YESOD: TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN

Baal HaSulam. Introduction to “From the Mouth of a Sage”

Morning Lesson September 01, 2022 Transcription

Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio

Baal HaSulam. Introduction to “From the Mouth of a Sage” (start with: “It is written by our sages and in The Book of Zohar”)

Reading (00:22) Introduction to “From the Mouth of a Sage” “It is written by our Sages..”

1. R. (02:22) What is happening here, the whole Torah writes about the human development, all of humanity altogether and everyone individually and it’s all interconnected and we have to discover that. Revealing what is written in the Torah is called the revelation of His holy names because it’s the appearance of the Creator, his preparations, his design towards humanity and so forth. That is how we should advance ourselves in order to understand what is written in the Torah, in the internality of the Torah.

Reading continues (03:07) “This is why he explains to us….”

2. R. (06:12) Is it completely imperceptible to our mind, that it’s not used to this kind of style?

3. S. (06:28) What does it mean that in the Mitzvah is the light and on the other hand to the Mitzvah is the Kli?

R. It’s a simple matter according to how the will to receive was created in an opposite form to the will to bestow, the connection between the will to receive and the will to bestow is that one has to be opposite the other. Then also the will to receive transforms to become similar to the will to bestow, so there is a regularity here, a set of laws of how the will to receive has to invert to become like the will to bestow. Each and every desire in the will to receive, which is 613 desires all in all, so each desire needs to undergo changes, now it’s not the desire itself that changes. We say that but it’s confusing, rather on each desire to receive we have to change the intention for in order to receive to in order to bestow and then it becomes similar to the Creator’s will to bestow. Here comes the question, how can we do it?

And by what process do we do it? By what forces do we do it? How can we see where we need to go, towards what form and who’s advancing us, ultimately who’s doing it, because if we’re all just a will to receive how can we become similar to the Creator’s will to bestow, we cannot, that’s it. Unless there are people in whom there’s already from birth a spark, a beginning of the will to bestow, we call it a spark. That spark burns in them, it’s on fire in them and accordingly people feel they have a tendency toward spirituality, true spirituality, not mysticism or philosophy, true spirituality. Then they arrived in a state like we are in and for them, Kabbalists write books, stories and articles to allow these people to advance. Then we can advance in order to bestow meaning towards resembling the Creator as well as help others, and that’s basically the whole essence of our organization.

S. How by helping others can we fulfill the Mitzvah and correct the desire?

R. We all have to reach resemblance to the Creator, each of us is a small fragment of the shattered Kli, and so in each of us we have parts that are broken from the entire Kli. Man’s correction is that he ultimately needs to incorporate with all of the vessels and in connection with them, work on correcting his will to receive in order to bestow. At first between them, on the first degree, when they still do not identify the Creator, like say children that are when they are small they don’t look at the adults unless they need something, but they only deal with those similar to them. Then when they grow more and more they learn from the adults and want to resemble them, it is the same with us.

4. S. (11:39) Yesterday we are studying from the excerpts that the real Kli is a need for the Creator’s help and here the vessel is a commandment and here it’s talking about a different Kli. What’s the Kli he is talking about here?

R. The Kli is called the will to receive in order to bestow by which you can bestow, this is called the corrected Kli. Before that the same Kli could be broken which means it’s with an intention in order to receive, in order to move from the broken Kli in order to receive to the corrected Kli in order to bestow you need the force of correction that’s called the light, the upper light.

S. Meaning the vessel has some kind of stages of quality, there’s this Kli and the Kli in the super vessel, what does this mean?

R. Each and every degree in the vessel there is a desire to receive that appears and in that desire to receive appears a deficiency to be the giver and resemble the Creator, and accordingly this Kli comes closer to others and creates a group with them. The group becomes 10 Sefirot as they complement each other, and resemble each other in that they have a single goal, yet each one has a different role and in connecting their roles, they try to establish between them the form of the Creator this uniform shape of bestowal and thus they become a part of the upper reality.

5. S. (13:54) Practically what is the Mitzvah, what are those Mitzvot?

R. Mitzvah means that I do an action in order to bestow, transgression means that I do an action in order to receive, because we include many desires if we study them, we will see that in our inner structure altogether we have 620 or Taryag, 613 desires that could be in order to receive or in order to bestow and each and every desire has to change its form in order to bestow. This is called making a Mitzvah, commandment.

