Part 2:
Morning Lesson September 03, 2021, Transcription
Baal HaSulam, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, #32
Item 32 (00:36) “This thoroughly clarifies the meaning of the Ohr... “
1. R. (05:10) I think that we should read it again and I'm asking you to follow and ask questions as this is something fundamental. This thoroughly clarifies the meaning of the surrounding light of Adam Kadmon, meaning he whose immensity is immeasurable, it is that great, yet this does not mean that Ein Sof which fills the whole of reality, is in itself considered the surrounding light of Adam Kadmon. Rather it means that a Zivug De Hakaa (Coupling by striking) was made on the Malchut of the Rosh of Adam Kadmon that Ein Sof struck the Masach (screen) position there. In other words, it wished to dress in the Behina Dalet of Adam Kadmon as prior to the Tzimtzum (restriction). But the Masach (screen) in the Malchut of Rosh of Adam Kadmon struck it. This means that it detained it from spreading in Behina Dalet and repelled it, as this reflected light that emerged from the pushing of the light back, became Kelim (vessels) for clothing the upper light as well. However, there is a very big difference between the reception in Behina Dalet prior to the Tzimtzum (restriction) and the reception of the reflected light after the Tzimtzum (restriction), as now it clothes only a thin line in Rosh and Sof, this is what the Masach (Screen) did through its striking on the upper light. And the measure is that it was rejected from Adam Kadmon by the Masach (Screen). Meaning the full measure of the upper light from Ein Sof (Infinity) that wanted to clothe in Behina Dalet, had it not been for the Masach (screen) that stopped it. All of that additional light became the surrounding light, surrounding Adam Kadmon. The reason is there is no change or absence in the spiritual and since the light of Ein Sof is drawn to Adam Kadmon to clothe in Behina Dalet it therefore must be so. Because the light determines it and even though the Masach (screen) has now detained the upper light and repelled it, it does not negate the extension of Ein Sof (Infinity). On the contrary it sustains it but in a different way through the proliferation of the Zivugim (couplings) in the five worlds of Adam Kadmon and ABYA to the end of correction where Behina Dalet is completely corrected through them. At that time Ein Sof (Infinity) will clothe in her as in the beginning. Conclusion thus no change or absence has been done there by the striking of the Masach in the upper light. The Masach was created and all of those actions did not make any change in the upper light, this is the meaning of what is written in the Zohar the Zivug (coupling) of Ein Sof (Infinity) does nor descend until it is given its pair. Meaning that Ein Sof (Infinity) waits and methodically corrects the Malchut until it is worthy of receiving the whole light of Ein Sof (Infinity), meanwhile. That is until that time, it is considered that this light of Ein Sof (Infinity) has become surrounding light. Meaning it will clothe in it, in the future meaning after the correction, according to the corrections. For now, it circles it and shines upon it from the outside with a certain illumination which accustoms it to expand by the right laws that will bring it to receive the surrounding light in a measure that Ein Sof (Infinity) was initially drawn to it. Meaning that still in small portions, but the Malchut of Ein Sof (Infinity) will receive all of the light of Ein Sof (Infinity) only in small portions until it can receive in order to bestow towards the Malchut, meaning according to equivalence of form.
2. S. (10:52) Do we receive in the fourth phase or not?
R. The will to receive, Behina Dalet, was restricted. It appeared as in order to receive and therefore it was restricted. However, we install an intention to bestow on it. As much as the Behina Dalet supports and wants to resemble the light meaning that it rises from itself to the higher Behinot. It wants to resemble bestowal. All the forms of bestowal are the phases of root one, two, three, everything besides Behina Dalet. We say we don't receive in Behina Dalet, but only receive according to how much Behina Dalet can be similar to the prior Behinot. Behina Dalet remains as a will to receive in order to receive and we apply the restriction on that.
S. So that is the correction of phase four?
R. Yes.
3. S. (12:21) When we say the surrounding light descends to the degree of the vessel of phase four, is it in order to be able to clothe the direct light from Ein Sof?
R. Yes. The words here are confusing us. Like it was asked, phase four remains phase four, but it works on itself and divides itself into various levels of thickness and begins to correct itself from light to heavy. To the extent that it can take upon itself the intention to bestow, and work against its own desire, it receives the light from the prior Behinot. It doesn't receive them in the will to receive but rather in the intention to bestow. She feels that she wants to connect with the Host, to bestow to Him, and that is where she receives reward. The words here are very confusing. You have to go over them over time to better feel what it is about.
