Are You On The “Donkey” Or Is The “Donkey” On You?

Dr. Michael Laitman"Introduction of The Book of Zohar," Article “The Donkey Driver,” Item 85: Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba came down from their donkeys and kissed the donkey driver. They said, “What is all that wisdom that is under your hand, while you are driving our donkeys? Who are you?” He told them, “Ask not who I am, but I and you shall walk and engage in Torah, and each shall say words of wisdom to illuminate the way.”

Question: Is “the donkey driver,” the one who drives from behind, a necessary step on our path, or can he also walk in front of the donkey?

Answer: This changes in accordance with man’s attitude. In the beginning he goes in front, and his “donkey” goes behind. And then he understands that he advances through his “donkey” and not on his own, and this entire path consists of transferring the “donkey” from one degree to another with the help of the point of "human" within him. Then the “donkey” becomes important.

A person can easily master this path since “human” is a point of Bina, a point in the heart. If this point is not in him, it can easily rise since it came down specifically to take all the ego, the “donkey,” Malchut, the desire to receive pleasure, and transfer it up.

This is why what matters is not the two people, the sages walking along the road that The Zohar describes, but the “donkey” with its entire load. And if so, then "the donkey driver" is important. These two sages are merely a point trying to attain the goal. Granted, it is important, and this is man’s entire free will, the beginning of the work that he agrees with and its direction. But the realization of this work only happens through the “driver.”

If they don’t employ the Torah (the Light that Reforms) to acquire a connection with the upper force which descended to lead their ego up, they do not correct themselves, their path, and they do not ascend. In other words, they study the Torah on the same “donkey,” with its entire heavy load, with the help of the “donkey driver.”

It turns out that the “donkey driver” teaches them how to walk, where to approach and how. He becomes specifically the teacher of the sages, and not of the “donkey.” And this is why they can rise.

This is the mutual inclusion of Bina and Malchut. At first I think that what matters most is these two sages (the "human" within me that needs to rise). Then I begin to notice that this "human" is only needed to bring the “donkey” from the foot of the mountain towards the Creator’s palace.

Then I understand that what matters most is the “donkey driver,” and he must help me lead the “donkey.” Consequently I realize that I need the “donkey driver” so he would teach me.

This is how their roles and the importance of each one of them change. But at the end everything joins together: You go on the “donkey,” the “donkey” goes on you, and everything works out.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/10/2011, "Introduction of The Book of Zohar," Article "The Donkey Driver"

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One Comment

  1. This is quite good, everything is needed (:

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