Show
Me
Your
Glory
Article
No.
26,
1985
“And
he
said,
‘Show
my
Your
glory
…
Then
I
will
take
My
hand
away
and
you
shall
see
My
back,
but
My
face
shall
not
be
seen’”
(Exodus,
33).
We
should
understand
what
Moses’
question
implies
to
us,
and
the
Creator’s
answer
with
regard
to
our
work.
When
a
person
begins
with
the
work
of
the
Creator,
he
longs
to
see
the
glory
of
the
Creator.
That
is,
when
the
Creator
shines
for
him,
when
he
has
a
taste
for
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments],
and
longs
for
spirituality,
he
can
engage
in
the
holy
work.
At
that
time
he
knows
that
he
is
walking
on
the
path
of
the
Creator
and
feels
that
he
is
above
the
ordinary
people,
that
the
whole
public
is
worldly,
and
only
he
knows
and
understands
what
spirituality
is.
It
is
known
that
our
sages
said
(Avot,
Chapter
4,
item
4),
“Rabbi
Levitas,
Man
of
Yavne
says,
‘Be
very,
very
humble.’”
Therefore,
he
has
a
lot
of
work
finding
some
deficiency
in
himself
so
he
can
say
that
he
is
humble.
But
since
it
is
a
Mitzva
[commandment/good
deed]
to
do
what
our
sages
said,
he
takes
it
above
reason
and
says,
“Of
course
I
am
still
incomplete.”
Also,
there
is
a
time
of
Achoraim
[posterior],
when
the
craving
for
Torah
and
Mitzvot
does
not
shine
for
him
and
he
does
not
feel
a
lack
in
that
he
does
not
crave
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator.
In
a
state
of
Achoraim,
a
person
can
see
himself,
meaning
his
real
situation,
if
he
still
sees
that
he
is
higher
than
the
rest
of
the
people.
At
that
time
he
needs
to
work
on
lowliness,
to
take
upon
himself
the
Mitzva
of
humility
above
reason,
while
he
is
looking
at
other
people,
who
are
in
a
state
of
spiritual
decline,
while
he
is
in
an
ascent.
It
turns
out
that
only
in
a
state
of
Achoraim
he
can
see
the
truth,
but
during
the
Panim
[anterior]
he
might
deceive
himself.
However,
there
are
many
discernments
in
the
degree
of
Achoraim,
too.
If
a
person
has
already
entered
the
work
of
truth,
meaning
on
the
way
that
one
has
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
only
then
does
one
begin
to
feel
real
states
of
Achoraim.
At
that
time
one
occasionally
receives
an
image
of
Achoraim,
when
he
sees
his
fall,
although
he
had
a
state
of
Panim
before
the
fall
to
the
state
he
is
in.
But
now
that
he
sees
that
he
has
no
desire
for
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
or
for
prayer
and
so
forth,
he
feels
that
now
he
is
as
an
empty
Kli,
that
he
derives
no
“moisture”
from
the
work
of
the
Creator.
In
addition,
he
sees
himself
as
though
he
has
never
worked
the
holy
work
and
does
not
even
know
what
the
work
of
the
Creator
is.
Sometimes
he
comes
into
darkness
where
if
he
begins
to
say
to
himself
that
he
must
begin
the
work
and
it
is
pointless
to
remain
without
any
purpose
in
life,
it
seems
to
him
that
he
is
saying
to
himself
something
new,
that
he
has
never
heard
about
spiritual
matters.
At
that
time
he
is
surprised
at
himself,
that
he
can
feel
such
a
feeling—that
he
is
in
a
state
of
a
beginner
who
has
never
engaged
in
work—while
there
is
still
some
recollection
in
his
memory
from
when
he
thought
that
he
was
always
among
the
advanced
ones
in
the
work,
and
suddenly
he
has
forgotten
everything
and
he
remembers
it
as
if
he
is
dreaming.
It
follows
that
he
is
seeing
his
real
state
only
at
a
time
of
Achoraim.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“you
shall
see
My
back,
but
My
face
shall
not
be
seen.”
At
that
time
he
has
room
for
work,
meaning
to
ask
of
the
Creator
to
bring
him
to
Him
and
show
him
the
illumination
of
His
face.
At
that
time
he
comes
to
repentance:
“Until
He
who
knows
the
mysteries
will
testify
that
he
will
not
turn
back
to
folly.”
It
is
written
in
the
introduction
to
The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot
(items
53-54):
“We
must
know
that
the
whole
matter
of
work
in
keeping
Torah
and
Mitzvot
by
way
of
choice
applies
primarily
to
the
two
aforementioned
discernments
of
concealed
Providence.
And
Ben
Ha
Ha
says
about
that
time:
‘The
reward
is
according
to
the
pain.’
Since
His
Guidance
is
not
revealed,
it
is
impossible
to
see
Him
but
only
in
concealment
of
the
face,
meaning
from
behind.
