READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN MONDAY

Rabash. What Is, “Every Day They Will Be as New in Your Eyes,” in the Work?. 40 (1989)

LESSON MATERIAL

What Is, “Every Day They Will Be as New in Your Eyes,” in the Work?

Article No. 40, 1989

Our sages (RASHI, Tavo 3 (Deuteronomy 26:16), in Yitro 13:10) said about the verse, “This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul,” “Each day, they will be as new in your eyes, as though you received them today from Mt. Sinai, as though on this day you were commanded them.”

We should understand what “as though on this day you were commanded” adds to us. Why is simply, “as you received the Torah then, on Mt. Sinai,” not enough, and we need to take them upon ourselves “as though today you were commanded them”? What does this add to us in the work?

He says in Shaar HaKavanot [Gate of Intentions] (Part 2) that “The Shema reading [section in every prayer] and the prayer we pray every day always three times, evening, morning, and noon, on weekdays and on Shabbat [Sabbath] and good days, know that there is a big difference between the prayers on weekdays to those on Shabbat and beginnings of months, and the prayer on a good day or the weekdays of the festival. Moreover, even among the good days themselves, the prayer on Passover is not the same as the prayer on Shavuot [Feast of Weeks]. Also, during the weekdays, there is a big difference between the prayer on one day and the prayer of the next. There is not a single prayer since the world was created until the end of the world that is like another, and there is not a person who is like another, and one corrects what the other does not correct, since the purpose of the commandment of the prayer is to make the sorting of the seven kings of Edom who died. Each day, each and every prayer sorts out new sparks.”

In order to understand the matter of the shattering of the seven kings of Edom—which we must sort through the Torah, Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds], and prayer—we must remember the two known things: 1) the purpose of creation, 2) the correction of creation. The purpose of creation is to do good to His creations, meaning for the created beings to receive delight and pleasure. The correction of creation is that when they receive the delight and pleasure, they will not feel the shame due to the disparity of form between the receiver and the Giver. The way is that there was a correction that the light no longer shines on receiving in order to receive for oneself. Therefore, when a person is immersed in vessels of self-reception, concealment and hiding are on him and he cannot feel the importance of Kedusha [holiness], since there is Kedusha precisely where one wants to bestow contentment upon one’s Maker.

Prior to this, as long as one has not been rewarded with vessels of bestowal—for the upper light is present only in those Kelim [vessels]—a person must accept everything on faith, to believe that the Creator leads the world by way of good and doing good, and believe in the greatness of the Creator “because He is great and ruling.” He should believe that it is a great privilege to serve a great King.

But saying that it is a great privilege does not mean verbally. Rather, a person must feel great delight in serving a great King. That is, when can one say that he is serving a great King? It is when he feels great delight. If he is still not delighted when serving the King, it is a sign that he has not achieved a degree where he believes that he is serving a great King.

We must believe what is written, “His kingship rules over all.” Baal HaSulam said that there is no other force in the world, but that He alone does and will do all the deeds. Also, the Kedusha sustains the Klipot [shells/peels], and the Klipot have no vitality but that which the Kedusha gives them. This is the meaning of the words, “You sustain them all.” The meaning of “His kingship rules over all” is that Malchut de Atzilut gives them life, or they would not be able to exist.

It therefore follows that what we learn, that the Creator created the will to receive in order to receive pleasure, it must receive pleasure and delight or it cannot exist in the world. That is, although a Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment were placed on the will to receive for oneself, so delight and pleasure do not reach there, in order for this desire to exist—for if it were revoked, there would be nothing to correct—hence, in order for it to exist, it receives minute vitality so it will not be revoked. This vitality that they receive comes from the breaking of the vessels, when holy sparks fell into the Klipot so they would receive vitality and would not be canceled.

It follows that without pleasure, we cannot live. However, as long as one has not taken upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven, that person receives vitality only from the Creator. But the person does not have faith in the Creator, to say that the Creator gives him his life. For this reason, he says that his life comes from nature.

But we must say that in truth, the Creator hides himself in those dresses from the secular ones. Yet, they do not believe this, meaning that the Creator hides Himself from this person, for that he will not be able to believe that the Creator is the bestower. The Creator hides Himself in a clothing of separation, so the pleasure of the Creator comes to a person clothed in dresses, and the pleasure is clothed in these dresses.

Similarly, we see that there is food for man, who sits and eats a meal of meat, fish, and so forth. From this a man enjoys. The leftovers that remain from the food, he throws in the trash for the cats to eat this waste. But the cats enjoy the waste. We see that they are completely satisfied with the food they find in the trash. Therefore, we see that dogs, chickens, and so forth, all enjoy the food, but there is a difference in that man’s pleasure is not from the waste, whereas for them, the leftover waste is satisfactory.

It is likewise with the work of the Creator. Some people enjoy the waste, meaning the Klipot—the slim light that the Kedusha gives them—and derive complete satisfaction from this. Then there are people whose pleasure is what they receive like the rest of the people. These are regarded as “waste of Kedusha.” However, that food does not satisfy them because they have an inner drive where they feel that it is not worthwhile to be born to derive pleasure from waste.

In other words, they feel that it cannot be that the same food given to animals, meaning to beasts, animals, and poultry and so forth, will be food for man, who is regarded as “speaking,” that he will be similar to animals, meaning that the same thing that sustains animals will sustain the speaking. That sensation does not let them rest and they begin to search for another source of sustenance that they will be able to say that it is worth being born for and enjoying life.

This causes them to search for spirituality, and causes them to take upon themselves the burden of the kingdom of heaven and the burden of Torah and Mitzvot. But here, too, once they have taken upon themselves the burden of Torah and Mitzvot, some of them derive satisfaction from Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. It is as Maimonides says, that first they are taught to engage in Torah and Mitzvot in order to receive reward. And so it should be, so they will not change the order of their work. However, “Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are taught that secret bit by bit.”

