READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN THURSDAY

Rabash. What Are Spies in the Work?. 33 (1989)

LESSON MATERIAL

What Are Spies in the Work?

Article No. 33, 1989

It is written in The Zohar (Shlach, Item 18): “I looked in this verse, since Solomon said, ‘For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other, and there is one spirit to all,’ for here there is an opening for the faithless. He replies, ‘He repeats those words that the fools of the world say—that this world is runs on chance and the Creator does not oversee them. Rather, the fate of man and the fate of beast is the same.’ What did Solomon (tell) them? He said, ‘Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward? And the spirit of the beast, if it descends down to the earth?’ Does it go up to the high place, and the spirit of the beast, does it descend down to the earth, as it is written about it, ‘He has made man in the image of God,’ and it is written, ‘Man’s soul, the Lord’s candle.’”

It follows that there is a question: Since Solomon said, “For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other, and there is one spirit to all,” The Zohar asks, Does this mean that Solomon opens a door to those who are faithless? It replies that Solomon said this in the eyes of the fools. When Solomon looked at the fools, he called them “beast,” as it is written, “I said to myself concerning the sons of men: ‘God has sorted them to see that they are but beasts.’” “Sorted” means that God sorts them out so they remain alone and do not connect to people and bring this view to people.

What did Solomon reply to them? “Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward?” meaning to a high place, a holy place, to feed on the upper light, while the spirit of the beast, which descends down to the earth, and not to that place that is for all the sons of men?

We should understand this in the work. That is, how we learn this in one person, who consists of all those states, meaning has all the questions. The thing is that when a person wants to begin to observe Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds], the person sends spies to spy on the work of the Creator to see if it is worthwhile. At that time the evil inclination shows him images of those who engage in Torah and Mitzvot, that they are concerned only with their own benefit. They say that they are servants of the Creator, but he sees that they are working for themselves. The only difference is that they say that they want the Creator to pay for their work, and secular people say that they settle for payment from a person like himself. Yet, they all work for their own benefit.

But we heard that you say that our sages said, “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” for because the Creator is the giver, those who work for their own benefit are separated from the Life of Lives and are therefore called “dead.” They even present evidence to their words in what our sages said (Berachot 17), “Anyone who engages in Torah Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] is better off not being born.”

Therefore, The Zohar says about the spies within man that Solomon said about them, meaning repeated those words that the fools of the world say—that this world runs on chance and the Creator does not watch over them, but rather the fate of man and the fate of beast are the same; as one dies, so dies the other, and all have the same spirit. That is, both are called “dead”; whether religious or secular, all work for their own sake.

Solomon said, “Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward? And the spirit of the beast, if it descends down to the earth?” That is, we must believe the words of our sages, who said (Pesachim 50), “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even if Lo Lishma, since from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma [for Her sake].”

Therefore, although when he begins the work, he begins Lo Lishma, meaning for his own sake, like the people who are as beasts, meaning engage only in beastly lusts, but those who engage in beastly lusts, what degree will they ultimately achieve? Solomon said about this that they will achieve the degree, “the spirit of the beast,” which “descends down to the earth.” That is, they will remain in earthliness, in vessels of reception for their own sake, which is the lowest thing, called “earth.”

But those who engage in Torah and Mitzvot, although it is Lo Lishma, meaning for their own sake, still, from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma. For this reason, they will emerge from self-love and achieve equivalence of form called “Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator,” and will be rewarded with life, as it is written, “And you who cling to the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.”

This is why Solomon says, “Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward,” to a high place? “Who knows” means we must believe in the words of our sages, who said, “And from Lo Lishma, he comes to Lishma,” and “He who comes to purify is aided.” Thus, he who knows how to appreciate this and believe in the words of our sages will therefore achieve Dvekut with the Creator, which is regarded as “the spirit of man.” That is, it is those who engage in the quality of “man,” although they are still in the quality of “beast,” meaning still engaging only for their own benefit.

Baal HaSulam interpreted the verse, “will give wisdom to the wise.” A common question is, It should have said, “will give wisdom to the fools.” He answered in regard to this, that he who wants to be wise is already called “wise.” But one who has no desire for wisdom is called a “fool,” as it is written, “The fool has no desire for understanding.”

Therefore, those who want to be “men,” as our sages said, “You are called ‘men,’ and the nations of the world are not called ‘men,’ where “nations of the world” means the self-love within a person; this is called “the nations of the world.” But “Israel” means Yashar-El [straight to the Creator], meaning that within “Israel,” everything he has is straight to the Creator.

