READING: FROM MIDNIGHT TO DAWN TUESDAY

LESSON

Morning Lesson August 27, 2023

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

Part 2:

Rabash. Explanation of the Article, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” (start with: Now let us return to explaining the refinement of the screen.)

Reading (00:34) “Now let us return to explaining the refinement of the screen..”

1. R. (11:16) I feel there are a lot of questions about it. These are not critical details, next?

Reading (11:30) “The Inner Partzuf”

2. S. (14:17) He said that the light of Hassadim is not drawn by the coarseness and is not dependent on it? So what does it depend on?

R. The light of Hassidim? Comes as a desire of the light to be in equivalence of qualities with the light. Hence, that’s how it creates itself.

S. How can you measure such a desire to be equal?

R. A desire to be equal we can measure with a screen and reflected light.

S. But we learn that a screen is measured by coarseness but here it’s not by coarseness?

R. Right because it speaks of Hassadim, the light of Hochma, where relative to working with the coarseness of the Kli?

S. So how do we measure the desire to be equal if it’s not by coarseness?

R. We can’t, we don’t have the ability to equalize with the vessel of Hassadim through restriction, screen and reflected light, it’s not the light of Hochma. We can equalize with the vessel of Hassadim only through the action itself.

S. What is the action itself?

R. That we don’t receive, we don’t work in order to receive with our coarseness and we reject the light.

S. Is this something we can also feel, this desire?

R. We can feel this desire, certainly, quicker than working with the light of Hochma.

S. So how is that felt for us?

R. By shrinking, minimizing our will to receive. In the vessels of Hochma we need to grow the will to receive, then we have to enter into action with it and with the light of Hassadim, as much as we diminish, minimize the will to receive then we turn to action.

S. So there is a measurement: is it by overcoming or what?

R. It’s measured by overcoming but the overcoming is different compared to the vessels of the light of Hochma because with the vessels of the light of Hassadim, with the vessels of the light of Hassadim, we can grow ourselves only according to the equivalence of form, when we don’t want to receive the light.

Reading (17:38) “Records”

3. S. (24:43) Can we say according to what we just read that the Partzuf is called Partzuf only when the light departs, when there’s refinement?

R. [No Translation]

S. So before there’s a refinement or the reflected light?

R. It is not considered the Partzuf.

S. So how many Partzufim are there exactly? It seems as if there’s infinite Partzufim? 

R. Why? It depends on how you are counting it but we have five worlds, each world has five Partzufim: in total twenty-five Partzufim.

S. But it’s as if every discernment is a Partzufim, every time the light enters and departs?

R. Yeah, this way you can count infinitely because every small movement builds many Partzufim and in all the worlds you can’t have change in one place that does not evoke a reaction in all the worlds. So, yes.

S. So why are they considered one-hundred and twenty-five degrees?

R. Well, you need to count it somehow. You can’t say ad-infinitum, somehow. You can’t say ad-infinitum.

Reading (26:44) “Tags and Letters”

https://kabbalahmedia.info/en/lessons/cu/YYAp2zgf

Rabash. And I Pleaded with the Lord. 34 (1985)

LESSON MATERIAL

And I Pleaded with the Lord

Article No. 34, 1985

“And I pleaded with the Lord.” RASHI interpreted that in all the places, Hanun [gracious] from the root, Hanan, the same root as for Etchanan [pleaded] means Matnat Hinam [free gift]. Although the righteous can refer to their good deeds, they are only asking the Creator for a free gift.

It is written in Midrash Rabbah: “‘And I pleaded with the Lord.’ Out of all of them, Moses prayed only with a language of pleading. Rabbi Yohanan said, ‘You learn from this that one has nothing with one’s Maker, for Moses, the greatest of the prophets, came only with words of pleading.’ Rabbi Levi said, ‘Why did Moses come only with words of pleading?’ The allegory says, ‘Take care that the place of your words will not be caught.’ How so? The Creator said so to Moses: ‘I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.’ He said to him: ‘With one who has in My hand I will be merciful; I work with him with the quality of mercy. And one who has not in My hand I will pardon; I work with him with a free gift.’”

