HOD: TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN

Baal HaSulam. Shamati, 206. Faith and Pleasure

Morning Lesson June 12, 2022 Transcription

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

Baal HaSulam. Shamati 206. Faith and Pleasure

1. Rav’s Introduction: Rav reading and interpreting Shamati 206: Yes, I what does he tell as the Baal HaSulam. Rabash wrote after hearing from Baal HaSulam, one would never asked about pleasure, what is the purpose of this pleasure? Meaning of why does this pleasure come to me, what do I need to do with it if something comes in the form of pleasure, it clothes in the will to receive it, feels it, calms it down. There is no room for a person to ask about it. He can not awaken to ask about it because there is no deficiency. The deficiency is filled by pleasure and even the smallest thought about its purpose appears in one’s mind. It is a sign that it is not a true pleasure since if he is asking about it, why this pleasure? What for?

Any questions after receiving the pleasure that is a sign that what the person received does not fill all the places for him. This is what he is asking. It is a science not a true pleasure since pleasure fills all the empty places. Of course there is no vacant place in the mind to ask about its purpose and if one does ask about its purpose, it is a sign that the pleasure is incomplete since it has not filled all the places. This is how it is with faith because faith should fill all the places of knowing. Hence we should imagine what this would be like if we had knowledge and to the very extent there should be faith and vice versa. Meaning you have to check whether his faith fills all the places of knowledge and if there is any empty place from faith it is a sign that that faith is not complete for now. So let’s read it again.

Reading Shamati 206 (03:21) again

2. S. (04:36) What does it mean that the faith should fill all the places?

R. The feeling of faith should fill everything. Wherever you are lacking knowledge and this is why you are not happy with your state, then you have to have a feeling of faith and that should satisfy you completely in the place of knowledge. I cannot say more about what faith is since it is a feeling that comes to the person which gives him the possibility to work for the sake of the Creator, for the sake of bestowal, fully and complete soul devotio. Let’s try to move towards it, to yearn for it but this has to come against the knowledge. Meaning I need adhesion, I need the connection with the Creator and I need to fit the Creator in such a way that it would fulfill all my lacks with knowing.

S. That state of attachment and equivalence created different aspects of faith?

R. Let’s say that it is, yes.

3. S. (06:48) If there is knowing it means that the pleasure precedes the desire?

R. If there is no knowing, then what did you ask.

S. If there is knowing then in the same place at the person feels desire and without a pleasure which comes usually first?

R. I don’t understand what you are saying.

S. Usually we advance in such a way that first I feel a desire and then there is a movement towards realizing the desire,realizing the pleasure and if I have faith then I first feel pleasure and then the desire is secondary?

R. OK, let’s say that it is like that for the time being it will change for you later on.

4. S. (08:10)  I’m the article that says that the criterion for real pleasure is when the person does not ask about the purpose of it but we usually say that faith is bestowal, meaning there is always the goal. Why is this the clarification of the goal so important?

R. It is not that faith is not good, it is simply incomplete if there is a room to ask. It’s a sign that it is incomplete. it does not fill all the places where the faith has to dwell and fill those places.

S. It turns out that it is forbidden to clarify the purpose?

R. It is not that it is forbidden, rather you can’t clarify if you are filled with complete faith. There is no place from where to ask, there is no deficiency from which you can ask.

S. But here under the term faith we are talking about bestowal right?

R. Correct.

S. Meaning when I’m completely filled with bestowal all of my desires are aimed in order to bestow and there is no more room to clarify what this bestowing is for, if I understand correctly?

R. No I have to scrutinize all those things but if the connection between faith and reason. On the one hand, I have to scrutinize why, what for,and how and all those things that I scrutinize only in order to reach complete faith. Complete faith means that eventually I am filled with the light of faith which fills all of my desires and then I do not need to ask anything else.This is not that I do not have intellect or feeling, to the contrary, we will scrutinize it. These things are not in us as clear parameters, clear information, rather we need to advance towards them and they expect that they will clothe us and reveal for us a place for faith and a place for reason and this is how we will advance. The place for knowing that we have for example, the place for a pleasure we have knowing and pleasure and then from knowing we have to have a place for faith and that pleasure I do not want to say that suffering but an empty place for the Creator to fill.

5. S. (11:42) He writes that one can never ask about pleasure, what would be the purpose of pleasure, if there is a question and it seems that pleasure is only disturbing in the connection between the Creator and the Creator being so why do we need pleasure?

R. You cannot establish any relationship with the Creator unless you have suffering or pleasure. You must build those relationships on suffering and pleasure because this is the nature of the created being. The desire to enjoy and the nature of the Creator is the desire to nestow to us, to give us pleasure.

S. What is the role of pleasure in the connection between Creator and created being?

R. The role of the pleasure between the connection between the Creator and created beings for the created being to feel the attitude of the Creator toward him as pleasure and to want the same way to relate to the Creator. Try to think all the time that you wish to bring the Creator pleasure, that’s it, any action that brings pleasure to the Creator is called a Mitzvah, a commandment. Any actions that is opposite from giving pleasure to the Creator called a transgression.

