Tomer Devora With Hisbodidus Suggestions For Internalizing1

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...
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Nourishment for the Neshama

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Sunday, June 13, 2010
Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestions for internalizing
Below are the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy from Tomer Devorah side by side with a suggested hisbodidus (spontaneous conversation with Gd)
designed to help a person internalize and personalize the Attributes. By speaking out loud and reviewing ourselves in Gd's presence, we stimulate
ourselves with the interesting and challenging task of repairing our negativity. We apply our intelligence, analytical ability and moral principles to
ourselves, while bonding with Gd and developing a sense that we are larger and contain more parts than the parts of us that are in pain, that
suffer, and that yearn for worldly things including human love and respect. The words we utter form spiritual entities that lead us in the path we
which to go. We create with our hisbodidus the energy that will help us accomplish the goals we set! It is interesting that we utilize the same
qualities as we use when we speak about other people which far too often turns about to be derogatory and prohibited speech. When we speak
about others with others in order to share and bond, using our intelligence, moral values, analytical ability, and emotions (often judgments with
outrage), the results can be very devastating in the spiritual realms because we produce words of destruction that boomerang to us, midda keneged
midda. But we can bond with Gd and stimulate ourselves using the very same qualities, and instead produce a sense of connection, a clearer
understanding, positive spiritual entities that help us move along the positive goals we desire and more. Perhaps this is what these abilities were
given to us for, for our own introspection and self-improvement.
When doing hisbodidus, it is good to have total privacy and to realize that Gd already knows all the innermost feelings and thoughts, so it is totally
safe to look at the matter, examine it, acknowledge where we need improvement, regret lovingly our patterns over time, and request His assistance
in choosing something that might conform to His Attributes instead.
These cards are intended to assist a person to yearn to be like Gd's Attributes of Mercy, to make ourselves in His image, for this is the purpose and
mission of a person. If you are not able to read the Tomer Devora small print, The entire Tomer Devora is reprinted below as well.
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It is proper for man to emulate his Creator, for then he will attain the essence of the Supernal Form in both image (tzelem) and likeness (demus).
For if his physical form reflects the Supernal Form, while his actions do not, he falsifies his stature. They will then say of him, a handsome form
whose deeds are ugly. For the essential aspect of the Supernal image and likeness are His deeds. And what use will it be to him to reflect the
Supernal Form physically with the likeness of the shape of his limbs, when his deeds do not emulate those of his Creator? Thus, it is proper that
man emulate the functions of keser which are the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of mercy alluded to, in the essence of the verses (Michah
7:18-20): Who is G-d like You, Who pardons iniquity and removes transgression for the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His wrath
eternally for He is desirous of kindness. He will again be merciful to us, He will suppress our iniquities, and You will cast into the depths of the sea
all of their sins. Grant truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham, as You have sworn to our forefathers from days of old. Therefore, it is proper that
one should contain in himself these Thirteen Attributes. We will now explain the thirteen functions of these attributes.
1. Who is G-d like You?
This attribute teaches us that the Holy One, Blessed is He, is a forbearing King Who tolerates insult in a manner beyond human comprehension.
Without doubt, nothing is hidden from His providence. In addition, there is not a moment that man is not nourished and sustained by virtue of the
Divine power bestowed upon him. Thus being, no man ever sinned against G-d without G-d Himself bestowing His existence and the ability to
move his limbs, at that very moment. Yet, even though a person uses this very power to transgress, He does not withhold it from him at all.
Rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, tolerates this insult and continues to bestow on him the power to move his limbs. Even at the very moment
that person uses this power for transgression, sin and infuriating deeds, the Holy One, Blessed is He, continues to tolerate him. One cannot say,
G-d forbid, that He cannot withhold this benevolence, for it is within His power to shrivel up a persons arms or legs instantly, just as He did with
Yaravam (See Melachim A13-4). Yet, even though it is within His power to withdraw the power that he bestowed, and He could maintain, Since
you sin against Me, sin with that which belongs to you, not with that which belongs to Me, He does not, for this reasoning, withhold His goodness
from man; rather, He tolerates the insult and continues to bestow power and benefits man with His benevolence. Behold, this is a degree of insult
and tolerance of it that is immeasurable. For this reason, the ministering angels refer to the Holy One, Blessed is He, as the Forbearing King
(Pirkei Heichalos Chapter 24). This is the meaning of the saying: Who is G-d like You You are G-d Who possesses kindness, Who is
benevolent. A G-d Who possesses the power to take revenge and claim what is rightfully Yours, and yet, You are tolerant and forbearing until man
repents.
Thus, this attribute of being tolerant, is one that man should emulate. Even when he is insulted to such a degree (mentioned above0, he should
still not withdraw his benevolence from the recipient.
2. Who pardons iniquity
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Behold, this attribute is greater than the previous one. For whenever a person commits a transgression, a destructive being is created as stated
in the Mishnah (Avos 4:13), He who commits a single transgression acquires against himself a single accuser. And this accuser stands before the
Holy One, Blessed is He, and declares, So and so created me. Considering that no being in the world exists without the bestowing of life from the
Holy One, Blessed is He, then this destructive being which stands before Him, with what sustenance does he exist? The strict measure of justice
would justify that the Holy One, Blessed is He, should claim, I do not nourish destructive beings! Go to the one who made you, and derive your
sustenance from him. The destructive being would then immediately descend and take his life, or cut him off from his spiritual source, or he would
receive his deserving punishment until the destructive being would cease to be. Nevertheless, the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not do this.
Rather, He bears and tolerates the sin, and just as He nourishes the entire world, He nourishes and sustains this destructive being until one of three
things happens: Either the sinner repents, and destroys and nullifies it (the destructive being) through his acts of penance; or the righteous judge
nullifies it through the suffering or death of the sinner; or he will descend to Gehinnom to repay his debt there. This is also the explanation of
Kayins plea, Is my sin too great to bear? (Bereishis 4:13), which our Sages (Tanchumah Breishis, Chap 9) interpreted as: You tolerate the entire
world!: meaning You nourish and sustain. Is my sin so severe that You cannot tolerate it: - meaning to sustain it (the destructive being), until I
repent and rectify the sin? Thus, that G-d nourishes and sustains the evil creature created by the sinner, until he repents, represents a great
quality of tolerance.
From this, man should learn to what extent he should be tolerant. He should tolerate the wrong of his fellow and his harm, even though he harmed
him to such a degree, that the harm he caused him continues to exist. He should tolerate this until his fellow rectifies the wrong himself or it (the
harm) disappears on its own. And the same applies to other situations.
3. And removes transgression
This is a very great attribute, for when G-d forgives a sinner, He does not convey His pardon through an emissary. Rather, the Holy One Himself,
Blessed is He, grants the pardon, as it is written: For with You is forgiveness (Tehillim 13:4) What is the nature of this forgiveness? He washes
away the sin, as it is written: For G-d has washed away the filth of the daughters of Tziyon (Yeshaya 4:4) Similarly, it is written: And I will
sprinkle purifying waters upon you (Yechezkel 36:25). This, then, is the attribute of Removing transgression He sends purifying waters, and
removes and washes away transgression.
A person should behave in exactly the same manner. He should not say, Why should I rectify what so and so corrupted or ruined? This should
not be said, for when man sins, the Holy One, Blessed is He, Himself, not by way of an emissary, rectifies his corruption and washes away the filth
of his sins. From this, a person should understand to be ashamed to return to his sinful ways, for the King Himself cleanses the filth of his spiritual
garments.
4.For the remnant (sheiris) of His heritage

The Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts himself towards Bnei Yisroel in this way: He says, What shall I do for Bnei Yisroel, who are My relatives? I
have with them a family relationship!: for they are the spouse of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and He also calls them, My daughter, My sister,
and My mother, as our sages (Medash Shiur HaShiurim 3:25) explain. And as it is written Bnei Yisroel, a nation related to Him (Tehillim
48:4)), - He has an actual family relationship with them and they are His children. . this, too, is the meaning of the words sheiris of His
heritage, implying sheer bassar (a flesh relationship). In the final analysis, they are G-d heritage. And what does He say? If I punish them, the
pain is Mine! As it is written In all their pain, He is afflicted (Yeshaya 63:9). The word lo is actually written with an aleph implying that their
pain extends to the level of keser called pelech (aleph has the same letters as peleh referring to the sefira of keser) and how much more so to the
level of the dual visage (tiferes and malchus) through which the world is mainly conducted. For it is read lo tzar with a vav signifying that the pain
is His. This is also the intention of the verse that is written, And His soul could not tolerate the misery of Yisroel (Shoftim 10:16), for He cannot
tolerate their suffering and disgrace, since they are the remnant (sheiris) of His heritage.
A person should behave this same way towards his fellow, since all Bnei Yisroel are related to each other, being that all souls are united, and each
soul contains a part of all others. This is why, nothing can compare to a multitude who do a mitzvah (Toras Kohanim 26:8). The reason being,
because they are all united and complement one another. And thus, our Sages explain (Brachos 47b) regarding one who is counted among the first
ten to arrive at the Bais Haknesses (synagogue) that even if one hundred come after him, he receives a reward equivalent to them all. One
hundred is to be understood literally, since the souls of each of the first ten are included in each other, thus there are ten times ten, which equals
one hundred. And since each soul includes all of the others, every one of them is a combination of one hundred souls. Therefore, even if a
hundred come after him, his reward equals all of the hundred. This is also why Bnei Yisroel are guarantors thus responsible and liable for one
another (Shevuos 39a), since each Jewish soul actually contains a potion of all the others, and when an individual sins, he blemishes his own soul
and also the portion of every other Jew that he possesses within himself. It is this portion that requires his friend to be a guarantor for him.
Hence, all Jews are related to one another.
Therefore, it is proper for man to desire the benefit of his fellow, view his neighbors good fortune in a positive way, and cherish his friends honor
as his won for he (his friend) is actually himself! And for this reason, we are commanded to Love your fellow Jew as yourself (Vayikra 19:18).
Furthermore, it is proper that one should be pleased with the integrity of his fellow, and should never speak ill of him or be desirous of his
disgrace, just as the Holy One, Blessed is He, desires neither our disgrace nor our suffering, because of our relationship; so too, a person should
not be desirous of his fellows disgrace, suffering or downfall. Rather, he should be pained by it as if he himself was actually suffering that same
pain or rejoicing in the persons good fortune as if he were enjoying that same good fortune
5.He does not retain His wrath eternally
This is another attribute that even when a person persists in sinning, the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not retain His wrath. And even when He
does retain it, it is not forever. Rather, He nullifies His anger even if a person does not repent, as we find in the days of Yaravam ben Yoash, when
the Holy One, Blessed is He, restored the orders of the land of Israel (Melachim B 14:26); they were worshippers of idols, but He had mercy on
them, thought hey did not repent. If so, why did He have mercy on them? Because of this attribute of not retaining His wrath forever. On the
contrary, He deliberately alleviates His wrath. Even thought the sin still exists, He does not punish immediately; rather, He waits hopefully and has
mercy on the sinners on the possibility that they will repent. This is the intention of the verse Not forever will he battle, nor will he bear a grudge
for eternity (Tehillim 103:9). Rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts Himself with both tenderness and harshness, all for the benefit of Bnei
Yisroel.
This is a fitting attribute with which a person should conduct himself towards his fellows. Even if one is permitted to reprimand his friend or his
children severely, and they would accept the rebuke, this is no reason to intensify his reprimand and persist in his anger, though he was angered.
Instead, he should nullify it (his anger) and not retain his wrath eternally, even if this is such a wrath that is permissible for man. This idea is
comparable to our Sages explanation of the verse When you see the donkey of someone you hate lying under its burden, (Shemos 23:5). What is
the cause of this hatred? He saw him transgress a sin, and being a lone witness, he cannot testify against him in court. Thus, he hates him
because of that sin. Even so, the Torah demands, You shall help along with him, meaning, abandon that anger which is in your heart. And on
the contrary, it is a mitzvah to befriend him with love, for perhaps with this method you will succeed in causing him to repent. This is exactly the
attribute of He does not retain His wrath eternally.
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6. For He is desirous of kindness

