HOD: TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
Lesson on the topic of “Opening the locked gates”
Morning Lesson August 01, 2022 Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Opening the locked gates – Selected Excerpts from the Sources
1. Rav’s Introduction: Yes, opening the locked gates from between us to the Creator. This is our role, to precisely open the gates not only for ourselves but the whole of humanity for all of the created beings, for all of the souls. This is what we have to think about everyone and care for everyone and to be the representatives of everyone before the Creator. In such a way if we depict ourselves the present state, let us open the lesson.
Excerpt 1 (01:25) Zohar for All, Introduction of The Book of Zohar, “Two Points”, No. 121
2. R. (02:02) This is something we have to feel during the descent that distancing how much these forces with which we actually need to come closer to the Creator. First of all between us and then to the Creator together. How much these forces are still standing opposite of us and walking the path for us.
Continues: (02:34) “But if we overcome them so that they do not affect ….”
3. S. (02:53) Specifically they invert these forces that were pushing us away, obstructing us, distancing us. They become the same forces that bring us closer, that open up the path for us and bring us closer to the Creator.
Continues: (03:16) “Over all the locks, we receive a special degree in His Providence,”…
4. R. (03:31) Meaning of the greater the lock is, the stronger it is that it appears that we cannot go through it, we cannot go up it skip above it so when we succeed we accordingly rise on a higher degree.
Continues: (03:50) “And those decrees that we receive on the openings become…”
5. R. (03:57) Yes, when we rise upon that these states we invert the bad to good, reception to bestowal,distancing to nearing and then and it’s those same things that we revealed we also receive the vessels for the light of Hochma, for the light of the Creator the attainment of the Creator. This is how our path is.
6. S. (04:31) Maybe we start with definitions,what are locks, gates. opening doors?
R. This would be good if there would be some feeling. These are simply things that obstruct us on the path, the locks, and also walls. There are many discernments. I don’t think it’s worthwhile to get into it. What I would like to feel, to feel a disposition towards this, to feel a deficiency towards this, well emotions. That the emotions will awaken and not engage in the definitions or what are the locks,what are the openings, what are all these different states. Because if we did not have the opposite, an inner feeling it only confuses us.
7. S. (05:50) It is interesting here that the same obstacles that bother us, that they themselves turn into what bring us closer to the Creator. They generate an entrance and opening. This is why you are not working on the obstacle rather above it, but how can you when the obstacle itself is dragging you?
R. Because all of the disturbances exist inside of the person and when he works on it he wants to drive them away. To bring them to zero and later even to invert them to a positive. This is how we advance. How do we work with technology? When we have resistance, then because we have resistance we are able to receive over this resistance a lot of power. The more resistance there is, if I know how to use it correctly, then that same resistance becomes a power that helps us. We see that also in our life. People who have a great power but it is not in the right direction, let us say they want to break and create conflicts in all kinds of such things, but if you turn him into a good person see, if you correct his intentions and with all of his forces he now serves the good. This is why it is not a matter of the power but rather the intention.
Certainly when one is greater than his then his friend, then the inclination is greater. When you reach, when you approach the study we could see how each one of us even though we are all in order to receive, but the height of in order to receive, its magnitude, its intensity, is different, and indeed in one who has a greater will to receive. He opposes and does not want it and you can truly see how much the evil inclination is operating inside of him. To the extent that when he corrects himself he becomes the opposite. One who is greater than his pride is inclined to become greater than the others. Therefore this is how we need to see our evil inclination but to let it be free.
S. How not to allow them to be free and specifically the resistance used for greater destination with the Creator and not just do some obstacle?
R. You are an architect right, so I am sure that you learned about the resistance of matter. How much each and every matter, every substance has the power to hold itself and to be the support for something else. We need as much as each and every desire of ours can be strong. We work on that, we invert it in order to bestow and then to the extent that it works in order to bestow more strongly and it is able to more even more than that hold the other. Just like when you make a building out of special strong blocks, so this is how it works.
