TUESDAY PRAYER: HOCHMA-TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNIGHT AND DAWN TUESDAY
Zohar for All. Introduction of The Book of Zohar. The Donkey Driver, item 78
Morning Lesson January 08, 2023 Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 1:
Zohar for All. “Introduction of The Book of Zohar”. The Donkey Driver. #78
Rav’s Introduction: Yes, let’s read.
Reading 78 (00:33)
1. R. (03:42) Yes, he is trying to tell us that the complete package of bestowal from above downwards ends only in Shabbat, Sabbath. And the even though there are special other days on the way meaning special stops, special discernments the true signature of what the Creator gives only arrives on Shabbat.
Reading 79 (04:27)
2. R. (06:18) Because the main impression is in Nukva and from Nukva there is an influence downwards.
3. S. (06:30) What is this package of influence over a person that he gets during the way week and what is the Sabbath in this package?
R. Sabbath is the end of development from above downwards which is entirely focused in the 6 days and then it goes to the 7th day that we call Sabbath. And it’s this sort of package that the lower can receive as a result of all of his efforts during the 6 working days. So throughout the 6 days he is focusing all of his forces, connects them and on the 7th Day receives the outcome.
S. But it isn’t that I just go through some states.
R. We obviously make special actions to connect with the Creator on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and then on the 7th day it is Sabbath and that means we can connect to the Creator with all heart and soul and achieve the complete general adhesion. This is the contents of the Sabbath, it’s the essence of the whole of a creation, that the created beings come to unity and adhesion with the Creator. This is why Shabbat is so holy, so important. It’s not that this is one special day it’s rather a state of arriving to connection, to adhesion, to unity, this is what’s special about it. So the created being achieves the level of the Creator, this is why we can call it the day of love or the conclusion of all the efforts of all the corrections.
S. So what does it mean that we’ve made an effort, we made the right effort and we can rely on the Sabbath coming and bringing us the light of the Creator?
R. If we work correctly during the sixth work days Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday then we arrive at Dvekut called Shabbat.
S. What is correct work?
R. Correct work is that we truly want to achieve connection, adhesion, compatibility with the Creator, me for my beloved my beloved for me. I learn from Him over 6 days in what forms can I resemble Him, adhere to Him and on the 7th day I reach it. I prepare myself for that state even though I don’t attain it but on the 7th day I receive a unique light from above by which I become in adhesion with the Creator. He will soon tell us more about it. It’s not that we come to it by ourselves but instead that same donkey driver, that special force guides us towards it.
4. S. (11:10) Is there a difference in the work and the correction of each day?
R. Everyone has his own work.
S. Will we learn it further down the line?
R. Yes and no, it’s clear that according to the root of the soul every person has a unique path towards adhesion with the Creator.
5. S. (11:53) I have this tiny doubt that the if the term Shabbat..you say that Netzach and Hod are two legs and we need to connect them through Yesod so that Yesod connects us to Malchut through the prayer and then Malchut will be able to rise to ZA?
R. Let’s say it is so.
6. S. (12:42) Can you explain to us the difference in how to do our work between the Sabbath eve and the Sabbath day?
R. We will soon learn that, working in the nights, working in the days, keeping the Sabbath, we’ll learn all those things.
7. S. (13:41) In the ten during the 6 days we try to build a connection between us and on the Sabbath day we bring this vessel to the Creator to be filled. How does the transition happen when we give the vessel to the Creator to be filled?
R. Based on the same principle. We want to bestow to the Creator therefore throughout the six work days, weekdays we try to achieve bestowing to the Creator; then on the 7th day we put together all our forms of bestowal, raise them to the Creator and then we receive in them what the Creator wants to give us on the Sabbath.
S. Can we influence the deficiency of the power transferring to the vessel?
R. It depends on how much we connect together and how much we dive into it and ask the Creator to help us be the givers. To become givers, that’s the main thing.