We have already explained elsewhere (Pardas Rimonim, Shaar Heichalos Chap. 5) that in a certain Heavenly chamber, angels are appointed to
receive the grants of kindness that man performs in this world. And when the attribute of strict judgment accuses Bnei Yisroel, these angels
immediately display those acts of kindness, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, has mercy upon Bnei Yisroel, since He is desirous of their kindness.
And even though they may be guilty, He has mercy on them if they grant kindness to one another. This can be compared to the time of the
Destruction of the Holy Temple, when it was said to the angel Gavriel: Go in between the galgal, beneath the keruvim, and throw them on the
city (Yechezkel 10:2) For he (Gavirel) is the angel of judgment and strictness, and he was given permission to receive the powers of judgment,
from the fire on the Altar, which is between the galgal, below the keruvim. This is judgment according to the strictness of malchus, which became
so severe that it sought to destroy everything and uproot the core of Bnei Yisroel, because they had incurred the penalty of annihilation. However,
the passage continues The form of a mans hand appeared under the wings of the keruvim meaning that the Holy One, Blessed is He, said to
Gavriel, They grant kindness towards one another (Vayikra Raba 26:8). So even though they were guilty, they were saved, and a remnant of them
was left. The reason for this is due to this attribute of He is desirous of kindness, meaning the kindness that Bnei Yisroel grant for one
another. And He reminds them (the Heavenly court) of this righteous aspect of them, even though, in other aspects, they are not righteous.
Hence it is proper for man to conduct himself with this attribute. Even if one is aware that another person is committing evil against him, and
angers him, nevertheless if he has some good redeeming quality e.g. he is benevolent to others or he possesses some other good trait with which
he conducts himself righteously this good side of him should be sufficient for one to nullify his anger against him and to have a positive feeling
towards him and to desire his kindness and say It is enough for me that he has this good quality. How much more so does all this apply to ones
wife; as our Sages explained: It is enough that they raise our children and save us from sin. So, too, one should say to himself with regard to
every man, It is enough that he has done for me or someone else such and such a favor, or that he has a such and such positive quality, and he
should always be desirous of kindness.
7. He will again be merciful to us

The Holy One, Blessed is He, does not conduct Himself in the same manner as man. For when one is angered by his fellow, when he reconciles
with him, the reconciliation is only minimal not to the extent of the original love between them. But if a person sins and afterwards repents, his
stature before the Holy One, Blessed be He, is even greater than before. This is the intention of the statement our Sages made, At the level where
baale teshuvah stand, perfect tzaddikim cannot stand. The reason for this is, as explained in the Talmud (Menachos 29b) regarding the letter Hei:
Why is it made open like a porch? So that anyone who wants to go astray from His world can do so! The explanation of this is as follows: The
world was created with the letter Hei, for the Holy One, Blessed is He, created the world as such that it is wide-open to evil and sin. There is no
direction where earthliness, the evil inclination, and blemishes of the soul are absent! It is just like a porch, which is not fully fenced, rather, it has
a huge breach on the bottom toward evil. Anyone who desires to leave His world has many exits; wherever he turns, he will find an aspect of sin
or transgression through which he can enter the domain of the Outside Forces. And yet, it also has a gap at the top left corner, symbolizing that if
he repents he will be accepted by G-d. The Sages asked, Why shouldnt he reenter the same path through which he left? Our Sages answer:
Because this way will not help him enough in his repentance. Meaning, that it is not enough for a repentant sinner to guard himself against sin the
same way a perfectly righteous person does. Tzaddikim, since they have not sinned require only a minor barrier, whereas for a repentant sinner, a
small barrier is insufficient he needs a number of strong restraints. The reason being, since this minor barrier was already breached once, if he
approaches it, his evil urge will easily seduce him again. Therefore, he must further himself a great distance, and not reenter the porch at the
breached side. Rather, he should ascend and enter the narrow gap at the top of the Hei, by engaging in self afflictions, thus mending the breaches.
For this reason, At the level where baalei teshuvah stand, perfect tzaddikim cannot stand. for they did not enter through the same entrance as
the righteous such that they should be together with the righteous. Instead, they pained themselves in order to ascend through the upper door,
they inflicted penances on themselves, and distanced themselves from sin much more than the righteous. They have therefore ascended and
attained the level of Hei, that is the roof of the Hei symbolizing the fifth Palace of Gan Eden, whereas the righteous have entered only through the
lower opening of the Hei the entrance of the porch. Therefore when a person does teshuva that is to say tashuv Hei he returns the hei to its
proper place, and then the Holy One, Blessed is He, returns His Shechinah upon him. And He will restore His love for the repentant person not only
as the original love was, but rather in an even greater measure. This is the explanation of the attribute He will again be merciful to us: He will
increase His mercy toward Bnei Yisroel, perfecting them and drawing them closer to Himself.
This is also how a person should behave towards his fellow. He should not nurture the hatred born of past anger. Rather, when he sees that his
fellow desires his love, he should raise his level of mercy and love toward him much more than before, and say, He is to me like the baale
teshuvah, in whose company even the perfectly righteous cannot stand.
And he should befriend him to the fullest extent, much more than he would befriend those who are perfectly righteous in their behavior towards
him and have never wronged him.
8. He will suppress our iniquities

Behold, the Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts Himself with Bnei Yisroel according to this attribute, which is the essence of suppressing iniquity.
For mitzvos are compared to blossoms of a grapevine, sprouting its developing fruit and it shoots upwards without limit, to enter His blessed
Presence. However, sins have no entrance there, G-d forbid. Rather, He suppresses them, denying them entry, as it is written: Evil will not dwell
with You (Tehillim 5:5), which our Sages (Shabbos 149b) interpret as implying that no evil will dwell in Your dwelling. Thus, iniquity has no
eentry into the Inner Sanctum. For this reason, there is no reward for mitzvos in this world (Kiddushin 39b) because they reside in His blessed
Presence; therefore, how could G-d grant a spiritual reward in a material world for mitzvos that are present before Him? Behold, the entire world is
not worthwhile of a single mitzvah and the spiritual bliss of His Presence.
For the same reason, G-d does not accept mitzvos as bribes. For instance, the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not say He has fulfilled forty
commandments and committed ten transgressions; thus, the reward for thirty commandments remain, for ten are deducted for the ten
transgressions! G-d forbid! Rather, if even a perfectly righteous individual commits a single sin, it is considered to Him as if he has burned the
Torah scroll until he appeases Hashem for his guilt, after which he will receive reward for all of his mitzvos. This is a great kindness that the
Holy One, Blessed is He, does for the righteous. He does not deduct from their mitzvos, for mitzvos are very precious and ascend until they come
before His blessed Presence so, how, then, can transgressions be deducted from them? Punishment for transgressions is a portion of that which
is most shameful Gehinom -- while the reward for mitzvos is from that which is so precious, the radiance of the Shechinah. So, how, then, can
He deduct one from the other? Rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, collects the debt due for transgressions and then He pays the reward due for
all the mitzvohs. This is the attribute of suppressing iniquity meaning that transgressions do not prevail before Him as the commandments do.
Rather, He suppresses them, preventing them from ascending and entering His Presence. Although He observes all the ways of man, both bad and
good, nevertheless, He does not suppress the good. Rather, it blossoms and rises up, merging with other mitzvos to build a spiritual edifice and
form a precious garment. Transgressions dont have this characteristic rather, He suppresses them, so they will have no such success and no
entry into the Inner Sanctum.
A person should also conduct himself according to this attribute; he should not suppress his fellows favor and remember the evil or harm he has
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done to him. On the contrary, he should suppress the evil, erasing it from his memory and abandoning it, so that no evil will dwell with him, and
his favor should be constantly arranged before him. One should always remember the favor of his fellow, allowing it to prevail over all the evil
actions he has done to him. He should not subtract from the favor he has done to him in his heart, and say, Although he did me a favor, he also
did me harm, thereby forgetting the favor. One should not do this! Rather, he should allow himself to be appeased in every possible way
regarding the harm, and never overlook the favor. He should turn a blind eye to the harm he has done to him as much as possible, just as the Holy
One, Blessed is He, does in suppressing our iniquities, as I have explained above.
9. And You will cast into the depths of the sea all of their sins
This is an especially good attribute of the Holy One, Blessed is He, For when Bnei Yisroel sinned, He delivered them into the hands of Pharoah and
they repented. If so, why should He punish Pharoah, or Sancheriv, or Haman and others like them? Yet the Holy One, Blessed is He, is not content
with saying They repented, so no further evil will befall them, and thus, Haman, Pharoah or Sancheriv will be removed from them. This is not
sufficient; rather, the wickedness of Haman reverts onto his own head, and so too, with Pharoah and Sancheriv.
The reason for this conduct lies in the essence of the verse pertaining to the Temple service on Yom Kippur, where two identical goats were
brought, one was sacrificed on the altar, and the other sent to Azazel pushed down a rugged mountain. The goat that was sent to Azazel will
carry all their sins, to the desolate land (Vayikra 16:22); meaning that the goat actually bears the punishment for their sins! Now, this is very
difficult to understand, for it Bei Yisroel sinned, why should the goat bear their sins? However, the reason for this conduct is as follows: When a
person confesses with the intention in his confession to receive a cleansing of his sins as King David said: Cleanse me abundantly from my
iniquities (Tehillim 51:4), and so are our words in prayer, Cleanse my sin with Your great compassion he only prays that his afflictions be light
so that they will not interrupt his Torah study. As we say in our prayers: but not by way of severe afflictions. This is also the intention when
one states, You are righteous with regard to all that befalls me, he actually accepts willingly upon himself afflictions in order that he be
vindicated for his sins, for there are sins that can be cleansed only by means of afflictions or death. This is the conduct; immediately when one
confesses in prayer, the Holy One, Blessed is He, decrees some sort of affliction upon him for his sins. As the Zohar in Parshas Pikudei (pg 262b)
explains, this is the portion of the Satan as portrayed by the goat that was sent to Azazel. What is actually his portion? That the Holy One Blessed
is He, decrees on him (that is the one who sinned and afterward repented and confessed) afflictions, and then instantly Satan comes by there, and
collects his due. And behold, the goat carries the sins, meaning that the Holy One Blessed is He, gives him permission to collect his due, and
through this, the Bnei Yisroel become cleansed. But, eventually, everything will revert back to Satan. The reason for this is that the holy One,
Blessed is He, decreed upon His world that all who do this bring suffering upon Bnei Yisroelshould be nullified. That is why G-d decreed, The
animal which was involved in human transgression resulting in mans execution must be killed (Vayikra 20:15). Similarly, the stones used to
carry out the sentence of those condemned to death by stoning and the sword used to carry out the sentence of decapitation must be buried
(Sanhedrin 46b) in order to nullify their existence and power after they have been used to carry out the judgment.
Behold, this is actually the essence of the statue of Nevuchadneetzar which he saw in his dream (Daniel 2:32-34): When Bnei Yisroel were given
over into the hand of the Babylonian king symbolized by a head of gold, this same head was eventually subjugated and given over into the
hands of Persia, symbolized by a silver chest and arms, who was, in turn, expelled by another nation, and so on, until Bnei Yisroel descended to
the fourth Kingdom of Edom and Yishmael, symbolized by legs of iron and clay. And what will be the final good ending? Eventually the Holy
One, Blessed is He, will uplift them (the Bnei Yisroel), and execute justice upon them (those kingdoms). As it is written: I will use up My arrows
against them (Devarim 32:23), meaning that the arrows will be used up but the Bnei Yisroel will not be annihilated (Sota 9a). And then the
parts of iron, clay, brass, silver and gold will be crushed together (Daniel 2:32). First, it is written, And he smote the idol to its legs (Ibid
2:34), implying that there was nothing left of the idol but its legs; for they had lost all their power symbolized by the way the head, arms and torso
were removed. Nevertheless, in the end as it is written Together they will be crushed (ibid 2:35), for in the future the Holy One Blessed is He
will indict Satan and the wicked who carry out his deeds and actions, and He will visit justice upon them. This is the meaning of the verse (Micha
7:19) and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea, implying that He will cast the power of judgment, to be executed upon those are
likened to the depths of the sea (as the verse states). (Yeshayah 57:20): The wicked are like the spewing sea, for it cannot rest, and its waters
spew mud and mire. This refers to those who execute judgment on Bnei Yisroel: He will return their evil deeds upon their own heads. The reason
for this is, for after Bnei Yisroel receives their judgment, the Holy One, Blessed is he, reconsiders even the initial punishment, and exacts
retribution for their insult and suffering. And furthermore, I was angered only a little, and the nations of the world helped to do more evil than
required (Zechariah 1:15).
This, too, is an attribute that man should use in his behavior toward his fellow. Even if the latter is wicked and crushed through afflictions, do not
hate him, for after having been whipped, he is like your brother (Makkos 23a). Befriend the rebellious and those who have been punished and
have mercy on them. And on the contrary, save them from their enemies, and dont say His own sin caused his suffering. Rather, have mercy
on them in accordance with this attribute, as I have explained above.
10 Grant truth to Yaakov