6. S. (13:28) He gives advice here that we have to imagine what it would be like if he had knowledge and to the same extent we have to have faith. How to do this? What does it mean to imagine or picture this and then change it to the same extent to faith?

R. Through the actions, to do such actions. Where you receive knowledge, in place of knowledge you will receive faith. Meaning you will have nothing else. You are working as if you received.

S. What does it mean to imagine it?

R. That’s the meaning of imagining it, as I said as if you received it .

S. On what basis do I picture this? Based on my previous past experiences?

R. No, you have to imagine that you do not have such things from the past. It is also not recommended to go back to the past.

S. What does it mean to picture now?

R. Picture it, imagine it, what would be if you were in such and such a state.

S. If I was feeling faith or if I felt reason ?

R. If you could feel in faith that way as would feel in knowing.

S.What data do I have to depict this state?

R. Knowing.

S. In a practical sense, I am relying on something I felt or some inspiration or some greatness?

R. Of course you can’t do this without it.

S. So if I had this inspiration that I used to have, how would I feel that?

R. Yes.

S. What is the result of the action?

R. To show you what you are lacking.

S. Meaning I feel what I am lacking now.

R. What are you lacking?

S. I lack importance in relation to the friends.

R. These are all that means. This is not that you are lacking faith, and you feel lack of faith.

7. S. (16:35) If all the pleasure it me is only from the Creator this is called faith?

R. No, faith is when you wish to fill all the places of knowing and you wish to fill them with your bestowal to the Creator.

8. S. (17:05) You said that every action that brings pleasure to the Creator is called a commandment so how then does such an action influence my will to receive?

R. As much you are yearning for the Creator to turn yourself to him by this you are rewarded with the Creator performing a correction on you and each time he is bringing you closer to the real realization of the action.

S. In terms of the will to receive in such an action that brings pressure should I feel unpleasant in the desire to receive?

R. I don’t understand.

S. If I make action that brings pleasure to the Creator at that time in my will to receive, should I feel something unpleasant?

R. Possibly, yes.

9. S. (18:09) He writes here about a person who never thinks about where his pleasure is coming from, so what person is he talking about? An ordinary person or somebody who is on the path because we are trying to think about what is the source of the pleasure.

R. He is talking about a person who wishes to reach faith which is an upper quality, the quality of the Creator, a spiritual quality that we lack. How do we come to the quality of faith? He explains how to build the quality of faith above pleasure. Where I don’t care about the pleasure but I wish to reach faith and faith should fill all the places of pleasure.

S. We learned that we are supposed to think about it and here he says that the person doesn’t think about it.

R. I will read it again.

Rav reads: One will never ask about pleasure. What is the purpose of this pleasure?” Since that pleasure we are the will to receive to enjoy and if a pleasure comes and fills the desired than we have no possibility to ask because we asked only from a place of deficiency and if even the smallest thought about it purpose appears in one’s mind it is a sign that this is not a true pleasure since the pleasure fulfills all the empty places.

Neither in size or in power since pleasure fulfills all the app replaces and then of course there is its purpose then it is a sign that the pleasure is not complete since it has not filled all the places. Is it clear up to this point?

S. Yes, it is clear but with every pleasure we are always trying to build an intention it is very similar to this question,what do we get the pleasure for? Here he says that this person does not even ask the question so are we talking about an ordinary person? That hasn’t started the path yet?

R. No, he speaks about each and every person in general, spiritual, corporeal. It does not matter. We are always a will to receive and if this will to receive, receives a complete filling then it cannot ask about anything because it does not have a deficiency from where to ask. There are no empty places in his will to receive from which he could ask. That is why complete pleasure blocks the person and does not let the person advance or ask about anything. On the other hand we have to understand that it is not a good thing and the Creator wants to advance a person he opens up in his empty desires and the person can ask and then he does something. then he has a place from which to act. This is in respect to the empty desire, a full desire that is filled with pleasure. That is it.

Rav reads: Another matter, so it is with faith. Faith should fill all the places of knowing.

I do not know what faith is. I do not know how to talk about what faith is but he is giving me an example just like with pleasure and fulfillment where I have no reason to ask about the pleasure if I am full. Similarly I have the matter of faith and knowing. If I am in such a state where I am in a place of knowledgeI have faith. I have nothing to ask, it is a deficiency. It is like a little pleasure and fulfillment, it is the same thing here that faith. Faith has to fill all the places of knowing.

Therefore, we have to imagine how it would be with knowing and in the same exact measure we have to feel faith. iIn other words, if I lack faith, I have to check what I am missing. As much as I am lacking knowledge and knowing to the same extent as I have to have faith, let’s say that the feeling of the Creator has to fill me and this is what we have to yearn for.

10. S. (25:06) If we receive everything from the Creator as there is ‘None Else Besides Him’ is that bestowing?

R. You said that we are receiving we are asking is this bestowal, not it is not bestowal, it is reception.

S. Yes but if I tie everything back to the Creator, I see the bestowal?

R. I do not understand what you are saying, what is seeing the Creator? What is seeing the Creator ? I do not know where you are taking these things from.

