HOCHMA: TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 1. Part 1, Table of Questions for Topics, item 55
Morning Lesson May 6, 2022, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 1:
Baal HaSulam. “Study of the Ten Sefirot” (TES). Vol. 1. Part 1.
Table of Questions for the Meaning of the Words. #29
Table of Answers for Topics, item 55
1. Rav’s Introduction (0:23): Yes we are going to start with the table questions and answers of the topics they are a bit more organized, closer to the text and study. It is not the table of definition of words, which is a shorter thing, but rather here it is the topic. So Baal HaSulam took certain topics that he thinks we should study, and this is what appears here. So let’s see if there are questions, go ahead and I am happy to hear and I try to answer them.
Reading Question 55 (1:18): “What terms are absent in the wisdom of Kabbalah?”
Answer (01:29)
R. 2. Meaning that there is nothing here that comes out of nothing or absence and disappears, rather there are just changes of forms. As he says from the beginning to the end of the wisdom there is not even a single word that relates to any tangible or imaginary term such as space, time, motion and so on. Also there is no absence in spirituality, there cannot be that previously there was nothing and then suddenly something appears. Any change of form, it does not mean that the first form is absent, instead the first form remains in its place unchanged at all and the disparity of form that has now been acquired is added to the first form. Meaning, we always only have additions and additions of various forms of the will to receive of course, because there is nothing else in creation except the will to receive that is outside of the Creator, who is the desire to bestow, so the desire to receive starts to develop and keeps developing, acquiring new forms. And they clothe one on top of the other until the whole creation comes to a place where it acquires equivalence of form with the upper light.
3. S. (3:58) Dear Rav, what are we talking about here, what types?
R. No, no, no. There is nothing that is absent or disappears, something that we don’t feel or can’t see that used to exist and now it does not exist, but each time we only have additional forms that clothe on top of one another. What does he say? And any change of form does not mean that the first form is absent. Instead the first form remains in its place unchanged and the disparity of form that has now been acquired is added to the first form.
S. What is the first form?
R. The will to receive. The will to receive that the Creator created existence out of absence and this will to receive undergoes a restriction and begins to change, change and resemble the upper light that is working on it and the will to receive acquires all kinds of changes until in completely resembles the upper light.
S. What does it mean that it doesn’t disappear? That it remains?
R. The form that it had, let’s say it was similar to the upper light by one percent, it does not disappear. But rather a new form is added, where it resembles the upper light by two percent or three percent, and all of these forms are added on top of one another.
S. In the beginning here he writes that there are no matters that relate, we say that everything has to be felt and he says that there is nothing tangible.
R. When we clothe in those desires, those changes we feel in ourselves. I’m reading again 55: From the beginning to the end of the wisdom of Kabbalah there is not even a single word that relates to any tangible or imaginary term such as space, time, motion and so on. As we have in this world where we exist by various axes, right, left, front, back, up, down, we don’t have that in the wisdom of Kabbalah. We don’t have that in the spiritual realm. Also there is no absence in spirituality, like it used to be before and now it disappears, it might disappear from our feeling like in our world where we are in a certain place and then we come out of it. So we were there and now we are not. But in spirituality this does not happen, everything that existed remains and there is only an additional form. And any change of form does not mean that the first form is absent; rather, it means that the first form remains in its place unchanged at all and the disparity of form that now has been acquired is added to the first form. There is an addition of forms, more and more garments.
Question 56 (8:16): “What is the ordinary language in the wisdom of Kabbalah?”
Answer (08:28)
4. R. (8:57) Meaning we have above roots and from these roots we get all kinds of influences. These influences, these forces work on our will to receive and invite certain reactions in our will to receive. If our will to receive wants to resemble the root, the bestower, then we receive in a will to receive various forms from the bestower, and this is what is happening to us. From that we get the language meaning the understanding of what is happening to us, in us, compared to our root. Therefore this language is called the language of branches. We are the branches of the spiritual roots so that is what he writes, this language is the language of branches that points to their upper roots.
The branch in this world points to the upper root because you do not have even a single blade of grass below that does not have a root above. Therefore the sages of the Kabbalah have put together a language that is equipped to imply to the branches and teach of the upper roots. Meaning we are all results of these influences from above and when the root above influences us we can try to resemble it, to receive from it, exert an influence, by that we can see a connection between the branch and the root. The upper root and the branch is us, the lower ones and that is how we learn what is happening in the root from its branch. Therefore the language of the branches is everything that the root gives to its branch, and this is how we advance. An understanding of the roots and from that what is happening in the branches, meaning in us
5. S. (11:45) Why are the desires called garments or clothing?
R. Because they clothe the upper light, they’re activated by the upper light, and they scrutinize in this way the upper light relative to us. We cannot feel the light, we can only feel ourselves, our desires, how they change by the light. Therefore, the branches are the desires and the roots, in the end, are the lights that come to us from above, form our roots. We are the branches above the roots, and we feel the work of the roots in us.
6. S. (12:55) The question that I have for a long time.
R. Question, question.
S. About our form we say that the roots are above and the branches below, and our form is the opposite, it is like the imprint even in the computer you have such a picture where the root is above and the branches are down, why?
R. So it will be clear for us that we are in an upside-down world but in truth, in the spiritual world, when we begin to ascribe ourselves truly to the Creator, we will turn it on its head and the roots will be above and we, the branches, will be down below. When we reach attainment we will arrange it correctly. You are right about your question.
Question 57 (14:14): “What separates and discriminates in spirituality?”
