NETZACH: TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 1. Part 2. Inner Observation. Chapter 2, item 14
Morning Lesson May 22, 2022 Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Baal HaSulam. “Study of the Ten Sefirot” (TES). Vol. 1. Part 2. Inner Observation. Chapter Two. #14 (“This may be surprising, for it is reasonable to think that..”)
An inverse relation between the bestowal of the light and the clothing of the light.
Item # 14 (00:36) “This may be surprising, for it is reasonable ..”
1. R. (01:48) The Upper one that needs to bestow on the lower one that needs to receive they have to be in some connection between them, some kind of communication. The connection between them can only be under a condition that the Upper one gives in a way that it will be close to the lower one, and the lower one will receive from the Upper one in a way that it will be close to the Upper one, so that’s how we get this rule, because there’s a rule that the Upper on bestow to the lower one that there’s several that they open one only with a coarser vessel and the lower one can receive from the Upper one only with something more refined and that way they’re close to one another.
Item #15 (02:39) “The restriction was only in the phase four. In order to …”
2. R. (04:21) Okay didn’t see any questions, let’s keep going. These things we’ve been talking about but still if there are no questions we keep going.
Item #16 (04:36) “The light departed entirely because there was no …”
3. R. (05:32) The vessel of reception is phase four and if there are any changes in it from the state to state that it goes through so in the meantime the light departs.
Item #17 (05:46) “There were only the first three phases …”
4. R. (06:36) In the previous three phases.
Item #17 (06:39) “After all these three phases do not contain …”
5. R. (06:51) It’s a question.
Item #18 (07:01) “Since the restriction is only from …”
6. S. (10:09) How cam we use the fact that there are three discernments, three phases? Does it relate to the fact that these three phases are the way phase four is created or it uses it somehow?
R. Yes, yes, phase one, two, and three is in order to establish phase four that she’ll want to receive the Upper light and then she’ll want to resemble the Upper light meaning not to receive it to restrict herself and so on. All the previous phases actually, they establish and stabilize the fourth phase.
7. S. (11:01) It is written in the sources that there was a period when in order to study the Wisdom of Kabbalah and enter spirituality you needed to eat one slice of bread sleep on the ground and drink a little bit of water many limitations afterwards Kabbalists manage to perform corrections and we don’t need it anymore. How does that relate to the fact that we are speaking only about phase four?
R. It belongs to the periods that humanity is going through, in the beginning there were small desires and there wasn’t a need for Kabbalists to engage in correcting the desires that they would be revealed as very small desires, but with due time there’s a burdening of the heart as we say, their desires become bigger the ego grows and then there needs to be more means, stronger means, to correct the egoistic desires than intention to receive and turn it to the intention to bestow. That’s why from how about 3500 years ago the Torah was received, meaning a means, not through torture that you eat bread with salt and drink out of a cup and sleep on the ground and that would be enough to destroy your will to receive and reach in order to bestow, but you already need the Upper light to correct your will to receive, that it won’t be in order to receive but only in order to bestow.
That’s called that you receive this Upper light for the correction called Torah, and then there was the matter of the exodus from Egypt in order to come out from in order to receive which is called Egypt, it is nothing about geography or history, but in order to come out of the will to receive you must, in order to move away from it you must first of all you need a desire to run from it and afterwards you get, you start to discover a method how to turn the will to receive to in order to bestow. That’s already the matter of Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah, that there is a method that corrects your egoistic will to receive and turns in in order to bestow, and then in the desires to bestow that you have you can feel the Upper world, the upper force, that you rise and start being connected to the Upper system that’s called an ascent.
S. I don’t understand. If they had small desires then what stopped them from entering spirituality and where is the preparation?