This attribute, represents a quality of Bnei Yisroel, even those individuals of average spiritual stature, who do not know how to go beyond what the
Law requires, and are called Yaakov (not Yisroel which refers to a higher level), because they conduct themselves solely with the conduct of
truth. So too, the Holy One, Blessed is He, possesses the quality of truth, with regard to the reality of the judgment of uprightness. And to those
who conduct themselves in this world with uprightness, the Holy One, Blessed is He also conducts Himself toward them with this quality of truth,
having mercy on them in a way that is upright and just.
So, too, a person should act towards his fellow in a way that is upright and true, never perverting the justice of his friend. He should have true
mercy on him, just as the Holy One, Blessed is He, has mercy on His creatures of average stature, according to this quality of truthfulness, in order
to perfect them.
11. Kindness to Avraham

Those who conduct themselves in this world beyond the requirements of the Law, like Avraham or Patriarch the Holy One, blessed is He, also
conducts Himself towards them in a way that goes beyond the requirements of the Law. That is, He does not deal with them according to the strict
letter of the law, not even according to the path of uprightness. Rather, He goes with them beyond the attribute of uprightness, just as they
conduct themselves. This is the attribute of kindness to Avraham: the Holy One, Blessed is He, acts with the attribute of kindness towards those
who conduct themselves like Avraham.
So too, man: Although he conducts himself with righteousness, uprightness and justice towards all men, towards those who are particularly good
and pious, his conduct should go beyond the requirements of the Law. If towards other people he is a bit tolerant, with these pious men he should
be much more so. He should have mercy on them, going with them beyond the requirement of the Law in which he conducts himself towards
others. They should be exceedingly precious to him and beloved, and they should be counted among his friends.
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12. As You have sworn to our forefathers

Some people are unworthy, yet the Holy One, Blessed is He, has mercy on all of them. The Talmud (Berachos 7a) explains the verse I shall show
favor to whom I choose to show favor (Shemos 33:19) The Holy One, Blesed is He, says, this storehouse is for those who are unworthy (this
means that there is a storehouse of grace, from which the Holy One, Blessed is He, shows favor and grants them an unearned gift. For the Holy
One, Blessed is He, says Behold, they have the merit of the Patriarchs. I made an oath to the Patriarchs, so even if they are unworthy, they will
merit, because they are offspring of the Patriarchs, to whom I swore. Therefore, I will lead them and guide them until they are perfected.
Man should also behave in this same manner. Even if he encounters wicked people, he should not behave cruelly towards them or taunt them and
so on. Rather, he should have mercy on them, and say Ultimately, thay are the children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. Thought hey may not
be righteous, their forefathers were righteous and worthy. Hence one who despises the sons despises the fathers too. I do not wish their fathers to
be despised because of me! Thus he should conceal their disgrace and help to improve them, as much as is in his power.
13. From days of old

Behold, this is an attribute with which the Holy One, Blessed is He has conducted Himself towards Bnei Yisroel. When the merit of the Patriarchs
and all other merits are exhausted, what can He do for them when behold they themselves are unworthy? He does as it is written, I recall for your
sake, the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in an unsown land (Yirmiyah 2:2). The Holy
One, Blessed is He, actually recalls the olden days and the previous love He had then towards the people of Israel, and He has mercy on Bnei
Yisroel. With this, He remembers all the mitzvos they have fulfilled since their birth as a nation, and all the favors and good qualities with which
the Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts HI s world. From all these, He fashions something especially auspicious with which to be merciful for their
sake. Behold, this attribute encompasses all the others, as explained in the Idra (Zohar Naso 134b).
Similarly, man should perfect his conduct towards other people. Even if he cannot find a reason for loving and having mercy on his fellows from
amongst those already mentioned, he should say, There was surely a previous time when they had not yet sinned, and in that time or in their days
of old they were righteous. For their sake, he should recall the good which they did in their youth, and recall for their sake the love of infants
who have just been weaned from their mother. This way, he will not find a single person unworthy of benefiting him, praying for his well-being and
having mercy on him.
This completes our explanation of the Thirteen Attributes in which a person should emulate his Creator. These are the Supernal Attributes of Mercy,
and their quality is, that just as a person conducts himself in this world below, so will he be worthy of opening up the channel of the same
Supernal Attribute Above. Exactly according to his conduct, so will he bestow above in the Supernal World the same and he will cause that
Supernal attribute to shine here in this world.
For this reason, one should not divert his mind from these Thirteen Attributes or allow these verse to depart from his mouth; so that he should
remember them when a situation arises requiring the use of one of these attributes. He should then remind himself and say: Behold, this action
which is required in this situation is contingent on this particular attribute. I will not budge from it, lest this attribute become concealed or
disappear from the world.
Chapter two
Additionally, for a person to emulate his Creator according to the essence of the attribute of keser, he must possess several mail functions, which
are the main conduct of this attribute.
The first and most encompassing, is the trait of humility.
It is contingent on the attribute of keser, for it is the most sublime of all the
attributes; nevertheless, it does not exalt itself or hold itself in esteem. On the contrary, it always descends, gazing downwards. There are two
reasons for this: One reason is that it is ashamed to gaze at its Cause; instead, He from Whom keser emanates watches over it at all times in order
to benefit it, while it gazes at those below. Similarly, man should be ashamed to gaze upward in order to hold himself aloof. Rather, he should
always lower his gaze, and minimize his self-worth as much as possible. This quality is contingent mainly on the head for a person holds himself
aloof by raising his head upwards, whereas a humble person lowers his head.
Secondly, behold there is none so tolerant and humble as our G-d in His attribute of keser, for His mercy is absolute, and no flaw, transgression or
strict judgment enters His sphere. Nor can any other trait prevent Him from watching over man and bestowing bounty upon him constantly. So, too,
man should conduct himself in this way; no factor in the world should prevent him from benefiting others, and no transgressions or misdeeds of
unworthy people should prevent him from benefiting at every available opportunity all those in need. And just as G-d sits and nourishes all
creatures, from the horns of reeimim (the largest creature) to the eggs of lice (the smallest creature), not disdaining any of them for if He
disdained any creature because of its insignificance, it could not exist for even a moment; rather, He watches over them and grants mercy to all;
so, too man should benefit all, not disdaining any creature. Even the lowliest beings should be very important in his eyes, he should show concern
for them, and benefit all who require his benefit. This attribute, generally is contingent on the attribute of keser the essence of the Supernal
head.
The second Ones thoughts should emulate the thought process of keser.
Just as the chochmah of keser never stops thinking good

