The Writings of RABASH - Letters: Volume 1

Letter No. 1

And you shall speak unto all the wisehearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, etc.

To My Honorable Father, may he live long and happily.

Concerning what we spoke about regarding the Study of Kabbalah in purity, etc., and what I don't know I will write, and you will answer all my questions.

I see that I have not much to write, but only general things. I cannot learn even one word in purity, since the way is to sort out the doubts from the many certainties, and not the certainties from the many doubts, but then one must learn properly.

This depends on whether a person is already qualified for it, namely that all his receptions are in purity, meaning receiving in order to bestow. When one who is not at that degree learns, his studies of kabbalah cannot be in purity, as it is written, And you shall speak unto all the wisehearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, namely whose heart is already purified with the spirit of the Creator.

Otherwise, it is utterly impossible, as our sages said, A man sins only if a spirit of folly has entered him. It follows that one cannot be called a sinner unless he has the spirit of wisdom. And although one does not feel that he is forever a sinner, it is because one does not see one’s own flaws. But the truth is that as long as one is not rewarded with the spirit of wisdom he is called a sinner. It is necessarily so, and precisely this depends on the Creator to fulfill…

(The rest of the letter is missing)

Letter No. 2

Tuesday, Portion Toldot (Generations), November 23, 1954, Tel Aviv

To my courageous friends … may the Creator be with you.

Concerning what we spoke about while standing by the car, see in the book, Beit Shaar Hakavanot (Gatehouse of Intentions), item 70, and you will find an answer.

And concerning your joining the society, to which I conceded, I must admit that I did not examine it sufficiently. The reason is that while I was in Tiberias, I was thinking about the conflicting opinions existing in Tiberias, so I said that there is no need to consider them, and only the truth will show the way. But upon arrival at Tel Aviv I immediately sensed that there are views among our former friends, as well, meaning prior to the departure of the Light. Now their Kelim (vessels) are, and a hint suffices, and they will seek iniquities and transgressions to justify their deeds, namely that truth is only in Jerusalem, the place of ruin. So now I have come to revert from this, meaning not to join the abovementioned society.

As for your question about the meaning of the verse, Anyone with whom the spirit of people is pleased, I have found that I have written in the name of my father, who was asking saying that there was a difference of opinions even among the greatest and most famous. He reasoned saying that if they had said that Anyone with whom people are pleased, then they could have asked that question. But since they said precisely "Anyone with whom the spirit of people is pleased," meaning that there are creations, meaning bodies, and the bodies have no relation to the spirit of the Creator. On the contrary, the view of landlords is opposite to the view of Torah. But the spirit of people is holy.

This is the spirit to which our sages referred, since whosoever keeps one commandment, namely the commandment of faith, called one letter, sentences himself and the whole world to the side of merit.

This brings up the question, But do we neither see nor feel any merit in the public while there are righteous in the generation? Baal HaSulam said about that that the righteous draws the abundance for the entire collective, but those who do not have vessels to clothe the Light cannot enjoy this abundance. However, the souls of each and every person receives a Surrounding Light from the abundance, hence the spirit of people is pleased with him since the spirit of the Creator illuminates into the spirit of people.

However, we are not speaking of, or concerned with, all those who have not yet clothed their spirits.

May you merit going from strength to strength.

Your friend who sends you regards and wishes you well,

Baruch Shalom Ashlag

Letter No. 3

Vayechi Yaakov (And Jacob Lived), January 2, 1955, Tel-Aviv

To my Dear and Faithful friends,

I read the letter signed by … and I thoroughly enjoyed your taking upon yourself the work in love of friends. Concerning your first question, I cannot answer it in writing because they are matters for oral discussion and it is not advisable to write them down.

Concerning the second question, I am writing you an article about what I heard from my father, Baal HaSulam: You preserve man and beast, O Lord. Our sages explained that these are cunning people who pretend to be as beasts, and you are writing me that it is good to actually be a beast! Instead, you must walk in the ways of Torah and wisdom, and draw from the brightness of the upper pleasantness the sweetness of the palatable pleasure of the upper light. However, it must be as The shepherds of Abraham’s cattle, and not as The shepherds of Lot’s cattle.

