YESOD: TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
Rabash. Record 9. A Hedge for Wisdom – Silence – 1
Morning Lesson June 13, 2022 Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Rabash 9. A Hedge for Wisdom – Silence – 1
1. Rav’s Introduction: Yes, so what does Rabash write for us? A hedge for wisdom – silence.” That is, in order to be rewarded with Hochma [wisdom], one must first correct the Kelim [vessels] so they have the quality of bestowal. into those vessels of bestowal Hochman will enter and we will start to feel it Hence, the correction is “silence,” meaning what is silence that in every matter, he shall answer himself as in “Silence! Such was my thought.”
Which means that everything comes from above from the Creator and there is None Else Besides Him and he determines all the states and I have to accept them that they are coming from the Creator and I have to arrange myself such that whatever the Creator does over me, it will be accepted by me. I will accept it 100% and in these vessels, my corrected vessels, in my corrected desires I will begin to discover his providence over me. Let’s read it again.
A Hedge For Wisdom – Silence. “That is, in order to be rewarded with Hochma [wisdom], one must first correct the Kelim, the person’s vessels so they have the quality of bestowal, into those vessels of bestowal Hochman will enter and we will start to feel it Hence, the correction is “silence,” meaning what is silence that in every matter, he shall answer himself as in “Silence! Such was my thought.”
That whatever was revealed each and every moment to the person that he accepts it that it comes from the Creator and that he agrees to receive it and is concerned only with the correction of the vessel so that they will be in agreement so that they will be in adhesion with whatever is revealed in them.
2. S. (02:54) I don’t understand what is supposed to be silenced?
R. The fact that you’re not pleased, the fact that you want to change something. In whatever you get from the Creator.
S. A person is capable of silencing his thoughts?
R. No, this is why it’s written in such a way. That a person should reach a state where his vessels will be each time corrected. Corrected meaning that each time he will receive the Creator’s influence over him that he will feel how much he is different from the Creator. How much he jumps and he is not content and he wants things to be different. He should be concerned that each time his vessels will take on the form where they are in the equivalence with the Creator.
S. In a state of silence there’s no complaints?
R. No, silence means there’s no movement complaints.
S. What precedes the silence that’s what brings the person to silence?
R. One is always in a feeling that he’s not pleased with his situation, that there’s something different in an opposite from his state that is not receiving what he wants. They’re playing with him each and every moment and each time it’s not according to his desire, and it seems to him even a moment ago, in a previous state, that he was adhered to the Creator and he understood and felt him. Now he sees that he disagrees and he doesn’t feel the Creator and he has to arrange himself so that he will reach silence once again.
S. When complaints and criticisms and disagreements arise in me how do I bring myself to silence?
R. It means you have to arrange yourself in such a way your qualities, your desires, your thoughts, your internal ones will be in agreement with whatever you’re receiving from the Creator right now for sure you’re getting it from the Creator.
S. How do I go from this inner noise in me to silence?
R. First of all, because it’s coming from the Creator, you remember that. Because the moment that you feel some grievances it brings you out of your connection with the Creator. When you are seemingly opposite him.Then you recall that it all comes from the Creator and There is None Else Besides Him and He is Good and doing Good. Apparently it’s only that you are in your inner qualities, you’re not on the same line as the Creator which means that you have to correct yourself, and in this way you now search by what can I pacify myself.
There are many possibilities here seemingly, so you should immediately divide it into two. That through the means of this world or through spiritual needs. If it’s through the means of this world, then just like any person who feels himself in a bit of a worse state he can take a pill or eat something or something, drink something or drink or listen to music etcetera. I want to correct my state through
a spiritual act. Which means through bestowing to the friends or bestowing influence from the friend. In such a way I reach a state where I calm myself down meaning the egoistic will to receive that awakened in me and I bring it once again to agreement with the Creator.
S. How does bestowal to the friends, from the friends bring us to calmness and equivalence of form with the Creator?
R. It influences me. I receive through them the power from the Creator because what brings me out of balance is always that I discover how much I’m not connected with them. I don’t remember it in the very first moment when criticism over my situation awakened in me.and calmed down. theoretically, I know what I need to do.
3. S. (08:43) From your words it’s not entirely clear that I account for my spiritual problems. Is this how it turns out? If I am doing corporeal actions with the friends?