8. S. (15:43) You told us that the book of Zohar was written from the end of correction and we are on the eve of Sabbath. And so what’s left is for us to go out to the field that the Lord has blessed so we just have to ripen to that degree?
R. No we’re already on that degree where we can go out to the field and start working in it. This field is the Malchut.
9. S. (16:30) Can you describe this situation, what is the fourth leg of the throne?
R. That is the unification of the three legs which is HBD or NHY and therefore the chair has to sit on four legs otherwise it cannot stand.
S. That state is also described on the fourth day after the correction of HBD and on the 6th day after the correction of NHY. So are these 2 states or until they reach unification?
R. Two states both in Katnut and in Gadlut.
10. S. (17:41) What is special about the fourth day, what is our effort in the work to put on the fourth day because it says the fourth day unites the first 3 days and on the other hand it says that they are not completed in it. So what is the additional effort that he have to make on that day?
R. The effort on the fourth day is that we start on a higher degree than we were before in the first 3 days, we will soon get there.
11. S. (18:29) Can we say Sabbath is the moment or state in our work when the Creator listens?
R. I did not understand.
S. Can Sabbath represent our state in the work when we act correctly and then the Creator listens to our prayer?
R. Yes, of course. Sabbath is this state where we feel everything, both wholeness on the part of the vessel and wholeness on the part of the lights and of course wholeness of the coupling, the Zivug.
12. S. (19:50) What is a day in the work?
R. Day meaning when it shines, very simple. The revelation of day and night is the revelation of the deficiency.
S. What is the difference between one day and the next?
R. There are differences because the nights separate between the days and therefore they allow the created beings to reveal the days in a different way.
S. And then our work can we relate to days or are they just states?
R. Our work actually relates to the nights when it doesn’t shine. We do want to connect the nights with the days and feel the nights as days.
S. When we talk about days of creation like the 4th day does that only relate to the part of the day not including the night or it is the entire 24 hours?
R. It says and there shall be evening and there shall be morning and it’s one day, on the one hand; on the other hand we tell the difference between days and nights because on the days we discover the result from the connection and on the nights we discover the deficiency for connection.
Reading 80 (21:36)
13. R. (22:27) Because the Sabbath itself, there’s nothing in it.
Reading on 80, 81
14. R. (29:05) What does he want to tell us here? That Bina develops only when the Malchut is ready to receive from her, otherwise she does not appear.
15. S. (29:36) The name “Et” relates specifically to the light of Tvunah connected to Malchut and that’s why it’s called Aleph-Tav? And holiness is when Nukva and ZA are face to face?
R. Yes.
16. S. (30:07) It says that a person can’t exit his place on Sabbath. So what should we pay attention to regarding our work in relation to this?
R. That the work in Sabbath is not regular work, that it’s in keeping. Meaning we don’t add any works on Shabbat, on the contrary we make sure not to take upon ourselves any efforts, any works, this is called keeping the Sabbath. That what we’ve achieved throughout the 6 days we keep that and we don’t expand that, this is called keeping the Sabbath as it is.
17. S. (31:32) The work on Sabbath is about joy, gladness, praise. Should this be expressed in the ten?
R. If we keep the Sabbath then we feel ourselves as rising to the next degree, this is the reason for keeping the Sabbath. Why is it such a big rise? Because throughout all the days of the week we gather, get organized and prepare for Sabbath and on the Sabbath we receive the reward for all the work days.
S. And this ascent is expressed in the manner of gratitude or even fear because we’re afraid of losing that feeling, is this correct or should we do something else?
R. There are many conditions that we have to keep in the spiritual Sabbath and our earthly Sabbath for those who want carry out the appropriate actions. What’s important is the spiritual Sabbath which means that we’re trying to not undergo any corrections on our ego but rather we relate to it as already corrected.
S. How do I understand this boundary because there’s this expression that the old man is walking bent over and searching?
R. That’s not on the Sabbath. That’s not on Sabbath, that’s on the regular days when you are looking for what else to be corrected and on the Sabbath this work is prohibited.
