KETER: TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
Baal HaSulam. Introduction to “From the Mouth of a Sage”
Morning Lesson September 02, 2022 Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Baal HaSulam. Introduction to “From the Mouth of a Sage” (start with: “Since we have already proven”)
Reading (00:22) Introduction to “From the Mouth of a Sage” “Since we have already proven that the Creator..”
1. R. (01:32) So this is the first part of our work that we have to correct our vessels so they are in order to bestow, after we already have restriction, screen, reflected light, when we are equipped with all of these forces and understandings then comes part two, which is.
Reading continues (02:02) “Observing the Commandments and learning the Torah…”
2. R. (02:12) It’s not that there’s 613 advice how to achieve in order to bestow but when we already have forces to bestow how do we work with them, and then it’s called 613 Pekudim from the word Pikudon deposits, what’s a deposit when we already receive the light inside of our vessels based on the equivalence of our vessels our desires to bestow with the light that is entirely to bestow.
Reading continues (02:42)
3. R. (02:52) That the light that enters the Kli as there’s equivalence between the light and the Kli as mutual bestowal to each other by that we attain these lights to the extent to which they shine the contents of bestow towards us and that’s called the attainment of the Creator’s names.
4. S. (03:14) What does it mean deposits? Once we have these lights what more can we do? It’s already in the vessel.
R. No, 613 councils are only correcting the vessels we don’t yet fill them with light in order to bestow, we only install screens on them in order to bestow. In a gradual way we rise from state to state from concealment to revelation, that’s how we correct them. But in actual fact we don’t yet receive lights in order to bestow.
5. S. (03:52) And once they receive lights in order to bestow?
R. That’s already Gadlut, adulthood, that’s a second phase that’s called 613 Pekudim the deposit, when we’re already receiving, revealing the light that the Creator appears in us and we’re in connection with Him and equivalence of form.
S. What instructions are needed there, how to operate? We’ve already corrected the vessels we received the lights?
R. It’s not that we’ve received the lights, now in the second stage we are receiving the lights.
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Reading continues (07:37)
8. R. (08:42) From generation to generation, the suffering grows more greater, deficiencies are revealed and so as much as we don’t study the wisdom of Kabbalah by that we only lose and we cause ourselves greater suffering for the future, we force ourselves to come back in another incarnation and to revolve again and again in this world. Why is that, is this clear, is the question clear to everyone?
Reading continues (09:47) “ Now it becomes utterly clear..”
9. S. (10:53) I’m surprised that there are no questions. Either it’s completely not understood or it’s all completely understood, one of the two.
10. S. (11:17) What is the revealed part and what’s the need for it?
R. The revealed part and the concealed part, usually their revealed part is what we know and to read and understand from different books that belong to the Torah and the concealed part is what we cannot understand directly, simply, rather it requires special intentions and connection between us and so forth oh, so when we are already coming closer to the attainment of what’s actually written in the text between the words, then so there’s the revealed part of the Torah and the concealed part the hidden part, the revealed part in the meantime we’ll interpret it like this, that it’s the part that is revealed to all that you can read and understand and the hidden part even though it’s printed, but we don’t really understand what it’s about. That’s for now, for now let’s understand these matters this way.
11. S. (12:48) I wanted to ask how am I supposed to be impressed by all these words about incarnations because no one remembers his previous incarnations so what are we supposed to do with it, what kind of impression am I supposed to get from this?
R. I think that about the reincarnations we’ll talk about it some more later on we’ll have a great alot of study about that but we still have to develop our vessels a bit more for that and then it will be clear to us how to cope with that, get to grips with that, because in the meantime we may think of reincarnations in very false ways it will come a bit more just listen a bit more and more and we will come to a stage where we can actually study it and do it in the truthful manner.
Reading (14:32) “ There are two parts..”
12. R. (15:07) Meaning that we will achieve the light of Hassadim that will fulfill us and inside this light of Hassadim we will then receive the light of Hochma that’s step one.
Reading continues (15:18) “…as was the soul in its root….”
13. S. (16:06) What yearning should we be in in order to achieve the right intention?
R. That we want to achieve vessels of bestowal that’s the best possible thing, but at the very least just any kind of yearning we have we’ll work with it for now.