However,
when
the
Creator
sees
that
one
has
completed
one’s
measure
of
exertion
and
finished
everything
he
had
to
do
in
strengthening
his
choice
in
faith
in
the
Creator,
the
Creator
helps
him.
Then,
one
attains
open
Providence,
meaning
the
revelation
of
the
face.”
According
to
the
above,
the
beginning
of
the
work
on
the
path
of
truth
is
in
Achoraim.
This
is
so
in
order
for
a
person
to
prepare
for
himself
Kelim
[vessels]
where
the
light
of
the
Creator
can
be.
Also,
Kelim
are
desires.
This
means
that
before
a
person
passes
the
state
of
Achoraim,
he
does
not
know
that
he
needs
the
Creator
to
help
him,
but
thinks
that
he
can
achieve
his
wholeness
by
himself
and
he
does
not
need
any
special
help
from
the
Creator.
Rather,
he
knows
and
believes,
as
is
customary
in
Israel,
that
although
a
person
sees
that
it
makes
sense
that
man
is
the
operator,
he
still
believes
that
the
Creator
helps
him
obtain
his
wish.
But
in
the
work
of
bestowal,
a
person
sees
that
the
mind
is
telling
him
that
he
cannot
achieve
the
degree
of
bestowal,
but
he
rather
sits
and
waits
for
the
Creator
to
help
him.
It
follows
that
only
this
is
regarded
as
needing
the
Creator.
This
is
called
a
Kli
and
“desire.”
The
path
of
truth
is
called
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
meaning
that
he
does
everything
in
order
to
bestow
contentment
upon
the
Creator.
At
that
time
the
resistance
of
the
body
comes
to
him
when
it
argues
that
it
understands
that
all
his
work
is
to
satisfy
the
vessels
of
the
body,
which
is
self-love.
At
that
time
one
begins
to
see
that
he
cannot
go
against
the
body,
and
then
he
needs
the
Creator’s
help.
This
is
considered
that
he
already
has
a
Kli,
meaning
a
desire
and
need
for
the
Creator
to
fulfill
him,
and
then
what
our
sages
said,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided”
(Zohar,
Noah,
item
63)
happens
in
him.
These
are
its
words:
“If
a
person
comes
to
purify,
he
is
aided
with
a
holy
soul.
He
is
purified
and
sanctified,
and
he
is
called
‘holy.’”
We
therefore
see
that
before
he
has
a
Kli,
he
cannot
be
given
light.
But
once
it
has
been
established
in
his
heart
that
he
needs
the
Creator’s
help,
he
receives
help,
as
was
said,
that
precisely
when
he
comes
to
purify
but
sees
that
he
is
unable,
he
receives
from
above
a
holy
soul,
which
is
light
that
pertains
to
him,
to
help
him
be
able
to
go
forward
and
defeat
his
vessels
of
reception
so
he
can
use
them
in
order
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator.
Now
we
can
interpret
what
is
written,
“Peace,
peace,
to
the
far
and
to
the
near.”
“Peace”
indicates
a
complete
dispute,
since
dispute
is
as
our
sages
said,
“One
should
always
anger
the
evil
inclination
on
the
good
inclination.”
RASHI
interpreted
that
he
should
wage
war
on
it.
A
person
thinks
that
only
when
he
feels
close
to
the
Creator
he
is
whole,
when
it
seems
to
him
that
he
has
already
been
awarded
Panim
[anterior].
But
when
he
feels
removed
from
the
Creator,
he
thinks
that
he
is
not
walking
on
the
path
of
wholeness.
This
is
when
we
say,
“Peace,
peace,”
meaning
the
peace
that
the
Creator
says,
as
it
is
written
(Psalms
85),
“I
will
hear
what
the
Lord
says,
for
He
will
speak
peace
unto
His
nation,
and
unto
His
pious
ones,
and
let
them
not
turn
back
to
folly.”
Regarding
this
verse,
we
must
believe
that
the
Creator
says
“peace”
even
when
he
(a
person)
feels
that
he
is
far
from
the
Creator.
This
is
so
because
who
has
made
him
see
that
now
he
is
farther
than
at
another
time?
Normally,
a
person
begins
to
feel
that
he
is
far
when
he
increases
Torah
and
Mitzvot
and
wishes
to
walk
more
on
the
path
of
truth.
At
that
time
he
sees
that
he
is
farther.
It
follows
that
according
to
the
rule,
a
Mitzva
induces
“A
Mitzva,”
he
should
have
felt
closer.
However,
the
Creator
brings
him
closer
by
showing
him
the
truth,
so
he
will
pay
attention
to
the
Creator’s
help.
That
is,
He
shows
him
that
a
person
cannot
win
the
war
without
the
help
of
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
at
the
time
of
remoteness
(when
one
feels
removed),
which
is
regarded
as
Achoraim,
this
is
the
time
of
nearing
the
Creator.