When
Is
One
Considered
“A
Worker
of
the
Creator”
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
18,
1988
The
Zohar
(Tazria,
Item
10)
asks
about
the
verse,
“When
a
woman
inseminates
and
delivers
a
male
child:
“Rabbi
Aha
said,
‘‘And
delivers
a
male
child.’
Since
she
inseminates,
does
she
also
deliver?
After
all,
this
requires
pregnancy.
This
verse
should
have
said,
‘If
a
woman
is
impregnated,
she
delivers
a
male
child.’
What
is,
‘If
she
inseminates,
she
delivers’?
Rabbi
Yosi
said,
‘Since
the
day
of
insemination
and
conception
to
the
day
of
delivery,
a
woman
has
not
a
word
in
her
mouth
except
her
offspring,
whether
it
will
be
a
male.
This
is
why
it
is
written,
‘If
a
woman
inseminates
and
delivers
a
male
child.’’”
We
should
understand
what
it
means
that
the
woman
says,
“Since
the
day
of
insemination
and
conception
to
the
day
of
delivery,
a
woman
has
not
a
word
in
her
mouth
except
her
offspring,
whether
it
will
be
a
male,”
and
that
this
is
why
the
verse
says,
“If
a
woman
inseminates.”
What
does
knowing
this
give
us?
Certainly,
there
are
answers
in
the
literal.
But
we
will
explain
in
the
work,
what
is
the
importance
of
a
woman
being
worried
whether
her
child
will
be
a
male
as
soon
as
she
inseminates.
First,
we
need
to
know
what
is
insemination
in
the
work.
In
corporeality,
we
see
that
when
we
sow
a
seed
in
the
soil,
the
seed
rots
in
the
ground,
and
then
yields
crop
that
sustains
people.
That
is,
the
sowing
brings
us
food.
If
a
person
did
not
sow
a
seed,
he
will
certainly
not
reap,
as
it
is
written,
“They
who
sow
in
tears
shall
reap
in
song.”
What
is
sowing
in
the
work
of
the
Creator?
We
should
interpret
that
there
are
two
forces
in
man:
1)
the
force
of
bestowal,
which
is
what
man
wants
to
bestow
upon
others,
and
2)
the
force
of
reception,
meaning
wanting
to
receive
from
others
and
enjoy
for
oneself.
Whichever
force
he
wants
to
annul,
this
is
called
“sowing.”
He
places
this
force
in
the
ground,
such
as
when
placing
seeds
in
the
ground
so
they
will
rot.
Then
they
are
annulled
in
the
earth
and
later
yield
crop
for
food
and
for
nourishment
and
life
to
the
world.
Likewise,
in
the
work,
when
a
person
wants
to
annul
the
will
to
receive
for
himself,
it
is
regarded
as
placing
it
in
the
ground,
as
wanting
to
annul
it
“as
the
dust
of
the
earth,”
and
that
a
desire
to
bestow
will
grow
out
of
it.
A
“woman”
is
called
“desire
to
receive
for
oneself.”
When
wanting
to
revoke
and
uproot
it
from
the
world,
the
desire
to
bestow
emerges
from
it,
which
yields
nourishment
and
life
and
peace
to
the
world,
since
through
the
Kli
[vessel]
of
the
desire
to
bestow,
called
“equivalence
of
form,”
we
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
the
Creator
wants
to
bestow
upon
the
creatures.
It
is
as
it
is
written,
“When
a
woman
inseminates
and
delivers
a
male
child.”
That
is,
by
burying
the
vessels
of
reception,
the
desire
to
bestow
emerges
from
it,
which
is
regarded
as
a
male.
However,
the
male
is
not
born
as
soon
as
one
sows.
Rather,
there
are
nine
months
of
pregnancy.
In
the
work,
they
are
called
“ascents
and
descents.”
Sometimes
a
pouring
rain
comes
down
and
takes
all
the
seeds
out
of
the
soil.