R. Yes I’m not now going to drink some alcoholic beverage and going to some party in order to change my mood, I am going to correct the flaw that appeared to me through an opposite action that here I lack adhesion with the Creator and I can reach adhesion with the Creator, only through adhesion with the friends, so I will have to do something in relation to them in order to correct my connection with the Creator because everything stands from lack of connection. We are in a process where we are advancing towards a connection between us and to the Creator to that same form of Adam HaRishon, prior to the shattering.
S. In summary, what I’m trying to correct this state is called silence.
R. Of course, we need to act and it’s not considered that we are silent or not silent. To be silent means that I receive or accept each and everything, whatever comes to me every moment, those things that are necessary that come from the Creator according to the plan of creation and therefore I don’t want to erase all of these changes that come to me, internal one and external ones but rather I accept them as guidance towards correction. In order to reach adhesion and the purpose of creation. The purpose of my life. What else can I do? I just need to advance towards complete adhesion.
S. What is the result of the silence?
R. Silence means that I’m not going to say that these things are bad and how come they come to me but rather whatever comes to me comes out of the corruptions in my vessels and I have to correct them by inviting and drawing the reforming light and I can draw it only through my connection in the ten and through a prayer to the Creator.
4. S. (12:00) To justify the Creator and to be silent is that the same thing?
R. Yes.
S. How to bring the entire group to silence to a mutual common general silence?
R. Talk to the whole group and you will decide what you are going to do. Yes? I’m actually very happy that you appear in the lessons more and more and the faces are already familiar. I see them every lesson, yes.
S. All my friends are corrected and just I’m not?
R. Yes, well we will help you.
5. S. (13:13) How can we use our criticisms and complaints that arise in us to adhere even more to the Creator, because ultimately we always receive what we need? But we’re never satisfied.
R. We’re not satisfied because we’re not receiving support from each other. If we would receive mutual support in the group, we would already be in a totally different state, we would already be more and more organized each and every time, as a commando group, in a decisive manner, that the moment we feel a certain change for the worse, what does it mean a change for the worse? That the greater will to receive is revealed in order to bring us closer to the end of correction. So we would immediately correct it. We would connect even more strongly around it even more strongly, this is how we would receive, or accept the disturbances each time. Therefore the hedge for wisdom is silence means that by us being silent and connecting even more and more between us, we reach a state where we discover between us the light of Hochma, wisdom, hence the Hedge for Hochma, wisdom is silence.
6. S. (15:14) It’s written here also regarding the putting down of our egoistic desires. It sounds like eastern wisdoms?
R. No, Kabbalah doesn’t say that we have to work against our desires. Kabbalah says we need to be in a prayer through the connection between us to the Creator so that he will correct the situation. Not that we correct the situation. One who works against his desire on his own, on his own he is called a monk, and this is not the right way to correct the situation. The right way is that we turn to the Creator because all in all our purpose is to be more and more in adhesion with the Creator, therefore each time something is revealed we just have to understand in which manner we can connect between us and to the Creator.
7. S. (16:46) What’s this state that we even succeed to reveal something that comes from the Creator? Why does it come right after that this state is revealed? Why can it not come before? When there are two opportunities for decision, two choices for decision then we make that choice?
R. You need to think about the question. Here what it says is that a person who feels that he has certain problems on the path, so he thinks, why he understands that all of his problems are problems that come from the Creator because there is None Else Besides Him, and they come in order for him to overcome these problems and in this way he will rise to higher and higher degrees. It’s not that now he should be upset, how come all of these disturbances come to me, I don’t want them.
No, but rather there has to be silence here, meaning you have to accept, with agreement, in advance, and also group agreement, so that you will have supporters that whatever is revealed it is all for the better. It is all for the better, and it is revealed now, a certain corruption, it means that it was there before also, but now it has become revealed, so I can correct it. Imagine to yourself that you want to drive in your car a certain distance, to some far away place, and you now discover, before you head out to this long drive, a certain malfunction, let’s say in the wheel, isn’t that good? It is good because now you will fix it, correct it, and then you will head out, and then you will reach your destination safely.
S. Precisely my question. Let’s say the corruption is revealed because I have already some desire to go somewhere, but I’m asking what’s driving us, that’s the desire. I don’t know how to ask it so much.