For this reason, one who wants to walk on the path toward achieving the quality of “man,” the verse says about him, “the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward,” to the high place, meaning to the Creator, as it is written about it, “He has made man in the image of God,” and as it is written, “Man’s soul, the Lord’s candle.”

This means that “in the image of God” means that as the Creator is the giver, so man should achieve this degree of being a giver. Yet, since man begins the work in Lo Lishma, how can he achieve the degree of a giver? The answer is as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” The Zohar asks, “With what?” and it replies, “with a holy soul.” That is, the Creator gives him a soul by which he receives the assistance. This is the meaning of “Man’s soul, God’s candle.”

This is the meaning of the verse, “I said to myself concerning the sons of men: ‘God has sorted them.’” The Zohar interprets that “sorted” means that God sorted them out so they remain alone and do not connect to the sons of men, so they will not express this view to people. In the work, this means that a person should be careful from the argument of his spies, who want to bring him the view of the beast and say that he should not mind the view of man, meaning that the body can achieve the quality of man, and their beastly view does not let them consider the view of man. For this reason, Solomon warns them that they need extra care not to be lured after their view.

This is why he says, “sorted,” meaning he sorted them so they remain alone. This means that the spies come with complaints that they have the same fate, meaning that both remain as “dead,” meaning separated, since they both work for their own sake, and both are called “the wicked in their lives are called ‘dead.’” Yet, we must brace ourselves and not listen to the spies or look at their view when they say it is a waste of work since in any case, you will remain as “the wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” so why work for nothing if you know you will not gain anything? By this, these fools, who are as beasts, govern man’s body.

But the main argument of the spies is that it is true that it would be worthwhile to work for the sake of the Creator if the taste of Torah and Mitzvot were revealed, at least to the extent that the pleasure in beastly lusts is revealed. But we see that in Torah and Mitzvot, of which we say that “They are our lives and the length of our days,” we have no taste of feeling, while in beastly lusts we do feel the taste. So, why did the Creator place such a concealment before us? It would be better if the Creator revealed Himself to the lower ones. Why do we need to do everything in faith, since the path of faith pushes people away from walking in the path of the Creator? Therefore, the spies say, this way is completely unacceptable.

Baal HaSulam said about this, that if the taste of Torah and Mitzvot were revealed, it would be impossible to have free choice, meaning to do something for the sake of the Creator. In corporeal pleasures, we see that there, the ARI said that all the flavors we have in corporeality are but a tiny light compared to what is found in spirituality, and how difficult it is to direct them in order to bestow. Certainly, with great pleasures, it will be utterly impossible to observe them in order to bestow.

We could ask, If His Providence were revealed in the form of The Good Who Does Good, all creations would annul before Him “as a candle before a torch.” The answer is that when the delight and pleasure are felt, the will to receive cannot look at the shame. Instead, it wants to receive despite the shame, just as in corporeal lusts, a person does not look at any shame, and the passion drives him to receive. Only afterward he regrets, meaning after the passion has left him, he begins to be ashamed of how he behaved like a beast, without any shame. This is the meaning of what our sages said, “The wicked are full of remorse,” for in the work, “wicked” means that the person himself comes to feel that he is wicked. Then he begins to be ashamed of what he had done.

It is likewise in spirituality. If the delight and pleasure were revealed, the person would receive it in order to receive. Only afterward, once he has satisfied his wish, he would be ashamed. But he would have no way to correct himself. But while there is concealment, and a person begins to work with faith above reason, the person begins to exercise prohibiting self-reception. For this reason, once he has exerted in the work of bestowal, although the person cannot achieve this degree without help from above, when he asks for help, he asks to be given help to have the strength to receive in order to bestow. For this reason, it cannot be said that the person would see the greatness of the Creator and would annul before Him. Rather, he would receive a pleasure of the will to receive for himself.

But when a person first works in order to bestow during the period of concealment, he says to the Creator, “I want to serve You unconditionally, even if I do not feel Your greatness. I want to believe that You are great and worth serving.” It follows that he agrees to serve the Creator unconditionally. Although he cannot, he asks the Creator to give him this power to serve even without any feeling, but only for the sake of the Creator.

When a person achieves this degree, where he is willing to work without any reward, our sages call this learning “Torah Lishma,” without any reward. At that time, he is rewarded with the revelation of the secrets of Torah.

