Concerning
Hesed
[Mercy]
Article
No.
4,
1986
It
is
written
in
the
holy
Zohar
concerning
Hesed
[mercy]
(Lech
Lecha,
item
382):
“Why
was
he
not
called
Abraham
thus
far?
We
explained
that
thus
far
he
was
not
circumcised,
and
now
he
has
been
circumcised.
Once
he
was
circumcised
he
connected
with
the
Hey,
which
is
the
Shechina
[Divinity],
and
the
Shechina
was
in
him.
This
is
why
now
he
is
called
Abraham,
with
a
Hey.
It
is
written,
‘These
are
the
generations
of
the
heaven
and
earth
when
they
were
created.’
We
learned
that
He
created
them
with
a
Hey,
and
we
learned,
in
Abraham,
meaning
that
BeHibaraam
[when
they
were
created]
has
the
letters
of
Be
Avraham
[in
Abraham].
This
means
that
the
world
was
created
for
Abraham.
“He
asks,
‘What
are
they
saying?’
That
is,
‘Why
are
they
disputed
in
interpreting
BeHibaraam?’
He
replies,
‘It
is
Hesed.
When
he
says
that
BeHibaraam
implies
Avraham,
who
is
Hesed,
and
the
world,
which
is
the
Shechina,
was
created
for
Hesed.
This
is
why
he
says
that
He
created
them
with
a
Hey,
meaning
the
Shechina.
“But
one
does
not
dispute
the
other
because
everything
comes
down
together.
That
is,
if
there
is
Hesed
in
the
world,
the
Shechina
is
in
the
world,
as
well,
and
vice
versa.
Hence,
the
two
meanings—Hesed
and
Shechina—are
one
thing,
and
the
world
was
created
for
Hesed
and
for
the
Shechina.
We
should
understand
why
he
interprets
that
BeHibaraam
means
Be
Avraham,
which
is
Hesed,
meaning
that
the
world
was
created
for
Hesed.”
We
should
understand
the
matter
of
Hesed.
Is
this
not
something
that
concerns
only
what
is
between
man
and
man?
Did
the
Creator
create
the
upper
worlds—the
world
of
the
angels,
and
the
seraphim—only
so
that
each
one
will
deal
with
mercy
with
one’s
friend,
so
that
Reuben
will
deal
with
mercy
with
Shimon?
What
will
the
Creator
get
out
of
this?
Can
such
a
thing
be
said?
Accordingly,
we
must
understand
what
is
Hesed
[mercy],
as
he
said
that
the
world
was
created
for
Hesed.
It
is
known
that
the
purpose
of
creation
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
Therefore,
we
should
ask,
“Why
are
there
two
explanations
about
the
verse,
‘These
are
the
generations
of
the
heaven
…
when
they
were
created,’”
one
because
of
the
Shechina
and
the
other
because
of
Abraham,
who
is
Hesed?
We
should
say
that
from
the
verse,
“When
they
were
created,”
they
explain
only
how
to
achieve
the
goal,
called
“to
do
good
to
His
creations.”
This
means
that
the
creatures
must
attain
the
complete
delight
and
pleasure.
That
is,
when
they
receive
delight
and
pleasure,
they
should
not
feel
any
unpleasantness,
called
the
“bread
of
shame.”
To
correct
this,
there
was
the
Tzimtzum
[restriction],
which
is
a
concealment
on
the
delight
and
pleasure.
It
is
as
the
holy
ARI
says
(The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot,
Part
1,
p
1):
“Know,
that
before
the
emanations
were
emanated
and
the
creatures
created,
an
upper
simple
light
filled
the
whole
of
reality,
and
there
was
no
vacant
place.
…
When
it
came
into
His
simple
will
to
create
the
worlds
…
to
bring
to
light
the
perfection
of
His
deeds
…
then
He
restricted
Himself.”
It
follows
that
the
concealment
we
see
on
spirituality,
meaning,
although
we
should
believe
that
“The
whole
earth
is
full
of
His
glory,”
but
if
all
the
creatures
in
the
world
felt
the
glory
of
the
Creator,
who
would
want
to
engage
in
lowly
things
when
they
see
the
importance
of
the
glory
of
spirituality?
After
all,
a
person
can
receive
an
image
of
what
he
had
in
the
past.
If,
for
example,
a
person
imagines
that
the
most
important
period
he
had
was
when
he
felt
that
it
was
worthwhile
to
adhere
to
spirituality,
and
he
looked
at
himself
and
the
entire
world,
how
time
passes
aimlessly
and
pointlessly,
and
engages
only
in
trivialities.
