Moses
Went
Article
No.
1,
1986
It
is
written
in
The
Zohar
(items
1-3):
“‘Moses
went.’
Rabbi
Hizkiya
started,
‘Leading
to
the
right
of
Moses
the
arm
of
his
glory,
dividing
the
water
before
them.’
Three
holy
siblings
walked
among
them.
Who
are
they?
Moses,
Aaron,
and
Miriam.
We
have
established
that
Aaron
is
Israel’s
right
arm,
as
it
is
written,
‘When
the
Canaanite,
King
of
Arad
…
heard
that
Israel
was
coming
through
the
sites.’
‘Through
the
sites’
means
that
Israel
were
as
a
man
walking
without
one
arm,
supporting
himself
in
each
place,
since
‘sites’
means
‘places.’
Then
‘he
fought
against
Israel
and
took
some
of
them
captive,’
since
they
were
without
a
right
arm.
Come
and
see,
Aaron
was
the
right
arm
of
the
body,
which
is
Tifferet,
hence
it
is
written,
‘Leading
to
the
right
of
Moses
the
arm
of
his
glory.’”
We
should
understand
the
allegory
that
he
gives
about
the
verse,
“When
the
Canaanite
…
heard.”
RASHI
interpreted
that
he
heard
that
Aaron
had
died
and
the
clouds
of
glory
had
departed,
as
a
man
who
is
walking
without
an
arm.
What
does
it
mean
that
Aaron
was
the
right
arm?
We
should
also
understand
from
the
allegory
that
when
one
who
has
no
arm
walks,
he
supports
himself
in
every
place.
We
should
know
that
everything
we
want
to
do
must
have
a
reason
that
necessitates
doing
it.
According
to
the
importance
of
the
reason,
so
is
the
ability
to
exert
in
order
to
obtain
one’s
wish.
For
this
reason,
when
a
person
begins
to
walk
in
the
work
of
the
Creator
and
wants
to
work
in
faith
and
bestowal,
he
wants
to
know
what
is
the
reason
that
one
must
walk
specifically
in
this
way.
Each
one
understands
that
if
the
work
was
based
on
reception
and
knowing,
the
work
would
be
better
and
more
successful.
That
is,
the
body,
called
“self-love,”
would
not
resist
this
work
so
strongly,
since
although
the
body
desires
rest
and
does
not
want
to
work
at
all,
if
it
were
on
the
basis
of
reception
and
knowing,
it
would
certainly
be
easier
and
more
people
would
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Baal
HaSulam
said
that
the
Creator
wanted
the
body
to
resist
so
that
man
will
have
to
have
His
help.
Without
help
from
the
Creator,
it
is
impossible
to
achieve
the
goal,
and
this
was
in
order
for
man
to
be
able
to
rise
to
a
higher
degree
each
time,
as
our
sages
said,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided.”
The
holy
Zohar
asks,
“With
what
is
he
aided?
With
a
holy
soul.
When
one
is
born
he
is
given
a
soul.
If
he
is
rewarded
with
more…”
Therefore,
man
is
given
work
so
he
can
rise
in
the
degrees
of
holiness.
But
in
the
order
of
the
work,
meaning
in
order
for
a
person
to
ask
for
the
Creator’s
help,
we
need
to
be
careful
because
when
one
comes
to
work,
the
body
tells
him,
“Why
are
you
so
upset?
In
any
case,
you
cannot
overcome
your
nature,
called
‘self-love.’
You
cannot
come
out
of
it,
and
only
the
Creator
can
help.
So
why
are
you
straining
yourself,
making
such
great
efforts
to
exit
self-love?
You’re
working
for
nothing!
Why
do
you
need
this
work?”
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
this
that
before
each
action
one
wants
to
perform
he
must
say
that
the
choice
is
only
up
to
him.
At
that
time
he
must
not
say
that
the
Creator
will
help
him.
Rather,
he
must
make
every
effort
he
can,
and
he
needs
the
Creator
only
to
complete
the
work,
and
he
cannot
finish
the
work
for
the
above-mentioned
reason.
Our
sages
said
about
this
(Avot,
Chapter
5,
tractate
21):
“He
would
say,
‘It
is
not
for
you
to
finish
the
work.’”
Therefore,
it
can
be
said,
“Why
do
I
need
to
work?
If
I
cannot
finish
it,
what
good
is
my
work?”
