The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.

Daily Lesson (Morning), May 4, 2024.

Part 3: Baal HaSulam. The Love of God and the Love of Man.

Reader: We’re reading from the writings of Baal HaSulam, the article, “The Love of God and the Love of Man.” We are continuing in the subtitle, Love Your Friend as Yourself.  

Reading Subtitle: (00:17) Love Your Friend As Yourself.

We should also examine and understand the meaning of the verse itself when he says, “Love your friend as yourself.” The literal meaning of it is to love your friend to the same extent that you love yourself. However, we see that the public cannot be like that at all. If it had said, “Love your friend as much as your friend loves you,” there would still not be many who could fully observe it, yet it would be acceptable.

But to love my friend as much as I love myself seems impossible. Even if there were but one person in the world besides me, it would still be impossible, much less when the world is full of people. Moreover, if one loved everyone as much as one loves oneself, he would have no time for himself, for it is certain that one satisfies one’s own needs without neglect, and with great passion, for one loves oneself.

It is not so concerning the needs of the collective: He has no strong reason to stimulate his desire to work for them. Even if he had a desire, could he still keep this statement literally? Would his strength endure? If not, how can the Torah obligate us to do something that is not in any way achievable?

We should not imagine that this verse was said as an exaggeration, for we are warned and insist on “You will neither add nor take away from it.” All the interpreters agreed to interpret the text literally. Moreover, they said that one must satisfy the needs of one’s friend even in a place where one is himself deficient. Even then he must satisfy the needs of his friend and leave himself deficient.

The Tosfot interpret Kidushin 20, “One who buys a Hebrew slave, it is as though he buys a master for himself.” The Tosfot interpret there in the name of the Jerusalem [Talmud] that “Sometimes he has but one pillow. If he lies on it himself, he does not observe, ‘For he is happy with you.’ If he does not lie on it and does not give it to his slave, it is sodomite rule. It turns out that against his will he must give it to his servant. Thus, he has bought himself a master.”

We should also examine and understand the meaning of the verse itself when he says, love your friend as yourself. The literal meaning of it is to love your friend, but to the same extent that you love yourself. However, we see that the public cannot be like that at all. If it had said, love your friend as much as your friend loves you, there would still not be many who could fully observe it, yet it would be acceptable. But to love my friend as much as I love myself seems impossible. Even if there were but one person in the world besides me, it would still be impossible, much less the world is full of people.

Moreover, if one loved everyone as much as one loves oneself, he would have no time for himself, for it is certain that one satisfies one's own needs without neglect. And with great passion, for one loves oneself, it is not so concerning the needs of the collective. He has no strong reason to stimulate his desire to work for them, even if he had a desire. Could he still keep this statement literally? Would his strength endure? If not, how can the Torah obligate us to do something that is not in any way achievable? We should not imagine that this verse was said as an exaggeration, for we are warned and insist on, you will neither add nor take away from it. All the interpreters agreed to interpret the text literally. Moreover, they said that one must satisfy the needs of one's friend even in a place where one himself is deficient. Even then he must satisfy the needs of his friends and leave himself deficient. The Tosfot interpret one who buys a Hebrew slave, it is as though he buys a master for himself. The Tosfot interpret there, in the name of the Jerusalem Talmud, that sometimes he has but one pillow. If he lies on it himself, he does not observe, for he is happy with you. If he does not lie on it and does not give it to his slave, it is a sodomite rule. It turns out that against his will, he must give it to his servant. Thus, he has bought himself a master.

M. Laitman: (08:35) But in the meantime, there still isn't, so please. 

Reading Subtitle: (08:50) One Mitzva, One Commandment. 

This raises several questions: According to the aforesaid, we all sin against the Torah. Moreover, we do not observe even the primary part of the Torah, since we observe the details but not the actual rule. It is written: “When you observe the will of the Creator, the poor are in others and not in you,” for how can there be poor when everyone does what the Creator wants and loves their friends as themselves?

The issue of the Hebrew slave that the Jerusalem [Talmud] presents needs further study: The meaning of the text is that even if the foreigner is not Hebrew, he must love him like himself. And how could one explain that the rule for the foreigner is the same as that of the Hebrew, since “One law and one ordinance should be both for you and for the stranger who dwells with you.” The word Ger [proselyte/foreigner] also means a “residing proselyte,” meaning one who does not accept the Torah, except for retiring from idolatry. It is written about such a person: “You may give it to the stranger who is within your gates.”

This is the meaning of one Mitzva that the Tanna speaks of when he says, “Performing one Mitzva sentences oneself and the entire world to the side of merit.” It is very difficult to understand what the entire world has to do with this. We should not force an explanation that it is when one is half unworthy and half worthy, and the whole world is half unworthy and half worthy, for if we say so, we are missing the whole point.

Moreover, the whole world is full of gentiles and tyrants, so how can he see that they are half unworthy and half worthy? He can see about himself that he is half unworthy and half worthy, but not that the entire world is such. Furthermore, the text should have at least stated “The whole of Israel.” Why did the Tanna add the entire world here? Are we guarantors for the nations of the world, to add them to our account of good deeds?