Answer (14:25)
7. R. (14:34) Meaning that only the disparity of form is what we have in the spiritual realm that separates, that brings closer, that measures the gap, the distance between those who exist in the spiritual world, the disparity of form. The disparity for meaning the will to receive in each and every one, how different, if it is big or small or different in its character from the other, that is the meaning of the disparity of form between one another, only the desire. One wants this the other wants that, one wants more, one wants less and so on and so forth. Through these changes in the desires in all the created beings, that is how they differ from one another, and they connect to a certain extent to one another and they build the total system called the tree of life. It has roots up above and all the branches down below.
Question 58 (15:52): “What is the origin of the “will to receive?” twice
Answer (16:04)
8. R. (16:15) The will to bestow in the upper light necessitates the existence of the will to receive in the emanate being, in us. The fact that the Creator wants to bestow to us, it awakens in us the will to receive, it actually demands us to change, to correct our will to receive to be suitable to its will to bestow. The Creator only has the will to bestow, and we have only the will to receive. The problem is in fitting the desires to receive and the desire to bestow into one another. This work where we take our will to receive, and we adapt it to the will to bestow of the Creator according to the quantity and the quality. This is our work, this is called spiritual work, the work of the Creator.
Question 59 (17:23) “What makes the light exit the emanator and become an emanated being?” twice.
Answer (17:41)
9. R (18:40) If the emanated being, the person, if he wants to bestow, by that he awakens and he rises above his will to receive, he has to resemble the Creator, becomes a bestower, he comes closer to the Creator, he renews his form and he begins to renew himself, to grow this way until he gets to the degree of an emanated being. Meaning until the Creator, in his desire he is growing like a tree, he is growing until he reaches the Creator, he attains his root.
10. S. (19:38) If you can clarify the difference between the emanated being and the will to receive because it is written in 58 that the will to receive…
R. The will to receive that the Creator created is developing and in its development it goes through the degrees, through stages Root, 1, 2, 3, 4, by that it becomes more developed, more independent, it disconnects from its root and begins to exist by itself. Now when he exists by himself, by itself, he feels his desire and also he feels the upper one, his root that created him, that influences him and according to this feeling, according to this measure, he is called a created being. and this is how we separate, distinguish the Creator and the created being, the bestower and the receiver, according to how much the will to receive in the created being becomes separated in its feeling from the Creator, from the emanator. Ask, ask, there is room for more questions here.
11. S. (21:20) Can we attract the supper light into our vessel and with what feeling?
R. Yes, we are learning about this, that is why our entire wisdom is called the wisdom of Kabbalah, of reception. How to receive the upper light that comes out of the Creator into our vessel, this is the main topic of the wisdom of Kabbalah. We only learn about this. We learn how to do it and this is the goal before us, to become vessels of reception for the upper light but for that we need to acquire first the intention to bestow so that our reception will be like bestowal so we do it not for our own sake but only for the Creator’s.
12. S. (22:23) The will to receive that attains the correct form and the feeling it feels before it became a created being, there’s also difference there, what is that difference exactly?
R. The created being does not feel pleasure, rather, as we learn and will learn, only in his fourth degree. That is why it is drawn to receiving the pleasure, the fulfillment in his will to receive, in his fourth phase and it is by his nature. A simple will to receive and then after the upper light influences him to some extent, the created being begins to feel that it wants, to some extent, it wants to come closer to the root of the upper light, the Creator and from that he begins to develop. He begins to come closer to the Creator, the wisdom of the Kabbalah and the group, to realize his desire. In this way the created beings come and develop.
13. S. (24:01) What work do we have with our previous forms? What work do we have with those?
R. We do not have any work with the previous forms of the will to receive. The will to receive is called the fourth phase, the previous forms which are the discernments of Root 1, 2, 3 these forms are indistinguishable, we can feel ourselves and the Creator and everything that we feel, in general, we feel it in the fourth phase.
14. S. (24:41) What happens here is that there is a huge difference between the two worlds, truly opposite different rules. Everything is different and the only thing that is similar is that the addition in our world, the desire to be similar to the Creator is what is added. Is that what needs to be here?
In the fourth phase of the development of the will to receive a special desire awakens, one that wants to resemble the root and it begins to develop in the direction of the root in response. As it says we desire to know our King, and this happens only in the fourth phase where in the previous phases Shoresh 1 2 and 3 they’re all in the will to receive but they are not awakening the will to receive in order to obtain the root. It’s like desires of the still, vegetative and animate degrees or people but in small children or undeveloped people, those that do not wake up to the Creator they have an early stage of the will to receive relative to their spiritual development, but everyone will make it eventually.
15. S (26:33) Can we say that the revelation of the record of the previous form and in the next form we are about to be building?
R. We’ll talk about it later let’s not get confused.
16. S (26:58) What does it mean that we feel everything also ourselves and the Creator only in Behina Dalet the fourth phase?
R. Only the fourth phase in the will to receive Behina Dalet, after developed from Shoresh 1, 2, 3, only the fourth phase the last one awakens to attain the root, where it is from, what is it and so on and so forth. Those kinds of desires awaken in the fourth phase. Let’s say those who are here and there’s others in the world besides us who have a disposition towards the root. I said desires to attain our King to know our King, our root so you can say that they are in the fourth phase of their spiritual development.
S. What is the question actually that we always say that we cannot attain the Creator with our egoistic desire?
R. The desire exists, a person awakens. Look at all the people here, they awakened to reveal the Creator, they want to reveal Him. You can say, but it is possible only with the desire to bestow in this way or another, it’s not important for them. They want to see, to know, to attain, to understand, that’s what they want, and this is called the fourth phase in the will to receive.