The question is, How do we know that they are in the form of “until they gain knowledge”? The answer is that he receives an inner drive and feels that it cannot be said that this is the meaning of what is written, “For He is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations.” At that time it is evident that his knowledge has increased, and it is for him as Maimonides says, they “acquire much wisdom.” In other words, he has become wise and begins to feel that there is also internality in the Torah and Mitzvot.

Then “they are taught that secret,” that we must work on the intention, too, meaning that one should try to do all his works in order to bestow. At that time a person achieves Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator and is rewarded with the delight and pleasure of the purpose of creation. Then, the person feeds on the food suitable for man, and not on waste that the Kedusha throws to the Klipot so as to sustain them.

However, this is only a slim light, enough to sustain them so they will not be canceled from the world. If the will to receive is canceled in the world, there will be no one to correct. But as we learn, the heart of creation is the will to receive; it is all the substance of creation, except there is the matter of the correction of creation, meaning that creation is called “will to receive,” and this quality was created because of the purpose of creation. In other words, the desire to do good to His creations created the will to receive existence from absence.

The correction of creation is that the intention to bestow is placed on it, and then a person is fit to receive the delight and pleasure. At that time, by being rewarded with Dvekut, which is equivalence of form, we achieve the degree, “For He is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations.” That is, only when we emerge from the governance of the nations, called “multiple authorities,” and achieve the single authority, when a person has only the authority of the Creator, then we are rewarded with the light of Hochma [wisdom] and Bina [understanding].

However, although a person has already received an inner drive and wants to work in order to bestow, and not merely in an act in order to receive reward, the mind asserts that man must go forward and each day he should grow stronger than the day before. In fact, a new order begins here, which is completely irrational. That is, a procession of ascents and descents begins here, where sometimes a person says, “The first days were better than these.”

There can be several ascents and descents in one day or several ascents and descents in a single week, to the extent that a person often falls into despair and says that he does not see that he will ever be able to emerge from the control of the bad, and he must surrender under the will to receive.

But since he has already realized that the majority of the work in Torah and Mitzvot is not so important because the primary importance in observing Torah and Mitzvot should be in observing it for the sake of the Creator, this means that he realizes that the most important is to work for the sake of the Creator. This awareness causes him to feel lack of importance, meaning that it is not important to work in action without an aim.

Although he knows what our sages said, “One should always learn Lo Lishma, and from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake],” at that time the evil in a person makes him think that it is true that it is important since from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma, but—says the evil in a person— you see that you cannot achieve Lishma. You can see this for yourself.

That is, first the evil in him makes him think that he must give up on achieving a degree where he can work for the sake of the Creator. After it has given him thoughts of despair, it tells him, “You, who have already come to know that the main point is for the Creator, you understand that not for the sake of the Creator is worthless.” Therefore, it makes him think that he does not need to make such efforts in order to sustain all the actions, since you already know from experience that the Lo Lishma is not so important. Hence, you can make allowances in the Torah and the prayer and so forth.

It follows that during the descent, a person declines and follows what his mind makes him think. When the person is in a state of descent with all his lowliness, he prides himself and says he sees those people who observe the Torah and Mitzvot with all the details, but although he sees that they are not working for the sake of the Creator, he cannot be like them.

He excuses himself with an excuse of pride. That is, they have not yet come to this important knowledge that what matters is to do everything for the sake of the Creator, whereas I am at a higher degree than they are, and I do know that for the sake of the Creator is what matters. For this reason, I do not see in observing only in action, without the aim for the Creator, much use, that it is worth exerting to observe with all the details.

This is called “transgression induces a transgression.” That is, the transgression of despair causes him to degrade the work Lo Lishma. Once he has degraded the work Lo Lishma, it causes him to come to the degree of pride, meaning to consider himself superior to others, that he knows better than the rest of the people, who do not understand the truth as he does.

If a person nonetheless does not escape the campaign, meaning he does not disclose his sins in public, after some time, he is pitied from above and is given another awakening, and he receives an ascent once more. Then, the evil comes to him once more to argue with him and the same sequence repeats itself. The advice is not to run from actions he was accustomed to do, but on the contrary, do more actions.

Yet, he can do this only above reason. A person must believe that this work he does during the descent, when he adds actions in externality on the basis of above reason, by this he takes big strides toward the goal, called “Dvekut with the Creator.” Baal HaSulam said about this issue, that this is the meaning of what is written, “For the ways of the Lord are straight; the righteous walk in it, and the transgressors fail in them.”

If he can add actions on the basis of going above reason in that state of descent, since his reason shows him a procession of “transgression induces a transgression,” and he grows stronger above the intellect, he brings the time of his work closer and can achieve the goal sooner.

Therefore, during the ascent, a person must put in order the actions and the intentions. That is, when he feels that the aim is what counts, he must think that the act is also very important, since he is observing the King’s commandments and we cannot grasp how important is the act to Him. As Baal HaSulam said, as much as we can appreciate the importance of Lishma, to the Creator, the Lo Lishma is far more important, and we cannot even fathom the importance of Lishma. Hence, during the ascent, a person must remember not to belittle the action he is doing.

But at the same time, a person must try to do his work only for the sake of the Creator. There is a rule: Anything to which a person is accustomed becomes to him like a conduct, meaning something he does not need to know why he is doing it. This is called “by rote,” meaning he is used to them.

But since the Torah and Mitzvot were given in order to cleanse people, it follows that while performing the Mitzvot, he must aim that this work will yield for him a state of Dvekut with the Creator. It follows that the person must know what he wants from this work.

Therefore, if a person works out of habit, he does not need any reward. Thus, on one hand, observing Torah and Mitzvot out of habit is also a sublime thing, as our sages said, “The Creator adds a good thought to an action.” That is, when a person is rewarded with a good thought, meaning he is rewarded with being able to aim his actions in order to bestow, then all the things he did, which were still not with the intention for the sake of the Creator, the Creator adds to all the actions that were done before and all of them enter Kedusha. It follows that the more actions he has, the more the thought for the sake of the Creator is on them later.