14. S. (16:39) While the translation was gone and I was just listening in Hebrew I had more of an emotional impression from the reading and when I’m listening an English it’s like activating more of the mind and I don’t understand what’s going on anyways, so is it better to have this emotional impression, should I listen in Hebrew and try to feel what the text is saying or is it better to listen…?
R. You can do it but not to let go of the understanding we also need to read and understand what he wants to convey to us so that the system the picture of the system will be painted in us, like he explains here, the first part is correcting the vessels of bestowal, the second part correcting the vessels of reception so we can receive in order to bestow and then the light that enters us is called Torah, we need to know all that, we need it nevertheless, but even if you forget afterwards but when you are reading you are still organizing your mind and your heart according to what Baal HaSulam wants to tell you so you do have to understand, however if you have no choice even with just listening you will gradually come to understand it without even knowing the language but that is not a simple path.
S. When listening to what Baal HaSulam is saying and I have no understanding I don’t even know what to ask, what should one do in the state where he doesn’t know what to ask? It’s not clear and I also don’t know even where to begin so then what should one do?
R. To listen, just listen. I too would sit and listen like a little child not understanding a thing and then bit by bit the connections between the words, the sentences gradually clarifies, it’s like with children and it’s the most natural form of studying anything so continue and good luck.
Reading continues (19:26) “ this explains the above question..”
15. R. (20:30) So again the same question he keeps refining it, why each and every person must study the wisdom of Kabbalah because without it he does not realize his life, his life cycle, his reality in this world, why is it so severe.
Reading continues (20:52)
16. S. (22:02) Regarding to what you said before and what regard it’s written in Hebrew I want to ask you, out of the meetings we do during the day to bring these writings from the morning lesson and to read it during the day in the breaks during what we do in our corporeal life, what’s the benefit that could bring us on the spiritual level?
R. In the first part of the lesson we typically study the quotes I would recommend reading them again at least once maybe a few times when you have the chance and you can do it in various in a various order, because each day we go through three quotes maybe four maximum, so that’s with regards to the excerpts, after that now we are studying the introduction and after this one we will study other introductions we need to go through these things because you see how Baal HaSulam gives us the essence of the spiritual structure here.
ts purpose, the Creator’s intention, and that is it and then the third part is TES, that we just need to review it and have some background, and later after we have vessels and lights and attainments then we’ll start studying it practically in the meantime it’s just to kind of get to know what is TES about.
17. S. (24:18) The teacher writes here that learning the revealed part of the Torah is like a preparation for learning the concealed part, so how do we understand it?
R. That we really do need to learn both this and that meaning both the revealed and the concealed. The truth is these two parts should be connected together but because Humanity and people cannot approach the revealed study and all the more so the concealed part of the study, so those who come to the revealed part stays there because that makes it clear what it’s about. A donkey, an ox a cow and all kinds of things and stealing and other things, in the concealed part there is no understanding and also it cannot be explained to a person.
He first has to acquire vessels, vessels of bestowal gradually come closer to the concealed part and that’s the problem, so he gradually has to advance from afar towards the revealed part and the concealed part. The truth is however Baal HaSulam writes and explains to us in the introduction to TES that what we call the hidden part or the concealed part is actually the closest part to us, when we read and don’t understand what it’s about that is the concealed part. The revealed part is later when we try to advance in the concealed part then it becomes revealed so it’s not like people think, that what we understand and read is the revealed. Rather it’s about how much we attained what it’s about, so at first it’s hidden and then it’s revealed. We’ll talk about that later on.
S. Can we say that when a person begins to study the Wisdom of Kabbalah he begins from the revealed part? And then comes to the concealed?
R. Right.
18. S. (2719) Every time we talk about the part we revealed in concealed, since I started learning 7 years ago 6 years ago, I started to see a good sign in the learning and all of a sudden I did started getting this light and momentum started to complete the chapters in the Gemara and gave me a leap forward and studying the revealed also was a good sign. I wanted to ask what is this feeling, because normally we are given an envelope of the concealed over the revealed, I understand that but it gave me a push so that part of the revealed also got this sort of light.
R. What is the question?
S. What is this state where the revealed also increased because of the concealed?
R. Alright this is how you advance, very good, continue to advance according to the tendencies of your heart.
19. S. (28:44) He writes that the revealed part of the hasTorah is studied as 613 councils and the second part is the 613 deposits, what is the difference between them?
