Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh, Chapter 11

א לְהַשְׂכִּילְךָ בִּינָה, כִּי לֹא זוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכּוֹן אוֹר ה׳ לִהְיוֹת חָפֵץ בְּחַיֵּי בְשָׂרִים וּבָנֵי וּמְזוֹנֵי, כִּי עַל זֶה אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה ״בַּטֵּל רְצוֹנְךָ כוּ׳״, דְּהַיְינוּ, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רְצוֹנוֹ בָּטֵל בִּמְצִיאוּת, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ שׁוּם רָצוֹן כְּלָל בְּעִנְיְנֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כּוּלָּם, הַנִּכְלָלִים בְּבָנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי, וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה שֶׁ״עַל כָּרְחָךְ אַתָּה חַי״;

1ELEVEN. To make you skillful of understanding¹ that this is not the way in which the light of the L–rd dwells,² i.e., in there being a desire for the “life of flesh,”³ and children, and sustenance, for on this our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Make naught your will….”⁴ That is, one’s will should be nullified so that one has absolutely no will in any worldly matters that are implied by “children, life, and sustenance,”⁵ and as our Sages, of blessed memory, said that “Despite yourself, do you live.”⁶

בוּבֵיאוּר הָעִנְיָן, הוּא רַק אֱמוּנָה אֲמִיתִּית בְּ״יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית״, דְּהַיְינוּ, שֶׁהַבְּרִיאָה ״יֵשׁ״ מֵ״אַיִן״, הַנִּקְרֵאת ״רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה״ – וְהִיא חָכְמָתוֹ שֶׁאֵינָהּ מוּשֶּׂגֶת לְשׁוּם נִבְרָא – הַבְּרִיאָה הַזֹּאת, הִיא בְּכָל עֵת וָרֶגַע, שֶׁמִּתְהַוִּים כָּל הַבְּרוּאִים ״יֵשׁ״ מֵ״אַיִן״ מֵחָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ הַמְחַיָּה אֶת הַכֹּל, וּכְשֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן הָאָדָם בְּעוֹמֶק הֲבָנָתוֹ, וִיצַיֵּיר בְּדַעְתּוֹ הֲוָויָיתוֹ מֵ״אַיִן״ בְּכָל רֶגַע וָרֶגַע מַמָּשׁ, הַאֵיךְ יַעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתּוֹ כִּי רַע לוֹ, אוֹ שׁוּם יִסּוּרִים מִבָּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי, אוֹ שְׁאָרֵי יִסּוּרִין בָּעוֹלָם, הֲרֵי הָ״אַיִן״, שֶׁהִיא חָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, הוּא מְקוֹר הַחַיִּים וְהַטּוֹב וְהָעוֹנֶג, וְהוּא הָעֵדֶן שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵעוֹלָם־הַבָּא, רַק, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוּשָּׂג, לָכֵן נִדְמֶה לוֹ רַע אוֹ יִסּוּרִים, אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת אֵין רַע יוֹרֵד מִלְמַעְלָה, וְהַכֹּל טוֹב, רַק שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוּשָּׂג לְגוֹדְלוֹ וְרַב טוּבוֹ.

2This means: There is to be only an absolute belief in the Yotzer Bereishit⁷; that is, that the creation of being ex nihilo (yesh meayin) [which is called reishit chochmah,⁸ i.e., His wisdom which is not apprehensible to any creature]—this creation occurs constantly and every moment,⁹ by all creatures coming into being [as a substance ex nihilo (yesh meayin)] from His wisdom, blessed be He, which animates everything.¹⁰ And when man will contemplate in the profundity of his understanding, and will imagine in his mind his coming to be ex nihilo—truly every moment, how can he possibly think he has ever suffered, or had any afflictions related to “children, life, and sustenance,” or whatever other worldly sufferings. For the naught (ayin) which is His wisdom, blessed be He,¹¹ is the source of life, welfare, and delight. It¹² is the Eden which transcends the World to Come,¹³ except that, because it is not apprehensible, one imagines to have sufferings, or afflictions. In fact, however, no evil descends from above¹⁴ and everything is good, though it is not apprehended because of its immense and abundant goodness.

גוְזֶהוּ עִיקַּר הָאֱמוּנָה שֶׁבִּשְׁבִילָהּ נִבְרָא הָאָדָם, לְהַאֲמִין דְּ״לֵית אֲתַר פָּנוּי מִינֵיהּ״, וּ״בְאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים״, וְעַל כֵּן ״עוֹז וְחֶדְוָה בִּמְקוֹמוֹ״ – הוֹאִיל וְהוּא רַק טוֹב כָּל הַיּוֹם.

3And this is the essence of the faith for which man was created: to believe that “there is no place void of Him”¹⁵ and “in the light of the King’s Countenance there is life,”¹⁶ and, conclusively, “strength and gladness are in His place,”¹⁷ because He is but good all the time.

ד וְעַל כֵּן, רֵאשִׁית הַכֹּל, שֶׁיִּשְׂמַח הָאָדָם וְיָגֵל בְּכָל עֵת וְשָׁעָה, וְיִחְיֶה מַמָּשׁ בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ בַּה׳, הַמְחַיֶּה וּמֵטִיב עִמּוֹ בְּכָל רֶגַע. וּמִי שֶׁמִּתְעַצֵּב וּמִתְאוֹנֵן – מַרְאֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מְעַט רַע וְיִסּוּרִין וְחָסֵר לוֹ אֵיזֶה טוֹבָה, וַהֲרֵי זֶה כְּכוֹפֵר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. וְעַל כֵּן הִרְחִיקוּ מִדַּת הָעַצְבוּת בִּמְאֹד חַכְמֵי הָאֱמֶת.