18. S. (34:10) In item 80 it says that the name is honorable, these are two levels, what are these two levels?
R. It means studying the laws of the final correction which is called Shabbat, Sabbath and bringing these laws to others.
S. It turns out that in each degree we should feel the influence of these qualities and those corresponding states in order to reach the correction influencing these qualities. Should we feel them clearly in attaining the corrected state? Will we feel that clearly in us?
R. Of course, of course. All of that we need to attain clearly.
19. S. (35:34) The word “Et” we mentioned in the text and you explained that it is attributed to Malchut which is from the beginning to the end and it symbolizes the Shabbat being holy?
R. Yes, what’s to add here? Aleph is the first letter, Tav is the last letter therefore Et, Aleph-Tav, includes all the vessels in it,
20. S. (36:17) What does it mean that Malchut is ready? How can we accelerate this process?
R. Malchut is ready for the reception of all the light that Keter can bring it from the GAR of the degree to the ZAT of the degree. This means that Malchut is ready, ready to receive everything.
21. S. (37:04) If I understand correctly we’re like donkeys, the Creator created us like donkeys and those donkeys He wants to bring to the level of holiness of the Shabbat. Why do we need this huge gap between these degrees? Why couldn’t He create us a little higher than a donkey?
R. I don’t really understand your question. The gap between the degrees is not determined by us, it’s the Reshimot, that’s how all the degrees shattered. So each degree gives birth to the lower degree and therefore the relationship between them is very natural.
S. Why is there such a huge gap between our states? In the article it talks about the donkey driver and the holiness of the Sabbath, two extremes. Why did He had to create us so low in order to receive the Sabbath?
R. We have to start our work from the truest shattering, where there is no connection between the will to receive and the will to bestow and there’s no thread of connection between them. And then we look for how can we nevertheless connect to the lowest level of bestowal on the smallest degree. And this is how we begin and find the connection and rise. And this connection is actually that we can’t tie ourselves to the upper degree but through these indirect actions, this is how we activate the upper degrees. And they work on us also through indirect actions, that’s what we call surrounding light. So by these indirect actions we come closer to Kedusha, from afar and through many circles until we get closer. This is what’s happening to us now.
S. And how does this desire called donkey that doesn’t want to move from its place, how does it begin to move to higher degrees? Where does this end of the rope come?
R. This desire comes from above, from that contact, from that adhesion that existed in the beginning of creation but not through our work in which we have to achieve at the end of the corrections.
S. In this stubborn, obstinate desire there is some movement nonetheless?
R. Of course. All of our states from the worst state, from total disconnection to the best state, connection, total connection, we are all in this mixture and we only want to scrutinize how we come to the good states.
22. S. (41:30) Should we come to a permanent state of Shabbat called observing the Sabbath, is this a complete devotion to the Creator that we can compare to impregnation?
R. Yes, basically in every degree we have a state of observing the Shabbat but we have to come to a state where we keep the complete connection between us, that we come to it in such a way that we are really are keeping it, observing it.
23. S. (42:18) What is the blocking of Malchut, can you explain?
R. The blocking of Malchut is when we cannot open it up for a coupling. No, I still can’t explain it, we need several prior explanations. The Zohar will tell us soon.
24. S. (43:40) There’s the one who sympathizes with the donkey, with the person on the donkey, with the donkey driver. How do you let go, how do you switch from a state of sympathizing with the donkey to sympathizing with the human being sitting on the donkey? I have in me the one who sympathizes with the donkey or with the person sitting on the donkey or with the donkey driver. How do these transitions happen between one who sympathizes with the donkey or sympathizes with the human being who is sitting on the donkey?
R. This all depends on your work, on how much you want to rise above the donkey, above the simple will to receive that wants only to enjoy. And the more you try to know, to see where it leads you, who is leading you, by what forces it leads you, accordingly you rise. It all depends only on your demand.
S. What ties me to the donkey, what makes me sympathize with the donkey and what releases me from that connection and connects me to the human being?