8. S. (10:28) You’re talking about the cooling …. I don’t understand?
R. Because it is all inside of us, the blocks and at the openings. If my will to receive is constantly directed towards me, that then it blocks for me the pipe lines up the abundance because the lights cannot come by if I am in order to receive. If I a myself to be in order to bestow through the reforming light then it turns out that all of these pipelines that we that were blocked earlier so that I could receive through them bestowal from the Creator They open up because now I am in equivalence with the Creator, in the same intentions in the same and desires and to that extent the pipeline open up and through them I received the abundance of the Creator the upper light then clothes than me and I begin to feel it. That I am being filled up in my desires which are in order to bestow now they are the desires of which my soul is composed and so my soul is filled by the Creator by the light that comes to me from him. This is called adhesion of man’s salt with the Creator according to the degree see what he knows to open up the pipelines that come to him with the light of the abundance.
9. S. (12:48) After yesterday’s lesson and the day before about the ARI, I received this new sensation but there are all sorts of secrets and gates and locks. I suddenly received the sensation of distance, a gap, but on the other hand as we learned that everything is open today there is no limitation, can you explain a little bit? We discover how far away we are and we advance. That is we can’t take one step forward if we do not go through a cycle of a part that goes back and a part that goes forward. This is how it is always in corporeality because we are the will to receive and has to prepare itself in this way for reception from above. Only after that it can receive the revelation. This is why there’s nothing to be afraid of. We all advance each one in a little bit of a different style from the others, a different pace from the others and accordingly see how much he is incorporated in a general vessel and so just patience there is no more than that. If a person says even if he himself feels that.
Just patience, there is no more than that. If a person stays even if he himself feels that he is not he is with everyone and In a deed in our advancement there are all kinds of stages along the way. Sometimes there are stages where it is best to sit and do nothing that are better and all kinds of other things. It is not worthwhile for us to make calculations with whatever we get such time for different times, this, those. The most important thing is to continue going forward and that is it. Sometimes like a train constantly going forward and that is it.
S. Does it really have a connection to times or periods of time?
R. Yes of course there is. The time now is like a good time for us. The problem and troubles for the people of Israel and the Kabbalists and this is why it is a good time to also receive in the vessels and feelings.
10. S. (16:12) In what is dependent, turning the process locks the door. turning the darkness to light, the light to darkness, where we get the beginning ability to carry this out.
R. To whatever degree, as much as you open up your heart, try more and more to open up your heart. Try to depict yourselves that you exist with an entirely open heart opposite the friends and opposite of the Creator. We are not talking about corporeal beastly things, we are talking about your intentions in your spiritual advancement.
11. S. (17:09) How to open up the tubes of abundance between us for the light of the Creator?
R. That each one wants to help the other and all of us together we connect in order to attain the states where the Creator can bestow to us. By this we aim to bring him contentment from us.
S. The same abundance that we are yearning too?
R. What is the abundance? It is not good that we yearn for abundance, we need to learn to give contentment. In order to give contentment since I have not received from the Creator so I received from him but actually it’s just like the guest and the host. Even though he wants to eat he stops himself and only to the extent that he is capable of bestowing to the host then he takes whatever refreshments he has on the table.
12. S. (18:24) He writes but if we overcome all of the lacks that they won’t influence us. What does it mean to overcome the locks so that they do not affect us?
R. That whatever I see before me does not stop me but rather I work as usual in connection with a friend until the locks fall.
S. We know that every lock has a key. It is some opposite copy of the lock, what is the map of advancing through this inversion, opposite form?
R. We learn that, I can’t tell you that it is easier. There are such approaches that you will see that it is possible to come closer by depicting the key in advance and then entering into the lock. We don’t work in that way.
13. S. (20:10) What exactly can you aim us to, what are we opening?
R.Each and every friend, from the spiritual perspective will not be more precious than I am for myself, and we will all be together in one place meaning as one man in one heart. In this way we will advance, In this way we will advance.