4Therefore, first of all, man ought to be happy and joyous at all times and truly live by his faith in the L–rd who animates him and is benignant with him every moment. But he who is grieved and laments makes himself appear as if he has it somewhat bad and (is) suffering and lacking some goodness; he is like a heretic, Heaven forfend. That is why the Kabbalists strongly rejected the trait of sadness.¹⁸

האֲבָל הַמַּאֲמִין – לֹא יָחוּשׁ מִשּׁוּם יִסּוּרִין בָּעוֹלָם, וּבְכָל עִנְיְנֵי הָעוֹלָם ״הֵן״ וְ״לָאו״ שָׁוִין אֶצְלוֹ בְּהַשְׁוָואָה אֲמִיתִּית.

5The faithful, however, is not indisposed by any afflictions whatsoever, and with respect to all mundane matters “yes” and “no” are all the same to him, in a true equation.¹⁹

ווּמִי שֶׁאֵין שָׁוִין לוֹ, מַרְאֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מֵ״עֵרֶב רַב״ דִּ״לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ עָבְדִין״, וְאוֹהֵב אֶת עַצְמוֹ, לָצֵאת מִתַּחַת יַד ה׳ וְלִחְיוֹת בְּחַיֵּי הַגּוֹיִם בִּשְׁבִיל אַהֲבָתוֹ אֶת עַצְמוֹ, וְעַל כֵּן הוּא חָפֵץ בְּחַיֵּי בְשָׂרִים וּבָנֵי וּמְזוֹנֵי, כִּי זֶה טוֹב לוֹ.

6But he to whom they are not the same shows of himself that he is of the erev rav²⁰ who act but for themselves and loves himself to the extent of removing himself from under the hand of the L–rd and to live the life of heathens because of his self-love; that is why he desires the “life of the flesh” and “children and sustenance”—for that is his good.

זוְ״נוֹחַ לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא״, כִּי עִיקַּר בְּרִיאַת הָאָדָם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל לְנַסּוֹתוֹ בְּנִסְיוֹנוֹת אֵלּוּ, וְלָדַעַת אֶת אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבוֹ, אִם יִפְנֶה לְבָבוֹ אַחֲרֵי ״אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים״, שֶׁהֵם תַּאֲווֹת הַגּוּף הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשְׁלִים מִ״סִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא״, וּבָהֶם הוּא חָפֵץ, אוֹ אִם חֶפְצוֹ וּרְצוֹנוֹ לִחְיוֹת חַיִּים אֲמִיתִּים הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשְׁלִים מֵ״אֱלֹקִים חַיִּים״.

7It would have been better for him had he not been created. For the purpose of man’s creation in this world is to test him by these trials, to ascertain what is in his heart:²¹ whether he will turn his heart toward the other gods, namely the passions of the body which evolve from the sitra achara, and desire these, or whether his desire and wish is to live the true life which evolves from the living G–d.²²

חוְיַאֲמִין שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת הוּא חַי בָּהֶם, וְכָל צְרָכָיו וְכָל עִנְיָנָיו מִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלִים בֶּאֱמֶת בִּפְרָטֵי פְּרָטִיּוּתֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא מִ״סִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא״, כִּי ״מֵה׳ מִצְעֲדֵי גֶבֶר כּוֹנָנוּ״ וְ״אֵין מִלָּה כוּ׳״ וְאִם כֵּן, הַכֹּל טוֹב בְּתַכְלִית רַק שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוּשָּׂג.

8One must believe that he really lives in it,²³ and all his needs, and everything related to himself, truly evolve in all their details [not from the sitra achara, but] “From the L–rd by whom the steps of man are established,”²⁴ “and there is not a word…”²⁵; conclusively, everything is absolutely good, except that it is not apprehended.²⁶

טוּבֶאֱמוּנָה זוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת, נַעֲשֶׂה הַכֹּל טוֹב גַּם בְּגָלוּי, שֶׁבֶּאֱמוּנָה זוֹ שֶׁמַּאֲמִין שֶׁהָרַע הַנִּדְמֶה בְּגָלוּי, כָּל חַיּוּתוֹ הוּא מִ״טּוֹב״ הָעֶלְיוֹן, שֶׁהִיא חָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁאֵינָהּ מוּשֶּׂגֶת, וְהִיא הָ״עֵדֶן״ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵעוֹלָם־הַבָּא, הֲרֵי בֶּאֱמוּנָה זוֹ נִכְלָל וּמִתְעַלֶּה בֶּאֱמֶת הָרַע הַמְדוּמֶּה בַּ״טּוֹב״ הָעֶלְיוֹן הַגָּנוּז:

9By believing this truly, everything becomes good even in appearance. For by such a faith, that one believes that the very substance of what manifestly seems to be evil is (in fact) of the Supreme Good [i.e., His wisdom, blessed be He, which is non-apprehensible and is the Eden which transcends the World to Come]; through this faith the imagined evil is truly absorbed and sublimated in the concealed Supreme Good.

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org