Introduction to the Book of Zohar (PDF) - Kabbalah Media Archive

I N T RO D U C T I O N T O T H E B O O K O F Z O H A R
only to the extent of my desire. Therefore, we say that the Creator’s light
fills the entire creation. We are inside this ocean of light, and we shall
feel it only in our desire for this light, for its property, for the delight of
bestowal.
It is quite natural that if we do not feel anything now, it means that
we have no desire whatsoever for this light of bestowal. Nevertheless, the
Creator preinstalled in us an enormous desire to receive delight perfectly
matched to His desire to bestow.
Therefore, the thought of creation itself dictates the presence of an
excessive will to receive in the souls, to fit the immense pleasure that
the Creator thought to bestow upon them. For the great delight and
the great desire to receive must go hand in hand.
7. Once we have learned that, we have come to understand the second
inquiry to its fullness, and with complete clarity. For we have
learned what is the reality that one can base clear decisions on, that
is not a part of His essence, but constitutes a new creation. Now
that we know for sure that the thought of creation is to bestow to His
creatures, He necessarily created a measure of desire to receive from
Him the bounty and delight that he had planned for them. Thus, we
see that the will to receive certainly was not a part of His essence
before He had created it in the souls, because He can receive from no
one. He created a novelty that is absent in Him.
Along with that, we understand, according to the thought of creation,
that there was no need to create anything more than the will
to receive. For this new creation is sufficient for Him to fulfill the
entire plan – to bestow delight upon someone (if this someone exists
as a will to receive pleasure). Since the Creator’s desire is to bestow
delight, He is in need of a will to receive delight. We happen to represent
this will.
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