HOD: TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
Baal HaSulam. A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar
Morning Lesson April 23, 2022, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 2:
Baal HaSulam. A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar (“Now we understand how right our sages were..”)
1. S. Yes this is a special article that Baal HaSulam did not actually write word for word, rather he gave a speech. As it says here right after the headline ”given to celebrate the completion of the publication of the Sulam commentary on the book of Zohar” or it is actually a good that he did it this way because it’s more flowing, more free flowing.
Reading (00:52 ) “It is known that the desired purpose from the work in Torah and Mitzvot”
2. R. (03:44) Let’s say we measure the distance that exists between us in the tens. Each one How close or far he is from the friends. Can you measure that somehow? Okay, Try and see how it is possible to shorten the distance which becomes Dvekut or keep it the way it is for now. So it is worthwhile to make efforts in that and try to achieve connection. The rule of keeping your distance you know like we learn; we have to do between cars on the road so that is not a good thing here to have
Reading (04:47) “ For example when two people hate …. “
3. R. (05:20) Meaning not according to how much we are drawn towards each other. This could be just some natural attraction, some attraction of physical love. We’re talking about equivalence of form. The extent to which we take principle things for one and for the other and that puts them in equivalence. In the world people think that specifically by being opposites that can bring about some connection we will make it interesting for each other. We see that over time it does not hold, it does not work, it is good for some initial meeting between young couples, let say. The law of nature is that only according to equivalence views, qualities, properties that is how two can come closer or more than two, can come closer and then there is a development between them when they connect their matching properties qualities properties and that how they develop
Reading (06:47) “This is so because when people love… “
4. S. (09:54) Why checking the equivalence of form with a friend in the ten is not towards None Else Besides Him, sounds like there are other things there?
R. As much as you see that you have the same thoughts with Him. According to the hearts we have nothing to talk about right now but according to your mind what you think he thinks. You are studying together, you understand each other, you understand the writer and that’s it.
5. S. (10:44) For the sake of equivalence of form in the ten and is it enough for me to determine from one I’m embracing one spiritual quality and from another one different spiritual quality?
R. Yes, from all your friends you can take a bit of something and adapt yourself to each one of them.
6. S. (11:08) What is the connection between the equivalence of form and that connection is through common things we agreed upon? Seems like he says you have to resemble the Creator and love friend in any way, it doesn’t matter what he is about?
R. As much as you resemble yourself to a friend through him you resemble yourself to the Creator because the Creator is standing behind every friend. You think you have some form with a friend. You see the form you see in a friend that is what the Creator is projecting to you.
S. I have to agree with a friend to come to an agreement?
R. You don’t have to, you have to want to agree with the friend. In the same rules that are in the group.
S. How does that have to do with the equivalence of form?
R. That is the equivalence of form either one equivalence of the opinions ,desires, goals.
7. S. (12:20) Baal HaSulam says here, that the equivalence of form is understood as Dvekut, adhesion in equivalence is separation. What is the form in spirituality?
R. Form is what eventually takes place from the scrutiny between separation and resemblance. There is no form in its own right.
S. Why am I asking because he says this equivalence of form with the qualities of the Creator. What does it mean? How can I know what is it?
R. By you checking yourself towards Him, towards Him you can’t, but toward society you can.
S. The form of the friends in the ten is the form of qualities of the Creator?
R. Yes, the group before you, you have to take him as the form of the Creator.
S. Okay and after that the equivalence of form with the ten there is equivalence of form with the Creator?
R. Yes.
8. S. (13:51) When he talks about the qualities of the Creator, he talks about being merciful. Why these qualities and not the other qualities like heroism or truth?
R. He wants to separate the Creator from the created beings that when he works in the force of bestowal and not in the force of reception. That is why he says that.
Reading (14:22) “There is a discernment of mind and there is a discernment of heart…”
9. R. (15:25) If a person thinks that of the Creator that nothing the Creator…so he separates it from the Creator.
Reader continues (15:40) “and he will never achieve equivalence of form…”
10. R. (17:04) Because he needs it to exist. Yes.
Reader continues (17:07) “Anyone who delves into the heart of things…”
11. R. (18:15) Not only is this difficult it is impossible so what do you do?
Reader continues (18:21) “One cannot change the nature of…”
12. R. (19:22) I see that there are no questions, yet it is so trivial that it doesn’t awaken any question.
13. S. (19:36) So it’s not clear. He says it like the Creator doesn’t think about himself whether he exists and guides his creation and so on. Then He who wants to merit the equivalence of forms you think of these two?
R. As if she doesn’t exist.
S. It is clear why there is no doubt in the Creator because there is only one side but we’re in between two opposite things so our whole path is doubts and scrutiny, so it’s not clear.
R. Of course it’s difficult and of course it is impossible. We can come to such correction called a restriction, screen, and reflected light and then we can raise above our desire, our original desire which is the will to receive in oneself and we can work only in the form of bestowal, From us outward that is possible. By receiving such a force such a quality from above from the Creator himself.
S. But still, all the scrutiny through the restriction screen is shaking how much I can, how much I can’t. What does it mean there is no doubt and no scrutiny?
R. No, after I get the quality of bestowal from the Creator, I started feeling that this force is working in creation is the force of bestowal and then I have nothing, no more scrutiny is more doubts, and they can perform calculations only according to the force of bestowal.
S. To me it sounds like there is only the right line without the left line and our path has to include both?
R. We’ll get there for now, it’s enough for us.
14. S. (21:48) About the exercise of checking how much distance there is between us in the ten. On the one hand you gave an advice that the tests should be according to whether we are in the same mind or on the same page, as how we both understand the author of the text so if I see that the friends and I understand the author differently what does it mean?
