Sometimes one may fall from his level on his own, because God knows that you need this. At other times this fall may be caused by the environment. The “descent”, however, is for the sake of an “ascent,” i.e., to reach a higher level. 1 Thus it is written, “He will guide us al muth (lit., to death).” (Psalms 48:15) 2 It is also written, “And Abram descended to Egypt” (Genesis 12:10) and “Abram ascended from Egypt” (Genesis 13:1): 3 Abram signifies the soul (Zohar I:122b), and Egypt signifies the kelipot (“husks;” forces of evil) 4
Footnotes
1.
By attaining spiritual levels one may feel content with that achievement. He does not realize that he has not yet reached his full potential. Thus he will “fall” to a lower level. This will surely cause him to be disturbed, thus motivate him to make a greater effort to regain his loss and attain yet higher levels. See below, sect. 67, note 1.
2.
Degradation, i.e., reduction in rank, is tantamount to
death (Tanchuma, Vayechi:2; Zohar III:135b: “The term death
applies to anyone who was lowered from the earlier level he had”). Thus “He
will guide us to death,” i.e., to reduction in rank, in order that we make an
effort to ascend higher.
Others (Targum, Rashi etc.) read al-muth as one word which
means “youth; childhood.” Still others (see Ibn Ezra) read the one word almut
to be derived from helem, concealment. These two readings converge in the
Baal Shem Tov’s interpretation of this verse with a parable of a father
teaching his child to walk: every time the child takes two or three steps toward
the father, the father distances himself in order to make the child walk
further. So, too, God is the “hiding God” (Isaiah 45:15) in order that one
come yet closer to Him. (Kedushat Levi on Exodus 3:11; more extensively
in Turei Zahav, Rimzei Rosh Hashanah; and briefly in Keter Shem
Tov, sect. 237.) There is then a “fall” for man, a concealment of God,
in order that he bestir himself to greater ascents.
3.
God tested Abraham: right
after telling him to move to the Holy Land, and promising him every manner of
blessing, He caused a famine in the land which forced Abraham to descend
to Egypt. This ordeal was a test of Abraham’s faith, whether or not he would
question the original command and promises (Tanchuma, Lech: 5;
quoted by Rashi).
A test (nisayon) is meant to elevate the person: “lenasot-in
order to test you” (Exodus 20:17), i.e., to elevate and magnify you (Mechilta,
Bachodesh: ch. 9, quoted by Rashi; cf. Zohar I:140a, and below,
sect. 132).
Abraham did not waver in his faith, thus “Abram ascended from Egypt,”
returning enriched both spiritually and materially. Cf. Keter Shem Tov,
sect. 27 and 151.
4.
“What is the meaning of ‘Abram ascended from Egypt’?..When the soul is saved from that ‘evil officer’... the ‘king of Egypt,’ that is, the king of the oppressors that distress the souls, i.e., the destructive angels, the demons ... what is written of the masters of the soul? ‘Abram ascended from Egypt’! He is raised beyond them, with great strength-he, his soul and all his possessions.” (Zohar Chadash, Tikunim:118c)
Published and copyright by Kehot
Publication Society, all rights reserved.