Then,
when
he
is
high-spirited,
the
world
seemed
to
him
like
little
children
playing
with
toys.
Similarly,
we
sometimes
see
a
little
child
taking
a
rope,
putting
it
on
another’s
shoulder
and
telling
him,
“You
be
the
horse
and
I’ll
pull
the
reigns.”
They
both
enjoy
this
game.
And
if
we
tell
the
children,
“Why
are
you
playing
with
false
things?
You
are
not
a
wagon-driver
and
he
is
not
a
horse,”
they
will
not
understand
what
we
are
telling
them.
When
a
person
depicts
the
time
when
he
had
the
most
important
state
in
life,
he
looked
at
how
people
engage
only
in
corporeality
as
a
grownup
looking
at
little
children
playing.
It
follows
that
all
we
need
so
we
can
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments]
is
the
revelation.
That
is,
to
reveal
the
delight
and
pleasure
hidden
in
them
so
we
will
see
them
openly.
Then,
who
would
not
want
delight
and
pleasure?
Who
would
be
able
to
degrade
himself
and
walk
into
a
henhouse
and
peck
in
the
trash
like
them,
and
be
happy
and
joyful
about
it,
when
he
can
enjoy
the
life
of
a
human?
That
is,
his
sustenance
would
be
what
delights
people
and
not
what
delights
beasts
and
animals.
All
this
is
said
when
he
feels
the
difference
between
the
vitality
of
people
and
the
vitality
of
beasts,
animals,
and
fowls.
But
during
the
concealment,
when
he
does
not
see
any
other
life
in
the
world
but
that
the
one
that
he
enjoys
is
the
vitality
of
the
whole
world,
when
he
looks
at
other
people
relinquishing
corporeal
matters
in
search
for
spiritual
life,
they
look
at
them
as
foolish,
mindless
children.
Little
children
are
allowed
to
play
with
important
things,
and
they
throw
them
away
and
take
meaningless
things
instead.
While
they
can
enjoy
corporeal
things,
they
throw
them
away
and
contemplate
attaining
spiritual
possessions.
To
them,
the
spiritual
matters
are
meaningless,
meaning
things
that
have
no
value.
But
it
is
all
because
of
the
concealment
on
spirituality.
Now
we
will
explain
the
two
interpretations
of
the
word
Hibaraam
[when
they
were
created],
where
the
first
means
Hesed,
and
the
second
means
Shechina.
We
ask,
“Is
it
worthwhile
to
create
the
next
world
and
this
world
for
Hesed?”
As
we
explained
above,
according
to
the
purpose
of
creation,
which
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
the
delight
and
pleasure
cannot
be
revealed
before
they
can
receive
in
order
to
bestow.
Therefore,
it
is
impossible
to
achieve
the
goal
in
full.
This
is
why
we
need
to
explain
what
is
said
about
BeHibaraam,
meaning
that
through
them
they
will
fulfill
the
purpose
of
creation,
and
without
them
it
is
impossible
to
achieve
the
purpose
of
creation
in
full.
This
is
why
interpreting
that
Be
Avraham
[in
Abraham]
is
Hesed
means
that
by
engaging
in
the
quality
of
Hesed
they
can
achieve
the
quality
of
bestowal,
after
which
they
will
be
able
to
receive
the
pleasure,
and
that
reception
will
be
regarded
as
bestowal.
It
is
as
he
says
in
the
Sulam
[commentary
on
The
Zohar]
(“Introduction
of
the
Book
of
Zohar,”
item
175),
where
he
brings
the
words
of
our
sages:
“Upon
the
creation
of
the
world,
when
He
said
to
the
angels,
‘Let
us
make
man
in
our
image,’
Hesed
said,
‘Let
him
be
created,
for
he
does
mercy.’
Truth
said,
‘Let
him
not
be
created,
for
he
is
all
lies.’”
He
interprets
there
the
words
of
our
sages,
that
Hesed
said,
“Let
him
be
created”:
“But
Hesed
said,
‘Let
him
be
created
because
he
does
mercy,’
since
the
Mitzva
[commandment]
to
do
good
that
he
does
is
necessarily
a
clear
act
of
bestowal
by
which
he
will
gradually
become
corrected
until
he
can
engage
in
all
the
Mitzvot
[commandments]
in
order
to
bestow.
Thus,
he
is
guaranteed
to
finally
achieve
his
goal
of
engaging
Lishma
[for
Her
sake].
This
is
why
Hesed
argued
that
he
should
be
created.”
It
follows
that
saying
BeHibaraam
means
that
Hibaraam
is
needed
only
as
a
means
but
not
as
a
goal,
as
it
is
known
that
the
purpose
of
creation
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
Rather,
it
is
counsels
how
the
creatures
can
receive
the
goal,
meaning
be
able
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure.