Now we will understand what our sages said, “Each day, they will be as new in your eyes, as though today you received them from Mt. Sinai, as though on this day you were commanded them.”

There are two meanings here: 1) As then they had preparation to receive the Torah, likewise, each day, a person must prepare to receive the Torah and Mitzvot. Through the preparation, we can attain it. But if a person works without preparation, but out of habit, by this, a person is not rewarded with the purpose of creation. Although this is a big thing, too, in a place where he can thereby achieve the degree, “know the God of your father,” which is certainly directly to the goal, for this reason, they said, “they will be as new in your eyes,” for by this they will achieve Dvekut with the Creator.

2) If they are not “as new in your eyes,” it will be to him as going “by rote,” meaning out of habit. At that time, he will not be able to observe the Torah and Mitzvot above reason because by working above reason, he later merits being rewarded with the knowledge of Kedusha. It follows that when he works out of habit, meaning feels that he should observe Torah and Mitzvot as a custom that is fixed into his schedule, he cannot advance. This is why they said, “Each day, they will be as new in your eyes,” for by this, the person will be rewarded with the purpose of creation, which is for the creatures to be rewarded with receiving the delight and pleasure.

According to what is written in the book Shaar Hakavanot [Gate of Intentions], “the meaning of “Each day, they will be as new in your eyes” is that because this is the truth. That is, each day a person corrects new discernments from those that have fallen during the breaking of the vessels, as explained there in the book. It follows that a person does not repeat the Torah he had received on Mt. Sinai, he does not repeat the same things. Rather, with the Torah that was given on Mt. Sinai he must correct new discernments each day. It follows that it is “as though on this day you were commanded,” meaning that each day there are other discernments to correct with the Torah.

From this we learn why a person needs to eat each day, and it is not enough to eat once a year so it suffices for the rest of the year. According to the words of the ARI, in each eating, new discernments from the shattering are sorted, although not each one feels it. However, this is given to the whole of Israel, and all the individuals in the collective should come to this degree, as it is written, “For they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them.”

LESSON

Morning Lesson November 25, 2023

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

Part 1:

Rabash. Article No. 40, 1989. What Is, “Every Day They Will Be as New in Your Eyes,” in the Work?

Reading Article. (0:39) “Our sages said about the verse,..”

1. S. (32:40) He writes here that “where he has more good deeds than upon them the thought for the sake of the Creator is upon them”, can you explain that, what are the good deeds, what is later?

R. There are actions that we can observe without intentions, it’s a certain connection between us, we can keep a few things during the day so that they nevertheless bring us closer to the Torah, to in order to bestow, to the Creator, connecting the collective who want to reach connection, there are such actions that we do.

S. So what is “later, the thought for the sake of the Creator dwells upon them after that”?

R. Later on, after we do it in action, bit by bit, we come closer to the fact that the intention also changes within us: what are we doing it for? We always have such an intention because a person doesn’t do anything without intention, but the intentions already change, they become corrected. Then we reach a state where it’s worthwhile for us to reach connection and keep things so that they will be for the sake of the Creator.

S. What’s the connection between the deeds that were done and the intention that was born?

R. It adds up, then these were actions without an intention, without the desired intention, and now we have reached the desirable intention. So all the actions that we did during our life, they now receive this intention.

S. What is that, it kind of dwells upon the deeds?

R. It covers them and then the deeds receive the degree of the intention.

2. S. (35:01) Rabash writes that without pleasure you cannot live and a person that receives this drive receives the food of people and not of animals, of the waste which later enters into a new order of the work in spirituality and then you have ascents of descent, intention, he works on the intention mostly. Now, what does it work out that and why do we even need such a thing? Why is there such a thing, have to be or can we avoid a person from falling into a state where he once again returns to the waste and enjoys and doesn’t need anything?

R. Will that happen also? That happens also without a doubt, but in that, too, there are many discernments. Sometimes one remembers that he was in a better state and sometimes he doesn’t remember anything.

S. The question is can we avoid this or is it part of it?

R. That’s not our business, this is how it is managed according to commandments from above, according to the root of the soul.

3. S. (36:28) The person needs to first come to faith in the greatness of the Creator and then that’s not enough, he has to also have to enjoy the greatness of the Creator, what’s the difference between this and that?

R. Faith in the greatness of the Creator helps him to reach actions that are in order to bestow according to the magnitude of the greatness of the Creator in his eyes so he can operate in order for Him but still he does these things but he should also correct his past.

S. And it’s all done in faith above reason?

R. This is now considered work above reason, yes.

S. And the pleasure he receives in the reason of Kedusha, like it’s written.

R. He receives the pleasure in his reason, reason of Kedusha, let’s call it, it develops within him.

S. What is ‘reason of Kedusha’?

R. “Reason of Kedusha’ means the recognition of the actions that are in order to bestow.

4. S. (37:51) He writes that “as long as he not been awarded with vessels of bestowal where the upper light is, he has to receive everything in faith until then”. What’s the difference between vessels of bestowal and faith?

R. That in the vessels of bestowal, when he receives he already receives into the corrected vessels, vessels that are complete; whereas, in faith it is still, well, let’s call it VAK.

S. But they both demand a certain level of correction?

R. Yes, that’s true, it’s already spirituality even though it’s different degrees.

S. Can you explain in other words, you said it’s in VAK or?

R. No, what for, one who reaches it will immediately understand it.

5. S. (38:55) He writes, “after a person decides that”, he writes, “this thing causes them to seek spirituality and this leads him to receive upon himself the burden of the kingdom of Heaven and Torah and Mitzvot”. It’s like two levels, actually, of the intention. Can you detail this or open it up?

R. No, no, I’m not going to elaborate on what is still ahead of you.

6. S. (39:44) He writes, Rabash writes, “the good thought the Creator joins through the deed”, the question is what is ‘the good thought’?

R. The thought that he wants to be contentment to the Creator and the Creator adds this to the act so that indeed he reaches such an act, such an action.