At that time begins the work of the Masachim [screens], when he can already see the meal. However, at that time he must calculate how much of the meal he can receive in order to bestow. That much he should take, and not more.

It follows that we should discern here, for example, that he sees that he was given, for example, five dishes of food. Yet, he only sees them. He does not know how they taste because he has not tasted any of them. But since he is a faithful person, meaning he is certain that he will not receive in order to receive, he can already see the meal, since he has achieved the degree of not receiving in order to receive.

For this reason, although he sees the meal, he still did not taste, prior to making a Zivug de Hakaa [lit. coupling by striking] called the “intention,” how much of the meal he can receive in order to bestow. Once he has made the Zivug de Hakaa, he tastes from the meal. But if he still cannot receive in order to bestow, the Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment are still on him and he cannot see a thing. Hence, precisely when a person can work without any reason or intellect, but only above reason, which is called Lishma, then he is rewarded with the secrets of Torah.

It follows that the primary sin of the spies is that although they do not lie, but tell the truth, for they speak according to their intellect and reason, therefore, the whole sin is that they do not believe that the Creator helps everyone, that we must believe that “The Lord supports all the fallen.” If a person says that he is so lowly that the Creator cannot help him, he is blemishing the faith, for he does not believe that the Creator is almighty. In such states, when such thoughts come to a person, it is very difficult for him.

And the hardest is that a person thinks he sees the truth. He does not blame anyone for his escaping from the campaign, but says, “It’s true that the Creator is righteous, but what can I do if I haven’t the power to overcome my will to receive, since my bad qualities are not like those of others? Therefore, I must leave the work and I have nothing more to hope for.”

But sometimes he says otherwise: “I am not saying that my friends are better. Rather, it is that they do not really see the truth and think that they are doing something in spirituality. For this reason, they do not feel the situation in the current state—that they are not moving one step forward. This is why they can continue the work and no lack is apparent in their work. This is why they are always content.”

It does not matter what is the reason for which a person escapes the campaign. What matters is that at that time, it is difficult for a person to believe that the Creator can help everyone, that with respect to Him, it cannot be said that He can help only the great ones, but not the small ones. It follows that by this he blemishes the faith in the Creator. Instead, a person must believe what is said, that “The Lord supports all the fallen.”

It therefore follows that the matter of spies is for lack of faith. That is, all the faults they mention to a person: 1) That it is difficult because it contradicts the body’s nature, since the body wants to exist, and here it is told that it must serve the Creator “with all your heart and with all your soul.” This is from the perspective of the heart. 2) We must believe that all the work is based on a foundation that is above reason. Thus, how is it possible to walk on this path?

We therefore see that these spies are not lying. So what is the sin in the words of the spies, who slandered the land of Israel, as The Zohar says, that the land of Israel means the kingdom of heaven, called “the land of Israel,” and this pertains only to the quality of “Israel”? But they said, “We do not see that it is possible to be rewarded with it for the two above reasons.” Thus, the sin is that they did not believe in the greatness of the Creator, that He is almighty, and had no faith in the sages, who said, “He who comes to purify is aided.”

Hence, the correction is to pray to the Creator, that only He can help with this, and believe that “You hear the prayer of every mouth,” as Baal HaSulam explained that “every mouth” means even the lowest possible mouth.

LESSON

Morning Lesson December 5, 2023

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

Part 1:

Rabash. Article No. 33, 1989. What Are Spies in the Work?

1. Rav intro: (00:33) The sermon of spies is very important, very close to us because if we pay attention we can feel them constantly as they pry into our work and disconnect us from spiritual work. Every moment we have to detect them, make efforts, and only work on this work on the spies against the spies can we reach contact with the Creator. 

Rabash. Article No. 33, 1989 (01:19) What Are Spies in the Work?

2. S. (31:44) The question is can we educate the spies and give them a certain education because the spies come from a certain place that we need to reach, and we know that like we learned yesterday Moses is the one that sent them. The question is can we educate them in advance? It’s clear that they cannot comprehend certain things. The question is can we give them a certain education?

R. No, the spies are messengers of the Creator. We can’t educate them, rather they educate us through them with their help we change and approach the Creator.

S. Is there a specific attitude that we need to do with ourselves as a group and we feel them?

R. Talk about it, read the article several times, discuss it and we will see.

3. S. (32:51) He says here that a person needs to reach a request and tells the Creator I want to work for you without any conditions even if I don’t feel your greatness, but I want to believe that you’re great and it’s worth serving you.