R. Does not mean anything. We’re not speaking about that, we are speaking about a mutual tendency for connection and the center between you in order to discover the Creator from each one conceding, you bring to the center between you, your concessions on each one’s will to receive and from these concessions you assemble the Creator. He does not exist, but you have made me.
S. Concessions on what?
R. Concessions on everything except for the Creator. That I concede on everything in my life, my tendencies towards all kinds of things, my desires, thoughts, intentions, nothing. I just want to uplift above myself and connect to the friends, and that I want to bring to the center between us. From such actions from the friends in the group, we assemble something that is called Creator come and see.
S. Okay, there is always a question on what is included in working on connection. What is the annulment about? What is the concession? Like right now a friend asked, “how do I test you for the example of how much we’re in the same mind not the same heart how much we understand the author? That is the example you gave so it is not clear how the closeness or distance between us is examined?
R. That we are willing each one to annul himself in order to be connected to the others with the friends in the group.
S. That is clear in principle. The question is practical. Let’s say there are different views, different understandings. We do not pay attention to that. Doesn’t that belong to our connection?
R. Could be yes and could be no. We have to try and be in one head and one thought towards the goal, even though we can be different between us.
S. If we understand the path to the goal, let’s say we’re all aiming for the same goal, but we understand the path to the goal differently?
R. No, that’s impossible because it’s rules that don’t depend on us, it’s what Kabbalists dictate to us. The path to the goal is by us connecting above all disturbances, above the differences between us. Each time we connect more and more above the disturbances that are also revealed more and more and in this way we pace ahead and from that later on we have the right line and the left line, coarseness, and purity, two parts that are in a structure that becomes a soul.
15. S. (25:55) The only form to bring contentment to the Creator is to connect in the ten?
R. Of course. If you heard that after all these years, you have succeeded.
16. S. (26:36) Does the closeness and distance depend on the power of deficiency between the friends? Could it be that some friends have a great deficiency and others have small deficiency?
R. It doesn’t matter, each one completes the other. You still don’t know who brings the coarseness, who brings the purity, who’s this and who’s that. Everybody has to be connected. The Creator will organize the connection.
17. S. (27:14) There is a question here about how when all the problems appear, disturbances, doubts, choosing the path, then we always have to nullify and cling to the ten. What do I nullify? What do I show the ten?
R. You need to show the group what we read in our articles. You have to give them uplifting good spirits, forces, confidence in attaining the goal to uplift them more and more. That is what you have to do.
18. S. (28:35) What is the meaning of equivalence of qualities at heart?
R. Well let’s say according to desires, as much as we’re drawn to the same goal, to incorporate in it, to complete each other as much as possible.
19. S. (29:01) Why are people who love different things incompatible in terms of equivalence of form?
R. Because they like different things. So how could it be that they’re also able to love each other? We’re not speaking about one liking crackers and the other one liking an apple. We’re speaking about essential things that do not belong to the degree of the beast but something that belongs to the degree of man, connections, forms of connection, all kinds of things like that. They have to be in mutual understanding. What belongs to the still, vegetative, and animate in everyone we’re not speaking about it? What do I care what he likes to eat or in what way another likes to sleep and the third one I don’t know what, it doesn’t matter to me? It matters what’s in his soul that could be my partner.
S. Are we able to learn to love what the others love because if we love a child we love everything that the child loves?
R. For the child it’s something else. We have a beastly love towards the child and here we have spiritual love.
S. So are we able to learn to love what the other loves?
R. But not in the corporeal way. If I like something salty and the other one likes something sour it doesn’t mean that I also have to love sour. Spiritual of course, that if we go together we will reach a state that we will all appreciate corporal things as the friends.
20. S. (31:45) What does it mean when he writes there is no other tactic besides engaging in Torah and Mitzvot? Does it mean there is no other way besides Kabbalah to attain spirituality?
R. Yes there is no other way. You have two forces in reality, the good force, and the bad force. You need to discern between them, you have to know how you take the bad force into the good force and connect between them even though they’re both in collision between one another. So the method that can do it is called the wisdom of Kabbalah. Bring another method and we will see but I’m not speaking about anything but one thing: you have two contradicting forces, and we need to combine between them. Give me a solution for that, that’s it. Not with all kinds of dances or prayers or all kinds of things, this is all a secondary result. I am speaking about the matter, there are two forces in the world, bestowing and reception. How do we combine the two? If anyone has a method except for the wisdom of Kabbalah I’m willing to see it. I want to see and check it and discuss it. Please.
21. S. (33:17) What can we do with each and every one’s differences in terms of importance?
R. That we cannot even measure if someone has more or less importance of the goal, even importance of the ten. How can you check that?
S. I think the question is not more or less but just qualitatively different. I think one thing is important and the friend thinks another thing is important for spirituality.
R. We need to reach a state that each and every one gives maximum forces that he can in order to reach connection, that’s it. There is nothing else to do here and we are not measuring who is more or less because each one according to his nature is different than the others. Just each one has to give as much as he can. That is what we are talking about.
R. Let’s end here, we have advanced today. I see us according to the material we went through, and we will keep going maybe this afternoon. There will be more questions, so write us, don’t forget, we will try to answer everything but for now have a good day of rest.
R. (36:53) I think it is a must for each one to participate because we learn that only by incorporation between us we correct the vessel and come close to the correction. So it’s a shame to come to the lessons and not participate practically in connection and correction. So I’m asking, even though we feel difficulty here in participating and connecting and being in some kind of actions in the lesson, it is more convenient. I can be there, I can get up, come back to the screen. I am asking, be a bit more serious specifically about these things in which we don’t feel importance. They are the ones that are the most beneficial for Spiritual correction.