A
Real
Prayer
Is
over
a
Real
Deficiency
Article
No.
11,
1986
The
writing
says,
“These
are
the
names
of
the
sons
of
Israel
who
came
to
Egypt.
…And
a
new
king
arose
over
Egypt,
who
did
not
know
Joseph.
…And
the
Egyptians
compelled
the
sons
of
Israel
to
labor
rigorously
…
And
it
came
to
pass
that
the
sons
of
Israel
sighed
from
the
work,
and
they
cried
out,
and
their
cry
because
of
the
work
went
up
to
God
…
and
God
heard
their
groaning.”
We
should
understand
why
it
is
written,
“and
their
cry
because
of
the
work
went
up
to
God.”
Did
they
not
have
greater
torments
in
Egypt?
Here
it
seems
that
their
cry,
meaning
their
torments,
were
only
from
the
work.
It
is
also
written,
“And
God
heard
their
groaning,”
meaning
that
hearing
the
prayer
was
over
their
groaning,
which
is
only
about
the
work.
We
shall
interpret
this
according
to
our
way.
It
is
known
that
before
a
person
begins
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
but
for
reasons
that
are
written
in
the
holy
Zohar
(“Introduction
of
the
Book
of
Zohar,”
items
190-191),
that
there
are
two
reasons
for
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments]:
1)
to
have
the
pleasures
of
this
world.
If
he
does
not
observe
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot
he
is
afraid
that
the
Creator
will
punish
him.
2)
To
have
the
pleasures
of
the
next
world.
His
fear
that
he
may
not
be
given
causes
him
to
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
When
the
reason
that
compels
him
to
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot
is
his
own
benefit,
the
body
does
not
resist
so
much
because
to
the
extent
that
he
believes
in
reward
and
punishment
he
can
work
and
feel
that
each
day
he
is
adding
more.
And
this
is
the
truth,
that
each
day
of
performing
Mitzvot
and
engaging
in
the
Torah
joins
the
day
before,
and
so
he
adds
to
his
possessions
of
keeping
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
The
reason
is
that
his
intention
is
primarily
the
reward,
and
he
is
not
thinking
about
the
intention,
meaning
that
his
aim
will
be
to
bestow.
Rather,
he
believes
in
reward
and
punishment,
and
that
he
will
be
rewarded
for
what
he
is
doing.
Therefore,
his
aim
is
only
to
perform
proper
actions
in
every
detail.
Otherwise,
if
the
actions
are
improper,
it
is
certain
that
his
work
will
not
be
accepted
so
as
to
reward
him
for
them.
When
he
sees
that
the
work
he
is
doing
is
fine,
he
has
nothing
more
to
worry
about.
For
this
reason,
his
concern
is
only
with
the
quantity,
meaning
that
he
should
try
to
do
more
good
deeds.
If
he
is
a
wise
disciple
then
he
knows
he
should
delve
deeper
into
his
learning
and
be
more
meticulous
in
the
Mitzvot
he
is
performing—to
keep
them
according
to
the
law
according
to
everyone’s
view.
He
always
tries
to
be
rigorous
with
judgments
that
are
usually
treated
more
lightly,
while
he
tries
to
be
more
rigorous,
but
he
has
no
other
worries.
It
follows
that
such
people—whose
reason
for
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot
and
assuming
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
to
be
rewarded
in
this
world
and
in
the
next
world—do
not
need
the
Creator
to
have
the
strength
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
since
to
the
extent
of
their
faith
in
reward
and
punishment
the
body
allows
them
to
keep,
each
according
to
his
degree.
This
is
not
so
with
people
who
want
to
do
the
holy
work
in
order
to
bestow
without
any
reward,
and
want
to
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot
because
of
the
greatness
of
the
Creator,
and
it
is
a
great
privilege
for
them
to
be
allowed
to
serve
the
King,
as
it
is
written
in
the
above-mentioned
holy
Zohar:
“Fear,
which
is
the
first,
is
that
one
should
fear
one’s
Master
because
He
is
great
and
ruling,
the
essence
and
the
root.”
He
interprets
there,
in
the
Sulam
[Ladder
commentary
on
The
Zohar],
that
there
are
three
manners
to
fear
of
the
Creator:
1)
fear
of
punishments
in
this
world,
2)
fearing
punishments
of
Hell,
as
well.
Those
two
are
not
real
fear
because
he
is
not
keeping
the
fear
because
of
the
commandment
of
the
Creator,
but
for
his
own
sake.
It
follows
that
his
personal
benefit
is
the
root,
and
fear
is
the
branch
and
results
from
his
own
benefit.
But
fear
that
is
the
essence
is
that
he
will
fear
the
Creator
because
He
is
great
and
rules
over
everything.
It
follows
that
the
greatness
of
the
Creator
is
the
reason
that
compels
him
to
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
This
is
regarded
as
his
desire
being
only
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator,
called
“bestowing
contentment
upon
his
Maker
and
not
for
his
own
benefit.”