This
is
why
the
tractate
continues,
“Nor
are
you
free
to
idle
away
from
it.”
Thus,
we
see
two
things
here
that
seem
to
contradict
one
another:
On
the
one
hand,
a
person
is
told
to
work
“as
an
ox
to
the
burden
and
as
a
donkey
to
the
load.”
This
implies
that
the
holy
work
depends
on
man,
meaning
that
he
can
finish
it.
On
the
other
hand,
we
say
as
it
is
written,
“The
Lord
will
finish
for
me.”
The
thing
is
that
both
are
needed.
On
the
one
hand,
a
person
must
make
a
choice,
meaning
to
have
a
desire
to
work
for
the
Creator.
If
he
could
finish
his
work
he
would
remain
in
his
current
state
because
he
would
feel
that
he
is
complete
because
he
would
see
that
all
his
actions
are
for
the
Creator,
so
what
else
is
missing?
Therefore,
there
is
no
longer
any
need
to
draw
the
light
of
Torah.
However,
in
order
to
have
a
need
to
progress
in
the
Torah,
since
the
Torah
is
the
names
of
the
Creator,
which
the
Creator
desired
to
reveal
to
the
creatures,
and
according
to
the
rule,
“There
is
no
light
without
a
Kli
[vessel],”
then
how
can
one
receive
the
light
of
Torah
when
he
hasn’t
the
Kli,
called
“need
and
deficiency”?
For
this
reason,
when
one
begins
to
work
and
sees
that
he
cannot
finish
the
work,
he
acquires
a
need
and
deficiency
for
the
light
of
Torah.
It
is
as
our
sages
said,
“The
light
in
it
reforms
him.”
And
then,
each
time
he
wants
to
become
purer,
he
must
receive
greater
help
from
above.
This
is
why
we
need
both,
and
there
is
no
contradiction
between
them,
since
each
has
its
unique
role.
This
is
similar
to
what
we
see
in
corporality,
as
every
conduct
that
applies
to
spirituality
extends
to
corporeality.
We
see
that
the
order
is
that
when
a
person
is
standing
on
the
street
carrying
a
heavy
load,
and
he
is
asking
a
passersby
to
help
him
lift
the
sack
onto
his
back,
everyone
tells
him
they
have
no
time,
and
“Please
ask
someone
else,
since
there
are
many
people
here
who
can
help
you,
and
you
don’t
really
need
my
help.”
But
if
a
person
is
carrying
a
heavy
sack
on
his
back
and
the
sack
is
dropping
off
and
is
about
to
fall
to
the
ground,
and
people
pass
by
him
and
he
is
asking
for
their
help
to
put
the
sack
on
his
back
so
it
does
not
fall,
we
see
that
at
that
time,
when
the
sack
is
about
to
fall
off
his
back,
no
one
will
tell
him,
“I
have
no
time;
ask
someone
else
to
help
you.”
Rather,
the
first
one
next
to
him
will
immediately
help
him.
We
should
understand
the
difference
between
whether
the
sack
is
standing
on
the
ground
and
he
is
asking
for
help,
in
which
case
everyone
has
his
own
excuse
not
to
help
him,
and
whether
the
sack
is
on
his
back
and
is
about
to
fall,
so
the
first
person
next
to
him
helps
him.
We
should
understand
that
it
is
different
with
someone
who
is
in
the
middle
of
the
work,
who
has
already
begun
the
work
and
we
can
see
that
he
is
asking
for
help
so
he
can
continue
the
work,
meaning
that
the
load
on
his
back
is
about
to
fall
and
so
we
help
him.
But
if
he
only
wants
to
begin
the
work
now,
we
tell
him,
“No
rush.
Pretend
that
the
desire
to
begin
the
work
came
a
little
later;
this
is
not
so
terrible.”
For
this
reason,
everyone
sees
that
he
does
not
need
immediate
help,
but
can
wait
until
he
finds
someone
with
spare
time
to
help
him.
The
lesson
is
that
when
a
person
waits
for
the
Creator
to
help
him
and
says,
“Now
I
can
work,
but
before
the
Creator
gives
me
a
desire
and
craving,
I
cannot
overcome
the
desires
of
my
body,
and
I
sit
and
wait
for
the
Creator
to
help
me
so
I
can
begin
the
work
of
the
Creator.”
