The
Importance
of
Faith
that
Is
Always
Present
Article
No.
6,
1987
The
Zohar
asks
(Vayetze,
Item
75),
“Rabbi
Yehuda
said,
‘Since
the
Creator
promised
him,
‘Behold,
I
am
with
you
and
will
keep
you
wherever
you
go,’
why
did
he
not
believe,
but
said,
‘If
God
is
with
me’?
He
replies,
‘Jacob
said,
‘I
dreamt
a
dream.’
And
as
for
dreams,
some
are
true
and
some
are
not
true.
If
it
comes
true,
I
will
know
that
the
dream
was
true.’
This
is
why
he
said,
‘If
God
is
with
me,’
as
I
dreamt,
and
‘Then
the
Lord
shall
be
a
God
unto
me.’’”
We
need
to
understand
the
above
question,
as
well
as
the
answer,
in
the
work,
as
far
as
it
concerns
us.
Also,
what
is
a
dream
and
what
is
the
promise
that
the
Creator
made,
and
what
is
the
condition
that
Jacob
said,
“If
God
is
with
me
then
the
Lord
shall
be
a
God
unto
me,”
then
he
will
keep
the
vow.
To
explain
all
this
in
the
work,
we
should
begin
with
the
purpose
of
creation,
which
the
Creator
created
in
order
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
It
is
considered
that
the
Creator
promised
to
give
the
creatures
abundance.
We
should
certainly
understand
this,
that
He
promised
abundance
to
the
creatures—it
certainly
means
that
He
would
give
to
people
only
the
abundance
suitable
for
people.
For
example,
we
see
what
is
good
for
cats:
When
they
catch
mice
and
eat
them,
this
is
their
abundance.
We
cannot
say
that
this
abundance,
which
He
gives
to
vermin
and
insects,
He
should
give
to
people.
The
same
applies
to
the
speaking,
called
“human.”
In
them,
too,
there
are
those
who
know
nothing
more
than
what
the
still,
vegetative,
and
animate
know
as
good.
Certainly,
animals,
for
example,
were
given
the
abundance
that
is
good
for
them.
And
should
we
give
them
other
abundance,
it
would
be
bad
because
they
do
not
have
the
Kelim
[vessels]
to
feel
any
taste
in
it.
It
is
likewise
with
the
vegetative
and
with
the
still.
That
is,
within
the
speaking
we
should
discern
the
still,
vegetative,
and
animate.
This
is
as
it
is
written
in
the
“Introduction
to
the
Book
of
Zohar”
(Item
33):
“And
you
must
know
that
any
contentment
of
our
Maker
from
bestowing
upon
His
creatures
depends
on
the
extent
to
which
the
creatures
feel
that
He
is
the
giver,
and
the
one
who
delights
them.
Then
He
takes
great
pleasure
in
them,
as
a
father
playing
with
his
beloved
son,
to
the
degree
that
the
son
feels
and
recognizes
the
greatness
and
exaltedness
of
his
father,
and
his
father
shows
him
all
the
treasures
he
has
prepared
for
him.”
Accordingly,
we
can
see
that
the
purpose
of
creation
of
doing
good
to
His
creations
is
that
they
will
achieve
the
revelation
of
Godliness.
There
was
no
intent
for
corporeal
pleasures
because
all
the
corporeal
pleasures
from
which
the
creatures
are
nourished
before
they
obtain
vessels
of
bestowal
are
only,
as
it
is
written
in
The
Zohar,
a
frail
light
of
sparks
of
Kedusha
[holiness]
that
fell
among
the
Klipot
[shells/peels].
This
is
all
of
their
vitality.
But
the
primary
delight
and
pleasure
are
clothed
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds].
However,
in
order
for
the
pleasure
that
the
Creator
wishes
to
impart
upon
the
creatures
to
be
complete,
the
correction
of
Tzimtzum
[restriction]
took
place,
namely
the
concealment
on
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
exist
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
(It
is
so
that
the
world
will
exist,
so
they
can
receive
the
pleasure
and
enjoy,
in
the
meantime,
from
the
frail
illumination
that
fell
among
the
Klipot
and
on
which
the
world
feeds.)
Through
the
concealment
there
is
room
for
man
to
accustom
himself
that
everything
he
does
will
be
for
the
Creator
because
he
wants
to
serve
the
King
without
anything
in
return,
since
he
is
keeping
Torah
and
Mitzvot
without
any
appearance
of
light,
which
is
called
“the
true
delight
and
pleasure.”
