According to Baal HaSulam, in his Introduction to the Zohar, all the suffering we experience in this world isn't random. It's designed to push us, to motivate us to break free from the "evil husk" of the ego, the selfish part of ourselves. The goal? To develop a perfect desire to give, to contribute, to share. It's a tough pill to swallow, right? But it echoes an idea we touched on earlier: that suffering can actually lead us to the transformation we seek.
And that brings us to something super important: our relationships with each other. In Jewish tradition, we talk about mitzvot bein adam leḥavero – commandments between people – and mitzvot bein adam laMakom – commandments between a person and God. Guess which ones come first? That's right, bein adam leḥavero. Why? Because when we do good for others, when we genuinely help them, it ultimately leads us to do good for God. It's a ripple effect, a chain reaction of kindness.
So, what’s our essence, our true nature? It's a question that's plagued philosophers and seekers forever. Well, according to Baal HaSulam's teachings, our essence is the same as everything else in the world: the desire to receive. Now, hold on! Before you think, "Aha! Proof that we're all just selfish!"... there's a crucial distinction.
This desire to receive isn't the selfish, grasping kind we often see in the world, the kind that benefits us at the expense of others. Instead, it's like the initial desire to receive that existed within the Ein Sof, the Infinite – before creation itself. It's a desire to receive in order to give satisfaction to the Creator. Think of it as a circuit: receiving divine energy and then channeling it outward, back into the world through acts of kindness, compassion, and creation.
The Zohar, that foundational text of Kabbalah, is brimming with these sorts of mind-bending, paradigm-shifting ideas. It's not always easy to grasp, but the core message is incredibly hopeful: even our deepest challenges can be opportunities for growth, for transforming our inherent desire to receive into a force for good. And it starts with how we treat each other. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, even the smallest act of kindness can have cosmic significance.
So, the next time you're struggling, remember this: perhaps the universe is nudging you towards something greater. Perhaps it's time to break free from that "evil husk" and embrace the beautiful, fulfilling path of giving. It's a journey, not a destination, and we're all in it together.