You should understand these matters with what I said yesterday at the third meal before our friends concerning the verse, I will go down to Egypt with you and also bring you up … as well as the verse, "And he said, ‘For EKYEH (I will be) with you, and this shall be a sign unto you that Anochi (I) have sent you. When I shall bring the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this Har (mountain).’" What is the connection between EKYEH (I will), Anochi (I am) and the Har (mountain)?

In the book, Letters of Rabbi Akiva, item 5, it is written, EKYEH Asher EKYEH (I will be what I will be), said the Creator. I have created the world with the quality of goodness, with the quality of goodness I lead it, and with the quality of goodness I will make it new." Another thing, EKYEH Asher EKYEH, said the Creator. With the quality of faith I have created the world, with the quality of faith I guide it, and with the quality of faith I will make it new. We should understand the meaning of the verse I will be what I will be (EKYEH Asher EKYEH)" with respect to the quality of goodness and the quality of faith. Our sages interpreted the verse, EKYEH Asher EKYEH, to mean, I will be in this trouble, for I will be with them in their enslavement to the other kingdoms.

To understand the above, we need to know that when a person begins to observe Torah and Mitzvot on the line of Lishma, he feels that he is in trouble, called Egypt, meaning that the king of Egypt constantly asks, Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice? This is when the labors of the mind arrive, when his thoughts begin with Zivugim de Hakaa that batter his mind. At times one thinks that all these foreign thoughts are only spies who come to see the nakedness of the land, meaning to look through the chimneys and not more, and there is no connection between these thoughts and the work of the Creator. Other times one thinks, We are honest, the sons of one father, namely that all our thoughts are only to cling to the one Creator, and we are strengthened and prevail over all the thoughts of Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice? and What is this work for you? which is called the exile in Egypt.

The matter of EKYEH is the state of from you onward, which is the state of above reason. This time is called, I will go down to Egypt with you, for I am the Lord your God, which is the burden of faith, regarded for him as having descended by the exile in Egypt. When we want to calm the body and make for it promises of reward, in the form of the will to receive, we tell it: and I will also bring you up, meaning that afterwards you will also remain in the state of Anochi ( I am, or selfish), which is the state of faith.

And this is Asher EKYEH (what I will be), meaning afterwards, too, he will remain in the state of EKYEH, meaning that even "When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain. Har (mountain) comes from the word Hirhurim (reflections), namely that afterwards, too, he will be built on the foundation of the mountain, which is as mountains hanging by a thread, as in He hangs up the earth on nothing.

But afterwards, when we achieve Dvekut (adhesion) with the Creator, the nothing becomes without what, where there is no place for the what to awaken. Instead, the EKYEH Asher becomes, I have created it by the quality of goodness. And when we feel that He is all the goodness, we understand, I created the world by the quality of faith.

This is the meaning of My heart overflows with a good thing. Baal HaSulam explained that feeling is only in the heart, that it is not revealed from the heart to the mouth. The mouth refers to knowledge, meaning that the mouth reveals one’s mind and thoughts, whereas the heart is only the reception in the heart, only a potential. Then, when one takes upon himself this potential, he is rewarded with a good thing, a feeling that there is nothing better in the world than faith. At that point he can say, My works are for the king, namely to bestow and not to receive. From this one is rewarded with the state of My tongue is the pen of a quick writer, which is the state of Moses.

This is the meaning of, I will go down to Egypt with you, namely that during the exile one sees that nothing is worse or lower than the state of "Anochi (I Am or selfish). But when rewarded, they see that it is also the state of I will also bring you up," that all the ascents are the state of Anochi. This is EKYEH Asher EKYEH, meaning that first it was as trouble but now he regards it as good. This is And it is time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved from it, for all the salvations are regarded as Anochi.

I conclude my letter with a wish that we may merit receiving the burden of the kingdom heaven in the state of Anochi.