4. S. (14:11) What is the difference between the light of Ein Sof and the reflected light?
R. Malchut is a will to receive and she is opposite to the Creator. She feels how opposite and distant she is and she makes a restriction on herself, meaning she doesn't want to work with her will to receive directly because that brings her darkness. It is like you regarding someone who doesn't want to be in contact with you. It is very simple. There needs to be a Masach because you are opposite to each other in views and qualities. A Masach (Screen), on what? Not the connection with Him at all, but only on the connection that you are going to receive from him. This is where the Masach (Screen) comes in. The Masach (Screen) stands there and says, ‘from here on I don't want to receive. I can be connected to the Host, to the Creator, only by bestowing like Him. If I intend to bestow towards the Creator, I can also receive from the Creator and discover Him’. The first restriction stands there and makes sure that the created beings get access and contact on the condition that there is equivalence between the created being, phase four, and the Creator, the light. This is how the Masach (Screen) works. The created being hides behind the Masach (Screen) and makes sure to only work to the extent that the Masach (Screen) allows.
5. S. (16:52) Who develops Malchut? Malchut or the upper light?
R. Neither this nor that. There are Reshimot in the will to receive and there is the upper light that affects the Reshimot, the records. After the whole Kli of phase four emerges, the upper light systematically works on phase four and necessitates phase four to develop further and further. Phase four then makes of itself various Partzufim which are forms of receiving the upper light. There is nothing new here. The whole innovation was in the four phases of direct light where phases root, one, two, three, and four evolve. Phase four, which is Malchut, felt opposite to the Creator and made a restriction. It decided it is going to receive only in order to bestow. Since then, there is nothing new and everything must unfold until Malchut receives in order to bestow. The whole light of Ein Sof puts Malchut through all the construction of the worlds and the shattering of the worlds, in this world and what is happening with us. All of it is only to fill the Malchut of Ein Sof. This is what we are doing; this is what we need to reveal in our work as well.
6. S. (18:50) Does the Ohr Makif cause Ein Sof to rise from the Behina Dalet to Adam Kadmon?
R. No. We don't study these things and therefore I don't want to hear these questions.
7. S. (19:31) Why does Malchut want to resemble the quality of bestowal so much?
R. The will to receive is a desire to enjoy and it takes pleasure in being fulfilled. It awakens various phenomena. The moment that it realizes it cannot fulfill itself it wants to push away, to expel, to be fulfilled. There are different forms of fulfillment in the will to receive as in the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking. There are also degrees of fulfillment in the will to receive and the loftiest fulfillment in the will to receive is in its degrees of the ego. Harming the ego is the worst possible thing. When Behina Dalet feels lowly and ignoble and feels how opposite she is from the light and she feels she can’t be like the light, like the Creator, this gives her a horrible feeling. She is willing to undergo restriction and erase itself from existence. Feeling her existence opposite to the Creator is worse to her than death. Just like in our life. We can bring a person to a point where he wants to die from feeling such shame toward everyone. When he can't mitigate and justify the shame in any way the only thing, he wants is to just get away from everything. We see such phenomena sometimes.
S. Can you say that Malchut felt that she could get the pleasure only by changing?
R. No. We are not talking about receiving more. We are talking about how to get rid of the shame before the restriction. Read the text exactly of what is happening there. There is no pleasure that she wants more of. There is a negative feeling, a feeling that I am being erased. Shame erases the person. It is the worst. Our ego just can't bear it. Shame is a spiritual feeling.
8. S. (23:15) There is a big difference between the reception in Behina Dalet prior to the restriction and the reception of the reflected light. Why does mention only the Rosh and Sof, and not the Toch?
R. The Toch is a part of the will to receive. The Toch receives the light as much as it can bestow in order to direct the pleasure from reception to giving pleasure to the Creator. Such desires are called the Toch of the Partzuf.
S. The Toch is already corrected and disappears back to Ein Sof?
R. I can't go into this scrutiny now because we're going to go deeper into these details and they will be clarified. I can't clarify what you just brought up now. Everyone just needs to understand that what you're asking about the work of the Partzuf is ahead of us in the next few lessons.
9. S. (25:58) There is an impression that a new structure is created as the result of the restriction. It says that the light is pushed back.
