is
known
that
there
is
no
other
force
in
the
world
that
will
bestow
upon
him.
Therefore,
when
a
person
begins
to
come
into
the
work
of
the
Creator,
we
must
thank
and
praise
the
Creator,
for
this
is
the
beginning
of
man’s
entrance
into
the
work.
The
order
of
the
work
begins
as
our
sages
said,
“One
should
always
establish
the
praise
of
the
Creator
and
subsequently
pray.
From
where
do
we
know
this?
From
Moses,
as
it
is
written,
‘And
I
pleaded
with
the
Lord
at
that
time,’
and
as
it
is
written,
‘God,
You
have
begun,’
and
‘afterwards
is
written,
‘Let
me
go
over,
I
pray
Thee,
and
see
the
good
land’’”
(Berachot
32a).
Therefore,
when
he
begins
to
thank
the
Creator,
he
first
needs
to
thank
the
Creator
for
creating
the
world,
as
we
say
during
the
prayer,
“Blessed
are
You
who
said,
‘Let
there
be
the
world.’”
And
then
begins
the
work,
meaning
the
extent
to
which
he
can
thank
the
Creator
for
creating
the
world.
In
other
words,
the
extent
of
the
gratitude
is
as
the
extent
of
the
pleasure.
Here
begins
the
scrutiny
of
true
and
false,
and
here
lies
the
difference
between
the
work
of
the
individual
and
the
work
of
the
public,
meaning
between
one
whose
Torah
is
his
craft
or
not.
The
meaning
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
explained:
His
Torah
is
his
craft
means
that
through
the
Torah
he
wants
to
be
rewarded
with
faith.
Or,
according
to
people
who
belong
to
the
general
public,
it
means
that
they
study
Torah
in
order
to
be
rewarded
with
the
next
world,
meaning
in
order
to
receive,
and
not
to
people
who
belong
to
the
individual,
namely
engage
in
order
to
bestow.
When
a
person
begins
to
praise
the
Creator,
there
is
a
scrutiny
of
true
and
false.
That
is,
usually,
when
one
needs
to
thank
another
person
for
helping
him,
the
measure
of
gratitude
is
according
to
the
measure
of
feeling
that
he
has
helped
him.
Therefore,
when
a
person
begins
to
thank
the
Creator
for
what
He
has
given
him,
the
body
begins
to
think
of
the
benefits
He
has
done
to
him,
and
to
the
extent
that
he
is
impressed
with
the
benefit
that
He
has
done
to
him,
so
is
the
measure
of
the
gratitude.
Therefore,
when
a
person
says,
“Blessed
is
He
who
said,
‘Let
there
be
the
world,’”
it
also
depends
on
the
extent
to
which
he
is
enjoying
the
world.
At
that
time
the
body
begins
to
show
him
that
he
lacks
corporeality
and
lacks
spirituality,
and
does
not
let
him
establish
the
praises
of
the
Creator.
At
that
time
there
is
a
lot
of
work
because
then
he
needs
to
go
above
reason
and
believe
that
the
Creator
is
doing
only
good
to
him,
and
there
is
also
a
scrutiny
of
true
and
false.
Since
the
general
name
of
the
Creator
is
Good
Who
Does
Good,
there
is
a
lot
of
work
to
believe
above
reason
that
the
Creator
is
good
and
does
good.
It
therefore
follows
that
when
a
person
begins
to
establish
the
praise
of
the
Creator,
he
has
what
to
pray
for
so
he
can
go
above
reason.
Beforehand,
there
was
not
such
a
great
lack
of
faith
in
the
Creator
above
reason,
but
now
he
feels
his
lack
of
faith,
and
needs
to
learn
Torah
so
that
the
light
in
it
will
reform
him.
It
turns
out
that
his
desire
to
establish
the
praise
of
the
Creator
causes
him
a
deficiency.
When
he
has
a
deficiency,
called
a
Kli,
to
the
extent
of
his
impression
from
being
far
from
wholeness
he
has
room
for
work
and
a
need
for
prayer
and
Torah.
However,
there
is
another
deficiency:
Sometimes
a
person
sees
his
lowliness,
gives
up,
and
escapes
the
campaign.
At
that
time,
all
the
pleasures
he
receives
are
only
if
he
forgets
about
his
situation,
meaning
that
he
is
not
thinking
about
spirituality
or
he
can
sleep,
meaning
feel
great
pleasure
in
sleep.
This
is
so
not
because
at
that
time
he
derives
from
sleep
some
special
pleasure,
but
that
when
he
sleeps
he
does
not
remember
about
the
work.
This
is
his
pleasure,
since
whenever
he
remembers
about
the
work,
the
body
immediately
brings
him
despair
and
lowliness.
Therefore,
a
person
must
always
be
careful
not
to
fall
into
despair,
namely
that
a
state
of
suffering
has
come
to
him
because
he
sees
that
he
cannot
continue
the
work.