S. They want this clear, but you are saying the Creator is attained in the fourth phase?
R. The desire exists and now the desire has to receive certain conditions by which it can attain what he wants. It’s not enough for me to want, I will have to arrange my will to receive with the desire to attain the Creator, to know Him, to feel Him in various forms. In order to attain it I need to give my will to receive a certain form, a special form, a form that resembles Him. I can’t attain my will to receive, let’s say in a cup like coffee or with a net to catch fish or something else, I can’t. I need to know what vessel needs to be in order to attain. To attain means to receive, inside the will to receive I need to receive a certain fulfillment, so I need to know how to arrange my will to receive. This is why this wisdom is called the wisdom of Kabbalah, receiving.
17. S. (30:07) Is the fourth phase the desire that wants to become like the Creator?
R. Behina Dalet, the fourth phase wants to receive the Creator, to feel Him, to understand Him, to be filled, this is called the fourth phase. Later there are corrections that have to perform in order to acquire what it wants, but our true desire, our natural desire is to attain the Creator in full that it would fill her all the way.
18. S. (31:14) Is the emanated being and the will to receive two different things?
R. The will to receive is abstract and the emanated being is also abstract. We will talk about something concrete shortly which emanated being, which will to receive, what forms, what goals, that is how we define them. The emanated being is the will to receive but you have many forms of the emanated beings. Soon we’ll get over it.
19. S. (32:12) He says that the pleasures are only received in the fourth phase, how is it received if it restricts herself?
R. We did not learn about it yet, but it restricts itself, meaning it restricts itself from receiving directly but it is receiving it in the reflected light. We will learn about it, soon we will go through everything.
Questions #60. (32:43) “What is the First Substance of every Emanated Being?” Twice
20. S. (35:58) Is the will to receive an addition to existence from absence or forms of existence from absence, what form does it take on?
R. The will to receive is existence out of absence because it did not exist before rather it was renewed with the decision of the Creator to the created beings.
S. These forms that are added to the existence from absence is it from the initial substance or is it other forms?
R. No, no, these are its forms, there’s only a will to bestow and a will to receive. The will to bestow is the Creator and the will to receive is the created being. Other than that we have all kinds of forms in the will to receive and the will to bestow relative to the created beings and in the will to receive of the created beings relative to the bestower. That is the only thing we are talking about.
21. S. (37:02) It says in the beginning of #60 the new form that emerged from existence from absence meaning the will to receive that is in every essence is the first substance. What does it mean in every essence and how many other essences are there?
R. We do not know but what emerges, what comes out of it, we accept with our will to receive and we receive it that way. That’s what we attain.
22. S. (37:39) If existence out of existence is mentioned why is it mentioned if it has no connection?
R. Existence from existence is what comes to us out of the Creator without the involvement of the Created being, it exists. An existence from absence is the will to receive that was not there before and awakened by existence from existence.
Questions #61. (38:24) “From which Time is it Regarded as an Emanated Being?”
23. R . (38:49) Where he starts to feel that he already has something in him, that he wants something. You cannot already say that it’s an emanated being that’s standing on its own with his forces, with his decision, his free choice certainly not. But if he feels that he has a little bit of a desire, a little bit of an inclination, that he feels a little pain, pleasure, either pain or pleasure then it is actually already considered that he is a created being, and it has the will to receive of his own. You can say it this way, where does he have the will to receive from? He receives these things from above. When he receives everything from the emanator correctly, but if he has a response, even the smallest response, the initial response already, according to this example that he feels this response, he does not feel the influence of the emanator, he feels the response on his behalf. Therefore it is called the emanated being and from this moment onwards we can relate to Him. We’re not talking about his free choice or his independence, this of course is still distant in this development. The fact that he has a will to receive in such a degree in which he already feels and receives that is already called the emanated being.
Questions #62. (40:37) “Spiritual that accepted this disparity of form…”
24. R (41:19) There was a will to receive and in the will to receive suddenly there is a part that begins to feel, what does he feel? Either that he is missing something, or he is enjoying, what does he have in this? Either deficiency or pleasure. The will to receive does not feel more than this or that, so the moment in the will receive had the ability to feel either the pleasure or the sufferings is awakened then we’re already talking about the created being. It could still be an independent created being or truly how he feels and how he understands and from where, it could mean nothing, but he already has a feeling of his own. Read Again.
Questions 62 (42:24) “Has the Spiritual that Accepted…” Again.
25. R. (43:18) Meaning there are all kinds of changes in the will to receive that the Creator created and all the desires that emerge and divide and assemble upon this first will to receive are just the addition of form only. Nothing lacks in the first one but rather there’s only addition and development.
26. S. (43:40) What does it mean that they complement one another, one on top of the other?
R. They are added, these upon those.
S. Let’s say I had a certain state, I connected with the friends then it tossed me out and the desire appeared in me?
R. That is in addition upon what you had before. Even if everything disappears nevertheless it is an addition that comes and clothes the previous state, the previous feeling.
S. What I’m trying to understand is, what does it give us?
R. This is the way we develop; he explains to us how we develop. You had a certain previous form; you had some way connected to the friends to the Creator. Now this new form comes along, this new form is always in addition, and it’s clothed upon the previous forms, and you feel this new form. It could be that with effort you can somewhat depict the previous forms, but you are always in a new way, in the last bestowal.
27. S. (45:16) When the form comes to a state where it can be corrected, does it mean that it’s the first time the feeling of the giver appears?
R. Correct, yes correct.
Questions #63 “ how and who are there many forms and changes in the world?”
Answer
28. R. (46:31) Meaning all the changes are in the will to receive that develops through the influence of the light upon it. The light itself does not have any changes but the will to receive that is in the light, by being in the light it absorbs and absorbs more and more from the light and by that develops. We are talking about this development, how we can add to do this development, to receive it in all kinds of ways, to give its definitions, discernments, degrees, etcetera. This is the entire Wisdom of Kabbalah. How this light created this will to receive, this will receive each time changes, the changes that it goes through until it comes to its final correction in which it is completely very much similar to the light, that’s it.