Letter No. 4

February 10, 1955

To my friend … Hello and all the best,

You surprise me … for it has been a while since I have received any news from you regarding your health and strength.

It must be that you are lacking confidence and strength, and in my view it is because of the external thoughts and views that you absorb through the attached channels found when coming to an environment that disagrees with our spirit and way. And where alien thoughts were in "the Nukva of the great deep" for you, meaning that the thoughts had no power or control for you have already cancelled them and cast them under your feet, for you can already trample them and walk over them, meaning there are still alien thoughts in your bodies, but they are no longer in control.

This is the meaning of the Shabbat (Sabbath)— although the Klipot are present in the world and the correction has not been completed, when darkness shines as light, but the place of the alien thoughts is in the Nukva of the great deep. That is, they have no grip over man at all. However, when departing from the authority of one to the authority of many, meaning when taking out the thoughts and works into the authority of many, for the many to look at them, and if we also insert the thoughts of the people of the authority of many into your authority of one, this is already called desecration of Shabbat. This means that we give room for the awakening of those Klipot whose power has already ceased—who were already in the Nukva of the great deep—to come up into your thoughts.

At that time, you do not think that these alien thoughts are wittiness and erudition of people from the outside, that it is on offshoot of your mischief, and that now you are attached to the truth, meaning possess the true scrutiny, and now the conclusions you are drawing are through true and one hundred percent clean contemplation of the alien thoughts. And also, that until now, everything you did was only due to your insufficient scrutiny that one who wishes to walk on the path of truth should do.

And henceforth you need to walk on the path that is customary to people who are carried out by the currents of the world, and the results are quite predictable. And although I do not tend to speak, much less write, about these matters, I will change my way, although I know that it will be utterly useless, but only for the purpose of, I saved my soul.

We had a party on the trees’ New Year’s Eve—on the month of Shevat, when the world is sentenced for the whip or for mercy. The month of Shevat is the fifth of the winter months. Through the curses and swears that we hear about the Torah and Mitzvot (commandments) when we arrive at the fifth discernment, which is the Sefira, Hod, we should correct and be sentenced favorably so that the pain will turn into splendor. At that time the whip becomes mercy, extending all five Behinot from Hesed to Hod, as it is written, For I said, ‘Let a world of mercy be built.’ For the light of Hassadim is called above reason, and only there is the blessing.

For this reason, on the 15 of Shevat we bless on the fruits, as Baal HaSulam said, that the whole difference between Kedusha (holiness) and Klipa is in the fruits: the work yields fruits, but another god is infertile and does not bear fruit. Also, being rewarded with fruits is only through the quality of Hesed, and then one is rewarded with a fruit-bearing tree. For man is the tree of the field, namely that only through the way that we received from Baal HaSulam are we rewarded with fruits called being fruitful and multiplying. Through the fruits we are always in a state of youthfulness, meaning as a youthful boy, as in, Delight, young man, in your childhood.

This is the meaning of Those whose hope is in the Lord will gain new strength, for only this is called help from above. That is, when one comes into a state where there are arguments for both directions, one cannot sort out the truth. At that time one needs only help form above. This is called Those whose hope is in the Lord, for he needs heaven’s mercy.

May the Creator grant us with His salvation in corporeality and spirituality,

Your friend,

Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag

Letter No. 5

February 24, 1955

To my friend,

I read your letter from after Shabbat of this week, and it gives me pleasure that you need to disclose the states that pass over time from letter to letter. Certainly, the Creator will open our eyes with His law.

My view on that is that you should do more in love of friends. It is impossible to achieve lasting love, unless through Dvekut [adhesion], meaning that the two of you will unite in a tight bond. This can be only if you try to undress the clothing in which the inner soul is placed. This clothing is called self-love, for only this clothing separates two points. But if we walk on the straight path, the two points—which are discerned as two lines that refute one another—become a middle line that contains both lines together.

