A Tapestry for the Soul: The Introduction to the Zohar by Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag, Explained Using Excerpts Collated From His Other Writings Including Suggestions for Inner Work by Yedidah Cohen

Author:Yedidah Cohen [Cohen, Yedidah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B009K90ZHK
Publisher: Nehora Press
Published: 2012-05-28T22:00:00+00:00

receiving with the intention of receiving,

giving benefit with the intention of receiving, giving benefit with the intention of giving benefit,

receiving with the intention of giving benefit.

Receiving with the intention of receiving: This is the first stage. All created beings are born with this. That is to say that at this stage they do not understand any way of being other than that of selfish love. They do not have any interest in doing anything for someone else, but they are sunk in the nature with which they were born, which is receiving for themselves alone. This is the general consciousness of the world, and one person is no different from another in this respect.

Second stage: Giving with the intention of receiving. This is a stage in which a person has left the general consciousness of the world in which he used to act just in order to receive, and now does acts of giving benefit. But the person needs an excuse to do so: Why does he want to be different from the rest of the world? Why does he want to act in ways that are opposite from those which his innate nature dictates? So the person tells his body (will to receive), “Know that by doing this act of giving benefit you will get a greater delight afterwards.” He lets the body understand that the work involved in doing this act is worthwhile for it, that it is profitable for it. If his body (will to receive) believes him, then it will let him do the act of giving, according to the measure that it believes that it is to its advantage to cancel an act of receiving for itself alone (like resting) in order to do an act of giving.

This stage is designated as: “from practising Torah not for its own sake we can come to practise Torah for its own sake.” It is a springboard with which we can jump from one stage to the next; that is, from the stage of the practice of Torah not for its own sake, to the practice of Torah for its own sake. This is because, with regard to the action itself, these two states are equal. There is nothing further we need add to the action itself in order to come to the state of the practice of Torah for its own sake. Therefore, since from the perspective of the action alone these two states are equivalent, we see that one need add no further physical action. Only with respect to the intention of the action is there further work to be done. This means that a person needs now only to consider whether the action he is performing is really for the sake of fulfilling a mitzvah of God; that it is God who commanded us to do mitzvot, and we want to uphold the mitzvot of the One, because for us it is a great merit (zachut) to serve Him. Furthermore, the One also let us know how we can we can serve Him.

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