MONDAY PRAYER: MALCHUT-TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN

READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNIGHT AND DAWN MONDAY

Baal HaSulam. Introduction to the Book of Zohar, item 69

Morning Lesson January 28, 2023 Transcription

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

Part 2:

Baal HaSulam. Introduction to The Book of Zohar. #70

Reading Item #69 (00:40) “From the above said, we can thoroughly understand..”

1. R. (01:47)This thing is certainly not Israel and the nations of the world, meaning the Jews and the Gentiles, but rather Israel means those who yearn to be Yashar-El, straight to the Creator, the nations of the world, it doesn’t matter who he belongs to, it matters that he doesn’t yearn for that, that is the real division.

Reader continues (02:10) “And also, thus, says the Lord, God..”

2. R. (02:40) Even though he got this desire innately, he has this tendency towards the wisdom of Kabbalah, the revelation of the Creator, to know what he’s living for and why he’s alive despite that..

Reading (02:59) “Which deals with the conduct of ourselves and our degrees and the intellectual path…”

3. R. (03:13) He distinguishes between the one who engages in the internality of the Torah, meaning to discover the Creator to come to Him, to equivalence of form or we are talking about things that only relate to the corporeal actions, things we can do here in this world with our hands, feet, mouth.

Reading (03:33) “And even if one does occasionally engage in the internality of the Torah..”

4. R. (04:20) This means who is the Creator, that the wisdom of Kabbalah and the people of Israel, meaning the internal parts, when they come down instead of raising up the importance. We’re talking about the children of Israel here, who are not engaging with the wisdom of Kabbalah, that is what he says, ‘But if God forbid,’ it’s the opposite, meaning a person from Israel disgraces and degrades the internality, the importance of the Torah, then he disgraces the whole world.

Reading (05:16) “Furthermore, by this they make even the externality in the nations of the world overpower…”

5. R. (06:30) Do you understand how serious this is, severe, what people are engaging in? If they are engaging in the internality of the Torah they can soar higher and higher until the final correction and if God forbid, they engage in things only in this world, then they lower themselves and all their discernments that should have been spiritual down.

6. S. (07:02) Can we say that the soul of Israel is the world Kli?

R. The soul of Israel is our Kli, yes.

S. And when he writes that the generality of the world, so is that the inner world of every person?

R. You can also say that.

7. S. (07:38) I want to repeat this sentence, it’s horrible, he says here, “redemption of Israel and the whole of Israel’s merit depends on the study of the Zohar and the internality of the Torah and vice versa. All the distractions and the decline of the children of Israel are because they have abandoned the internality of the Torah?” Who is he speaking about here?

R. He’s talking about our group as we are learning the internality of Torah, the Book of Zohar. That is why we’re probably coming closer to the final correction in the right way. Whereas the ones that do not do that, they don’t correctly advance to the right goal.

S. So what does it mean to do it? Whoever reads The Zohar can already come closer and can make it so that there won’t be such distractions like we saw last night? Can we prevent things like that?

R. Of course we can.

S. Question is: who can prevent it? We are reading The Zohar and there are still these incidents?

R. You think they should stop immediately?

S. Because all these things that we are going through, we had Corona, then we had…How can we explain this while we are reading The Zohar and so on, why isn’t it helping?

R. We have to do what is upon us, and then it ends, it ends. I don’t set conditions when I start now, this moment to engage in The Book of Zohar and in the next moment the Creator will stop everything bad in the world.

S. But why isn’t it so, when I read The Zohar, when I am trying and we are all trying, thousands of us? Why in Ukraine? Why in Israel? Why is this mess continuing, why can’t we influence the world for the better?

R. We are probably not sufficiently doing.

S. So what more should we do in your opinion? Add another grain of rice to flip the situation?

R. That I don’t know. To such an extent that it will really flip like the last grain of rice on the plates of these weights, I don’t know.

S. So what are we not doing correctly in your opinion?

R. We are doing everything incorrectly, everything. We are all of us, each and every moment, in our existence, in our will to receive in order to receive, always thinking how to benefit only ourselves, and if it is possible to do it on the account of others, even better.

S. These are very severe things. How can we change?

R. First of all understand this is the truth.

S. And then?

R. And then think how to correct it.

S. With you, together?

R. Yes.

8. S. (11:30) What I understood from this excerpt is that if we engage in the internality of the Torah we raise the world and if we engage in the externality only, we cause destruction. But on the other hand, it says everything is from the Creator, even the tiniest thought. So what is our work, what is our part here?

R. Our work is to cause correction and correction can only be caused by connection between us. So we have to think about that as much as possible about how we all connect to all of us. And try to connect from the internal part of reality of humanity until the external part of humanity; from the smallest to the biggest.

S. In other words, what is in front of us is connection, everything else is sort of a distraction, that is what we are supposed to do?

