Who
Testifies
to
a
Person?
Article
No.
37,
1985
It
is
written
in
The
Zohar,
Shoftim
[judges]
(and
in
the
Sulam
Commentary
p
8,
Item
11),
“It
is
a
Mitzva
[commandment/good
deed]
to
testify
in
court
so
that
his
friend
will
not
lose
money
because
he
is
not
testifying.
This
is
why
the
authors
of
the
Mishnah
said,
‘Who
testifies
to
a
person?
The
walls
of
his
house.’
“What
is
the
meaning
of
‘The
walls
of
his
house’?
These
are
the
walls
of
his
heart,
as
it
is
written,
‘Then
Hezekiah
turned
his
face
to
the
wall.’
The
authors
of
the
Mishnah
asserted
that
it
teaches
that
Hezekiah
prayed
from
the
walls
of
his
heart.
Moreover,
his
household
testifies
to
him.
His
household
are
his
248
organs,
since
the
body
is
called
‘house.’
“This
is
what
the
authors
of
the
Mishnah
asserted:
‘A
wicked
one,
his
iniquities
are
engraved
in
his
bones.
Likewise,
a
righteous
one,
his
merits
are
engraved
in
his
bones.’
This
is
the
reason
why
David
said,
‘All
my
bones
shall
say.’
But
why
are
the
iniquities
engraved
in
the
bones
more
than
in
the
flesh,
tendons,
and
skin?
This
is
because
the
bones
are
white,
and
a
black
writing
is
visible
only
from
within
white.
It
is
like
the
Torah,
which
is
white
from
within,
meaning
the
parchment,
and
black
from
without,
meaning
the
ink.
Black
and
white
are
darkness
and
light.
And
moreover,
the
body
is
destined
to
rise
on
its
bones,
hence
the
sins
and
merits
are
engraved
in
its
bones.
If
he
is
rewarded,
the
body
will
rise
on
its
bones.
If
he
is
not
rewarded,
it
will
not
rise
and
will
not
have
revival
of
the
dead.”
Thus
far
its
words.
We
should
understand
why
The
Zohar
interprets
that
a
person
should
testify
before
a
court
so
that
his
friend
will
not
lose
money.
This
is
interpreted
in
the
work
of
the
Creator.
Thus,
we
should
understand
what
it
is
that
one
is
demanding,
and
from
whom
he
is
demanding
it.
And
to
make
it
reliable,
a
person
must
testify.
In
the
work
of
the
Creator,
a
person
demands
of
the
Creator
to
give
him
what
he
wants
of
the
Creator.
Thus,
to
show
that
his
argument
is
true,
doesn’t
the
Creator
know
whether
or
not
a
person
is
telling
the
truth?
However,
if
the
man
testifies,
then
he
knows
that
his
argument
is
true.
Moreover,
how
can
one
be
trusted
to
testify
for
himself?
And
we
should
also
understand
why
the
testimony
must
be
from
the
walls
of
his
heart,
since
he
brings
evidence
to
the
meaning
of
“walls
of
his
house”
from
Hezekiah
in
the
words,
“Then
Hezekiah
turned
his
face
to
the
wall,”
which
we
interpreted
to
mean
“the
walls
of
his
heart.”
Thus,
a
person’s
testimony
should
also
be
from
the
walls
of
his
heart.
However,
it
is
known
that
a
testimony
must
be
from
his
mouth,
as
our
sages
said,
“From
their
mouths,
not
from
their
writings,”
and
here
he
says
that
it
should
be
from
the
walls
of
his
heart
and
not
from
the
mouth.
We
should
also
understand
why
it
says,
“This
is
what
the
authors
of
the
Mishnah
asserted:
‘A
wicked
one,
his
iniquities
are
engraved
in
his
bones.
And
likewise,
a
righteous
one,
his
merits
are
engraved
in
his
bones.’”
But
are
sins
and
merits
engraved
in
corporeal
bones?
How
is
a
spiritual
matter,
which
is
sins
and
Mitzvot,
engraved
in
bones?
And
it
is
even
more
difficult
to
understand
his
answer,
“This
is
because
the
bones
are
white,
and
a
black
writing
is
visible
only
from
within
white.”
Also,
we
should
understand
why
he
says,
“And
moreover,
the
body
is
destined
to
rise
on
its
bones.”