R. The difference between 613 councils and 613 Kudin, the 18 are councils, it is about how to reach in order to bestow and then Kudin, Deposits is how to receive the deposit, what will fill these councils with the upper light. Building the Kli is the 613 councils and receiving the light in the correct Kli is called 613 deposits.
S. When we talk about the intention isn’t it about the concealed part?
R. We need intentions both here and there but intentions with respect to what you are studying with you are doing.
Continue reading (29:59) “You can therefore see the utter necessity for anyone from Israel…”
20. R. (30:23) Meaning to those whose heart is aimed to attain the Creator and all of his actions he has no choice but to engage in an internality of the Torah which is called the Wisdom of Kabbalah.
Continue reading (30:37)
21. R. (31:40) Meaning we have to reach a state where we do correct all our vessels, receiving all of the lights until we come to the purpose of creation, which perfectly clothes us and fulfills us. It is impossible that all the life cycles and in a way that they are not completed, all of the corrections need to be completed and in the corrected souls all the lights must enter.
Continue reading (32:24)
22. R. (33:56)He cannot say why but he said because our generation is really in a very pressured state, pressured to the corner. That is the will to receive for corporeality is great and far from spirituality and therefore through him specifically came the matter that he can reveal the purpose of life and the purpose of creation and correction of creation to all.
Continue reading (34:33) “I did have another reason that brought me to interpret this disclosure…”
23. R. (36:39) He explains to us what the Wisdom of Kabbalah was like in those days in Jerusalem when he came to Jerusalm from Poland, no one would listen, everyone was totally contemptuous toward him.
Continue reading (27:02) “Finally I met with the famous ones among them…”
24. R (39:03) Is it clear so far.
25. S (39:04) A question about 613 Commandments?
R. That is the biggest commandment, it seals all the Commandments, ‘Love your friend as yourself,’ it contains within it all the commands in the Torah, it is also written ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ is the greatest rule, the conclusive rule of the Torah.
S. Can we look at this matter of The Commandments in a way that is, all of reality, everything that is happening in our perception, it all happens from various states and the response in every state is to tie everything to the Creator through our work to love above all others?
R. If we connect in the form of love, all of us, always together then we come to the system of Adam HaRishon but after the breaking. Meaning with all the broken vessels we come to the correction and then the upper light enters us in all the 613 desires, all of NRNHY of NRNHY.
S. Can I say that every time I connect each and every state to the Creator through our work, that is my investment in the efforts in the creator’s names?
R. Yes.
26. R (41:05) Baal HaSulam came to Jerusalem from Poland and he wanted to find out who was engaging in Kabbalah here. But basically he didn’t reach anybody who was really engaging in the wisdom of Kabbalah. So he thought of asking them, who engages who doesn’t and what is the Wisdom of Kabbalah and what they understand about it and this is what he discovered that he didn’t understand they didn’t know anything about what was written.
What the wisdom of Kabbalah is for and why we need to study it and who understands it, nothing. On the country they told him no one understands it but we can read it, but this reading is only in order to just read it. People received some illumination from above so they wrote it, but they too didn’t know what they were writing, so we also need to read it without knowing it and this is how we continue. He became angry with them and he stopped any connection with them.
27. S. (42:28) There is concealed and revealed and there is the deposits that comes, and from what is described it appears that there is a third path. Those Kabbalists, Rabash, Baal HaSulam and I’m including you, are looking for the third path. I’m calling it the path of the land and maybe it is inaccurate, but those people that are looking for the third part between the concealed in the revealed who know both and include both and know both, they are those who are actually helping us achieve all of this and we are supposed to grow to reach that intention?
R. We need to immerse ourselves in the material of Baal HaSulam and Rabash. By this it is certain that we will come to the correction of souls, this is the answer.
28. S. (43:33) How can we understand that we are successful on the path?
R. Only by how much we understand more and more that through connection we achieve correction.
29. S. (44:04) From the story of Baal HaSulam, those Kabbalists in Jerusalem, was there any benefits from reading without understanding?
R. None, they did not understand it, we need to read because it is written by people to whom it was revealed and it was revealed specifically through Elijah who came to them and taught them as though he gave them these texts. When we read them by this we are doing a good deed, a Commandment.