thoughts, and it allows no evil to enter in it because it is absolute compassion, with no severity or harshness found there at all; so too a persons
thoughts should always be void of anything unseemly. And just as it is the essence of chochmah of the Primal Torah where all the secrets of Torah
are contained; so, too one should not pay attention to anything other than the thought of Torah or to meditate on the greatness of G-d and His
beneficial acts or contemplate how to benefit others or other similar good thoughts. As a rule, no foreign or irrelevant thoughts should enter ones
mind. Such was the elevated level of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his comrades, and when Rabbi Yoses thoughts once strayed a little from the
Torah, note how Rabbi Shimon rebuked him, as related in the Zohar on Parshas VaYakhel (pg 217b).
The third
Ones forehead (,etzach) should not contain any harshness. Rather, one should constantly emulate the Supernal metzach of
Willingness, and appease all. Even when he finds people angry at one another, he should appease and pacify them with his good will, for the
Supernal metzach of Willingness constantly placates strict judgment and rectifies them. He, too, should appease those intense people who intensify
their anger. He should guide them with good will, and compliment this with his great wisdom, to nullify their anger, lest it overstep its boundaries
and cause damage, G-d forbid. One should follow the example of the Divine Will, which derives from the wondrous chochman found in the
metzach of Atik, whence all strict judgments are appeased. This quality derives from being constantly pleasant towards people, for if his traits are
in any aspect harsh towards others, they will not be placated by him. This is the meaning of the Mishnah (Avos 3:13): Anyone who the spirit of
people is pleased with him, the spirit of the Omnipresent is also pleased with him.
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The fourth
Ones ears should always turn to hear good, while false or despicable reports should not enter them at all. Just as in the
essence of Supernal Listening, any cry for strict judgment or any blemish of evil gossip does not enter there; so, too, one should not listen to
anything other than good or of practical use. To other things, which intensify anger, he should not listen at all. And just as the words and speech
of the Serpent have no entry Above, so too, no despicable thing should have any entry in him (in his ears). This is the meaning of the phrase You
shall not accept a false report (Shemos 23:1). How much more so does this apply to other despicable things, which should not enter ones ears at
all; and he should only be listening to good things.
The fifth Ones eyes should not gaze at all at anything despicable.
Rather, they should always be open to watch over unfortunates and

