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

Daily Lesson June 21, 2025.

Part 2: Recorded lesson - May 31, 2006. Baal HaSulam. Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah. #23

Reader: Dear friends, in the next part of the lesson we will study from the Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, it's a recorded lesson from the 31st of May 2006. 

Again, you can find the article in the writings of Baal HaSulam in Hebrew, page 267. We're in item 23. 

Reading: (00:09) Baal HaSulam. Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah. #23

Reading 23) Yet, we must still find out why it is that when the vessel of Malchut—phase four—is absent from the screen, it lacks the light of Keter, and when the vessel of Tifferet is absent, it lacks the light of Hochma, etc. It seems as though it should have been the opposite, that when the vessel of Malchut, phase four, is absent from the screen, only the light of Malchut would be missing in the level, and it would have the four lights KHB and Tifferet. Also, in the absence of two vessels, phase three and phase four, it would lack the lights of Tifferet and Malchut, and the level would have the three lights KHB, etc. (see Item 20).

M. Laitman: So he says the following, that we have a screen, and now it determines everything. We had a restriction, the first restriction, Tzimtzum Aleph, the decision that Malchut, in a way that it was formed following the four phases of direct light, will never receive into it the upper light. Instead of Malchut, earlier it was Malchut, then we had the restriction, and following the restriction we have the screen, Masach. And now the screen is what determines what will happen with the vessel, in what state the created being will be opposite the Creator. And now, this screen determines, if the screen works with the coarseness of phase 4, then he says that it is clothed in a vessel, where the vessel now means the screen and the reflected light. So it's clothed in a vessel, that all in all, the Yechida is revealed here. And if it's with the coarseness of phase 3, then it's Haya. And if it's with the coarseness of phase 2, it's Neshama. If it's in the coarseness of phase 1, it's Ruach. And if it's with the coarseness of the root, then it is Nefesh. It's what we call the inverse relation of lights and vessels. The inverse relation of lights and vessels. This is what now Baal HaSulam wants to explain to us. Why do we have that? That if we work with the greatest coarseness, we discover the light in a vessel called a screen. The screen, Masach, equals the vessel, Kli. Why is that? Because it depends on how much we will receive. This is why we say this is the vessel. This is the cause. Why now in the screen, everything depends. Hence, and if we work with the screen, then we now have an inverse relation and not a direct relation between the lights and the vessels. Yes. 24. 

Reading: (03:28) Baal HaSulam. Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah. #24

24) The answer is that there is always an inverse relation between lights and vessels. In the vessels, the higher ones grow first in the Partzuf: first Keter, then the vessel of Hochma, etc., and the vessel of Malchut grows last. This is why we name the vessels by the order KHB TM, from above downward, as this is the nature of their growth.

It is to the contrary with the lights. In the lights, the lower lights are the first to enter the Partzuf. First enters Nefesh, which is the light of Malchut, then Ruach, which is the light of ZA, etc., and the light of Yechida is the last to enter. 

M. Laitman: What does he tell us? If we look at the vessels, then the vessels of Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut, the vessels grow from the smallest to the greatest. The coarseness of Shoresh, root, Aleph, Bet, Gimel, Dalet, 0, 1, 2, 3. And the lights, he says, are seemingly the opposite. It is in the vessels, the higher ones grow first in the Paftzuf, first Keter, then the vessel of Hochma , etc. This is why the order is HBD TM, Keter, Hochma , Bina, Zaranpin, and Malchut. They grow in this order, and it is to the contrary with the lights. In the lights, the lower lights are the first to enter the Partzuf. First enters not the Keter, but Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Yehida. This is the entrance of the lights. We think that Keter is the highest vessel, but the light is only Nefesh, the lowest light. So how does that happen? He says, upper and lower. Why do we have an inverse relation between lights and vessels? It is not clear. We relate to Keter as the topmost vessel. The Keter is the Creator. The Keter is the Shoresh, the root, equals the bestower, the giver. It is the representative of the Creator in the vessel. His quality is the uppermost vessel. It is refined. And the light that enters is the lowest most light, the light of Nefesh, which is hardly felt in the vessel. We already know the answer, so it is difficult for us to go back. But there is the matter we already know. We will explain it in a minute. There is the matter of the vessel, Kli. And there is the matter of the drawing, Hamashacha. And then, if I speak about the vessel, as the vessel grows, then Keter is the smallest vessel, even though it is the topmost, because I am talking about the screen in it. But when the screen that I am talking about goes down to Malchut, then I am already talking about a vessel. The Keter is a vessel of attainment, not drawing, but Hasaga, attainment. And in the attainment, now we have Yechida here.

