To the friends, may they live long,
I am very surprised that I have not received a word from anyone. I thought I would receive the work of each and every one, meaning that each one would elaborate on his deeds, as in, “For I will see Your heavens, the works of Your fingers.” “Your heavens” means works for the Creator. They are recognized by the “works of Your fingers,” meaning by each one trying to work to raise the Shechina (Divinity) from the dust, to keep, “Each one pointed with his finger and said, ‘Behold, This is our God,’” etc.
We should know that work is in the right, which is as it is written, “Be whole with the Lord your God.” That is, a person needs to walk in wholeness, meaning believe that the Creator is whole and deficient. This can be felt only by “The right [side] of the Lord is exalted,” namely in greatness of the Creator—that we must always picture the greatness of the Creator.
As for man, in everything he does, he is serving the king. And every Mitzva (commandment) that one does gives contentment to the Creator. When one prays, the Creator hears the prayers and praises that the person sings and praises the Creator.
We should also picture that there are several people in the world to whom the Creator did not give the opportunity to serve Him and please Him, but rather pushed them away. And even when they perform some Mitzva, they do not remember or believe that the Creator sees and hears, accepts and regards the works of the lower ones. The Creator pushes them away by not giving them an opportunity to think, do, or believe.
To those whom the Creator wishes to bring near, He gives good thoughts, meaning to remember while performing the Mitzva that he is doing it for the Creator, or simply that when blessing, “That all was made by His word,” he is speaking out of habit, and during the act pays no attention to the fact that he is speaking to the Creator. Or even more, he is not given an opportunity even to bless out of habit.
And if one imagines that the Creator has given him an opportunity to do a Mitzva in order to bring contentment to his maker even once a month, and to serve the king even once a month, they should be satisfied. Abayeh said, “Therefore, it should be said while standing.” “Standing” means the full level. That is, a person needs to speak upright and be happy if he is given an opportunity to serve the king, while others are not. At that time the Creator is whole, meaning that we must say that the name of the Creator, meaning the name, “Good and Does Good,” appears and shines to a person in utter wholeness, as well as that the person is whole, meaning that he has another merit in Torah and Mitzvot (commandments) and good deeds.
This is so because as much as one does in order to be serving the king, he still does not deserve it. One should (know) that there are many people in the world to whom the Creator did not allow to do anything for His name.
However, we should also walk on the left line, meaning criticize if this is true, if one’s faith is whole, if the things he does are in utter purity and holiness without any ulterior motives, if the name, “Good and Does Good,” is swallowed in the organs, etc.
At that time the left line is disputed with the right line because he sees that if he calculates sincerely, it is all to the contrary. Then there is a dispute between the lines—between right and left. And if one does not work in the middle line, the left revokes the right and he becomes one whose “knowledge is greater than deeds,” meaning that he criticizes more than the good deeds that he does.
It follows that he falls to Hell, which extends from the left line. And there is Hell of the fire of lust, or snow that is chilled by work and he desires only to be in a state of rest, and idleness, and sleep, etc. This requires overcoming and prayer for the Creator’s mercy from above so he may extend the middle line, meaning subdue the left line under the right. That is, he says that although the criticism mandates otherwise, he goes above reason.
By that the middle line improves the right line, for before he extended the left line and was walking on the right, he thought that reason, too, mandates the labor in the work of the Creator. But now that he has extended the left line, when he subdues toward the right, it is evident that he has chosen the right even though he has another view, from the left.
This is why we should remember as we walk to extend the work of the left—to keep the intention only to show that even though there is left, he nevertheless chooses the right. This is why we should divide the times of work and not mix one with the other.
I wrote the Achoraim (posterior side) of the three lines, and when we are rewarded, we extend the three lines in Panim (anterior side).
May you be granted good writing and signing,
From me, your friend, Baruch Shalom
Son of my father, Yehuda HaLevi Ashlag