have as much mercy on them as possible. And when he sees the suffering of the poor, he should not close his eyes at all. Rather, he should give
as much thought to their predicament as possible, arousing the mercy of both Heaven and man upon them. He should distance himself from
noticing evil, just like the Supernal Eye, which is open and forever sees only good.
The sixth
Regarding the nose, a breath of wrath should never be found in it. Rather, it should constantly contain the breath of life, good
will and patience, even toward those who are unworthy. One should always want to fulfill the desire of others, to satisfy every request, and to
revive the broken-spirited. He should always breath forth from his nose, forgiveness of iniquity and pardon of transgression. He should not be
angry with those who offend him; rather, he should constantly be willing to be appeased, and he should be desirous of kindness, pleasing
everyone.
The seventh
Ones face should always shine, and he should receive all people with a cheerful countenance. For regarding the Supernal
keser, it says, In the light of the Kings countenance is life (Mishlei 16:15). And just as no flush of anger or strict judgment enters there at all;
so too, the light of his countenance should be unchanging, and all who look into his face should find nothing but joy and cheerfulness. No factor
should distract him from this at all.
The eighth
Ones mouth should express nothing but good, and the content of his words should be Torah and constant expression of
good will. NO despicable words, curses, rage, anger or frivolous talk should escape his mouth. Rather, it should resemble the Supernal Mouth
which is never sealed and never refrains from speaking good at all times. Therefore, one must not silence himself from speaking well of everyone,
expressing good words and blessings constantly.
These then are eight good qualities, all of which come under the banner of humility. They all correspond Above to the Supernal Limbs of keser.
Thus, when a person desires to draw near to the Supernal Worlds and emulate G-d, in order to open His sources to those below, he must be fully
perfected in that which was discussed in these two chapters.
However, we know that it is not always possible to conduct oneself in accordance with these qualities, since there are other qualities one must
master, which are from the lower strict judgments, as we will explain. Nevertheless, on certain days, these strict judgments are inactive and man
does not need to make use of them for the Supernal attribute of keser reigns or because these are times that the Supernal attribute of keser is
sought. At these times, one must use all the qualities we have mentioned above. But other attributes pertaining to strict judgment even thought
hey are required in Divine service at their proper time should not be exercised in these times, for the light of keser nullifies them. For example,
one should not make use of these harsh attributes on Shabbos, when the world is perfected with the essence of delight and therefore there is no
judgment on Shabbos. On this day, one should utilize all of these qualities mentioned above in order to open the Heavenly sources of blessing.
For if one concentrates on the lights of keser in his prayers, yet he behaves contrary to them with his actions, how can he open the sources of keser
while he literally repels them with his deeds? Is it not all the more so, that if keser does not reside when the Supernal sefiros intensify sacred strict
judgment and sacred anger, then keser and its light will surely not rest upon a person who allows the external anger to prevail, even though he
does so for the sake of Heaven. This is particularly true since he intends to arouse it (the external anger) over the Supernal attributes, and they
will then say, How much audacity does he have! The light of keser is not revealed in us, because of our judgments that are holy and pure, yet this
person desires to reveal it, when he is filled with anger and despicable superficial actions!
Thus, on festivals, Shabbos and Yom Kippur, and at times of prayer and Torah study which are not times of strict judgment, but rather on the
contrary, are times when the Supernal Will is revealed, man should direct his mind to all these qualities. At other times, he may utilize the
remaining attributes in his Divine service, but not despicable ones, for whenever they are in control, it is to mans disadvantage, as will be
explained. Then, when he utilizes these qualities of keser, he will be prepared and assured that the heavenly sources of blessing will open.
Therefore, every person must accustom himself with these qualities little by little. The main quality he should grasp, the key to them all, is
humility for it is the highest of them all and the foremost aspect of keser, with all the other aspects included in it.
Now, the primary aspect of humility is that one should not find himself worthy at all. Rather he should consider himself like nothing - as Moshe,
the humble one, said: What are we worth that you should complain against us? (Shemos 16:7) to the extent that he deems himself in his own
eyes as the lowliest of all creatures, exceedingly shameful and loathsome. When a person constantly strives to acquire this quality, all the other
qualities of keser will be drawn after it, for the primary quality of keser is to view itself as nothing before the One from Whom it emanates.
Likewise, a person should consider himself nothing at all, thinking that his absence would much be better than his existence. Consequently, he will
act towards those who despise him as if they are correct and he is the despicable one who is at fault. This will be a means of acquiring all the
other good qualities.
I have found a remedy whereby a person can accustom himself to these things little by little , possibly curing himself of the disease of haughtiness
and allowing himself to enter the gates of humility. This cure is composed of three potions:
The first One should accustom himself to fell as far as possible from honor. For if he accustoms himself to be honored by other people, he
will acquire the habit of haughtiness, and by nature he will always desire this. Then, only with great difficulty, will he be able to be healed.
The second One should accustom his mind to see his shameful side, saying to himself, Although other people dont know of my lack of
worth, what of it? Arent I aware of myself, that I am shameful in such and such a way, whether in lack of knowledge, or in the weakness of my
abilities, or in my lowliness by the way I excrete the food I eat, and so on? until he becomes shameful and despicable in his own eyes.
The third One should constantly contemplate his sins and desire purification, rebuke and suffering, and ask himself, Which type of
suffering is the best in this world which will not distract me from Divine service? Surely there is none better than these to be scorned, shamed
and cursed, for these will not deprive him of his power and strength through illness, nor will they deprive him of his food and clothing, or deprive
him of his life, or the lives of his children through death. Being so, a person should actually desire these forms of suffering and say to himself
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Why should I fast and torment myself with sackcloth and lashes, which weaken my power and ability to serve G-d, and do this to myself with my
own hands? It is far better for me to be afflicted with being shamed and scorned by other people, which do not remove my power or weaken me.
Thus, when insults are meted out to him, he will rejoice in them, and contrary to the typical reaction, he will desire them. From these three
potions, one should make a balm for his heart, and he should train himself with this approach all his days.
I have found another excellent potion, although this potion is not as effective as the aforementioned remedy. This is that a person should
accustom himself to two things:
The first is to respect all creatures, after recognizing in them the superiority of the Creator, Who formed man with His wisdom and that all
creatures contain in them the wisdom of the Creator. He himself should realize that they (all creatures) are greatly precious, since He Who
fashioned all things the Wise and Superior Above All has involved Himself with creating them, and if one despises them, G-d forbid, it affects
the honor of their Creator. This is comparable to a wise craftsman who makes a vessel with great wisdom, and when he displays his work to
people, one of them begins to disgrace and despise it. How angry will that craftsman be, since, by despising the work of his hands, one is
despising his very wisdom. So too the Holy One Blessed Be He, is grieved of one despises any of His creatures. This is the meaning of the verse
that is written, How great are Your works, Hashem. (Tehillim 104:24) King David did not say how magnificent (mah gadlu), but rather how
great (mah rabbu), suggesting great importance as in the phrase rav beiso (Esther 1:8), meaning the very important people of the house. The
verse continues, You have made them all with wisdom. Thus, since Your Wisdom was involved in creating them, Your works are great and
magnificent, and it is proper for man to perceive wisdom in them and not despise them.
The second --
One should accustom himself to love his fellow men in his heart even the wicked, as if they were his brothers.
Moreover, he should pursue this quality until love for all people is fixed in his heart. He should even love the wicked in his heart, saying, I only
wish they were righteous, returning in repentance, so that all of them would be great men desired by the Omnipresent. As Moshe, the faithful lover
of all Bnei Yisroel said: If only all the people of G-d were prophets (Bamidbar 11:49). And how should he love them? By recalling in his
thoughts the good qualities that are present in them, concealing their flaws, and refusing to see their defects; rather, he should look only for the
good qualities in them. He should say in his heart: If this poor, loathsome fellow were very rich, how much would I delight in his company as I
delight in the company of so-and-so. If he were dressed in handsome garments like so-and-so, there would be no difference between them. If so,
why should he lack honor in my eyes, being that in G-ds eyes he is more important than me, since he is plagues and crushed with poverty and
suffering and therefore cleansed of sin? Why then, should I hate he whom the Holy One, Blessed is He, loves? In this way, his heart will turn
toward the positive aspect of people and he will accustom himself to ponder all the good qualities that we have mentioned.
Chapter three
How a person should accustom himself with the attribute of chochmah (wisdom)
Although it is hidden and exceedingly exalted, the Supernal attribute of chochmah is spread out over all that exists. As it says regarding it, How
great are Your works, Hashem; You have made them all with chochmah (Tehillim 104:24). Similarly, a persons chochmah should be found in
everything, and he should teach in order to benefit other people with his chochman each and everyone according to his capacity. He should
influence others with his chochmah to the best of his ability letting no factor at all distract him.
Now to the Supernal attribute of chochmah, there are two aspects; The higher aspect which faces keser and does not face downwards; rather, it
receives from above. The second and lower aspect faces downwards, overseeing the other sefiros, to which it extends its chochmah. Likewise a
person should have two aspects: The first aspect should be his contemplation in solitude with his Creator in order to increase and perfect his
chochmah; the second should be to teach others the chochmah that the Holy One, Blessed is He, has bestowed upon him. And just as the Supernal
attribute of chochmah bestows to each sefirah according to its measure and needs, so, too, one should bestow his chochmah to each person
according to the measure his intellect can bear, and to what is proper for him and his needs. One should be careful not to give more than the mind
of the recipient can contain, so that no harm will result, just as the Supernal sefirah of chochmah does not add on more than the limited capacity of
the recipient (sefirah).
Moreover, it is the nature of chochmah to oversee all of existence, for it is the Supernal Thought which forever thinks about everything that exists.
Of chochmah it is said: For My thoughts are not like your thoughts (Yeshaya 55:8), and it is written He gives thought so that he who is exiled is
not banished forever (Shmuel B 14:14), and it is written For I know the thoughts which I think of you the House of Israel, says the L-rd are
thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Yermiyah 29:11). Likewise, man should keep an open eye on the conduct of the
Nation of G-d in order to help them. His thoughts should be concerned with bringing near those who have strayed, and with thinking of any good
he can do for them. Just as the Divine Mind contemplates how to help all existence, he, too, should contemplate how to help his fellows. He
should give good counsel for the sake of G-d and His nation, regarding both individual and communal matters. And concerning one who has
strayed from the path of good conduct, he should guide him to the path of proper conduct, serving as his intellect and thought, to direct and lead
him to good and upright behavior, just as the Supernal Thought corrects Adam HaElyon (the Heavenly form of man).
Furthermore, chochmah instills life into everything. As it is written: And chochmah instills life into those who possess it (Koheles 7:12).
Likewise, one should instruct the entire world in the ways of life, causing them to attain life in this world and in the World to Come, thus providing
them with true life. In general, one should be a constant source of life to all.
In addition, chochmah is the father of all existence. As it is written: How great are Your works, Hashem: You have made them all with
chochmah (Tehillim 104:24). Thus, everything lives and exists from there (from that source). Likewise, one should act as a father to all of the
Holy One, Blessed is Hes creatures, particularly to the Bnei Yisroel, for they are holy souls which emanate from there. He should constantly pray
for mercy and blessing for the world, the same say that the Supernal Father has mercy on all His beings. And he should constantly pray for the
salvation of those who are in distress, as if they were actually his own children and he himself had formed them, for this is what the Holy One,
Blessed is He, desires. As in the way the faithful shepherd Moshe said: Did I conceive this nationthat You say to me, Carry it in your bosom?
(Bamidbar 11:12). In this way, a person should carry all of G-ds nation as a nurse carries a nursing infant. He should gather the lambs in his arm,
lifting them to his bosom, and lead the young nursing ones. He should remember to recover the forgotten, look after the desolate, heal the broken,
nourish the incapacitated, and return the lost. One should have mercy on Bnei Yisroel, bearing its burdens cheerfully, just as the Merciful Supernal
Father bears all. One should not tire or look away or get disgusted; rather, he should lead each and every one according to his needs. These are
the qualities of chochmah to be like a merciful father toward his children.
Furthermore, ones compassion should extend to all creatures and he should neither despise nor destroy them, for the Supernal chochmah spreads
over all of creation: inanimate objects, plants, animals and humans. For this reason, we are warned by our Sages against treating food
disrespectfully. This is a proper concept, for just as the Supernal chochmah does not despise anything that exists, since everything is created from
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it as it is written, You have made them all with chochmah (Tehillim 104:24), so, too, a persons compassion should be upon all the creations of
the Blessed One. For this reason, Rabbi Yehudah the Holy One was punished, because he did not have pity on a calf that hid by him under his