We should understand the above said: 1) How can it be said, “I will be merciful” in relation to someone who has in My hand? The words, “One who has in My hand” come from the words of our sages, “Count for Me in your hand,” meaning that he should be paid a debt. Thus, what does it mean that the Creator said that one to whom the Creator is indebted, the Creator tells him, “I will be merciful.” He should have said, “I will pay,” as it is written, “Who has preceded Me and I will pay him?” Therefore, how can it be said that paying a debt has to do with being merciful? 2) We should understand how it is possible to have two such conflicting views, where one view is that he deserves a debt from the Creator, as he says, “One who has in My hand,” and the other is that he has nothing in his hand. In what way are their arguments so remote from one another? What is the point from which they come to such opposite views?

To understand the above we should discern two kinds in those who engage in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]. Although there is no difference between them in the actions, meaning that in terms of actions it cannot be recognized, but there is a huge difference in the intention between the two above kinds.

The purpose that the first kind wants to achieve through their engagement in Torah and Mitzvot is to receive reward for the labor, since there is a rule in our nature that it is impossible to work without reward. Thus, what compels them to keep Torah and Mitzvot is the fear of not getting the fulfillment for the deficiencies that they are feeling. They are deficient of this and that and have a strong desire and great craving to satisfy it.

Therefore, they do everything they can in order to obtain what they want. For this reason, this fear compels them to engage in Torah and Mitzvot. This is regarded as not observing the fear because of the commandment of the Creator, but because of self-benefit, as presented in the Sulam [commentary] (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” item 191): “It follows that his own benefit is the root, and fear is a branch derived of his own benefit.”

It turns out that this kind engages in Torah and Mitzvot so the creator will pay them. Thus, the Creator is indebted to them, since they made great efforts in the engagement in order to yield fruit. For this reason they come to the Creator with a demand: “Pay us for our labor.” By this we can interpret the words of the above homily [Midrash], when Rabbi Levi said that the Creator said, “With one who has in My hand,” meaning who deserves to be paid a debt, namely that from the beginning, his intention was for the Creator to pay for his labor in Torah and Mitzvot.

It turns out that he comes with a complaint, as it is said by our sages, “Count for Me in your hand.” By this we can explain the words of the above homily. However, we should still clarify why the Creator said about this argument, “I will be merciful.” What mercy is there here if he deserves to be paid a debt? How can it be said here, “I work with him with the quality of mercy”?

The second kind is those who have a completely different intention, since they want to serve the Creator in order to bestow contentment upon the Maker without any reward. According to the rule that man was created with a desire to receive for himself, how can he work without any reward? As I said in the previous articles, there are those who work in order to later receive a reward, and there are those who work because they regard the work itself as reward and payment, and they have no greater reward than to be allowed to work.

This is similar to serving an important person. It stems from nature that there is no greater reward than to serve an important person. This means that he can give everything he has in order to have the privilege of serving the King. It follows that the work itself is the reward, and he expects no other pay. Rather, he expects to have the privilege of always serving the King, ceaselessly, and this is his whole life, the whole purpose of his life, and it is imprinted in nature.

However, we should understand why the Creator created such a nature, where if the lower one knows the importance of the upper one he wants to serve Him without any reward. Baal HaSulam said about this that since the Creator created the worlds in order to delight His creatures, He created in the creatures desire and craving to receive delight and pleasure. Otherwise, without a desire to enjoy, the creature cannot receive delight and pleasure, since there is no fulfillment without a lack.

However, along with it came the matter of the bread of shame—that there is no Dvekut [adhesion] here due to the disparity of form that has been born. For this reason, there was the correction of Tzimtzum [restriction], meaning not to receive, unless it is because he wants to bring contentment to the Creator. This is why he receives from Him, and otherwise he waives the pleasure.

However, this brings up the question: If he was born with a will to receive and this is his nature, from where can he receive a desire to bestow? This is against nature! This is why He has created a second nature—that the smaller one annuls before the greater one and derives delight and pleasure from serving the greater one. Then, when he has a desire to bestow upon the greater one, he thinks, “What can I give to the Creator so the Creator will enjoy?” since he wants to impart Him with pleasure so He will enjoy. At that time he sees that all he can give to the upper one, which you could say that the upper one lacks, is only one thing: that the lower one derives delight and pleasure. This gives pleasure to the Creator because this was the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations.

It therefore follows that all that man lacks in order to have the desire to bestow is the greatness of the Creator, for as soon as he obtains the greatness of the Creator he immediately wants to bestow upon Him due to the nature that the lower one, who is smaller, is annulled before the greater one.

