Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag
Bear in mind that in everything
there is internality
and there is externality
In the world in general,
Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
are regarded as the internality of the world,
and the seventy nations
are regarded as the externality of the world.
Also, there is internality within Israel themselves, which are the complete servants of the Creator
and there is an externality—those who do not devote themselves to the work of the Creator
Among the nations of the world
there is internality, as well,
which is the righteous of the nations of the world,
and there is an externality,
which is crass and harmful among them.
Additionally
among the servants of the Creator among the children of Israel,
there is internality,
being those rewarded with comprehension of the soul of the internality of the Torah and its secrets,
and externality,
who merely observe the practical part of the Torah.
Also, there is internality in every person from Israel
—Israel within—
Which is the point in the heart
and externality
—which is the inner of the world within him, which is the body itself.
But even the nations of the world in him are regarded as proselytes since by adhering to the internality, they become like proselytes from among the nations of the world who came and adhered to the whole of Israel.
When a person from Israel enhances and dignifies his internality, which is Israel in him, over the externality, which is the nations of the world in him, that is, he dedicates the majority of his efforts to enhance and exalt his internality, to benefit his soul, and gives little efforts, the mere necessity, to sustain the nations of the world in him, meaning the bodily needs..
as it is written (Avot 1), “Make your Torah permanent and your work temporary,” by so doing, he makes the children of Israel soar upward in the internality and externality of the world, as well, and the nations of the world, which are the externality, to recognize and acknowledge the value of the children of Israel.
With these actions
he causes the externality of the world in general—the nations of the world—to soar ever higher, overcome Israel, degrade them to the ground, and the children of Israel—the internality in the world—will plunge deep down.
Do not be surprised
that one person’s actions bring
elevation or decline
to the whole world
And if God forbid, it is to the contrary
and an individual from Israel enhances and appreciates his externality,
which is the nations of the world in him, more than the quality of Israel in him, as it is written (Deuteronomy 28),
“The stranger that is in the midst of you,” meaning the externality in him rises and soars,
and you, the internality, Israel in you, plunges down.
For it is an unbreakable law that the general and the particular are equal, like two drops of water
Hence, all that applies to the general applies also to the particular
Moreover, the parts make what is found in the whole, for the general can appear only after the appearance of the parts in it, and according to the quantity and quality of the parts. Evidently, the value of an act of an individual elevates or declines the entire collective.
Baal HaSulam – Introduction to The Book of Zohar
Baruch Shalom Ha-Levi Ashlag (Rabash)/Assorted Notes
There is “internality,” and there is
“externality.”These are called
“Revealed” and “concealed,”
“action” and “thought.”
An act is called Externality.
And within it, there is an internal thought.
Something that is revealed to all pertaining to action,
whereas thought is not revealed.
Therefore, thought is regarded as internal, meaning it is in man’s internality.
Therefore,
when one must annul himself before his friend,
it is not regarded as a true annulment
unless it is in two manners:
in thought and in action.
Baruch Shalom Ha-Levi Ashlag – Shamati 69
This is the meaning of
“but thy eyes shall see thy Teacher,” etc.,
“and the whole earth shall be full of the knowledge.”
He said that first would be
the correction of the world then
will be the complete redemption.
This is the meaning of what he wrote,
that first the interior of the world will be corrected,
and subsequently the exterior of the world.
But we must know that the externality of the world
d is a higher degree than the correction of the internality.
Hence, when individuals in the whole of Israel are corrected
the whole world will naturally be corrected.
It follows that the nations of the world will be corrected
to the extent that we correct ourselves.
And the root of Israel
is from the interior of the world.
This is the meaning of
“for ye were the fewest of all peoples.”
However, by correcting the interior,
the exterior is corrected, too, though in small pieces.
And the exterior will be corrected every time (until many pennies accumulate into a great sum),
until all the exterior is corrected.
The main difference between the internal and the external is for example, when one performs a certain Mitzva, not all the organs agree to it. It is like a person who fasts. We say that only his interior agreed with the fast, but his exterior feels discomfort by the fast since the body is always in opposition to the soul.
Thus, the difference between Israel and the world’s nations
should only be made concerning the soul;
but concerning the body,they are equal:
Israel’s body, too, cares only for its own benefit.
This is the meaning of what our sages said
“Rewarded—sentences himself and the whole world to a scale of merit.”
And they did not say,
“sentences the whole of Israel,”
but
“the entire world to a scale of merit.”
In other words, the internal will correct the external.
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