29. S (47:36) He writes to the light itself, relative to itself is in absolute rest but can you say the same thing about the will to receive?
R. How can it be? The will to receive is not in absolute rest, it is constantly changing.
S. But relative to self it doesn’t feel the changes it feels the state it’s in. I’m now in a certain state. I can’t feel the previous state like you said to the friends before, I feel relative to myself that I’m always in the same state, I’m in it.
R. You don’t feel changes?
S. Yes, but we say if I’m looking at the desire itself I cannot feel right now that it’s changing only after.
R. Every single moment, every single second, your desires change otherwise you will not feel that you are alive. The desire can’t be it can’t exist without change.
S. What is the point in which the changes in the will to receive become already access to spirituality, to resemble the Creator?
R. It will be in order to bestow according to his intention to the extent to which his intention is permanent to one direction to the Creator then accordingly they become similar to one another the Creator according to his desire and the created being according to his intention and then by that they are equalized.
S. The collection of all the differences in intention become together a desire to resemble the Creator?
R. Exactly.
Question #64 (49:27) “How are Innovation and movement depicted in the light?”
30. R (49:43) We talked about the light being in absolute rest so how could it be that there’s movement and innovations in the light, yes? In the light there is just one thing, his desire to delight, to bestow, to delight his created beings, to fill them, that’s it, so how could there be innovations there?
Answer to 64 (50:08) – twice
Question #65 (51:31) “How are all the opposites and the multitude of forms that extend from Him to the worlds contained in His simple unity?”
Answer
31. S. (52:25) It is said just like the multiplicity of forms, the question is how can there be a multiplicity of form if the original form does not change?
R. Because there are many differences in the receiver, in the will to receive there are many forms, and each form is impressed differently from the same one source and there are many forms in the receiver relative to the one that is in the bestower.
Song
32. R (56:36) I just want to receive a response from you. I see that not many people are uplifted from this matter of the questions and answers whether it’s for the words or topics, this form isn’t too absorbable, accepted, attractive, give me a response so I know what to do. Because actually there are questions here the Baal HaSulam composed, put together and he answers them and these things are very important, these are definitions to all kinds of matters. So I simply do not know why you are not waking up so much to this form of study. Nevertheless we’ve entered into the study of the ten Sephirot, it is all like this, the whole study is from questions and answers.
33.S. (57:56) It’s a very very simple question but just to be clear, the Creator created some form, some clay, some will to receive, and eventually it grew to the point that it wants the Creator, is that more or less what’s happening here?
R. Yes. This is the whole matter, there’s nothing else in creation. Creation is that point which starts to feel a difference between her and the Creator and that’s why it’s called Bria, Baal, outside of the Creator and that’s what we’re talking about, and we’re all, everything that you can depict to yourself except for the Creator is that point of desire that the Creator created and in influencing it he develops it more and more and more until it receives from him all kinds of forces so that through this point there will be a difference between him and the Creator and this point starts to become like him only in an opposite way from its matter the will to receive and also accordingly similar to him with its intention in order to bestow to him, just like his bestowal is on him and this is all of creation.
S. Somehow by reading about it that formats us to that structure?
R. Yes.
34. S. (59:48) Can I give some feedback? I’m following along and I’m reading with you and the material’s very interesting, and it also awakens a very good feeling to be reading it with a whole world Kli. I simply just don’t have anything to ask and I’m afraid that any question that I do ask will be confusing or be off topic but nevertheless it does feel good to read it and to hear your explanations, so thank you.
R. Thank you. No, you can ask your question, if you feel if your questions can benefit everyone and you’re asking according to what we’re reading, not something on the side, then ask, don’t stop yourself.
35. S. (01:00:51) I also wish to thank you for the lessons. I am listening with trepidation to what you’re explaining, it’s very high, and I’m trying to simply grasp it in connection with the friends and great gratitude to you for giving the explanations. I’ll try to ask. When it says that the light does not change its form but rather the vessels are changing form, is it because the light is in the state of absolute love?
R. Yes, exactly because on behalf of the Creator there’s absolute bestowal, just to bestow, and therefore from that he cannot move that’s his nature towards the created beings and all the changes are in the vessels as the vessels are opposite to the will to bestow to the Creator it becomes the will to receive in the created being, the Creator with his exertion needs to receive forces from the Creator and invert himself, more correctly add to his will to receive the intention in order to bestow.
S. If you can clarify because we have a dynamic in this correction. It turns out that you fall, and you think of yourself then you think of the friends, the question is how to constantly aim yourself at the Creator to be in those corrections until you reach a stable place?
R. Only through the friends, one can aim himself only to the Creator only through his friends otherwise it won’t work out. Always your will to receive is your will to receive and it will spin you in all kinds of other things. Only through the bestowal of others and it’s not the Creator because the Creator gives you actually the opposite but through the bestowal of the friends you can come to a state in which you are aimed in order to bestow to the Creator.
36. S. (01:13:17) The entire ten is sitting with books and we’re following but the friend said that the material is absorbed so nicely but the minute I begin to read immediately the request for the light that’s concealed in this book to influence you disappears and I can’t for the time being combine the study in order to understand the words that are written here and holding inside of me that demand for learning this book as a remedy, how to combine the two? They’re seemingly disconnected?
