Nefesh HaChayim, Gate II

And the reason that every blessing includes the two features mentioned above is because the fundamental cornerstone of our holy faith, [is] that the target of our hearts/minds’ intentions in all of the blessings, prayers and supplications, is exclusively and only the One of the universe, singular Master, Ein Sofe, blessed is He.

However, it is not that we address Him (so to speak) as His Essence alone, in the aspect that is completely removed and separated from the worlds, similar to the situation that existed prior to creation, for if it were so how could we describe Him (heaven forefend) in all of our blessings and prayers with any name or appellation in the world at all?

And also, if He (blessed be He) hadn’t demonstrated that His will was to interact with the worlds, and to reign over the created beings according to their accomplishments, we would not have had permission at all to pray to His Essence (blessed be He) that He should interact with the worlds and supervise the created beings. And therefore we begin with saying “you God-YHV”H, sovereign of the Universe”, whose meaning is: after Your will was to create the worlds and to interact with them, to rule over them. For that reason our requests are that He (blessed be He), the source of will, rule thusly over the worlds.

And also, considering that the aspect of His Essence (blessed be He) does not interact with the worlds, there’s no possibility of Torah or commandments at all. And regarding this was stated (Iyyov 35:6): “If you have sinned, how have you affected Him? …If you were righteous, what have you done to Him, or what has He taken from your hand?” And likewise it is written (Mishlei 9:12): “If you have become wise, you have become wise for your own sake”, for regarding the Essence of the Master of All (blessed is He), all of man’s actions, whether for good or evil, do not in fact affect Him in any way (heaven forefend).

And this is what they (OBM) stated in Bereshit Rabba (beginning of parsha 44: “‘the promise of God-YHV”H is flawless562Heb.: tz’roo-fa …’ (Tehillim 18:31)—Rav said, the commandments were not given for any reason other than to refine563Heb.: l’tza-rafe… for what does the Holy One (blessed is He) care whether one slaughters at the front of the neck or the back?...” And so it is in Tankhooma, parshat Sh’mini, in the verse ‘these are the creatures’ (Vayikra 11:2), and in Midrash T’hillim, Mizmor 18, refer there [for more details]. And in the Tikkoonim, (Tikkoon 70, 130 at end of first ahmood): ‘The Highest of the High, is ascendant above all, He blesses them all and He has no need of blessings from others, for there is no one who affects him, as it says ‘and exalted above all blessing and praise’.”[*]

Annotation: And what they wrote regarding the intentions of the prayers and blessings, to intend each blessing with a specific intention to a specific s’feera, it’s not (heaven forefend) to the essence of that s’feera, for that would be uprooting the plantings564The phrase “uprooting the plantings” is applied to someone who undoes all of the good he previously did. The phrase refers to the incident recounted in Chagigah about the four who entered the Pardes, one of whom returned and became an apostate. (heaven forefend).

For just as in the context of the sacrificial service, our rabbis (OBM) stated in the b’raita at the end of M’na-khote (110a), and it is taken from the Sifri (parshat Pinkhas): “Come and see what is written in the chapter on sacrificial services, that the name that is mentioned in that context is not God-Ei”l and not God-Elohi”m but rather God-YHV”H, so that an opening should not be given to the accuser to argue.” And as is written (Sh’mote 22:19), one who brings an offering to elohi”m565This elohi”m (with a lower case “e”) is an entity other than God. shall be destroyed, other than to God-YHV”H alone.” And refer ahead in Gate 3, chapter 9.

It’s the same in the prayer service: it’s forbidden to intend to any specific power or one of the s’feerote; rather [intention should be towards] the Essence of the Sole Master, in whom is inclusive all the powers in total, who wills to interact [with the worlds] (blessed be He) for hidden reasons known only to Him, to enact via that specific s’feera and that power, in the process of unfolding that He (blessed be He) fixed per His will, that each s’feera is specific to a particular context, and via its [fem.] capacity, actualizes that matter in the worlds.

(And refer to the responsa of the RYVa”Sh566The RYVa”Sh is Rav Yitzkhak ben Sheshet Perfet (1326—1408), a Spanish Talmudic authority., siman 157, in which Rabbi Yosef N. Shushan responded in this matter to the RiVa”Sh (OBM), and this will further settle what we said—understand!) And refer to the words of the Ariza”l that we mentioned before at the end of chapter 2. And refer further in the Tikkoon 22 (63a): “And that He is called by all the names… to exhibit to each one of Israel that from the place one calls out to Him… according to their needs,” refer there [for more details]. And too, in Tikkoon 70 mentioned herein, they stated: “to perceive with each body part…, to inform each person to call out to Him with each body part as appropriate.”