In
the
work,
this
is
called
the
arrival
of
“evil
water,”
which
are
Mi
[who]
and
Ma
[what],
and
Mi
and
Ma
together
are
called
Mayim
[water],
which
takes
all
the
seeds
outside.
That
is,
after
he
has
thrown
the
will
to
receive
for
himself
into
the
ground
several
times,
the
thoughts
of
“who”
and
“what,”
where
“who”
is
the
argument
of
Pharaoh,
who
said,
“Who
is
the
Lord
that
I
should
obey
His
voice?”
and
“what”
is
the
argument
of
the
wicked,
who
asks,
“What
is
this
work
for
you?”
These
thoughts
take
the
seeds
that
were
already
placed
in
the
earth,
in
utter
lowliness
and
degradation
back
up
from
the
ground,
and
once
again,
we
want
to
use
these
Kelim
[vessels],
which
are
vessels
of
reception.
And
once
again,
we
cannot
hope
to
have
something
with
which
to
furnish
ourselves
with
the
abundance
that
should
furnish
the
spiritual,
but
we
haven’t
the
Kelim
to
receive
the
abundance,
for
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli.
However,
afterward,
another
awakening
from
above
comes
to
a
person
and
he
begins
once
more
to
inseminate
the
“woman”
in
him,
called
“will
to
receive
for
himself.”
Once
again,
he
buries
it
in
the
ground,
and
once
again
comes
a
bad
wind
or
a
flood
of
rain,
and
so
on
and
so
forth.
This
causes
many
ascents
and
descents,
and
this
is
regarded
as
what
is
written,
“They
who
sow
in
tears.”
They
are
regarded
as
crying
because
it
appears
to
them
that
they
are
always
on
the
degree
at
which
they
began
to
come
into
the
work
of
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
when
they
are
about
to
inseminate
once
more,
they
sow
in
tears
because
they
see
that
each
time
they
begin
from
the
same
place
and
they
never
move
even
one
step
forward.
On
the
contrary,
they
see
that
they
are
going
backward.
Hence,
all
their
sowings
are
in
tears.
We
have
already
spoken
about
why
the
Creator
made
it
so
there
would
be
many
ascents
and
descents,
meaning
who
gains
from
it.
The
answer
is
that
it
is
in
man’s
benefit,
since
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli,
meaning
no
filling
without
a
lack.
And
since
the
Creator
wants
man
to
need
help
from
above,
since
through
the
help,
the
Creator
bestows
upon
him
illumination
from
above,
it
is
considered
that
each
time,
he
receives
additional
Kedusha.
Thus,
at
the
end
of
his
work,
after
he
has
come
to
a
greater
lack
each
time,
a
person
receives
a
holy
soul
from
above.
By
this,
he
is
rewarded
with
being
permanently
in
Kedusha,
as
The
Zohar
says,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided.”
With
what?
The
Zohar
says,
“with
a
holy
soul,”
and
all
this
came
to
him
through
ascents
and
descents.
By
this
we
will
understand
why
specifically
“They
who
sow
in
tears,
reap
in
song.”
It
is
because
they
sow
in
tears,
meaning
that
each
time,
he
sees
that
he
must
begin
to
sow
anew,
as
though
until
now
he
has
done
nothing.
He
sees
that
time
is
moving
forward
and
that
he
is
going
backward,
causing
him
sorrow
and
pain.
By
this,
he
constantly
becomes
more
needy
of
the
Creator’s
help.
This
means
that
each
time,
he
sees
himself,
how
inherently
incapable
he
is
to
exit
self-love,
except
through
a
miracle
from
above.
From
all
this
suffering,
a
true
need
and
Kli
is
created
in
him,
meaning
that
now
he
sees
what
is
written
(Psalms
127),
“Unless
the
Lord
builds
a
house,
they
who
built
it
worked
in
vain.”
Only
the
Creator
can
help.
