It is written in The Zohar (VaYera, Item 167): “When the Creator loves a person, He sends him a gift. And what is the gift? A poor person, by whom to be rewarded. And when he is rewarded by Him, the Creator draws upon him a thread of grace that extends from the right side, spreads over his head, and registers him so that when judgment comes to the world, the saboteur will be careful not to harm him. He looks in that list and then retreats from him and is careful with him. For this reason, the Creator first gives him something to be rewarded with.”
We should understand why his gift is called “a poor person.” According to the rule, there is none who is poor except in knowledge. Therefore, when one feels that he is poor in knowledge and believes that the Creator has sent him this awareness, to feel that he is poor, what makes this thought a gift from the Creator?
The thing is that it is known that one does not ascend in degree unless he has a need. At that time, he can receive the filling from the Creator because there is no light without a Kli [vessel], meaning that there is nothing if there is no desire, for the desire for something is called the Kli in the filling.
Hence, when one thinks that he does not have a real lack, meaning he sees that he is worse than the rest of the people, it is said about him, “I dwell among my own people.”
But when he feels that he is worse than the rest of the people, that he is poor in knowledge and has no attainment in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], although many people have no attainment whatsoever, but since they have no need for attainment in Torah and Mitzvot, they do not feel any suffering because of it.
In spirituality, it is said “according to the sorrow is the reward,” since the sorrow and affliction from what he lacks, and to the extent of the need, so is the measure of the reward when his lack is satisfied. Hence, when the Creator sends him the gift of feeling poor, by this he can receive the filling.
This is the meaning of what he says, “How can one be rewarded with the quality of judgment and Tzimtzum [restriction] not governing him?” At that time comes the answer that he is rewarded by this with the Creator sending him a gift. It follows that the gift is the lack, which is the Kli.
When he has the Kli and receives the Kli in the right place, the Creator draws upon him a thread of grace. That is, He gives him the power to be able to engage in Torah and Mitzvot in order to bestow, which is called Hesed [grace/mercy]. At that time, the judgment and Tzimtzum, which cause the concealment, cannot rule over him.