This is why we were given the matter of wailing over the exile of the Shechina [Divinity]. This means that the whole matter of spirituality is degraded, which is called “Shechina in the dust,” when her importance is as that of dust, which is stepped on and is meaningless. This is the meaning of what is presented, that with each Mitzva [commandment] we must intend to raise the Shechina from the dust. That is, with every action one should intend that by this the glory of the Shechina will grow. It is as we say (In the Eighteen in the Supplementary Prayer of Rosh Hashanah [beginning of the year]), “Our Father, our King, reveal the glory of Your kingdom upon us,” namely that the kingdom of heaven will not be to us as dust, but rather glorified.

It follows that what this kind of people demands of the Creator is that He will reveal to them the glory of His kingship, and have nothing with the Creator since they do not require any reward from the Creator. Rather, all they want is to serve the King and please Him. They ask that the Creator will show them the glory of the kingdom of heaven.

Thus, they have nothing in the hands of the Creator that they can say that they gave something to the Creator for which they are demanding that He will satisfy their need, since anything they can do in order to bestow is only because the Creator has revealed to them with some importance, when they feel a little bit of the sublimity of the Creator. It follows that those people who have nothing of theirs in the hands of the Creator, whatever He gives them is only because “I will pardon,” “I work with him with a free gift.”

But those who work in order to receive reward say that they have something in the hands of the Creator. That is, they give Him work and ask of the Creator to pay the reward for their work in return. And since the Creator does not deny the reward of any being, He pays them according to their work.

However, we must understand the words, “I will have mercy,” “I work with him with the quality of mercy [Rachamim],” since the Creator is saying that He feels mercy toward those who are walking on this path. And yet, the Creator does not deny the reward of any being, therefore He pays them according to their demand.

By this we will understand what we asked, “How can there be such a big difference between the two above views. The thing is that from the perspective of the Creator, we learn that the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations, but the creatures themselves turn it into two discernments, since those who cannot understand the importance of the greatness of the Creator have no way to begin the work, except in order to receive reward, as our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even if Lo Lishma (Pesachim 50).” They feel that they are giving something to the Creator.

But those who want to work in order to bestow see that they cannot give anything to the Creator. This is regarded as not having anything. It follows that what they want is for the Creator to show them a little of His greatness. They ask this for the purpose of pardoning, and then the Creator tells them, “I will pardon,” “I work with him with a free gift.”

LESSON

Morning Lesson August 27, 2023

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

Part 1:

Rabash. Article No. 34, (1985). And I Pleaded with the Lord

Reading Article. (00:31) “And I pleaded with the Lord..”

1. S. (20:36) He writes here it turns out that the work itself is the reward and he expects no other reward. Rather he expects to have the privilege of serving the King ceaselessly and this is his whole life, the purpose of his life and this is imprinted in nature. So after reading the article, what’s the difference between those who receive reward from the first kind, who did things in order to receive reward and those who for them it’s imprinted in nature that the Creator is great?

R. They advance in any case, afterward they correct their attitude.

2. S. (21:37) It seems from the article that the greatness of the Creator comes from Above and without it you can’t work true work. And it seems like this is the only thing that we need to ask because afterwards the second nature works the minute that you have the greatness. How do you ask for greatness?

R. Through the ten, it is impossible otherwise. Otherwise you have no contact with the Creator.

S. What does it mean to ask through the ten?

R. That you are connecting ten people together and basically that is to begin with the vessel the Creator created. And you are all trying to express through that connection between you a tendency towards the Creator, to bestow to Him as He bestows to you.

S. Until we reveal greatness we shouldn’t give up, we should constantly ask, constantly look for a state of asking for greatness?

R. Yes.

3. S. (22:58) Why do they call it a second nature? It’s an egoistic nature for a person to annul before a great one.

R. It’s an egoistic nature that one annuls before a greater one but the question is here whether the person wants the other to be great. Does he himself also build Him as great?

S. Of course if the friends are great the Creator’s great. I will obviously enjoy it, I have examples like this.

R. The question is how much you have to put your labor into this. The Creator is not just great by itself in your eyes, neither are the friends. They don’t bring you the Creator, that’s between them as great, as upper, as higher and so forth. All of that you have to build.

S. Well that’s clear, but egoistically I understand that it’s to my benefit. If they were great I would enjoy serving them. So why is it a second nature, it’s a regular nature?