R. You cannot completely disconnect from the donkey, rather you remain connected to it, sitting on it, connected, but this material can begin to work for man’s sake rather than for the donkey’s sake, for the sake of the donkey driver. And that depends on you, on how much you turn it from the ruler to the ruled.
S. How does our work on connection in the ten, the connection you constantly direct us to do.
R. Because through the connection between us we want to raise our goal higher than the work in the material so the material we work with is in order to raise our goal higher and higher. That’s man’s work and this is how we grow.
25. S. (47:04) How do we understand actions cause the illumination of surrounding light in the ten?
R. Which actions cause surrounding light, I didn’t quite.
S. What actions cause the surrounding light to work in the ten?
R. The fact that we all want to connect as much as possible in the ten, by this we activate the surrounding light. We still don’t have inner light but surrounding light we can activate already.
26. S. (48:19) We have some confusion regarding the work days, the week days. What we talk about is only spiritual degrees or we are talking about the actual days of the week as well, and if so then what do you recommend especially in terms of working on the Sabbath?
R. No, we are not learning about anything corporeal, only about spiritual degrees, only about spiritual degrees.
27. S. (49:15) How can internalize, understand internally the concept of the Sabbath in the ten? What kind of feeling is it and how can we find it and understand it?
R. The concept of Sabbath means we are connected together and we want to attain the Creator in the connection between us which is called the sanctity of the Sabbath. And we want to hold it and keep this connection between us and with Him, and this is actually the meaning of Shabbat. Each time we rise from Sabbath to Sabbath to a higher state until we come to the Sabbath of the end of correction, the final correction when all of our vessels are corrected and the Creator is revealed in all His power.
28. S. (50:57) Is there a difference between the work of the weekdays in the ten and the Sabbath in the ten, is there a difference?
R. No, we don’t feel the difference between the spiritual days of the week, we also don’t feel any holidays or anything unless we organize it. And then we feel the organization we did but not the spiritual states that approach us that come down to us. That’s why for now, for the time being we have no obligation to observe anything from the spiritual laws.
S. Can we now on this degree do some checklist that tells us if we have done such and such that we’ve prepared ourselves for the Sabbath?
R. Maybe.
R. So then what to prepare?
R. Try it. Sabbath is called when all of our desires are corrected, from reception to bestowal.
S. How to do it?
R. Try and we then we’ll talk.
29. S. (52:58) The spiritual degrees are defined by the quality of the connection between us?
R. Yes, spiritual degrees are defined and built out of the power of the connection between us.
S. So it’s the number of connections and the quality of connections, we have to optimize both, number of connections and quality?
R. Only quality, only quality. The quality of the connection determines what spiritual state we are in.
30. S. (54:15) What kind of indirect actions do we need to make in order to link ourselves to the upper degree? What are those indirect actions in our work in the ten?
R. I cannot say. Find yourselves in the state you’re in what actions you need to add in order to rise to a higher level. Normally they are actions of more connection with the friends.
31. S. (55:20) It is written that the Tvunah suffers from the blocking of Malchut because their forces are, their qualities are incorporated, what does it mean?
R. It can’t receive what it should.
S. So this means the Bina, the Tvunah?
R. Yes, normally it’s ZAT de Bina.
32. S. (55:48) What is and how is it not to do work on Sabbath for us, your students?
R. Not to do? Why not to do?
S. Not make connections on the Sabbath, what does it mean?
R. No, no, no, it has nothing to do with us. Do what you think, what you want, connect among yourselves, talk about corrections. We’re still not in states where we have to move away from corrections, we still don’t have it.
33. S. (56:35) Do we also keep that on the corporeal day of Sabbath?
R. No, absolutely not.
34. S. (56:48) What is the goal of the spiritual Sabbath that you can’t look for place to work on that day?
R. This is already when we have come to a state where we have nothing more to correct, this is already something great.
35. S. (57:13) You have explained that on the spiritual Sabbath we don’t make corrections on our ego. Can you elaborate, what is considered the correction of the ego on a spiritual Sabbath?