Because
there
must
be
equivalence
of
form
between
the
giver
and
the
receiver,
and
since
they
are
opposite
in
form,
they
will
never
be
able
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure.
This
is
why
one
is
saying
that
the
means
is
Hesed,
where
through
the
quality
of
Hesed
that
each
does
with
the
other,
they
will
be
rewarded
with
vessels
of
bestowal
and
be
able
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure,
and
another
says
that
it
is
BeHibaraam,
meaning
Hey
Beraam
[created
them],
namely
the
Shechina.
This
does
not
mean
that
he
disputes
him,
but
when
he
says
that
He
created
them
with
a
Hey,
it
means
that
Malchut,
which
is
the
Shechina,
is
implied
here
in
BeHibaraam,
meaning
a
small
Hey.
The
holy
ARI
interprets
(presented
in
Gatehouse
of
Intentions,
item
43),
“This
is
the
meaning
of
BeHibaraam,
BeHey
Beraam
[created
them
with
a
Hey],
since
all
the
creatures
were
five
Partzufim,
both
in
Atzilut
and
in
BYA.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
small
Hey
of
Malchut
de
AK
after
she
was
diminished
at
the
end
of
her
ZAT.”
He
interprets
there
(in
Ohr
Pashut
[commentary
below
the
text])
that
the
world
of
Tikkun
[correction],
called
ABYA,
emerged
from
another
Malchut,
that
was
mitigated
by
the
quality
of
Rachamim
[mercy],
called
Tzimtzum
Bet
[second
restriction],
where
there
was
diminution
in
Malchut.
This
is
why
Malchut
is
called
“small
Hey.”
This
means
that
the
Hey
in
BeHibaraam
is
interpreted
to
refer
to
the
Shechina
who
received
correction
called
“the
association
of
the
quality
of
mercy
with
judgment.”
This
means
that
Malchut,
called
“the
quality
of
judgment,”
is
the
root
of
the
creatures,
namely
the
will
to
receive,
the
Kli
[vessel]
that
must
receive
the
purpose
of
creation—to
benefit
His
creations—and
is
the
vessel
of
reception
for
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
is
the
substance
of
the
creatures,
meaning
the
desire
to
receive
delight
and
pleasure
from
Him.
But
due
to
the
correction
of
equivalence
of
form,
there
was
a
rule
that
this
vessel
of
reception
must
not
be
used
unless
it
can
aim
to
bestow.
This
is
called
“restriction
and
judgment.”
The
world
cannot
exist
without
this
correction,
called
“receiving
in
order
to
bestow,”
or
there
is
no
disclosure
of
abundance
to
the
lower
ones
due
to
the
Tzimtzum
and
judgment
that
was
made
for
the
purpose
of
correcting
the
world.
However,
how
is
it
possible
to
change
the
nature
of
creation,
which
is
reception,
into
one
of
bestowal?
Therefore,
to
be
able
to
correct
the
vessels
of
reception
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
there
had
to
be
a
correction
called
“association
of
the
quality
of
mercy
with
judgment,”
known
as
Tzimtzum
Bet.
This
means
that
Bina,
the
quality
of
mercy,
called
“bestowal,”
mingled
with
Malchut,
which
is
reception.
Through
that
merger
of
mercy
with
judgment
that
is
done
by
the
remedy
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments],
we
can
achieve
the
abundance
although
it
is
against
our
nature.
This
matter
is
presented
in
“Preface
to
the
Wisdom
of
Kabbalah”
(item
58):
“This
is
the
meaning
of
our
sages’
words:
‘In
the
beginning,
He
contemplated
creating
the
world
with
the
quality
of
Din
[judgment].
He
saw
that
the
world
does
not
exist
and
preceded
the
quality
of
Rachamim
[mercy],
and
associated
it
with
the
quality
of
Din.’
…‘He
saw
that
the
world
does
not
exist’
means
that
in
this
way,
it
was
impossible
for
man,
who
was
to
be
created
from
this
Behina
Dalet,
to
assume
acts
of
bestowal.
…Therefore,
He
preceded
the
quality
of
Rachamim
and
associated
it
with
the
quality
of
Din.
Through
this
association,
Behina
Dalet—Midat
ha
Din—was
incorporated
with
sparks
of
bestowal
in
the
Kli
of
Bina.”
According
to
the
above-said,
it
follows
that
we
have
the
means
by
which
to
achieve
the
purpose
of
creation
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
only
thanks
to
the
small
Hey.