7. S. (40:23) When a person comes to Kedusha, all he does before that also becomes to Kedusha including Lo Lishma, how does that happen?

R. Clearly we will see; when will you start asking in Hebrew, it’s enough with that!

8. S. (40:53) I wanted to go back to the questions here about faith that he places in the beginning, “before he has been rewarded”, he says here, Rabash, that “he must believe in the greatness of the Creator, he must believe in The Good That Does Good and that he has great reward from this”; again, how to grasp this in the correct way the matter of faith because it’s confusing?

R. Together with the ten, you stand no chance of reaching even the beginning of these conditions on your own.

S. But what together with the ten?

R. Together with the ten, how shall I put it, you rely on them, you lean seemingly on them and they on you. And this is how to gather you receive other forces and Arvut, mutual responsibility, and you can reach bestowal.

S. I’m asking again because he says, “before he was rewarded, he has this concept called ‘faith’”, and I can’t understand. I’m sorry, I can’t understand the difference between the faith that you described right now, that there’s an environment that helps me hold onto and the faith that’s on the outside that is not in our environment but also is some kind of faith, what’s the difference?

R. It depends on where the faith on the outside is directed to versus the faith that we have, that’s it, I have nothing to add. Faith on the outside holds one in that there is a great society and everyone learns that there’s a Creator and they believe that and they pray to Him, like in all the religions. And we speak of faith that it is the reforming light, it is light that shines from above and it gives us the force of bestowal so that we can rise above ourselves and bestow to the friends and strengthen all of them. And then we can give the force of bestowal from us to the Creator.

S. So before he’s been rewarded, what should he feel towards the action of the light, where’s to believe in the action?

R. That is searching, searching for the reforming light so that it will give him the possibility to be above his desire, above his ego. So that he will go together with the ten in a way that whatever everyone decides, whatever the ten decides he accepts it with all his heart and soul.

9. S. (44:28) I understand that Rabash is describing a certain very cunning and cruel plan of the will to receive to weaken a person. At first, it weakens him in the matter of the intention and he already receives that he won’t reach Lishma, it tells him, ‘so what do we even need to do deeds’, and it weakens him there, too, and from that it actually causes a person to want to leave all these actions because he doesn’t see any point in all, taste in them. And then he can’t do the intention, anyway, so why should he do deeds, too?

R. Is that a question?

S. No, and then he gives us advice that if he doesn’t run from the campaign, run away from the campaign and continue to do good deeds.

R. Yes?

S. “Then he takes great steps”, he says, if he managed to do such a thing, how does that happen?

R. He remains connected to the ten as much as he is capable of, then he nevertheless advances and he’s rewarded with the Creator returning to him.

S. Now, I want to ask because we also hear many times this conflict between deeds and intentions. Why should we do actions if there’s no intention, why should we do intentions if there’s no actions. It’s always very confusing and there’s always this inclination of a person to choose one of the sides and neglect the other. Meaning, ‘why should I do actions right now, I’m in intentions, why should I do intentions without actions’? And it’s as if this extreme polarity of these two sides, how do you work with them together?

R. Working correctly with it is not simple, we have to add one to the other.

S. What does that mean?

R. That in every action that I perform, I have to scrutinize, what am I doing it for, this is in relation to the action that I add an intention to it, and with every intention that I want to do, I try to do it with an action.

S. I want to make it a little bit more to ask here because we hear from Rav and the friends that to do deeds is not the thing, we have to do the intentions.

R. No, the action is the intention.

S. Exactly, that the action is the intention, why should we do actions, what is it enough for us that the action is an intention? It’s very confusing because then why should we do deeds if I don’t have the intention? And then the evil inclination clothes that claim and says, “Oh, you heard it from the Rav as well”.

R. We mostly put the emphasis on the intentions because the hearts are drawn after the intentions and this is how we reach near proximity to the Creator. Whereas an action without an intention, the correct intention in order to bestow, that it is directed to the Creator, to rise above the will to receive, and there is no such action, then this action is dead.

S. Wonderful then, why do we do meals, why do we do meetings, why do we come to learn in the lesson, we can do without an intention?

R. No, no, no, what are you, now, you’re, you’re jumping completely sideways.

S. That’s my question!

R. What are you supposed to do during the meal, which internal actions do you have should you do during the meal? A meal is a connection between the tens where we all direct ourselves to be even more connected than during the lesson. The meal is greater, more sacred than a lesson where we, all of us, are dining together, and it’s a table that is set before the Creator where we all eat and bless Him together. A meal, it’s not, I’m not sure how to say this, how do you suddenly add a meal to actions without an intention? A meal, there should be many intentions and you can do it, even a person who doesn’t yet have any spiritual degree, during the meal he can direct himself, why is he now sitting with the friends and what is he, why does he give L’Chaim to everyone and how does he enjoy the food that they have before them. These are already practical things with respect to the Creator, we have no actions that we can do in practice like a meal, there are none.

S. It’s amazing to me this combination of the intentions during the action.

R. Yes?

S. But what to do when the evil inclination comes and clothes and says, “but you’re not coming to the meal”, it tells a person, “after all you see that you’re not really acting from Lo Lishma to Lishma”, and then from that he says, “so why should you even perform an action because there’s no intention in it and you already heard about this?”

R. So you sit there with, let’s say two hundred friends, you prepared the meal, you paid for the meal, you drink the L’Chaim, you bless over the bread, over the food. And it is all, it all enters into the blessing that you have towards the Creator. That you enjoy the meal, you can’t say that you’re not enjoying it, to some intent you do enjoy, and this is what you raise to the Creator with your gratitude.

S. The thing is again, Rav, that there’s a moment there’s a possibility to do those thoughts is wonderful, it’s amazing!

R. Why not, who stands in your way?

S. My will to receive, my ego, what do you mean who’s bothering me?

R. But you sit there together with the friends, you look at this set table, you look at each other, you say L’Chaim, you hear friends say L’Chaim and the blessings, and then you approach the meal, so you have a lot of time.