And when you feel that you are at war, each of you will know and feel that he needs the help of his friend, and without him, his own strength will wane, as well. Then, when you understand that you must save your life, each of you will forget he has a body he must preserve, and you will both be tied by the thought of how to defeat the enemy. Therefore, hurry, and the truth will show its way and you are certain to succeed.

And do continue corresponding.

Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag

Letter No. 6

April 15, 1955, London

To the students:

I received the letter of … and it is good that he interprets its details as much as he can. As for the rest of the matters that he informed me, I hope to sort everything out soon.

The Mishnah says, Everyone is incumbent in seeing, meaning that each and every one must be seen at the Temple, as it is said, All your males shall be seen. One who is regarded as a male, meaning a giver, must feel that the Creator sees him and watches over him.

Our sages said, One who is blind in one of his eyes is exempted from seeing, as it is said, ‘Will see, will see.’ As one comes to see, one comes to be seen. As one comes to see with both eyes, one comes to be seen with both eyes (Hagigah 4).

Eyes mean Anochi (I) and You shall not have. Anochi is regarded as love, which is considered Hassadim (mercies), namely faith. You shall not have is regarded as a woman, considered left. Only then is one rewarded with greeting the face of the Shechina (Divinity).

They shall not see My face empty handed, but rather each man with a gift according to his ability, meaning to the extent that he had an awakening from below, to the extent of the blessing of the Creator, and as much as the Creator illuminated for him during his work so he could persevere during his work. By this one can be rewarded with greeting the face of the Shechina.

In the Gemarah (p 4), it is written about what is written in the Mishnah, Except for the deaf, the fool, and the little one. In the Tanya: Who is a fool? He who loses what he is given." He is exempted from seeing, meaning that he cannot be granted any clothing of Kedusha (holiness).

By this I have interpreted the words of our sages, Rabbi Yohanan said, ‘Who is a wise disciple who is returned a loss by impression? He who is meticulous with his garment, to turn it inside out (Shabbat, 114). We need to understand the greatness about this.

In our way, it is simple: His garment is the clothing over the soul, meaning that he is meticulous with turning the will to receive to be in order to bestow. It is a rule that everyone is rewarded with an awakening from above at one time. But why does this awakening depart from him? It is because one sins only if a spirit of folly has permeated him.

This means that there is a wise one and there is a fool. The wise one is called the Creator. A wise disciple means that one has learned the quality of the Creator—to be a giver. A fool is the opposite of the Creator—one who wishes to be a receiver for oneself. By the awakening of the vessels of reception, the awakening promptly leaves him.

But when he is meticulous about turning his garment inside out, meaning in order to bestow, his loss is promptly returned to him by impression, meaning that he is rewarded with eyes of Kedusha, with Anochi and You shall not have.

However, we should know that there is a Mitzva (commandment) and there is Torah, as it is written, "a candle is a Mitzva and the light is Torah."

The holy Zohar explains the reason why he offered an offering of grain on Passover. The Omer was of grain because the moon was imperfect, meaning that there was circumcision without removal (and only on the first night it was as an awakening from above). Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, which is the casting off of the will to receive.

By this one is rewarded with a Mitzva, faith, called the "hand Tefillin, of the weaker hand. This discernment is called the kingdom of heaven," regarded as a beast in Gematria, the name BON. Also, by the correction through the Omer count during the seven weeks, one is rewarded with receiving the Torah, which is heaven, Zeir Anpin, which is man (Adam) in Gematria. For this reason, on the eighth day of the assembly, two loafs were offered from the grain, which is food for man.

By this we will understand the Mishnah, On Passover one is sentenced for the produce of the grain, and on the eight days of the assembly for the fruit of the tree. Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Akiva, ‘Why did the Torah say, ‘Bring harvest before me on Passover so that your produce in the field will be blessed.’ And why did the Torah say, ‘Bring two loafs of bread before me on the eight day of the assembly? It is because the assembly is the time of the fruit of the tree.’ The Creator said, ‘Bring two loafs of bread before Me so that the fruit of the tree will be blessed’ (Rosh Hashanah, 16).