It
follows
that
specifically
through
“They
who
sow
in
tears,”
a
person
can
obtain
the
need
for
the
Creator’s
salvation,
for
then
“reap
in
song”
comes
true.
Sowing
means
making
the
Kli,
and
reaping
means
the
reception
of
the
light.
That
is,
the
light
comes
into
the
Kli.
This
means
that
when
the
deficiency
is
filled,
this
is
called
“reaping.”
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
what
The
Zohar
says,
“Since
the
day
of
insemination
and
conception
to
the
day
of
delivery,
a
woman
has
not
a
word
in
her
mouth
except
her
offspring,
whether
it
will
be
a
male.”
We
asked,
What
does
this
come
to
teach
us
in
the
work?
When
a
person
begins
the
holy
work,
to
make
it
pure,
which
means
that
he
is
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
that
person
is
called
“a
woman
inseminates
first.”
This
means
that
the
beginning
of
his
work
is
that
he
wants
to
bury
in
the
ground
the
quality
of
Nukva
[female],
called
“a
woman.”
He
sows
that
desire
in
the
ground
the
way
one
sows
seeds
in
the
ground.
By
this,
food
grows
to
furnish
the
created
beings.
Likewise,
when
sowing
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
in
the
ground,
so
it
will
rot,
meaning
so
that
the
use
of
the
will
to
receive
will
be
cancelled
if
it
is
without
an
intention
to
bestow,
and
to
use
it
only
on
condition
that
he
can
use
it
in
order
to
bestow,
then
“she
delivers
a
male
child.”
That
is,
he
is
rewarded
with
the
quality
of
“male,”
meaning
that
he
has
the
power
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake.
However,
it
does
not
grow
at
once,
as
soon
as
we
plant
the
seed
in
the
soil.
Rather,
in
corporeality,
sometimes
there
are
torrential
rains
that
flood
the
whole
area,
and
all
the
seeds
come
out
even
before
they
decayed
in
the
soil.
It
is
likewise
in
the
work:
A
person
wants
to
grow
the
quality
of
male
as
soon
as
he
plants
the
seed
in
the
ground,
meaning
that
he
will
be
rewarded
with
the
desire
to
bestow
right
away.
But
since
the
order
is
that
it
is
impossible
to
go
against
nature
at
once,
since
man
is
born
with
a
desire
to
receive
for
himself,
hence,
there
is
always
the
matter
of
overcoming,
meaning
that
each
time,
a
person
begins
to
overcome
the
state
of
descent.
That
is,
once
the
winds
of
the
world
came
and
took
the
seeds
out
of
the
ground,
and
the
“winds
of
the
world”
are
thoughts
that
are
foreign
to
the
spirit
of
Kedusha,
called
“desire
to
bestow,”
a
person
has
to
overcome
and
sow
once
more
the
will
to
receive
for
himself
in
the
ground.
And
each
time,
he
tells
himself,
“Now
I
will
certainly
have
a
male
child.”
That
is,
Adama
[ground/soil/earth]
comes
from
the
words
Adame
la
Elyon
[I
will
be
like
the
Most
High],
meaning
equivalence
of
form,
which
is
the
quality
of
male.
The
female,
which
is
the
will
to
receive,
will
be
annulled
in
the
“I
will
be
like
the
Most
High.”
We
should
interpret
what
The
Zohar
says,
“Since
the
day
of
insemination
and
conception
to
the
day
of
delivery,
a
woman
has
not
a
word
in
her
mouth
except
her
offspring,
whether
it
will
be
a
male.”
That
is,
each
time
a
person
overcomes,
he
must
be
certain
that
now
he
will
be
rewarded
with
the
quality
of
male.
It
follows
that
in
each
and
every
sowing,
the
intention
is
only
to
be
a
male.
Otherwise,
if
his
intention
is
not
to
be
a
male,
it
is
not
regarded
as
sowing
anything.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
is
written
(Ecclesiastes
11:4),
“He
who
guards
the
wind
will
not
sow.”