S. Yes, but if a person, again, look, I’m using the meal as a chance, so let’s stay with it, but it’s right with other actions we do on the path. Let’s say now we’re talking about the meal, a person examines and he sees that he comes to a meal because he’s hungry, because he has to, because.

R. Along with that, yes.

S. Not together with that, just that, and he says, “you’re really the man of truth, you see that you are not really in intentions to bestow and all these exercises that Rav says about the food. You don’t even have the strength, desire to do them, so what are you coming to the meal for, it’s not like, you know, a food hall”?

R. No, you look at your two hundred friends who are sitting next to you and you receive the strength to also relate to the meal in a special way.

S. Awesome, but then he says that a pride comes to a person, Rabash writes here, yes? He says and then a pride comes and he says, “they’re also not in the intention in order to bestow and they, too, are here like in a mess hall or a food hall. So they’re not doing the work either, so what’s the point of doing the work?

R. No, it’s not just a dining room, it’s not just a dining room, they nevertheless are in a meal with people who are studying the wisdom of Kabbalah and I want to get closer to the Creator and so they have this common intention, now, a common action in which they have the possibility to take a great step towards the Creator, don’t say that it’s like.

S. No, it’s best when a person can say such things to himself.

R. They’re waiting for that, not for the meal.

S. So how does a person, when this pride comes to him, like he writes here, and he says that ‘also your environment they’re not doing, your surrounding are also not doing it in order to bestow, and you see that you also are not doing the intention in order to bestow, so why should you do this action, let go of the action also”. It’s a process that I understand him describing here.

R. This is how the evil inclination is tricking you.

S. Exactly, that’s my question!

R. You have so many friends in your..

S. But you have two friends near you, around you?

R. But a person’s pride shows him that these two hundred people are also not in in order to bestow and they also didn’t come here to build some special intention?

S. So you’re not even ready for the meal.

R. Exactly. So don’t come.

S. Oh exactly, so that’s exactly what I’m saying, so if the evil inclination says to him ‘not to come’, so then, don’t come?

R. Yes, fine.

S. Okay, so then what am I doing all these actions for?

R. If I were standing on the way there, I would tell you, “you are not going to enter”.

S. So wonderful, meaning that’s exactly the exercise that the evil inclination is doing to a person

and he’s telling me that, “look, you heard from the Rav, that “even if you’re standing in the door, I wouldn’t let you enter”. So everything is correct, meaning everything goes with the evil inclination on this matter?

R. But rather, how would you like it to be?

S. I am asking what to answer it, how to deal with the state in which ‘he’ is so right by saying to me that it’s weakening me, it says I don’t have an intention, what do you need the action for?

R. Yes.

S. So what to do, that’s the question?

R. What to do, not to come.

S. First of all, Rabash says “not to escape the campaign”, and to intensify my deeds.

R. Well, sit at home on your own; I’m telling you nevertheless, and feel that you are alone.

S. So, first of all, there are friends that because they think that way; so I’ll take a break for a little bit, I’ll distance myself, maybe I won’t come to the lessons because those within the lesson are, without intention. And that’s how they gradually start to think that by them distancing maybe it’ll bring them some kind of special awakening and vice versa; maybe they distance even more than that?

R. That’s right.

S. So what’s this battle, it’s a lost battle to begin with?

R. It is written about that, “anything but leave”.

S. “Anything but leave” or not enter the meal, a minute ago you said I shouldn’t enter.

R. A person should check how much outside of the meal with the friends, how he will feel himself compared to being in the middle with the friends.

S. Self-wonder?

R. Well, if it’s wonderful it’s a sign that you’re not giving in the meal, a correct spirit.

S. Rav, I didn’t get an answer, I don’t know maybe the friends can continue.

R. It’s a sign that you’re sitting in the meal, the meal and you are, you don’t feel that the general spirit of the audience is in you.

S. But it’s exactly about that state that I’m asking about, what to do, how to come out of this loop that is so.. hard to receive for himself? I’m sorry I’m taking all this time, I’ll stop asking but it seems that the point is clear.

R. Yes, the point is clear and each one should be concerned that he has such a thought about running away from an action. It could be a meal, it could be something else, running away from the group. It’s because this is a possibility that you’re being given truly from above to connect with the friends and to take a step forward, this is how it is.

10. S. (59:41) First of all I want to thank everyone, really. There’s a point here where every person is different from another, every person raises his prayer. In the beginning of the article it speaks about the uniqueness of every person. The question is does every ten have its uniqueness and its difference from other tens? That’s my first question.

R. Yes.

S. What is your ten, how is it different from our ten?

R. Each and every ten is different to the others.

S. Do your friends in the ten have greater chance of reaching spirituality than our friends in our ten?

R. No, no. It depends on the extent in which all the friends connect and aim themselves towards adhesion with the Creator.

S. Because as we know in your ten, when you were with Rabash only you reached spirituality.

R. With Rabash we didn’t have a ten.

S. But you had a ten with Rabash you had a few friends there right?

R. When I was with Rabash.

S. But you reached it?

R. That’s not just me by the way but friends reached the world of truth.

S. I’m asking because a few days ago there was a discussion, a scrutiny and it turned out that many are supporting the fighters, the soldiers. I will take somebody as an example, this one is supporting the common soldiers and it takes the wind out of your sails because people used to think that everything is wide open and everybody has an equal opportunity, chance. One has a lesser chance, one is a fighter, one supports, one serves the Rav this way, one serves the Rav another way, so where is this point which is equal for everyone? I know in the end everybody reaches the end of correction. That’s fine, that’s in the end but along the way?

R. On the path, along the way it’s according to your efforts, according to your adhesion to the friends, your adhesion to the teacher and with all of that the extent in which you want to reach adherence with the Creator.

11. S. (01:03:08) Relating to the last two questions we had here it’s difficult for me to say but what united the people of Israel in the external circle is a blow, such a strong blow that obligated everyone to unite and to be together, that’s true. What do our friends lack? Is it suffering so that something that will hurt them and scare them? All of these questions I see these as smallness. They start scrutinizing such things before you which I think there’s no room for, that’s how I feel. That these states of anything but leave, that already doesn’t allow us such things, we have to rise about it.

