Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 258

What Is Fear of the Next World?

Fear of the next world is fear of the Creator. Fear is always present in us and stems from the emptiness of our vessels. We are afraid that we will be unable to fill our empty vessels, or we are concerned that we will be unable to fill the Creator with our vessels. If we have acquired a screen that enables us not to think about ourselves even when we are empty and to be delighting in mercy (Hafetz Hesed) despite our emptiness, to feel wholeness even when we are empty and delighting in mercy, we can think about how to fill the Creator. Before we have acquired a screen, we cannot think about this at all.

From this we can understand that correction must be gradual. At first, we think only about ourselves. Afterward, we examine the extent to which we think about ourselves and wonder whether this distances us from spirituality. Even within thinking about ourselves there are several discernments that include the question of what do we want to fill ourselves with in this world, whether we want to fill ourselves with small or great pleasures, whether we think only about ourselves and do not care about others to such an extent that we could kill them or extort something from them, or whether we already know how to take them into consideration, and so on. There are all kinds of states and degrees.

Afterward, we begin to think: “It is not worthwhile to enjoy this world. There is a next world. We want to enjoy spirituality.” When do we think that way? It is when there is something of spirituality in us, when we have a point in the heart. When the point in the heart begins to emerge, instead of this world’s pleasures, we want to receive the pleasures of the next world. Then the time of preparation begins, during which we begin, as it were, to receive spiritual pleasures. We want them. The surrounding light illuminates for us that there are pleasures in spirituality, and we also grasp something of the Creator’s bestowing nature.

When light shines, it also always gives something of its bestowing nature. Therefore, within Lo Lishma (“Lo Lishma” is when we want pleasures for ourselves from the Creator, from spirituality) we grasp something of the illumination of the surrounding light, something of Lishma. The light, whether inner or surrounding, always shines together with the pleasure and gives a sensation of its nature.

From the nature of the light that we grasp, from the grace of Kedusha, we already begin to feel that there is something else and that it would be good if we could remain in this point of the grace of Kedusha without all the other pleasures of this world. Why would that be good? It is because the light gives us the sensation that it is the best thing and that we are detached from myriad problems and troubles. In the meantime, everything is still in Lo Lishma, but there is already the grace of Kedusha. At this stage there also are many states, and afterward comes the state of Lishma.

Related Material:
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 257
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 256
Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 255

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