This
is
similar
to
a
person
waiting
for
any
person
passing
by
him
to
place
the
heavy
sack
on
his
back.
Likewise,
that
man
is
waiting
for
the
Creator
to
give
him
strength
and
help
him,
and
place
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
on
his
back,
as
it
is
written,
“as
an
ox
to
the
burden
and
as
a
donkey
to
the
load.”
He
wants
the
Creator
to
help
him
with
these
burden
and
load
and
then
he
will
begin
the
work.
At
that
time
he
is
told,
“Wait
for
an
opportunity,
and
in
the
meantime
stay
with
the
sack
of
assuming
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
below
on
earth.”
This
is
not
so
with
one
who
has
already
begun
the
work,
and
is
not
saying
that
he
will
wait
until
the
Creator
gives
him
the
desire
to
do
the
holy
work
and
then
he
will
begin
to
work.
Rather,
he
does
not
want
to
wait
because
the
craving
to
work
and
reach
the
truth
pushes
him
forward
though
he
does
not
see
that
he
will
have
the
ability
to
go
forward
alone,
like
Nahshon.
However,
he
sees
that
he
cannot
continue
this
work
and
is
afraid
that
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
which
he
is
now
carrying,
is
beginning
to
fall
off
from
him
so
he
begins
to
call
out
for
help,
since
he
sees
that
each
time,
the
burden
he
has
taken
on
himself
begins
to
fall.
It
is
like
a
person
carrying
a
sack
on
his
back
and
sees
that
the
sack
is
beginning
to
fall.
We
see
that
in
corporeality,
each
one
he
asks
for
help
helps
him
right
away,
and
no
one
puts
him
off
for
later.
Similarly,
in
spirituality,
one
who
begins
to
see
that
the
burden
and
load
are
beginning
to
fall
off
from
him,
meaning
the
work
he
had
previously
assumed,
to
be
“as
an
ox
to
the
burden
and
as
a
donkey
to
the
load,”
and
he
sees
that
soon
he
will
be
in
descent,
so
he
cries
out
to
the
Creator
and
receives
help.
It
is
as
our
sages
said,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided,”
as
is
written
in
The
Zohar.
Conversely,
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
one
who
waits
for
the
Creator
to
help
him
first
and
then
he
will
have
the
strength
to
work,
that
it
is
as
it
is
written
(Ecclesiastes,
11),
“He
who
guards
the
wind
will
not
sow
and
he
who
looks
at
the
clouds…”
meaning
that
he
stands
and
waits
for
the
Creator
to
send
a
spirit
of
repentance.
This
man
will
never
reach
the
truth.
Now
let
us
return
to
the
matter
we
asked,
“What
is
the
allegory
about
a
person
walking
without
an
arm
and
is
supporting
himself
in
every
place,
and
when
Aaron
dies
the
arm
departs
and
then
the
Canaanite
can
fight
against
Israel?”
We
need
to
know
that
the
right
arm
is
regarded
as
Hesed
[mercy],
which
is
the
vessel
of
bestowal.
That
is,
he
wants
only
to
do
mercy
and
bestow.
By
his
power,
Aaron
drew
this
power
to
the
people
of
Israel.
Because
of
it
no
one
could
fight
against
the
people
of
Israel,
since
it
is
the
conduct
of
the
body
that
it
comes
to
a
person
and
makes
him
see
that
if
he
listens
to
it,
it
will
give
him
many
pleasures.
But
if
the
body
hears
that
his
only
desire
is
to
bestow,
he
sees
that
it
hasn’t
the
strength
to
speak
with
him.
They
received
the
power
of
bestowal
from
Aaron
the
priest,
which
is
the
quality
of
Hesed,
and
were
adhered
to
him.
Therefore,
they
were
under
his
governance.
Hence,
when
Aaron
died,
he
lost
the
power
of
bestowal
and
the
war
of
self-reception
began,
for
the
body
could
now
find
a
place
to
argue
with
him.
This
is
why
he
gives
the
allegory
of
a
man
walking
without
an
arm,
having
to
support
himself
in
every
place
he
finds
where
he
can
find
support.
Here
the
lesson
is
that
since
they
lacked
the
power
of
above
reason,
called
“mind,”
as
well
as
the
power
of
bestowal,
called
“heart,”
the
body
demanded
support
for
every
effort
that
it
made.