Sporno
interprets
this
as
follows:
“‘He
who
guards
the
wind
will
not
sow.’
Even
though
sometimes
the
seed
is
lost
in
the
stormy
wind,
which
disperses
it,
still,
we
should
not
avoid
sowing
because
we
are
worried
about
it.”
We
should
interpret
his
words
in
the
work.
A
person
sees
that
he
has
many
descents,
and
many
times
he
has
overcome
and
sowed,
and
did
not
regard
the
wind,
meaning
the
alien
thoughts,
called
“winds
of
the
world,”
dispersing
them.
And
as
he
says,
he
should
not
look
at
the
stormy
wind,
since
she
is
the
hardest
Klipa
[shell/peel],
opposite
the
world
of
Assiya,
as
the
ARI
says,
whose
desire
is
to
spread
all
the
seeds
that
place
the
will
to
receive
in
the
ground,
since
it
is
against
her
will.
Therefore,
the
writing
says
that
we
must
not
look
at
this
wind,
which
wants
to
disperse
the
seeds,
but
overcome
and
not
avoid
sowing,
and
we
must
believe
in
the
Creator,
that
“the
salvation
of
the
Lord
is
as
the
blink
of
an
eye.”
Baal
HaSulam
interpreted
that
“He
who
guards
the
wind
will
not
sow”
means
that
one
should
not
say,
“I
cannot
do
anything
and
I
am
waiting
for
the
Creator
to
send
me
the
spirit
from
above,
and
then
I
will
have
the
strength
to
work.
In
the
meantime,
I
sit
and
wait.”
The
writing
says
about
this,
“guards
the
wind,”
from
the
verse,
“And
his
father
kept
the
matter,”
meaning
that
one
who
sits
and
waits
will
never
sow.
Rather,
a
person
must
make
“an
awakening
from
below,”
and
by
this
comes
“an
awakening
from
above.”
It
is
as
our
sages
said,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided.”
However,
the
person
must
begin.
Now
we
can
interpret
what
is
written
(Malachi
2),
“If
you
do
not
listen,
and
if
you
do
not
take
it
to
heart
to
give
honor
to
My
name,
I
will
send
the
curse
upon
you.
I
will
rebuke
your
semen
and
I
will
spread
feces
on
your
faces.”
The
Even
Ezra
interprets
this
as
follows:
“I
will
rebuke
the
semen
so
it
will
not
grow,
since
My
table
is
empty.”
The
Metzudat
David
interprets
this
as
“I
admonish
you.
Because
of
you,
I
will
rebuke
the
semen
so
it
does
not
grow.
‘And
I
will
spread
feces
on
your
faces,’
I
will
spread
manure
on
your
faces.”
He
reiterates
and
interprets,
“Manure
from
beasts
that
you
sacrifice
to
Me,
which
is
the
most
loathsome
thing
in
the
beast,
I
will
spread
it
in
order
to
degrade
you,
the
same
way
you
degrade
My
name.”
We
should
interpret
this
that
in
the
work,
it
is
when
we
sow
a
seed
in
the
ground
so
it
will
decay
and
annul
in
the
ground,
which
is
regarded
as
“I
will
be
like
the
Most
High,”
so
that
a
male
will
grow
out
of
this
sowing.
But
in
the
middle
of
the
sowing,
a
person
regrets
giving
“honor
to
My
name,”
to
do
everything
to
glorify
His
name.
Rather,
as
soon
as
one
sows,
a
person
receives
from
the
“winds
of
the
world,”
and
they
ask
the
person,
“What
about
your
own
glory?”
That
is,
what
will
the
person
receive
for
himself
from
this
work
of
sowing
in
the
ground
that
will
yield
a
desire
to
bestow?
