It is written in Shaar Hakavanot [Gate of Intentions], “This is the meaning of the Maror [bitter herb], which is ‘death,’ in Gematria. This is also why he must taste bitterness, and if he swallows it, he does not do his duty… (Rabash, “What Is, If He Swallows the Bitter Herb, He Will Not Come Out, in the Work?”)

There are three states in the universe. The first state is the stage of infinity (Ein Sof) that includes souls before they leave the direct control of the Creator. This stage is as He created it; He gives everything the qualities of perfection and eternity. As He is, so are they.

However, this is done on by Him. Therefore, souls that sense the Creator experience what is called “shame.”

They need to be freed from shame, and thereby be brought to a state in which they will no longer simply receive from Him, like a fetus in the womb, in perfection due to His efforts, but would acquire their own level, their own feeling, their own awareness, that they will really rise to the level of the Creator, become similar to Him in properties, and not be compelled by Him.

Then the second state arises, the state of work and effort, during which we go through the process of correcting and installing Kelim in order to experience the first state in its entirety. We ourselves desire it, and acquire it; it is ours. When this happens, the second state turns into the third.

Therefore, Maror (bitter herbs) should not be swallowed but chewed. According to our Passover laws, a certain amount of time, a certain measure, is allotted for this.

And then, if we “chewed” it well, if we went through all the attributes of the properties in the desire to receive relative to the Creator’s desire to give, understood what our nature is, and then achieved the use of the intention for the sake of giving, i.e., as they say, “swallowed” Maror, then we really come out through the work of acquiring new vessels, and we merit “getting out of Egypt.”

In the work itself, there are three special stages: faith, prayer, efforts (in Hebrew: “Emuna,” “Tefila,” “Igiya,” the acronym of the first letters of which is “Iti“, which means “with Me”).

The “place,” the state we have to reach, is called “with Me” (“Iti“): “Here is the place [next to] Me.” This is the place of the Creator, and you can come to this state “with Me” through faith, prayer, and effort.

These stages are present at every stage of our work, in every state. Accordingly, the overall process of our advancement is divided primarily into these three parts: faith, prayer, and effort.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/28/26, Rabash, “What Is, If He Swallows the Bitter Herb, He Will Not Come Out, in the Work?”

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