Here
begins
the
exile,
meaning
that
he
is
not
permitted
to
aim
his
work
to
be
in
order
not
to
receive
reward,
since
it
is
against
nature.
And
although
one
can
force
oneself
although
the
body
disagrees,
just
as
one
can
practice
abstention
although
it
is
against
nature,
but
this
pertains
to
actions.
That
is,
to
do
things
against
the
body’s
will
he
can
go
above
reason,
called
“against
the
body’s
will.”
However,
he
cannot
go
against
his
feeling
and
intellect,
meaning
to
say
that
he
feels
otherwise
than
he
does.
For
example,
if
a
person
is
cold
or
hot,
he
cannot
say
that
his
feeling
is
untrue,
and
force
himself
to
say
that
he
understands
otherwise
than
what
his
mind
does,
or
that
he
feels
otherwise
than
what
he
is
feeling.
His
only
option
is
to
say
what
he
sees.
It
follows
that
when
one
wants
to
keep
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
order
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator,
it
is
the
nature
of
the
body
not
to
move
at
all
unless
it
sees
that
it
will
have
some
reward.
Thus,
he
has
no
way
to
work
for
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
benefit.
Here
begins
the
exile,
meaning
the
torments
that
as
much
as
he
works
he
sees
no
progress.
For
example,
if
he
is
twenty
years
old
he
can
say
that
he
has
acquired
possessions
of
twenty
years
of
engagement
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
On
the
other
hand,
he
can
say
that
he
has
been
keeping
Torah
and
Mitzvot
for
twenty
years
but
has
not
achieved
the
ability
to
do
anything
in
order
to
bestow,
rather
everything
is
built
on
the
basis
of
self-love.
It
follows
that
all
the
torments
and
pains
he
suffers
are
because
he
cannot
work
for
the
Creator.
He
wants
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
but
the
body
is
enslaved
to
the
Klipot
[shells/peels]
and
does
not
let
him
have
this
aim.
At
that
time
he
cries
out
to
the
Creator
to
help
him
because
he
sees
that
he
is
in
exile
among
the
Klipot,
they
govern
him,
and
he
sees
no
way
that
he
will
be
able
to
emerge
from
their
control.
It
follows
that
at
that
time
his
prayer
is
regarded
as
a
real
prayer
because
he
cannot
come
out
from
this
exile,
as
it
is
written,
“And
He
brought
Israel
out
from
their
midst,
for
His
mercy
is
forever.”
Since
this
is
against
nature,
only
the
Creator
can
deliver
Israel
from
this
exile.
But
since
it
is
known
that
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli
[vessel],
meaning
that
there
is
no
filling
without
a
lack,
and
the
lack
is
the
Kli
that
receives
the
filling,
for
this
reason,
before
one
enters
exile,
meaning
if
he
does
not
see
that
he
cannot
deliver
himself
from
the
exile
by
himself,
it
cannot
be
said
that
he
should
be
brought
out.
This
is
so
because
although
he
cries,
“Get
me
out
of
the
state
I
am
in,”
it
is
not
a
real
prayer
because
how
does
he
know
that
he
cannot
come
out
by
himself?
Rather,
this
can
be
said
precisely
when
he
feels
the
exile,
meaning
that
he
will
pray
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart.
There
are
two
conditions
for
praying
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart:
1)
His
work
must
be
against
nature.
That
is,
he
wants
to
do
everything
only
to
bestow,
and
wants
to
exit
self-love.
At
that
time
it
can
be
said
that
he
has
a
lack.
2)
He
begins
to
exit
self-love
by
himself
and
exerts
in
it,
but
cannot
move
an
inch
from
his
state.
At
that
time
he
becomes
needy
of
the
Creator’s
help
and
his
prayer
is
real
because
he
sees
that
he
cannot
do
anything
by
himself.
Then,
when
he
cries
out
to
the
Creator
to
help
him,
he
knows
this
from
the
work,
as
it
is
written,
“And
the
children
of
Israel
sighed
from
the
work.”
This
means
that
by
working
and
wanting
to
achieve
the
degree
of
being
able
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator,
they
saw
that
they
could
not
emerge
from
their
nature
so
they
prayed
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart.
By
this
we
will
understand
what
we
asked
about
the
verse,
“and
their
cry
because
of
the
work
went
up
to
God.”
This
means
that
the
worst
torments,
over
which
was
all
their
crying
out,
was
only
over
the
work,
and
not
over
other
things.
Rather,
it
means
that
they
were
crying
out
over
their
situation—that
they
could
not
emerge
from
self-love
and
work
for
the
Creator.
This
was
their
exile,
which
tormented
them—that
they
saw
that
they
were
under
their
control.
It
follows
that
in
the
exile
in
Egypt
they
obtained
Kelim,
meaning
a
desire
that
the
Creator
will
help
them
emerge
from
the
exile,
as
we
said
above
that
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli,
for
only
when
we
pray
a
real
prayer,
when
one
sees
that
he
cannot
be
saved,
and
only
the
Creator
can
help
him,
this
is
considered
a
real
prayer.