It
follows
that
by
a
person
degrading
the
glory
of
heaven
before
his
own
glory,
saying
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
annul
his
own
glory
before
the
glory
of
heaven,
for
this
reason,
the
Creator
says,
“I
will
send
the
curse
upon
you,”
the
curse
that
the
seed
will
not
grow
so
that
you
will
not
be
able
to
receive
through
this
vessels
of
bestowal
because
as
soon
as
you
receive
the
thoughts
from
the
“winds
of
the
world,”
you
immediately
say
that
they
are
right
and
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
work
for
the
glory
of
heaven.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
the
Even
Ezra
says,
“I
will
rebuke
the
semen
so
it
will
not
grow
because
My
table
is
empty.”
This
means
that
they
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],
but
their
intention
is
not
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
the
table
of
the
Creator
is
empty,
and
everything
that
you
do
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
is
all
for
man’s
table,
for
one’s
own
sake.
Thus,
you
have
no
need
or
a
Kli
for
me
to
give
you
the
quality
of
“male,”
called
“desire
to
bestow,”
since
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli.
However,
the
question
is,
If
a
person
does
not
want
to
dedicate
one
hundred
percent
of
his
strength
to
work
for
the
Creator,
and
only
a
small
part
of
him
understands
that
it
is
worthwhile
to
work
for
the
Creator,
and
in
that
small
part,
the
Creator
places
a
curse
that
no
vessels
of
bestowal,
called
“male,”
will
grow
out
of
it,
how
can
one
ever
be
rewarded
with
vessels
of
bestowal?
We
should
interpret
this
according
to
the
rule
that
everything
that
the
Creator
does
is
for
the
purpose
of
correction.
That
is,
the
curse
not
to
grow
seeds
is
also
for
the
benefit
of
the
creatures.
This
should
be
interpreted
as
we
interpreted
the
verse,
“He
brings
down
to
the
netherworld
and
He
lifts
up.”
That
is,
by
seeing
that
each
time
he
sows,
the
wind
comes
and
disperses
the
seeds,
a
person
understands
that
he
must
pray
to
the
Creator
to
give
him
the
strength
to
stand
against
the
winds.
That
is,
the
Creator
should
let
him
feel
the
importance
of
obtaining
a
life
of
service
to
the
King
of
the
world,
since
each
time
he
overcomes
and
sows,
the
wind
promptly
disperses
it
and
takes
it
out
of
the
ground.
By
this
he
feels,
while
engaging
in
Torah
and
work,
the
taste
of
manure
while
he
is
thinking
about
the
aim
to
bestow.
As
the
Metzudat
David
interprets,
“I
will
spread
manure
on
your
faces,”
I
will
spread
it
to
degrade
you
the
way
you
degrade
My
name.
That
is,
when
you
do
not
pay
attention
while
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
and
you
do
not
think
that
they
should
be
for
My
name,
and
do
not
feel
the
flaw
that
you
are
doing,
I
will
make
you
feel
the
taste
of
manure,
so
you
will
not
have
the
strength
to
do
anything
even
in
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake],
since
you
will
feel
the
taste
of
manure
even
when
you
engage
in
Lo
Lishma.
This
will
cause
you
to
need
vessels
of
bestowal,
since
you
will
have
no
vitality
in
Lo
Lishma.
It
follows
that
this
curse
is
when
you
begin
to
sow
your
vessels
of
reception
in
the
ground
so
that
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
will
be
cancelled
in
the
ground.
But
you
do
not
pay
attention
to
regard
the
matter
of
bestowal
as
much
as
you
need,
and
you
make
these
sowings
without
any
awareness
that
it
is
a
key
matter,
and
our
lives,
for
otherwise
it
is
impossible
to
achieve
wholeness.
Instead,
you
do
this
not
so
seriously.
This
is
why
it
says,
“I
will
send,”
meaning
that
the
Creator
Himself
has
sent
these
thoughts
and
disperses
the
sowings
so
that
you
will
walk
on
the
path
of
truth,
so
they
will
understand
the
need
for
vessels
of
bestowal.
Now
we
can
understand
that
a
person
must
believe
that
all
his
descents,
if
they
occur
while
he
wants
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth,
he
must
believe
that
they
all
come
from
the
Creator.