Why
particularly,
“On
its
bones,”
which
means
that
whether
or
not
he
is
revived
depends
on
his
bones?
To
understand
the
above
in
the
work,
we
must
remember
the
known
rule
that
“There
is
no
light
without
a
Kli
[vessel],”
meaning
that
it
is
impossible
to
receive
any
fulfillment
if
there
is
no
hole
or
deficiency
there,
where
the
filling
can
enter.
For
example,
a
person
cannot
eat
a
meal
if
he
is
not
hungry.
Moreover,
the
amount
of
pleasure
that
a
person
can
derive
from
the
meal
is
measured
by
the
amount
of
desire
he
has
for
the
meal.
It
follows
that
where
one
does
not
feel
any
lack,
he
will
not
experience
any
pleasure,
which
he
will
be
able
to
receive,
since
there
is
no
room
to
receive
any
filling.
Thus,
when
we
speak
of
the
order
of
the
work,
when
a
person
begins
to
enter
the
work,
meaning
when
he
wishes
to
do
the
work
of
holiness
with
the
aim
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker,
according
to
the
above-mentioned
rule,
he
must
have
a
need
for
it—to
feel
that
he
needs
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator.
And
we
can
say
that
he
has
a
Kli
to
the
extent
of
his
need
to
give
to
the
Creator.
And
the
filling
for
that
Kli
is
while
he
gives
to
the
Creator,
meaning
when
he
wishes
to
bring
Him
contentment.
This
means
that
the
body
already
agrees
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator.
And
since
man
is
born
with
a
nature
for
reception
and
not
for
bestowal,
if
one
wishes
to
engage
in
bestowal
the
body
will
certainly
resist
it.
And
if
a
person
wants
to
engage
in
bestowal,
meaning
that
he
has
a
desire
to
obtain
such
a
Kli,
and
a
Kli
means
a
desire
and
deficiency,
then
the
body
immediately
comes
and
asks,
“Why
do
you
want
to
change
the
nature
you
were
created
in?
What
is
the
deficiency
that
you
feel
you
are
lacking?
Are
you
one
hundred
percent
sure
that
you
understand
that
you
need
to
work
in
order
to
bestow?
Look
at
how
the
majority
do
the
work
of
holiness;
they
are
not
meticulous
about
what
they
do.
In
other
words,
in
their
engagement
in
Torah
or
Mitzvot,
they
see
primarily
that
the
act
will
be
proper,
with
all
its
precisions
and
details,
but
not
the
intent.
They
say,
‘We
certainly
do
what
we
can.’
They
pay
no
mind
to
the
intent
because
they
say
that
the
work
Lishma
[for
Her
name]
belongs
to
a
chosen
few,
and
not
to
everyone.”
It
follows
that
the
body,
which
comes
and
asks
its
questions,
is
probably
asking
to
the
point.
And
since
it
is
not
given
a
sufficient
answer,
it
doesn’t
allow
a
person
to
think
thoughts
of
desire
to
bestow,
since
it
is
right,
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli.
In
other
words,
“If
you
don’t
feel
the
need
to
engage
in
bestowal,
why
are
you
making
a
fuss?”
So
first
it
tells
him,
“Give
me
this
need,
the
desire
to
bestow,
and
then
we’ll
talk.”
But
according
to
the
above-said,
the
need
for
the
desire
must
be
present,
meaning
that
he
should
suffer
at
not
being
able
to
bestow.
Thus,
since
he
has
no
Kli,
he
certainly
cannot
be
granted
the
light,
meaning
the
filling.
Therefore,
a
person
should
try
to
have
a
great
deficiency
because
he
is
unable
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator.
And
it
is
known
that
a
deficiency
is
determined
by
the
sensation
of
suffering
that
he
feels
because
of
the
deficiency.
Otherwise,
although
he
does
not
have
what
he
is
asking,
it
is
still
not
considered
a
deficiency
because
a
real
lack
is
measured
by
the
pain
that
he
feels
at
not
having.
Otherwise,
it
is
nothing
but
empty
words.
Now
we
can
understand
what
our
sages
said
(Taanit,
2a),
“‘To
love
the
Lord
your
God
and
to
serve
Him
with
all
your
heart.’