cloak, in order to evade slaughter, and he said to it, Go! You were created for this purpose, (Bava Metzia 85a). Suffering which derives from
the aspect of strict judgment came upon him. For only compassion shields against strict judgment. Thus, when he had mercy on a weasel, and
said His compassion is upon all His creations (Tehillim 145:9), he was delivered from strict judgment, for the light of chochmah spread over him,
and his suffering was removed.
Similarly, one should not disparage any creature that exists, for all of them were created with chochmah. Nor should one uproot plants or kill
animals unless they are needed. And one should choose a noble death for them, using a carefully inspected sharp knife, in order to be merciful as
much as possible.
This is the general principle: Having pity on all beings not to hurt them, is contingent on chochmah. Except, when elevating them to a higher level
from plant to animal, or from animal to human then it is permissible to uproot a plant or slaughter a live animal, causing damage in order to
bring merit.
Chapter Four
How a person should accustom himself with the attribute of binah (understanding)
This means to return in repentance, for there is nothing as important as it, in that it rectifies every flaw. And just as it is the nature of the Supernal
attribute of binah to sweeten all strict judgments and neutralize their bitterness, so, too, one should repent and rectify all flaws. One who ponders
thoughts of repentance all the days of his life, causes the attribute of binah to be illuminated all his days, the result being that all his days are days
of repentance. That is, he merges himself with binah, which is repentance, so that all the days of his life are crowned with the essence of Supernal
repentance.
Consider: that just like Repentance involves the returning of all beings to their roots, according to the essence of the Yovel-Jubilee, when all land
is returned to its original owner; in addition, the root of the external forces, which lies in the essence of the Supernal river of dinur, is really
embedded in holiness in the essence of Gevuros, being rooted there and spreading out until it evolves into being called The outflow of Divine
wrath delivering punishment. And in the essence of the verse Hashem smelled the pleasing aroma of Noahs sacrifices (Bereishis 8:21), that
outflow returns to its source and the strict judgment becomes sweetened, the wrath is quelled, and G-d reconsiders the unfavorable judgments.
Likewise, by means of the essence of his repentance, man also achieves this essence. Therefore, one should not say that repentance benefits only
the aspects of holiness in man. Rather, the evil aspects in him are rectified as well, just as the strict judgments are sweetened by this attribute. A
proof to this is: Kayin himself was evil and was a derivative of the evil serpent, yet he was told, If you better yourself, you will be uplifted
(Bereishis 4:7), meaning: Do not think that because you stem from the evil side, there is no chance for your rectification. This is false! For if you
better yourself, implanting yourself into the essence of repentance, you will be uplifted you can leave the side of evil and enter into the
essence of good which is implanted there. For every Supernal bitterness has a sweet root, enabling it by way of its root to better itself. Thus, the
evil actions themselves are transformed by man into good and his deliberate transgressions become transformed into merits. For, these very same
evil actions which he committed that served as prosecutors which are from the left Side when he returns in complete repentance, he bring sin
and implants those deeds above. And all those prosecutors, rather than becoming nullified, are transformed into good and become rooted in
holiness, just as Kayin could have done. For, had Kayin repented, thereby becoming rectified, then Adams sin, in which Kayin was conceived the
name Kayin deriving from the words kina demisavusa contaminated nest- would have been considered as a credit to him, according to the
essence of, A son brings merit to his father (Sanhedrin 104a). However, he did not desire to repent, and therefore the entire left side of evil
derives from him, though all its branches will eventually become sweetened; they will return and become sweetened. The reason for this is
precisely as we have explained a person can take the evil within himself and implant it into the essence of it which is sweet sweetening it and
transforming it into the aspect of good. Therefore, when a person purifies his evil inclination and transforms it into good, he becomes rooted
Above in holiness.
This is the elevated level of repentance with which a person should conduct himself. Every day he should contemplate this and repent in some way
so that all his days will be spent in repentance.
Chapter Five
How a person should accustom himself with the attribute of chesed (kindness)
The primary way to enter into the essence of chesed is to love G-d so absolutely that he will never forsake His service for any reason; for,
compared with His love, blessed is He, nothing else is considered loved by him. Therefore, he should first prepare the requirements of his Divine
service; then, the remainder may be used for other needs. This love should be fixed firmly in his heart, whether he receives benefits from the Holy
One, Blessed is He, or suffering and chastisement both should be considered as expressions of G-ds love for him. As it is written, Faithful are
the wounds inflicted by a loving friend (Mishlei 27:6). Furthermore, it is written,Uvchol mod and with all your Miod (Devarim 6:5), which
our sages interpret as meaning bchol mod umiddah with whatever measure He metes out to you (Berachos 54a), thereby including all
attributes in the attribute of chesed. Thus, although the essence of Divine conduct which stems from the attribute of malchus (sovereignty)
produces strict judgment, it is bound with chesed. Such was the way of Nachum Ish Gamzu, who would always say: This, too, is for the good!
He always sought to bind it (malchus) to the aspect of chesed, which is called good so he would say that even wheat appeared to be on the leftbound with gevurah (strictness), was in reality only for good bound with chesed. This way, he would concentrate on the good aspect of that
attribute of malchus, concealing its strict judgment. This is a great mode of conduct, to be bound forever with chesed.
In the Tikkunim (intro.) they explain: Who is a chasid (literally a pious person)? One who does chesed toward his Creator! For the granting of
chesed (charitable deeds) that man does in this world, should be done having in mind the parallel Supernal rectification of the attribute of chesed
which is considered granting chesed toward his Creator.
Now, it is necessary to know what are the types of charitable deeds practiced among men, so that the parallel can be done with ones Creator
Above, if one wants to acquire the attribute of chesed. Therefore, we will state that the various types of charitable deeds are the following:
FIRST At the moment of a childs birth, one must provide him with all the necessities for his sustenance. Thus, he should have in mind that this
is a time of the birth of tiferes from binah. And if her labor is difficult because of the aspect of strict judgment, G-d forbid, tiferes will emerge
toward the aspect of gevurah, and its birth will be difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare there whatever possible, so that the birth of tiferes
will be according to the aspect of right (symbolizing chesed), and the child will be born without any blemish at all. As we pray in the Rosh
HaShana prayer: And release our judgment clear as light Awesome Holy One. That is to say, we pray that tiferes which signifies judgment,
should emerge toward the aspect of light, which is the right, and will thus be sanctified and separated from strict judgments. Included in the
above, is ones intention in his deeds to constantly bind tiferes to chesed, and extract it from binah toward the side of chesed. Then the infant will
emerge strong and cleansed of spiritual imperfections. Almost all the prohibitions of the torah are included in this idea so as not to arouse
gevuros to cause overpowering judgment, thus making the birth of tiferes difficult, G-d forbid.
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SECOND To circumcise the child, meaning, to do the parallel with the Creator Above, that is all the perfections of this commandment, by
circumcising (removing) every aspect of kelipah (shell of impurity) for foreskin that attaches itself to yesod. One should pursue all those who
cause foreskin to be there, and bring them back in repentance in such a way, that by circumcising the foreskins of their hearts, he causes the
Supernal Tzaddik to be without any foreskin. He must maintain a firm stance in rectifying everything which causes the foreskin to be there. For
this reason, by circumcising the foreskin of the Jewish people, Pinchas became worthy of priesthood, for he did chesed with his Creator according
to the essence of the circumcision by removing the foreskin from yesod, thus becoming worthy of the quality of chesed attaining priesthood.
From this, one can learn how to do the parallel with his Creator Above regarding all the other qualities of chesed.
THIRD To visit the ill and heal them. It is known, the Shechinah is lovesick for yichud (unification) with Hashem. As it is written, for bereft of
Your presence I am sick with love (Shir HaShirim 2:5). And Her cure is iin the hands of man, who is able to bring her pleasant remedies. As it is
written, Sustain me with glass bottles of wine (ashishos), spread fragrant apples about me (ibid). The Tikkunim (Tikkun 19) explains this verse
that the essence of the word ashishos alluses to everythiing that binds the attribute of malchus.. The word ashisos can be interpreted to mean the
plural of Ish referring to a man who represents chesed. And referring to a woman who represents gevurah, which are the two arms uon which She
(the Shechina) supports Herself. Thus, one who does this awakens the attributes of chesed and gevurah, supports the one who is sick (the
Shechinah) in Her illness. Secondly spread apples about me (ibid) means to bind Her between netzach and hod, for this is Her proper resting
place, being that She is white (signifying chesed) and red (signifying gevurah), like those apples whose red colors are blended with white colors
from the aspect of chesed. Thus, one must visit Her, think of Her, and entreat Her to accept food and drink from the Heavenly benevolence from
which She refrains Herself from accepting because She Herself became sick over the misery of Bnei Yisroel. Just as one behaves toward ill people,
so must he behave toward the ill of the Upper Worlds. For She (Shechinah) is ill, as we have just mentioned, and He (Hashem) is also ill, for
He wandered from His place the World to Come, referring to the Supernal attribute of Binah, and followed Her to Her lace in this material world.
As it is written Like a bird who wanders from her nest the bird referring to the Shechinah, so is a man (referring to Hashem) who wanders
from his place (Mishlei 27:8). He (Hashem) waits for Her (the Shechinah) and swears that He will not return to His place until He returns Her to
Her place (Zohar Satzei 178a). Thus, He, too, is ill because of our transgressions, crushed willingly because of our iniquities. The healing of both
is in our hands. Therefore, it is proper to visit Them and prepare Their needs by studying Torah and performing mitzvohs.
FOURTH Giving charity to the poor. The parallel above refers to yesod and malchus. It is explained in Tikkunim (tikkun 18) that the charity
befitting them is that every day one should make sure to say amen ninety times, recite Kedushah four times, utter one hundred blessings and
learn from the five books of the Torah. In this same way, everyone should extract charity from tiferes for these poor ones each according to his
ability providing them with leket (gleanings) from all the sefiros; shikchah (forgotten sheaves), according to the essence of the Supernal sheaf,
which is binah; and peah (field corners), which is from the aspect of malchus itself, being that it is the corner in relation to the other Supernal
attributes. It is written, You shall leave them for the poor and the convert (literally stranger) (Vayikra 19:10), for even tiferes is a stranger when
residing below in malchus, therefore, one must also give Him tiferes from these tikkunim (the mitzvos mentioned above.) Similarly, maaser ani
(the tithe to the poor) refers to the raising up of malchus which is called maaser (the tithe) to yesod, which is called ani (a pauper). And if one
binds malchus to tiferes, it is considered as if he is giving the tithe to the stranger. Many rectifications are included in this.
FIFTH Offering hospitality to guests. The guests refers to tiferes and yesod, which should be given a resting-house in which to rest, referring to
malchus. For according to the essence of exile, they are wayfarers searching for what they have lost; therefore, they must be brought there.
According to the explanation in the Zohar (Vayeira 115b), this mitzvah is fulfilled by those who travel and talk on the road referring to those
who exile themselves from their homes in order to toil in Torah. They cause the guests to involve themselves with the needs of malchus.
Similarly, all those who brng about the unification of tiferes and malchus some other way, and establish places for their Torah study, cause tiferes
to lodge with malchus. This concept is explained also in the Tikkunim (intro.) It is also necessary to prepare food and drink for the guests and
accompany them on their way, meaning, that a person must bring tiferes and yesod into malchus and provide them there with food similar to
the verse I came to my garden! I have eaten My honeycomb with My hone (Shir HaShirim 5:1), referring to the spiritual bounty suited for the
conduct of the lower worlds as it spreads forth from the sweetened aspect of gevurah. And one must also provide them with drink simlar to the
continuation of the above verse, I have drunk my wine with My milk, referring to the internal bounty from the guarded wine, and from the
essence of the sweetened milk, to bind tiferes to malchus Yaakov to Rachel, and gevurah to netzach or hod. This is the explanation given in
Raaya Mehamna (Zohar Vayikra 4a). And escorting them referring to, bringing himself and his soul there, to be together with them (tiferes
and yesod) in their Supernal form, escorting them there. In addition this implies bringing the other sefiros there to be with them, giving them a
proper escort. Many things are included in this rectification. In general, one should make an effort to do whatever is necessary for the mundane
act, and concentrate on that to which it alludes. This way, he is sure to achieve its parallel Above, once he has become proficient in the hidden
essence of the mitzvohs. It is even better to verbalize the correct alluded intent when performing the mitzvah, thereby fulfilling the verse to
perform the mitzvos with your mouth and with our heart (Devarim 30:14).
SIXTH The living attending to the dead. How this relates to the worlds Above is very difficult to explain, for this is the essence of the sefiros,
which conceal themselves and disappear into their sheaths above. How necessary it is to rectify and cleanse them from all disease of sin and to
clothe them in white which refers to the purification of the sefiros in the light of good deeds elevating them to the essence of Unity, binding
them above, and carrying them on the shoulders referring to the essence of elevation of the sefiros, one to one, until they ascend beyond the
level of the shoulder, where the beginning of the arms connect to the body. Above this level is the essence of hidden secrets, of which we have
no comprehension. During burial, one should concentrate on the essence of burial, alluded to in the verse he (Hashem) buried him (Moshe) in the
valley(ibid 34:6), being rendered (in Tikkunim) as with the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (the numerical value of gimel yud is thirteen) which