R. These things are very simple in principle, just like the Host and the guest. What is unclear? The guest now feels a relationship with the Host. He feels the Host gives to him and wants to fill him completely but the guest feels that he can't because he's built in such a way that if he receives, he feels shame. He feels that he is receiving. Shame is the sense of being a receiver and that means being opposite to the Creator, and so oppositeness brings shame. When we are little kids, we are not ashamed, we demand. ‘Mommy, Daddy, give me.’ We can't relate to Mom and Dad this way as our will to receive grows and develops more. Especially if I have a family, meaning that I am already separate from them. When I approach them, I don’t demand from them, rather, I receive and say, ‘thank you’. Why? Because the will to receive either feels that it belongs to the giver or to the upper one. The child belongs to the upper one and therefore demands but the moment it disconnects there can be no demand. Same with us. Look at all aspects in the relationship between the Host and the guest. This is true until the final correction.
10. S. (28:44) Should we reach this shame in our work?
R. Yes, of course we are going to feel that but not now. The shame awaits us on high levels of the ladder.
11. S. (29:17) What is the state of no absence in spirituality?
R. No absence in the spiritual means that everything that we went through remains, stays, and it joins into the vessel that we build.
Item 33 (29:43) “Now we shall clarify the issue of the Bitush….” twice
12. S. (33:37) Is the striking of the light on to the Masach (screen) what creates the scrutinies towards the quality of bestowing?
R. Yes. You said it very nicely. From the beating of the upper light on the Masach (screen) that is how the created being gets data to process and scrutinize. Who he is, what is the upper light, what is the beating and how between them we can reach equivalence. From that striking, even though the striking, or the beating, is an unpleasant state, a lot of scrutinies comes out of it.
13. S. (34:25) Can I take pleasure in limiting the pleasure I have for myself; can I get pleasure by just restricting?
R. You can enjoy by your restriction too because the action of the restrictions brings you closer to the host. When you are at the table and you tell the host I don't want this. By that you are raising yourself towards the host. Because you want it but you say ‘no, I’m not going to receive it’ and then you raise yourself to the host and from that you get pleasure. But that is not a spiritual action because what you just did by restricting yourself, and not wanting to receive from the host, is in order to protect yourself and not feel the shame and by that you didn't do a spiritual action. It is the same egoistic action that you are continuing. Now if you want to perform an action for the host, you need to restrict yourself, that you don't want to receive in another way, with a different intention and also the action of giving. What is it depicted? By you saying you're going to receive it and you really want it and you're very happy that you are giving this to me and that I am receiving it and have great pleasure from you. By this you are intending to give pleasure to the host and only by receiving these pleasures, you are really causing him pleasure. Meaning the work here is very complex. It is in you and in the host and in the relationship between you and as much as you have prepared yourself to only receive for the benefit of the host. What are you giving him? Pleasure from receiving, pleasure from you receiving and then it is not called that you are receiving it is called that you are bestowing. It must be here the love of the host towards you, your desire to be equivalent to the host, the ability to perform the restriction with the intention to bestow to the host above the restriction. There are a lot of preparations here and we will scrutinize them one by one gradually.
14. S. (37:55) Inner light is the light that the created being can work with in order to bestow, and I understand that all the rest becomes surrounding light again?
R. Yes.
15. S. (38:21) Can we clarify what is the difference between the Zivug de Hakaa (coupling and striking) and Bitush?
R. The coupling by striking is when the light strikes the screen, when the lower one doesn't want to receive the upper light because he wants to remain in equivalence of form. That's the coupling by striking. The Bitush (the beating) is that the light strikes the screen but the screen doesn't start exchanging with him, it just beats it. Meaning, there is a matter here that either I start working with the host, Him for me and me for Him, or I just don't receive.
16. S. (39:29) If phase 4 made a Zivug coupling, meaning Galgalta made a Zivug coupling over the whole phase 4, what remains to reject as surrounding light because it is the coarsest phase?
R. It has lowered degrees that did not participate in the decision in Galgalta, that is why it also must be revealed and determine the relationships towards the upper light.
S. Why, where were they?
R. They are concealed in the action of GE. GE performed an action only on the light that is revealed toward the general light. But afterwards in GE smaller desires are revealed, her own, and according to that a smaller light is revealed compared to the previous lights.
S. At what stage in the process other lights were hidden there that GE now doesn’t use?
R. They can be revealed because of the great light, simple, there is a great light against the great desire and between them they are in coupling by striking and the decision and afterwards smaller lights start revealing themselves. The host says, ‘you don't want this, so at least take this or take that.’
S. You said that the correction happens from light to heavy, why does it start from the coupling of phase four?
R. Those are the couplings on our behalf from easy to heavy but from above they come in intensity that the upper light decides towards the Masach (screen), towards the greater coarseness. Coming from above downwards it is from big to small, from below upwards it is, according to the correct spiritual form, it comes from small too big.