Once
he
has
become
accustomed
to
keeping
his
intent
only
to
bestow,
then,
when
he
receives
the
delight
and
pleasure,
there
will
not
be
any
bread
of
shame
in
it
because
he
will
not
be
receiving
the
delight
and
pleasure
for
his
own
benefit.
For
himself,
he
will
be
willing
to
give
up
the
pleasures.
But
since
he
wants
to
please
the
Creator
and
sees
that
the
Creator
lacks
only
one
thing—that
He
can
carry
out
His
goal,
meaning
that
the
creatures
will
receive
from
Him—for
this
reason
he
now
receives
the
abundance,
to
please
the
Creator,
for
the
Creator
can
receive
only
this
from
the
lower
ones:
that
they
will
receive
from
Him
delight
and
pleasure.
And
since
the
Creator
wants
to
delight
the
creatures,
the
creatures
must
delight
the
Creator,
too.
This
is
called
“equivalence
of
form.”
However,
it
takes
great
labor
to
achieve
equivalence
of
form,
which
means
that
all
the
actions
are
done
for
the
Creator,
since
it
is
against
nature.
Since
man
is
created
with
a
will
to
receive
pleasure
for
himself,
called
“will
to
receive
for
himself,”
and
a
person
is
told
that
he
must
cancel
this
will
to
receive
and
acquire
a
new
Kli
[vessel],
called
“desire
to
bestow,”
so
not
every
person
is
rewarded
with
being
able
to
acquire
these
Kelim,
which
are
fit
to
contain
the
upper
light.
In
order
for
one
to
have
a
desire
to
bestow,
our
sages
said
(Kidushin
30),
“I
have
created
the
evil
inclination;
I
have
created
for
it
the
spice
of
Torah.”
Thus,
precisely
by
the
Torah
he
can
achieve
vessels
of
bestowal.
Also,
there
is
a
saying
by
our
sages
(Sukkah
52):
“Rabbi
Shimon
Ben
Levi
said,
‘Man’s
inclination
overcomes
him
every
day
and
seeks
to
put
him
to
death,
as
it
was
said,
‘The
wicked
watches
the
righteous
and
seeks
to
put
him
to
death.’
Were
it
not
for
the
Creator’s
help,
he
would
not
overcome
it,
as
it
was
said,
‘The
Lord
will
not
leave
him
in
its
hand,’
referring
to
this
will
to
receive,
since
it
is
separated
from
the
Creator,
as
it
is
known
that
in
spirituality,
disparity
of
form
separates
the
spiritual
and
divides
it
in
two.’’”
It
is
explained
in
the
“Introduction
to
the
Book
of
Zohar”
(Item
10)
that
“Indeed,
first
we
must
understand
the
meaning
of
the
existence
of
Tuma’a
[impurity]
and
Klipot.
Know
that
this
is
the
great
will
to
receive,
which
we
said,
and
which
He
placed
(the
will
to
receive)
in
the
system
of
the
impure
worlds
ABYA.
Because
of
it,
they
have
become
separated
from
the
Creator
and
from
all
the
worlds
of
Kedusha
[holiness].
For
this
reason,
the
Klipot
are
called
‘dead,’
as
it
is
written,
‘sacrifices
of
the
dead.’
And
the
wicked
that
follow
them,
as
our
sages
said,
‘The
wicked,
in
their
lives,
are
called
‘dead,’’
since
the
will
to
receive
imprinted
in
them
in
oppositeness
of
form
to
His
Holiness
separates
them
from
the
Life
of
Lives,
and
they
are
far
from
Him
from
one
end
to
the
other.
It
is
so
because
He
has
no
interest
in
reception,
but
only
in
bestowal,
whereas
the
Klipot
want
none
of
bestowal,
but
only
to
receive
for
themselves,
for
their
own
delight,
and
there
is
no
greater
oppositeness
than
this.”
According
to
the
above,
in
order
for
a
person
to
have
equivalence
of
form
so
he
may
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
from
the
Creator,
one
is
required
to
great
exertion
and
much
help
from
above
so
he
can
defeat
the
evil
in
him,
which
is
the
will
to
receive,
and
to
be
able
to
use
it
with
the
aim
to
bestow.
There
are
many
people
who
are
not
rewarded
with
it,
and
for
those
who
are
rewarded
with
it,
it
is
truly
a
miracle.
Now
we
should
explain
what
we
asked
about
what
is
written
about
Jacob,
what
it
comes
to
teach
us
of
the
way
of
the
Creator
in
that
the
Torah
tells
us
his
dream
and
the
vow
he
made,
and
that
the
vow
was
on
condition
in
that
he
said,
“If
God
is
with
me.”