Let's do it again. The screen is what makes the changes for us. It changes all the elements because, if we would be talking about an ordinary Kli, the coarser it is, it should have felt less. This, on the top, is refined, and on the bottom, it's coarse. So a more refined vessel understands more, feels more, is impressed more. A person in this world, let's say, he's very sensitive, he's refined, he's gentle, subtle, so he has a greater impression, a feeling, more of a feeling. If a person is coarse, he feels less. He's kind of opaque, obtuse. So we're seemingly here speaking about, on the top, about a great light, Ohr Gadol, and on the bottom, Ohr Katan, a small light. Just look at life, don't start tying it to spirituality, right? The greater the coarseness, on the top there is shoresh, and then alef, bet, gimel, dalet, root, zero, one, two, three. Let's say we find such people, who feels more, and who feels less, right? Let's say, people of culture, or education, all kinds of people that belong to theater, so they're, let's say, refined, more sensitive, so they have a greater impression, they understand more, they are excited. And ordinary people, someone who works in construction, or in the market, they don't feel so much, they can't distinguish the small impressions, they're more coarse. His sensitivity changes. This is the ordinary way it is for us. Now, this is just plain coarseness. And so, we say that this is, let's say, in this world, Ba Olam HaZeh, with people it's according to the sensitivity. So here, let's say, it's a great light, or a small light, an impression. Now, we're taking something completely different. Now, we take spirituality. In spirituality, it is all under the screen. And it works not with the root (zero), one, two, three, four - Shoresh, Alef, Bet, Gimel, Dalet, but rather, it now works with the screen. And according to the screen, it adds to itself degrees of coarseness. So then we say, if it works with the coarseness of the Shoresh, the root, then the light that it is impressed by and attains is a very small light. It's not up here, where a great light enters into it in the coarseness of the root, because he's sensitive. If he works with the coarseness Alef, one, then the light is greater, and so on, and so forth. Because here, he's working with the screen. So he has an inverse relation between lights and the vessels. The greater the coarseness, he attains and feels more, meaning, in this world, what is more refined, one who is more refined, feels more than one who is coarse. In spirituality, on the left (in the drawing), the one who is coarse feels more than the one who is refined. The one who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater. So it turns out to be an inverse relation between lights and vessels, because the coarseness, Aviut, is inverted into refinement through the screen. Well, go ahead and ask, I see that you seem to be somewhat blocked with this.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:58) What does it mean, the one who's greater than his friend? 

M. Laitman: Inclination means the will to receive. In Hebrew, Yetzer from the word Ratzon, desire. We're not talking about a good inclination or a bad inclination, but simply a desire. The greater it is, we say the person is more coarse. Coarse doesn't mean he's crude. If it is in spirituality, then the coarseness actually turns into refinement. He understands better, he feels better, feels more, because he worked with his vessels to refine them to be in order to bestow. He corrected the great desires to be in order to bestow. So in these desires, he has more possibility to feel compared to someone who corrected less. Whereas in this world, when a person does not correct his ego, his coarseness, his desires, inclinations, so it turns out that the fewer desires he has, he's more refined. And the more desires he has, he's more coarse. So there is an inverse relation between corporeality and spirituality. It depends on where the person is. And if we look at him, we can be confused. We don't know where he is. We don't know if he's refined or coarse. If he's in this world, certainly he's coarse. If he's in spirituality, he's refined, but I don't see that. I cannot see his vessels. I cannot see his lights. I see with my own eyes his external, his vessel, his externality. We say that anyone who disqualifies is disqualifying through his own flaws. If I am in this world and I look at the person and he's also in this world, then my vision seems correct. But if he's in spirituality, then I see what vessels, what behavior, what things are there. 

