Only God is a Necessary Existent / Why God Created the World / The Role of Israel / Returning to One’s Root / Hitbodedut-Meditation / Nullifying One’s Evil Traits There are heretics who claim that the world is a necessary existent. But this is not true. Only God is a Necessary Existent, and He created all worlds ex nihilo in accordance with His free will. What is the source of the mistaken notion that the world’s creation was necessary? It is the fact that once the souls of Israel were brought into being, the world did become a necessary existent. This is because the entire universe was created for the sake of the Jewish people. God could have chosen to create or not to create the Jewish nation. Once He decided to do so, the entire world became a necessary existent — because He had to create the world for their sake, so that they might rule over the universe. So God created the world for the sake of the Jewish people — so that Israel should do His will, returning and clinging to their root, which is God. The more the Jewish people do God’s will, the more they are absorbed — together with the worlds that are dependent on them — into God, the Necessary Existent. To be absorbed into this root, into the oneness of God, a person must experience self-nullification. One attains self-nullification through hitbodedut, the practice of speaking to God in one’s own words. Through this practice, a person eliminates his desires and evil traits, until he eliminates all his physicality and is absorbed into the root of his being. Ideally, this practice takes place at night, when the world is resting from its business. This is because the energy of the affairs of the world keeps a person from nullifying himself and being absorbed into God, even if he himself is not involved in those affairs. Moreover, this practice must take place in a specific, unfrequented site outside the city, where people do not pass by, because if a place is frequented by people — even if they are not presently there — that too disturbs a person’s hitbodedut. And so, at that time and in that place, a person turns aside from the affairs of this world until he attains perfect self-nullification. First, he prays a great deal until he nullifies one trait or desire. Then he does the same to nullify another trait or desire. He continues in this way until he has nullified them all. Yet something still remains — and so he nullifies that as well, until nothing at all remains. At last, this person’s soul is absorbed into its root — into God, the Necessary Existent. Then the entire world is absorbed with his soul into its root, and the entire world itself becomes a necessary existent. “My soul desires You at night; with my spirit within me I seek You.” “At night, I recall Your Name, HaShem, and I keep Your Torah.” “Upon my pallet at night I sought Him Whom my soul loved.” “I sought Him, but I did not find Him. I will recall my song at night. With my heart I will sing, and my spirit will search.”
Master of the entire universe, You Who are One and Unique, You Who were, are and will be, You created Your world with Your beneficent will for the sake of the Jewish people, Your holy nation. You created all the universes for their sake, so that they would truly do Your will and rule; so that with their good deeds, they could raise all the worlds — from the lowest pole of Asiyah to the highest peak of Atzilut8According to Kabbalah, the five worlds which God created within the original Vacated Space were: Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man), Atzilut (Nearness or Emanation), Beri’ah (Creation), Yetzirah (Formation) and Asiyah (Action). Our physical universe, including the galaxies, solar system, Planet Earth and man, is part of Asiyah.— to their supernal root, so that all the universes will be absorbed into Your simple oneness, forever.
Speaking To God And so, HaShem, my God and the God of my fathers, have compassion on me and help me to speak out my heart to You a great deal, until I completely nullify my existence, until my ego is annihilated and I am absorbed into Your oneness.
Then, every night, I will to speak to You there, in a location where people do not go even during the day. I will speak to You and tell You everything in detail, until my heart is truly opened up to You with great yearning — even with profuse weeping — so that I will cry and confess everything I have done wrong, and truly regret my sins with all my heart, and make a firm resolution to never again return to that foolishness, so that my soul will never again be dishonest and sin.
In Your compassion, give me this gift. Guard me from now on from doing wrong and from any evil desire, particularly from damaging the covenant, which affects the entire Torah. Rescue and guard me always, until as a result of speaking to You at night, I nullify myself entirely, eliminating each bad trait and desire until I am completely cleansed of these desires and traits.
Help me to nullify every trace of egotism and coarseness of spirit, until I am truly and completely nonexistent, as You desire, and absorbed into Your oneness.
