KESER SHEM TOV
Anthology of the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov
KST 27.
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
“There was a famine in the Land.”1
This means that the people lacked faith in G-d,2 that is, that they were lax in honoring Him. Therefore, “Abram went down to Mitzrayim/Egypt,”3 which means that Abraham was distressed [mitzta'er] by this laxity in honoring G-d in the World of Action. However, as a result, “Abram went up from Mitzrayim,”4 which means that he became spiritually elevated and was able to derive even greater pleasure from serving G-d, by virtue of the fact that he was not like them, since light can only be discerned in contrast to darkness.
Therefore, “Lot – who symbolizes the evil inclination – was with him,”5 because the existence of evil allows one to derive even greater pleasure from serving G-d,6 and evil thus become a vehicle to good, and becomes encompassed in it.
“And Abram was heavily laden with cattle, silver and gold,”7 which means that he was able to extract the sparks of holiness, similarly to, “Joseph collected all the money in Egypt.”8
1Genesis 12:10. This piece is a continuation of the idea presented in #26.
2Zohar I 80a
3Genesis 12:10
4Genesis 13:1
5Genesis 13:1
6Thus, uprooting one’s evil tendencies is not only anyway impossible, but also not the goal. On the contrary. One should rejoice that one has an evil tendency to deal with on a daily basis, and even enjoy the challenges it presents. This is how we grow spiritually, and every success brings us closer to G-d.
7Genesis 13:2
8Genesis 47:14; Degel Machneh Ephraim, ad loc. This explains how evil itself becomes encompassed in the good. The Hebrew word for silver/money is kesef, which is the same root as desire. Thus, by seeing how mankind is so sunken in all sorts of desires, or when an undesirable desire rises one’s own mind, one can turn this around and perceive it in this way: If the pleasure for this earthly thing is so great, how much greater is the pleasure of being with G-d, the Source and Creator of all pleasures. This can bring one to an intense experience of pleasure from being in G-d’s presence. Then, those desires of others or oneself, which are actually fallen sparks of holiness, fallen and misguided desires for G-d, are elevated back to their Source.
Translation and commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua Starrett.
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