R. I don’t know but to begin with you came to the wisdom of Kabbalah because you had a certain goal, you wanted to know what am I living for, why am I living, where am I living even, what is happening with people, with the world, all kinds of such questions. Now you are going to get to know them to a greater depth, and more closely.
S. I don’t need to think about every action that I’m doing ahead of time, what is my desire in this action?
R. Yes of course, as much as you can, but don’t stop yourself from performing the action itself so you will just sit and think.
S. So that’s the question, what does it mean that it’s revealed after the desire? What does it mean that something is suddenly revealed or not?
R. A disturbance is revealed, a certain disturbance on your path which blocks you in some way, this is why you are told don’t worry about it, keep going forward, don’t stop and it will be okay. This is what is happening to you today, right now, that you are in a certain blockage, so in a day or two you will see even throughout the day, you will see how much it will go away, until the end of the lesson even, so tell us in the second or third lesson today how it is going away. Everyone goes through these things.
8. S. (21:16) He emphasizes that specifically the light of Hochma and not Hassadim that is to appear throughout this repression.
R. Certainly because a person wants to understand, to know what is happening, why did he come to a stop? Why does he exist? What is happening to him? Why are they sending him disturbances? This all comes clear through the light of Hochma.
9. S. (21:55) It seems very technical. The first stage is to feel that it’s something from the Creator, from above. Second stage is I need to wait for a correction to draw the light that reforms, not to correct by yourself. It sounds like a technique?
R. That’s true, so?
S. I’m just saying it’s like a great wisdom. We can’t try to solve it on our own.
R. No you have nothing that you can solve, you can’t solve anything in your life. This is why it says a hedge for wisdom is silence, meaning don’t do anything besides that you need to accept it now, correction will come. We have no work. Our work is called the work of the Creator. You heard that I think, the work of the Creator. This is what we’re engaging in. Why is it called the work of the Creator, and not work that is mine let’s say, or yours,or someone else? Because the Creator does everything, we just have to pull him to this.
10. S. (23:20) In the name of our entire ten I wanted to ask, in what needs to be the support of the friends that encounter some corporeal hardship, let’s say maybe tied to the war right now, and you encounter this hardship and you try to overcome with your own forces? By what then?
R. You have to explain to him that to distance yourself from the ten, from the upper force, from the Creator, this is not a correction, but rather the opposite. As much as he will come closer to it and through the ten he will want to discover the Creator, he will see how much everything is entering correction. So explain this to him.
11. S. (24:24) Should I be able to verify the answers that I will give to myself, or is it firstly not so important if I fail and try again in the search for truth?
R. But you need to try, nevertheless, to add to this your mind. What should I do in order to emerge from that situation that I am in? I need to join with the group, I need to come closer with the group to the Creator, and I also want to see how much my state will be more corrected. My state, meaning not that the state itself will become corrected maybe, but rather that I will see it as the correct state, on my way to correction. You see, meaning it’s not the state that I will now be in a certain state let’s say, no, but rather the fact that I am now in a state which is not so good, this actually brings me to correction, to advancement, so if I discover that, this is already a correction.
12. S. (25:59) Do we also need to silence our criticism towards ourselves and things I did in the past?
R. Yes you raise the past. Say that everything that occurred came from the Creator. Stop beating yourself up. It’s not that you should feel levity regarding the all kinds of states we have to go through in the future, but regarding the past that is not good, this is called the fool sitting idly eating his own flesh.
13. S. (26:45) You said by this that we are silencing ourselves more and more, and connecting more and more, that we reveal between us the light of Hochma. What does it mean to be privileged with the light of Hochma. How does that feel?
R. The light of Hochma is felt by the upper force that is operating in the whole of reality tied together all the pieces of reality, arranging them each time more and more, and then when all of these parts of reality come together more and more, it’s like in a kaleidoscope, what do you call it? Kaleidoscope, is clear? Okay. So we see accordingly when the Creator changes all of these pieces, forms, and colors what you have there, accordingly we understand His language. This is how the Sefirot are, they connect between them, and then according to that we read the map, the map of the heavens.
14. S. (28:08) Is silence when I give gratitude to the Creator in the state that I’m in?
R. No, it’s not that you’re grateful to the Creator, you accept correctly, His attitude toward you. That it doesn’t come against you, God forbid, but rather you understand that this is how the Creator is correcting you and you accept His actions over you in the right way. You lower your head.