Then may the entire world be absorbed together with my spirit into Your simple oneness. May our reality following creation be absorbed into the reality that preceded creation; may that which You created be absorbed into You.
May we always be bound to You, united with You and absorbed into You. May we never be separated from You even for a moment. Reveal Your simple oneness in the world. Show every created being that You created it. Show every creature that You formed it. May every being with a soul in its nostrils proclaim, “HaShem, the God of Israel, is King and rules over all.”
Graciously help me, so that I will speak with You at length, at night, on a solitary path, until I am truly nullified, truly absorbed into You together with all the universes, so that we will all return to You in truth and with a whole heart.
Have pity on me, so that I will attain everything that I seek of You, so that I will truly nullify myself until I am absorbed into You, HaShem, my God and the God of my fathers. It is for this reason alone that You created all the worlds, as You revealed to us through Your true Tzaddikim.
“Restore us, our saving God, and eliminate Your anger with us.” “HaShem, God of hosts, bring us back. Illumine Your countenance and we will be saved.” “Bring me back and I will return, because You are my God.” “Bring us back to You, HaShem, and we will return. Renew our days as of old.”
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה נ"ב - הַנֵּעוֹר בַּלַּיְלָה וְהַמְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ יְחִידִי]
נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִךָ בַּלַּיְלָה אַף רוּחִי בְקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ. זָכַרְתִּי בַלַּיְלָה שִׁמְךָ יְהֹוָה וָאֶשְׁמְרָה תּוֹרָתֶךָ. עַל מִשְׁכָּבִי בַּלֵּילוֹת בִּקַּשְׁתִּי אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו וְלֹא מְצָאתִיו. אֶזְכְּרָה נְגִינָתִי בַּלָּיְלָה עִם לְבָבִי אָשִׂיחָה וַיְחַפֵּשׂ רוּחִי.
Only God is a Necessary Existent / Why God Created the World / The Role of Israel / Returning to One’s Root / Hitbodedut-Meditation / Nullifying One’s Evil Traits
There are heretics who claim that the world is a necessary existent. But this is not true. Only God is a Necessary Existent, and He created all worlds ex nihilo in accordance with His free will.
What is the source of the mistaken notion that the world’s creation was necessary? It is the fact that once the souls of Israel were brought into being, the world did become a necessary existent. This is because the entire universe was created for the sake of the Jewish people. God could have chosen to create or not to create the Jewish nation. Once He decided to do so, the entire world became a necessary existent — because He had to create the world for their sake, so that they might rule over the universe.
So God created the world for the sake of the Jewish people — so that Israel should do His will, returning and clinging to their root, which is God. The more the Jewish people do God’s will, the more they are absorbed — together with the worlds that are dependent on them — into God, the Necessary Existent.
To be absorbed into this root, into the oneness of God, a person must experience self-nullification. One attains self-nullification through hitbodedut, the practice of speaking to God in one’s own words. Through this practice, a person eliminates his desires and evil traits, until he eliminates all his physicality and is absorbed into the root of his being.
Ideally, this practice takes place at night, when the world is resting from its business. This is because the energy of the affairs of the world keeps a person from nullifying himself and being absorbed into God, even if he himself is not involved in those affairs. Moreover, this practice must take place in a specific, unfrequented site outside the city, where people do not pass by, because if a place is frequented by people — even if they are not presently there — that too disturbs a person’s hitbodedut.
And so, at that time and in that place, a person turns aside from the affairs of this world until he attains perfect self-nullification. First, he prays a great deal until he nullifies one trait or desire. Then he does the same to nullify another trait or desire. He continues in this way until he has nullified them all. Yet something still remains — and so he nullifies that as well, until nothing at all remains.
At last, this person’s soul is absorbed into its root — into God, the Necessary Existent. Then the entire world is absorbed with his soul into its root, and the entire world itself becomes a necessary existent.
“My soul desires You at night; with my spirit within me I seek You.” “At night, I recall Your Name, HaShem, and I keep Your Torah.” “Upon my pallet at night I sought Him Whom my soul loved.” “I sought Him, but I did not find Him. I will recall my song at night. With my heart I will sing, and my spirit will search.”