It
is
written,
“And
Jacob
arose
from
his
sleep…
and
took
the
stone
he
had
placed
under
his
head.”
It
is
known
that
a
stone
is
called
Malchut,
and
Malchut
is
called
“faith.”
That
is,
when
a
person
wants
to
understand,
and
understanding
is
called
“head”
[mind],
he
takes
this
understanding
in
his
mind
and
places
it
under
his
head.
This
means
that
he
places
faith
in
the
head
and
places
his
understanding
and
knowledge
under
his
head.
It
follows
that
afterwards
the
order
is
that
faith
is
above
and
reason
is
below.
This
is
called
“faith
above
reason.”
Accordingly,
we
can
interpret
what
is
written,
“And
he
took
one
of
the
stones
of
the
place
and
put
it
under
his
head.”
It
is
written,
“and
[Jacob]
set
it
up
as
a
headstone,”
meaning
that
he
had
made
faith
above
reason
his
state.
Matzeva
[headstone]
comes
from
the
word
Matzav
[state],
meaning
that
the
state
that
he
wants
to
build
the
structure
of
Kedusha
will
be
in
faith
above
reason.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
words,
“Then
Jacob
made
a
vow,
saying,
‘If
God
is
with
me…
then
the
Lord
will
be
a
God
unto
me.’”
The
Zohar
asked
about
it:
“Why
did
he
not
believe
but
said,
“If
God
is
with
me”?
It
replies
that
Jacob
said,
“I
dreamt
a
dream.
And
as
for
dreams,
some
are
true
and
some
are
not
true.
If
it
comes
true
I
will
know
that
the
dream
was
true.”
We
should
interpret
the
meaning
of
this
world
and
the
next
world
in
the
work.
This
world
is
like
a
dream.
That
is,
however
we
solve
it,
so
it
exists.
It
is
as
our
sages
said
(Berachot
55),
“All
the
dreams
follow
the
mouth,”
as
was
said,
“As
he
solved
it
for
us,
so
it
was.”
In
the
literal
meaning,
this
is
difficult
to
understand
that
however
people
solve
it,
so
it
comes
true.
Accordingly,
why
should
I
torment
myself
over
a
bad
dream?
There
is
a
simple
advice:
He
can
go
to
people
who
are
his
friends
and
they
will
certainly
resolve
the
dream
favorably,
as
our
sages
said,
“All
the
dreams
follow
the
mouth,”
and
there
is
no
doubt
that
there
are
explanations
in
the
literal.
We
will
interpret
this
in
the
work.
The
Creator
created
the
world
in
order
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
In
order
not
to
have
shame
in
the
delight
and
pleasure,
man
is
in
this
world,
which
is
a
place
of
work
where
he
can
obtain
vessels
of
bestowal
by
which
to
receive
everything
in
order
to
bestow.
By
this
there
is
no
room
for
shame
here
because
he
is
receiving
everything
because
of
a
Mitzva
[commandment].
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
The
Zohar
says,
“The
Creator
promised
Jacob
abundance.”
However,
He
spoke
to
him
by
way
of
a
dream,
meaning
in
this
world,
which
is
like
a
dream.
That
is,
according
to
how
a
person
solves
it,
meaning
if
a
person
goes
according
to
the
view
of
Torah
(as
it
is
written
in
Article
No.
5,
Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin),
it
follows
that
he
gives
a
good
solution
to
what
the
Creator
promised,
in
that
He
has
created
with
the
world
with
the
intention
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
But
this
promise
is
a
dream,
meaning
that
by
a
person
solving
the
promise
to
do
good,
which
is
what
the
Creator
wants
to
bestow,
he
will
give
the
solution:
As
the
Creator
is
the
giver,
likewise,
man
can
work
only
in
order
to
bestow.
This
is
regarded
as
the
promise
that
the
Creator
promised,
to
do
good,
being
if
a
person
also
provides
the
solution,
namely
to
do
good.
This
is
as
our
sages
said,
“As
He
is
merciful,
so
you
are
merciful.”
But
if
a
person
does
not
offer
the
solution
to
the
dream,
but
what
the
Creator
promised,
which
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
and
he
wants
the
opposite,
meaning
he
wants
to
receive
in
order
to
receive,
it
follows
that
he
solves
it
negatively.
That
is,
the
good
that
the
Creator
wants
to
give
cannot
be
upheld
because
he
did
not
prepare
the
suitable
Kelim
for
the
delight
and
pleasure
to
able
to
enter
them,
meaning
that
there
will
not
be
separation
between
them,
as
it
is
known
that
disparity
of
form
separates
the
spiritual
in
two.
Now
we
can
understand
why
the
dream
follows
the
solution.