R. When I want to study this text I hear it, I read it, it influences me out of me understanding what I’m reading, and I want to understand also with my mind, what do I have other than my intellect? The feelings don’t work yet so I activate my mind, my brain as much as I can. As much as we read that then also the emotions, the feelings come, where it starts to connect all kinds of words, to sentences, to the definitions and this is how I connect to the text. Later we connect to the text together with the feelings of the friends. To the extent that it connects between us, advances us, advances us to the Creator, the Creator bestows through the friends upon me and so. All these stages, all these connections operate upon us, they operate upon us, and this is how we advance. Eventually what is revealed is the feeling, the emotion, and a person starts to in his feelings starts turning himself towards the group and towards the Creator. This is actually what happens here, spinning oneself to the Creator through the group and the more he tries to deepen him in this then he will see how he advances. Don’t put on the mind too much because it won’t help a whole lot but rather activate the feeling. The mind exists only in order to activate the feeling.
37. S. (01:06:23) We just read that any appearance that the light is moving is actually just internal changes so does it make logical sense if the light does not appear to be moving then there are no internal changes?
R. I don’t quite understand the question. We need to try to change towards the Creator through the society and by that we will feel the changes that we have as a result of this. Try to do this.
38. S.(01:07:32) To aim yourself towards the Creator I have to imagine something?
R. The Upper source that bestows upon us and we need to aim towards it in order to come to him towards the change, for change.
39. S. (01:07:55) When I study TES sometimes I struggle to connect with it but when we study the Zohar I don’t have the same problem. Can you give a reason why that might be?
R. These are two things, the study of TES demands much more of an intellectual entrance, entry into it and the Zohar requires more of an emotional entry into it. It’s a different form of study, study through the head and through the heart, the mind, and the heart.
40. S. (01:09:06) Since in the desire to receive I feel through the variation through states that the desire is changing how can I feel the root that is light at peace, doesn’t move?
R. But the light is in absolute rest, but we are constantly changing and then I adapt myself more or less, I’m constantly towards the light more or less, and by that I feel the changes either more or less and this way I change and all the creation changes, all the states, only by my desire which changes that I want to adapt to the light. As the smaller the will to receive is and the more it is adapted to the light in order to bestow, more or less.
41. S. (01:10:36). If I want to be incorporated more with the text, with the words, can I excite myself, identify with the fourth phase of the changes in the light, or the relationship in my ten, can I look at it this way?
R. Yes of course, the main thing for us is to feel that to the extent in which I change especially towards the friends I change towards the Creator and begin to feel certain changes on his behalf, from his side, from the side of the Upper light, by the general feeling of the wisdom which all stems from the extent in which I change my attitude towards the friends, towards connection between us.
42. S. (01:11:50) Can we say that the worlds are changes of our will to receive to become closer and closer to the quality of bestowal?
R. Correct, correct. Worlds are already measures of the bestowal of the Upper light upon us which already include the vessels and the lights.
43. S. (01:12:28) About sixty-three, the light is at rest and all the changes are in the created beings but nevertheless there’s the action of creation meaning the light did create the creature, is that not considered an action?
R. No. To start with light is the Upper force and what it does it does. The fact that it is in absolute rest says that it has, he has one intention, to delight his creatures but with that intention to delight his creatures he operates in endless changes, ways, but they all have but one direction to do good for us, to bring us, to lead us to the end of correction. That’s considered that he is in absolute rest. If I perform all my actions as much as I’m capable at any given moment for the benefit of the Creator that’s called that I’m in the Gmar Tikkun, in the final corrections but I’m fine constantly changing, correct, but it’s not you that’s changing, it’s, your intention does not change it is moving in one direction and that’s why it’s considered that you’re in rest.
44. S. (01:14:23). Can we specify, is the world of Ein Sof within the created being or between the created being and the Creator?
R. The world of Ein Sof is around all of creation, that’s how I say it’s for you to have it more comfortable, but later it will clearer..
45. S. (01:15:01) I wanted to know, we wanted to know, what happens with all the light that enters the Creator and changes the vessel, what is this role, this operation that it does?
R. Again?
S. The light that enters the vessel of the created being, what happens with this light, does it change the form of the vessel? What is the functioning, what happens with the light after it enters?
R. It effects the desire of the created being and then the created beings should give a response to this light, to the bestowal of the Creator, and then it turns out that by that it already determines his next state, just as we do every moment we are under some bestowal from above, what are we doing with that, how could we use it to advance to the next moment, do I connect with my friends, do I study, do I do something, do I scrutinize myself, do I do nothing, what am I doing? That’s basically the action of the created being. The light is always first.
46. S. (01:16:54) Can you explain item sixty-one? When is the emanated being regarded as such and it says as soon as in the will to receive there’s the emanated being so there was already an emanated being? It’s not clear.
R. No, but we have an emanated being that still just an emanated being but it’s not the Creator but the Upper light coming out of the Creator starts working on him building in him all kinds of changes so he says immediately the beginning of a formation of the will to receive in the emanated being, meaning of first phase of the desire, came out of the emanator to be an emanated being, so by this we say that in the first phase in him when the upper light acts, makes a change in the desire, this is already called the beginning of the created being. The beginning of the emanated being is the beginning of the formation of the will to receive in him.
S. Sometimes it says that the light comes out and becomes a desire and sometimes we learn that the light creates the desire, it sounds like two different things.
R. Don’t be so precise, words by your words because Kabbalists want you to feel it, and coming out, or creating, entering, there are many words here. No, no, you don’t have to be so exact, we’re not in court here.
47. S. (01:18:54) What’s the difference between learning the study of the ten Sefirot some may understand some may not and aspiring to resemble the Creator?