S. If it is Behina Dalet why did it not happen on all the pieces of the desire?
R. They are not all revealed, these desires are not revealed yet. The host does a simple exercise with the guests. He gives him everything he can receive and if the guest doesn't agree, the host says, ‘at least take this or that’. If the guests completely refuse there is nothing to do. This is called the refinement of the Partzufim. That is how we see that the guest does not get anything or if he does receive, he receives as much as he can according to phase 4, 3, 2, 1, and root. These desires are revealed gradually. They can't be revealed without the previous phase, every time, finishing itself. Only after phase four did everything that it can, then came phase three. Then you can say what does phase 3 have to do if phase 4 did everything that it wanted to? Where does phase 3 even have any place, 2,1, root. There are still actions that they can do. A coarseness of 3, 2, 1, and root because phase four did not cover them. Like if you take the most expensive meal in the restaurant, where are the other meals, the other dishes? Until then you get some little cake. It has nothing to do with one another. There are also the inverted relationships between the lights and the vessels. All the little intricacies can’t appear in the big vessels like in the smaller vessels.
17. S. (44:44) How does the inner light that exists in the Partzuf influence the measure of the Masach?
R. The Masach determines what lights are in the Partzuf. After the first restriction, only the Masach (Screen) decides if there will be more or less and when. The Masach (Screen) is everything, the force of resistance, the force of connection, of overcoming between the lower and the upper is the Masach (Screen).
18. S. (45:53) Can we say that when we get rid of the desire to receive for ourselves, we are then qualified to receive all the goodness?
R. We can't get rid of our desire to receive, as everything that was given from above exists and we can only determine the measure or the way that we use it in one way or another. The desire to receive is our nature, it is all that we are and this is why nothing happens with it. When we say that it disappears or that it shatters, all of these things are only in our perception, not that it really takes place. Nothing happens in spirituality, only when we look at creation and all kinds of ways and all kinds of forms. This is how we speak about it.
S. It was said before that the Creator or the upper light, His greatness is immeasurable and endless, I understand endless, that it is infinite, but what does it mean that it is immeasurable?
R. It means it is above our purpose, that we cannot attain it because everything is only towards the created being. And towards the created being obviously there's a purpose for the upper light, the Creator wants to bring the created being to the degree of complete equivalence of form called the end of correction in the vessels of the created being. But not that by this there is the end of the way, afterwards there are more developments. The Kabbalists give us hints about this, so first let's reach the end of correction.
S. So there is a purpose for the upper light?
R. We are always speaking towards the receivers. I’m not talking about the upper light. I’m talking about how we can perceive it all. The upper light, creation, the created being, the Creator. No matter what. It's all only how it enters our vessels and according to that we talk. ‘From your deeds we will know you.’
S. Meaning that the upper light itself has no purpose with relationship to itself?
R. I can't talk about it. I can’t say anything about it. Do you understand or not?
19. S. (48:43) What does it mean that the inner and surrounding light are called opposites?
R. By the inner and surrounding light, the inner light comes in order to receive in order to bestow and by that give pleasure to the Creator and the surrounding light is the same pleasure that comes from the Creator but the created being cannot receive it in order to bestow, that’s why it remains outside of the Partzuf, and this is why they are opposite. This is why there's a resistance and collision between them, the beating. They are so opposite the way they work on the Masach (Screen) that they just annul the Masach eventually and the Partzuf purifies.
20. S. (49:49) In the last sentence it says in item 33 that the reflected light cannot clothe like phase four?
R. Before that it was the upper light. The upper light comes from the Creator to the vessel. The part of that upper light that the vessel can receive becomes Inner Light and the part it can't receive from the upper light, it rejects it and it exists around the vessel as surrounding light.
21. S. (50:38) Trying to be happy in a situation where I feel pain is also some kind of restriction?
R. You are not happy because you can't appreciate the state that you are in. The Creator gave you an opportunity to understand creation, to discover it, to work in it and you aren't happy about it. You want to receive everything right away and to control everything just like your ego is demanding. So, in an egoistic approach you can't come closer, that is why you are contradicting the Creator. You don't want to receive Him; you don't want to agree. This is natural according to the nature of our ego; this is the way that it is. What should you do about it? You should subdue yourself and your mind, your head and I have no choice, I have to take the values that are in spirituality and if I advance according to that I will feel and understand as the Creator himself. Just like the Creator Himself. I will be above creation even though I am a created being. That is what the wisdom of Kabbalah allows me.
Item 34 (52:29) “We have learned that both the Ohr Pnimi and….” Twice
22. S. (58:57) I understand the principle that the light hits the Masach (Screen) that with the intention it becomes inner light and all the rest remains surrounding light, what I don't understand is when does the light become inner light and when is it reflected light?