This is why Kabbalists usually had to conceal themselves. It's not clear the way that they behave, because common people think that a person should be simply an angel. But an angel, means a coarseness of zero, root. And man is the opposite of the angel. It's the coarseness of phase four. This stems all of our confusion from the work with the screen versus without the screen. This is called the view of the Torah, meaning working with the screen is the opposite of the view of the landlords. The Judaism or the Torah of the landlords, what does it mean for them? It's to sit and pray, eat a little bit, and be gentle. In short, don't develop and you'll just be good. You'll be beautiful. And in spirituality, it's the opposite. You have to be, if you want to be great, then as it says, one is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater. You have to bring these desires to correction. This is why when someone who begins to study the wisdom of Kabbalah, he starts to feel that he's more corrupted because of all of his inclinations, his desires start to emerge. And then he feels himself as more corrupted, more empty, more cruel, more agitated on the one hand. On the other hand, he starts to judge the world through his vessels also accordingly, as it says that he is disqualified for his own flaws. Then he sees flaws in the world and in the friends and in everyone accordingly. It turns out that our whole perspective, our whole outlook on reality in the degrees that we are before spirituality and following spirituality depends on the changes that we have with the screen and without the screen, it is two different worlds. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (18:19) What is a screen? What is its structure? What is a great light, small light, lowly light? It looks like you can't grasp it. 

M. Laitman: A screen, means intention. The intention is my connection and my relation to the giver. If I say about the work in this world, this is called without the connection with the host, the landlord, without connection to the landlord. This means in this world I don't feel him, I have no respect towards him, I don't punish him or respect him or nothing. I can say, I believe, like common people say, believe, but there's nothing to it. It's not really considered faith. Here in spirituality, on the left (in the drawing), what is spirituality? A connection with the landlord, and faith, Emunah, here, means a feeling. But here, faith, is, how shall I put it, how do you, oh, that's the result. Faith is agreement, let's say. Consensus, it's agreement, that I was told something and I agree that it is so, without checking, without knowing. Why do we call it faith? Because it's the vessel of Bina. I have to refine myself to such an extent that I'm congruent with the quality of the light, the giver, then I will feel the landlord, the host, the giver, and according to my feeling, according to my vessels, I already judge him, I feel him, therefore, such a feeling is called faith, the quality of Bina. And that is spirituality. Whereas in this world, it is simply that I was told that there was the occasion of Mount Sinai and Moses, this is what I was taught in school, let's say, or even in the kindergarten, the teacher told me that, and it's all fine, and I say, I believe that it's enough for me to perform all kinds of actions in this world. But it is not a connection without a connection with the landlord. So, the work with connection with the landlord is the work with the screen, which means to the extent that I connect with him, and I connect with him according to the equivalence of form, according to his relation to me and my relation to him, as much as we're similar to each other. And the work in this world means without any connection to the landlord. They say it's an opposite work, an opposite feeling, completely opposite relations, as it is written that the view of the Torah is the opposite of the view of the landlord, because Torah means light, so one who follows the view of Torah, according to the perception of the light, he behaves differently versus the landlords in this world. People who believe in the framework of this world, what we call religious people, this oppositeness stems from the screen. With the screen, one who is greater than his friend is greater, and without the screen, one who is greater than his friend is more coarse, he's lower. And here he explains to us what is actually happening in this process, how much with the screen he works with greater or coarser vessels, he discovers greater lights. What does that mean? It means he discovers greater corrections within himself, and the lights of the correction within him are greater. It means that he feels the Creator is greater, he has a greater connection with the Creator. According to the perception of reality, we learn that I don't feel something that is outside of me, but rather I feel my own corrections as inner light. The screen and reflected light is what operates in the vessel. And therefore, there is an inverse relation. Well, let's continue.

Reading:  Baal HaSulam. Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah. #24

Reading: (23:11) This is why we name the lights by the order NRNHY [Nefesh-Ruach-Neshama-Haya-Yechida] from below upward, as this is the order by which they enter—from below upward.

Thus, when only one vessel has grown in the Partzuf, which is necessarily the highest vessel—Keter—the light of Yechida, related to that vessel, does not enter the Partzuf, but only the lowest light—the light of Nefesh. Thus, the light of Nefesh clothes the vessel of Keter.

When two vessels grow in the Partzuf, which are the highest two—Keter and Hochma—the light of Ruach enters it, as well. At that time, the light of Nefesh descends from the vessel of Keter to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Ruach clothes the vessel of Keter.

Similarly, when a third vessel grows in the Partzuf—the vessel of Bina—the light of Neshama enters it. At that time, the light of Nefesh descends from the vessel of Hochma to the vessel of Bina, the light of Ruach to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Neshama clothes the vessel of Keter.