What
is
the
work
of
the
heart?
It
is
a
prayer.
We
should
understand
why
they
extended
the
prayer
beyond
the
literal
meaning.
Usually,
when
one
wants
another
person
to
give
him
something,
he
asks
him
to,
verbally,
as
it
is
written,
‘For
You
hear
the
prayer
of
every
mouth.’
So
why
did
they
say
that
a
prayer
is
called
‘the
work
of
the
heart’?”
We
said
above
that
a
prayer
is
called
“a
deficiency,”
and
he
wants
his
deficiency
to
be
filled.
And
yet,
no
deficiency
is
sensed
in
a
person’s
mouth;
rather,
all
of
man’s
sensations
are
sensed
in
the
heart.
This
is
why
if
a
person
doesn’t
feel
a
lack
in
his
heart,
what
he
utters
in
his
mouth
does
not
count
at
all,
so
we
could
say
that
he
truly
needs
what
he
is
asking
for
with
his
mouth.
This
is
so
because
the
filling
he
is
asking
for
should
enter
a
place
of
deficiency,
which
is
the
heart.
This
is
why
our
sages
said
that
a
prayer
should
be
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart,
meaning
that
the
whole
heart
will
sense
the
lack
for
which
he
is
asking.
It
is
known
that
light
and
Kli
are
called
“deficiency”
and
“filling”
(or
“fulfillment”).
We
ascribe
the
light,
which
is
the
filling,
to
the
Creator,
and
the
Kli,
which
is
the
lack,
to
the
creatures.
Thus,
a
person
should
prepare
the
Kli
so
the
Creator
will
pour
the
abundance
there,
or
there
will
be
no
room
for
the
abundance.
For
this
reason,
when
a
person
asks
the
Creator
to
help
him
so
he
can
aim
his
actions
to
bestow,
the
body
comes
and
asks
him,
“Why
are
you
praying
this
prayer?
What
are
you
missing
without
it?”
For
this
reason,
we
must
study
and
scrutinize
the
books
that
discus
the
necessity
of
the
work
of
bestowal
until
we
understand
and
feel
that
if
we
don’t
have
this
Kli,
we
will
not
be
able
to
enter
the
Kedusha.
We
should
not
look
at
the
majority,
who
say
that
the
most
important
thing
is
the
act
and
here
is
where
all
the
energy
should
go,
and
that
the
acts
of
Mitzvot
and
establishing
of
the
Torah
that
we
do
are
enough
for
us.
Instead,
he
must
perform
every
act
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
order
to
bring
himself
into
the
aim
to
bestow.
Afterwards,
when
he
has
a
complete
understanding
of
how
much
he
needs
to
engage
in
order
to
bestow,
and
he
feels
pain
and
suffering
at
not
having
this
force,
then
it
is
considered
that
he
already
has
something
for
which
to
pray—for
work
in
the
heart—since
the
heart
feels
what
it
needs.
For
such
a
prayer
comes
the
answer
to
the
prayer.
This
means
that
he
is
given
this
strength
from
above
so
he
will
be
able
to
aim
in
order
to
bestow,
for
then
he
already
has
the
light
and
Kli.
However,
what
can
one
do
if,
after
all
the
efforts
he
has
made,
he
still
does
not
feel
the
lack
of
not
being
able
to
bestow
as
pain
and
suffering?
The
solution
is
to
ask
the
Creator
to
give
him
the
Kli
called,
“A
lack
from
not
feeling,”
and
that
he
is
unconscious,
without
any
pain
from
being
unable
to
bestow.
It
follows
that
if
he
can
regret
and
ache
over
not
having
the
deficiency,
for
not
feeling
how
remote
he
is
from
Kedusha
[holiness],
that
he
is
utterly
mundane
and
doesn’t
understand
that
the
life
he
is
living—wanting
to
satisfy
the
corporeal
needs—is
no
more
important
than
that
of
any
other
animal
that
he
sees,
and
that
if
he
paid
attention
to
see
how
similar
he
is
to
them
with
all
their
aspirations,
and
that
the
only
difference
is
man’s
cunningness
and
his
ability
to
exploit
others
while
animals
are
not
clever
enough
to
exploit
others.