flow in keser, with its aspects that face downwards, to have mercy on the lower worlds. From there, he is who is buried ascends to the upper level
of Eden, which is the chochmah of keser. Understanding this concept requires much deliberation.
Seventh Bringing a bride to the chuppah. This includes all the necessities of unification, for all prayers and spiritual unifications are the essence
of bringing a bride to the chuppah. The fundamental aspect of unification lies in the essence of prayer, which includes several levels, each higher
than the next: sections dealing with the sacrifices; then the verses of praise; then the prayers recited while sitting, including the Shema and its
blessings beforehand and afterwards; then the Amidah-prayer and the remainder of the tikunim which follow. All these are grants of chesed to the
groom and bride, in order to attend to their needs and the perfections of their union.
Eighth Making peace between a man and his fellow referring to tiferes and yesod, which sometimes become distant from one another; one
must reconcile and rectify them so that they will be equal and bound together in love and affection. This is brought about through the quality of
good deeds. For when yesod tends to the left and tiferes to the right, they are then in opposition to one another until yesod is adjusted to tend
to the right, like him (tiferes). And if, G-d forbid, there is any blemish of sin in the world, then there is hatred and opposition between the two of
them, with no unity bound between, the sefiros at all. Similarly, the same can occur between any two sefiros, of which one is on the right and the
other on the left between chochmah and binah, chesed and gevurah, or netzach and hod. One should bring the attribute of peace between them
so that they compliment each other. This is the meaning of bringing peace between a man and his fellow. The same applies regarding bringing
peace between a man and his wife, which refers to applying yesod the attribute of peace, between tiferes and malchus. Similarly, all acts of
peace are considered granting chesed Above in the Supernal worlds.
CHAPTER SIX
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How a person should accustom himself with the attribute of gevurah (strictness)
Know, that any action that arouses the yetzer hara, actually arouses powerful gevuros. Therefore, one should not stir up the yetzer hara, lest
gevurah be aroused. The reason for this is as follows: Man was created with two inclinations the yetzer tov and the yetzer hara, of which the
former is chesed, and the latter, gevurah. However, the Zohar on Parshes Bereishis (49a) explains that the yetzer tov was created for the needs of
the person himself, whereas the yetzer hara was created for the sake of his wife. See how sweet these words are: Tiferes which contains the
quality of chesed tends to the right, and all its conduct is with the right, which is the yetzer tov. But the female attribute of malchus tends to
the left and all its conduct is with gevurah. Consequently it is proper not to arouse the yetzer hara for ones own benefit, lest it arouse the
Supernal man with the attribute of gevurah and destroy the world. Thus, any attribute that a person arouses for his own sake which tends toward
the aspect of gevurah and yetzer hara, creates a corresponding flaw in the Supernal Man. Based on this idea, one should note how disgraceful
anger and the like are, for they cause harsh gevuros to prevail. Indeed the yetzer hara should be bound and tied so that it cannot arouse him to do
any physical activity, neither in desiring marital relations nor in desiring money, neither for anger nor for honor in any way. However, for the sake
of his wife, one should gently arouse his inclination toward sweetened gevuros, providing her, for example with clothing and a house; and he
should say: By providing my wife with clothes, I am rectifying the Shechinah, for the Shechinah is adorned by binah which is an aspect of
gevurah, since binah includes all gevuros, - yet her (binah) abundant compassion sweetens the strictness. Therefore, all household rectifications
are actually rectifications of the Shechinah, which is sweetened by way of the yetzer hara (i.e. earthly inclinations), that was in fact created solely
to fulfill the Will of its Creator. Therefore, man should not intend to derive from his home any sort of earthly pleasure. Rather, when his wife
adorns herself in their fine home in his presence, he should contemplate the rectification of the Shechinah, which is rectified by way of the
beneficial powers of gevurah from the left, whence wealth and honor derive. From this aspect, one should arouse the yetzer hara to love Her (the
Shechinah). He should then concentrate on the aroused aspects of the left in order to draw Her near, according to the essence referred to in the
verse His left arm is under my head (Shir HaShirim 8:3), for She (the Shechina) is connected initially only from the aspect of the left. After this
(as the verse continues) and his right arm embraces me, he should concentrate on sweetening all those rectifications with his yetzer tov,
literally rectifying Her (the Shechinah) and causing Her to rejoice by performing this mitzvah for the sake of arousing the Supernal Union. Thus, he
sweetens all the gevuros and rectifies them through the right. This method applies to all types of desires deriving from the yetzer hara they
should be used mainly for the needs of the wife that G-d has chosen for him as his helpmate opposite him. Afterwards, he should redirect all of
them to his service of G-d, binding them to the right.
Chapter Seven
How a person should accustom himself with the attribute of tiferes (splendor, truth)
Without a doubt, the attribute of tiferes is embodied in the toil in Torah. However, great caution is needed to avoid becoming haughty through
ones Torah learning, so not to cause great harm. For just as one holds himself aloof, likewise he causes the attribute of tiferes, which is Torah, to
become aloof and withdrawn Above, G-d forbid. However, everyone who humbles himself in his Torah learning, causes tiferes to descend and
lower itself to influence malchus. And below the sefirah of tiferes, there are four sefiros (netzach, hod, yesod and malchus) and of these there are
three attrbutes, for netzach and hod are considered one attribute.
First One who holds himself aloof above his students causes tiferes to hold itself aloof, too, and rise above netzcah and hod, which are called
students of Hashem, meaning the students of tiferes. Thus conversely one who humbles himself and teaches his students with love causes tiferes
also to lower itself to its students and influence them. Therefore, a person should be easygoing toward his students and teach them according to
their ability to absorb. In his merit, tiferes will influence the students of Hashem, according to their aspect or level which is appropriate for them
Second One who holds himself aloof with his Torah knowledge over the poor and shames him. As in the story told of Eliyahu the Prophet, who
appeared to Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar as an ugly, despicable, loathsome pauper in order to test him. In his elation with his learning, he insulted
the pauper. He, Eliyahu, then rebuked him (Rabbi Shimon) for his character defect, for one who holds himself aloof over the poor, causes tiferes to
become aloof over yesod and not influence it. But if a sage holds himself on par with the poor, tiferes will then influence yesod. Therefore, a sage
should hold the poor in high esteem and draw them closer to him. This way, Above in the Supernal World, tiferes will greatly value yesod and bind
itself to it.
Third One who holds himself aloof with his Torah knowledge over the common folk who are the nation of Hashem in general causes tiferes
to hold itself aloof above, malchus and not influence it. Rather, a person should consider himself on par with other people, and all civilized people
should be highly esteemed before him, since they are down low, corresponding to the essence of Aretz referring to the attribute of malchus. If he
calls them donkeys, G-d forbid, he casts them down to the external evil forces; as a result, he will not merit a son imbued with the light of Torah,
as stated in the Gemara (Nedarim 81a). Rather, he should be easygoing with his behavior toward them according to their manner, just as tiferes
influences malchus and directs it according to her impoverished mind, for the minds of women are weak (Shabbos 33b), referring to the attribute
of malchus which according to the teachings of kabbalah is characterized as a woman the receiver. Included in this conduct is not being
haughty towards those who are feeble minded, who are n the category of the dust of the earth. For this reason, the earlier generations never held
themselves aloof because of their Torah learning, as indicated by the incidents related in the Zohar Parshas Bereishis (intro 7a) regarding Rav
Hamnua who hid his true identity in order not to benefit from any honor because of his greatness in Torah and in the incident regarding Rav
Chaggai (Zohar Shlach 158a) who, when asked his name, simply answered A Jew, in order not to reveal his true honorable name. The Tikkunim
(Tikkun 26) also tell of a venerable sage who fled when Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai sought to kiss him, lest he take ride in his Torah learning.
Furthermore, in debating words of Torah, one should accustom himself to have in mind the rectification of the shechinah, rectifying and beautifying
Her for tiferes. This refers to deciding the halachah in accordance with truth. This is the meaning of conflict for the sake of Heaven, the conflict
between the two opposing powers, chesed and gevurah, for the sake of Heaven tiferes, in deciding the halachah (malchus) in accordance with it
(tiferes truth). However, one should distance himself from any controversy that departs from this path, for tiferes has no desire to have any
connection to extraneous matters, even if they involve torah learning. If they are for the purpose of besting others, the end is Gehinom, g-d
forbid. The only controversy that does not blemish tiferes is controversy in Torah for the sake of Heaven, for all its paths are peace, and end in
love.
One who derives personal benefits from words of Torah, blemishes this attribute which is holy, and withdraws it from holiness and inserts it into
the category of mundane matters. Fortunate is the portion of the one who toils in torah to delight the Most Exalted One. And the most important
of all, is to purify ones mind by scrutinizing his thoughts and examining himself in the course of debate. If he finds even a trace of impure
thought, he must retract his words and always admit the truth in order that tiferes the quality of truth, be found therein.
Chapter eight
How a person should accustom himself with the attributes of netzach, hod, and yesod
However, regarding the rectifications of netzach and hod, some are common to both and others are unique to each one.
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Now, first one should help those who study Torah and support them, whether with money or in deeds; providing them with the things they require
for their learning, preparing their food and fulfilling all their desires so that they need not cease their Torah study. One should also be careful not
to disparage their learning, lest they weaken in their toil in torah. Rather, he should honor and praise their good deeds so that they will hold
steadfast to their service. He should provide them with the books they need for their learning and a house of study. And all similar things which
strengthen and support those who toil in Torah, are contingent totally on these two attributes. Everyone should contribute according to his ability,
however little or much; ultimately, all the more one does to honor the torah and strengthen it whether verbally, physically or financially
arousing peoples hearts to Torah and inspiring them to hold steadfast to it, is all connected and rooted in these two sefiros, for they are called the
holders and supporters of Torah.
Furthermore, he who toils in Torah study must learn from every person, as it is written, From all my teachers, I have gained wisdom (Tehillim
119:99). For Torah knowledge cannot be complete when learned from a single teacher. Thus, by becoming a student of everyone, he becomes
worthy of being a vehicle for netzach and hod, - the students of Hashem, and the one who influences him Torah is on the level of tiferes.
Therefore, when he sits and learns, he merits that tiferes influences netzach and hod, and he actually attains their level. Thus, when he learns
Scripture which is from the right, he has a specific association with netzach, and when he learns Mishnah which is from the left, he has a
specific association with hod. The Talmud which includes everything for it cites proofs for the laws of the Mishanh from Scripture, is therefore a
rectification of them both (netzach and hod).
How a person should accustom himself with the attribute of yesod
One must be extremely careful of the kind of speech that leads to licentious thoughts, so as not to cause wasteful emission. Needless to say, he
should not use foul language; rather, he should be on guard even against pure speech that leads to licentious thoughts. This idea can be derived
from the language used in the verse Do not allow your mouth to bring sin to your flesh (Koheles 5:5) a warning not to let ones mouth utter
words which cause to desecrate the holy flesh the sign of the Holy covenant with wasteful emissions. The verse continues: Why should G-d
become angry because of your voice? If this voice refers to uttering obscenities, why is the expression to bring sin used in the first part of the
verse? This itself is a sin! Only, the answer is, even if the words themselves are not sinful but rather pure, if they cause licentious thoughts, one
must be careful regarding them. For this reason, the verse uses the expression to bring sin to your fleshwhy should G-d be angry: Meaning
since these words bring sin, even though they themselves are permissible, He is angry with the voice that utters them. For through the resulting
evil act, the voice and words that caused it are then considered evil. This is the extent to which one must be careful regarding the Sign of the
Covenant, not to have any licentious thoughts and not to cause wasteful emissions.
Further caution isnecessary, since yesod also corresonds to the Covenant of the rainbow, in which the bow is arched above only to shoot arrows at
the attribute of malchus the target of the arrows. This refers to guarding the seminal drop, which shoots forth like an arrow to produce branches
and bear fruit. Just as the bow in the Supernal World is never drawn except when aimed at the aforementioned target, so too, a man should not
draw his bow that is, cause himself in any way to have an arousal unless it is at the time of union, when his spouse is in a state of purity.
Anything beyond this would cause this attribute of yesod to become flawed, G-d forbid. This requires extremely great caution, mainly in guarding
oneself from licentious thoughts.
Chapter nine
How a person shoud accustom himself with the attribute of malchus
Firstly, one should not hold himself aloof with all that he possesses. Rather, he should always consider himself as a pauper, placing himself before
his Creator like the destitute, begging and pleading. Even if he is a man of wealth, he should accustom himself with this attitude, considering that
none of his possessions belong to him and that he is forsaken, requiring the constant mercies of his Creator, having nothing at all besides the
bread he eats. He should humble his heart and act as if he himself was a pauper, and especially at the time of prayer, for this is a wondrous,
auspicious. In contrast, it is stated: Your heart may become aloof, and you may forget Hashem your G-d (Devarim 8:14) for external
forgetfulness is common there with one who holds himself aloof. King David conducted himself very much with this attribute, saying:for I am
