MONDAY: HESED-TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
READING: between after midnight and sunrise of Monday.
Baal HaSulam. The Freedom
Morning Lesson June 3, 2023
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation, which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.
Part 2:
Baal HaSulam. The Freedom. (Four Factors)
1.S. (00:20) Yes, here Baal HaSulam starts to explain to us about how we are drawn in the development of our will to receive in us and by that how we are drawn to the realization of the purpose of creation. Everything turns out to be the cause and effect, so four factors.
Reading (00:48) “Four Factors – Bear in mind that every emergence occurring in the beings of the world must be perceived not as extending existence from absence..”
2. R. (02:14) This is clear right?
S. (02:18) No it’s not clear what he says. He says that the emergence has four causes. What does emergence mean?
R. When it comes to be revealed.
S. Is that emergence?
R. Yes.
3. S. (02:44) We learned that the created being, existence from absence, so why does it emphasize that it is existence from existence?
R. Nothing in our world comes from existence from absence. Everything comes through the development of these four factors, as its own attribute or as alien forces, internal or external.
S. So what is this concept that the will to receive comes from existence from absence?
R. That it has a clear beginning. First there was absence and in this way when it emerged it is called the source, meaning before that there was nothing, the first shape of the created being is the source.
S. From what stage of the process of development of the will to receive, from the beginning and all the cascading, when is the will to receive existence from absence and when is existing from existence?
R. Let’s read. Otherwise what do you want me to write the freedom article instead of you?
Reading (04:09) “The First Reason: the Source, the First Matter…” Twice.
4. S. (06:27) What is the source? The will to receive?
R. It is the reason, the reason for what comes out of it.
S. What does it mean that it loses one form and takes another?
R. It had a previous form that’s why it’s called the first reason and the source, and when it is about to take upon itself a different shape that turns it to the first degree in the development.
S. He gets a different form upon it?
R. Upon it.
S. So what comes first, if it is not the source what came before the source?
R. What came before is the first reason.
S. I don’t understand what is the source?
R. The first shape before which there was nothing is called the first reason or the source.
S. I know, in what is that form clothed?
R. In nothing; existence from absence.
S. And what keeps changing?
R. Upon that come later different shapes.
S. And what is the form?
R. That’s how he called it. This is how he calls the change in all that first reason when it becomes the second reason, the third and the fourth. All in all, these for degrees cause the emergence of a whole created being. We will read and see. Let’s read.
Reading (08:34) “The Second Reason: Cause and Effect that Stem from Itself…”
5. R. (11:08) Is this clear? This is cascading already, let’s go to The Third Reason.
Reading (11:15) “The Third Reason: Internal Cause and Effect…”
R. (13:31) This means that here the third factor, we can see how this changes, rather than coming in a decisive way from its previous form.
6. S. (13:47) It says that the connection is between the internal forces, what does this mean?
R. Without an external effect.
S. So it’s supposedly not the sun and the salt that affect the wheat, but is the inner forces of the sun and salt that influences the inner forces of the wheat and a new quality comes out of this wheat?
R. Certainly in the wheat there’s a third factor but in order to activate it we need to receive more influence.
S. I’m asking about this influence, does it happen through the external force of the sun and the salt in the ground? Or does it happen from an interconnection of all the sources?
R. No, he says that they weren’t in the form of the previous wheat that the matters of the salts on the ground and the sun and all that, that comes as causes and consequences that bring this multiplicity of forces.
S. The forces meaning that the meeting between these forces that he comes in contact with, that the forces connect, not the forms?
R. Not what?
S. What is that phenomenon of forces that connect?
R. No translation.
S. Yes, he writes that from his forces and connects with the force in the source. So this connection, when can it take place?
R. Whenever the time of its development has come, I would say.
S. Maybe it’s not right to ask, but let’s say there’s a chronological process that the wheat in the ground becomes the source and then other wheats comes out of the ground, so the connection between the forces of the salt, sun, and ground with the source of the wheat it only happens when the wheat is in a state?
R. When the third reason has to come out of it.
S. What does it mean?
R. When already something new in quantity is born out of it.
S. Because supposedly was determined, could I say that it was determined when the wheat is in the state of rotting?
R. These forces, these commands are there to begin with, in the grain of wheat, that when it comes to its development, to the cause and effect of the internal forces, what comes out is this addition.
S. So if I understand correctly it happens in a moment of connecting forces even before it was formulated into forms. Before it becomes ten wheat the connection happens?
R. Are you asking him potential or actually?
S. In potential because he says that the only forces.
R. That’s something else, that they brought out from their forces, that’s an action already.
S. What does it mean that he writes that the connection between the additional forces, where does it happen? In potential or in practice?
R. Within potential? What does he say, that it is necessary that there are additions of other factors here. That took place with the forces of the environment, meaning the source etc., etc., so?
S. So the connection between the forces, so it’s not the forms that connect, it is not the sun and the land and the water that somehow connect to the form of the wheat, but it is the forces, the sources of the sun and the land and the salt connects to the wheat, that’s how should I understand it?
R. No, it is the sun and water all these things that affect the source of the wheat.
S. So these forms of wheat, they’re in practice, it is not that?
R. No, it seems to me that you don’t actually understand what the source means.
S. I’m sure I don’t.
R. We’re talking about like DNA, something that is inside this grain itself, and now it comes out through these forces, through these factors it comes out.