Excerpt 2 ( 21:16) Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Art. No. 18,”My Soul Shall Weep In Secret (2x)
14. R. ( 27:32) What can I ask her I don’t know. It is so, it is written so well. In short ,we have to go forward to try not to stop so that nothing will pull us astray from the path. The path is only such that every step forward means to connect more and more upon greater disturbance. In this way, too, advance. Of course, here it is about connecting our hearts and intentions and to be as close to each other as possible and according to the degree of connection between us we will also feel that we are coming closer to the gates, to the gates of entry to spirituality. It is all according to how much we attach ourselves to each other more and more in our desire, our intention, our actions, and this is how we will reach it.
15. S. (28:59) The crying is like a complete loss of forces because I cannot pray just connect? Where is it that I just got out to pray anymore and cry?
R. Cry. It is clear where it comes from, everything comes from above, from the Creator. There is our next station and our final station, all right, it’ll come from there.
16. S. (29:06) To reach the Gate of Tears is that the final desired state, or can it also be in the Gate of Tears and continue in this manner?
R. No, that is impossible. It is not that you will now reach it artificially insert crying but the Gate of Tears means, as he writes here that all the gates have already been locked, and a person sees that he has no chance to take one step forward so much cell and he nevertheless wants to advance to get closer with the friends and between the friends to the Creator but he is not capable of it. Then he breaks into tears when he sees that he has no other means to reach that then he discovers that he has here before him one more gate which is blocked which is the Gate of Tears and through his tears specificly when he has no forces forward he opens that gate.
17. S. (31:36) Usually a person in a state of despair reaches the wisdom of Kabbalah and there is a contradiction here?
R. Yes, this is how it happens. I have nothing to explain here. We simply have to continue the way we are doing, just in a more intensive manner and then by that we hasten the times. It is written that Israel will hasten the times. We do not know what precisely needs to happen but there are actions that we want to connect between us and to the Creator by that we hasten the time. We accelerate the time and whatever needs to happen happens more quickly.
18. S. (32:25) Can you say that it is the condition for Israel and for us those that are already learning Torah but for those who are who come to us and the Gate of Prayer and weeping are opened?
R. Well you need to think about whatever pertains to you and with respect but whatever happens this way or that way. We will be smart smart later. I do not recommend now to start building some method of correction for those who come. Let us first go through at least the first few spiritual degrees. Then we will be able to feel what it is like.
19. S. (32:23) Can we be more precise? What is the state?
R. This is how I feel about myself and my desire. Everything that we are talking about is how a person feels inside of himself. How he feels his connection with his friends, with the Creator and his connection in general with the whole world. It is about that. It is only about the person’s feelings inside of his desire.
S. How to know the force of the state?
R. The severity of the state?
S. Yes, the intensity.
R. I cannot weigh it. I cannot measure it. Only later when we will have a connection with the other force, the force of reception,against the of bestowal, light opposite the coarseness. Then we will be able to weigh one opposite the other.
19. S. (34:40) Crying is a type of annulment?
R. Crying, weeping, Is a response that the person wants very much but he discovers that he cannot. There is the crying of a baby which is the will to receive. He cries because he cannot receive and cannot feel his will to receive. Here it is the opposite type of crying that he wants to reach the will to bestow and he is not capable of discovering the will to bestow, and he is not capable of using it in order to bestow, this is why he cries. This is why the gates open. To bestow bestow both to the friends and also to the Creator.
20. S. (35:56) Regarding the Gate of Tears, is it a one-time gate that we pass on the entrance to spirituality or is each degree a new one?
R. It is one time, just one time.
21. S. (36:18) What is the role of all of the restrictions that are placed on a person on the path to adhesion?
R. These are not these are not limitations, these are forces that direct us. They direct us to the Creator. These are not limitations. It’s like you have traffic signs on the road on which you would not reach the right place or with safety.