This
is
because
the
judgment
in
the
Hey,
which
is
the
quality
of
judgment,
diminished
into
the
quality
of
mercy.
This
means
that
part
of
the
desire
to
receive
diminished
and
received
into
it
the
quality
of
Rachamim,
as
was
said
above,
that
in
the
roots,
the
vessels
of
reception
included
the
quality
of
bestowal,
called
Rachamim.
By
this
we
will
understand
why
the
holy
Zohar
concludes
that
“one
does
not
dispute
the
other
because
everything
comes
down
together.
That
is,
if
there
is
Hesed
in
the
world,
the
Shechina
is
in
the
world,
as
well,
and
vice
versa.
…and
the
world
was
created
for
Hesed
and
for
the
Shechina.”
This
implies
that
it
means
that
both,
meaning
the
quality
of
Hesed
and
the
Shechina,
which
was
corrected
with
the
quality
of
Rachamim,
aim
for
the
same
thing—that
through
them
the
creatures
would
achieve
the
purpose
of
creation,
which
is
to
delight
His
creatures.
This
is
why
he
says,
“If
there
is
no
Hesed
there
is
no
Shechina.”
That
is,
without
the
correction
of
Hesed
in
the
world,
where
through
the
quality
of
Hesed
they
can
receive
in
order
to
bestow,
there
would
not
be
the
Shechina.
That
is,
the
correction
that
was
done
in
Malchut,
called
“association
of
the
quality
of
mercy
with
judgment,”
would
not
help.
However,
the
quality
of
Hesed
does
exist
in
the
world,
meaning
that
Malchut
was
corrected
with
the
quality
of
Hesed,
which
is
Rachamim,
and
this
helps
to
achieve
the
goal.
However,
we
should
understand
why
Malchut
is
called
Shechina.
Baal
HaSulam
said
that
the
holy
Zohar
says,
“He
is
Shochen
[dweller];
she
is
Shechina.”
This
means
that
where
the
Creator
is
revealed
it
is
called
Shechina.
This
is
called
“instilling
of
the
Shechina,”
meaning
that
there
the
Creator
is
revealed.
For
this
reason
one
should
always
pray
to
be
rewarded
with
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
also
known
as
“faith.”
That
is,
one
should
pray
that
he
will
be
rewarded
with
faith.
But
there
is
a
question:
If
he
knows
that
he
lacks
faith
in
the
Creator,
then
to
whom
is
he
praying,
for
only
when
he
believes
in
the
Creator
can
it
be
said
that
he
is
asking
the
Creator
to
give
him
what
he
wants?
We
can
interpret
this
according
to
what
is
written
in
the
“Introduction
to
the
study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot”
(item
14):
“‘He
whose
Torah
is
his
trade.’
The
measure
of
his
faith
is
apparent
in
his
practice
of
Torah
because
the
letters
of
Umanuto
[his
trade],
are
the
same
[in
Hebrew]
as
in
Emunato
[his
faith].
It
is
like
a
person
who
trusts
his
friend
and
lends
him
money.
He
may
trust
him
with
a
pound,
and
if
he
asks
for
two
pounds
he
will
refuse
to
lend
him.
He
might
also
trust
him
with
one
hundred
pounds,
but
not
more.
Also,
he
might
trust
him
enough
to
lend
him
half
his
property,
but
not
all
his
property.
Finally,
he
may
trust
him
with
all
his
property
without
a
hint
of
fear.
This
last
faith
is
considered
‘whole
faith,’
and
the
previous
forms
are
considered
‘incomplete
faith.’
Rather
it
is
partial
faith,
whether
more
or
less.”
Thus,
we
see
that
there
is
partial
faith.
When
he
has
partial
faith,
it
can
be
said
that
a
person
should
pray
to
the
Creator
to
help
him
since
he
has
only
partial
faith,
so
he
wants
the
Creator
to
help
him
achieve
complete
faith.
And
since
it
is
impossible
to
be
awarded
complete
faith
before
one
is
rewarded
with
equivalence
of
form,
as
said
in
the
previous
articles
and
presented
in
the
“Introduction
of
the
Book
of
Zohar”
(p
138),
hence
there
are
those
corrections,
as
written
above
concerning
BeHibaraam:
1)
through
the
quality
of
Hesed
they
will
achieve
equivalence
of
form,
which
is
regarded
as
Abraham;
2)
he
says
that
he
is
Hey,
meaning
the
Shechina.
That
is,
Malchut
received
into
her
the
quality
of
Rachamim
by
which
they
will
come
into
bestowal,
and
then
the
purpose
of
creation
to
do
good
to
His
creations
will
come
true.