R. You’re right, I have nothing to add here.

12. S. (01:04:33) He writes in the text there are those who receive a slim illumination, like the dogs and cats that eat the waste; there are those who receive all of the lights, the meal. I don’t want to criticize anyone although people are used to me criticizing but there’s a feeling that you have all the lights and I receive from you only the leftovers, a slim illumination.

R. You’re pointing at me?

S. You’re my teacher. You have all the lights, the whole meal and I receive from you only leftovers, this slim illumination.

R. Who told you that that’s how it works?

S. That’s how I feel according to the study materials, according to the questions. Every time  there’s a more advanced inner question you stop, you say we haven’t reached that yet, we’ll talk about it later, we’ll reach it later.

R. Well, so what, I want you to get there on your own.

S. Give us a little bit. You spent ten years with Rabash, he went over the entire TES with you, the entire Book of Zohar. I’ve spent more than twelve years with you, not even one time you went with me over the entire TES. Rabash gave you everything in twelve years. Why can’t you give it to me also? Look at what’s happening in the world. The Creator’s breaking everything. He’s relating to us like we’re grown-ups, like we’re great and you behave towards me like I’m a first grade child. Either the Creator should behave towards me like you behave towards me or you should behave towards me as though I’m a grown-up. There’s a big gap between how He behaves towards me, punching me with boxing gloves and you treating me with cotton, like I’m still small and not ready yet. The Creator thinks I’m ready, look what He’s doing to me and I don’t have the tools, I don’t have the weapons to cope with Him. He comes opposite to me and you need to give me the weapons to fight with Him, to cope with Him.

R. You’re missing the prayer, prayer.

S. I pray to you, I’m turning to you with a prayer.

R. No, no, to me it won’t help. You are lacking, you’re missing the prayer to take with you together, the friends and to turn to the Creator.

S. I can’t, I can’t look, there’s talk about how to come to the meal and..

R. More than that I don’t want to hear because that’s the condition. If you can arrange that you’ll succeed, if you don’t you won’t succeed, that’s it and your claims are always to someone. What to do?

13. S. (01:07:40) How do we make an intention?

R. Intention?

S. Yes, how do we make an intention?

R. We scrutinize exactly what we want to come to, what it depends upon, where I am right now and from that the intention is built.

S. It’s an action that I’m supposed to do before anything? Before I come to ask you this question I need to do the scrutiny right? How does a person stop and do this long and deep scrutiny when life goes by so quickly?

R. To reach something he has this, this inclination and this place that he wants to reach. He has a certain on-site on this and outlook to it and place that he wants to change accordingly.

S. What is this action that a person performs? I perform the action, suddenly, later I woke up and realized I didn’t have the right intention. It didn’t happen, nothing. Now I’m trying to add back to it.

R. That’s also good

14. S. (01:08:58) In the beginning of the article it speaks of a person who eats then he throws the leftovers so the cats will be able to eat them and they enjoy the leftovers. I’m not certain if it speaks about the person who has a point in the heart and he’s actually drawn to the light and has the feeling that there’s something higher than corporeal pleasure or if this is about our ego being so great that we’re not satisfied with the corporeal pleasure. Actually I am the one who wants to discover the Creator and so I’m the great egoist here. Is this the point in the heart, is it my great ego or are these two things connected somehow, I don’t get it?

R. Everything together, it’s not scrutinized yet.

15. S. (01:10:18) We are scrutinizing everything, everything. We forget the reforming light, why is that?

R. Because it depends on our actions so we talk about our actions through which we evoke the reforming light.

S. A student that comes to a lesson, does he have to come with the purpose of drawing the reforming light?

R. Yes.

16. S. (01:11:03) The article speaks about the kings and the sorting of the sparks. Is this something that we can do in the ten, sorting the sparks, are we doing it?

R. Not yet, not yet, that’s on the way.

17. S. (01:11:27) It says if a person nevertheless has not escaped the campaign meaning he does not disclose his sins in the public sometimes man goes by and he’s given some awakening and again he receives an ascent. What does it mean he doesn’t disclose his sins in the open, in the public?

R. That nevertheless every single moment as much as possible he is drawn after everyone to the same goal.

18. S. (01:12:18) How does a ten build a vessel that is ready for a prayer?

R. Connect, scrutinize the goal, the desirable goal, the most important goal in talking between them and then they pray to come closer to it.

S. In the ten between the friends, there has to be some special relations between them before that?

R. No, the agreement that everyone wants to come to that same goal.

S. What are they asking for?

R. What are they asking? What they want, what they agreed between them.

19. S. (01:13:18) In the heading it says every day they will be as new in your eyes. What should be new in my eyes everyday and why?

R. The goal needs to renew every day as it’s being upgraded and this renewal you feel and you are attracted after it. That’s how you pray, that’s why we pray daily.

S. The state of being as new everyday in my eyes, how do I accept this? I need from within myself or the Creator will force me to see things as new every day? That’s not something that’s clear because is He going to make me see it as new everyday?

R. This already depends on personal treatment, meaning how the Creator relates to you but actually each day He relates to all of us in, with a certain difference.

S. And there’s advancement in that?

R. Yes.

S. That I supposedly see things new?

R. You may not see but it’s still like that.

S. But I’m still advancing if I see something getting renewed, so it’s some kind of..?

R. Yes.

20. S. (01:15:06) What does the light that reforms do?

R. The light that reforms corrects our vessels.

S. And what does a person do in order to draw it upon him?

R. Prays, yearns, that’s it.

S. Where does the need come from, where does he feel that he must get that correction?

R. From the root of his soul.

S. So in the end it turns out that it doesn’t depend on a person?

R. Of course it doesn’t depend on a person but what depends on a person is how to implement it, how to realize it.

21. S. (01:15:56) A few questions about deeds, what’s our attitude towards deeds? Should we do many of them and constantly search for new deeds or fill my schedule with the same deeds and just keep running with them for years?