We must understand that our sages spoke only of the practical part of the Torah, which brings the world and the Torah to the desired goal. Therefore, when they say one Mitzva, they certainly mean a practical Mitzva. This is certainly as Hillel says, meaning “Love your friend as yourself.” It is by this Mitzva alone that one attains the real goal, which is Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. Thus, you find that with this one Mitzva, one observes the entire goal and purpose.

Now there is no question about the Mitzvot between man and the Creator because the practical ones among them have the same purpose of cleansing the body, the last point of which is to love your friend as yourself, after which immediately comes the Dvekut.

There is a general and a particular in this. We come from the particular to the general, for the general leads to the ultimate goal. Thus, it certainly makes no difference from which side to begin, from the particular or from the general, as long as we begin and not stay neutral until we reach our goal.

M. Laitman: (14:07) Yes, we see from here how much our commandment to love our friend as ourselves is so important, because only if you observe it are you observing what the Creator wants to see from you. Basically, the love of the friend should be as the love of the Creator and not any less than that. He continues to explain, “there still remains room to ask if the whole purpose of the Torah and all of creation is but to raise the base humanity to become worthy of that wonderful sublimity and to adhere to Him. He should have created us with that sublimity to begin with instead of troubling us with the labor of creation in the Torah and Mitzvot, commandment.” Why couldn't we immediately begin with a work that is connected to the Creator? Well, he continues afterwards. Who's reading? Yes, continue, no, begin, begin.

Reading Subtitle: (16:20) And to Adhere to Him.

There still remains room to ask, “If the whole purpose of the Torah and all of creation is but to raise the base humanity to become worthy of that wonderful sublimity, and to adhere to Him, He should have created us with that sublimity to begin with instead of troubling us with the labor of creation, and the Torah and Mitzvot.

We could explain this with the words of our sages: “One who eats that which is not his is afraid to look at his face.” This means that anyone who feeds on the labor of others is afraid (ashamed) to look at his own form, for his form is inhuman.

Because no deficiency comes from His wholeness, He has prepared for us this work, so we may enjoy the labor of our own hands. This is why He created creation in this base form. The work in Torah and Mitzvot lifts us from the baseness of creation, and through it we achieve our sublimity by ourselves. Then we do not feel the delight and pleasure that comes to us from his generous hand as a gift, but as the owners of that pleasure.

However, we must still understand the source of the baseness that we feel upon receiving a gift. Nature scientists know that the nature of every branch is close to its root. The branch loves all the conducts in the root, wants them, covets them, and derives benefit from them. Conversely, the branch stays away from everything that is not in the root; it cannot tolerate them and is harmed by them.

Because our root is the Creator, Who does not receive but bestows, we feel sorrow and degradation upon every reception from another.

Now we understand the purpose of adhering to Him. The sublimity of Dvekut [adhesion] is only the equivalence of the branch with its root. On the other hand, the whole matter of baseness is only the remoteness from the root. In other words, each being whose ways are corrected to bestow upon others rises and becomes capable of adhering to Him, and every being whose way is reception and self-love is degraded and removed far from the Creator.

As a remedy, the Torah and Mitzvot have been prepared for us. In the beginning, we are to observe it Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], meaning to receive reward. This is the case during the period of Katnut [smallness], as education. When one grows, one is taught to observe Torah and Mitzvot Lishma [for Her sake], meaning to bring contentment to one’s Maker, and not for self-love.

Now we can understand the words of our sages who asked, “Why should the Creator mind whether one slaughters at the throat, or slaughters at the back of the neck? After all, the Mitzvot [commandments] were given only so as to cleanse people through them.”

But we still do not know what that cleansing means. With the aforesaid, we understand that “Man is born a wild ass’s colt,” completely immersed in the filth and baseness of self-reception and self-love, without any spark of love for one’s fellow person and bestowal. In that state, one is at the farthest point from the Root.

When one grows and is educated in Torah and Mitzvot defined only by the aim to bring contentment to one’s Maker and not at all for self-love, one comes to the degree of bestowal upon one’s fellow person through the natural remedy in the study of Torah and Mitzvot Lishma, that the Giver of the Torah knows, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created for it the Torah as a spice.”

By this the creature develops in the degrees of the above-said sublimity until one loses any form of self-love and self-reception, and one’s every attribute is to bestow or to receive in order to bestow. Our sages said about this, “The Mitzvot were given only in order to cleanse people by them,” and then one adheres to one’s Root to the extent of the words, “and to adhere to Him.”

M. Laitman: (23:45) Are there any questions? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:10) If we engage in love of friends because the Creator told us, what's the difference between Lishma and lo Lishma? 

M. Laitman: If we do it according to the commandments of the Creator in the Torah, then we come to its completion.

Student: If we already engage in love of friends because we want to reach equivalence of form, because we understand it's a means, there's no other way to reach the Creator, then what's the point of the intention here, because we're already in it? What is this matter of intention here? 