R. They were in bestowal but in a very small manner just to correct their small desire, that in order to reach the true spiritual perception they need bigger desires and the method to correct those bigger desires is called the method of Kabbalah. They back then were on a degree of the light, of Ruach, even the light of Nefesh in vessels of bestowing in order to bestow maximum, they still didn’t receive in order to bestow. When they reached through coarseness root and one to the degrees of twp, thre, and four, they needed to receive the Upper light from above to bestow upon them and correct their vessels of reception that they’ll also be able to receive in order to bestow and then that already belongs to the giving of the Torah that they received the method of how to correct their ego in order to bestow but before it it was from their desire they, part of them not everybody but part of them, they could understand that they need to be in correction in order to bestow with their small desire, that’s it, and we have books and sources that they write about that period.
8. S. (16:29) He talks about here that the light of Ein Sof and the fourth phase being compared to solid matters. How can the light of Ein Sof be compared to a solid matter?
R. No, I don’t know where you are reading it.
S. It’s saying how they pushed against, they push against each other, the light of Ein Sof it is not allowed to enter phase four and it can be compared to two solid matters?
R. That’s what he says because they are opposite in their own nature so it’s like two solids that are hard let’s say like two rocks that can’t one push itself into the other because the desires are such.
9. S. (17:54) How can they not let each other enter and at the same time they call it a coupling, what coupling can there be in such a state?
R. After the striking they find themselves, that they can be in one process which is called coupling but through the striking that’s why the coupling is a result of the striking.
S. But does light enter afterwards or not?
R. Afterwards yes, because they decide that they can work each one for the sake of the other.
10. S. (18:39) In principle does the created being have to receive into phase four or does it constantly receive, always receive into the first three phases?
R. The created being start receiving the Upper light from the decision it took from the fourth phase what feels how opposite it is from the light and as much as it wants to resemble the light then starts working from phase four on the first three phases that they can receive the light and become a vessel and in phase four we only have a restriction, a screen, reflected light, revelation of the coarseness, revelation of the adhesion, but all the light it is actually in the first nine Sefirot instead of saying first three phases it’s in the first nine Sefirot and Malchut remain empty.
S. How does phase four work on the first nine?
R. It won’t allow itself to receive in order to receive but it’s willing to support all the desires which are the first nine in order to bestow and in that way she receives the light in her first nine.
S. What does it mean that she restricts herself, against to what sympathize with the first nine?
R. For herself she will not receive but for the others she does everything. That’s called that she works with the first nine.
11. S. (20:41) In a coupling by striking the vessel corrects its manner of reception does the light also change how it bestows upon the vessel?
R. No, the light everywhere is just one light . The Upper light, the light of Ein Sof, only the vessel that receives it responds to it and then gives all kinds of limitations, qualities, forms, colors, doesn’t matter what on the Upper light. The light is everywhere even if it goes through a thousand worlds, in Partsufim, and no matter what the light of Ein Sof is everywhere but when their vessel receives it so the vessel that is receiving it is already receiving according to the qualities of the Kli. Also in our world that we work with the bestowal of the Creator if we do work so we work with the bestowal of the Creator that you have in all the worlds and that is all called as one Creator, he is one and his name is one, but when the receiver discerns between them it does it according to it’s own vessels according to the way gets inspired.
12. S. (22:18) How can one overcome the evil inclination that is beastial desires and rise above people and control them?
R. By seeing as much as his society supports in being above the ego.
13. S. (22:51) In a coupling by striking out of the striking there’s a decision to go for a coupling, it sounds like a compromise?
R. No, to begin with it has to be a planned action in advance that I reject everything in order to enter connection as much as I can and then he checks the whole action from beginning to end, after checking oneself to start implementing it.
S. Can we talk about free choice here or there is an order from above downward and it’s unrelated here?
R. As much as it understands whether it is free or not it depends on what degree it’s on but obviously yes, this is the choice, it’s an action that has to be with free choice always because it already works in order to bestow.
Item #19 (24:04) “Explaining reflected light. A new light was born and emerged by…”
14. S. (25:48) Precisely because of the great coarseness in phase four it can reflect light and build a screen?
R. Yes, yes.
15. S. (26:08) Is reflected light something that is common to the light in the vessel?
R. Yes it already connects the giver and the receiver. The response of the receiver on the action of the giver.
Item #20 (26:37) “The reflected light Becomes of essence of reception…”
16. R. (27:24) That means that is still before us. We’ll learn about it and talk about it. Our whole spiritual life is all about the reflected light.