R. We’re learning here how to calibrate, how to tune our desires to advance towards the Creator. TES is very strong force that bestows upon us to the extent that we want to calibrate ourselves in the direction of the Creator so I should see in all these things, suppose now we are learning the table of answers and questions and answers for topics, so I want to calibrate myself, to organize myself in the direction of the Creator and then each and every part I learn helps me a little more a little more both to examine myself and to calibrate myself so I can come closer and closer to the Creator, and then every time, every part, I can see what’s changing in me by me studying this excerpt, this part. It can be in my desire, in my intention, in my relation to my friend, or something else, I calibrate myself just like you calibrate or tune a guitar, you all see how they do that, right? They pull a little bit more or less the strings and by that they tune it, so you can talk, you can understand, you can feel, you can sing, that’s how we should do it.
S. Is there a connection between saying that there are those that have a heavier soul and studying the study the ten Sephirot and a person who knows a lot but he’s far from the Creator?
R. This is possible, it can be. That’s why there are even, there’s even the sentence that “his wisdom is greater than his deeds,” when he has the intellect that bothers his emotion, that’s not good, it should be as balanced as possible, they work together, they act together the mind and the intellect, sorry the intellect and the emotion, it’s like in the same tune when you have this music some people can perceive, they can perceive some musical piece like math like physics like the waves affect the psychology of a person, some perceive the music how it affects a person, how it expands his emotion, there are different kinds of people, so for us and each one it changes, sometimes it’s in the direction of physics and also sometimes in the direction of emotion and every time we’re in between these two. In many different cases we come to study, and we have no manner of emotion there we start with our intellect just like we just hear the words, later bit by bit, bit by bit emotion develops and then we start to be the one to receive in the emotion and the main thing in the Wisdom of Kabbalah is the emotion because the desire that we should adapt to the Creator and fill it is feeling, the emotion.
48. S. (01:23:46) In the beginning of item sixty-four it says that there are no innovations in the Upper light but the emanated being receives the light every time anew so what does it mean that the emanated being receives the light? Can you explain what the emanated being receives from the light?
R. I can’t explain it, it’s the feeling of the Creator. The light is the feeling of the Creator, bestowal from the Creator and we should try to come to that. Coming to that is only possible by me annulling myself to the friends when it’s in my hands reach, to the extent that I annul myself to them and it doesn’t matter who they are or what they are, it’s just like Rabbi Yosi Ben Kisma he completely annulled himself before his students, but this way I prepare my annulment my restriction and coming closer to the Upper light by me annulling my own will to receive and then to such an extent that I start feeling in my will to receive such phenomena, phenomena of bestowal and that’s called the revelation of the Creator.
49. S. (01:25:22) If the light is in complete rest why is it that sometimes we feel more pressure and sometimes less pressure?
R. So I repeat again, from the beginning of creation till the end of creation we are under control of the light, the bestowal of the light, pressure, under the pressure of the light, and it always changes pressing this way and that way and all the time if we would be, if it would be gone for one moment this bestowal of the light upon us we wouldn’t feel anything, we would vanish, we wouldn’t even feel ourselves. That’s why here there’s a question, what does is it mean that the light is in complete rest? The light is in complete rest, what means it doesn’t change its direction, it always acts in our benefit, in our favor, and all the time, every time in bestowal upon us, it performs this action of bestowal upon us in the best way for our advancement, this means the good that does good for the good for the bad it doesn’t matter for whom for what, that’s all it has.
50. S. (01:27:17) How can I distinguish between an awakening from the above an awakening from below that operates within me?
R. This is something you’ll distinguish later, it’s not for now.
51. S. (01:27:35) When we realize the work that the light does on the Kli, what are the new elements that the light installs within us but gives us the possibility to perceive a new reality if it’s not the five senses, how do we feel the changes?
R. Will you feel the changes in the light that expands and bestows upon us the changes we feel in our will to receive to the extent that it’s under the influence of the Upper light.
S. How do we feel that the light impacted within us, what on the emotional level, what is the new participation, what is the new feeling?
R. I can’t explain that to you, when it comes to you will feel the light of bestowal, the light of love, the light of security, all the good things that you can imagine.
52. S. (01:29:17). Can it be said that the created being is the will to receive in addition to the desire to change that addition is what determines that it’s a created being?
R. Yes.
53 S. (01:29:32) I can’t really make the distinction between learning what we’re reading and the corporeal images, especially here in the hall. How do we do it now?
R. For example, I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
S. All the words we’re reading, all kinds of images, corporeal images immediately pop up, things that have to do with this world, so should we make a distinction, a separation or completely make it abstract the words and the concepts?
R. I don’t really understand. Suppose yesterday you had this celebration on the grass and today you’re still impressed of that, and this disturbs our study?
S. Perhaps that too.
R. So I don’t want to give examples, more crude examples.
S. Yes, no, but let’s say, I don’t have the words right now but all kinds of words that have also, that you can also picture them in this world in the physical world so should we make a distinction, a separation or can we clothe one on the other we, can we clothe them on these images?
R. I don’t know. I really don’t remember what happened to me when I learned that, it was still forty something years ago, so I don’t know. Simply, I think that each and every one should try and later to read it on his own, when he’s there, he should read these parts, these are short parts just question answer, question answer, it will bring you closer to the text. It will nonetheless give you an opportunity to go deeper into it. Try.
S. What’s the recommendation for those who are here in the hall because we’re here physically?
R. The fact that you’re physically there, it does help. Nonetheless, even though I know some groups can’t come, or the whole group can’t come, or only parts of their group of the ten, some stay at home and watch through the computer as usual, but still there is this thing of coming once a week or something and it’s good. I think we should do these things, determine these things, and then we should have a meal together. This brings people closer, it does bring closer, and it adds to the connection between us, it helps us advance, that’s it. Let’s hope more and more people will come. I’m not drawing you, if you can come, come, if you can’t don’t, but these things do add.