R. On a spiritual Sabbath anything that I don’t take for myself but only think of others, for the sake of others this is already a correction.
36. S. (57:50) How do we not corrupt or break the Sabbath?
R. How do we not corrupt the Sabbath? What examples can I give you? If I don’t think about myself.
37. S. (58:13) How to go through this next week so that the next Sabbath will actually be Shabbat?
R. I prepare myself on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday so that after the 6 days of work I have scrutinized for myself with what qualities I can engage, I can work not for myself but for the sake of others. And then therefore the state that I reach will be called Shabbat.
38. S. (59:01) What is lightning candles on Sabbath?
R. No, no, these things we will learn them separately. There are all kinds of customs on Shabbat, we will learn them, don’t worry. You will know why it’s like that, why it’s not in a different way, all of again is in order to correct our egoistic desires so they work in order to bestow.
39. S. (59:40) I heard you saying in the beginning that everyone has a root of the soul and a unique path to reach the Creator. What does it mean that each one has a unique path? What does it mean in our work?
R. Because in each one there is a real point, a personal point of his own. That’s why he has his own unique way of correcting that point.
Reading Item #82 (01:03:25)
Reading Item #83 (01:06:22)
40. S. (01:11:41) It is said to keep the Sabbath in plural that it’s a circle with the square in it. What does it mean?
R. A circle is what we cannot describe in any way in our feelings. A square is what we can perceive, it is limited from all its sides, this is why it’s more approachable, more accessible. Here you have a variety of thoughts to remember the geometry of a square and a circle, all kinds of mathematical exercises. In short for us it’s about how we can make Malchut using linear actions to turn it into such that it becomes absolute. In this we attain, this is what we attain meaning how should we through our actions how can we come to state where Malchut becomes ideal, spiritual. We will discuss this, I will find the right words.
S. The Malchut, this Sabbath, the circle, that it becomes a circle by the force of bestowal, Bina?
R. Precisely because we perform these efforts the Creator operates on them. When the Creator operates on our efforts they become integral, they become common, full.
S. He also added today that Bina cannot give to Malchut until it’s asks, until it’s ready. What expresses the readiness on our part?
R. When Bina wants to use the quality of the Creator and the created being together she’s in the middle between Keter, Hochma, ZA and Malchut. She can connect within her those two qualities, the quality of the Creator Keter and Hochma and the quality of the created being, ZA and Malchut and in this way collect within her all of the creation. We will read about it, the main thing is that in us following our study these qualities will be created, these movements so we will feel that it’s possible, that we can approach the qualities of the created being, incorporate in them and exist in them.
41. S. (01:15:33) From the previous item not this one you said we need to work for the donkey driver so that’s why we need to keep the spiritual Sabbath between us, like a force that keeps us from our ego, leads us to adhesion with the Creator. Is that the state Malchut asks from Bina?
R. We need to try each and every moment to rise to a higher force of bestowal than the force of our reception, that’s basically what we need. And over this we need to ask the Creator to do this for us, to help us, not only us but rather all of the humanity, everyone. This is our prayer basically.
42. S. (01:16:52) Earlier you said that we are a result of different souls. How to keep the focus to be in Shabbat, in the awareness of Sabbath everyday?
R. Because each and every day we have a part of Shabbat. On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, we don’t have names for the days in Hebrew we say the first day, the second day, the third day except for Sabbath which has a different name. We count the days and the seventh we call Shabbat. It’s a different name and also its name it’s not a special day, the meaning is that you stop the preparations above our ego, that’s why it’s called Shabbat. to rest.
43. S. (01:18:59) The state of Shabbat is felt mutually in the ten?
R. Also individually.
44. S. (01:19:25) I’m not clear that there is a different Shabbat, the middle line that didn’t receive Mochin of Kedusha. What is a different Shabbat?
