Question: How can one “thank for the bad as for the good”?

Answer: RABASH gives an example of a father who gives his son one dollar every day, and one day suddenly gives him five dollars, to the great joy of the son. And the next day, he goes back to giving just the usual one dollar.

So why does the father act this way with me? He wants me to relate to him with love, and the shortfall of four dollars, which I now lack, I should make up with my love, with my bestowal! That I should look not at how much I receive from Him, but at how much I can thank Him.

Because of the fact that I suddenly received five dollars from Him, I expanded my desire, but from the perspective of receiving. And now I can fill this additional desire with bestowal. That is, He gave me the opportunity to expand my desires and to rise to greater bestowal.

But I must work on this. All the time, every day, I received one dollar and was grateful to the father for that dollar. And suddenly, one day the father gave me five dollars. My desires expanded, I received greater pleasure, and naturally I was grateful to the father. But for what was I grateful? It was for having received the extra four dollars!

The next day, from yesterday’s height, with an enlarged appetite, I already expect again to receive five dollars, but I get the same one dollar as before. Now I feel an empty desire of four dollars. What am I to do with it? Fill it with the light of love, the light of bestowal, of gratitude!

Now I understand that the father is giving me the opportunity to give to Him precisely in this empty vessel by filling it with the light of Hassadim instead of Hochma. He fills my desire with the light of Hochma, and I fill His with the light of Hassadim. From where else could the possibility to bestow come, if He does not empty my desire?

How could I thank Him and connect with Him even more strongly, become more similar to Him, if He did not first give me greater fulfillment and then take it away? And then again give more, and again empty it. As it is said: “The clothing of the light and its departure create a vessel fit for use.” Now I have a vessel.
[48254]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/15/11, Writings of Rabash “The Merit of the Little One”

Related Material:
The Taste Of Spirituality Is In The Feeling Of Gratitude
Don’t Let Yourself Be Bribed When Searching For The Truth
Climbing The Steps Of Desires Toward The Creator

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work | Add Comment →