S. Why is it there gates that are locked and there are there difficulties and obstacles?
R. All of these things exist inside of us because we have to invert the will to receive to be in order to bestow. All of these traffic signs and obstacles,gates that exist on our path in order format our will to receive so that we will be in order to bestow. A bit more, a bit less, right, left, In all kinds of forms, these and those. This is what the path does. It makes our path on the will to receive. When we go on the path it turns out that we change significantly, our desires, our intentions. They change and we already reach gradually, the form of Adam, similar to the Creator. We start as a wild man. Some kind of mountain, of black, egoistic substance and gradually along the path we Go through all kinds of pipelines and gates and limitations and then we take on the form that resembles the Creator.
S. Where are they all pointing me towards? Where are they taking me?
R. Traffic signs point to our will to receive each time they give a form of bestowal, just flour and water and you make out of it dough and then you punch on the show until it takes on the form of, let us say, bread. In this, you need to organize the correct relation between the water and the flour and the right form of the dough, then you have to put it in the oven and it is ready for a feast.
S. What needs to be our response when we encounter the gate, the wall? How to react correctly to all of these obstacles on the path?
R. How to respond correctly to these obstacles, traffic signs or signposts? We need to see them not as a disturbance but as assisting forces because there is none else besides him only the Creator operates. He is the one that is guiding you in each and every state to the right direction specifically by standing before you and telling you that you need to go in a different direction.
23. S. (40:48 ) Does this appear only once? Does that mean that this is actually the Machson, barrier ?
R. Lets us say it is a barrier. We will reach it and then we will be familiar with these matters. But in the meantime it is not before us. We place this by this we are opposing, with our ego, to enter spirituality.
24. S. (41:46) How can I cry about lack of spirituality? I don’t know how important our goal is?
R. You need to work on it. To learn to read what is written, to work with friends, to speak with friends. Just how much the path is important. The goal is important, that there is no more in our life that we are here in the middle of the universe. There is no path other than that we will reach the one force that is operating in all of reality, which is the Creator. The method is precisely directing us towards him. Explain to yourself where you are and make the effort to rise up on the degree of the beast to Adam, man. Otherwise, like what’s all the other animals that will be our end.
25. S. (43:17) In life the things that we see in life, is it what the Creator sends us or is it that the will to receive grows and grows and we want bestowal? Is this what we lacked?
R. Also and also, both.
26. S. (43:50) Is the Gate of Tears is built by the Creator opposite all of the others so that we can go through and pass to the ability to change matter?
R. All of the gates, if we use them correctly, appear to us as locked. First beforehand we did not feel them as locked but by this we tried to get closer to the Creator, we saw that this is closed, and only one gate is left and that is the Gate of Tears. When we reach it, we seemingly already are in the despair of forces, in true despair of lack of forces and we have only one hope. Even if you don’t have it, it is such that we are before this condition that we have no opportunity to enter spirituality. Then we burst out and we cry in prayer and then it happens. You cannot reach the Gate of Tears before you pass through all of the gates. You need as quickly as possible and to use all of our opportunities to connect between us and turn to the Creator and to reach a state that we are incapable of. When do you see that you’re incapable? When you have used all the opportunities and all your forces.
S. The tears are the same addition that the Creator adds in order to change our world? Is it in the matter and that makes it a wave?
R. We will reveal it after and then we will speak. It is still something that is not attained. We usually talk about things that we have already attained. In the meantime none of us have attained the Gate of Tears.
27. S. (46:29) In a situation where you recognize that there’s nowhere you can do it and then you make a decision to just surrender, just serve the Creator no matter what you got you just accepted in your intent to just give me whatever you’re going to give me and I just want to connect I just want to serve the friend, is that the stage we have to go through?
R. Also that also that and there will be a few more discernments that will be joined and added to that.
28. S. (47:15) In the excerpt it says that he should have mercy on him and remove the screen from his eyes and heart. Is this about changing the intention?