6. S. (15:13) This transition from the 18 to the deposits is not clear and also the word Pekudim is not clear. I don’t comprehend it. I feel that there’s something more to it. Can you clarify it?

R. I don’t understand what you’re talking about.

S. I’m talking about the part where he is talking about the Pekudim, deposits. Why are the Mitzvot called one this way and that way. I don’t understand why he needs to make this differentiation.

R. Okay, he doesn’t explain it here but I will tell you 18, means councils, Pekudim, this comes from Pekudot, instructions, meaning that we have to fulfill and carry out all these laws of connecting to each other in order to bestow and from us to the Creator. First in the form of Eitzot, 18, advise, councils and and then Pekudot, it also comes from the word Pekadon, deposits which means we receive in order to bestow the upper light. So council’s mean that we just achieved the quality of bestowing in order to bestow, the quality of Bina, the degree of Bina and Pekudot means we’re already in reception of the light, the Pekudon, the deposit.

Where we receive the light in order to bestow so the degree of receiving in order to bestow is already called the light of Hochma, the degree of Hochma. That is how we achieve these two degrees and the degree of Hassadim and Hochma and the degree of Hassadim, Mercy, we are in a state of partial correction, and when we receive an order to bestow that is already a complete correction. That is all. The difference between the degree of Bina, bestow in order to bestow and the degree of Hochma, receiving in order to bestow. By doing both we come to the Keter.

7. S. (17:40) How should we understand that reception of the Torah and the carrying of the Mitzvot starts only from through the revealed?

R. Because we don’t understand what is hidden and all the things that we read, we read them in the form that is revealed, that is how it is revealed to us. When I take the Torah, I read it as a story, when I talk about the corrections in order to bestow and my desires then I also accept it as things that can seemingly be done in our world without actually changing myself but just doing things mechanically, physically, and so that is called a time of preparation. But from that we have to understand that our work all together needs to be to achieve the true action which is an intention to bestow.

8. S. (19:08) He writes that the word Pekudim is from Pekudon, deposits, how can we raise this point?

R. I don’t understand what you’re saying.

S. He says that the word is from Pekudim is from Pekudon, deposits, can we raise the interest rate?

R. I don’t understand what you mean by interest rate.

S. For the deposit to be even greater, how do we make it greater?

R. It’s not us doing it, we are directed from above, that depends on man’s strength how capable he is of overcoming.

9. S. (20:08) He always uses this concept that you see the world in your eyes, what does it mean to see the world in your eyes when you’re alive?

R. You shall see a world in your life means that I need to discover the entire upper world, the whole Kli where the Creator is present in full, as I am discovering it while being alive now it’s not about my present corporeal life, but rather discovering it in your life, meaning in a way that the Creator appears to you in life.

S. If a person doesn’t attain it in his reincarnation what happens?

R. Don’t worry.

S. What does it mean to reveal this world?

R. It means in your will to receive.

S. In the qualities of bestowal?

R. Yes, that you assume the correction in order to bestow over all your desires accordingly, you discover the Creator and this is called you shall see a world in your life.

S. How exactly do we attain this upper world?

R. You attain the world in your will to receive based on your intention in order to bestow.

S. And what is this work?

R. To achieve the intention in order to bestow.

9. S. (22:00) It’s written here in this excerpt that it’s similar to a person who deposits precious stones and gems into a vessel to finally take this vessel and guard it from robbers and everything that talks about about the vessel, and the main thing is not the vessel but what’s inside of it, what are these robbers?

R. It’s your qualities, your egoistic qualities. They are all robbers and thieves.

S. And what can guard this thing?

R. Your connection to the group, you yourself cannot, thieves meaning they want to steal what you have but the robbers actually want to kill you. It’s those desires that of yours that attack you in what you have in sanctity but not what you have that you have in contact with it, they want to ruin all of that.

Reading (23:21) “It is known in the books of Kabbalah..”

10. R. (23:55) Blessed be He includes everything, if you say that towards the Creator you are referring to all his qualities as one.

Reading continues (24:06)

11. S. (25:21) How will we internally direct the common goals so that our demand within the group is one?

R. We have to connect and we have to clarify exactly what we want and how much we support each other and how much we are aiming at the same goal, how this one goal because you can’t reach it if you’re not connected, meaning the goal itself which is the Creator connects us. It’s already somewhat between us in order for us to aim ourselves to reach him, and that is how we organize ourselves, meaning everything is basically connected to our present connection and our future connection in the Creator, how much we want to bring each other closer.