R. It’s a regular nature but you have to do all kinds of efforts for it to be great in your eyes.

S. So this isn’t a gift, the Creator doesn’t give you a gift?

R. It’s not a gift, it’s a response, it’s a reward for your effort. So you’re making all kinds of efforts, that’s called ‘I labored and I found.’

S. In other words, intellectually I understand that the greatest pleasure in our world is to serve a great person. So I exert and I labor to come to that state. And this is called Lo Lishma.

R. Okay, but still for now this is the goal.

4. S. (25:27) Where is it imprinted in nature that serving a great one is something important?

R. Where was it embedded in nature?

S. Where do you see such a thing, that there is a great and a small and the greater one..?

R. That the Creator is first and He brings all of creation to this unfolding and therefore in each and every step of creation there is the upper force that essentially appears there as upper. And therefore, to hold on to the upper one, to be more dependent on the upper one, that brings a sense of pleasure and confidence.

S. If I’m not mistaken, we learned about the shattering that the quality of uniqueness that is embedded in each one and one sees himself as great, that’s the broken state. Seeing someone else outside of you as great is already a corrected state?

R. Well, relatively, yes.

S. How out of the shattering can you see that you get something, gain something from the greater one? To use the greater one for yourself that’s clear but what does it mean to really see the other as great?

R. Well, if you enjoy it then why not?

S. Yes but it’s still a corrupted state, it’s not a corrected state. I’m using the upper one, the greater one and He’s serving me.

R. And?

S. What does it mean to really see the greater one?

R. Sophisticated ego.

S. I see people relating to others as great, they have status, they have money, they have all kinds of things. It’s convenient for me to be next to someone great, I enjoy it. So how does this lead to correction?

R. How does it lead to correction? That when you appreciate others and you can connect to them and learn from them the forces of connection and bestowal that’s all. That’s not enough?

S. Still, it’s because I want to use them for my benefit and learn from them something. How does it lead to really seeing their greatness?

R. You can’t just see the greatness of someone outside of you. Only to the extent that you either raise him or lower yourself and through the means that you nullify towards others who respect them. That’s the only way. Let’s say through the group or the friends typically.

S. In the article he talks about about raising the Shechina from the dust. So to see raising the Shechina from the dust as the greatest thing and that’s the statement to say before every prayer, etcetera. How is this different from seeing someone as great because I benefit from this?

R. No, that’s not it. Here the goal is important, what is your motive in doing that? That you raise them in your eyes not because you gain, your ego that is, gains nothing. Rather you do it because by that you want to get closer to the Creator.

S. And why do I want to get closer to the Creator?

R. That you should ask yourself. It could be a gift from above, it could be out of your sense of survival in this world, it could be all kinds of outcomes in your life.

S. Where is the point where the importance of someone outside of me becomes something important without anything for me? It talks about a free gift here, without any reward back to me. So where does that point begin?

R. Without any reward in return? That’s not there yet. Here we are only talking about how to replace the goal, only that.

5. S. (31:38) What is the thing that detains us the most in achieving the greatness of the Creator?

R. That there’s no environment by which a person can get closer to the Creator and depict Him correctly and thus get closer to Him. The environment doesn’t allow, doesn’t enable the opportunity.

6. S. (32:17) With what effort in the work can I bring contentment to the Creator?

R. Only from nullifying towards the ten.

7. S. (32:31) Why is receiving greatness from the Creator not regarded as a reward? Why is it considered in order to bestow?

R. I want to open, to reveal the Creator so that I have the force to bestow because without it I certainly won’t have the opportunity, the ability, the power to bestow.

8. S. (33:14) Can we make the distinction as between the guest and the Host that they are two kinds of people; one wants a reward and the other has the greatness of the King and they are seated at the table?

R. So what do you want from both?

S. What is the relation between this and that. One has greatness of the King, what does he feel when he sits?

R. I don’t understand. If he has the greatness of the King then he is connected to the King and he always aims himself at the King.

S. And then everything that he takes from the table will be in order to bring Him contentment?

R. Yes

S. And the other one when he sits at the table, does he feel that the King is indebted to him? He takes it because he deserves it?

R. The second one let’s say, takes from the table because he thinks there’s no host for that table, that’s it.

S. So every correction for the Shechina in the dust where it’s in exile is for the purpose of the creation, that we have to enjoy?