Sometimes,
even
though
he
sees
that
he
is
studying
Torah
and
keeping
the
Mitzvot,
he
cannot
remember—while
keeping
the
Mitzvot
or
while
studying
Torah—that
he
should
obtain
connection
with
the
Creator
by
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
It
is
as
though
they
are
separate
things
for
him—the
Torah
and
Mitzvot
are
one
thing,
and
the
Creator
is
another.
And
if
he
regrets
not
having
any
sensation
of
deficiency,
that
he
is
like
an
animal,
this
is
called
“work
in
the
heart,”
as
well.
It
is
called,
“a
prayer.”
This
means
that
for
this
deficiency,
he
already
has
a
place
in
which
to
receive
fulfillment
from
the
Creator,
to
give
him
the
sense
of
deficiency,
which
is
the
Kli
that
the
Creator
fills
with
a
filling.
Now
we
can
understand
the
question,
“why
is
a
prayer
in
the
heart
and
not
in
the
mouth?”
It
is
because
a
prayer
is
called,
“a
deficiency,”
and
it
cannot
be
said
that
he
has
a
deficiency
in
the
mouth.
Rather,
the
deficiency
is
a
sensation
in
the
heart.
Now
we
should
explain
why
we
asked
about
his
saying
that
the
merits
and
the
sins
are
engraved
on
the
bones,
and
he
can
revive
from
the
bones
or
not.
The
Zohar
compares
the
bones,
which
are
white,
to
the
Torah,
which
is
black
over
white,
where
the
black
is
darkness
and
the
white
is
light.
We
should
explain
the
meaning
of
bones
being
white.
This
is
why
both
the
merits
and
the
sins
are
written
on
them,
since
concerning
the
work
of
the
Creator,
it
should
be
interpreted
that
a
person
who
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
is
called
“a
bone.”
The
primary
part
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
is
considered
white,
since
something
in
which
there
are
no
deficiencies
is
called
“white.”
And
since
there
is
nothing
to
add
to
the
actions
that
a
person
does,
for
it
is
said
about
it,
“You
shall
neither
add
nor
subtract,”
his
engagement
in
the
Torah
is
called
“bones.”
They
are
white
because
the
merits
and
sins
of
a
person
are
engraved
in
them.
However,
if
a
person
criticizes
his
actions—the
reason
why
he
is
building
his
foundation
(the
reason
that
compels
him
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
his
aim
while
doing
the
deeds)—and
tries
to
see
if
he
is
truly
doing
those
deeds
for
the
Creator,
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker,
then
he
can
see
the
truth:
he
is
inside
the
nature
he
was
born
in,
called
“receiving
in
order
to
receive,”
and
he
doesn’t
want
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
without
any
reward.
And
the
real
reason
why
one
cannot
exit
his
nature
is
that
he
doesn’t
see
the
need
for
it,
so
he
would
have
to
change
the
nature
that
was
imprinted
in
him,
which
is
called
“self-love,”
and
assume
the
love
of
others
in
order
to
achieve
the
love
of
the
Creator.
This
is
so
because
a
person
feels
that
he
is
deficient
of
the
love
of
his
surroundings,
meaning
that
the
family
will
love
him,
and
his
town’s
people,
etc.
But
what
will
he
gain
from
loving
the
Creator?
Also,
what
will
he
gain
if
he
loves
his
friends?
After
all,
he
is
always
considering
the
profits
related
to
self-love.
Thus,
how
can
he
exit
this
love?
And
if
he
asks
himself
why
he
is
keeping
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
actions,
and
is
even
meticulous
about
all
its
precisions
and
details,
then
he
answers
himself
that
he
received
faith
through
education.
In
education,
you
begin
to
guide
a
person
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
name],
as
Maimonides
says
(end
of
Hilchot
Teshuva
[Laws
of
Repentance]).
It
follows
that
he
has
taken
it
upon
himself
to
believe
in
the
Creator,
that
he
will
serve
in
the
holy
work,
and
in
return
will
be
rewarded
in
this
world
and
in
the
next
world.
This
is
why
a
person
is
told
that
the
real
work
is
to
believe
in
the
Creator
who
gave
us
Torah
and
Mitzvot
to
keep,
and
by
that,
we
will
achieve
equivalence
of
form,
called
“Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator.”
This
means
that
one
should
exit
self-love
and
assume
love
of
others.