R. A different Shabbat means we make it.
S. What is the shame?
R. We make it out of our efforts.
S. And then what happens?
R. We want a will to receive that is made of all the desires connected this way to the Creator and we will be in the centre holding it and aiming it to be in connection with the Creator. The Creator will enter into it and fill it.
S. And what is the middle point that it mentions here?
R. The middle point is the middle point, the centre of the connection.
S. It connects both the Saturdays?
R. Yes. We need to connect the first Saturday with the last one. The first Shabbat the Creator did and the last we do.
S. And then there will be no shame, we cancel the shame?
R. Yes of course. This is why you will keep my Shabbat.
45. S. (01:21:05) What is the soul in accordance with what we read?
R. The soul is a part of God above and it fills our desire, the will to receive. Only in the state that the will to receive is in order to receive the soul is not seen and accordingly when we want to discover the will to bestow and to cling to our soul, to the Creator, to resemble the Creator than the soul shows itself more and more, its action. And this is how we discover it, we discover it in us.
46. S. (01:22:23) Is it the condition that our prayers get answered that our prayers aim at increasing the quality of the connection between the friends? Is that the basic condition for the prayer to get answered?
R. Yes.
47. S. (01:22:51) Why in Shabbat in the day that is called Shabbat the night was not mentioned?
R. Because the night illuminates like the day.
S. It says night and day will shine but in Shabbat it doesn’t mention anything.
R. In the night of Shabbat it’s a night of corrections and usually in the night of the seventh day you’re also learning and studying because it adds a lot of light.
48. S. (01:23:35) What is the intention that it’s tight? What does it mean to be crowned?
R. Under the crown, crowning the action there are all the individual actions. It’s simple, that’s how it is.
49. S. (01:24:36) You said that Keter and Hochma unite Bina with ZA and Malchut. You said that there we acquire the property of the Creator, the quality of the Creator. Does this happens gradually or will happen only at the end of correction?
R. Bit by bit, it takes time, it’s on the way to the final correction.
50. S. (01:25:19) What are the linear actions of Malchut that you talk about?
R. Linear? I’m not sure what you’re referring to, about what? Linear meaning depends on something in a linear way, so what is this exactly about?
51. S. (01:26:19) I’m very interested to find out the difference between Wednesday the 4th day and Shabbat.
R. Wednesday resembles Saturday because it is after Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, meaning the first, second and third day. Something should be as the fourth day as the day of Shabbat, it’s the day that summarizes these three things. But because on the 4th day we’re missing the coarseness of Malchut it doesn’t reach correction and we need to add more coarseness from the fourth, fifth and sixth days and bring an addition of matter with them to the first, second and third days and then we reach Shabbat, Saturday.
52. S. (01:27:52) Inside the system of correction that we perform in the practice of our evolution what place, what role feel fulfills Shabbat?
R. Shabbat is the final correction, it’s a summary of all the efforts we’ve done until now.
S. So if so to Shabbat we reach only in Lishma?
R. True, Shabbat is only reached certainly in the complete Lishma.
53. S. (01:28:29) Our correction goes from above downwards the opposite way meaning Shabbat, Friday, Thursday, so on or am I confused?
R. No, this is how we rise in adding to ourselves more and more forces of reception to correct them in order to bestow.
54. S. (01:28:54) Do I need to bestow to the Creator that He is the force of bestowal or bestow to the friends and to the world?
R. Both. We need to try to join the Creator, to receive the force of bestowal from Him and through us in our connection to spread this force of bestowal to the whole world.
55. S. (01:29:24) Can a person experience all six days and the seventh day in one day? Do we have to go through it as a package of 6 days or can we hasten time and arrive directly at Shabbat?
R. I don’t think it’s possible, I think it should come gradually.
S. Can’t we depict this package as 6 different days?
R. No, no, it’s not related here. Our corporeal world only exists in our imagination.
56. S. (01:30:12) I heard that it says I heard this from my father, that the Shabbats are mine. What father do they refer to?
R. It’s probably the son of Rabbi Shimon talking.