Question: We have discussed how a person must come to a state of complete disappointment regarding one’s own powers. How, can this be reconciled with the need to say: “If I am not for myself, who is for me?”

Answer: In every state, a person must say: “If I am not for myself, who is for me?” If I have completely despaired of my own strength, then what? Does that mean everything is over for me?

Does this mean I am saying: “That is it! The Creator must help me!”? But how do I know when that should happen? Perhaps it is now or perhaps only ten years from now? Should I constantly wish to reach a state of despair?

On the contrary, I know that it is precisely from such a state that the leap into spirituality takes place. As Baal HaSulam writes in one of his letters in A Sage’s Fruit:

There is no happier state in man’s world than when he finds himself despaired with his own strength, that is, he has already labored and done all that he could possibly imagine he could do, but found no remedy. It is then that he is fit for a wholehearted prayer for the Creator’s help. And the Creator hears such a prayer.

So now am I supposed to strive to become disappointed with my own abilities? No! If I did that, I would never reach that state. I must constantly press forward with the thought: “If I am not for myself, who is for me?”

And if, at times, it is revealed to me that I am incapable of it, so be it. Then I am incapable, but I still continue moving forward, toward a new state, toward new attempts. As Baal HaSulam explains: “If you fail in one endeavor, then begin another. And if that also fails, start yet another.”

You are living, you continue working and continue making attempts. When will complete disappointment in one’s own powers finally be revealed? We do not know.

It reaches a point that Nachshon (the brave one) jumps into the sea, wanting to cross it by his own strength, and only then does the sea part. He jumps. He does not wait around thinking, “Well, the Creator ought to arrange everything now. My enemies are behind me, the sea is before me. Since I have been placed in such a situation, I will just cry out and throw up my hands.”

No. We do not raise our hands and surrender. We jump into the sea. There has to be a leap. Your task is to jump.

Question: And what about “There is none else besides Him”?

Answer: “There is none else besides Him” is not referring to that at all. It means that behind every situation and every state stands the Creator.

But I accept this only as the result of what has already happened, only as the outcome.

Question: When Nachshon jumps into the sea, is he trying to end his life, or is he hoping for a miracle?

Answer: When one jumps into the sea, one does not count on a miracle.

Likewise, we do not jump because we want to end our lives,  we jump because we want to live. We want to cross this sea.

A person simply has no other choice, and therefore does everything within one’s power. They believe that they can cross the Final Sea (Yam Suf) through their own efforts. It is not so much a matter of belief; rather, they have no alternative, and on the other hand, this is simply the only correct course of action.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/13/26, Rabash, “And the Lord Appeared to Him at the Oaks of Mamre”

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At the Final Sea
We Should Learn To Be An Iron Pillar
The Leap Into The “Red Sea”

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