S. This connection, it can happen at any state of the wheat?
R. No, only after the second cause comes to the third.
S. So if the wheat comes out and it tastes better that’s determined when it rots?
R. No, it is not determined there, it’s not determined there. That’s how it comes out, there’s a cause and an effect.
S. But when does it happen, this connection?
R. By the order.
S. So can I look at the clock and say now the wheat is connected to other forces?
R. If you know it you can say, but all these forces it has inside already.
S. And this happens when it rots? And it’s in a state of the source?
R. Yes.
S. So it means it was determined before it was formulated?
R. All these states are predetermined but the question is: when will they emerge?
S. I don’t understand. If it was predetermined, what’s the addition of the environment that has to be?
R. You have to have alien forces that these internal factors will go into contact with the alien forces and then you have the third reason which comes to be in action.
7. S. (22:16) What is determined in the source already?
R. In the source what determines this, everything except for the effects of the external forces and that’s a question here; is it in it or not, it is already faith, destiny we call it.
S. If something is determined, what does it mean?
R. That a time will come and a new force will affect it and what will come out means these are internal forces.
S. What does it mean that a time will come?
R. A time will come according to the order, according to what is written in the, what should I call it, according to what is written in the soul.
S. In the sources in the order of commands one, two, three?
R. Of course, of course one, two, three, so?
S. And what motivates one to go to two, to three?
R. The order of development.
S. The order is determined, but why does it want to go from one to two now and not in a year?
R. The influence of these alien forces.
S. What in the alien forces take it to the next stage?
R. When you have in the previous package affected the wheat, that’s it, the work is done.
S. If the order is determined then there is something that isn’t determined, right? What is this thing that is not constant and what exactly motivates it to the next stage?
R. This is what he writes in the third reason, that there are additional factors that multiply with the force that is in the environment, meaning the source. And because of this the additions in quality and quantity which are absent in the previous form of wheat now appear. Those are the minerals and the materials in the ground, the rain and the sun. All these operate on it by administering from their forces and joining the force within the source itself and through the conduct of cause and effect they have produced the multiplicity in quantity and quality in that emergence. This means that what emerged from it are all the forces that were in it, and the fourth reason is the cause and effect from alien things, meaning not what it had in it in the third cause, but rather what effects it from the outside that’s a fourth reason.
S. There is a source where everything is determined, there’s a cause and effect on it, like a certain order of development. There’s a cause and effect internally, that can only happen if they meet something else, something that is not in themselves, and then there’s four. So we always say that four is the environment, but what he says, is four is something open, that it’s not determined?
R. It is not determined and is the wheat and whatever is there in the development, yes this affect as an alien force, as an unwanted force not in it. When there’s some pressure on me from the outside and I have to change some way because of that.
S. That is the only thing that can be changed?
R. Yes.
S. And that affects the other three causes in some way?
R. Yes. Svika, why are you laughing, I want you to sit at home with your pencil and you should read it well enough and you should make calculations, what, and who, you should give examples from your life, maybe you understand agriculture or something.
8. S. (27:45) I didn’t laugh, I’m just saying, we’re talking and talking and then he says that “eventually this belongs to the wheat and not something else”; it’s like he summarizes everything and says “there’s nothing new under the sun”. So what we’re doing we’re not inventing anything new we’re just scratching off the peels, so we’re not inventing anything, and all these cascading doesn’t even depend on us. Everything already happened from above; I remember you said you’re not invented anything new, so what’s our role in this, just to discover the peels and see that that’s our role?
R. Even though it’s your role but it’s not that you determine it.
S. So what are we doing here if everything is determined from above, you saying we’re not determining anything, so?
R. Did you think you determined something?
S. We’re working, if you say that is okay to the ten with the white shirt, I didn’t decide that either, you say it came from above, so where is my own decision? This is The Freedom article, where do I decide whether I come with a white shirt or a black shirt to the ten?
R. For that, you can go to your elections and do it there.
S. When do I reach a state where I can decide independently not that the Creator is in control of me?
R. Never, never.
S. Never?
R. Never.
S. How?
R. Because it is all about agreement, your agreement with the Creator of the world.
S. So None Else besides Him, everything comes from above, I have no control over anything in the process of my life?
R. Did you ever read that?
S. So when do we reach freedom that is written here?
R. Freedom is not in determining what happened.
S. But?
R. Freedom is when you completely agree with the One who does all the actions.
S. Oh really, so I have no decision of my own, whatever the Creator decides?
R. You have a decision: to agree with everything, with Him.
S. So He brings me to a state where I have to agree with what He’s doing?
R. He shows you how this happens in nature.
S. So what is the freedom, where is my freedom? I thought I could decide, decisions.
R. No, freedom is not to decide.
S. So what is it?
R. Freedom is when you join the Creator.
S. To agree with Him?
R. Yes.
S. So, are we puppets, all the way?
R. This is not called ‘puppets’, it’s called ‘humans’, ‘puppets’ have no such questions.
S. The problem is that we have no effect on the process, no decision, we have no; so I thought, really I’m not cynical, that we have some kind of influence or decision about the process.
R. Yes.
S. So, can we speed it up?
R. Isn’t that enough?
S. No, I’ll take what you say, I believe you, but there’s nothing that we can actually influence, how, but it’s the Creator who decides for us, like marionettes, whatever He decides we will do.
R. Not exactly.
S. What do you mean?
R. Because you, in your inner world, you agree with the Creator, you demand, you’re asking, you’re hastening it, you are determining many things here. But when you will reach the fact that you reach the final correction, that’s for sure.
S. So, you’re saying that He is perfect and we have to adapt ourselves to that perfection?
R. Right, but when you go through the whole process from negative to the positive.
S. So, even though we don’t understand, do we understand how whole He is?
R. Yes.
S. And to reach equivalence of form with that wholeness?
R. Yes, okay that’s it, guys.