Kabbalah Library

105. It is with good reason that the Creator said, “Anyone who engages in Torah and in almsgiving, and prays with the public, I consider him as though he has redeemed Me and My children from among the idol-worshipers.” There are many people who engage in Torah and in almsgiving, and pray with the public, so why are the Creator and His Shechina not delivered?

However, the meaning is that he will engage in Torah in order to connect the Shechina with the Creator, and not for any other intention. Almsgiving, a Hassid [one who does Hesed (mercy/almsgiving)] is only one who does Hesed with his Maker, that all the commandments he does will be in order to thereby redeem the Shechina from exile, and not for any other purpose. By this he does Hesed with the Creator and is called Hassid.

106. One who does Hesed with the Shechina, to raise her from the exile, does Hesed with the Creator because when Israel sinned and the Creator wanted to afflict them, Mother, the Shechina, was lying over them, detaining the Creator from afflicting them, until they went out to a bad culture.

What did the Creator do? He exiled the king’s children, Israel, along with the queen, the Shechina, and swore that He will not return to His place until the queen returns to Her place. It follows that one who does Hesed with the Shechina and repents, and in all of the Torah and its commandments, aims only to redeem the Shechina from the exile, he is the one who does Hesed with his Maker, and it is as though he redeemed Him and His Shechina from exile.

107. Elijah said, “Moses, you are that person; you are the son of the King and Queen, and your work toward the Creator is not only as one who does Hesed with his Maker, but as a son who is committed to collect himself and muster his strength to redeem his father and mother, and gives himself to death over them. One who is not the king’s son and does Hesed with the king and the queen is certainly regarded as doing Hesed with his Maker. But you, who is the King’s son, it is your obligation, and not a Hesed.”

108. Moses rose and bowed down before the Creator. He wept and said, “May it be His will that He will think of me as a son, that my actions toward the Creator and His Shechina will be for them as a son who toils for his father and mother, who loves them more than he loves himself and his life, and his spirit, and his soul [Nefesh-Ruach-Neshama respectively], and regards all that he has as zero and nothing in order to do with them the will of his father and mother, and redeem them with them.

“And although I know that everything is in His possession, and I have nothing to give Him, still, the merciful one wants man’s heart, to be willing for anything.” At that time, the Creator came, kissed him, and said, “Moses, indeed you are My son and that of the Shechina. Sages and angels, kiss the son.” Everyone arose and kissed him, and accepted him as a Rav [great one/leader] and king over them.