54. S. (01:33:19) Concerning the recommendation that one who can come once a week let’s say if only one friend can come from the ten should he come, nevertheless?
R. Yes, he should come and be impressed, the second time maybe more will come or someone else. I think, I don’t know, let’s try. Look, I was educated with Rabash when everyday physically people came to the lesson, the group wasn’t big maybe twenty or twenty-five, yes twenty-five people more or less, but they came every day. We didn’t have telephones or anything people would come by foot or sometimes came by cars, that’s how it was, what could you do? So let’s do that as well, nonetheless.
55. S. (01:34:47) What is the role of questions in the learning, there’s a deficiency to know and to feel but what’s the purpose, is it to make contact with the Upper one?
R. There’s even this short article that everything stands on questions and answers, everything depends on the questions and answers. That’s why we have to know how to ask questions, how to accept the answers, that a person himself should also know how to connect questions and answers for himself, for others, to learn from others, and to know how to give answers. It adds a lot it can and it connects, causes, induces connection.
56. S. (01:35:40) If our source is the Creator, our origin is the Creator, and the Creator is is the quality of the bestowal, how did we emerge as the will to receive from ourselves opposite from the root? How can a branch be opposite from its root?
R. That’s something we learn in the four phases of direct light. It turns out that our root is all good, it does good, it’s whole only the light but within this light the point of desire has been made to create the created being in order to bestow unto him. Meaning in the light itself, it comes from his desire to do good, to love, to give, that’s the nature of the light and in the nature of the light to give, to bestow, a need is born to create a will to receive to which he can give and bestow. It’s just like with us when we give birth to children, we bear children out of our love to give to them so there will be someone to give to, to help grow, to take care of that’s from the will to bestow of the Upper one it gives birth to a lower one with his will to receive.
57. S. (01:37:21) Is it correct that the light received in the created beings in a different way and that difference is the source of hatred between the created beings?
R. From the will to receive in each and every created being, being separate, that’s from the shattering, we’ll learn how that happens. So from each and every created being there’s a will to receive of his own and that’s why he feels the others that are opposite of him and that’s why the will to receive of the created being is the source of the rejection, and the hatred, the distance, and that’s why our whole correction is that we have to connect between ourselves in our will to receive in order to bestow and by that we bestow together to the Creator, and we come closer to him to such an extent that we embrace and we attach ourselves to it. That’s why the will to receive in the created being is actually on one hand it places the created being, shows himself that he’s existing, and another from the Creator, it doesn’t vanish, it’s not annulled. On the other hand it gives a created being an opportunity to express himself, to connect to others, to help each other, to support, to embrace everyone, and together to embrace with the Creator and this is how you reach the final correction.
58. S. (01:39:07) What increases the sensation of pressure of the Upper light on us, more equivalence of form or less equivalence of form?
R. A feeling of pressure from the Upper light upon us starts from us being more and more sensitive to our own ego, to what extent we push away all kinds of forms of bestowal, connection, how much we don’t want to connect to the friends, to what extent we are incapable of making concessions to one another, all these things are examples that appear for us and explain to us how much we are the opposite of the Creator, to what extent I’m opposite to a friend to that same extent that I’m opposite of the Creator.
59. S. (01:40:10) On the one hand there’s a feeling that in the material there is endless depth, on the other hand it’s a lot harder to concentrate and feel an emotional connection to that material. How can we open our ears and feel an emotional connection to the material?
R. To ask a force of love for the friends from the Creator and then we’ll be able to understand them and through them to connect to them to start understanding the Creator.
60. S. (01:40:54) What’s the advice if the intellect interferes with the feeling?
R. You should try to connect them together so that if there’s more intellect you should start try to put it into the emotion and we’ll understand the emotions, understand the emotions, these are opposite things, but this is how we can act, why do I feel this way not in another way, what can I do in order to feel differently? Then we activate our intellect in order to work with the emotion. That’s how we play with our emotions by the intellect, and this will change and that will change too, until we reach a state that both will work together.
61. S. (01:41:54) How can we shine light on the ten so we can unite together and go together into the study of the ten Sefirot?
R. Pray for the ten, for the Upper light to bestow upon it, that the Creator will come closer to them so that they will be able to come closer to each other and open a common heart and between them the Creator will be revealed. It is written “man and woman have Shechina between them”. Man and women are two desires to receive and if they want to be connected, we’re not talking about physically like beasts, close, were talking about spiritually close when each one gives to the other, each one has to also receive from the other, and then between them, they discover the Creator, specifically by connection when both are giving and both are receiving.
62. S. (01:43:07) In answer number sixty-four Baal HaSulam writes about innovation of forms in the vessels. What is a new form in the vessel?
R. Renewing the will to receive upon which there is an intention in order to bestow and then he becomes closer, advances more towards the Creator, on the left, on the right, above, below, he comes closer to the Creator, rolls towards Him. There are many movements towards the Creator, all these movements are called a dance.
63. S. (01:43:57) Are the friends surrounding light for me?
R. What they feel, what they think, speak, what is between them towards me is surrounding light, yes. I don’t receive directly from the Creator, bestowal, it comes through the friends, I want it or not, that’s how it comes. That’s why I through the friends I receive surrounding light.
64. S. (01:44:43) What influences the pace of the rate of the influence of their light on the society?
R. The right of connection between us, to what extent we want to connect more.
65. S. (01:45:12) What causes a person to ask for correction, a relation in this world?
R. What causes a person to ask for correction and the relation in this world? It is the deficiency that awakens within a person. The deficiency that awakens within a person, awakens because it is in the right environment. It doesn’t come from within this person, and it also doesn’t come from the Creator, rather only comes from the environment to the extent that that person is in the right environment, this environment causes him to have a deficiency.