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מָרֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא כֹּלָּא, אֲדוֹן הַכֹּל, אֶחָד יָחִיד וּמְיֻחָד הָיָה הֹוֶה וְיִהְיֶה, אַתָּה בָּרָאתָ עוֹלָמְךָ בִּרְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב בִּשְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמְּךָ הַקָּדוֹשׁ, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁבִילָם בָּרָאתָ כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת כֻּלָּם, כְּדֵי לְהַמְשִׁיךְ נְשָׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוֹלָם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ רְצוֹנְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת וְיִמְשְׁלוּ בָּעוֹלָם, לְמַעַן יוּכְלוּ עַל־יְדֵי פְּעֻלָּתָם הַטּוֹבָה לְהַעֲלוֹת וּלְנַשֵּׂא כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת כֻּלָּם, מִן תַּכְלִית הָעֲשִׂיָּה עַד תְּחִלַּת הָאֲצִילוּת, לְהַעֲלוֹת וּלְהַגְבִּיהַּ כֻּלָּם לְשָׁרְשָׁם הָעֶלְיוֹן, שֶׁיֻּכְלְלוּ כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת כֻּלָּם בְּאַחְדּוּתְךָ הַפָּשׁוּט יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִתְעַלֶּה לָעַד וּלְנֵצַח נְצָחִים,
Master of the entire universe, You Who are One and Unique, You Who were, are and will be, You created Your world with Your beneficent will for the sake of the Jewish people, Your holy nation. You created all the universes for their sake, so that they would truly do Your will and rule; so that with their good deeds, they could raise all the worlds — from the lowest pole of Asiyah to the highest peak of Atzilut 8According to Kabbalah, the five worlds which God created within the original Vacated Space were: Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man), Atzilut (Nearness or Emanation), Beri’ah (Creation), Yetzirah (Formation) and Asiyah (Action). Our physical universe, including the galaxies, solar system, Planet Earth and man, is part of Asiyah.— to their supernal root, so that all the universes will be absorbed into Your simple oneness, forever.
כִּי אַתָּה הוּא קֹדֶם שֶׁבָּרָאתָ הָעוֹלָם וְאַתָּה הוּא לְאַחַר שֶׁבָּרָאתָ הָעוֹלָם:
You existed before You created the world, and You are the same after You created the world.
וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּרַחֵם עָלַי וְתִהְיֶה בְּעֶזְרִי, וּתְזַכֵּנִי לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת תָּמִיד עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי הַהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת לְבַטֵּל עַצְמִי לְגַמְרֵי, עַד שֶׁיִּתְבַּטֵּל יֵשׁוּתִי לְגַמְרֵי וְאֶהְיֶה נִכְלָל בְּאַחְדּוּתְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת.
Speaking To God
And so, HaShem, my God and the God of my fathers, have compassion on me and help me to speak out my heart to You a great deal, until I completely nullify my existence, until my ego is annihilated and I am absorbed into Your oneness.
וּתְזַכֵּנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים וְתַזְמִין לִי מָקוֹם מְיֻחָד וּזְמַן מְיֻחָד לְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת, וְאֶזְכֶּה לִבְחֹר לִי הַמָּקוֹם הַמֻּבְחָר וְהַזְּמַן הַמֻּבְחָר לְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת, שֶׁהוּא בַּלַּיְלָה בְּעֵת שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם יְשֵׁנִים, וּבְדֶרֶךְ יְחִידִי,
Help me to find the best place and time to engage in this practice: in the night, when people are sleeping, on a solitary path.
שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה בְּכָל לַיְלָה וְלַיְלָה לְהִתְבּוֹדֵד בְּמָקוֹם מְיֻחָד לֵילֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ יְחִידִי בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין בְּנֵי אָדָם הוֹלְכִים שָׁם אֲפִלּוּ בַיּוֹם, וְשָׁם אֵלֵךְ וְאֶתְבּוֹדֵד בַּלַּיְלָה וַאֲפָרֵשׁ כָּל שִׂיחָתִי לְפָנֶיךָ, וְאֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבִי אֶזְכֶּה לְבָאֵר וּלְפָרֵשׁ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּפֶה מָלֵא בְּפֵרוּשׁ, עַד שֶׁיִּתְעוֹרֵר לְבָבִי בֶּאֱמֶת אֵלֶיךָ בִּתְשׁוּקָה גְּדוֹלָה, ובִבְכִיָּה רַבָּה וַעֲצוּמָה בִּדְמָעוֹת שָׁלִישׁ, לִבְכּוֹת וּלְהִתְוַדּוֹת עַל עֲוֹנוֹתַי וּפְשָׁעַי הַמְּרֻבִּים, וּלְהִתְחָרֵט עֲלֵיהֶם בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְלֵב שָׁלֵם, וּלְקַבֵּל עָלַי קַבָּלָה גְמוּרָה בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם בֶּאֱמֶת שֶׁלֹּא אָשׁוּב עוֹד לְכִסְלָה, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה בְּרוּחִי רְמִיָּה כְּלָל, אִם אָוֶן פָּעַלְתִּי לֹא אוֹסִיף.
Then, every night, I will to speak to You there, in a location where people do not go even during the day. I will speak to You and tell You everything in detail, until my heart is truly opened up to You with great yearning — even with profuse weeping — so that I will cry and confess everything I have done wrong, and truly regret my sins with all my heart, and make a firm resolution to never again return to that foolishness, so that my soul will never again be dishonest and sin.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים עָלַי, שֶׁתְּחָנֵּנִי מֵאִתְּךָ בְּמַתְּנַת חִנָּם, וְתִהְיֶה בְּעֶזְרִי מֵעַתָּה תָמִיד, וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי וְתַצִּילֵנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ מֵחֲטָאִים וַעֲוֹנוֹת וּפְשָׁעִים וּמִכָּל הַתַּאֲווֹת רָעוֹת, וּבִפְרָט מִפְּגַם הַבְּרִית שֶׁהוּא כְּלַל כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ תַּצִּילֵנִי וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי תָמִיד בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הַגְּדוֹלִים בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָעֲצוּמִים, עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי הַהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת בַּלַּיְלָה לְבַטֵּל עַצְמִי לְגַמְרֵי, לְבַטֵּל כָּל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה רָעָה וְכָל תַּאֲוָה וְתַאֲוָה רָעָה, עַד שֶׁאֶהְיֶה נָקִי לְגַמְרֵי מִכָּל הַתַּאֲווֹת וּמִכָּל הַמִּדּוֹת רָעוֹת,
In Your compassion, give me this gift. Guard me from now on from doing wrong and from any evil desire, particularly from damaging the covenant, which affects the entire Torah. Rescue and guard me always, until as a result of speaking to You at night, I nullify myself entirely, eliminating each bad trait and desire until I am completely cleansed of these desires and traits.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לְבַטֵּל כָּל מִינֵי גֵּאוּת וְגַבְהוּת וְגַסּוּת הָרוּחַ מִמֶּנִּי, עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לָבוֹא לְתַכְלִית הַבִּטּוּל בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ כִּרְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב, עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהִכָּלֵל בְּאַחְדּוּתְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת.
Help me to nullify every trace of egotism and coarseness of spirit, until I am truly and completely nonexistent, as You desire, and absorbed into Your oneness.
וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִהְיֶה נִכְלָל כָּל הָעוֹלָם עִם נַפְשִׁי בְּאַחְדּוּתְךָ הַפָּשׁוּט, וְיִתְאַחֵד וְיֻכְלַל אַחַר הַבְּרִיאָה בְּקֹדֶם הַבְּרִיאָה, אֶפְשָׁרִי הַמְּצִיאוּת בְּחִיּוּב הַמְּצִיאוּת.
Then may the entire world be absorbed together with my spirit into Your simple oneness. May our reality following creation be absorbed into the reality that preceded creation; may that which You created be absorbed into You.