There is a Commandment to study this and the Zohar too as well as other things. There is a book called ‘Law for Israel’ and there are all kinds of excerpts from the Torah and the Prophets, The Zohar, The Talmud. Those who read it, it is as if they fill themselves up with all the Torah, this is what they said. Meaning without any purpose for a person to attan, it is filling up their lives with what they read, they read all kinds of parts from these books. So of course he could not restrain himself, he tore off all connections with them, all his ties with them.
30. S (45:52) You answer this but still how can we not be like those Jerusalem Kabbalists who, when we say we do not understand we just need it as a remedy?
R. Because we by studying want to achieve the revelation, we want to come to a state that we are connected and through our connection we want to discover the Creator and His light that is in us and our adhesion with Him.It is completely different from just learning because we were told to study and so we are studying. It is not even studying, it is just reading.
31. S. (46:38) You asked before, what is the difference between the action and intention, is there a connection between the concealed and revealed in your question?
R. The concealed and revealed are two parts in a Torah. You begin first with the concealed, the concealed because everything is concealed and we do not understand anything, we don’t know what it is about and then we gradually it becomes revealed gradually and then it is considered we are studying the revealed.
S. Can we relate the action to the revealed and the intention to the concealed part?
R. No no no it is all a bit confusing, soon we will begin to study the introduction to the study of the Ten Sefirot seriously and then you will see.
32. S. (47:46) If a person thinks and shows that he is in great attainment but you can see that it is not so, sometimes beginners do it and they think they are in the final correction already and they can teach everyone and everything?
R. We are learning what is written in the books. Basically, I do not need anyone. The maximum I need is some external guide to tell me what to read, so we have already done it with our archive. Everyone can go in there and see how we recommend studying, what sources and in this way we will advance. There’s nothing in it that I do not need to learn from someone from very high attainment.
It is like children in the first grade, they do not get some professor as a teacher and she doesn’t know how to communicate with them. They need a school teacher from university and she knows how to teach little children, nothing more than that, and so are we. That is the best if we learn something from someone who’s not not way too high and also we don’t have anyone like that in our generation. Let’s learn the way Rabash said, the way he commanded us, the way he got us accustomed to and this way we will achieve it. Believe me that all the revelations are ahead of us.
33. S. (49:57) Baal HaSulam reminds here that we should not reveal the secrets of the Torah to all, is he referring to the path of correction that he detailed, of love thy friend as thyself, what are the secrets of the Torah?
R. I cannot tell you what the secrets of the Torah are, when they are revealed, a person understands them and distinguishes between the flavors and the secrets of the Torah, we will get there.
S. Is there anything else besides working with the will to receive and rising above it?
R. No no no, nothing, everything lies on the will to receive, which is as the Creator said, I have created the evil inclination and all of our work is in the correction of the evil inclination with the intention to bestow which is turning it into the good inclination and to that extent we correct ourselves.
S. And when the first man saw the world from one end to the other?
R. It is because it was before the breaking so that is how it was revealed in his vessels because it was not broken yet.
Continue reading (51:21) “ When I saw that their folly had been rooted..”
34. R. (51:42) Meaning everyone is confused, everyone is thinking about the wisdom of Kabbalah, something that is totally not what it is.
Continue reading (51:51) “The Zohar has already mourned..”
35. R. (54:55) You see how burning he is to reveal the truth to the whole of humanity, because without it we are living without purpose, we are just accumulating suffering, bit by bit until it is revealed naturally, it will be endless more years, infinitely more, this is why we need to draw the reforming life so that it will begin to clarify to us who we are, what we are, and what we need to do and in this way we will accelerate our development and achieve the purpose of creation. Is it at least understood what he wrote or not?
36. S. (55:50) Why Baal HaSulam was in such a high attainment, sees the world from one end to the other, why does he care so much about humanity, as you mentioned that everyone is living incorrectly if he knows what is in the future?
R. I do not understand you everything depends on us, everything depends on us, everything is in the hands of Heaven except for the fear of the heaven, meaning everything depends on the man’s work, it is not like a person can just sit like that and wait until the Creator does with me whatever He wants, I’m saying there’s None Else Besides Him and I’m just waiting, He is the only force, so let him work on me, no I have to go toward him and act along with him.
S. But he understands why they are those who do not see the concealed part or feel no fear, he understands they are not capable?
R. There’s no such thing, everyone must reach their own correction, everyone, I cannot stand what you’re saying. It is the worst if a person is certain about the nonsense he’s thinking, where did you take it from, if you see how much trouble and effort Kabbalists are making.