This
is
why
Baal
HaSulam
said
that
one
should
be
careful
to
criticize
himself,
except
when
he
allocates
for
this
a
special
time,
and
not
whenever
the
body
tells
him
to
introspect.
Rather,
he
should
tell
the
body:
“I
have
a
special
time
for
criticizing
if
I
am
going
according
to
the
line
that
I
was
given
or
have
veered
off
from
the
correct
line.
Now
I
am
engaging
in
Torah
and
prayer,
and
I
am
certain
that
the
Creator
will
help
me
as
He
has
helped
all
the
servants
of
the
Creator
who
wished
to
go
by
the
right
path
and
achieve
the
goal
for
which
they
were
created.”
In
my
previous
article,
and
in
article
no.
11
[Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey],
I
have
written
that
we
must
say
the
opposite
of
what
the
body
tells
us.
And
by
this
will
understand
the
question
of
The
Zohar
and
its
answer
(Behukotai,
item
18):
“‘And
do
them.’
He
asks,
‘What
is,
‘And
do
them’?’
Since
he
already
said
‘walk’
and
‘keep,’
why
the
‘do,’
as
well?
He
answers
that
one
who
performs
the
Mitzvot
of
the
Torah
and
follows
His
ways,
it
is
as
though
he
has
made
Him
above.
The
Creator
said,
‘It
is
as
if
he
has
made
Me,’
and
established
Him.
Hence,
‘And
do
them’
as
a
law
and
ordinance,”
thus
far
its
words.
This
answer
seems
very
perplexing.
How
can
it
be
said
that
by
keeping
Torah
and
Mitzvot
we
make
Him
above?
After
all,
“The
whole
earth
is
full
of
His
glory,”
even
before
the
creatures
observed
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Thus,
what
does
it
mean
“As
though
you
have
made
Me”?
As
said
above,
we
do
not
speak
of
a
light
without
a
Kli,
for
in
regard
to
whom
is
it
discerned
that
there
is
light?
When
there
is
a
Kli,
the
Kli
obtains
the
light.
Therefore,
when
we
say
that
the
purpose
of
creation
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations
it
pertains
only
to
the
creatures
when
they
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure.
This
is
regarded
as
having
a
Kli,
and
the
Kli
attains
Him
in
a
way
that
they
receive
from
the
Creator
only
delight
and
pleasure.
But
when
the
creatures
do
not
receive
from
Him
delight
and
pleasure,
the
question
arises,
“With
regard
to
whom
the
name
of
the
Creator,
The
Good
Who
Does
Good,
appears?”
For
this
reason,
in
order
for
the
name
of
the
Creator,
the
general
name
of
all
the
names—The
Good
Who
Does
Good—to
be
revealed,
and
in
order
for
the
creatures
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
from
the
Creator,
for
His
benefit
to
be
complete,
meaning
that
there
will
be
no
shame
in
the
gift,
hence
there
was
the
Tzimtzum
and
concealment,
where
we
cannot
attain
and
feel
the
good
before
we
qualify
ourselves
with
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
is
equivalence
of
form.
It
turns
out
that
then
the
name,
Good
Who
Does
Good
is
not
revealed,
which
causes
the
creatures
not
to
feel
the
Creator,
and
this
is
why
there
are
wicked
in
the
world
who
do
not
believe
in
the
Creator.
In
order
for
His
name
to
be
revealed
in
the
world
before
everyone,
all
the
Kelim
need
is
equivalence
of
form.
And
in
order
to
have
the
ability
to
acquire
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
are
Kelim
[vessels]
of
equivalence
of
form,
we
can
obtain
this
only
by
keeping
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
That
is,
while
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot
we
must
aim
that
it
will
be
in
order
to
raise
the
glory
of
Israel
through
observing
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Israel
means
the
letters
Yashar-El
[straight
to
the
Creator],
where
the
actions
are
directly
toward
the
Creator
and
not
for
one’s
own
benefit.
This
is
called
“equivalence
of
form.”
In
the
words
of
the
holy
Zohar,
this
is
called
“raising
the
Shechina
[Divinity]
from
the
dust,”
since
spirituality
is
not
honored
in
our
eyes
so
we
can
tell
our
bodies
that
it
is
a
great
privilege
to
be
able
to
serve
the
Creator,
and
then
the
body
surrenders
and
annuls
before
the
Kedusha
[holiness].
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
the
holy
Zohar
says,
that
through
“walk
in
My
statutes
and
keep
My
commandments,”
by
that
“And
do
them,”
meaning
as
though
you
make
Me
above.
In
other
words,
by
this
you
make
the
name
of
the
Creator
be
revealed
as
Good
Who
Does
Good,
meaning
that
everyone
will
feel
the
good
because
you
will
be
rewarded
with
equivalence
of
form.