R. Yes, but first of all to reveal and then to bestow and enjoy.

9. S. (34:45) How instead of self-benefit being the root the benefit of the Creator will be the root?

R. That’s by the environment, there’s no other means here. Within the environment lies the Creator and if a person asks to have some connection to the environment and with the environment he wants to connect and to advance. Then he receives enlightenment from there and that builds in him the ability to consider the Creator.

S. What actions in my relationships with the ten can help me in serving the King?

R. Serving the king, you can do that by connecting between you. This connection has to gradually elevate you to the degree of the King because you become the vessel and He is the fulfillment.

S. What does it mean to serve the friend before you serve the King?

R. That I am willing to connect with him because by connecting with him I come to a state where we reveal the King between us, between us.

10. S. (36:45) Basically a request is divided: the approach to work, we begin without any intention, any desire, we start from nothing, from scratch. So our request should seemingly divide into two. First we ask for the desire, for the Creator to give us the desire to bestow and then in return we start to organize what we learn. So in return He opens up His greatness for us and then we should ask for the vessel. If we’re going for real bestowal the next stage is to ask for the vessel of bestowal which is connection. Is this correct to organize the order this way?

R. Look we’re not studying these details right now and why are you pushing it to us now?

S. I’m asking because it’s not clear how to use the greatness of the Creator without it being in order to receive. We ask for the greatness of the Creator and is this a condition for you to work?

R. Yes because the greatness of the Creator is especially in that if He shines His greatness to you then you can relate differently to Him, the friends and the whole infrastructure.

S. So I’m asking from the point where it gives you the greatness of the Creator so you can continue to work. How do you continue so it’s not in order to receive, how do you continue?

R. That’s what you ask to begin with, to have the force to bestow.

S. The work in order to receive reward, does it also cancel the shame those who exert in order to receive reward? Is it because of the shame and they circumvent it this way, I gave and in return I want to receive? And in order to receive reward when a person sees this does it also fall into the definition of Lo Lishma?

R. Of course it’s Lo Lishma.

S. He knows on purpose that he’s going to receive reward. It’s something different from what we know.

R. Well, okay, he’s going to receive a reward so it’s not in order to bestow. His intention is not to bestow but to receive a prize.

S. Do such actions also lead to correction, such a relation to the Creator?

R. It comes to correction but in such an action that first they clarify how wrong they are.

S. It’s not related to us, right, working in order to receive reward?

R. Possibly someone yes, but it’s not how you learn.

11. S. (39:52) It says it turns out that this kind of people what they demand of the Creator is to reveal to them the honor of His Kingdom and so forth and they ask of the Creator to show them the honor of the Kingdom of Heaven?

R. Why is this not good for the Creator to show them a little bit of the greatness of spirituality, His own greatness and then they will be able to bestow?

S. So in that kind of straightforward request to the Creator, to discover His greatness?

R. Yes.

12. S. (40:47) I want you, to ask to continue what the friends asked. He writes that the second nature means that the little one annuls before the great one. For instance we don’t feel the greatness of the Creator, there is concealment and we want to build His greatness against the concealment. That’s our work, right? And maybe we receive from building His importance. We get three things: we nullify before what’s important, in terms of action we also bestow to the one who is greater and we can take on a new habit in bestowing. And maybe also receive the greater light that reforms from nullifying. Then in terms of action, we are in bestowal but where is the switch that we work with in this method, where is the change the switch of the motive? Why do we need the importance of the Creator?

R. It is in our prayer, in our prayer.

13. S. (42:17) Can we combine two states?

R. Yes, which ones, which states?

S. In the hands of the Creator and not in the hands of the Creator. If a person asks for a reward it’s one degree and then in another degree a person asks to receive the greatness of the Creator so that he could serve Him. Now is there a way to combine them both, both requests?

R. Yes.

S. How?

R. Try. Try to constantly think that the two of them are connected together.

S. If I want to receive in the pocket of the friend and I want to receive the greatness of the Creator by him bestowing to the friend, that will fulfill both?

R. That’s it, what’s next?

14. S. (44:07) What does it mean to have mercy? What does a person give a person on the first degree or that he leaves him so that he despairs and finds some contact with the Creator?

R. The Creator is holding the person at a degree to such an extent that a person really receives the suitable, the appropriate desire to rise to the next degree.

