## Tzava'at HaRivash Chapter 137

###### Tzava'at HaRivash 137:1
[Tzava'at HaRivash 137:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/137:1)

**יחשוב שהבורא מלא כל הארץ כבודו** ושכינתו תמיד אצלו והוא דק מן הדק והוא אדון כל מעשים שבעולם והוא יכול לעשות כל מה שאני אחפוץ ולכך אינו יפה לו לבטוח רק בו יתברך:

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
Contemplate and realize that, “The whole earth is full of His glory,”²⁴⁰ and *HaShem’s* Divine Presence is constantly with me. He is the most refined of the most refined, is the Master over everything that happens in the world, and can do whatever He wishes. Therefore, it would be inappropriate of me to place my faith and trust in anyone or anything other than *HaShem*, blessed is He.

footnotes:
²⁴⁰ Isaiah 6:3


###### Tzava'at HaRivash 137:2
[Tzava'at HaRivash 137:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/137:2)

ויחשוב כמו שמסתכל על דברים גשמיים כן מסתכל בשכינה שהוא אצלו וזהו עבודה בקטנות:

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
Contemplate and realize that just as you can gaze at physical things, so likewise, you are gazing at the Divine Presence of *HaShem*, whose presence you are in. This level of Divine service is a diminished state of awareness of *HaShem* (*Katnut*) and is accessible to everyone.


###### Tzava'at HaRivash 137:3
[Tzava'at HaRivash 137:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/137:3)

**ופעמים יכול להבחין** שיש עוד כמה רקיעים עגולים והוא עומד בנקודת הארץ הקטנה וכל העולם כאין נגד הבורא ית' שהוא א"ס והוא עשה צמצום ופנה בעצמו מקום לברוא באותו מקום העולמות ואע"פ שהוא מבין כך בשכלו מ"מ אינו יכול לעלות לעולמות העליונים. וזה מרחוק ה' נראה לו שרואה את השי"ת מרחוק.

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
At times, a person can discern intellectually that there are many celestial spheres and firmaments above him and that he stands on a tiny point upon the earth. He then realizes that the entire universe is as nothing relative to the Creator, blessed is He, for He is utterly Infinite (*Ain Sof*). He therefore constricted (*Tzimtzum*) Himself and vacated a space within Himself, so to speak, within which to create the worlds. Nonetheless, although you understand all this intellectually, you may not yet be able to ascend to the upper worlds. It is about this that the verse states,²⁴¹ “*HaShem* appeared to me from afar.”

footnotes:
²⁴¹ Jeremiah 31:2


###### Tzava'at HaRivash 137:4
[Tzava'at HaRivash 137:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/137:4)

אבל כשהוא עובד בגדלותו הוא מחזיק עצמו בכח גדול ועולה במחשבתו ובוקע כל הרקיעים בפעם אחד ועולה למעלה מהמלאכים והאופנים והשרפים והכסאות וזהו עבודה שלימה:

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
In contrast, when you serve *HaShem* with expansive intellectual awareness (*Gadlut*), you will be able to strengthen yourself with great force and ascend in thought until you break through all the firmaments at once, ascending even higher than the cycle angels-*Ophanim* and fiery angels-*Seraphim*, and beyond all thrones. This is called perfected service of *HaShem*.


###### Tzava'at HaRivash 137:5
[Tzava'at HaRivash 137:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/137:5)

**ויהי' תמיד בשמחה** ויחשוב ויאמין באמונה שלימה שהשכינה אצלו ושומרת אותו. והוא מסתכל על הבורא ית'. והבורא ית' מסתכל בו. והבורא ית' יכול לעשות כל מה שהוא רוצה אם הוא רוצה מחריב כל העולמות ברגע אחד ובורא אותם ברגע א'. ובו ית' מושרשים כל הטובות והדינים שיש בעולם. שבכל דבר יש שפעו וחיותו. ואין אני בוטח ומתירא רק ממנו ית':

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
Always be joyful. Contemplate and have complete faith that the Divine Presence is with you and guarding you. Realize that you are bound to the Creator, blessed is He, and that the Creator, blessed is He, is bound to you, in all your organs and faculties. You gaze at the Him, blessed is He, and He gazes at you. Realize that the *HaShem*, blessed is He, is all-powerful and is capable of doing whatever He wishes. If He wants, He can destroy all of the worlds in a single moment, just as He creates them every single moment. All goodness and judgments in the world originate with Him, and His influence is manifest in everything that exists. Thus, every person should firmly say to himself, “I trust and fear only *HaShem*, blessed is He.”