R. Yes.

S. That this is the request that covers all of the spies, it’s above everything, can we depict this request that he wants to work unconditionally even if I don’t see your greatness?

R. That’s also a condition. It’s also a condition, I wish to work in order to bestow to the Creator without feeling any feedback from this work.

S. How do we work without any feedback?

R. That’s what they’re asking for, that’s what is being asked because if everything that comes I can accept as payment, as fulfillment and here we want to be completely without any competition whatsoever.

S. What are we holding on to?

R. Let’s ask, we’ll see.

S. Let’s say if we depict it in the Ten it’s clear that we can guard everything in the Ten but what does it mean to work without feedback towards the Creator?

R. I don’t know, we have to ask. To work without any reward and even that we feel as a reward.

S. Before that, we do want for the greatness of the Creator to lead us?

R. No, before that it is as usual. This is a place for scrutiny.

4. S. (35:24) It’s impossible to defeat the spies. Is that right? Is it the force of the Creator?

R. Why do we need to triumph over them? What does it mean to triumph over them?

S. To answer them or to understand?

R. To go above their temptations, we want specifically to the spies to come closer and closer to the Creator.

S. This is through faith above reason?

R. Yes, to turn them into a helpful force.

S. To what extent do we need to rise above them to turn into this helping force? To really see them as helpers?

R. To turn them into helpful forces as possible on the condition that all of us in the group think of them and the thoughts come when the desires come, and all of those disturbances so that we will go above them.

S. What is this guarding that we need to add?

R. The connection between us we have nothing outside of this, the connection between us we want to gather to hold on to one another and everyone all of us will rise above the disturbances.

5. S. (37:21) He writes that if a person wants to start working in faith above reason then a person begins to exercise prohibiting self-reception.

R. Yes.

S. Can we talk about this?

R. Talk about it.

S. What are these exercises? What exercises can we do?

R. Anything that comes to you that you wish to enjoy there’s an exercise where you can go above it.

S. Also in the corporal world, corporeal desires?

R. Of course, what do you understand about corporeal desires for the time being?

S. Correct, but if we want to connect between us although it’s a corporeal desire it’s in the right direction, it’s not necessarily such desires right? Every desire?

R. Every desire, yes. It’s a very thorough article, very good. We will return to it once more.

6. S. (38:17) At the end of the article we reached the conclusion that the sin is that we don’t believe in the greatness of the Creator.

R. Yes.

S. What type of sin is it? It’s as if in a man’s hand to believe or not to believe but the faith is a result of a lot of things?

R. No, this is in the hands of a person because the person is in a group.

S. It seems from the article the wicked have a lot of work. They have shame that awakens, and they have all kinds of calculations like Pharaohs who and what questions is overcoming, it’s a process. Why do we want to reach becoming a righteous if there’s no work there?

R. What do you mean there’s no work there’s no work because he finished all the work, all the examinations, all the overcomings and all that’s left for him is greater and greater adhesion and the friends and the Creator according to how much he opens up to him.

S. He writes afterwards that the righteous comes to work without any feelings just for the Creator that he agrees to work for the Creator unconditionally he doesn’t have any calculations with anything. How in that state when there is no feeling do we know at all who we’re working for? It seems like just neutralizes himself completely.

R. I don’t know, we will get there, and we will see.

7. S. (40:25) What is the role, the function of the spies?

R. They advance a person in the right direction.

8. S. (40:49) What does he mean that the Creator helps a person?

R. We are constantly between positive and negative forces and eventually they bring us towards the goal.

9. S. (41:10) What actions are demanded for the sinner for the righteous to be together within a person?

R. The sinner and the righteous cannot exist together simultaneously, only intermittently. Though they exist like that. One time it’s this, one time it’s the other.

10. S. (41:45) What does it mean without expecting any reward?

R. Without expecting any reward means I demand from my work only that in which I need to be carried out.

11. S. (42:05) There are spies that they already adhere to you and you’re not even aware of them in spirituality. Are their actions of cleansing, purifying?

R. Well let’s say perhaps well would of it?

S. If a person sometimes wants to cleanse himself, how to say?

R. A prayer, there is nothing else to do relative to the Creator the work is only in prayer and from that all of the actions that stem in order for it to cleanse ourselves.

S. The answer to the prayer, the Creator takes them out on you and then he’s cleansed from everything?

R. Yes.

12. S. (43:21) What does it mean to go to the meal and not to eat of it but what does it mean to go to the meal and not eat of it but to feel the flavor of the meal?