17. S. (27:47) Is reflected light outside of the vessel? How can it be reception?
R. Outside of the vessel it means that it receives with the reflected light.
18. S. (27:59) Is the quantity and quality of the reflected light the same as direct light?
R. I should be so
19. S. (28:14) What does it mean that the reflected light becomes a vessel of reception instead of Phase 4. What happens to Phase 4?
R. Phase 4 can’t be a vessel of reception anymore because it’s in order to receive and the light that comes from Phase 4 back to the Creator, that becomes a vessel of reception, that becomes the condition for receiving the light, for receiving the revelation of the Creator in the created being.
S. In what state did it leave Phase 4?
R. It establishes the restriction, the screen, the reflected light. It all comes from Phase 4, it works.
20. S. (29:04) How is it possible for the light of Ein Sof not to deny what enters the vessel?
R. Why should it deny it? Ein Sof wants to clothe in the whole vessel directly. But here there’s already a restriction and a condition, that if the light of Ein Sof wants to clothe in the vessel, first it has to clothe in reflected light. And it clothes in reflected light to the extent that it can fill that reflected light so together they can enter the will to receive. That’s the condition of receiving the light after the restriction.
S. How does it not put out its ability? How does not the light of Ein Sof not put out the ability of the vessel to respond?
R. The light of Ein Sof doesn’t put out the vessel.
S. Its ability, it doesn’t limit it.
R. The light of Ein Sof that bestows on the vessel does everything in order to awaken the vessel to receive the light. And it invites a response from the vessel that the vessel doesn’t want to receive it, even though it does want to receive it directly, but it overcomes that desire and rejects the upper light in order to reach equivalence of form with it. We will still learn it. Today we won’t be able to scrutinize this anymore. Ask it tomorrow, we will have more time.
21. S. (31:05) How come the light disappear immediately after it’s rejected from Phase 4. Where does it go?
R. It goes back to its source.
22. S. (31:23) Can’t the light of Ein Sof enter the vessel of Malchut, but it only clothes the vessel?
R. Malchut is the will to receive, the light after the first restriction can’t enter Malchut anymore. But Malchut after the restriction performs a screen and reflected light and in that reflected light she can bestow back to the source of the light meaning to the Creator. And that’s what we are talking about. That’s why the method is called the method of Kabbalah, of receiving. It’s not simple but through a screen, reflected light that the vessel performs coupling by striking it resembles itself to the giver. And to the extent that it connects to the giver it raises itself to the giver. To that extent she is filled with this light, the direct light within the reflected light, and that is determined as complete bestowal, from the created being towards the Creator.
23. S. (32:35) Will the two ends, the light of Ein Sof and Phase 4, will they connect eventually?
R. Yes, eventually everybody connects and everybody returns to the form of the circle from where everything started. But then the form of the circle towards the light of Ein Sof had no limitations, no differences and no conditions. Just like they created being that’s under the complete control of the upper one and now in the end of this expansion the created being controls the reception of the upper light from the Creator and it organizes itself in such a way that it is the one in determining how he receives from the Creator in order to bestow to Him. Meaning, the bestowal that used to be only from Creator towards the created being now it’s organized in the created being and works back on behalf of the created being bestowing towards the Creator.
24. S. (33:43) What is this inverse relation? How is the oppositeness between the bestowal of the light and the reception of the light and how do we feel it in our work in the ten?
R. The influence of the light comes above and the clothing of the light already belongs to the participation between upper one and lower one. As much as the lower one can receive to bestow to the other one by receiving from it and by connecting to the upper one. And then there’s a connection between them of adhesion.