R. But I say that it is also like that, yes.
29. S. (47:55) How does it help me in my advancement in the ten, this whole matter of knowing about the gates?
R. It’s a sensation, it is not knowledge. It is an inner sensation that this isn’t working and this isn’t working and you feel that you are scrutinizing this and your sensations. All of spirituality is in the sensation. The mind is only in order to assist to arrange and sort, and check to weigh and measure our sensations. The mind has a really secondary role here. The main thing is the sensation because the sensation of the desire is its sensation.
S. This means that according to my feeling I should know what kind of gate I have before me?
R. You will feel it. You will feel it we hope soon.
30. S. (49:11) In corporeality there is a process of the surgery before you have anesthesia, is there something like that in spirituality?
R. There is everything, don’t worry.
31. S. (49:49) This is the 50th gate?
R. Let us say so. Let us say.
32. S. (50:03) When he writes that my soul shall reap in secret, why should it be done in secret and in hiding?
R. Because it is a very inner part of the person.
33. S. (50:28) How can we discern when you really want something and you are not capable of it or you simply don’t want to take advantage of all the forces you received?
R. This you will need to scrutinize only a person needs to scrutinize this.
34. S. (50:48) Is crying, crying because of inability?
R. The weeping? There are all sorts of kinds. From that of a baby to that of an adult, a woman or a man. In every degree you have this weeping crying. Weeping shows a lack and inability to reach for oneself what you want.
35. S. (51:22) How come at the Gate of Tears is so important for the Creator?
R. After a person attains the Gates of Tears they can turn to that Creator and correct, cry, request and receive help from the Creator. This is what the Creator wants to give a person assistance because of course without the assistance of the Creator a person cannot reach anything spiritual.
36. S. (51:54) Should the whole ten reach the Gate of Tears together?
R. The entire ten? Part yes, part no, depending on how each one is incorporated with the other.
S. You mentioned in the beginning how each one should be a representative of everyone towards the Creator. How do we do that?
R. Try and then see if it is possible or not. You need to be like a father, like a leader for the whole group. That is the force of Arvut that obligates each and every one.
37. S. (52:44) If I understand correctly, out of the prayer a person can work and lie to himself but if he is weeping he cannot lie to himself this is a true state?
R. No, also and weeping he is lying to himself and others and it’s not true.
S. In that state of weeping he will see that he is lying to himself?
R. No. He cannot. We lie to ourselves. We think that we know that we are talking truth and feeling truth and then later see, no. Never you will ever be able to say about your state that you have already reached the truth, never.
38. S. (53:47 ) This is actually the first attempt by a person under pressure he feels so release, relief?
R. Yes.
Excerpt 3 (54:10) Rabash Letter 14 “Then one is rewarded with everything by overcoming..”
39. S. (58:55) What is the meaning of tears in spirituality?
R. We just learned that a person of course he’s entirely at the will to receive for himself on the intention to receive and he has no desire or forced to do actions of bestowal, to direct himself to want the intention to bestow but he makes the effort to do this some actions of bestowal actions of connection, and part of them he can he may succeed that’s called in the on the level before spirituality, like in this world he can connect with her friends and so on but later on he sees that he’s not capable more than this and then in order to reach to enter connection from between him and the friends and between everyone.
The Creator he needs greater forces and he doesn’t have such forces and then he makes the effort this way and that like a little kid that’s trying to do every witch way and doesn’t calm down and when he reaches a state that he reveals that he’s incapable of working out with the forces of connection in his heart or mind then he bursts out and crying out, out of despair. When he reaches this he also reaches a stage where he sees that only the Creator can help him and then he truly is privileged in this that he receives the assistance from above.
S. Do we need to have tears so that our prayers will be accepted?
R. Tears we don’t need to sit and cry rather the Gate of Tears is called the gate that like in our life a person can burst out and in weeping from despair from this he greatly wants but also reveals that he cannot attain it, and then in such a manner also he is in an attitude towards the spiritual work that he greatly wants to enter connection with the friends, connection with the Creator and he cannot. Then he bursts out in weeping.