When a fourth vessel grows in the Partzuf—the vessel of Tifferet—the light of Haya enters the Partzuf. Then the light of Nefesh descends from the vessel of Bina to the vessel of Tifferet, the light of Ruach to the vessel of Bina, the light of Neshama to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Haya to the vessel of Keter.

And when a fifth vessel grows in the Partzuf, the vessel of Malchut, the light of Yechida enters it. At that time, all the lights enter their designated vessels. The light of Nefesh descends from the vessel of Tifferet to the vessel of Malchut, the light of Ruach to the vessel of Tifferet, the light of Neshama to the vessel of Bina, the light of Haya to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Yechida to the vessel of Keter. 

M. Laitman: This means that on the outside, we have HaOr HaElion [the upper light]. It is one light, right? There is nothing here. It's not separated, distinguished into a thousand different lights or anything, but rather the vessel is what distinguishes it according to the degree of coarseness. Again, before the vessel, we have what we call Masach, screen. Masach, screen, equals the intention to bestow. And according to this intention to bestow, which the vessel takes as its principle, there is coarseness here, the coarseness in the vessel, which is under the first restriction. It does not allow itself to do anything, and it uses it through the screen, meaning according to which screen it has. And then according to that, he discovers corrections, meaning how much light enters it. Go ahead and ask. You see, what yesterday was so simple, today is not so simple.

It's an indication of advancement. The light of Nefesh would enter the vessel of Keter, everything is fine, everything is clear, everything is understood. If you ask a person who just started to study something, he says, yeah. If you talk to a person who is a bit more in it, then already it's the light of Nefesh, and then the light of Ruach, everything moves, everything is not in its place, where there's so much clarity now, no, things can change. Maybe, it's not exactly the way it was before. Maybe, on the next day or the day after it will change even more. He no longer knows within himself if it is true or not. You see this with scientists. None of them says, this is how it is, according to the calculation and the measurement and the data. This is how they are accustomed to speak because they see that there is nothing which is absolute in reality, but rather everything is for the time being according to the correction, the lights and the vessels and the perception, etc. So, the fact that today we're beginning to have some doubts and we don't know how to tie these things together, it is actually a good sign. It's a good sign on the one hand that we are already changing and we have experience already in that there are changes. On the other hand, that things within us move and we don't quite know whatever was so simple before. It's an indication of good changes. And in that, again, there is a big difference between the landlords and the Torah. The Torah is the spirit that changes, but the landlord - everything is absolute. He just says, this is my property, my possession, it's all good. So, one who doesn't have the strength to advance, to suffer the changes, he does not advance. And he's like the landlord, he's certain of this, he guards himself, there are no problems. And we also sometimes retreat into that state of the landlord. It's better to just remain still with fewer problems, as it says - adding reason, adding pain, what we need it for? But here, everything becomes clear, because this is the main difference between spirituality and corporeality. It's not going to talk about it later. But here, with the restriction and taking the screen on itself, the vessel from the world of Ein Sof takes upon itself the governance of the screen. And by that, everything changes. The further development will happen after the shattering in this world. If you talk about reality, we have Ein Sof, there everything is permitted, there you have the desire to receive, still not in order to receive, but the will to receive works in a simple way, like that vessel and light. Then we have the five worlds, where what works is the screen, not the will to receive, but the screen with the will to receive. And then we have this world, in which the will to receive works, but in order to receive. Of course, in order to receive small things, but its essence is in order to receive. So that if we can give up on this “in order to receive”, then we rise to the spiritual world. And the point in the heart helps us in that, etc. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:07) What happens with light that still didn't enter the Kli? If only the light of Nefesh enters, what happens with all the rest? 