And
to
the
extent
that
he
exits
self-love,
he
can
be
rewarded
with
complete
faith.
Otherwise
he
is
separated,
as
written
in
the
Sulam
Commentary
(“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar,”
p
138),
“It
is
a
law
that
the
creature
cannot
receive
apparent
harm
from
Him,
for
it
is
a
flaw
in
His
glory
that
the
creature
should
perceive
Him
as
doing
harm,
for
it
is
inappropriate
for
the
perfect
Operator.
Hence,
when
one
feels
bad,
to
the
extent
that
there
is
denial
of
His
guidance
upon
him
and
the
Operator
is
hidden
from
him,
this
is
the
biggest
punishment
in
the
world.”
If
a
person
introspects,
he
recognizes
the
truth
that
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot
should
be
for
the
Creator.
He
feels
how
remote
he
is
from
the
truth,
and
the
scrutiny
brings
him
into
pain
and
suffering
at
constantly
marching
on
the
wrong
road
from
being
called
a
“servant
of
the
Creator.”
Rather,
all
his
work
is
for
his
own
sake,
which
is
called,
“working
for
himself,”
which
is
the
way
of
all
the
animals,
but
is
inappropriate
for
the
speaking.
It
follows
that
through
those
sufferings,
he
receives
a
Kli,
meaning
a
deficiency.
And
since
he
sees
that
he
is
incapable
of
exiting
self-love
by
himself,
for
he
doesn’t
have
the
strength
to
go
against
nature,
the
solution
is
to
ask
the
Creator
to
help
him,
as
our
sages
said,
“He
who
comes
to
be
purified
is
aided.”
It
follows
that
then
he
has
room
for
filling
the
deficiency,
since
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli.
This
brings
up
the
question
that
we
asked
earlier:
“What
can
one
do
if,
even
though
he
understands
that
it
is
worthwhile
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
he
still
doesn’t
have
the
pain
and
suffering
at
not
being
able
aim
in
order
to
bestow?
In
that
case,
he
should
know
that
this
does
not
mean
that
he
has
complete
faith
in
the
Creator,
only
that
he
cannot
aim
in
order
to
bestow.
He
should
know
that
he
is
lacking
whole
faith,
since
when
he
has
whole
faith
in
the
Creator,
there
is
a
natural
law
that
the
small
annuls
itself
before
the
big.
Thus,
if
he
truly
had
whole
faith
in
the
greatness
of
the
Creator,
he
would
be
annulled
before
the
Creator
naturally,
and
he
would
wish
to
serve
Him
without
any
reward.
It
follows
that
there
is
no
deficiency
here,
for
he
cannot
prevail
over
nature.
Rather,
there
is
lack
of
whole
faith
here,
although
he
has
faith.
The
evidence
of
that
is
that
he
is
keeping
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
However,
it
is
not
whole
faith,
as
it
should
be.
In
other
words,
the
entire
wholeness
is
that
they
believe
in
His
greatness,
and
if
one
wishes
to
know
if
he
has
whole
faith,
he
can
see
how
much
he
is
willing
to
work
in
order
to
bestow
and
how
much
the
body
is
annulled
before
the
Creator.
Thus,
a
person’s
inability
to
work
in
order
to
bestow
is
the
deficiency,
but
there
is
a
greater
deficiency
here—that
he
lacks
whole
faith—and
this
is
the
main
one.
But
what
can
one
do
if,
even
though
he
sees
that
he
lacks
whole
faith,
that
deficiency
still
does
not
beget
in
him
pain
and
suffering
at
his
being
deficient?
The
real
reason
is
that
he
is
looking
at
the
majority,
and
sees
that
they
are
important
people,
of
influence
and
status,
and
it
is
not
apparent
that
they
lack
whole
faith.
When
speaking
to
them,
they
say
that
this
is
only
for
a
chosen
few,
which
is
their
well-known
view.
This
is
the
great
partition,
which
becomes
a
barrier
for
a
person,
arresting
his
progress
on
the
right
path.
This
is
the
reason
why
we
need
an
environment,
meaning
a
group
of
people
who
are
all
of
the
view
that
they
must
achieve
whole
faith.
This
is
the
only
thing
that
can
save
a
person
from
the
views
of
the
collective.