15. S. (44:51) We see how Rabash gives us an example of two kinds of people aiming for the Creator although they are different. And you can think that one is luckier than the other but the righteous that doesn’t ask for a reward didn’t just become that right away, he probably had the same intentions at first, just like the one who demands a reward for his work. So the question is whether the Rabash might describe different stages in the same person?

R. Of course, of course.

S. What’s the recommendation for one who’s still asks for a reward?

R. No recommendation, just continue.

16. S. (45:59) Why sometimes is the spiritual greatness of a man hidden from himself from above?

R. The greatness of the friend is hidden from above in order to allow us to work on ourselves and appreciate the friend above what we think or imagine him.

S. The friend is asking not about the greatness of the friend but the greatness of the self? There’s a time where we can’t see the greatness of oneself, that’s the question.

R. What is the question entirely?

S. Maybe he means why the greatness of oneself is hidden from the person?

R. That is in order to help a person be able to annul himself before every single situation because this is what’s important for him now.

17. S. (47:55) Towards the end of the article it says that in people who work in order to receive a reward they give such a work to the Creator that they ask for an exchange for their work and since the Creator does not prevent the reward for each creation then he pays them. So it seems like a person is in reciprocal work with the Creator here. How does the Creator pay him a reward for his action?

R. Okay, we’ll leave it for now.

18. S. (49:07) Do you come to the greatness of the friends because of the greatness of the Creator or do you get to the greatness of the Creator because of the greatness of the friends?

R. Both this way and that way, they go alternately.

19. S. (49:28) Can I relate to what the previous student started asking: It says, “from the moment he was awarded with serving the King”, so he can discern two states here. One, if he wants to serve the King but for himself to receive a reward from serving the King; and what is higher is serving the King so that the King will enjoy.

R. Yes?

S. And so he will enjoy the fact that the King enjoys, so the question is whether the first state is also okay?

R. So what?

S. If it’s also okay, the first state?

R. It’s like a preparation for the second state.

S. So we understand from here that the good is to serve the King but for the King’s pleasure, and we can only enjoy only after we identify that the King does enjoy?

R. Correct.

20. S. (51:10) Does the Creator give the person what he is asking for or He gives him the gift of bestowal?

R. Of course, the Creator is advancing him toward, to bestowal.

S. (51:40) In some stages you think you have the right importance and you have already made the right decisions and at some stage you suddenly see that you have no strength to receive, to take in a decision and do something that is correct in relation to the path, the goal. How to ask for the importance, to have this in our power, that can always direct it towards the goal?

R. You already want to be at the end of the road, start from the beginning, build it slowly, slowly, question after question, scrutiny after scrutiny; and in this way, advance towards the right prayer, for which the Creator will certainly answer.

21. S. (52:50) He uses the word ‘an important person’, I understand the importance of the Creator we can build in saying that He is important, and when we say about someone that he’s important we can understand it; but how do we build the importance and greatness of the friend because that’s completely hidden?

R. It’s not hidden that he is my friend, that the Creator placed us in one ten.

S. No, that’s not hidden.

R. No, fine, it’s not hidden that I’m dependent on him to attain my spirituality.

S. Sometimes it is and sometimes not, sometimes you don’t see it.

R. I’m not talking about ‘not seeing’ but it’s ‘not hidden’ from me that the condition to achieve spirituality is to be connected with him, right?

S. Yes.

R. Good, so what else do we need? Now the only question is: How do I connect with him ‘as one man with one heart’ and with all the other friends in the ten so that then we will receive an illumination from Above and it will lift us to a spiritual level?

S. Sometimes, I understand what you said, but sometimes it actually is the opposite, and not only you don’t see the importance of the friends but he’s completely below you?

R. Fine, never mind, it’s a little more work than it was before.

S. So back to what you said before, how from understanding that there is importance of the connection between us, how does that have to do with the importance and greatness of the Creator?

R. Kabbalists write, the sages write for us, that there cannot be greatness of the Creator more than the greatness of the friend; in this I must not forget and I have to kind of re-establish it every single day.

S. You said that the importance that I depend on the friend, that this is the importance, that the Creator put me with them and I depend on them. What does that have to do with the greatness and importance of the Creator?

R. Because to the extent that the Creator is important in my eyes, it forces me to increase the importance of the friends in my eyes.