M. Laitman: I'm asking you, if we do everything the Torah demands, so either to bestow or to receive, is there a difference? If you're doing it in order to bestow, so you're using the Creator?

Student: But if I don't engage in love of others, how can I notice if I want to receive reward?

M. Laitman: If you don't start with love of others you're not doing anything, because the whole Torah starts from the love of others and the second half of it is completely for the love of others. 

Student: I started with love of others, with friends. Now, what part of intention here should I complement here, because I'm on track already. What should I complement with the intention?

M. Laitman: You need all your actions to do with the intention to give contentment to the Creator so it will be clear to you. Do it in order to give contentment to your friends, to the created beings.

Student: That should be the first intention? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:32) In the last paragraph it says, all of his qualities are to bestow or to receive in order to bestow. How can we even imagine this degree because I always remain with a quality of reception?

M. Laitman: If you do it in order to exist and bestow, that's not called receiving. You're like a machine that needs fuel, oil.

Student: Only the intention changes?

M. Laitman: Only the intention. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:25) He describes in the article that an act of love is to satisfy the needs of his friend. What power does one have to satisfy his friend's needs, what is the action of satisfying one's friend's needs? 

M. Laitman: That's an action of connecting to a friend, to feel what he's lacking and to fill the friend's deficiencies through your own deficiency, what you acquire from him.

Student: All of the forces belong to the Creator so what am I? I have no power in me so what does it mean that I satisfy the needs of a friend?

M. Laitman: That you connect to the Creator and ask Him for fulfillment for your forces, what you acquire from the friend, and fill them, and afterwards you pass them on to the friend.

Student: Final question, so my intention, can you say that it's a force? 

M. Laitman: Yes, it's activating the force. 

Student: Activating the force, thank you.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (28:50) You described beautifully what is reception in order to bestow. The problem is I can't receive the lack of the friend purely, I always add something of myself. How do I accept, how do I absorb the deficiency of a friend purely?

M. Laitman: That's to the extent you annul, so in this you have to pay a bit of attention and do exercises on that annulment, that you connect to the friend, incorporate him in the complete way.  

Question (Moscow): (29:36) He writes in the article that sometimes he speaks about the Creator, just about the Creator but sometimes he talks about your root, your own Creator. What does it mean your own Creator, your own Maker?

M. Laitman: I have a Creator, He belongs to the whole world, one for all, None Else Besides Him, and except for that there's my own Creator. The One who is concerned that I will be born, that I will grow, that I will reach the purpose of my existence, and He's concerned in a private way to the whole process that I have to go through as a unit in all of creation. That's called my specific Creator.

Student: How do we connect in the process of realization? I don't even know how to express the question, the general Creator and the personal Creator.

M. Laitman: I don't know what you're talking about. If you think like the wisdom of Kabbalah teaches us, so you won't have two or three Creators, you have one Upper Force, and you won't have any problems with it. 

Student: If I may, another question. How does imagination help us fashion in faith above reason?

M. Laitman: In no way. 

Student: We don't use imagination? 

M. Laitman: As long as it doesn't contradict the main foundations we have. 

Student: Another question from a friend, with your permission. It's written that it doesn't matter if you start from the general or the particular because the main thing is to begin and not stop halfway, or midway, until we reach our goal. The general and the particular: In what is there a general, in what is there a particular and what does it mean not stop midway? 

M. Laitman: The collective is what the Creator gives to the humanity as a collective, that's the general, and the particular, the individual, is when he turns to a certain group or a certain person.

Student: What does it mean not to walk in the middle?

Student: Not this and not that, to take something as one it will also bring you through the other.

M. Laitman: If you won't implement what we're speaking about, you won't understand anything. If you do implement what we're talking about, even if you don't understand, so then you'll understand everything. 

Question (Women Turkiye 6): (33:39) Is the reason I can't love the friend like myself is  because I see her as separated from me, or is it because no one is worried about my needs except me? 

M. Laitman: Either they're not concerned about my needs except for me, it might be something important and it might be the opposite. It depends on what way I work.

Question (H 10): (34:27) When I try to satisfy the needs of another and I still don't have the permanent intention to bestow, and the light doesn't shine for me, there are always calculations. What should I satisfy in the other, does it not harm him? How not to make mistakes here and satisfy his egoistic needs? 

M. Laitman: Don't worry, even if you fill the friend's egoistic needs, that's okay, towards you  it's okay. 

Student: I shouldn't calculate but just try to satisfy as much as I can? 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course. 

Question (Turkiye 7): (35:14) Should we feel like a porter taking from the Creator and transferring to the friends, is this the feeling we should feel, that we are receiving from the Creator and passing on to the friends? 

M. Laitman: Maybe in the beginning there's something in that, but actually no. 

Reader: (36:06) Thank you very much, Rav. Now we have a report about the upcoming Congress. 

Reader: (36:18) Announcement. The World Kabbalah Convention, 18th and 19th of May, 2024. And we'll end with a song.

Song: (43:25)