S. How is crying weeping different than a prayer?
R. Prayer is revelation of the request but revelation of the request that he is sure that he cannot help himself anymore he is entirely only dependent on the assistance of the upper force, that’s called weeping, that there’s a true lack on the one hand and the confidence that he cannot realize it himself that’ the other hand and that brings him to weeping.
S. Can we use the Gate of Tears in order to open up the other gates?
R. Yes the Gate of Tears is all that we need to attain and to open up by our tears, by the recognition of our weakness that we’re incapable of passing up the Gate of Tears, by this we reach a state that the gate opens up.nce to spirituality. I don’t have an interest to spirituality and then I burst out because I don’t have any more who do and then I burst out here weeping from helplessness, lack of hope, like a direction always lacking, lacking, lacking, and then this gate opens up but it won’t help person here that he just sits and cries, it needs to be not a corporeal cry but an inner spiritual cry.
40. S. (01:04:29) What other gates are there besides the Gate of Tears?
R. We will learn this on the path. It is written in the Zohar that it’s all not so critical. All will be understood to us, like the Gate of Tears.
41. S. (01:04:55) Regarding weeping and tears are these simple emotional states of a person like when children cry or is it something deeper that we have to work with?
R. That’s not the weeping of kids or even babies and children and not the weeping of a woman, it’s a weeping of a strong man who’s big, wise and controls himself, and above all this he bursts out in weeping, meaning in attainment of the helplessness, lack
S. Why are all the other gates locked except for the Gate of Tears? Is that good?
R. Yes that’s how it needs to be, that I have no more hope let alone anything of my forces I’ve reached a gate that I am praying requesting that I will have entra of forces, lack of hope, which is truly everything is falling from his hands from his ability and he has no hope of anything. Then he reveals before him like a black hole an abyss.
S. And then what Rav, please continue. He’s inside a black pit in an abyss, at that point what happens? How do we continue?
R. Whatever goes goes. Yes, being lead onward if it’s a black hole how am I going to reveal to you what’s onward that’s no longer a black hole?
42. S. (01:07:08) Tears can be found between the intentions of giving and then the breaking of not able to give?
R. Let’s say also from that. I don’t think we need, now, to pick at this, it’s not going to help. The weeping is the summary of all sorts of efforts and actions and deeds, activities that we’ve done and we’ve seen that none of this is helping us. What does help out of the point of the inner point of concentration of ours to turn to the Creator and to truly demand of him to cry before him like a child that cries before his mother.
43. S. (01:08:23) At the end of the first paragraph it says, at that time he must reply that many pennies join into a great amount meaning to the general account whether to the root of his soul or to the public. What relation does the public have to the pennies joining into a great amount?
R. I don’t know why he’s explaining it like this. I don’t understand the question.
S. He is asking about excerpt number three at the end of the first paragraph it says he must reply that many pennies join into a great amount meaning to the general collective account whether to the root of his soul or to the whole public. He’s asking what does it mean the whole public? How is this related to the public, the collective?
R. On this and that, on both, both privately and collectively generally he needs to make a calculation yes and his entire calculation is from those same pennies that he joined gradually slowly on the path and now he sees that it didn’t help him but nonetheless he reaches not the result he desired but he also understands between us that the desired result is specifically that he despairs and doesn’t reach anything.
S. But why the actions that I make and everything that I do join this great account? What does it have to do with the public? I understand about the root of the soul how it gathers a great amount but why the public?
R. The general account that’s the meaning of the public here between the root of his soul or the public because he needs through the root of his soul to fill the general public and such each and every one as we learn from the general Arvut, the mutual Arvut, that is as a lot in the general soul of Adam HaRishon.