S. So one depends on the other?

R. Yes, the Creator doesn’t exist, He doesn’t have any size, measure, anything that we can fantasize, these fantasies don’t, are not worth much. But the friends are in front of us and here we can work on the ground with all of our senses, therefore, through the work with friends we basically build our relation to the Creator.

S. It’s clear but how to do, how to make the connection between this and that, I can’t seem to see where the connection between them is?

R. The connection is simple: I have to build my relation to the friend the same as the relation towards the Creator and the relation towards the friends, I can, in our situation, I can build it. We have envy, lust and honor, all kinds of corporeal discernments, and also a little bit of, some, our spiritual minds, and we can use them. We should use them in order to somehow come closer to each other in such a way that we have no choice, we have to be together, we need to build the Creator it is written, ‘you have made Me.’

22. S. (57:40) The Creator is hidden and also the spiritual reward is not attractive to the will to receive, so with what force, how do you develop the force to exert in connecting to the friends, what motivates, how to do it?

R. That there is no choice.

S. But there is a choice, I can just sit and wait for salvation and maybe something will happen?

R. Wait, it will not happen.

S. Is there a mechanism that prevents a person from waiting forever?

R. Yes, suffering.

S. Yes, but let’s say a person notices he has no attraction this way or that way, he knows that suffering will save him, but he doesn’t want to wait for the suffering, on one hand. On the other hand, he also doesn’t even feel it on the horizon, he has good where he is, meaning the labor looks too great to him then just doing nothing?

R. I understand it, “anyone who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater than him”, yes, but what are you going to do?

S. I’m asking, let’s say the ten now is sitting in that state.

R. What?

S. That no one has any attraction or motivation from wanting to receive, to reveal the Creator or feeling a reward worth working for.

R. Yes?

S. And now sitting in the lesson and hearing words, tasteful words but there’s no?

R. There’s no answer.

S. Yes, and so what does the Creator expect the person to do in that state?

R. He expects from a person to feel if he is on this path or not, and even if he is not that’s also good, a person only needs to know what is the right discernment.

S. Meaning to be in this scrutiny, accept it as a state, and at some point this state will pass?

R. It’s not at some point, there is no state that is not good, it’s all on the path. If it happens to a person or to the group, it’s a sign that this is how it should happen according to the development of events.

S. So maybe to say, that just getting to a point where There Is None Else Beside Him, He’s giving us this state and this is what will take us forward?

R. Yes, yes, if we think this way already then we are already participating with the Creator.

S. That’s the advice I heard from you, that we have to understand it’s on the way from Him?

R. Yes, it is already, yes.

23. S. (01:00:50) There is a transition in the article: After he explains to us that the little one annuls before the great one, he says, “therefore we have the matter of lamenting the exile of the Shechina, that it is in the dust”, that spirituality is not great, it’s not great in our eyes yet.

R. Yes, correct?

S. And you said in the lesson today that you can serve the King to the extent that you connect between you because you become the Kli and He is the fulfillment, what’s the connection between the exile of the Shechina and the connection between us, how do we make that practical?

R. That we cannot connect between us, this is called being an exile.

S. And then this sorrow becomes some Kli, already?

R. Yes.

S. How do we begin to work only on that, because it seems like here there is something hidden, the connection between us, it’s not just that there is some sorrow for the exile of the Shechina and then he can ask not because he’s going to receive a reward but because it’s going to be in bestowal. This is the principal issue that we have to feel this in the ten each time?

R. Helping one another in the ten we go through states very quickly, besides what happens in the ten, the Creator manages it, governs it, although He does it in concealment, but He is running it.

24. S. (01:02:56) So it turns out, according to this process, that the concealment of the Creator is concealment of the greatness of the friends?

R. Yes.

S. And this whole access talking about building the greatness of the Creator, importance of the Creator, greatness of the goal, it’s an access that he’s talking about the greatness of the friends. Also following what was asked now, the Shechina in the dust is also the lack of connection between the friends that is in the dust, so why is that so hidden?

R. In order for us to acquire the correct vessels, be able to poke into them, to integrate them correctly and advance.

S. So the Creator works in concealment towards us and His main concealment in the first stage, it’s just that the friends even have a role in the process, and that secondly, they’re great. So He keeps reducing the friends in our eyes and that is His work of concealment, and our work is to increase against the concealment the greatness of their friends.

R. You can put it this way.

S. Is it like that or is it really like that?

R. No, no, no, it’s one of the actions.