At
that
time,
everyone
strengthens
everyone
else
to
crave
to
achieve
whole
faith,
that
he
can
bestow
contentment
upon
the
Creator,
and
that
this
will
be
his
only
aspiration.
However,
this
does
not
conclude
the
solution
for
achieving
a
deficiency
for
whole
faith.
Rather,
one
must
exert
in
actions
more
than
one
is
accustomed
in
both
quantity
and
quality.
And
the
body
will
certainly
resist
that
and
ask,
“How
is
today
different
from
other
days?”
And
he
will
reply,
“I
am
picturing
myself
as
a
servant
of
the
Creator,
how
I
would
serve
the
Creator
if
I
had
whole
faith.
This
is
why
I
want
to
serve
Him
at
the
same
pace
as
though
I
were
already
rewarded
with
whole
faith.”
This
creates
in
him
a
deficiency
and
pain
at
not
having
whole
faith,
since
the
resistance
of
the
body
causes
him
to
have
a
need
for
whole
faith.
But
this
is
certainly
said
specifically
where
he
goes
against
the
body,
in
coercion,
when
he
works
with
the
body
not
according
to
his
will.
It
follows
that
those
two
actions,
his
working
more
than
he
is
accustomed
to,
and
the
resistance
of
the
body,
cause
him
to
need
whole
faith.
Only
then
is
a
Kli
formed
in
him
so
that
afterwards
the
light
will
clothe
within
it,
since
now
he
has
room
for
prayer
in
his
heart,
meaning
a
place
of
deficiency.
And
then
the
Creator,
who
hears
a
prayer,
gives
him
the
light
of
faith
by
which
he
can
serve
the
King
not
in
order
to
be
rewarded.
Now
we
can
understand
what
we
asked
about
the
meaning
of
the
merits
and
sins
being
engraved
in
corporeal
bones.
“Bones”
refer
to
the
heart
of
the
matter
(“bone
of
the
matter”
is
an
idiom
in
Hebrew),
referring
to
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot
that
he
is
keeping.
We
were
given
it
to
keep
it
in
action,
and
there
is
nothing
to
add
to
it,
as
it
is
written,
“You
shall
neither
add
nor
subtract.”
And
on
these
actions,
the
sins
and
merits
are
engraved,
meaning
that
if
he
wishes
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth
and
criticize
his
actions—whether
they
are
with
the
intent
to
bestow
or
not—and
he
is
a
man
who
loves
the
truth
and
is
not
interested
in
what
others
do,
but
wants
to
know
if
he
is
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
Lishma
[for
Her
name]
or
is
it
all
for
himself,
then
he
sees
that
he
is
immersed
in
self-love
and
cannot
come
out
of
it
by
himself.
Then
he
cries
for
the
Creator
to
help
him
out
of
self-love
and
be
rewarded
with
the
love
of
others
and
the
love
of
the
Creator,
and
“The
Lord
is
near
to
all
who
call
upon
Him,
to
all
who
call
upon
Him
in
truth.”
This
is
why
he
is
rewarded
with
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
then,
the
merits
are
engraved
in
his
bones,
meaning
that
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot
that
he
kept
are
called
“white,”
since
in
terms
of
the
actions,
everything
is
white,
positive,
and
there
is
nothing
to
add
to
them.
But
afterwards,
he
scrutinized
and
saw
that
the
aim
was
not
in
order,
and
that
there
was
darkness
on
them
because
he
was
separated
and
didn’t
have
Dvekut,
called
“equivalence
of
form,”
that
he
will
do
everything
with
the
aim
to
bestow.
Instead,
he
is
ruled
by
self-love.
Thus,
he
has
darkness
placed
over
the
white,
which
are
the
white
bones,
as
written
in
the
words
of
The
Zohar.
This
means
that
he
sees
that
there
is
darkness
on
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot
that
he
performed,
that
he
is
separated
from
the
light,
since
the
light
wants
to
bestow,
while
he
does
everything
in
order
to
receive
and
cannot
do
anything
except
what
concerns
self-love.
It
follows
that
his
bones,
meaning
the
practical
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
are
white,
which
means
that
there
is
no
deficiency
in
the
act
that
requires
any
additions.
But
through
the
criticism
that
he
puts
on
this
white,
he
sees
that
there
is
darkness
there.