44. S. (01:11:46) Is it desirable that in each and every prayer we will feel the crying?
R. Weeping, crying it is a sensation of a deep black that is in a person. It could be that it is temporary in passing but we cry. As much as we grow more and more in the wisdom of Kabbalah, we cry less like in our life. Then we reach the state where we reach the Gate of Tears that truly there we burst out in a true cry out of this that we greatly want on the one hand and it is entirely clear that we cannot attain what we want. This status that we greatly want and are not capable of is actually the foundation for the burst out for the cry out for the Gate of Tears. That is the prayer.
45. S. (01:12:57) You said that a person cries a lot about bestowal but I only cry about reception and even in a connection it is about reception. It makes me sad because I do not have the possibility to truly think about connection with the Creator. I can reach that I can feel the Creator somehow?
R. I didn’t understand the question.
S. I need to somehow disconnect from this state. I’m in a state of self reception. How do I make a small effort?
R. Nonetheless, you need to think about connection. Study and connect more than this you have no more of what you do and spirituality and then you will reach a state that you are despaired and despair and you will have more and more weeping. Why don’t I attain, why don’t I feel and why, why, why. It is still an egoistic type of cry. Gradually, it is by the light that reforms nonetheless it will change you and you will reach a weeping that you will want to ask and you will ask yourself why I don’t reach a connection. I see others are connecting, they’re closer to one another and I cannot do you like them and so on.
Then it will be a different weeping for you on your qualities and why you are not truly bestowing and getting closer to others and not helping them and not together with them. That you are like looking at them from your height and you always have this sensation of distance between you and them and your ego is manipulating you so much that you do not even notice. Each time you look at them from afar through some last something that is separating between you and you do not let them get closer and you also connect closer to them. More and more you feel just how isolated you are from friends and in this manner only can you begin to understand how isolated.
How to connect them to them more because in the extent that you are incorporated with a friend truly as one man and one heart, and in this extent you are incorporated with the Creator. You see that you are incapable and more and more each state that you are incapable and more and more we will even be less capable. Maybe soon you’ll become capable but maybe soon you will be capable, then you reach the Gate of Tears. Each and every state and there’s many many more states ahead gradually, you go forward and get truly closer to the Gate of Tears until you burst through it. The main thing is don’t stop. doesn’t matter if you’re doing correct work or not, correct actions or not. The main thing is the more the better, as much as possible. Although as Baal HaSulam writes, that it is better sometimes that a person sits down and does nothing but whoever doesn’t understand in the meantime it is better that he does more.
46. S. (01:17:04) How will we know if we are going to cry a little or alot?
R. Ask yourself no one can tell you this.
47. S (01:18:10) Since the Gate of Tears is something personal not everyone feels it at the same time, can we compare it to the people of Israel’s side of the work in private providence
R. Yes, correct.
S. The crying that we are talking about it’s not out of anger or sadness right?
R. I didn’t get it.
S. He’s asking whether the crying we are talking about in the text doesn’t come from anger, sadness, right?
R. No, it comes from the feeling of lack of power, ability to continue to come closer with the friends into the Creator. A certain boundary up to which he could have advanced that distance, the distance that he covered on the way to the friends. Let’s say it was a human distance and he did it but when it becomes spiritual distance there he cannot, he cannot advance.
48. S. (01:20:02) Throughout this lesson we talked about tears. From what I heard there are different reasons for tears. We said that a person wants to achieve spirituality and can’t so like a little kid he starts crying, we also said that a person who wants to attain spirituality put in everything that he couldn’t do it and he’s crying because he’s out of power out of strength, we also said that a person put in everything that he could he turn to the Creator. The Creator doesn’t answer so a person starts crying again because he gets no answer from the Creator, so these are all different kinds of tears. What are the real tears that open the Gate of Tears?