S. Everything go I received I relate it to the Creator, can this be bestowal if I relate everything to the Creator in faith about reason that I accepted everything I received from the Creator

R. No, you are not giving him anything yet.You don’t ascribe it to him in the form of bestowal. You are simply receiving it, connecting it to him in the form of giving. You are receiving everything from him, you’re receiving everything from the Creator. This is what you want to say and this is correct.

S. Ok, so will I add, if I receive from the Creator that is bestowal?

R. Yes, that is already receiving that is a great thing.

S. It turns out that everything I receive, I have to see the Creator there and build the intention to receive for his benefit to give him contentment.

R. Yes.

S. How can we stay in the state?

R. Anybody can only recommend what to do if you are in a society in a group and everybody is thinking this way that you have a great additional force and you can count on them and they will help you to remain in such an intention. After all the twists and turns, we have to get to the point when we cannot realize anything spiritual except in the society, in the ten?

11. S. (28:04) I wake up in the morning and I do not know what is going on with me but I put some sort of a picture to myself how do I want to see the group and the friends and 5 minutes, 10 minutes later I may be creating some imaginary picture but this is what I am asking from the Creator, is this raising faith then I am asking something that I want to happen in 5 or 10 minutes and this is what I want to happen in the connection between is in the love between us?

R. Just keep going.

12. S. (28:50) Maybe you can explain to us what does the Baal HaSulam say in this article what are we supposed to do

R. I cannot explain this more because it has to do with the person’s inner feeling. As much as he would try to reach the matter of faith more and more and accordingly he will feel that it is talking about. I cannot bring you a spiritual feeling since each and everybody has to attain this through his own effort.

13. S. (29:29) This article has two parts. In the first he’s talking about pleasure and the lack. The second part talks about faith, so the question every lack I feel needs to take on faith as a compensation?

R. Yes, the only thing that belongs to the Creator is faith. Anything that belongs to him from our part we have to fill that with faith, with the force of bestowal.

Ok we are going to let go of this article and we specify that we will get back to it let’s say in two month and then we will see how much it deeper we get into it and see how much you understand our place.

14. (30:36) He is good and does good. What changes must be made in pleasure to receive more of His goodness?

R. We have to first of all connect to each other when I dissolve myself into the friends, I disappear into the friends, I am already closer to the matter of faith and as much as I can be in bestowal, more than in the force reception by this I am coming closer to the matter of faith. I have to come out of my desires, in vessels, and to rise above them and in this way I rise above them. Faith is like rising from Malchut to Bina. Let’s do exercises about this and then with the help of the Creator we will progress.

15. S. (32:15 ) If I understood that he compares the empty place of the lack of knowing but where is it what is knowing?

R. No, knowing is knowing as you know it from this corporeal world. It depends on what kind but knowing. Knowing is what fills my deficiencies in a clear way and if according to what I receive called knowing ,according to what I want and if I receive according to what I want from what I am lacking, I give bestowal to the Creator then it is called Faith. My faith has to fulfill all the deficiencies, all the places.

S. Doesn’t faith bring knowing or reason with it?

R. No, it doesn’t keep searching but it is not like that.

16. S. (33:28) What is the purpose of the doubts when we transition from knowing to faith?

R. Repeat please?

S. What is the role of the doubt of good and bad in acquiring the knowing and when we are clarifying it and moving to faith?

R. That I aim myself correctly at the Creator. Meaning toward faith bestowal since if I calibrate myself to be filled with the power of faith, the power of bestowal, I am orienting myself tmore correctly towards the Creator.

17. S. (34:24) Is knowing about the state when the faith is already there, is it about the appearance of this lack?

R. Yes, we have to reach a state when our entire request is only about the matter of faith. It is not that we do not want to know,but instead we want to have faith. Then this faith fills our desires and it becomes a condition for receiving knowledge. It is like the light of Hassidim that precedes the light of Hochma which fills the vessels. Meaning as much as you have the intention to bestow not only for yourself but to the friends and through them to the Creator this way you can organize yourself towards the spiritual pleasure and receive it in order to bestow.

You have to think about this a lot and the you have to think about it together and you will see that when we are thinking about this together this is advances us greatly. The action, there isn’t a more correct action than to reach faith. The forces of bestowal above the forces of reception. When bestowal has to fill the same desires that I wanted to receive, whatever they want to receive. These desires now have to be filled with the force of bestowal. This is the meaning of the restriction, the screen ,and the reflected light

18. S. (36:51) Faith is to behave as if the friends are the best possible friends in the best possible reality.

R. Let’s say it is so.

19. S. (37:39) Is the measure of my faith measured by the value I placed on the importance of the goal?

R. Yes, the importance of the goal means to reach equivalence with the Creator, adhesion to the Creator. This is what we need to attain. Meaning it is the force of bestowal which is the Creator should be an example for us to always be like Him more and more and more. We have to imagine it to ourselves. Do you hear me, everyone? Imagine what it is I am telling you. What is the force of bestowal l like the Creator, who only bestows and with each passing day we are approaching him. Meaning we try to resemble Him more and more and now let’s go over to the part.