S. Does this deficiency exist in every created being?
R. No, some have it and they come to learn, and some don’t have it, they don’t have a deficiency. So, there is still in the bed at home, you see.
S. How does the reforming light influence us all the time?
R. The light that reforms does not always influence us, it influences according to the person’s preparation. We have to be prepared to receive the light that reforms, it depends on the connection between us, to what extent we want it, to what extent we pray for it, to what extent, we elicit it, we draw it from the Creator.
S. Does learning the wisdom of Kabbalah make us human, men?
R. The purpose of education is to bring the created being to the degree called Adam, resembling the Creator.
S. I will settle for this until the next opportunity. Thank you, godly man.
R. Thank you. Oh, it’s been months since he asked. I had to let him ask.
Reading Shamati 48 “The foundation is ….”
66. R. (01:50:40) Well, at least this matter and you should know that is very important the question and answers and we should, everywhere we should organize questions and answers then this way our whole path will be left, right, left, right and that’s how we’ll advance until the complete wholeness.
Question 66 “By whom and by what is the line extended from Ein Sof ?” Twice
67. S. (01:53:49) What does it mean that after the restriction the screen receives in the previous three Behinat, three phases?
R. It is regarded that in order to bestow, where he has the intention to bestow, there he receives and where he has a phase four only the will to receive, he doesn’t receive, he puts a restriction on it.
S. What is the connection between the intention to bestow and the previous three Behinat, three phases?
R. In the first three faces, he can make himself as a receiver in order to bestow. In phase four he wants only to receive this is why he put a restriction in phase four, and works only with the three prior faces, think. We will talk about it more; it is ahead of us. Look, Baal HaSulam works as kabbalists are used to in general, he doesn’t really relate to the didactic study, so we will learn exactly as in some exact science where every phase relies on previous phases, he comes in a kind of rooms with us, he walks with us in trails of the wisdom. This gives us a general impression, we also forget and then we read again, these things have to be absorbed in the heart, we have to want these things and be confused in them, we have to want to give them our own characteristics, each one its own characteristics. It is a wisdom that comes to a person through his own internal search. So, it won’t be in such a way that it has to enter like a multiplication table and sit in the mind there. So, it is okay if you forget and you don’t understand something, it still does its thing. The important thing is the intention, and we will see how different each one is from the others. Some people excel in studying, in scientific study somewhere, some are better at humanities, there is a difference between music and math, some are better at both and even connected to, so there are all kinds. We need to learn, each one according to each own qualities and the wisdom of Kabbalah will come in a way that influences him and he will acquire changes according to his nature. We should not look at others, no one is similar to the another. I can’t be as smart as they are or as sensitive as those are, each has everything in a specific unique merger which is typically his, so we shouldn’t be envious of this. We should envy only, not what he received on didn’t receive from the Creator, we should envy the labor that the other one gives which is more than mine, that’s what is important, the labor, the exertion, the effort. I look at the other, my friends and see how much he exerts and whatever he makes. When I have a free moment I want to rest and that is the problem that I cannot force myself to study, to do something like my friend.
68. S. (01:58:26) There is this feeling that specifically out of connection we get those qualities that enable us to overcome our lack of desire. That’s the picture, is that correct?
R. Yes, only the connection between us gives each one what each one needs because the connection between us draws the reforming light which comes to everyone, to every ten, and then within every ten it spreads to each one accordingly to each one’s qualities, yes.
69. S. (01:59:17) Did the will to receive play any part in the initial restriction or was this all the Creator?
R. I cannot tell you. Undoubtedly, everything is done from the Creator and there is no question that everything is done through the participation of the created being. Therefore, for the implementation we have to say this: we awaken the Creator, so we so he will tend to us.
S. How do we know that making a restriction is the way to go?
R. Without a restriction the self, myself does not exist in reality, without the restriction there is no me. The created being exists only after he restricts his will to receive, and then he can express himself because our will to receive comes from above. The Creator created the will to receive, if I stop the will to receive and say I want from within it, above it, to bestow, to do something in creation, to organize something in creation. So, only in such a way where I step on my will to receive and I bestow above it, by this, I performed my action, my own action.
70. S. (02:01:34) If the main thing we do is to annul before the environment and along with that we connect, that’s how we change. So, what is the rule of the prayer, since the most important thing is the annulment before his ten, so what does the prayer do here?
R. The prayer connects all of us together and elevates our deficiency to the Creator in a directed manner, in the way we intend for it to be. If we intend to connect and to turn to Him and insist on it until we receive it, until He accepts it, and until He responds, until He gives us the answer. This is called raising MAN and the reception of mud and all of it together is called a prayer. There is no other action besides the prayer.
S. Does not the annulment itself suffice?
R. But by this you don’t do anything, ok so you annul, then what? Where is your action beside the annulment?
S. There is the influence of the environment.
R. It is not enough, our goal is to respond back to the Creator. For the created being we are shattered, we should try to reconnect and come back to the Creator, to turn to Him.
71. S. (02:03:24) Rav, according to the last part we read if I understand correctly, the line under the influence of the screen of the fourth phase acts?
R. Yes.
S. General question about the lesson. Now that we have started reading TES, I hear the lessons again and maybe we should read articles of Rabash about the group during the last half of the lesson so we can feel TES , so it won’t stay as theory.
R. By all means. Do you agree? Do you hear what he asked? If we in the last half-hour of the lesson after two hours of studying TES, can we read about the articles of Rabash about society?