Baal HaSulam's Introduction to the Zohar Chapter 4-7

(1) In order to find answers to these questions and inquiries, our strategy must be to look at the end result! In other words, to the goal of creation. For it is not possible to understand anything, if we only observe the manufacturing process without seeing the final product. It is obvious that a manufacturer strives towards a certain goal. For only a deranged person works with no goal in mind.

(2) I know, however, that there are philosophers, those who do not follow the Torah and Mitzvot, who say that G-d did create the world, but he has removed Himself from it, due to the lowly nature of people, since it is not befitting G-d to associate Himself with such frivolous and loathsome behavior. However, they have not thought this through. Because had we created ourselves, we can say that we have bad traits, and we are lowly beings. Once we decide though, that the Creator who is complete, He created us, the good within us, and also our faults; we must then realize that we were created by a high level manufacturer (G-d) who produces only quality products (people), and that every product produced, reflects the caliber of the manufacturer. It is not the fault of an inferior suit, if it was produced by an incompetent tailor, why should the suit be blamed. This is similar to the story (Taanit 20b) about Rabbi Elazar who happened to come across an exceedingly ugly person, and when told by Rabbi Elazar that he is very ugly, answered back: "go and tell the craftsman that made me, how ugly is the vessel that you made".

(3) These "wise" ones say that due to our lowly nature and our worthlessness, it is not befitting of G-d to take care of us, and that He abandoned us. This [assertion] only discloses their lack of insight. Imagine if you came across a person, who would create people who suffer all their lives, and not only that, would forsake them, and not try to help them even a slight amount, how much scorn would you pour on such a person! Is it possible to even imagine this of G-d, the positive force of existence!

(1) Therefore, a clear thinking individual must come to the realization, opposite to what appears on the surface, and conclude, that we are beings of the highest order, worthy of representing the One who created us. For every fault that we may have, after exhausting all excuses, the only one to blame is G-d Himself, for He created us with all our bad traits; we did not create ourselves. Also, He can foresee all the outcomes that these bad traits wrought, those traits that He imparted in us.

(2) But as we had said, we must look at the final result, only then can we have a complete understanding. As people say: "Don't show a fool an item before it is completed".

(1) Our Rabbis have taught, that the reason for G-d creating the world is to benefit and give enjoyment to those that He created. This should be our focus, because this is G-d's thought and purpose in creating the world. We should also realize, that the enjoyment that one receives is in direct proportion, to the person's desire for that enjoyment. The greater the desire, the greater the enjoyment, and the less the desire the less the enjoyment. (Receiving a penny, brings no enjoyment, because there is no desire for a penny. Receiving $10,000 brings with it much enjoyment, because of the great desire). As part of G-d's plan in creating the world, He had to create a great desire within the soul, (within the person) corresponding to the immense pleasure, that He intended to give. For pleasure and desire go hand-in-hand.

(1) Now that we know this (that desire and pleasure go hand-in-hand). We can answer our second inquiry, which was, what is the "something from nothing" that G-d created. That G-d created something, not found in G-d Himself (from nothing).

(2) We now also know, that the purpose of creation was to benefit and give enjoyment to those that were created. It must be then, what G-d created, something completely new, not found in G-d Himself, this "something" is the desire to receive God's goodness. For as we had said, desire and enjoyment go hand-in-hand. This desire to receive is not found in G-d Himself, because from whom should He receive (He is complete, and has no need to receive anything). The desire to receive, is the "something" that was created from nothing, since the desire to receive is not found in G-d Himself.

(3) It is now understood, that the desire to receive was all that G-d needed to create, in order to fulfill his goal, which is to benefit and give enjoyment to us. The enjoyment though, did not have to be created anew, it was always within Him. We can now conclude for certainty, that all of creation from beginning to end, all that G-d needed to create, in order to fulfill His purpose, was to create the desire to receive.