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Chapter Two: | 17 24 | A New Light Foreword | 9

The entire nature of the soul is its bond with the Creator. This delight and satisfaction, as it were, come from the fact that “when Foreword
bond is brought about when a person performs the Torah’s mitzvot. He spoke, His will was done” (siddur)—in the sense that people
The word “mitzvah” comes from the word tzavta, meaning want Him, choose Him and accept Him as their King, although they I will praise Your name, because You have done wonders; Your
“bond”—a bond with the Creator. Conversely, every sin constitutes could do otherwise. counsel from the past has been faithful and reliable. (Isaiah 25:1)
the opposite of the character of the soul and the opposite of its
function. Thus, the word chet, “sin,” means “to miss the mark.” If people possessed no free will, what delight would the Creator There is much to tell and convey about the power of will. This book
is unique in that it does not allow the topic to remain in the realm of
From this, we can see that punishment isn’t the outcome of a sin. have? By analogy, a person chosen from among a number of theoretical discussion, but it is directed to the sole and single purpose
Rather, a sin itself is the worst punishment, because it disconnects candidates feels satisfaction and delight; but if he is chosen of helping you employ the tremendous power of your will in a practical
a person from the Creator. That is the most extreme expression of because there was no alternative, he will feel no delight. On an way. Therefore, you must clearly recognize that this book will be useful
the soul missing the mark. infinitely different level, if the Creator’s goodness were revealed to you only when you apply its teachings. But in addition to the utility of
to all, obviously everyone would choose Him, and He would have this book, when you apply its instructions you will gain a comprehensive
The Bread of Shame no satisfaction and delight. The Creator wants people to choose understanding of this topic.
Him precisely when He is concealed. That is what gives Him true For many years, I have written and edited material on the topic of the
satisfaction.
That being the case, the question arises: since the Creator wanted will. In all of my books, I have been privileged to experience how the Holy
to benefit us, why did He bring the soul down from the upper realm Therefore, when a person is in great darkness and great evil One, blessed be He, has directed, dictated and decided what will go into
into a world of darkness and materiality? Why did He create us in confronts him, when he chooses and desires the Creator, he gives a book and what will not. In this instance too, He built and shaped this
book until I had the privilege of completing it. To the very last stages of
this world, which contains so much suffering and where the essence greater delight to the Creator than the delight that comes to the the writing and editing, I saw God’s providence in every detail.
of true delight, which is our connection and bond with the Creator, Creator from a great tzaddik who chooses goodness when he
is so thoroughly concealed? Why did He create man with an evil encounters darkness and obstacles. The holy Zohar teaches that Even the name of the book descended from above in the most astonishing
inclination that impels him to sin and do wrong, with a coarse body Jethro was a chief priest, the supreme authority over every form way. I had originally meant to give the book an entirely different name,
that is attracted to physical pleasures that torment the soul? of idolatry. When he came to the children of Israel and spoke with but as it took shape, Chapter Six: Cause a New Light to Shine on
Zion, which presents an encompassing and deep exposition regarding the
Moses after the Exodus from Egypt and he said, “Now I know that book’s instructions, was revealed to me, and so I named the entire book
The Kabbalistic texts explain that before the Creator made this after this chapter: A New Light. (And in the Hebrew, this title contains
world, all souls delighted in the radiance of the Shechinah in the Hashem is greater than all of the gods” (Exodus 18:11), “the glory the letters of my last name).
supernal world. However, they suffered greatly from the fact that of the Holy One, blessed be He, was elevated above and below.
Afterwards, He gave the Torah fully when His governance was over
they were receiving all of their delight without toil and effort, as an I begin this book with praise and thanks to the Creator of the world for all
unearned gift, without exertion. The Kabbalists call this the “bread everything…. That is because the name of the Holy One, blessed of His kindness on my behalf, and with the prayer that everyone who learns
be He, is sanctified when the Other Side is shattered and subjugates
this book will be privileged “to learn and teach, guard and act” (siddur),
of shame.” The truth is that a person only gains pleasure from itself to holiness” (Zohar: Yitro 67b). In accordance with this, Rabbi and attain a new light and illumination of the will. May you recognize
something that he has worked for. As the verse states, “When you and utilize the tremendous power of your will, and with it actualize the
eat the toil of your hands, you are fortunate, and it is good for Nachman says that “the principal [manifestation of the] greatness yearnings of your soul, which is aflame within you to reach its goal and
of the Holy One, blessed be he, will exist when even gentiles will
you” (Psalms 128:2). And as the Gemara states, “A person prefers fulfillment.
his own measure to nine measures that belong to someone else” know that there is a God Who governs and rules” (Likutei Moharan “Cause a new light to shine on Zion.” May we all soon be privileged to
I 10).
(Bava Metzia 38a). Rashi explains, “He prefers it because he toiled attain that light. (Menachem Av 5776)
over it.”
Giving God Satisfaction
Moreover, not only is this “bread of shame” no delight, but it
causes the soul great suffering. The soul is “a portion of Divinity If a person had no evil inclination, he would be like an angel. “Everything in the world depends solely upon the will!”
from above,” a portion of the Holy One, blessed be he, Who is The Holy One, blessed be He, has tens of thousands upon tens of
entirely true and Whose seal is truth. Therefore, in its essence the thousands of angels. They possess nothing outside the will of Hashem,
(Zohar: Terumah 162b)