12. S. (26:48) What are the names, the Holy names, what does it mean to attain a name?

R. The Holy names, meaning the influence of the Creator on the created beings appear in the created beings in their 10 Sefirot and in what way? That the created beings feel that same bestowal that the Creator is connecting them and guarding them. That’s the feeling that the Creator gives created beings by which they can strengthen and also increasingly sanctify in bestowal towards Him this is called the Holy Ten Sefirot. There is the Holy Ten Sefirot, the Holy names which is exactly the following the names of the Ten Sefirot and there’s more in between, the whole Torah is referred to the Holy names which is the appearance of the Creator in the vessels of the created beings and ultimately it is called the one Holy name.

S. What does it mean to attain the name of the ten in the ten, is it to attain a manner of certain connection?

R. Yes, the higher the name the more inclusive it is of all the manners and the relationships of the Creator towards us. How all our requests and pleas towards the Creator need to come together towards a single name until there is a direct HaVaYaH and opposite HaVaYaH on our part.

S. It’s felt according to the quality of the name?

R. It’s felt within us, inside our Kli to the extent that we can connect between us and then our mind and emotion and perception changes everything, changes and the connection between us appears in a more meaningful and practical way and within that lies the Creator, the single force that governs us.

S. What does it give the Creator when we attain it in this way?

R. We don’t know except that he is content when we raise ourselves to his degree. This is what is called his desire to benefit the created being, benefit how, by helping us rise all the way to his degree which is what is called, the children of Israel return all the way to the Creator.

Reading continues (30:10)

13. S. (32:15) The friend is continuing, how not to get confused, we’re saying the spiritual vessel is the Masach and Ohr Hozer, if so what is the intention?

R. The Masach and Ohr Hozer, screen and reflected light is exactly the intention.

S. One sometimes we define the vessel as a measure of yearning not just to desire and sometimes, what is the difference between the yearning and the desire?

R. You’re asking about that, what are you beginners, desires is the desire that comes to us from the Creator and it is a desire that cannot be used until it is aimed at something, someone and the desire that is already aimed then we measure it by the yearning and how much it yearns and what for and accordingly we talk about the desire, it’s size, its direction and so forth.

S. Is there a difference between the yearning and the intention?

R. Of course there is but I don’t understand who is asking this in your group there. How could it be that a person’s in the group with such questions and that these things are still not clear to him. You need to try to explain this to everyone. It’s not questions to me, it’s questions to you. You have a friend among you or a few friends that still have these questions. Try to fix these things, you’ve learned these things a long time ago and we more or less go back to that each time.

14. S. (34:32) He’s talking about the intellectual soul, what is that?

R. The intellectual soul, let’s say it’s not a spiritual soul but intellectual how much a person understands and feels in his current vessels of reception let’s say that’s that for now.

S. That same soul remains in a corporeal level and does not reach a spiritual level?

R. That’s still before spiritual attainment let’s say.

Reading continues (35:49) “Yet we can understand….”

15. R. (41:15) So what’s in here he wants to tell us the whole Kli that the Creator created by the light of Ein Sof is ultimately entirely, even though it goes through many different states and it all happens through us, we all ultimately come to its complete correction and then we become ready and intended for the fulfillment of the light of Ein Sof that will fulfill us and and 100% so that our vessel will be completely fitting for the light of Ein Sof and that’s our work and that’s our final state.

16. S. (42:04) What does he mean that the light of Torah is equal, that every soul is equal to the light of Torah what is the connection here?

R. That each and everyone by his incorporation in the others and all the souls must attain the whole light of Torah that comes from the Creator, that the Creator dedicates to creation.

S. What is a soul?

R. A soul means a will to receive that it’s aimed in order to bestow towards the Creator.

S. This is a soul?

R. Yes, you can say not Neshama, soul, but Yechida but generally we come to identification already in the degree of Neshama.

S. You’re saying there’s no souls but we need to attain this?

R. We need to attain the vessel of Neshama in which the light of Neshama will appear in permanency, in addition to that there will also be Haya and Yechida.

