קבלה על ברכות 33:22

Now, the above is as scripture states⁴²Deuteronomy 32:18, “You have caused the Rock that bore you to be removed”. Moreover, it states⁴³Psalms 68:35, “Give strength to G-d”. This is in accordance to the statement⁴⁴Talmud Berachot 17, “Rabbi Yochanan says, ‘Happy is he who toils in Torah and brings satisfaction to the One who formed him.’ – meaning that he does not toil in the Torah in order to receive a reward at all. Rather, his intent is solely to bring satisfaction to the One who formed him, about whom it is written⁴⁵Isaiah 63:9, “In all their suffering, He suffered.” That is, wherever Israel were exiled the Shechinah went with them. She is our Mother, about whom it says⁴⁶Isaiah 50:1, “Thus says HaShem, ‘Where is your Mother’s bill of divorce [as proof] that I banished her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? Truly, you were sold through your sins and through your transgressions she was banished with you.’” [It is, specifically, the Shechinah that] is called “The One Who Formed us”, as in the verse⁴⁷Deuteronomy 32:18, “You have caused the Rock who bore you to be removed.” [The word for rock here is Tzoor (צור), which also means the “source of form”, just as a child is formed in its mother’s womb.] This is why [Rabbi Yochanan said that such a person brings satisfaction “to the One who formed him”, rather than saying “to the Holy One, Blessed is He.”

24 (24) Said the Intellect - This completeness is clear from written sources and logical conclusions; and this is, that man should cleave to His holiness may he be blessed, and he will comprehend his glory without any detraction, separation or obstruction. If you wish, [learn it from the] text (Isaiah 58:14), "Then shall you enjoy with HaShem..."; (Psalms 140:14), "...the upright shall dwell in your presence" (Psalms 16:11), "...experiencing joy is your presence..." etc, and very many others like these, are these not in all the corners of the words of the prophets and writings revealed to all the nations, seek from the texts of HaShem and read them. And in the words of our Rabbis may their memory be for a blessing (Brachos 17a), "The world to come has neither eating nor drinking...rather the righteous sit and their crowns are upon their heads, and they benefit in the splendor of HaShem's presence". Or if you prefer to say it from a logical conclusion, the soul is a part of the Lord above, behold isn't its desire certainly to return and cleave to its source and to grasp it, as is the nature of everything of heavenly source to desire it return to the heights [of heaven], and it does not achieve its rest until it achieves this. But what is this cleaving, and what is this achievement - we don't have the capacity to understand it as we exist within the state of deficiencies. But from this we discern our deficiencies, because like we knew that completeness is this cleaving, similarly we know that the deficiencies are all distancing from this, and that which obstructs and lays between us and Him may his name be blessed, for because of this it is impossible to cleave to him as it is possible to cleave to him after the obstruction is removed, and this is the deficiency which we need to try to remove, and to acquire the completeness that we mentioned. And indeed here we need a very fundamental introduction: