תורה 185

In the Zohar we find:

Kad Yisrael Ishtalimu B’ovdaihu (When the Jews are complete in their service), the Holy Name is, so to speak, completed. (Zohar III, 4b)

The primary completion is [through] the fear of God. As it is written (Deuteronomy 10:12), “What does God your Lord ask of you but only to fear.” Thus, fear is called “the final thing,” as it is written (Ecclesiastes 12:13), “The final thing, all options having been considered: fear the Lord.” This is the completion of everything.

Now, there are two types of fear: there is the person who fears God because of His greatness and exaltedness, “because He is great and a ruler” (Zohar I, 11b) ; and there is a fear below this, i.e., when a person becomes afraid because of lower fears—he is afraid of an animal or an authority or some other fear, and through this he remembers and comes to the fear of God.

The first fear, which is the result of the intellect reflecting upon His greatness and exaltedness, corresponds to the letter aleph. This is because fear is an aspect of Malkhut (Kingship), as it is written (Avot 3:2), “Were it not for the fear of malkhut (the government)….” And [ Malkhut ] corresponds to the letter DaLeT—D’LeT (because it hasn’t) anything of its own.

For it is impossible to achieve fear without the intellect reflecting upon His greatness. The intellect is called yud. As Rashi writes (Exodus 15:1): “Then Moshe yashir”—it would have been right to have written “Moshe shar (sang),” but the yud was added to indicate thought. And the drawing from the intellect to fear is the aspect of the vav. Hence, the aleph.

The second fear, the one that comes from lower things, corresponds to the letters aleph DaLeT. For [this fear] is an aspect of daley DaLuT (very impoverished), because it is not drawn from the intellect but from lower things.

The only thing drawn as a result of this fear is an influx of bounty into the world. For this corresponds to the elevation of mayin nukvin (feminine waters). It is like one who needs something from a friend and asks him for it. Through the request he achieves the thing [he wants] from him. This is because by [expressing] his words and request—his humbling himself before his friend and requesting of him—these words become an aspect of mayin nukvin. They make the request have an effect on his friend so that he provides him with what he needs.

So, too, when he elevates fear from the lower things. From this, an aspect of elevating mayin nukvin is created, and an influx of bounty is drawn into the world. {“A mist rose up from the earth, and it watered the entire surface of the ground” (Genesis 2:6) .}

This is the meaning of, “An AyD (mist) rose up from the earth.” As a result of this lower fear—which corresponds to Aleph Dalet, as above—“it watered the entire surface of the ground.” For through [lower fear], the influx of bounty is drawn.

When the influx of bounty is drawn, it is necessary to make a vessel to receive the bounty so that the outside forces do not take nourishment from it. This vessel corresponds to the closed- mem. Hence, the letters aleph dalet mem.

As a result of the longing and will to travel to the tzaddik, the impression of the vessel is created. It is like the craftsman who, when he wants to make a vessel, must first draw and make a model of the impression and sketch of the vessel. Then, afterwards, he makes the vessel. Similarly, from this will to travel, the sketch and impression of the vessel are made. And afterwards, when he comes to him [the tzaddik], the vessel is made. {“A man sees [what is visible] to the eyes, but God sees into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7) .}

This is the meaning of, “A man yir’eh (sees) to the eyes.” As a result of “yir’eh to the eyes”—i.e., the lower yirah (fear) that he receives because of what he sees with the eyes, as explained—the aspect of ADaM (man) is made. That is, the influx of bounty is drawn by means of the AyD, which is an aspect of this fear, and the Mem is the vessel to receive the bounty, as above.

However, as a result of the aforementioned upper fear which comes from the heart contemplating His exaltedness, the Holy Name of the Holy One is completed, as above.

This is the meaning of, “but God yir’eh (sees) into the heart.” As a result of “yir’eh into the heart”—the aspect of upper yirah (fear) that comes from the heart contemplating God’s exaltedness, as explained—the Name of God is completed. As it is written in the Zohar: “When the Jews are complete in their service, the Holy Name is completed.” And the primary completion is [through] the fear of God, as mentioned above.

Thus, “but God yir’eh into the heart.” For as a result of the aforementioned upper yirah, an aspect of “yir’eh into the heart,” the Name of God is completed.

{I heard in Rebbe Nachman’s name that this lesson is connected to the verse (Psalms 84:8), “They advance from strength to strength; they will be seen before God in Zion.” But I do not know the explanation.

However, it would seem that there is a connection between the conclusion of the verse and the above lesson. Study what is written at the end, that through the longing to travel to the tzaddik, the sketch and impression of the vessel is created. This corresponds to, “ye’raeh (they will be seen) before God in Zion.” “ZIoN” alludes to the TZIuN (imprint) and impression of the vessel that is made by the longing, as above. Through this one merits to afterwards draw close to God, as in, “They will be seen before God in Zion”—i.e., through the imprint and impression of the vessel made by his great longing at the beginning.

The Rebbe, of blessed memory, said: Whoever experiences great toil and struggle at the beginning of his drawing closer to God—i.e., he experiences numerous and great obstacles; for example: from his father, his wife, his father-in-law, or other people who obstruct and hinder him greatly, as well as obstacles due to money, and other obstacles, hindrances and conundrums that they place before him which obstruct him greatly, so that he must toil and struggle very hard to break them—all these toils and struggles at the beginning of his drawing closer are very beneficial for the person.

For through them, he afterwards merits to receive a great deal of holiness and purity. This is because through the toil at the beginning, the vessel is made. And the greater the toil and struggle etc., the greater the vessel that he has later with which to receive the influx of holiness and purity to draw closer to God. This corresponds to, “They will be seen before God in Zion,” as above.}