“One does not die with half one’s desire in one’s hand.” “He who has one hundred wants two hundred” (Baal HaSulam, “Wholeness in Life“).

Question: How can we understand this?

Answer: “He who has one hundred wants two hundred” means that we can never be fulfilled with what we have; we will always lack something. Even if we are lucky in filling our egoism with what we desire, our egoism will immediately give us a new task so that we get twice as much.

After having received twice as much, our egoism immediately puts the desire to get four times more before us. And so on. We are like a dog chasing its tail and trying to grab it all the time, but in vain.

Comment: Suppose I look at a rich person, and it seems to me that if I had at least 10% of what he has, I would be satisfied.

My Response: But the rich man is not happy. And you, after attaining what he has, would also be dissatisfied.

The essence of this is that our gains increase our egoistic desire. And so, one who wants a hundred and gets it, wants two hundred, and when he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred. And so on.

Comment: In principle, this is not so bad; there is something to strive for.

My Response: But at the same time you never have peace. Peace is the root of the Creator. On one hand, we want to be at peace, but our desire for pleasure does not provide it for us.

Comment: And it is still not bad. After all, when a person strives for something, he lives on future pleasures.

My Response: If this is within some kind of restrictive framework that gives him the opportunity to work, earn money, travel, have a good leisure time, and so on, then this is good because it fits into the general life of a man. But still, he is in constant anxiety.

After all, if he cannot always achieve what he wants, it causes him suffering.
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From KabTV’s “The Study of the Ten Sefirot (TES)” 12/18/22

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