15. S. (28:43) Is silence verbal and in thought?
R. Silence is in the thought, in the heart, that I am willing to accept everything if it comes from the Creator.
16. S. (29:05) Is silence restriction?
R. No, silence is the correct attitude, a new attitude each time to whatever is revealed inside of me, that I accept it that it comes from the Creator and I work on it in order to accept it in the right way. I agree with it, whatever I receive, I understand it is coming in order to correct me, my attitude to the ten, to humanity, to the Creator, to the world, then all of this, everything that I do, it’s considered that I agree with the Creator’s relation to me and now I need to already start working on how much I can take part in this perhaps, to add from myself to this image that is revealed.
17. S. (30:10) All the thoughts come from the Creator, so when a person receives foreign thoughts, what’s the order of the work, what needs to be done?
R. The most important is not to run away. Sometimes it takes you many hours until you position yourself in the right way so as not to run away from the battle but rather to establish yourself correctly, to aim yourself correctly towards the goal, and to come back to the correct activity with the group and with the Creator. So it’s not simple, it’s not immediate.
18. S. (30:58) So how to relate to foreign thoughts that come from the Creator, what to demand?
R. To demand that the Creator will give me a mind and emotion, what we call a new heart, so that I will be able to accept his attitude correctly.
19. S. (31:20) If society is responsible for everyone, how can each friend be responsible for the others? I heard that connection is good and disconnection is bad. How to relate correctly?
R. We were once a single Adam HaRashon, and later on this form was shattered but by the fact that it was shattered, each and every part is incorporated with all of the parts, and in each one of us there are all the parts of Adam HaRishon. We need to reach a state where we put together all of these broken pieces, and this is done by the reforming light. We don’t know which part, and to which part we should then join it, and how to combine all of them into a single picture, but nevertheless try. More than trying is not required. Look at a baby, does he understand what he does, no, but he tries and tries this way, that way, non-stop, without resting. Then bit by bit we see that out of that it learns. It learns by trying each time, each and every time it is in a certain action, and it is the same with us in spirituality, but truly going through the same stages. So the most important is anything but leave. It is written and even if you sit and even if you can hardly participate, it is not the wise one who learns, you can truly not be wise, you can be with a heart that doesn’t quite feel, this is how the Creator created you, what can you do? But if you nevertheless, are in the process, as you are, no more is required. You will advance and you will reach your realization and when you reach it, we are all in the same state, in this round form, we are all at the end of correction, each one completes everyone, and altogether it is one Adam.
20. S. (34:07) If a person is not directed in such a correct manner, yes they want to receive everything because it comes from the Creator. Is it not the same state?
R. Also pertains to the same state you have to remind yourself each time that everything comes from “none else besides Him” and arrange yourself this way.
21. S. (34:40) It’s written “a hedge for wisdom silence”, so if the silence is Hassadim [Mercy] then is our effort to allow the Creator to operate in us with Hassadim?
R. No, we usually do not dictate to the Creator how to relate to us, we want only one thing to advance towards you, that is all. This is what we tell Him, in which form? With greater mind or greater emotion or greater this or that, it’s not important for me, the most important is to take more and more steps towards you, in your direction.
22. S. (35:41) It’s not clear what does it mean mutual support in our work.
R. Example, even when you are in silence you’re not talking. You don’t know what to talk about it but you can show each other an example in such a way that actually an example works in a very strong way.
23. S. (36:20) In states that there is no power to agree, like he gave an example to Rabash that you were laying down and you couldn’t get up and you said Rabash said, this is what you do with a friend. Do you have any advice when there’s a state where there is no power to agree?
R. Got a little confused regarding my story but never mind. If I cannot agree with the Creator, if I cannot be silent and ask of Him, then the most correct is to enter a reading, to study something, just get into it, jump into the Torah as we call it, so that this will influence you. Maybe you’ll be more influenced by hearing songs, so go ahead or someone else. You can do whatever you want but the most important is anything but leave, so to perform actions that eventually will bring you to a request.