R. You see which actions can assist the intention.

S. If I see that the deed supports the intention or makes it better I can continue for years?

R. Yes, yeah.

22. S. (01:16:54) When holiness gives a person that small pleasure he’s satisfied so what’s the purpose of that small candle?

R. What’s its purpose? Purpose is to draw strength from it and to learn from it how to advance further to the next stage.

23. S. (01:17:22) How in the ten to prevent habits and really feel that every day is something new in our eyes? How to prepare that everyday we get the Torah again and again?

R. Speak with the friends and make it so that each day you will feel a new relation, new goals and this is how you will advance.

S. The goal is one, what’s a new goal?

R. It’s still clear, it’s still more revealed.

24. S. (01:18:30) What’s intention to give the Creator contentment?

R. To make it pleasant for Him.

S. What is the prayer for the friends? Is that an action and I also have to think that it’s giving Him contentment?

R. Yes, yes.

S. So that’s spiritual action that’s not in my hands, it’s a prayer, a request?

R. Yes.

S. And along with it to think that I’m giving the Creator contentment?

R. Yes.

25. S. (01:19:12) The habit promises us that we’re on a straight path but if every day we think and try that it will be as new, won’t those new paths deviate us from the straight line? How do we prevent that danger?

R. No, if each day we check ourselves anew for a goal that is seemingly new and we are not erring, we correct something from yesterday then we continue forward.

26. S. (01:19:53) In the text it says that the Creator adds everything into the intention to bestow and it gathers together into holiness. Is he speaking about the opposite value of lights and vessels?

R. No, not inverse relation. The more we advance, the more lights we have and the more vessels.

27. S. (01:21:00) What does it mean that Lo Lishma is more important for the Creator in our work?

R. That it’s more important because Lishma, for her sake is clean bestowal, clean bestowal.

28. S. (01:21:38) Is the intention to be a partner with the Creator in order to bring creation to adhesion with the Creator no matter what happens on the path, is the intention to bestow or are we lacking something in it?

R. Nothing’s lacking in it. We just have to be that way throughout, all along the way.

29. S. (01:22:10) The complaints that are revealed are signs that I missed an opportunity of renewing my connection with the friends everyday?

R. Yes, probably.

30. S. (01:22:31) Are there corporeal pleasures that we must let go of before we go into spirituality?

R. Yes, along the way you will see that there are those that have nothing to do with spirituality.

S. Can you give one example?

R. Don’t steal.

S. No I’m not talking about that, food or things like that?

R. Like that? I don’t know, we have to think.

S. If I enjoy eating, will that prevent me from spirituality?

R. No, no problem at all.

31. S. (01:23:26) How can a person open the gates of the intention?

R. Yes, how does he open? Through adhesion with friends. Then he has the strength and the direction together with them and by that they open the connection with the Creator, they open the lock, they open the gate to the Creator if they unite together.

S. There was a program with a friend on TV and he asked how to receive from the teacher an inner feeling, how can a student connect to the teacher in order to get that inner connection?

R. We have to be as adhered as possible in the action and in the intention, that’s it.

32. S. (01:25:13) It’s written that according to the words of the ARI in every meal you get new scrutinies and not everyone feels them. What does that mean?

R. In every meal we have together in the ten or many tens together or even one person, we have new scrutinies as we eat, as we dine and we have to think about it, yes.

33. S. (01:26:05) The correction in order not to feel shame, what are the conditions so that we won’t feel the shame but feel the light that you want to pass to us?

R. Only the connection between us, only the connection between us.

S. Connection, sometimes you say come closer, what do you mean?

R. I don’t mean anything else. Speak among yourselves how to become closer.

34. S. (01:36:56) I’d like to continue with what the friend was asking about. I feel what he was saying about the text and when I feel that I don’t have the right intention and my actions and intentions aren’t equal then pride comes and says that the others are doing the same, without the right intention. The advice is anything but leave, not to run away so I told the evil inclination here, you won, I have nothing to answer you with. What Rabash explains is that these qualities have to go through me, so I don’t run away just because the Rabash said that but before you I lost the war. Is that right?

R. The last sentence that I lost to you is incorrect, lost to the evil inclination because you don’t know. Everything you said before was correct and keep going this way.

35. S. (01:28:47) What prayer has to be the main one, about the place and action like it said here about many prayers?

R. Adhere to the friends and then adhere to the Creator, nothing else.

36. S. (01:29:40) In order to bestow, could it be something that feels like a blow to the will to receive in order to give contentment to the Creator?

R. Well usually not but we have to be ready for anything.

37. S. (01:30:14) Could you give me advice, how to scrutinize the goal correctly, the deficiency before praying in the ten?

R. Speak among yourselves.

S. Can you give us an example of questions we could ask?

R. No, I can’t. You went through the material more or less with us and you can depict to yourselves what you need to scrutinize.

38. S. (01:30:56) It says the Creator does all deeds but what does it mean the vitality is given to the Klipot by the Kedusha?

R. Given vitality to the Klipot, in the meantime when a person cannot approach holiness then the Klipot, the shells give him vitality as well until he achieves holiness. It’s not like it’s good but it’s correct for a part of the way.

S. There’s a quote he’s relating to here that we have to believe that His Malchut controls everything, there’s no other force in the world and He will do all deeds. Then it continues and holiness gives life to the Klipot. What does it mean that holiness is giving life to the Klipot?

R. That our whole ego, as the Creator says I have created the evil inclination so it too was created by that upper force and we have to go through all the stages of development of the evil inclination in us in order to recognize the ways of the Creator.

S. How can we fight the Klipot if the Creator’s giving life to the Klipot?

R. Of course everything comes from the Creator including the Klipot, the shells but we, we have to fight against the Klipot in order to rise above them. There’s a holiness and the Creator will help us in this.