The
meaning
is
that
the
Creator’s
promise
to
do
good
to
His
creations
depends
on
man’s
work
in
this
world,
where
this
world
is
like
a
dream,
and
everything
depends
on
its
solution,
on
how
it
is
solved.
That
is,
if
the
solution
in
this
world
is
for
the
better,
meaning
if
all
of
a
person’s
actions
are
to
do
good,
meaning
to
bestow,
then
the
promise
that
the
Creator
promised,
to
do
good,
will
come
true.
If
the
solution
follows
the
evil
inclination
then
the
dream,
which
is
the
work
in
this
world—that
the
Creator
will
give
the
abundance—cannot
come
true.
Accordingly,
we
can
understand
what
our
sages
said,
“All
the
dreams
follow
the
mouth.”
It
means
that
if
a
person
speaks
good
things
with
his
mouth,
meaning
that
he
always
says
that
we
should
do
good
deeds,
that
everything
is
for
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
then
the
good
dream
comes
true.
That
is,
he
is
rewarded,
as
our
sages
said
(Berachot
17),
with
“You
will
see
your
world
in
your
life,
and
your
end
in
the
life
of
the
next
world.”
But
if
his
mouth
solves
badly
and
he
says
that
he
must
care
for
his
own
benefit,
it
is
a
bad
dream
because
he
solved
the
dream
negatively.
It
follows
that
the
Creator
gave
His
promise
to
give
the
delight
and
pleasure
as
a
dream,
meaning
within
this
world,
which
is
like
a
dream.
Now
we
can
understand
the
condition
and
the
vow,
and
the
importance
of
the
vow,
what
greatness
there
is
in
the
vow,
where
he
said,
“If
the
Lord
keeps
everything
that
He
has
promised
me,”
what
a
great
thing
he
will
do
then,
as
it
is
written,
“This
stone,
which
I
have
set
up
as
a
headstone,
will
be
God's
house.”
Accordingly,
the
verse,
“And
he
took
from
the
stones
of
the
place”
means
that
he
took
the
stones,
meaning
the
understandings
and
concepts
and
views
of
the
place,
where
each
one
has
his
own
view.
According
to
everyone’s
understanding,
he
should
walk
in
the
path
of
the
Creator
only
where
the
intellect
dictates,
and
not
go
against
reason,
saying
that
this
is
why
we
were
given
reason—so
we
will
understand
what
we
are
doing.
However,
he
saw
that
although
each
one
has
a
different
intellect,
he
saw
that
the
Creator,
by
creating
the
creatures
with
a
nature
of
wanting
to
receive,
there
is
really
only
one
view
here,
namely
self-love,
except
each
one
elicits
his
self-love
with
a
special
intellect.
But
they
are
equal
in
that
they
are
only
will
to
receive
and
nothing
more.
It
is
as
it
is
written,
“And
he
took
the
stone,”
one
stone.
That
is,
he
placed
reason,
called
“stone,”
under
his
head,
and
took
faith
into
his
head,
with
reason
being
below
faith.
The
vow
was
that
“If
God
is
with
me,”
meaning
if
he
is
rewarded
with
greeting
the
Shechina
[Divinity],
as
it
is
written,
“Then
the
Lord
shall
be
a
God
unto
me.”
And
still,
I
will
not
take
this
as
the
basis,
but
my
whole
structure
of
God’s
house
will
be
on
faith
above
reason.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
is
written,
“This
stone,
which
I
have
set
up
as
a
headstone,
will
be
God's
house.”
Now
we
will
understand
the
importance
of
the
vow
that
he
said,
“If
God
helps
me
solve
it
positively,”
meaning
that
he
will
acquire
the
appropriate
vessels
of
bestowal
where
the
upper
abundance
clothes,
this
is
called
“greeting
the
Shechina.”
However,
he
still
wants
to
use
only
the
stone
he
had
taken
in
the
beginning
and
which
he
made
into
a
headstone,
meaning
the
stone
that
was
below
his
head.
And
then
the
vow
was
that
although
he
would
be
rewarded
with
“God
is
with
me
and
the
Lord
shall
be
a
God
unto
me,”
that
stone,
which
I
have
placed
as
a
headstone,
will
be
the
house
of
God.
That
is,
he
wants
to
stay
in
faith
even
though
he
has
all
the
revelations.
It
follows
that
faith
applies
both
in
Katnut
[infancy/smallness]
and
in
Gadlut
[adulthood/greatness].
From
here
we
see
the
importance
of
faith,
for
the
vow
was
that
even
in
Gadlut
he
would
not
move
from
faith.