## Giving; The Essential Teaching of the Kabbalah, Essays by Baal Hasulam with Commentary by Rabbi Gottlieb, The Mutual Guaranty

###### Giving; The Essential Teaching of the Kabbalah, Essays by Baal Hasulam with Commentary by Rabbi Gottlieb, The Mutual Guaranty 29:2
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וזהו שהשמיעונו חז"ל בביאור הסיום: "אלה הדברים אשר תדבר אל בני ישראל". שדייקו: "אלה הדברים" – לא פחות ולא יותר. שקשה, מֵהֵיכִי תֵּיתֵי (מהיכן ניקח חשש) שמשה רבינו יעדיף או יחסיר מדברי ה', עד שהשי"ת צריך להזהירו על כך, שלא מצאנו דוגמתו בכל התורה, ואדרבה מקרא כתוב עליו (במדבר יב, ז): "בכל ביתי נאמן הוא".

**Translation by Aryeh Siegel, Urim 2020:**
These are the explanations voiced by our sages in clarifying the verse’s ending “**these are the words that you will speak to the children of Israel**.” [Exodus 19:6] They interpreted the precise wording “**these** are the words” as “no more” and “no less.” This raises a difficulty: From where can you get the idea that Moses our teacher would add or subtract from the words of God to the extent that God had to warn him about it? We have found nothing like this in the entire Torah. On the contrary, scripture writes about Moses: “In all My house he is trustworthy”! [Numbers 12:7]


###### Giving; The Essential Teaching of the Kabbalah, Essays by Baal Hasulam with Commentary by Rabbi Gottlieb, The Mutual Guaranty 29:3
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**לא פחות ולא יותר**
כט. ובאמור מובן היטב. כי בענין ציור העבודה על אופיה האחרון, כמבואר במילים של "ממלכת כהנים", שהיא ההגדרה הסופית של "ואהבת לרעך כמוך" – הנה באמת שהיה אפשר למשה רבינו להעלות על דעתו, להתעכב ולא לגלות להם בפעם אחת צורת העבודה בהפלגה גדולה ורמה כזו, מפחד פן לא יתרצו בני ישראל להסתלק מכל קניינים הגשמיים ולמסור כל הונם ורכושם לה', כהוראת המילים "ממלכת כהנים".

**Translation by Aryeh Siegel, Urim 2020:**
But from what we have said, it is well understood that, regarding the final character of spiritual service – as clarified in the words “a kingdom of priests,” which is the final definition of “and love your fellow as yourself” – it was indeed conceivable for Moses to consider restraining himself so as not to disclose all at once in a grand manner this [high] level of the form of the service. This would be due to the fear that Israel might not be reconciled [all at once] to detaching themselves from all material possessions and give all their capital and property to God, as instructed by the words “a kingdom of priests.”


###### Giving; The Essential Teaching of the Kabbalah, Essays by Baal Hasulam with Commentary by Rabbi Gottlieb, The Mutual Guaranty 29:4
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בדומה למה שכתב הרמב"ם (פ"י מהל' תשובה ה"ה), אשר נשים וקטנים אסור לגלות להם ענין העבדות הנקיה שמחויבת להיות על מנת שלא לקבל פרס, רק להמתין עד שיגדלו ויתחכמו ויהיה להם האומץ להוציא אל הפועל את זה, כמ"ש לעיל. ולפיכך הקדים אליו השי"ת האזהרה הנ"ל "לא פחות", אלא להציע להם את האופי האמיתי עם כל הפלגתו הנשגבה המתבטאת במילים "ממלכת כהנים".

**Translation by Aryeh Siegel, Urim 2020:**
This is similar to what Maimonides wrote – that it is forbidden to reveal to women and small children the nature of pure service to God, which must be done with the intention not to receive reward. Rather we must wait until they grow, become wise, and have the courage to carry this out111 as explained above. Therefore, God gave Moses the above warning: “**no less**.” [Don’t restrain yourself, but] rather spread before them the true character of the work in all the lofty, grand scope expressed in the words “a kingdom of priests.”


###### Giving; The Essential Teaching of the Kabbalah, Essays by Baal Hasulam with Commentary by Rabbi Gottlieb, The Mutual Guaranty 29:7
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וכן בענין מתן־השכר המוגדר במילים "וגוי קדוש", היה אפשר למשה רבינו להעלות על דעתו לפרש ולהרחיב להם ביותר את הנועם והעידון הנשגב הטמון בדבקותו ית', כדי להתאימם ולקרבם שיקבלו ויסכימו אל ההפלגה העצומה הזו, להסתלק לגמרי מכל קנייני עולם הזה כבחי' כהנים. לפיכך הגיעה אליו האזהרה: "ולא יותר". רק לסתום ולא לפרש כל בחי' מתן השכר הכלול במילים הללו של "וגוי קדוש" בלבד.

**Translation by Aryeh Siegel, Urim 2020:**
And similarly, regarding the reward that is defined in the words “a holy nation,” Moses might have considered being explicit and elaborating further about the pleasantness and the lofty delight hidden within the experience of cleaving to God. [He might have done this] in order to prepare them and attract them so that they would be accepting and agree to this enormous extreme of completely detaching themselves from any worldly possessions, as do priests. So therefore he received the warning: “**no more**.” Just say the words “a holy nation,” and don’t make explicit the giving of the reward that is included in these words.


###### Giving; The Essential Teaching of the Kabbalah, Essays by Baal Hasulam with Commentary by Rabbi Gottlieb, The Mutual Guaranty 29:8
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טעם הדבר, כי אם היה מגלה להם ההפלגה הנפלאה שבמהות השכר, הנה אז בהכרח שהיו משתבשים ומקבלים את עבודתו ית' על מנת להשיג לעצמם את השכר הטוב הזה, שזה היה נחשב לעובד את עצמו ולאהבה עצמית, שנמצאת כל הכוונה מסורסת כנ"ל (באות יג) עש"ה.

**Translation by Aryeh Siegel, Urim 2020:**
The reason for this: If He had revealed to them the wondrous, extreme quality that is in the essential nature of the reward, then of necessity they would get confused and take on His spiritual work in order to attain this good reward for themselves. This would be considered working for themselves and self-love,112 and thus all their intention would be distorted, as explained above (section 13).


###### Giving; The Essential Teaching of the Kabbalah, Essays by Baal Hasulam with Commentary by Rabbi Gottlieb, The Mutual Guaranty 29:10
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והנה נתבאר, אשר על שיעור המילה של צורת העבודה המתבטאת ב"ממלכת כהנים", נאמר לו "לא פחות". ועל שיעור הסתום של מתן השכר המתבטא במילים "וגוי קדוש", נאמר לו "ולא יותר".

**Translation by Aryeh Siegel, Urim 2020:**
So we see that regarding the [high] degree of the form of the work expressed in the words “a kingdom of priests,” he was told [to say] “**no less**.” And regarding the implicit degree of the reward expressed in the words “a holy nation,” he was told [to say] “**no more**.”