S. That means actually that we need more force than the Creator because the Creator created it?

R. We need to demand of Him the forces, yes.

39. S. (01:33:32) A friend asked you if I enjoy eating, will it bother me from entering spirituality and you answered that there’s no problem. I wanted to ask, let’s say a friend enjoys food but it’s not Kosher for instance, will that not let him go into spirituality?

R. For the time being no. It depends on which friend.

40. S. (01:34:05) The article says, “the ways of the Creator is straight, the transgressors enter it and they fail”; and then he talks about the state called ‘transgression induces transgression’, how do we rise above the state called ‘transgression induces transgression’, is it the state of pride?

R. Repeat the question?

S. The question is: we always experience the state called ‘transgression induces transgression’, when we feel superior to the other friend. How do we quickly rise above this so we can enter and not fail?

R. We try to connect to the friend and take step by step to work on connection between us so that at the center of our connection, we want to review the Creator. And it doesn’t matter, what happens, what questions, what problems, what confusions, but only to take such steps where all of us unite more and more, where the Creator is at the center of our connection, and all of us are directed toward Him, that’s it.

41. S. (01:36:36) In the world of material, the action is a deed and reception, is the action a sensation?

R. Again?

S. According to Kabbalah is an action sensation?

R. Everything is sensations, feelings everything comes through feelings.

42. S. (01:37:20) Is it necessary to take something from an upper degree every time, how to do that action in the ten?

R. Together, if we want to do together we will do it, we will force the Creator to do it.

43. S. (01:38:10) In the third paragraph, it says, “there is a big difference between the prayers every day”, so a friend is asking what is the difference between the days and the difference between the prayers, why should the prayers be different, how to understand this?

R. Each day we have to think about new connections and new yearnings for the Creator.

S. So certain days don’t have meaning, every day is anew?

R. Yes.

44. S. (01:30:10) Question about the article: Lately, it’s as if there wasn’t really any force of life, even for simple actions. And yesterday I thought that my ten needs me and the system needs me. That I need to be part of the system in order to live and I felt this force suddenly but it was all in my mind. The question is how to take it from the mind to the feeling?

R. With the help of the friends, try to talk among yourselves, start speaking among yourselves and it will enter the heart.

S. And if I could ask another question about the article?

R. Alright.

S. There was something about despair, that it’s a transgression, what is that?

R. No, we simply shouldn’t give up, despair is the sin.

45. S. (01:40:25) Thank you to all the friends, and our particular friend for those scrutinizes and the gift in the lesson. Now I come to this lesson or the meal that is coming next, and I see this lie that nobody has the intention and everybody’s lying and so on, that’s what the Creator is tricking me. So I need to pray until I don’t see it in my reason, that the friends are all connected with the Creator, or should I only ask faith and confidence, that it’s a lie, and the group is way higher than what I can see?

R. You have to annul yourselves as the lowest, and in this way connect to the friends, and then you will be able to raise along with them.

46. S. (01:41:39) How to feel the state of a meal in the ten, virtually?

R. That’s a problem, that’s a problem; put some food in front of you, each one of your own home, maybe, at least a sandwich or something and in this way, eat together.

S. What feelings do we need when we eat together?

R. That you are seated together around the same table that it is pleasant for you to sit together and eat together.

S. We are very happy to see and hear you!

47. S. (01:42:50) If the goal is renewing itself every day, so where is everything we attain in the previous day, should we renew our prayer every day?

R. Of course, of course, necessarily..

S. And where is left what we got yesterday?

R. In heaven.

48. S. (01:43:27) I heard you say that a person has to correct his organs, how to correct the organs?

R. His participation, his participation in the ten, this is what he needs to correct.

49. S. (01:44:09) It is written that “every time a person doesn’t take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of Heaven, he only gets livelihood from the Creator”. Does this mean that after we take the burden of the kingdom of heaven, so livelihood will come from a different place?

R. No no, of course not, rather now he receives it in order to strengthen him, afterwards he will receive it in what he himself attains.

50. S. (01:44:47) In the end of the article, it’s written that “according to the ARI, at the end of every meal, we scrutinize exalted qualities from the general soul”, how do things get scrutinized without me feeling them?

R. Because of the breaking of the vessels, it continues all the way through the end. So we need to, without paying attention to it, think only about the correction. And our correction will in turn correct or create in turn, the continuation of the breaking of the vessels.

S. So it comes from a higher degree?

R. Yes.

51. S. (01:46:03) What’s the difference between working as everything “as new in your eyes” or habits, what’s the right relation between them?

R. Going by route are actions that have no purpose to them, people just do what they were taught to do. This is why it’s called “by route”, meaning people will just follow what they were taught. And the second one is already through a calculation, connection, and in connection to the Creator.

S. What does it have to do with my perception on a timeline, or is it virtual compared to innovations?

R. No, no, no, no, of course in the first case it’s tradition and in the second case it’s already new.

S. What’s the right relation between tradition and renewing?

R. You have nothing new if you don’t, if you are with the general public, only if you are in the individual path when you elevate yourself, each day anew, then you try to rise.

S. And he mentions in the article that “seeing it in your eyes is new”, how does that soften the ascents and descents?

R. You wait for ascents and descents each day.

52. S. (01:47:58) If we assume that There’s None Else Besides Him, so the Creator through you gives us lessons, why won’t the whole world Kli in every lesson give gratitude to the Creator in order to bestow, that we can give Him contentment in deeds?

R. Do it, why not?

S. And that’s how we cover our shame?

R. Yes, yes, do it.

53. S. (01:48:51) We say that a person should annul himself before the ten, what is a person annulling, what exactly is he annulling?

R. He must annul his egoism, not his opinion but rather specifically his egoism, especially that; and the desire to lower himself with respect to the ten so that they will seemingly control him.

S. There’s a point here that if I try to annul before the friends so the system that through them, I can only feel them through the will to receive. When I annul my thoughts towards them, I don’t know how to come in contact with them. If I only connect with them through my ego and to define it in any way, how do you do that?

R. So, I guess these are the states we are in, in the meantime.