alone and poor (Tehillim 25:16) considering himself as a pauper. Since each member of a mans household must fend for himself before the
Heavenly Court, what can anyone do for him? Of what help will even his wife and children be when he is judged before the Creator? Or when his
soul departs, will they accompany him beyond the grave? What good are they to him in his time of judgment, from the entrance t his grave and
beyond? Therefore, one should humble and perfect himself according to the essence of this attribute.
A second, extremely important method is explained in Sefer HaZohar (Vayakhel 198b). One should exile himself, wandering from place to place for
the sake of Heven, thereby becoming a vehicle for the exiled Shechinah. He should compare himself: Behold, I exiled myself, but I have all my
implements with me. But what about the honor of the Supreme One, for the Shechinah is exiled without Her implements, for they are lacking as a
result of the exile? For this reason, he should minimize his implements as much as possible as it is written: make foryourself implements of
exile (Yirmiya 46:19), He should humble his heart in exile, and bind himself to Torah, then the Shechinah will be with him. He should also impose
an expulsion order upon himself, always banishing himself from the comforts of his home, just as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his comrades
banished themselves and toiled in Torah. Better still, he should trudge by foot from place to place without horse or wagon. Concerning such a
person, it is stated his hope is on Hashem, his G-d (Tehillim 146:5). As it is explained (Zohar Vayakhel 198a) the word sivro which can be read
homiletically as shivro, derives from the word shever meaning breaking for he breaks his body for the honor of the Supreme One.
Another very important aspect of the attribute of malchus which is the gateway to all of Divine service, is to fear the honored and awesome
Hashem. Now, fear itself is extremely dangerous, in that it can cause a blemish and allow entry to the external 9evil) forces. For if the fear is
from suffering, death, or Gehinom, it is actually a fear of the external forces themselves, since all of thee functions derive from the external forces.
However, the primary fear is fear of Hashem. This is achieved by pondering three (four) things: the first since the greatness of he Who
fashioned all things is over all existence; and behold, man fears the lion, the bear, the terrorist, fire and a falling ruin, which are only minor
emissaries. Why then should he not fear the great King, and have the awe of His greatness resting upon his face? He should say, How can the
despicable man sin against such a great Master? For if he angered a bear, it would gobble him up, whereas, because the Holy One, Blessed is He,
tolerated insult, is this a reason not to fear His awesomeness and greatness? The second by imagining His G-ds constant Divine providence
which observes and scrutinizes him. And, behold, a slave always fears his master when in is presence, and man is always in the presence of the
Creator, Who carefully inspects all his ways. Thus, he should be afraid and terrified to be seen nullifying his commandments. The third Since
He (G-d) is the root of all souls, and all of them are rooted in His sefiros, a transgressor damages His sanctuary. Should he not fear that the Kings
Sanctuary will be soiled by his evil deeds? The fourth One should understand that his flawed deeds repel the Shechinah Above. One should
fear lest he cause this great evil of diverting the Kings (Hashems) desire from the Queen (Shechinah). These kinds of fear set a person on the
right path towards perfecting this attribute, enabling him to cleave to it.
Furthermore, a man should take upon himself with great care to do whatever possible that the Shechinah will cleave to him and not depart from
him. Now, it is self understood that as long as he has not married, the Shechinah is not at all with him, since the Shechinah dwells with man
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mainly due to his female partner. For man stands between the two female aspects his physical wife below in this world, who receives
sustenance, clothing, and onah (marital) rights from him; and the Shechinah which rests above him, to bless him with all of these so that he will
give them again and again to the wife with whom he has formed the covenant of marriage. His position corresponds to tiferes, which stands
between the two female aspects of the sefiros Imma Illaah (binah) which bestows to it (tiferes) all its needs; and Imma Tataah (malchus) which
receives from it sustenance, clothing, and onah (marital) rights, which corresponds to chesed, din, and rachamim, as is known. But the Shechinah
will not come to him unless he emulates the pattern of the Heavenly reality.
Now, at times a man separates from his wife for one of three causes: The first She is a niddah; The second he is engrossed in torah study and
therefore separates himself from her on weekdays; the third he goes on the road, and he guards himself from sin. At these times, the Shechinah
cleaves and binds Herself to him and does not leave him, so that he is not abandoned and estranged. Rather, he is always a complete man,
possessing both male and female elements. And since the Shechinah unites with him, man should be careful not to cause the Shechinah to
separate from him. When he goes to on the road, he should be meticulous thereby being rewarded- to recite the Travelers Prayer and hold fast to
the Torah. As a result, the Shechinah, which guards his way, will constantly stand by his side. When he is engrossed in Torah study, the
Shechinah also stands with him, since he is careful not to sin and is engrossed in Torah study. So, too, when his wife is niddah, the Shechinah
stands by his side if he observes the laws of separation properly. Then, on the night of her purification, on Shabbos night, or on returning from his
travels each of these being the proper time for fulfilling the mitzvah of marital relations the Shechinah Above opens Itself to receive holy
souls, so, too, one should have marital relations with his wife at these times. In this way, the Shechinah will always be with him, as explained in
the Zohar Parshas Bereishis (pg. 49a). Furthermore, marital relations with his wife should take place only when the Shechinah is in Her place, that
is, between the two arms (chesed and gevurah), However, when the community is in distress (i.e. famine) and the Shechinah is not between the
two arms, it is forbidden. This is the explanation given in Tikkunim of Parshas Bereishis (Tikkun 69).
One who wishes to unite with the Kings daughter (Shechinah) so that she never separates from him, must first adorn himself with all sorts of
adornments and fine garments referring to the perfections of all the attributes we have mentioned. After perfecting himself with these
perfections, he should constantly concentrate on receiving the Shechinah while studying Torah and bearing the yoke of the mitzvos according to
the essence of the meaning of Unification. Then, immediately, She (Shechinah) will attach Herself to him and not separate from him. But this
Unification is on the condition that he purifies and sanctifies himself. And once one is pure and holy, he should contemplate on accomplishing to
give Her (the Shechinah) sustenance, clothing, and onah rights, as these are the three things a man is obliged to provide his wife: 1) With all his
deeds, he should bestow spiritual bounty upon Her, from the right, thereby sustaining her. 2). From the aspect of gevurah he should cover her, so
that the external forces will not dominate her. Meaning, that there should be no aspect of yetzer hara in his performance of mitzvos, such as, for
sake of physical pleasure or the prospect of imagined honor or similar personal benefits. For the yetzer hara is present in such a mitzvah, and She
(Shechinah) flees from him, because it (yetzer hara) is considered ervah (something of shame, literally private parts of the body.) Therefore, he
must cover the ervah and always conceal it, so that it (yetzer hara) will not dominate Her (Shechinah). How should this be done? All his deeds
should be done for the sake of Heaven, without the yetzer hara having any part of it. In addition, tefillin and tzitzis are powerful shields for Her
(Shechinah), preventing the external forces from dominating her, therefore he should be accustomed to wearing them. 3). He should unite Her
(Shechinah) with tiferes through saying the Shema in its proper time and by establishing fixed times for Torah study. And when he sets aside a
time for all these things, he should contemplate that this is Ohah for the Shechinah (which is considered a Supernal Woman), the Kings
daughter. This idea is alluded to in the tikkunim (tikkun 6).
In the Zohar on Parshas Bereishis (11a), Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai explains the torahs great and important advice as to how a person can be bound
to the Supernal Holiness and conduct himself according to it, never becoming separated from the Supernal sefiros.
Man must act according to the time meaning, to know which sefirah dominates at a particular time, so he can bind himself to it and carry out the
rectification associated with the ruling attribute.
He starts off his explanation from mans obligations at night the time when man retires to bed. The ruling attribute is then night the attribute
of malchus. He then goes to sleep. But since sleep is considered like death when the Tree of Death rules what should one do? He should
prepare and proceed to bind himself to the essence of Sanctity, which is also the essence of the attribute of malchus in its aspect of holiness. For
this purpose, when preparing to go to bed, he should concentrate on accepting the complete yoke of the Heavenly kingdom upon himself. Upon
arising at midnight, he should wash his hands from the external forces that dominate them, removing the evil spirits from his flesh. He should then
recite the blessing on Torah learning and rectify the Shechinah through Torah study. About this, it is said (Mishlei 6:22), When you lie down, it
will guard you from the external evil forces, and when you awaken, your talk will be with Her (the Torah). And She will be bound to you, and
you to Her. Then his heavenly soul in Gan Eden will rise together with the Shechinah which enters there with the righteous. Tiferes will also come
there to delight with the righteous, and be with him in their company, all listening to his voice (learning Torah). This way, he actually journeys
together with Her (Shechinah) from a state of sleep and death to the essence of Heavenly Life, where he becomes bound to the essence of Gan
Eden; and the light of tiferes, which shines upon the righteous in Gan Eden, begins to shine upon him. This is the explanation given in the Zohar
on Parshas Terumah (130b).
He arises early before the morning star ascends, and also begins to come and enter the Bais HaKnesses (synagogue), binding himself to the three
Patriarchs. At the entrance to the Bais HaKnesses, he recites the verse, And I, through Your abundant kindness, come into Your house; I bow
toward Your holy sanctuary in awe of You (Tehimmim 5:8), merging himself with the essence of Tiferes Adam which comprises the attributes of
chesed, gevurah and tiferes, and he enters into knesses (Yisroel), which is the attribute of malchus. He then meditates on the essence of the three
Patriarchs when reciting this verse with Your abundant kindness corresponds to Avraham; I bow toward Your holy sanctuary corresponds to
Yitzchak, for bowing that is lowering ones stature towards the attribute of judgments and allowing himself to be pushed aside by it derives
from his side (the aspect of Yitzchak). Then the time of strict judgment will be pushed aside from him, for the bounty of compassion from Above
will be bestowed upon this attribute to sweeten it. In awe of You corresponds to Yaakov, as it is written, How awesome is this place
(Beresheis 28:17), Behold, he has merged himself with them with his thought, speech and action. For thought is the mediation we mentioned;
speech is reciting the verse, and action is coming to the Bais HaKnesses and bowing towards His sanctuary.
Before the morning prayer (Shacharis), one should stand in the Bais HaKnesses (synagogue), his mouth a wellspring flowing with prayer, unifying
yesod, the source of the wellspring, that opens into the well, which is the Bais HaKnesses. And he rectifies the Shechinah by concentrating to the
best of his ability in his prayers.
When he leaves there, he ascends to the essence of Torah and binds himself to it, according to the essence of the attribute of day (tiferes). He
conducts himself with it (this behavior) the whole day until the afternoon hours of Mincha, when he binds himself t gevurah. For in the morning he
binds himself to chesed in his prayers, during the day to tiferes with his torah learning, and towards evening to gevurah. All this is in order to bind
everything with the attribute of day (tiferes) which comes to the Bais HaKnesses to become unified with the essence of gevurah the same way he
did in his morning prayer with the aspect of chesed.
Between these two prayers, he also binds the Shechinah to himself by means of his meal, with which he grants kindness to the poor woman; as
Hillel the elder used to say before going to eat I am granting kindness to my poor guest (soul). A righteous man knows the soul of his animal
(Mishlei 12:10). This can be explained as : Ones intention in his meal should be to grant kindness to his animal soul and bind it to the essence of
Mazon (literally food, referring to the numerical value of zion nunsofeis which is aleph lamed, hei vav yud hei ).
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After he ascends to the time of mincha and has been bound to gevurah, he then waits for night, until tiferes descends to malchus. Thus, he is with
Her (Malchus) at the beginning of the night, and binds himself to Her. He then enters the Bais HaKnesses with the intent mentioned above, and
binds himself below, as tiferes comes to its place of lodging.
When he exits the Bais HaKnesses, he should actually unite himself with malchus alone, according to the essence of accepting the yoke of the
Heavenly Kingdom. This should be his daily schedule, corresponding to the cycle of the sefirah, so that he always cleaves to the dominant light
(sefirah).
This advice is found mainly in the Zohar on Parshas Bereishis and the rest of it has been gathered from many places in the Zohar. This is a
comprehensive advice by which man can always bind himself to holiness, with the Crown of the Shechinah never absent from above his head.
Finished and completed with praise to G-d Who knows all that is hidden,, today, the 4th day of the week, the 12th of Mar-Chesvan, 5349 the
numberical value of Esmach in the verse May my words be sweet to Him, I will rejoice in Hashem (Psalms 104-34)
Divided for daily study each month with an English translation edited by Rabbi Dov Fink and Rabbi Shimon Finkelman
6/22/2010 2:34 PM

Tomer Devora With Hisbodidus Suggestions For Internalizing1

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Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

2. Who pardons iniquity

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

4.For the remnant (sheiris) of His heritage

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

6. For He is desirous of kindness

7. He will again be merciful to us

8. He will suppress our iniquities

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

10 Grant truth to Yaakov

11. Kindness to Avraham

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

12. As You have sworn to our forefathers

13. From days of old

The first and most encompassing, is the trait of humility.

Just as the chochmah of keser never stops thinking good

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Rather, they should always be open to watch over unfortunates and

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

Nourishment for the Neshama: Tomer Devora with Hisbodidus Suggestion...

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