Reason and Faith

``COME and SEE``

The Order of the Work

In the beginning, one must believe

above reason

that the Creator wanted

to do good to His creations.

For this reason,
He created His creations

and installed in them

the desire and yearning

to receive pleasure.

The reason is that this is the only Kli [vessel]

to receive pleasure

since man enjoys only that for

which he yearns for.

He can receive something to which he does not yearn,

but he cannot enjoy it

because the Kli for enjoyment

is called

coveting,” “yearning,” etc.

However, this should be above reason,

since when he looks within reason,

he does not find His Providence over the world as benevolent.

On

the

contrary

this is why it is said that

we must believe

above reason

that this is so.

But in truth,

if His guidance is only in a manner of good

and doing good

why

is this not felt within reason?

We learned that it is because of

the correction of the bread of shame.

Therefore,

as long as the created beings

have no vessels of bestowal

they cannot see light

and remain in the dark.

When one believes in the delight and pleasure that exists in above reason,

he comes to consciously feel,

to know the evil within him. 

 That is, he believes that the Creator imparts such delight and pleasure, and although he sees all the good above reason, he achieves recognition. 

That is, he feels in all the organs the power of the evil that is found in receiving for oneself, which prevents him from receiving the abundance.

It follows that faith above reason causes him to feel his enemy within reasonwho obstructs him from reaching the good. 

That is, to the extent that he believes in the delight and pleasure above reason, to that extent he can come to feel the recognition of evil.

Later, sensing the bad yields the sensation of delight and pleasure, since the recognition of evil in the sensation of the organs causes him to correct the bad.

This is done primarily through prayer, when he asks the Creator to give everything in bestowal, called Dvekut [adhesion]. 

Through these Kelim [vessels], the goal will be revealed in open Providence, meaning that there will be no need for concealment because there will already be Kelim that are able to receive.

Baruch Shalom Ha-Levi Ashlag (Rabash)
Assorted Notes. 68

Each day there is

new overcoming.

We should interpret that

Man’s inclination overcomes him every day

means that the bad in him is increasing,

as in, “a growing stream of adding evil.”

For this reason, it is “One opposite the other.”

As soon as a person overcomes and does a good deed,

the evil inclination overcomes him.

It follows that

the one who wants to

justify the upper one

suffers many afflictions. 

That is, each day,

the bad in him grows

and according to his good deeds

so

the evil

becomes

revealed in him.

Baruch Shalom Ha-Levi Ashlag (Rabash)
Article No. 9 (1988), (Text excerpt).

This is the meaning of Israel saying
at the time of the preparation
for the reception of the Torah

“We will do,”

and then

“We will hear.”

 “Doing”

means without

external intellect. 

Rather,

he calculates

according to

the Commander

for the Commander

probably knows

what is good for him

and what is not

meaning

what is good for a person

and what is not. 

 But one big

question remains, “

“Why did the Creator give us an external intellect, which we use in every single thing, while here in the work of the Creator we must go against this intellect, and not with the intellect with which we were born?”

This comes because the Creator

wanted to be asked for help. 

The help He gives is the light of Torah,

and if they could go without the help of the Creator

they would have no need for the light of Torah, 

 as our sages said,

I have created the evil inclination;

I have created the Torah as a spice.” 

 Therefore, in order for him to need to extend the light of Torah,

we were given this work

in concealment on the intention, 

 so that man

will need

an inner mind.

From the perspective of the outer intellect, the Creator made it so as not to give any help for the work. 

On the contrary,

it is obstructing him to work in order to bestow

This is the meaning of what is written in the holy Zohar (Noah, item 63):

“If a person comes to purify,

he is aided with a holy soul.

He is purified and sanctified,

and he is called ‘holy.’”

When he overcomes

and does not

escape the campaign

and prays to the Creator

to help him go above reason

meaning

not to be under the rule

of the will to receive,

then

when the Creator helps him

he receives an inner mind called

inner reason.”

At that time,

through this reason,

the body agrees to work in order to bestow

upon the Creator

as it is written,

“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,

He makes even his enemies be at peace with him,”

 referring

to the

evil

inclination.

It follows that while he is within reason, meaning that the intellect tells him it is worthwhile to do this work, he can exert in the work. 

 Therefore, when he has an outer intellect,

reason compels him, meaning the intention to receive.

This is called “within reason.” 

 When he is rewarded with the inner mind,

meaning the inner reason,

the mind obligates him that it is worthwhile to work in order to bestow

contentment upon the Creator.

Baruch Shalom Ha-Levi Ashlag (Rabash)
Articulo No 28,  1984-85

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