R. I don’t know, where does it say that?

S. It’s written here in the article.

R. Not, to eat from it but to feel the flavor from it. What does it mean?

S. Since he still doesn’t have any flavor because he is certain that he is loyal not to receive in order to receive then you can order you see the meal since he is already reached a degree of receiving of not receiving in order to receive.

R. I don’t understand it like that.

13. S. (44:28) I’ll sharpen it a bit, It’s close to what he said, we need to first reach a state of truly not receiving anything for ourselves, in a stage it starts the work of the screen through the Zivug de Hakaa and call it intention and then I make a calculation with the right intention in order to bestow? How do I carry out this work with intention?

R. You are going in with all of your desire and you open it up as much as possible under the cover of the intention to bestow. Then you want to taste all the flavors in the meal after you’ve restricted them, placed this screen, and reflected light on them. This means that you are doing what the Creator is expecting you to do.

S. This sounds like an action of thought or emotional one.

R. It’s an emotional action.

S. We need to do exactly that. How do I carry out this emotional action called intention?

R. It’s not only an intention, but you also receive in order to bestow. In other words you fail your vessels, your desires within her light with pleasure.

S. Correct, what do I feel?

R. You feel the pleasure of bestowal.

S. From there then I pass on bestowal?

R. You don’t pass it. The fact that you receive in order to bestow, that’s what you’re passing actually.

S. That stops by me feeling it?

R. Yes because you’re doing it for the sake of the Creator.

S. Then I basically bestowed?

R. Yes.

14. S. (46:44) I wanted to clarify, maybe feel a little bit more the spies in the Ten if it’s correct. He said the spies they tell the truth, that this is truly the truth and when I pay attention that as much as time passes there’s this atmosphere in the Ten that you truly feel that every friend he has these conditions that disturb him, maybe it’s from coming to the lesson or coming to an action of connection, he has conditions that are true and they’re such an atmosphere that this is simply the state the truth are these the spies?

R. No.

S. What are the spies in the Ten? What is that state?

R. Spies are those thoughts, desires, and intentions that let you take another step in the connection between you and with the Creator to receive from him another dish in order to bestow if you were in a certain degree beforehand.

S. When we feel that we cannot take this step?

R. Yes.

S. What is the reason like he writes here at the end, that there is no greatness of the Creator?

R. To work on it, you can pass this virus of the Creator to one to another. Each one should show to his friend how much the greatness of the Creator is bringing him, and he will see how much you are igniting the friend.

S. If a person, if he has conditions that he cannot right now to reach the greatness of the Creator?

R. Not that but each one the same, each one has his own, but he needs to be impressed by what he is trying to pass to him.

15. S. (49:09) There’s a paragraph here that is talking about regarding the topic, or after the past as how he behaved like a beast before any shame, it’s the meaning of the sages said the wicked are filled of remorse for in the work, wicked means that the person himself comes to feel that he is wicked and then he begins to be ashamed of what he has done. My question is do we learn that shame is a creation of itself that was made to advance a person and here he depicts a state as a nation of the world that is wicked. That suddenly they start working with other vessels, is that the state?

R. Yes.

S. If we can elaborate with your permission if it is possible, and the matter regarding the topic not just of shame but of the transition from spies, the spies in action that they correctly depict the true state? That represents the Malchut, the desire to receive?

R. Yes.

S. This is a contradiction of the desire to receive and the intention to bestow and both of them are in a person?

R. Yes.

16. S. (50:51) Faith above reason is it possible to see it as a transition from one degree to the next one?

R. Yes.

S. The degree I’m in at the moment, is it reason? Meaning now I’m on a certain degree of reason and I need to pass to the next degree?

R. Yes.

S. How do we do this work? This transition?

R. If you know before us is a degree then we can climb it and only the annulment relative to the disturbances that we feel not to pay attention to them and to continue in connection between us and to the Creator, specifically with those disturbances because with those disturbances we rise to the next degree, the disturbances themselves are the height we need to scale.

17. S. (52:21) How can a person activate the system of Torah and Mitzvot to see the friends as a torch?

R. To the friends as a torch, why does he need it?

S. In the article it is written to a null as a candle as a torch. How do we work as a Torah in Mitzvot to nullify towards their friends like a candle within a torch?

R. I think that we will get to it if we are connected and take a few more steps and we will come to it. He is right, he is right.

18. S. (53:46) What is the light of the Creator, a person’s soul? What does it mean?

R. Of the soul of a person when it’s corrected it shines like a candle, that the Creator lights and shines a light with it and through these connected souls He illuminates the world, He is revealed to the world.

S. The Creator shines to the world like a candle. I didn’t understand the Creator is the vessel or the man’s soul is the Lord’s candle who shines to whom?

R. Express it differently for the time being.

19. S. (54:50) It is written here that and then a person attains a degree that when he’s ready to work without any reward then he is worthy of revealing the Torah and then the work of the screen starts meaning he can receive the meal, when do we nonetheless reach a state where we see that meal?

R. It’s when we can aim to receive in order to bestow then we are approaching the general meal with us and the Creator.

S. What is that meal?

R. It’s the filling of the vessel on a certain level already in the light of Hochma.

S. That vessel that gets filled up in the meal is that the vessel of the Ten or what is the Kli?

R. Yes, of course it is our Tens that can connect.

20. S. (56:15) Are there spies also in spirituality?

R. We are speaking about spirituality, corporality that’s one thing but spirituality is the main thing. They distract us from the path they confuse us with, and we end up investing our energies in other undesirable directions.

21 S. (56:55) In the beginning you said the spies are let’s say messengers, angels that come from the Creator to help a person come closer to the Creator and later on it says when a person wants to begin to observe Torah and Mitzvot the person sends spies to spy on the work of the Creator to see if it’s worthwhile, what does it mean that a person sends spies?

R. What does it mean that a person sends spies to himself, by himself? He wants to use his evil inclination to investigate the path and he does not believe the Creator, that’s something you have to be weary of.

S. You can also send spies to spy on others? That they are still in self-love is that sending spies. Does it come from the Creator? Everything comes from the Creator so what is the person actually doing here how can a person send spies?

R. That’s his evil inclination, his ego, his will to receive constantly, nitpicking and looking for opportunities to avoid exertion in labor. 

22. S. (58:52) How do we need to see or feel the spies in faith above a reason?

R. True spies are all above reason. It’s not that they are pulling us into reason and corporeality they want to confuse us and above reason. They have what to add there you will find the spies.

23. S. (59:57) The spiritual pleasure that is always dressed in the material or do we reach the state that the spiritual stayed without the means of the material?

R. Even without a material means.

24. S. (01:00:23) Is that the right thought of direction if I think that the spies help a person when he does not know what to do in order to correct himself and then how we see the spies changes as we see them as help and we don’t need to help fight against them?

R. We need to treat the spies correctly, respectfully because they aim at the goal, not in the correct shape or the direction but when they awaken us it helps us find the direction, identify the path, and take their goal in the road that leads to it. Without the spies that confuse and divert us from the path we would not be able to actually advance. simply we do not know what is the path.

25. S. (01:02:21) It’s Clear but it’s not clear why the sending of the spies refers to Moses. Why is he the one who sends them out? What does that mean? Specifically him, could be the spies come and one against the other it but it’s most of the one that sends them out, what does it mean and why is it so?

R. I think that it is because Moses is interested in educating the people, and so it is in his interest to meet the spies.

S. He’s placing an obstacle?

R. Yes.

S. But isn’t that an obstacle in front of the blind?

R. They should learn, they should learn otherwise how can they do it?

S. That’s the question because it seems that the obstacle most of the time is, nonetheless, no other way?

R. Nevertheless they learn and come out of Egypt.

S. There is no other way?

R. I guess not.

S. It’s impossible to simply hold on to faith in the Creator? We must send the spies to remember to see something in order to receive?

R. Anything that needs to be revealed has to be revealed over the resistance, over the resistance on top of that and then you feel the benefit of this and the benefit of that and what comes out in the end. If not for such actions you would not be able to discern good, bad, and how to advance. They cannot show them that they are able to go above a reason. it’s a problem.

26. S. (01:04:46) At the end of the article it’s written that the sin is that they did not believe in the greatness of the Creator and before that the person is asking for the strength to work even if he does not feel the greatest of the Creator so how do we arrange these two things. In the beginning he is asking for the force Even without the greatness of the Creator? 

R. You cannot, you cannot reach anything without the similar recognition of the greatest of the Creator. What fuel will you use to be drawn forward?