R. Yes.

9. S. (12:37) Baal HaSulam writes about the need of the internality of the Torah, that there isn’t any need even. What is the correct need that I need, for what to read, or as a surplus or what?

R. The thing is that the ones who engage in the Torah have two directions: either to engage externally or to engage internally. And this is what people do. Our work is to convince everyone to only engage in as much as possible at least in the internal work, meaning the connection between all of us, the hearts and the thoughts simply reach an embrace between everyone.

S. Personally I feel that for me it’s life. This lesson is livelihood, for someone else what is it for them, is it like excess, is it what, decorations?

R. Maybe decorations, maybe something like luxury, maybe something he hates even; it all depends on the person.

S. You also said that there is a direct connection because don’t expect to study the Torah and see something happen. Because many people expect, I invested something and I exerted, where is the reward?

R. The reward depends on everyone, not on the single person. To the extent that you all connect together you will discover that the reward is in the central point of your connection. Go ahead.

S. And even then, for the correct need, is that for a reward?

R. It depends what you call a reward?

S. What reward is correct, that the need for the Torah becomes correct?

R. The correct reward is that we are all, ‘as one man, in one heart.’ That we come back to the one heart; return to the shape of Adam HaRishon.

10. S. (15:20) What would be the correct form of study?

R. That it teaches us how to connect.

S. We do this everyday but I need to program myself to do correct actions. In the beginning of the Iesson you said that every action needs to start from the start, that everyday it should be as new. How do I do a correct action of study? I’m used to seeing rewards, seeing results, all kinds of things that I relate it to our actual study. How can we study correctly in the ten?

R. We have talked about these many times. I can’t repeat it again. The correct study, of ours in the ten, will bring us to be, ‘as one heart.’

S. But what is the action to sit and read, to sit and write?

R. To read, write and dance, to eat and to take a walk or it doesn’t matter what, as long as we do it together.

S. So what is the meaning where it says here, that the right action of the study will bring redemption or something so you can do and believe in other places.

R. I have nothing to say. You have heard this so much that I don’t have anything to add. You just need to do it everyday and then the next day you will come with new questions.

11. S. (17:20) Are there any chances to connect without the Creator? Is it possible to connect without the Creator? Suppose the Arava Congress, can we connect without the Creator’s help or only with the Creator. How to do it so we can connect along with the Creator?

R. The force of connection is only the Creator. All the rest, other than the Creator, are forces of separation. That’s why we have no choice, that we must connect and ask the Creator to make this connection, not that we are going to connect, also men and also women.

12. S. (18:21) We just read things that are very high. To tell you the truth, I’m missing to see our work as important, as high. That along with that I don’t want to become proud because of the importance of the work. How to ascribe the importance of this work that we receive without becoming prideful?

R. If we connect together and search for the center of our connection, then we see that we still cannot locate it, then it will be felt as tangible between us, and then we have no ability to be prideful. But I will feel that, to discover the center of connection can be done only with the Creator. Therefore, we need to pray for Him and to constantly have this approach to Him.

Reading #70 (19:45) “This is what is written in the Tikkunim [corrections] of The Zohar…”

13. R. (24:15) Let’s read it again. This is something very important.

Reading #70 “This is what is written in the Tikkunim [corrections] of The Zohar…” second time

14. S. (27:18) Many times it talks here about a voice calling, what is this voice, what is it calling for?

R. That the Creator through these bestowals upon people, He still wants to awaken them, to start thinking about how they need to act correctly in order to fix the connections in the world, otherwise the ego is dominating and it brings the world to this breakage.

S. Why is the answer to this call, is that no one has the intention but is where it affected me the most, is that there is no intention to give contentment even to the best among them, what does it mean?

R. Yes, it means that we have reached such a stage that before Gmar Tikkun, the final correction, we are in complete shattering.

S. We are talking about the best among them, is that us?

R. Yes, us as well among others.

S. What benefit can we find in this part, in this excerpt, what is the essence here?

R. The essence is still that we need to come closer to one another even though there are things that push us away from each other, disturbances in our mind, in our desires.

15. S. (29:14) I have no connection to the Jewish religion, but I entered a synagogue once and all I saw was Kabbalists books, and the Jews always had a connection to Kabbalah. Why is it that among Israel there’s this resistance to the wisdom of Kabbalah. What is required of us to awaken this yearning?

R. That is the Creator acting that way on purpose, so we will understand to what extent we are disturbing the spread of this knowledge about us coming closer to one another and to the Creator because that’s what Kabbalah speaks of. So that we will be able to reach the opposite state of connection of love between us. That’s how it is in everything, if we want to know something, then we need to reach it from its opposite state.

16. S. (30:37) To continue the friend’s question about the excerpt: the state of Shechina in the dust, is that our state where we feel each other not willing to accept bestowal upon others, just as we are not relating to the reception from the Creator?

R. Every rejection, every state of becoming distant, especially from the connection with the Creator, from His invite, that is our nature, and we need to stand in front of it.