37. S (01:01:33) After we read this whole article the conclusion that I make is that he says these people draw near with their mouth, their lips, they honor me but their heart is far from me.
R. It means that we’re still in the ruin, in the time of the ruin.
S. Is there any progress in the 80 years since he wrote it, do you see progress?
R. I do see progress, yes, the progress is that after all, you see that many people all over the world have heard about the wisdom of Kabbalah and they are studying it and they are hearing it. We are on the internet, there are thousands of people, you see how they do connectm they are studying with us, outside of us, it doesn’t matter, in my eyes the important thing is that they study Baal HaSulam and Rabash and in this way advance. So this is a great thing.
Continue reading (01:02:58) “ you must see in every purpose and in every goal..”
38. R. (01:05:49) In other words we still have a problem in talking about the wisdom of Kabbalah, not the wisdom of Kabbalah itself, but about what it explains to us, because in the end there has to be a very fine perception, a subtle perception in a person, as is written in the book, Faith and Confidence, what is faith, he writes at the very beginning of the book, it is a fine inclination from the subtleness of the soul, go figure out what it means, a fine inclination from the subtleness of the soul, this is faith. So what can we talk about with regular people, only those who are directed towards it and cannot do without it and have to obtain it, because without it what are they living for, why have I come and what do I end my life, this is why for those people who have this inclination, this preparation from above, we need to help them find their way through the wisdom of Kabbalah, the method of the wisdom of Kabbalah from Baal HaSulam and Rabash.
We will work them out, bit by bit, you will also understand on your own, when you ask and you get an explanation, also when we study the wisdom of Kabbalah there are those who study just for the sake of studying, because you need to sit and study without trying to enter it and attain it, etcetera, we also came across those big Rabbis in Jerusalem, we will understand it, bit by bit.
39. S/ (01:08:06) When we give the Creator a name when we reveal the concealed part, he stops being concealed?
R. Yes we want to reveal Him, this is why it is written, know the Lord your God and serve him, knowing Him meaning to receive Him in all of our vessels.
40. S. (01:08:41) Why is the reincarnation here described as punishment and not a gift?
R. Why is it a gift if I have to reincarnate, I’d like to finish all my reincarnations now and reach the end of my correction and that’s it and not to come back to this world.
41. S. (01:09:01) Can we go through a few life cycles within the same physical body?
R. Yes we can.
42. S. (01:09:12) Is it correct that every morning we need to resurrect the intention to bestow?
R. Yes and every morning notice that it may be more difficult than the day before because the will to receive grows.
43. S. (01:09:32) How can we talk to each other in workshops about the contents of the sources without going into empty words?
R. Watch out for yourself, pay attention because you might lift or bring the friends down.
44. S. (01:09:52) So what is the purpose of life of the billions who are not studying Kabbalah and why doesn’t the Creator awaken them?
R. It is all calculated according to general system and they join us and they participate in their connection with us, they also enter the work, even though they do not understand it, just like you have billions of people in the world and if you ask them why they alive, they say, well we’re alive because we are alive, someone gave birth to me, someone give me a job, and so they are alive, automatically, this is their form, their manner of existence and this is the vast majority of the vessel of of Adam HaRishon.
S. What is their purpose?
R. Their purpose is to live and gradually they also incorporate with us and even by obstructing us, this too is a role.
45. S. (01:11:11) When we learn about the obligation to study the wisdom of Kabbalah, I feel a great difficulty turning to people and only talking to them about connection in a different language, how do we keep from falling to idol worship?
R. We do not talk about connection with a beginner, a new student, because it rejects them naturally, we have to explain that the wisdom of Kabbalah reveals the purpose of man’s life, that he needs to discover the forces that operate on us, our free choice, what happens to us in general and out of this we also learn how to educate children, how to rear them, how to relate to others correctly, etcetera, bit by bit.
46. R. (01:12:10) Here in this introduction he gave us the introduction to the book From the Mouth of the Sage, it’s the introduction he wrote before the study of the Ten Sefirot and other things, in other words he was still speaking a lot more openly, than afterwards when he had to kind of conceal himself. So I really like this introduction because here he’s not mincing words, he is going straight against anyone who is distorting the wisdom of Kabbalah and really good for him, we should read it again and again, it’s in introduction that needs to leave a deep impression in us, a kind of engraving in our hearts.