24. S. (37:55) You said something very beautiful that really moved me that each and every state that we get will find it’s true significance and It’s meeting at the end of correction, so how can we work with this if “there is none else besides Him”, my question is: the fact that I make an effort to try to understand what it is that the Creator wants from me, is this the best answer to what I have to do or should I always think that there’s nothing else besides Him and this is already the best possible way to relate to the reality that the Creator sends me?
R. You can think all the time about there’s no one else besides Him that’s the best but it cannot be that you will be in this all the time, because otherwise how you will you advance there needs to be stops between these thoughts of “there’s none else besides Him”, otherwise you will not have renewals, so hold yourself on the path in connection with the friends and in the direction of the Creator and don’t be so impressed when you’re disconnected from them you do want you don’t want you don’t feel like it and more and more all these things that come from time to time these are necessary and this is how we advance. There cannot be light without darkness. So the disconnects must be between each and every attainment.
25. S. (40:02) Is silence annulment?
R. It’s annulment but a certain annulment that I received that I accept that I receive in each and every moment that it comes from the Creator even though it comes through all of these clothings and means.
S. How exactly is silence different from annulment?
R. Annulment, I don’t know what they’re referring to but silence is that I don’t awaken the criticism on what’s happening, rather accept it as it is and continue to develop from this onward.
26. S. (41:02) Is silence bestowing or how is silence different from bestowing?
R. Silence is not bestowal, silence is that I agree to receive everything that comes down on me as bestowal from the Creator.
27. S. (41:18) In order to be rewarded with Hochma one must first correct the vessel so they will have the quality of bestowal. How is it possible to correct the vessels towards bestowal without Hochma?
R. No, there is light that corrects the vessels and light that fills the vessels. If I want that my will to receive will be in the degree of bestowing, to bestow with the intention to bestow, yes the light of Hassadim [Mercy] needs to fill it and needs to be at the degree of Bina and that is the first stage that we correct, that’s called an incomplete righteous. Afterwards, we reach a stage and in that same light of Hassadim [Mercy], we can also receive light and reveal light of Hochma [Wisdom] and that’s called the receiving attention to bestow and then a person is called a complete righteous.
28. S. (42:29) How in our work the qualities of silence, agreement with everything, and a prayer, request connect?
R. I agree in that whatever I see as if I receive from the Creator, and thus I receive everything from Him as a blessing. It doesn’t matter how I feel with respect to it, good or bad, less or more, I receive it with a blessing. That’s how it is and each and every moment. Now my question is: how do I react to that? So first, the response needs to be as that I receive it from the Creator and it’s for my benefit, and in such we need to see our life each and every moment. That’s one thing, and the second matter is, then what do I do? After this how do I go and tie myself even more to the Creator on my part.
S. The question is whether the prayer comes from agreement or lack of agreement?
R. Prayer comes from agreement and this that I agree with what I received now from the Creator because surely it comes from the Creator and now I only want from Him to continue the connection that He will bring me closer and teach me.
29. S. (44:00) Does the agreement, the silence, does it not comfort me and make me not to ask actually?
R. No, I need to also see an example from the friends that my silence is just a condition that I am entering first contact with the Creator.
30. S. (44:27) It is written and “hence the correction is silence”. Does silence mean no criticism over all the pain that arises in me?
R. Yes, and no. There can be silence to begin with ahead of time seemingly that whatever I will receive I receive from the Creator, and so I prepare myself to receive it in a manner like in restriction. There could also be silence that I develop gradually to the stance that I gradually feel how I’m receiving, from whom I’m receiving. There’s many things here that depend on what level we are speaking, on what degree the person is in, because in each and every degree from here to the end of correction we have different conditions to be in silence. Until we reach the final silence, the end of correction.
31. S. (45:41) When we bless for the bad that’s revealed as over the good. Should we ask from Him a different nature or is this request agreement silent or is it disagreement?
R. We are always between agreement and disagreement and are requesting from the Creator corrections to be in agreement. To feel disagreement in opposition to the Creator we must, because that brings us the coarseness and the state in the degree that by this coarseness we specifically rise to the Creator.
32. S. (46:20) What are the conditions for silence?
R. Support from the group and there’s none wiser than the experienced. To all the time be tied with the group and study with the teacher and then we’ll be able to correctly use the silence.
33. S. (46:52) Does silence come after we cry out to the Creator for help?
R. Actually you cannot turn to the Creator without silence. Silence is called that I receive and accept everything that comes from Him.