That
is,
all
his
descents
are
for
his
best;
otherwise,
he
will
remain
in
his
current
state
and
will
never
be
able
to
reach
the
truth,
since
he
will
settle
for
what
he
has
and
will
think
that
this
is
wholeness.
For
this
reason,
when
a
person
comes
to
purify,
specifically
then
he
has
descents,
so
he
will
not
remain
in
his
Katnut
[smallness/infancy],
according
to
his
understanding.
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
what
is
written
in
The
Zohar
about
the
verse,
“For
the
portion
of
the
Lord
is
His
people.”
The
Creator
handed
the
seventy
nations
to
ministers
who
rule
over
them,
and
took
to
Himself
the
people
of
Israel,
to
rule
over
them.
That
is,
the
Creator
is
the
ruler
of
Israel,
which
is
not
so
with
the
rest
of
the
nations,
whom
He
has
given
to
the
rule
of
ministers.
But
what
does
it
mean
that
he
seemingly
does
not
rule
over
the
nations
of
the
world?
Is
it
because
it
is
difficult
for
the
Creator
to
rule
over
them
because
of
their
inferiority?
That
is,
is
it
beneath
Him
to
rule
over
them,
so
He
needed
someone
to
help
Him
rule
over
them?
But
we
should
believe
that
“He
alone
does
and
will
do
all
the
deeds.”
In
the
work,
we
should
interpret
that
this
applies
to
a
single
person.
When
a
person
is
under
the
rule
of
the
seventy
nations,
which
is
generally
regarded
as
“will
to
receive
for
himself,”
because
of
the
restriction
that
took
place,
he
becomes
separated
from
the
Creator.
That
is,
he
does
not
have
the
faith
that
the
Creator
alone
“does
and
will
do
all
the
deeds.”
It
follows
that
a
person
who
receives
vitality
from
the
world
through
things
that
the
Creator
has
prepared
for
the
creatures
while
they
are
still
not
ready
to
receive
their
vitality
from
Kedusha,
these
people
say
that
the
Creator
“has
left
His
work”
because
it
is
“beneath
Him”
to
tend
to
them.
This
is
as
it
is
written
in
the
“Introduction
to
The
Book
of
Zohar”
(Item
4):
“I
know
that
there
are
those
who
cast
over
their
shoulders
the
burden
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
saying
the
Creator
has
created
the
whole
of
reality,
then
left
it
alone,
that
because
of
the
worthlessness
of
the
creatures
it
is
not
fitting
for
the
exalted
Creator
to
watch
over
their
mean
little
ways.”
It
follows
that
before
a
person
believes
that
everything
comes
from
the
Creator,
he
says
that
the
whole
world
was
given
to
the
leadership
of
seventy
ministers,
which
are
seventy
qualities
in
nature,
or
“the
rest
of
the
winds,”
but
they
do
not
believe
that
the
Creator
oversees
it.
This
is
regarded
as
saying
that
He
has
given
over
the
management
of
the
world
to
seventy
ministers.
Conversely,
one
who
is
“Israel”
and
believes
in
the
Creator,
says
that
only
the
Creator
is
the
leader
of
the
world,
that
“He
alone
does
and
will
do
all
the
deeds.”
Now
we
can
understand
what
we
asked,
When
is
one
considered
“a
worker
of
the
Creator”?
Is
it
specifically
when
he
can
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
or
is
it
even
in
the
beginning
of
his
work?
According
to
what
Baal
HaSulam
explained
about
the
verse,
“will
give
wisdom
to
the
wise,”
the
question
is
that
it
should
have
said,
“will
give
wisdom
to
the
fools,”
since
the
wise
already
have
wisdom.
He
explained
that
“wise”
means
one
who
desires
wisdom,
whereas
one
who
is
not
wise
has
no
desire
for
wisdom,
as
it
is
written,
“The
fool
has
no
desire
for
intelligence.”
