• Economy
• Selling of Property
• Shmita (Omission of Tilling of Land every Seven Years)
• Crop (Yield/Grain)
• Earth
• Slave

Economy

In spirituality, economy relates to the question, “How do I sustain my soul?” The light may enter the soul only when it is in Dvekut (adhesion) with the Creator. To the extent of Dvekut with the Creator, so is the measure of fulfillment by the Creator. This is how the Creator “sustains” the soul. It is possible to achieve it by correcting the desire. As a person corrects each desire from reception to bestowal, one is promptly filled with the upper light to the extent of one’s correction. This is called “sustaining,” and this is the proper economy.

Selling of Property

When we cannot work with a desire because it is too big or because it offers such a pleasure that we cannot work with it, we sell it. There are corrections in our desires that belong to the great desires, Levush and Heichal. We leave them out of the boundaries where we are working, taking them out of our domain and depositing them for the time being.

Shmita (Omission of Tilling of Land every Seven Years)

Shmita is connection to the degree of Bina, when the upper light corrects everything that happened and gives us strength for the next degree. This is why there are special rules concerning debt and selling of items, under the tutelage of Bina, the great quality of bestowal.

Crop (Yield/Grain)

Crop is reward in the will to receive. Through it, a person begins to actually work with the vessels of bestowal in order to “feed” the world.

Earth

Earth is desire. There are many appellations to the desire, depending on its degree: Earth, soil, land, field. We name the desire and use it according to its degree. Our world is a depiction of the correction of our desires. Not everything really exists; rather, everything is only depicted in us.

Slave

A slave is an uncorrected desire. It cannot be in self-control, but it is corrected by belonging and becoming incorporated in the degree of Bina. It “annexes” itself to it, and thus keeps what unfolds on that degree. It is controlled like an embryo in its mother’s womb. On the degree of spiritual embryo, a person cancels himself and lets the upper one govern.

Summary

The greatness of the degree of Bina—the degree of bestowal that acts on us—is that it gives us light, fills us, and grants us the strength to reach Keter, where “love your neighbor as yourself” and “You shall love the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy, 6:5) exist to the fullest. The degrees, Shmita and Yovel, are the ones that elevate us higher.