27. S. (01:05:50) Can we say that the spies cause us to do a restriction on the screen?

R. Eventually yes.

S. They cause me to make these clarifications for the Masach for the screen to come out?

R. Yes.

28. S. (01:16:19) What characterizes the peak of the forces of the spies?

R. They wish to divert the people of Israel from the Exodus from Egypt. That is their goal. They are seemingly working for the Pharaoh.

29. S. (01:07:03) What is the difference between the vessels of self-love and the vessels of Lo Lishma?

R. Vessels of self-love are for everyone. The vessel of Lo Lishma is when a person detects that he wishes to work in Lishma to some extent, but he is unable to do so, so he’s working in Lo Lishma. The discernments are one relative to the other. 

30. S. (01:08:01) If we are rising above the spies and faith above the reason without dealing with them, will they always appear in front of us? Do we need to pray to the Creator to give us strength to rise above them or we learn to reach a state when we can answer them?

R. No, there’s no point answering them. only to pray to come closer to the Creator, that is it. Then we would know in general how they are working and how they are asking. It is not recommended to ask of them, on the contrary it says, ‘ break his teeth’.

31. S. (01:09:06) The scrutinies are the recommended way to research how to advance in the work. The spies are not legitimate? Sending them out is not legitimate?

R. It is the Creator doing it.

S. It says they’re in the except here, the person sends them, the individual so there is a variation as that you feel that you are the one who sends out the spies or the group sends them. I’m asking if there’s a rule here if it is permitted to get this feedback and through a lot of exertion? Where do I get the example? That it is forbidden to do research in order to stop the exertion is that the rule?

R. To reduce one’s exertion is not acceptable.

32. S. (01:10:23) How can you use what the spies tell us to help the spiritual advancement of the Ten? How can we use it to help the Ten to advance the spiritual advancements of the Ten correctly?

R. We need to try; we need to try more and more.

33 S. (01:11:02) What does it mean that a person is making actions in order to bestow? Is this strength within person to do these actions in order to bestow or is it the Creator who does it to request?

R. A person makes their effort, and the Creator helps him.

34. S. (01:11:40) We learn that from Lo Lishma, not for her sake, that we come to Lishma for her sake, and in the Ten we want to reach such a relationship where we feel the friends as part of that there’s an atmosphere of support. Tell me please, is the essence of the work of Lo Lishma when we want this work to be for us as a reward?

R. Not exactly but we will scrutinize it each step you’re taking a step forward and we have not learned it yet.

35. S. (01:12:27) If a person prepares his intention in tasting the food, how can you know that he has eaten the food with the right intention?

R. While receiving fulfillment with the correct intention he feels in the NRHY, he feels exactly what he attained.

36. S. (01:13:17) What should be our attitude towards the friend who comes to the morning lesson every morning but does not connect with the friends during the day and does not participate in the group?

R. We have to take into consideration mainly the showing up to the morning lesson. All other times we also obviously want to see all the friends, they are with us but each one already according to his work, his business, wherever he is and then we do not demand it so much from the friends. How do you relate to this?

37. S. (01:14:38) The morning lesson is the main thing of the day but there’s many activities during the day. There’s the meeting of the Tens, reading of TES, the Zohar meeting. dissemination, each one according to his ability.

R. Ok.

38. S. (01:15:01) On the path what is in our control?

R. In our control? Only to turn to the friends to help us to turn to the Creator.

S. Is this for me to do?

R. That is upon you to be in contact with the friends that with their help you can turn to the Creator.

S. My whole nature is against the connection. So acting through connection with the friends is like a miracle.

R. A miracle so let it be a miracle.

S. What is the recipe for the miracle?

R. That you constantly want to do it.

S. When I already want to unite with the friends but if I do not want to?

R. You do not agree to not wanting it, you want to be connected to all the friends?

S. I want to want but I don’t want it.

R. To the Creator and constantly ask of them.

S. In the recipe there are components and there are ways to operate so the component is the desire right? But the way to work with it changes all the time depending on?

R. Depending on what you’re asking for what you want to reach, the method could be different. Well, it’s not a method, it’s an action.

S. Our whole success depends on the miracle, to be something that I was not born to be?

R. A miracle is what I cannot perform, not in mind, not in feeling, ,not in practice. That is called a miracle. I can’t but along with the friends by turning to the Creator and we can demand of Him and He will perform that action and that is called a miracle but that is how we reach that miracle.

S. If I cannot perform the actions, the operations in order to come to good connection with the friends then even the operations I suppose are a miracle?