In
the
work,
we
should
interpret
that
“a
worker
of
the
Creator”
is
one
who
wants
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
Although
he
is
not
succeeding,
since
this
requires
a
real
prayer
that
the
Creator
will
help
him,
if
he
began
to
walk
on
the
right
line,
meaning
that
he
already
has
a
“left”
that
resists
the
right
line,
then
the
order
of
the
path
of
the
Creator
begins.
For
this
reason,
he
is
already
regarded
as
“a
worker
of
the
Creator,”
since
his
goal
is
to
come
to
a
state
where
all
his
works
are
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
And
although
there
are
many
descents
and
ascents
along
the
way,
everything
follows
the
plan,
meaning
that
the
descents,
too,
are
a
part
of
the
work,
since
by
this
we
acquire
the
need
for
the
salvation
of
the
Creator.
Through
the
descents,
a
person
comes
to
the
decision
that
it
is
impossible
to
do
anything
by
himself,
but
that
only
the
Creator
can
help.
This
attainment,
a
person
achieves
specifically
through
the
descents.
This
is
as
it
is
written
in
the
book
A
Sage’s
Fruit
(Part
1,
p
301):
“There
is
no
happier
situation
in
man’s
world
than
when
he
finds
himself
despaired
with
his
own
strength.
That
is,
he
has
already
labored
and
done
all
that
he
could
possibly
imagine
he
could
do,
but
found
no
remedy.
It
is
then
that
he
is
fit
for
a
wholehearted
prayer
for
His
help
because
he
knows
for
certain
that
his
own
work
will
not
help
him.
As
long
as
he
feels
some
strength
of
his
own,
his
prayer
will
not
be
whole.
It
was
said
about
it,
‘The
Lord
is
high
and
the
low
will
see.’
Once
a
person
has
labored
in
all
kinds
of
works
and
has
become
disillusioned,
he
comes
into
real
lowliness,
knowing
that
he
is
the
lowest
of
all
people,
and
there
is
nothing
good
about
his
body.
At
that
time
his
prayer
is
whole,
since
at
that
time
the
whole
of
Israel
came
to
a
state
of
despair
from
the
work.
It
is
as
one
who
pumps
out
in
a
punctured
bucket.
He
pumps
all
day
but
does
not
have
a
drop
of
water
to
quench
his
thirst.
So
were
the
children
of
Israel
in
Egypt:
Whatever
they
built
was
promptly
swallowed
in
its
place
in
the
ground.
Similarly,
one
who
has
not
been
rewarded
with
His
love,
all
that
he
has
done
in
his
work
on
purifying
the
soul
the
day
before
is
as
though
completely
burned
the
next
day.
And
each
and
every
day
he
must
start
anew
as
though
he
hasn’t
done
a
thing
in
his
entire
life.
It
follows
from
the
above
that
anything,
small
or
great,
is
only
obtained
by
prayer.”
Thus,
the
descents
are
also
regarded
as
correction,
for
through
them
a
person
can
come
to
be
a
true
“worker
of
the
Creator,”
when
all
his
works
are
only
in
order
to
bestow.
For
this
reason,
as
soon
as
one
begins
on
the
path
that
reaches
the
work
in
order
to
bestow,
although
there
are
many
failures
along
the
way
that
are
hard
for
one
to
overcome,
he
is
already
regarded
as
“a
worker
of
the
Creator,”
since
he
wants
to
work
for
the
Creator
and
not
work
for
himself,
meaning
that
all
his
thoughts
will
be
only
about
satisfying
the
will
to
receive
for
himself
with
the
wealth
of
this
world
and
the
wealth
of
the
next
world,
as
it
is
written
in
The
Zohar
that
they
howl
as
dogs,
“Give
us
the
wealth
of
this
world
and
give
us
the
wealth
of
the
next
world.”
For
this
reason,
a
person
must
always
overcome
and
believe
that
only
the
Creator
can
help.