17. S. (31:37) I would like to be especially grateful, when I heard the friends speaking about what happened. I wanted to tell you that in our group, there are 19 friends from 10 different countries, and we would like to thank Rav for the patience and for the study and the focus on the students. For years you have been accompanying us, and we see the tremendous effort that you are doing. So thank you for that dissemination, thank you for that great effort. It’s a privilege for us to study The Zohar because you show everyone the disease that we have to correct and the Segula, the medicine for us to raise the Shechina from the dust.

R. From me, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

18. S. (33:01) What is the externality of the Torah? How to protect ourselves from it?

R. The externality of the Torah, is the study of all kinds of actions, especially actions that we do with our body, things that need to be done, to stand, to sit, to sing, to do actions with our hands, with our legs, with our mouth and so on. These are actions that each one knows how to do without intending their hearts; that’s called external actions.

19. S. (34:27) When reading and hearing these excerpts, I was feeling shame. I need to do something in addition. Can this be expressed in more prayers and internal work because I don’t see what else I can do?

R. Yes, yes.

20. S. (34:51) It is written that a voice is in each and everyone’s heart of Israel, it pounds in their hearts: why can’t they hear?

R. We don’t hear, our ear doesn’t hear. That you watch something in your heart and you want with your heart to shout out to the whole world: I don’t hear, I’m not on the same frequency in the same wave.

S. But if the Creator speaks to our hearts, how come we don’t hear it?

R. That’s how it is, because we need from ourselves to try and connect.

S. Are we hearing this, the ones who are studying Kabbalah?

R. We need to reach the state of hearing.

S. How?

R. How, like all of us connecting as ‘one man in one heart,’ and then of course we will hear the hearts of the friends.

S. When we ask to bring all the friends into our hearts, what force will enable them to stay there. It’s really for a second, how can they become part of me?

R. If we will all want to connect, leave all this externality, all the claims, all the causes, only a desire to connect, if we all want that, then we will all succeed.

21. S. (37:10) What is the meaning of the words we read? There’s some soul that leaves and never returns. Are we talking about the soul of the Messiah?

R. Yes, this is how it is.

S. If we know that the final action is in the preliminary thought everything will be okay in the end?

R. Of course we will correct everything in the end, but from the time being it won’t.

22. S. (37:50) I want to remind you that a few years ago, you came to us and said that in the last generation you will receive a lot of light, like a spaceship, like a spaceship that brings a lot of light to the whole world. My question is, someone asked what we should do because so much light comes to the world. What should we do? What do you mean, if you remember, let’s put it this way, in the last generation is there more light in the world? Is that the reason we have such a mess in this world?

R. Yes.

S. So this is the difficulty: how to build these vessels to contain this light?

R. Connect more.

S. Then we can avoid trouble to have equivalence of form between the light and the vessel?

R. Yes, yes the closer to one another the Kli becomes larger.

S. What is the reason that the more light is revealed to the world in our time?

R. It is the general process the world is going through.

S. That’s the problem?

R. Yes, it is the problem, it is the time of the Messiah.

Reading (39:40) #70 “This is the spirit of the Messiah…”

23. S. (41:15) Could we make the mistake of falling into the habit during the study of falling into something external, rather than an internal intention of connection?

R. Yes, of course you can always fall to failures and mistakes but if you don’t hold on together, if you do hold on together, then the Creator will protect us and we can always make no mistake.

24. S. (42:40) In the beginning of the excerpt, number 70, it is written that the heart is empty even though the Shechina is between us. If the Shechina is already between us, why is the heart empty? Why can’t we attain it and acknowledge it?

R. The Shechina is always among us and we are unable to reveal it. Any point of contact, connection between our heart and the Shechina, they have different qualities. Our hearts have the quality of reception only, and the Shechina has the quality of bestowal. That’s why we need to correct ourselves and then we will feel it.

25. S. (43:38) Must all of humanity engage in the wisdom of Kabbalah or is it enough that our world Kli connects and shines to the world?

R. Our Kli is enough.

26. S. (44:15) Where does a person’s work begin, from the intention or from the prayer?

R. With understanding and determining what state a person is in and then he needs to decide what to do.

27. S. (44:35) When a person comes to the morning lesson, exerting to a certain extent, he can’t work with good quality or aim in his heart, is that considered external work?

R. In general, yes.

S. What can one do?

R. Take an example from our successful groups.

28. S. (45:23) Are we the ones who turn the Creator’s feelings to dust, is it our fault? What can we do?

R. To hold on to one another and then everything will pass.

29. S. (46:05) You said before, that our goal is to cancel our I, the self. What is the self that we have to cancel?

R. The I that needs to be canceled, that’s the ego, towards the friends and later towards the Creator.

S. How can this be done?

R. Through connection. With that we will end the lesson and we will continue tomorrow.