R. Maybe you can say that these are tears that come from the bottom of the heart. That a person attains his will to receive that he can never reach any form of giving, bestowal, connection with the other, the feeling of the other, to any extent anything and everything he had before when he felt that he was coming closer to the friends, touching the other treating the other nicely all of that he now discovers that his nature is opposite from bestowal, and is an infinitely opposite from the other and that’s why he has no chance to connect with the other meeting with the friends. He is never so infinitely distant from him and the Creator infinitely distant from the Creator and he has no way of approaching him; that’s the revelation of truth. The matter of the 50th gate, the Gate of Tears, will learn about it.
S. I remember you once told us, you came up to the Rabash and we’re all despaired and he said why don’t you ask. Once I’m despaired of my inability to attain whatever it is so I have the form of why don’t you ask so I pray so am I not ruining the tears by the prayer?
R. Here it means that if I pray I discover what’s in my heart. Not that I’m speaking of some words written in a book of prayer, which means the work in the heart where I discover the desires that are at the bottom of my heart and I offer them to the Creator.
S. The prayer doesn’t stand in the way?
R. No, a true prayer cannot interfere with anything.
49. S. (01:24:33) To continue his thought I heard that we’re not reaching the tears until we go through all the other gates, only then can we come to the Gate of Tears. I also heard that we have to hold onto the Creator like a little kid begging all the time.
R. Scrutinize what’s in you seriously each and everyone of you as much as you can in turn to the Creator each and every moment with what you have scrutinized.
Excerpt #4 (01:25:14 ) Letter 26 : “The door is in the place of the opening when it’s locked…”
50. R. (01:26:34) This won’t help us now we have to think about it. Maybe later we will see.
51. S. (01:26:52) Is the effort to constantly try and come out of descent is what leads to the Gate of Tears ?
R. If those are correct trials and attempts then, yes.
S. When this kind of opening opens up, this kind of entrance, do you need to take some additional action in order to get in or once it opens a person can just go in?
R. The door opens and you enter and you begin the true spiritual work.
S. And about something you said earlier, a person that’s engaged in the wisdom of Kabbalah, I understand that over time he starts crying less and less and eventually when he already sees exactly what he wants and he can’t attain it then the Gate of Tears opens. Why does a person start crying less and less on the way?
R. Seemingly he has when he can do something he sees that there’s something to do before him a group attend he has to connect with them he has to know he has to study, he also has to connect his work in the ten with the study, meaning he sees that there is intellect and there’s a feeling and that’s how he advances so there’s no problem. He doesn’t feel himself only in the feelings of the heart and then he cries know he knows what to do he’s got work he’s got studies many things he has to do with his brain not only with the heart, and when he gets to a state where he sees how much he did not attain and he is not capable of and before him is only the work and the intention to bestow it’s impossible then he breaks down.
S. So it’s the point where a person is despaired of his own powers?
R. Of course.
S. When the Gate of Tears opens, and you’re in a state of constant prayer is that like adhesion to the Creator?
R. When the Gate of Tears opens up he begins to see before him the true work. True work. It’s what we just read number four excerpt number 4. In the place of the door that’s where the opening is when it’s closed. Incorporeality you can see the door just as you can see the opening. In spirituality you see only the opening. You cannot see the opening unless with complete and pure faith then you see the door and at that moment that you see the door it turns into an opening. Because he is One and his name is One. Since there are no two things from the perspective of the Creator either one or the other because he is also in the opening and he is also the door and he’s also the wall where there is no opening and no door relative to the Creator there’s no difference.
S. When we are talking about adhesion with the Creator, a state of constant prayer where he prays all day long is this a state that is beyond the Gate of Tears?
R. This opening is by itself called the Gate of Tears. Where you can cross it only after being despaired of one’s forces and as much as you can.
52. S (01:32:29 ) In the scrutiny of the tears and sorrow is there no sense of shame or recognition of evil?
R. Keep going with your question and it will become clear.
53. S. (01: 33:05 ) The first door opens and there’s another opening there?
R. We will cross and we will see when you have the keys, we’ll learn what is a lock and what is a key maybe go to the next part.