Monday, December 26, 2005

R' Ashlag Ch. 44 (Part 1)

Chapter Forty-Four:

Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"

-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

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44.

1.

"Now, this 'point in the heart' doesn’t become manifest before age 13, only afterwards, (and) when you begin to engage in Torah (study) and (the observance of) mitzvot."
-- That is, though we’re each born with this most basic albeit hindmost part of a soul, it still and all only hovers in the background until we become 13 and are responsible for mitzvah-observance. And it only truly comes into its own and becomes manifest when we do in fact engage in mitzvah-observance and Torah study. We’re taught however that *all* of us are mitzvah-observant to some degree or another (see Berachot 57A), so this last point shouldn’t be seen as discouragement so much as reassurance.

"It does though begin to develop and to display itself outright even if you do so (i.e., engage in mitzvah-observance) without (any specific, lofty) designs, which is to say, without the sort of love and fear (of G-d) that’s only warranted of one who serves a king; and even (if you engage in them) less than altruistically."
-- We’re said to serve G-d outright and to be near-at-hand to Him when we engage in His mitzvot and study His Torah. The realization of that should strike us deeply with either a sense of reverence or of love (or both) and should encourage us to do our best at it and to fulfill it in as high-minded a manner as we can. The point in our heart still and all manifests itself even if we engage in mitzvot in rather humdrum, even self-serving ways.

"For (in point of fact, we’re taught that) mitzvot needn’t (be fulfilled with) any designs, for even random (mitzvah-related) acts are qualified to purify your ratzon l’kabel -- but only to the lowest degree, i.e., (on the) mineral (level)."
-- That’s to say that if we do though engage in mitzvot perfunctorily or with an agenda of our own (either for reward, or for recognition and the like), our ratzon l’kabel will be purified indeed, but only to a minimum, mineral-level degree.

(c) 2005 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

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