וְנִהְיֶה דְבוּקִים וַאֲחוּדִים וּכְלוּלִים בְּךָ תָמִיד בֶּאֱמֶת, וְלֹא נִפָּרֵד מִמְּךָ אֲפִלּוּ כְּרֶגַע קַלָּה, וְיִתְגַּלֶּה אַחְדּוּתְךָ הַפָּשׁוּט בָּעוֹלָם, וְיֵדַע כָּל פָּעוּל כִּי אַתָּה פְּעַלְתּוֹ וְיָבִין כָּל יְצוּר כִּי אַתָּה יְצַרְתּוֹ וְיֹאמַר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶלֶךְ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָׁלָה.
May we always be bound to You, united with You and absorbed into You. May we never be separated from You even for a moment. Reveal Your simple oneness in the world. Show every created being that You created it. Show every creature that You formed it. May every being with a soul in its nostrils proclaim, “HaShem, the God of Israel, is King and rules over all.”
עָזְרֵנִי עָזְרֵנִי, חָנֵּנִי חָנֵּנִי, לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וּבְשִׂיחָה בֵּינִי לְבֵין קוֹנִי בַּלַּיְלָה בְּדֶרֶךְ יְחִידִי, עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְתַכְלִית הַבִּטּוּל בֶּאֱמֶת, עַד שֶׁאֶהְיֶה נִכְלָל בְּךָ בֶּאֱמֶת עִם כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת כֻּלָּם, וְנָשׁוּב כֻּלָּנוּ אֵלֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְלֵב שָׁלֵם,
Graciously help me, so that I will speak with You at length, at night, on a solitary path, until I am truly nullified, truly absorbed into You together with all the universes, so that we will all return to You in truth and with a whole heart.
וְנֵדְעָה נִרְדְּפָה לָדַעַת אֶת יְהֹוָה יוֹמָם לֹא נָנוּחַ לַיְלָה לֹא נִשְׁקֹט, עַד אֲשֶׁר נִזְכֶּה לִמְצֹא אוֹתְךָ בְּכָל־עֵת:
“Let us know, and run eagerly to know HaShem,” so that we will not rest during the day and not be silent at night, until we find You at every moment.
וְנִזְכֶּה לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת וּבוֹ תִדְבָּק בֶּאֱמֶת בִּשְׁלֵמוּת כִּרְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב.
Absorbed into God
Help me to truly perform the commandment of, “You shall cling to Him,” fully, in accordance with Your desire.
חוּס וַחֲמֹל עָלֵינוּ חוּס וְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ, חוּס וְחָנֵּנוּ וְזַכֵּנוּ לְכָל מַה שֶּׁבִּקַּשְׁנוּ מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְבַטֵּל עַצְמֵנוּ בֶּאֱמֶת עַד שֶׁנִּהְיֶה כֻלָּנוּ נִכְלָלִים בְּךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, כִּי בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה לְבַד בָּרָאתָ כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת כֻּלָּם, כַּאֲשֶׁר גִּלִּיתָ לָנוּ עַל־יְדֵי צַדִּיקֶיךָ הָאֲמִתִּיִּים.
Have pity on me, so that I will attain everything that I seek of You, so that I will truly nullify myself until I am absorbed into You, HaShem, my God and the God of my fathers. It is for this reason alone that You created all the worlds, as You revealed to us through Your true Tzaddikim.
שׁוּבֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ וְהָפֵר כַּעַסְךָ עִמָּנוּ, יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ הָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה. הֲשִׁיבֵנִי וְאָשׁוּבָה כִּי אַתָּה אֱלֹהָי. הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ יְהֹוָה אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶדֶם.
“Restore us, our saving God, and eliminate Your anger with us.” “HaShem, God of hosts, bring us back. Illumine Your countenance and we will be saved.” “Bring me back and I will return, because You are my God.” “Bring us back to You, HaShem, and we will return. Renew our days as of old.”
יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה צוּרִי וְגוֹאֲלִי:
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing before You, HaShem, my Rock and my Redeemer.”