That
is,
it
asked,
“On
what
basis
are
you
demanding
of
me
to
give
you
the
strength
to
work?”
Since
he
had
no
Hesed
so
he
could
say,
“I
am
going
above
reason,”
since
this
is
the
quality
of
Aaron,
whose
is
regarded
as
Hesed,
called
“bestowal”
and
“above
reason.”
This
is
called,
“hangs
the
earth
on
nothing.”
Baal
HaSulam
interpreted
that
faith
above
reason
means
that
he
has
no
support,
but
everything
is
hanging
in
midair.
It
says,
“Hangs
the
earth,”
where
“earth”
means
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
“On
nothing”
means
without
any
support.
Therefore,
when
Aaron
died
they
had
no
one
to
draw
this
power
so
they
went
within
reason
and
naturally
supported
themselves
in
each
and
every
place.
That
is,
wherever
they
saw
that
they
could
receive
support
so
the
body
would
want
to
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments]
they
would
accept
it.
This
is
called
“through
the
sites,”
as
a
person
who
is
walking
without
an
arm.
Naturally,
the
Canaanite
came
to
fight
against
Israel
because
within
reason
they
have
the
dominance
to
fight.
But
above
reason
they
cannot
argue
with
this
path
because
he
does
not
need
any
support.
It
follows
that
the
whole
exertion
begins
when
a
person
wants
to
go
above
reason
and
needs
to
receive
that
power
from
above.
This
comes
to
them
through
the
quality
of
Aaron,
but
now
he
himself
must
draw
that
force,
meaning
ask
of
the
Creator
to
help
him.
At
that
time
he
begins
to
discern
between
two
things:
1)
one
who
waits
for
the
Creator
to
help
him
receive
this
power,
and
stands
and
waits
for
it,
and
2)
one
who
hasn’t
the
patience
to
wait
for
the
Creator
to
help
him,
but
rather
begins
to
work
and
then
yells
for
help
from
the
Creator
and
says,
“For
the
waters
are
threatening
my
life.”
And
because
he
has
already
come
to
a
clear
understanding
that
only
the
Creator
can
help
him
he
receives
the
help.
The
order
of
the
prayer
should
not
be
as
lip
service.
Rather,
when
he
is
faced
with
danger
he
should
not
yield
before
the
governance
of
evil
that
comes
to
him
with
strong
arguments
and
wants
to
distract
him
from
the
work
of
wanting
to
take
upon
himself
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
They
make
every
effort
to
disrupt
him
with
everything
they
can
do.
We
see
how
the
poet
is
giving
us
a
clear
picture
of
the
evil
that
is
standing
before
us.
It
is
written
in
the
Selichot
(Selichot
[prayers
for
pardon]
for
the
fourth
day
of
the
Ten
Penitentiary
Days),
“To
You,
O
Lord,
I
call,
O
dreadful
and
terrible.
Do
not
hide
Your
face
in
the
day
of
trouble,
when
cursed
ones
arise
against
us
…
saying,
‘You
must
not
accept
God,
bowing
before
Him
dividedly,
and
without
sanctifying
He
who
does
much
pardons,
nor
fear
the
Godly
dread.
When
I
hear
this,
my
heart
trembles;
this
I
will
reply
to
my
adversary:
‘God
forbid
that
I
should
forget
and
leave
the
portion
of
the
God
of
my
father.’”
It
turns
out
that
when
one
wishes
to
take
upon
himself
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
and
burden
means
“as
an
ox
to
the
burden
and
as
a
donkey
to
the
load,”
meaning
that
both
the
donkey
and
the
ox
resist
assuming
this
work,
but
do
it
coercively.
Why
do
they
resist
when
they
feel
that
they
are
working,
but
when
they
enjoy
the
work,
meaning
when
they
are
eating,
although
this
is
also
work,
they
are
enjoying
during
the
act
so
it
is
not
considered
“work”?
When
a
person
has
no
right
arm,
regarded
as
desiring
mercy,
at
which
time
he
enjoys
the
work,
the
Sitra
Achra
[other
side]
has
no
contact
with
this
work
so
she
can
fight.
But
when
Aaron
dies,
namely
when
he
has
not
been
rewarded
with
Aaron’s
quality
of
Hesed,
the
outer
ones
come
to
him
and
tell
him
all
kinds
of
words
of
heresy,
and
then
it
is
work
in
two
ways.