R. The operations can also be a miracle, yes.

S. What is in our control on the path of everything depends on an external force outside of us?

R. Your action is to awaken that force that is outside of you. To awaken Him that force, to demand, to ask, to convince that He will perform the action.

S. If the intention to awaken the force is not mine?

R. It’s not only yours, also the whole group.

S. It is my work to awaken the force and the whole group is not for me?

R. Yes.

S. To be incorporated in a group.

R. Yes.

39. S. (01:19:25) He writes here, the spirit of people and the spirit of the beast? What is the spirit of a beast? Why is it a spirit?

R. There are different degrees, one of those degrees is a Ruach, spirit.

S. Degrees of the state of a beast?

R. Yes.

S. Why does the spirit of a beast descend?

R. We don’t learn that. You always ask something that we don’t learn about.

S. Half the article he is talking about this verse, and I want to understand it.

R. What is written that you are writing about? 

S, He writes, what is that Soloman answers them who knows the spirit of man which rises, meaning the high place, the holy place, to feed on the upper light and the spirit of the beast which descends to the earth. Usually we say that Earth is a desire, what does it mean that spirit of the beast descends to the Earth?

R. If that spirit of the beast is revealed so a person descends, if the spirit of man so then then the man rises.

S. It’s something that person discovers within?

R. Of course, we’re speaking about the inner qualities of a person.

S. Second question, we see that in the corporal pleasure that we said that the reset, the whole point, the all the flavors we have in corporeality are like a tiny light compared to spiritually. So how do we aim them in order to bestow? Is there such a work of aiming corporeal work in order to bestow regardless of what flavor or what taste it is?

R. No, that is not important. All pleasure from 0 to 100% that can ever be in creation we need to accept them in order to bestow.

S. It does not measure if it is a pleasure from the group from the study or from the lesson?

R. Does not matter, it is all pleasures.

40. S. (01:22:02) The power of faith is it only between man and the Creator? Can we project it and ask it for one another for it?

R. The force of faith is directed towards the Creator usually.

S. What is the faith in the Ten?

R. Usually we do not use the force of faith between the person and his friend or a person to the Ten, where can you see that?

S. Let’s say that we see a friend has great difficulty and we ask for him, what are we asking for him?

R. We asked the Creator to help him, to save him, to heal him.

S. To give him faith above where he is or is this not so accurate?

R. No, we do not ask in such a way. We can pray but usually we pray by coming closer to a friend, hugging him, all of us together and raising him together with us towards the Creator.

S. I’m asking because he writes about two kinds of spies that he’s speaking about. One says that I’m in the will to receive, and I will never get out of it and the other says, I’m happy with the friends but they don’t really feel the truth. These are two traps, seemingly make a person forget to ask the Creator for the power of faith. When he asks for the friends, what is he asking for?

R. According to what it is written, I don’t know it is not clear. How he can ask for the friends if he does not identify with them.

S. Despite seemingly tells him the truth, look at them, they are happy they do not really feel the truth like you do. So what does a person ask in such a state?

R. He can ask for what the spy deviates him from.

S. Obviously but above it, what does he ask for?

R. To rise above all the demands of the spy.

S. To nevertheless see that the Creator sent such a situation? You can have faith, but you can’t get out of it?

R. Yes.

S. This is not regarded as asking for friends but for himself?

R. No, he is the first part of his action helping the friends in order to give contentment to the Creator.

S. This is not regarded as faith in the Ten? It’s not regardless of working in the Ten, through the Ten?

R. Of course there’s increasing faith in the Ten I don’t exactly understand what you are standing on in order to ask?

41. S. (01:25:52) The spies are disturbances within reason, and we want to go with faith above reason. I wanted to ask, our work with the friends is to see their greatness within reason, this is what I heard?

R. Yes.

S. Because with them I come to a prayer?

R. With them you reach all the degrees but if you’re not on the same degrees so how can you ask to see them in all the degrees as if you were there already there and you’re going to reveal it?

S. It is as if I have war with a spies to see the greatness of the friends within the reason? The greatness of the Ten, within reason?

R. Yes.

S. I have to have this in order to enter the Ten?

R. Yes.

42. S. (01:27:14) When the Creator gives states what exactly am I correcting or is it my Reshimot, records when the Creator gives a state?

R. Yes.

S. Until the Creator gets what he needs from me He will not take me to the next step?

R. It is a matter of degrees, He gave you conditions now that you will grab them on the degree that is suitable for you. until you do not finish climbing that He cannot give you another higher degree.