And this is what is written in Tikkoonei Zohar Chaddash (81d): “And we might question why we pray to various levels of the Holy One (blessed be He), at times to a specific s’feera and known quality; at times we pray to the ‘right side’567In the system of the Zohar as explained by the Ariza”l, from the perspective of the model that describes creation in vertical columns (Heb.: yosher), the left side is associated with judgment (Heb.: din), while the right side is associated with compassion (Heb.: chessed), and the center is associated with mercy (Heb.: ra-kha-mim, the balance of judgment and compassion).…, at times to the ‘left side…’, at times to the ‘central column’… each prayer has a destination of a specific level…, moreover, certainly God-YHV”H is in each and every s’feera …, when He desires to have mercy on the world its destination is to the right, and when He…, and all is intended to the name of YHV”H who is everywhere.” And this is what our rabbis (OBM) stated in Sifri (on D’varim 4:7): “…like our God-Elohi”m whenever we call to Him”—“To Him” and not to his qualities.

What’s more, all of our hearts/minds’ intentions in all the blessings and prayers must be to the Essence of the Ein Sofe (blessed is He), from the perspective of His purposeful relationship (blessed be He) with the worlds. It’s from their perspective that all of the changing descriptions and names exist, to activate and draw forth to them light and the influence of holiness from His Essence (blessed be He), according to the arousal to which they are entitled as a result of the human actions of each person from the treasured nation: whether from compassion, whether from judgment, whether from righteousness, whether from mercy, whether a little or a lot. And this is the way it is, in measure and proportion, in awesome precision, in quality and quantity, the matter of His (blessed be He) relationship with the powers and worlds, to vary how they connect to each other and how they draw forth the abundance of their light, and all the details of how they are controlled: whether for judgment and anger, whether for compassion and mercy—and also the amount of judgment and compassion: whether a little or a lot.

And this is what they stated in the statements mentioned above, that the commandments weren’t given for any reason other than to refine the creations therewith. It is for a great purpose that they refine and purify, to separate the dross from all the powers, and the worlds and the creations will be purified and whitened. And also linguistically, “to refine568Heb.: l’tza-rafe” is to weld together and to link all the powers, and the created worlds are corrected and organized according to the supernal intention and Will (blessed is He). And in any case, the entire house of Israel, the treasured nation, will be united in the special name (blessed be He) to [be] His portion and his patrimony, for it was only for this purpose that the commandments and the holy service in its entirety were given.

This is the context of blessing Him (blessed be He) in all the blessings and prayers, whose meaning is literally increase and expansion per the explanation mentioned above; that this, for His (blessed be He) hidden reasons, is His will (blessed be He)—that we should correct and unite the supernal powers and worlds via the blessings and prayers, so that they should be prepared and worthy to receive the abundant holiness of the supernal light, and to draw forth and add to them the holiness of the light and many blessings, from His Essence (blessed be He) who interacts with them and permeates them. And in any case this increase in blessing and holiness will influence also upon the treasured nation who caused and effected all this honor.

And this is what Rabbee Yishmael stated when He requested from him: “Yishmael, My child, bless Me”. [He responded:] “May it be Your will that Your mercy will conquer Your anger, and Your mercy overcome your [other attributes]… and that You will behave towards your children with the quality of mercy, and that for their sake You will consider them [as obedient] beyond the minimum requirement of the law”(Berakhot 7a).

And refer to the Zohar Chaddash on Root (67b): “Rabbee N. began: ‘and you shall eat… and you shall bless God-YHV”H your God-Elohi”m…’ (D’varim 8:6). And Rabbee Y. wrote: ‘Great is the power of the blessing on food569Heb.: birkat ha-ma-zone for it increases the power of the heavenly entourage’. And therefore our rabbis (OBM) stated (Berakhot 35, at the beginning of chapter Kei-tzad M’vorkhin) and also in Zohar Chaddash on that verse: “Anyone who eats and doesn’t bless is called a robber, as is stated: ‘He robs from his father and mother…’. And ‘his father’ is none other than the Holy One (blessed be He) …”, because he robs and withholds from the worlds the abundance of blessing and holiness that otherwise would have influenced them as a result of his blessing.

And so it is with all the verses: “Bless God-YHV”H, oh, my soul-Neffesh…” (Tehillim 103:1), “Blessed are you God-YHV”H, God-Elohi”m of Israel…” (Divrei Ha-yamim Alef, 29:10), and others like these. All are [stated] in this context and from the perspective of His will (blessed be He) to interact with the creation. And regarding this is stated: “Prayer [serves a] lofty purpose” (M’na-khote 64a, Shabbat 116b).