We need to understand the connection between food for beasts and the produce of the fields, and the connection between food for man, which is grain, with the fruit of the tree. In our way, it is simple: Omer means food for beast, which is faith, Mitzva, fear of heaven, for Malchut is called beast. The two loafs of bread are man’s food, as RASHI interpreted, According to Rabbi Yehuda, the tree that the first man ate was wheat, for man is called ‘the tree of the field,’ and the Torah is called a ‘tree,’ as it is written, ‘She is a tree of life.’ And when rewarded with Torah, it is called being sentenced for the tree on the eighth day of the assembly."

I was not lengthy in this letter; I have no news and let us hope that all will be well.

Your friend

Letter No. 7

April 24, 1955

Hello and all the best to my friends who are standing guard against the clouds and shadows currently facing the nation of the Lord. After the great concealment that has descended upon our world at this time, the spark of the light of the Lord that they have acquired from Baal HaSulam still glitters in their hearts; they know how to keep the points in their hearts, and they are awaiting the eternal salvation…

I would like to add a few words regarding the casual conversation that took place on the 23rd of April. A great question was asked, "What is the reason for all the secular things in our world, namely the labor and pain, if the Creator wanted to benefit His creations with things of holiness, for the creatures to feel delight and pleasure in Dvekut (adhesion) with the Creator? This secularity, what is it for?"

In your opinion, holiness would be enough for the creatures, so why all the system of Klipot (shells)? What gain and what contentment and benefit does this bring to the Creator if we believe that He Himself has created this whole enterprise?

You also said that only above reason can we accept these matters. I, too, think that with all the spiritual matters we assume above reason, we are later granted with clothing of the knowledge of the Creator in complete clothing, as it is written, and I will pour out for you unbounded blessing. But in the study, we can also understand the rhyme and reason according to the way of the Torah.

See in The Zohar (Tazria p 36 [item 105]), in the article, There Is Advantage to Wisdom over Folly, and in the Sulam, where it explains that although there are many things in the world, but if there is nothing that can be held, there is no perception and sensation of all the wonderful things that exist in our world.

This means that we haven’t the Kelim (vessels) to attain even the simplest things in which to feel the palatable taste, sweetness, and pleasantness. Only once we have the proper Kelim, called desires to receive the good fillings, and when we cannot say that we would be able to receive and obtain these things without the craving for them.

To make an allegory, it is known that there is pleasure in passion, meaning that there is pleasure in passion for something, and there is pleasure in obtaining the matter. The measure of the pleasure in the passion depends on the measure of pain from not obtaining it. That is, if one feels that if he does not obtain the matter he will feel disappointment in his life, the pleasure dresses in the duration of the passion and longing.

Let us take something simpler as an example: When one drinks water in order to calm his thirst, the water grip to the size of the Kli (vessel), meaning to the degree of the suffering of his thirst. But if we ask a person, while drinking the water, if he is happy with the suffering of the thirst, by which he now receives great pleasure from the water, he will certainly say Yes. And yet, if we advise a person, If you want to enjoy the water eat salty foods and refrain from drinking half a day until your thirst is enough to make you enjoy drinking later, he will certainly say, neither they nor their reward. Also, if we did not have the Kelim…

And concerning Rabbi Akiva, All my life I have been tormenting, when will this matter come to me so I may keep it… [The rest of the letter is missing.]

Letter No. 8

May 26, 1955, Tel-Aviv, on the 48th day of the Omer Count, a day before Shavuot

Hello and all the best to my friends,

In response to your letter, I must tell you that for now, I have nothing to add in writing. Rather, as it is written, Speak to the children of Israel and they will journey. Concerning journeys, you know that it refers to going from state A to state B, that this is the meaning of changing places, as Baal HaSulam said in an interpretation to the verse, Day to day expresses speech. He wrote there that it is impossible to have another day without having a state of night in between, meaning that there is a break in the middle. Otherwise, it is called a long day and not day after day. But the order of the work is precisely day after day. "And night to night reveals