R. We will draw all of these lights in the next lesson so that it will be clear because I understand there is confusion in this. The light that comes to the Partzuf is the upper light. It comes and clothes in the Rosh of the Partzuf and the Partzuf still doesn't receive it, it just feels it. And on that light, it puts the Masach, restriction and decides as much as he can receive it in order to bestow, and after the decision it receives it in its vessels in order to bestow. The light that is in the Rosh is still the light of Ein Sof, it is still unlimited. The light that hits the Masach in the Peh of Rosh in the Masach it’s in coupling of striking with that Masach The screen decides as much as it can receive in the Toch, below the Rosh. The light that enters from the Rosh to the Toch is called inner light, that it shines in the Toch of the Partzuf. What this Masach (Screen) cannot receive in order to bestow in the Inner Light, that extra upper light goes outside of the Partzuf and becomes surrounding light. So, it turns out that the direct light that comes to the Partzuf becomes the inner light and the surrounding light, it is divided into inner and external light. Who divides it? The Masach in the Peh of Rosh. That's why the inner and surrounding light are opposite of each other, the screen divided them into two. In that way the upper light is clothed in the Partzuf as inner light from the Peh to Tabur. Below the Tabur of the Partzuf are empty vessels that wanted to receive upper light but the Masach in the Peh de Rosh can't receive in order to bestow. So, it expelled those lights and left them outside as surrounding light. That's why against the surrounding light we have vessels in the Sof of the Partzuf that remain empty and against them we remain with surrounding lights. So, we have Rosh Toch Sof, and I will draw this. We have Rosh, Toch, Sof. The Upper Light enters the Partzuf, reaches the Peh of Rosh, there are 10 Sefirot, and here stands Malchut below. And this Malchut pushes the light back and says I will not receive anything because I only want to be in order to bestow. Then when she performs a calculation, she calculates, first the light enters, then she rejects the light, then she decides that she receives it in order to bestow. Then part of the light enters inside and that is called inner light. And according to that part of the light it goes outside and remains around the Partzuf, that’s called the surrounding light, Ohr Makif. The place where the coupling by striking takes place is called Peh. The place where the reception of the light ended is called Tabur. This light is called Inner Light, this is surrounding light, this is direct light and this is reflected light. For now, gradually you can go into the archive and there are tons of drawings and explanations and examples.
S. The reflected light remains in the Partzuf?
R. The reflected light, there are a few kinds of reflected light. Reflected light that comes out of the Partzuf is around the Partzuf as surrounding light. There’s also the reflected light that clothes in the Rosh, there’s the reflected light that clothes the direct light and becomes Inner Light. That the light that enters the Partzuf is not just the direct light anymore, it is clothed in the relationship between the created being and the Creator. There are a lot of discernments here.
23. S. (01:07:05) Can you explain the significance that the Kabbalists place on the Maaser?
R. That is not according to our lesson even though it is at the end. I'm sorry about those who still want to ask, for sure we’ll answer other questions. But about Maaser, this is something very great. We should learn that as a topic on its own. The thing is this: in everything a person uses in his life, he needs to only use it in order to give contentment to the Creator. How is this expressed? He has a family, he has kids, he has a lot of problems and businesses. If a person wants to reach spirituality, he must invest himself in order to bestow, and in a corporeal way how can one do this? I can do it with intention, with the friends, but what else? And then we will learn according to the structure of the spiritual Partzuf, we learn that we need to give Maaser, the tenth part of what a person has in this world, to spiritual advancement. This is expressed by us giving part of our income, 1/10th, to the advancement of the correction of the world. This is how it was from the moment the wisdom of Kabbalah was revealed. Because it comes from the 10 Sefirot in the Partzuf in the soul, the last part, the Malchut, we cannot correct it, but only by joining the first 9 spheres. That's why that part that belongs to bestowing in such a way, we take it from what we have, usually from the salary, the tenth part we give to correction of the world, dissemination and things like that. This is how it is a custom here and I think many people have heard about these many times. We use that money, that’s how BB exists. Maybe we should learn about it and then I will ask the people who are preparing the topics for the lessons to also do that, and we will learn about it. Maybe we can even learn it in a greater gathering of men and women, also in a Congress maybe. First let them gather the material. There’s a lot of material about it and all Kabbalists in all generations, because without that a person can't correct himself. This is the easiest thing as we're just slicing it away from what we have and giving it. It's not that you have to do this with your desire and intentions that you don't understand, and you don't feel how you're controlling them, but in the part of your pocket you can control.