Why Is The Creator Concealed From Man?
Questions about the post “On the Purpose of Creation, Part 18”

Question: Why is the Creator concealed from man?

My Answer: In order to give us free choice for otherwise His apparent greatness would rule over us fully.

Question: The Creator’s concealment… could we already be in bestowal, could we already be giving pleasure to the Creator, only it is concealed from egoism so as to not give it fulfillment?

My Answer: Everything is measured only with relation to us. If you discover the Source of your pleasure and become completely fulfilled by it, it means you have achieved the goal.

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. I promise to answer them. Commentaries in brackets are mine.

Why Is The Creator Concealed From Man?

And in order for the created beings to receive all the abundance and enjoyment without feeling ashamed for receiving it, the correction [of initially purposefully corrupted egoistic nature] was performed.

The essence of this correction is the restriction and concealment of the Upper Light [from man]. Meaning, until one corrects his desire to receive into a bestowing one [becomes similar to the Light, the Creator] no revelation of the Upper Light is possible. [We perceive the Upper Light like any natural phenomena only to the measure of similarity of our properties to that phenomenon.]

And instead of tasting goodness and pleasure [from bestowal] in the commandments [the acts of correction of the desire to receive into the desire to bestow so as to become similar to the Creator] that we fulfill, we are unable to feel the taste that won’t make us ashamed while receiving pleasure. For this specific reason the correction [concealment of the Light, pleasure from bestowal and love] was performed whereby at the moment of receiving pleasure, we must act for the sake of bestowal since otherwise the concealment extends to our actions.

– Rabash, Shlavei ha Sulam, “Sanctity and Purity in the Work,” 1991, pg. 28.

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A question I received: How can I keep being motivated “for the sake of bestowal” if I don’t see any results from my actions? Should I just blindly believe that the text I study is influencing me this way?

My Answer: There is a two-fold problem here. On one hand, I have to ask for bestowal even though I’m not really interested in it. On the other hand, if suddenly by some miracle I do want to bestow, then I am still expecting the result of this action inside my Kelim of reception. But the reward for bestowal cannot come into those Kelim.

It is simply impossible. If I bestow, then I feel the result inside the Kelim of bestowal. If I bestow expecting the result to come inside the Kelim of reception, then I remain twice as empty.

Therefore, when a person does not see the result of his good, correct actions, which he might really be doing, it is natural because he is looking for the result in the wrong place. He is checking his wallet to see, “Where is my reward for bestowal? Where is the money, honor, power, health, or at least something?” But there are no results in these Kelim. On the contrary, they are twice as empty.

You exerted so much effort, but you have nothing. It would be OK if you never made the effort. A person who doesn’t work doesn’t receive anything (even though he is ready to receive without working). In that case you can not complain. But if I bestow and do not receive anything, it is twice as bad.

So what should you do? In order to feel a reaction to and the benefit of acts of bestowal, you must reveal the Kelim of bestowal. You must correctly understand what the result of bestowal should be.

It is written, “The reward for a commandment is a commandment,” and, “The reward for a commandment is knowledge of the One who gives the commandment.” This means that I reveal the quality of bestowal that suddenly begins to surface in me, the Upper Force that governs everything. I suddenly start to have a connection with it. I may also feel that I have an aspiration to continue acting in this direction. This is the reward.

We have to look for it. Our only problem is that we are looking for the wrong thing in the wrong place.

From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/14/10, The Zohar

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Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “A Prayer of Many”
If I have the opportunity to make contact with the Creator without any feedback from Him, then this is a perfect situation-bestowal in its pure form.
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 10
The souls can only establish a contact with Malchut of the World of Atzilut if they are connected to one another.
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 2, Part 7, Item 16, Lesson 10
The science of Kabbalah describes reality in which everything is purposeful, and where everything is aimed at a single goal.
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 18, Lesson 15
A peel protects the fruit while it’s in the ripening process. Similarly, the Klipa protects us until we become ripe and get rid of it.
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We feel reality if two forces come from Above and act upon something common between them. If they can activate a Reshimo (informational record) to reveal it within us, then they enter it. The Reshimo forms a picture of the world, my state, and then I feel it.

On the other hand, if these two forces are unable to reach the Reshimo in order to activate it and they do not bring it into play, I do not feel the reality. It simply does not exist for me. My whole existence, the whole picture of the world, every state in which I feel myself and the world that surrounds me, is a Reshimo that is activated due to these two forces: the right and the left, reception and bestowal. Like a robot, I feel the realization of the Reshimo within me.

If these forces activate a Reshimo on their own, it means that I have no freedom of will and I exist in this world while being controlled like an animal. All of our reincarnations, our whole history, and our entire development in this world occur in this manner. These two forces constantly affect the Reshimot (plural of Reshimo), showing us this movie of life, scene after scene.

However, life gradually becomes more difficult for me. I’m expected to activate the Reshimo on my own with the help of the two forces; I’m expected to become the middle line, adding my attitude to the influence of the two forces on the Reshimo.

Then, how I see my state and the whole world depends on me. And the only change I wish to see in the world is the presence of the Creator, the force of bestowal and love. In this manner, I realize the Reshimo. This time, it is through my own participation and with the revelation of the Creator, which occurs to the extent that I desire to draw Him into my world.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/10, The Zohar

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The Zohar, Chapter “Lech Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 4: When the Creator created the world, He made the heaven from fire and water, and they were mingled together and did not freeze. Afterward, it froze and stood in the upper Ruach. This is so because in the order of elicitation of the Mochin, first the two lines—right and left—come out. These are the two points—Holam and Shuruk, which are called “water” and “fire.”

The two lines come to us from Above. Indeed, there are only two forces in creation: the Light and the desire to enjoy that it created. It is only when they unite that all of reality is constructed. Hence, the two forces or properties – the Light’s desire to bestow and the vessel’s desire to enjoy – descend to us from Above, from the Creator. Our task is to react to them appropriately through uniting them within us by creating the middle line.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/10, The Zohar

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Kabbalah for the Nation Introductory Lecture Series, “Shechina in Exile”
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A question I received: If a Reshimo (spiritual informational record, gene) is a new state or desire that is given to us from Above, then how can our intention change this state?

My Answer: While in a present state, I feel that I can change it. This need to change my perception of the world is roused in me by the Reshimo about the future state. It encompasses all the future states, leaving me just an opportunity to realize it in the property of bestowal or that of reception.

Why do I feel that I have an opportunity to reach the next state? It is because I have a Reshimo de Hitlabshut (information about the Light) and Reshimo de Aviut (information about the desire). The Reshimo de Hitlabshut, information about the next state,  is more elevated than the Reshimo de Aviut: 4/3, 3/2, 2/1, 1/0.

A part of the next state is always present in me. Due to this part, I can realize it (pull myself up to it). In this manner, I achieve changes.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/10, The Zohar

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Why Is The Creator Concealed From Man?
Questions about the post  “Kabbalists on the Purpose of Creation, Part 17”

A question I received: Kabbalists affirm that the Creator wanted “…to create creatures so He could be benevolent towards them since if there is no receiver of the goodness, there is no benevolence.” Also, there is no Benefactor.

It looks like all attainments of the Upper Force and Its qualities occur relative to creation, man who attains or senses. How does the entire Thought of Creation look relative to the Creator Who cannot even define Himself without someone sensing Him? Are we (humans) like receptors of Someone who self-attains Himself?

My Answer: It is exactly as you describe it. The rest can be found in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part One, Histaklut Pnimit.

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