And
if
he
pays
attention
to
mending
it
because
it
causes
him
pain
and
suffering
that
he
is
in
the
dark,
and
he
prays
for
the
Creator
to
help
him
and
deliver
him
from
self-love,
by
that,
he
is
later
rewarded
with
adhering
to
the
Creator.
This
is
called,
“A
righteous
one—his
merits
are
engraved
in
his
bones,”
meaning
that
his
criticism
of
his
white
bones
caused
him
to
be
rewarded
with
revival
of
the
dead,
since
“the
wicked
in
their
lives
are
called
‘dead,’”
for
they
are
separated
from
the
Life
of
Lives.
Thus,
when
they
are
rewarded
with
clinging
to
the
Creator,
it
is
considered
that
they
have
been
rewarded
with
the
revival
of
the
dead.
But,
“A
wicked
one,
his
iniquities
are
engraved
in
his
bones,”
since
a
wicked
one
is
one
who
is
still
immersed
in
self-love,
and
a
righteous
one
is
called
“good,”
and
“good”
is
called
“bestowal,”
as
it
is
written,
“My
heart
overflows
with
a
good
thing;
I
say,
‘My
work
is
for
the
King.’”
In
other
words,
what
is
a
good
thing?
It
is
when
one
can
say,
“My
work
is
for
the
King,”
meaning
that
all
his
actions
are
for
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake.
This
is
why,
“He
who
has
a
good
eye
will
be
blessed.”
For
this
reason,
those
people
who
have
practical
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
which
is
considered
the
core,
that
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot
were
given
by
the
Creator
to
keep
them,
this
is
called
“whites,”
since
the
actions
have
no
deficiencies,
as
it
is
written,
“You
shall
neither
add
nor
subtract.”
This
is
why
his
bones
are
white.
“His
iniquities
are
engraved
in
his
bones,”
which
are
white,
because
he
did
not
criticize
his
actions,
whether
or
not
they
are
in
order
to
bestow.
Instead,
he
trusted
the
majority
and
how
they
keep
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
And
they
say
that
working
for
the
Creator
is
work
that
belongs
to
a
chosen
few,
and
not
everyone
must
take
this
path
of
being
concerned
with
his
work
being
with
the
aim
to
bestow.
This
is
called
“the
view
of
landlords.”
But
“the
view
of
Torah”
is
different.
It
is
known
that
“the
view
of
landlords
is
opposite
from
the
view
of
Torah,”
since
the
view
of
landlords
is
that
by
a
person
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
his
possessions
grow
and
expand,
since
he
becomes
an
owner
of
a
bigger
house.
In
other
words,
everything
he
does
goes
into
self-love.
But
the
view
of
Torah
is
as
our
sages
said
about
the
verse,
“When
a
man
dies
in
a
tent.”
They
said,
“The
Torah
exists
only
in
one
who
puts
himself
to
death
over
it.”
This
means
that
he
puts
his
self
to
death,
meaning
it
is
the
self-love
that
he
puts
to
death.
Thus,
he
has
no
possessions,
as
there
is
no
landlord
to
whom
we
can
relate
possessions,
since
his
only
aim
is
to
bestow,
not
to
receive.
Thus,
he
annuls
his
self.
It
follows
that
“A
wicked
one,
his
iniquities
are
engraved
in
his
bones”
means
that
he
did
not
walk
in
the
path
of
Torah,
since
the
Torah
is
called
“black
over
white.”
The
Zohar
says
that
this
is
why
his
merits
are
engraved
in
his
bones,
“Since
the
bones
are
white,
and
a
black
writing
is
visible
only
from
within
white.”
Like
the
Torah,
meaning
if
there
is
white,
which
means
that
he
keeps
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
it
can
be
said
that
he
is
like
the
Torah,
that
he
has
black
over
the
white.
Then,
he
is
trying
to
achieve
Dvekut
or
remains
with
the
white
bones
and
doesn’t
write
anything
on
them.
This
is
why
he
is
called
“wicked,”
for
his
iniquities
are
engraved
in
his
bones.
But
those
who
have
no
white
in
them,
who
have
no
practical
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
do
not
belong
to
the
discernment
of
“wicked.”
Rather,
they
belong
to
the
discernment
of
animals,
meaning
they
are
only
beasts.