M. Laitman: How do I know that all the rest exists? I have the light of Ein Sof before me. How do I even know if it's Ein Sof or not Ein Sof? I don't know anything. I work with my small vessel. First of all, I restrict it. That's it. I want to be connected with the host, that's above everything. That for me is the highest value. I'm better off dead than alive. To be connected with Him, that's my life, not what I have in my pocket. So I made that decision. Of course, it's out of the prior work. It's not that I just decide and then it is done. It's work that has to be through the light so that the light will correct me in such a way that I decide that I want to be like Him. I want to be connected with Him. So I decided, and according to my decision, I restricted myself. Everything is the result of the light. What depends on me is only the result of my work, my preparation. So, I decide, meaning, the light made such an operation, that I decide. That's it. Now, what is revealed, I want to be not disconnected from my previous life for the sake of connection with the host, but rather, under any condition that comes, I want to be connected with the host, right, meaning I annul myself. I don't disconnect myself from my previous life, from my desires in order to receive, but rather I want to be inside of Him. That's called Ubar already, embryo, and that also, of course, is the result of the influence of the light, that the desires change within me, because the lights shake the vessels, it's not the other way around. So, when I reach such a state, then I feel, I feel the host, the landlord is still not changing. It's actually the degree of my correction, that I simply neutralize myself, and I'm willing to be in adhesion with Him, no matter what. The condition that I reach now is that I, myself, that I place is the condition of being in Him. I don't want more than that, and I can't, because the vessels are revealed gradually, according to their structure: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and when the first vessel is revealed, so I understand, I feel, I judge, I determine that I only want to be inside the host, inside the upper one. I don't have a feeling now of exploring Him, understanding Him, being in connection with Him, He and I, and I and Him, and embracing with Him. No, I don't understand yet. It's like the still versus vegetative, animation, speaking in this world - where each one of them doesn't understand a different level of life than where it exists. It's the same with a person in this state, and whatever he feels, he discovers some light, his light is the light of Nefesh, or resting, the general light, without any parts or details, without any changes, and it does not change. And bit by bit, what changes in the person, the coarseness changes, and according to his coarseness, he adds a degree of adhesion, and this is called the 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 of the Ubar [the embryo], and when it shifts, suddenly a click occurs in him, and he starts to feel that he can be in changing relations, what is called Ruach, spirit or wind, literally, with the other one, etc. And in every degree, this is how he grows, according to his effort, that he's willing to annul his desire, and even work with it in the opposite way, with a screen only. And so, according to that, he feels his corrections from Nefesh to Ruach, etc. What does that mean? With Nefesh, he only neutralized his desire, with Ruach, he already works with the desire, with some sort of giving to the host, and accordingly, he feels from within himself, he disqualifies from his flaws, he justifies from his flaws, from within himself, according to the degree of his correction. So, he determines who is the host, what he gives me, according to how much he can give to the host. He doesn't know who is the host, but according to how much he says I give to Him, accordingly, he begins to feel within himself the image that he built by himself, the image of the host. This is why Boreh is called “Bo-Reh” [come and see], you build a Creator within yourself. Where is that, this image, the image that is revealed to you, that appears to you, you build it. And if it is the opposite, seemingly, the qualities or these images are more advanced, and you're not ready for it, then, as it is written - and Moses hid his face. There is a mutual game here, a reciprocal game between vessels that are less corrected and more corrected, how to draw the person to correction. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (37:44) Is there an influence of the second light, let's say the light of Nefesh that enters, does it influence in some way the light of Ruach that enters afterwards, at speed or quality or something? 

M. Laitman: No, the light of Nefesh that was there before, it's not just that it goes down to a lower degree. You understand in the light of Nefesh now, more than the way it was before, because the light of Nefesh now fills your coarseness of level one, not the coarseness of level zero, the root. Let's say, you have two kids in your family. You have an older daughter and a younger daughter, so the older daughter understands what is happening with the younger daughter. Why? Because that same light of Nefesh that is in the smaller daughter, that was in the younger daughter in the coarseness of zero, in the older daughter, is in coarseness one. What does she say? Mom, look what my little daughter wants. She understands here, but the younger one doesn't understand it, because the light of Nefesh is in coarseness one, not in the coarseness of the root. So it's not the same light of Nefesh that you now judge from the degree of coarseness Ruach. You understand, you were younger, smaller, and how you behaved back then and why. But the light of Ruach for you is still in the level of the Shoesh root. You live it, but you don't understand it, feel it. You can't relate to it because it is the upper one and you are the lower one. You only relate to the previous degrees where the lights are not according to their vessels. Then you understand meaning on the degree of four of coarseness, I understand the light of Nefesh in the best possible way. Then I understand all the details in it. I understand all the way to a degree of four, when I mean Yechidah, I understand as it says that the end result is in the initial thought. Why does it all happen to me, work to me in such a way? Because that same light of Nefesh exists in my awareness, but in what depth, all the way from the light of Yechidah, I observe the Nefesh.