25. S. (34:24) And in the ten how do we work with it?
R. In the ten first of all you have to work on the connection between the friends. That we prepare this connection in order to connect to the Creator and then from this we get that the Creator starts relating to us one, as one system, as one Partzuf and then we can relate to the Creator as the Partzuf. Restriction, screen, reflected light, connection between us and we do it all in order to bestow to the Creator. What can you bestow? That we’re willing to receive from Him. Everything we want to receive and every state we’ll live we just want to feel that together, we are together before the Creator. More than that we don’t need anything. In such a way, we reach a state that we have connection with the Creator, adhesion as we say. We will reach it.
26. S. (35:44) Does Malchut become corrected by not receiving the light of Ein Sof?
R. No, it’s not a correction. It might be the first correction when Malchut restricts herself from not receiving the upper light because it lacks the vessels of bestowal from itself. If it decides to receive it is only to bestow back to the giver. But if she isn’t prepared inside to receive in order to bestow it doesn’t give and doesn’t receive. This remains after the restriction.
27. S. (36:34) How can the reflected light spread below the place of the screen.?
R. It’s a screen that doesn’t let the direct light expand. But when the direct light will be clothed in the reflected light, when the reception will only be in order to bestow then for sure by we can reach bestowal, and the screen can open, the connection can open. Me for my beloved and my beloved for me.
28. S. (37:19) What is the process that they created being goes through in the coupling by striking? What does the created being feels during the striking?
R. What does it feel by the striking? That he doesn’t want to receive directly from the Creator because it distances him from the Creator and he’d rather remain empty and beyond that he’s willing to give everything towards the Creator. From this giving to the Creator he starts feeling what he wants from the Creator to give him, he reaches equivalence of form and starts understanding the relationship between them. And then when understanding this relationship, me for him and Him for me, he can establish a new mutual vessel. And then we from the Creator become as one.
29. S. (38:26) How does the law of inverse relation between the lights and vessels operate in our work in the ten?
R. That goes with each and every thing. The law between light and vessel means that the vessel needs to bestow just that the light bestows, by receiving. Then the light can appear and dwell in the vessel, and then there is equivalence between them.
30. S. (39:05) Does the vessel want to receive the light or does it want to pass the light onwards?
R. It doesn’t matter, whether to receive or pass the light, it’s mainly to bestow. Then the vessel can choose how to bestow more.
31. S. (39:28) How do I work with envy of a friend who can annul in the ten and I cannot?
R. How envy works? It gives a lot of forces that I want to resemble and be like her. That’s why its written that the envy of authors will bear wisdom. That through the envy we can really advance towards that goal if it’s the right correct envy, that I want to be like my friend.
32. S. (40:12) Can there be a situation where we feel our evil inclination also in our relationships outside the ten in the corporal world?
R. Yes but it doesn’t matter for now. There we need to work like all humans do on the animate degree just like animals and on the degree of humans we can open the connections between us, between us and the group and the Creator.
33. S. (40:50) When we try to connect to the friends should we think about them as desires and feelings and not as people in this world?
R. The friends aren’t regular people. Actually in the future when I will feel our corrections I’ll feel them as parts of my soul and regular people that I see in the world, they don’t belong to my soul for now. They are in the preparation period for the general soul. I have no one closer than my friends.
34. S. (41:39) You gave us an exercise a few days ago to build a document of mutual responsibility between us. So, when we sign mutual responsibility, is it a promise that everyone accepts or is it a set of my personal commitment towards the friends?
R. It is very individual. It is personal, each one towards the ten.
35. S. (42:10) In the relationships in the family should the Creator be revealed there as well? If so what is the right way to achieve it?
R. Actually this is something very important. That if we can somewhat at least in something determine such relationships in our family like the Arvut, like we learn now between the friends, it affects the soul very much, the depth of the correction of the soul. That’s why I recommend at least a bit even if your partner in the family isn’t ready for this, prepared, not even to speak about it but these the discernments bring a bit into your relationship. It really affects the correction of the souls.
36. S. (43:20) There is a feeling that the more I increase the work of connection in the group the more problems there are in my job. Is there a connection between them?
R. No it just seems that way in your ego but there is no such thing. I’m wishing all of you a good day and we’ll see you throughout the day or tomorrow.