Bold and in quotes: Original text of Baal HaSulam
Regular: Commentaries of Rav Laitman
lowercase italics: emphasized words
Capitalized italics: transliteration from Hebrew
We are reading in the book Shamati, Article #142: The Essence of the War.
The essence of the war should be in a place of permission. However, with Mitzva and sin, the loss is near and the reward is far. Hence, there he should observe without any considerations.
However, waging war and keeping the Mitzva of choice should be made in a place of permission, since the act is only a matter of permission. Hence, even if one fails, the sin will not be so great. This is why it is considered near to the reward, since if he wins the war, he will bring a new authority under the Kedusha.
Other than the degrees and the conditions that exist in the degrees, i.e. external and internal, the times that change, and the three lines within each degree (a person experiences each and every degree in the correction of his desires), there are also special conditions called “sin” or “Mitzva,” or “permission.”
A sin is not necessarily a sin. It is a situation, a place, desires, and conditions in which a person is certain to fail. This we understand when speaking about the stony heart. There are all kinds of ways in which a person is forbidden to enter these desires. He should distance himself from them, freeze them, and create like a shield to stay away from them. There is the shell (Klipot) section and there’s a certain distance that we shouldn’t come close to (in thought) in the shell section, in order not to come in contact with them even just a little bit.
There is also a place of Mitzva where he’s certain, because he has the strength to do it, and has acquired understanding and discernments. There is no argument about it. He must do it, because he’s already corrected and there is a place of permission.
“Permission”, however, is a problem. What does “permission” mean? How do I know what permission is? Where do I receive the strength for this permission, specifically? Won't I fail? So, we’re told permission is a place where purity and impurity fight. Actually, it’s in neither of them; it’s somewhere in between. Our entire work is in the permission zone, because that’s where the choice is. That’s also where the gain is, because a Mitzva is certainly to be found as corrected, whereas the sin is certainly to be found as corrupted. This domain/permission is the situation in which a person builds himself.
What the wisdom of Kabbalah always talks about, and what we refer to, are the desires that for the time-being are found in each person and are considered as permission. These are not the ones he can’t correct, nor the ones he’s already corrected, but rather, those that are still not yet clarified. He is permitted, however, to clarify and correct them, and add them to Sanctity as Mitzva. This is called “and thou shalt break through,” meaning, to breakthrough into a zone that he is permitted to break into, to wage war there, and connect it to Sanctity.
Question: Which desires should I freeze? What does it mean to freeze them?
Naturally, a person who doesn’t understand which, can take all the Mitzvot and see that they are divided into those that are permitted, and those that are forbidden. When you read about it in books, you will see how these things are pretty much divided in spirituality. In those that are permitted, there are those that are obligatory and which a person is ready for. In the forbidden, you just stay away from them. In Shulchan Aruch (The Code of Law) these acts are registered in the form of the language of the branches so that a person will keep them as acts. We need to learn, from that, how to do them in thought, and with intention. These are exercises that you should do.
The essence of the Mitzva is the intention. The act is a very small portion, because our actions without intentions do not affect the correction of the soul. In the whole of creation, there is only the correction of the soul—the general soul of Adam ha Rishon (The First Man) through individual souls. The general soul is divided into Taryag (613 numeric value) desires: 248 desires that belong to Galgalta ve Eynaim (GE), 365 desires belonging to the AHP (Awzen, Hotem, Peh) .
Each individual soul is also divided into these two parts, according to the rule that the particular and the general are the same. Every person who corrects these desires, meaning, tries to correct the desires from the 248, and also tries to freeze, and not touch desires from 365, by that he corrects, in his measure, the general soul. Because he does the exact things that each soul eventually must do, but in his own small measure. By that he instills, in each and every desire in the general soul, what he performs. It happens there at his level, and by that, it revives the general soul of Adam ha Rishon.
In our ordinary lives, we don’t know what those Taryag desires are. We only have what the Shulchan Aruch tells us in the languages of branches. This is because all of these desires are only with respect to the Creator, to the Upper Light.
How is it possible to resemble Him in all kinds of ways which He imprinted in the substance, the desire to enjoy? In the substance He made Taryag desires which are a replication of the Light, a desire for the Light. In the Light we have Taryag ways of the Torah, the Taryag Lights. Correspondingly, in the substance of the will to receive, there are Taryag desires to enjoy this Light. So, all we need to do is to correct these desires to want to enjoy this Light, and to give contentment to the One who brings this Light, to the Creator. That’s it!
So, we can do those right now in our physical actions, but actions with desire, meaning with our intention, in the correct way, are opposite to the Light. Only after the exodus from Egypt, when know how to draw the Lights for the correction of the desires, and transcend the egoistic desires, can we begin to work the right line opposite the left line, so as to build the middle line.
There you already have the sin, the permission, and the Mitzva. Those who can work with the right line, this is certainly a Mitzva. But, those who can work against the left aslo, is called “keeping Mitzvot.” You don’t touch these desires. This is called “the sin.” When a person keeps the middle line, this is called “permission.” Reshut (permission/domain/authority) is the uniqueness of a person; it is that which he can do.
By that, a person becomes a special creature, containing both the Light and the Kli—the part of the Creator and the part of the Creature—also desire to receive and the Light. By the “permission” he combines them, where there is no difference between the Light and the Kli, the desire and the Light.
Question: On the one hand Baal HaSulam recommends that we perform acts because they only are as permission. On the other hand, it is written: “Sit and do nothing is better.” Why does he writes about the Mitzva closer to loss and further from gain?”
No! By 'closer to loss further from gain' he is talking about sins. It’s hard for me to explain what happens in degrees. It is how a person chooses what is permitted, and what is forbidden, and how he positions himself, because bestowal must be bestowal with all his might.
It's not that he just takes a small portion and leaves the rest. He takes all Taryag desires that come to his soul, and raises MANover them, and receives Light, which shines for him. He understands where he can work and where he can’t. The Light of Wisdom that comes, clearly divides his Partzuf into GE and AHP, and the middle third of Tifferet which is the Noga Shell.
Everything happens through the preparation, the decision, and the clear form of the Light, which comes down into the desires and clarifies them very clearly. In our words and in our language, this is how they are presented, and a person should only want it to happen.
There are no states in spirituality that are,” It seems to me…. perhaps.” No, “It seems to me….perhaps,”... are states that can be scrutinized during the preparation. But when the Light comes and clarifies the Kelim, no doubt remains as to what Sanctity is, what shell is, and what permission is.