Three Kinds Of Faith

Question: It is written in the articles of Rabash that faith is man’s intention to bestow to his neighbor, to think about him, etc., and self-love is the intention to receive for one’s own sake. Is this what we call within reason?

Answer: Naturally.

Question: We feel and understand this. We see some benefit from this. Is it possible to say that faith in Kabbalah is something in which I do not feel any obvious benefit to myself?

Answer: Of course. In order to bestow, you must feel not yourself, but a stranger, what he needs personally, and then you begin to accept fulfillment only to satisfy his desires. Thus your faith is realized.

And after its realization, a new desire appears and you must set another bar, and so on.

Remark: It is similar to science or sports: You set for yourself a bar, and the state that you have not yet achieved is called faith. And what you have already achieved is called knowledge, and then again, what is achieved also becomes knowledge and is added to the previous one.

This is the opposite of what we know in our world when I was told something, and I have to believe. Such faith is called faith below reason.

My Comment: In addition, in our world, I do everything for the sake of receiving. I am ready to believe anyone in order to fill myself.

Remark: For example, I was told: there is a certain upper force, the Creator. If I just believe in it and do not check, then this is faith below reason. And if I start checking, exploring: Who is He?, What is He?, What are His properties?, How can I achieve these properties?, this is called faith within reason.

My Comment: In this case, you believe to the extent of your reason. And if you do not check anymore and can do the act of bestowal, then this faith is above reason.

Thus, faith below reason is work for the sake of knowledge, for the sake of fulfillment, when you do not check but simply believe blindly.

Faith above reason is when you have checked dozens of times, saw that this is completely unrealistic, and you do it anyway.

Faith within reason is when you check and know, that is, when faith and knowledge support each other.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 4/1/19