17. S. (43:20) Why in the previous text he said that the Torah and Commandments are only in order to correct Israel?

R. Yes, Israel means one who longs for the Yashar Kel straight to the Creator, it’s a person aimed directly at the Creator that is called Israel, so the whole Torah is the upper light that comes to us from above from the Creator it’s called Torah from the word Ohr light our meaning our corrections that we have to do by the light in order to bestow. Each time I take my will to receive and transform it from in order to receive to an order to bestow, that’s called making a commandment, which is the commandant of the Creator, that is how he wants me to correct myself and that’s how we advance. The whole Torah is the general light that influences us gradually and we correct ourselves gradually in our corrections that we make, this is what is called the Commandments which is the commandant of the Creator to achieve equivalence of form with Him that is his commandment.

18. S. (45:18) It is written Israel and the Creator are one, meaning Israel and the Creator are one, where’s our work?

R. Our work is by carrying out the 613 Mitzvot meaning all of our desires will be in order to bestow in which two states which will be completely similar to the Creator.

19. S. (45:56) The word Mitzvah is connected to religion and Judaism, maybe we can replace it?

R. No problem. There’s no problem here, everyone interprets it that way they want. Mitzvah means the Creator’s Commandment that we will be similar to Him to achieve equivalents of form with Him that is what is called a Mitzvah, other people call it different things. There are corporeal Mitzvot and there are spiritual Mitzvot, we are talking about the spiritual Commandments meaning that a person corrects his desire in order to bestow his internality.

20. S. (46:37) Using the word council’s is it possible instead of Mitzvot?

R. Sure.

21. S. (46:46) In the text it says he gave it to his servants to the prophets and the servants of the Creator, what is the difference in these states?

R. These are degrees of our connection with the Creator, how much we resemble the Creator, so there are many degrees and every degree has a different name of Him,of His.

22. S. (47:15) What does it mean?

R. That we discover the evil within us and we want to correct it and that’s how the Torah expresses the situation.

23. S. (47:35) I heard previously that there are people that are born from the beginning with a certain spark, before the will to bestow, does it mean that a person is born with a spark or without it and he won’t have it or will he be able to develop it throughout his life?

R. It will develop in all people bit by bit gradually but one who feels in his corporeal life a tendency to understand spirituality, feel spiritually, connect to spirituality, that is called that he has a spark, a point in the heart and that spark pulls him forward.

24. S. (48:19) I heard previously that you spoke about these huge negative forces that get revealed, where would a person, the strength to rise above this negative force, even the smallest one.

R. It’s like we rise up the ladder from degree to degree from one rung to the other rung to right to left to right to left and that’s how we rise, so there’s no problem here and also one is not being admitted to a higher degree that he cannot rise above. It’s like kids who climb up staircases, they do it with all their force with all their forelimbs, they do it with all their bodies, so for us, for each and every one, the ladder is arranged in such a way that we won’t fail but rise left and right left and right. Left in discovering the deficiency that we need when we ask for the force to rise with that deficiency, and thus we ascend.

25. S. (49:42) As if we’re just sweeping under the rug all the negative forces?

R. No, we transform this negative force to a positive force. The negative force actually gives us the height of the degree on which we rise, we need the negative force without the evil inclination, without our ego, we won’t be able to rise. There will be nothing to rise to, so the height of the ladder degree by degree, that’s man’s evil inclination, how much he transcends.

26. S. (50:28) He differentiates between the Kli and the precious stones?

R. That’s the style of the explanation, nothing more than that.

27. S. (50:47) Why after the physical Congress, when we connected into these huge actions of bestowal we again feel this deficiency?

R. That now, by feeling the great deficiency you will continue in the same fulfillment to even more than from what you had in the Congress. That you will tell the difference between what you had before, and what you had, and what you had afterwards, why not, why do you think everything has to happen conveniently, just work on it.

Try to connect as you connected in the Congress and you will attain much more than in the Congress. And don’t agree with all of the descents that you are feeling now, the descent is actually for the sake of the ascent, that you will want to rise to that state and by what? Between connection with connection between you. You have a place where you can connect and talk about it and write about it and the same, doing all kinds of actions that was unique in the Congress that you cannot do right now between you.

Don’t surrender. I’m very worried hearing these things. This means I don’t have the heroes here, people or women who can overcome and strengthen the men and everyone, that’s not good. You must really feel responsible for the future and it’s all in your hands. Even to remember what happened in the Congress, where did it start, when you had to incorporate with new people, and isn’t it the same now? Isn’t every person new every day right now as well? Let’s conclude here, be well and stay healthy and will strengthen until tomorrow, we also have the noon lesson today. I hug you and I wish you the best. Good luck.