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

Daily Lesson (Morning) January 4, 2025.

Part 1: Lesson on the Topic of “Connecting to Lishma”

Reader: Hello, we are in a lesson on the topic of quantum mechanics. Today, in preparation for the “Connecting to Lishma” Congress, we will read selected excerpts from the sources. You can find the study materials in the Sviva Tova site and in the Arvut system. You can also send live questions there. 

Announcement: (00:22) Hello, Rav, hello to all the friends in the world Kli. Seven weeks from now, approximately, on the 20th and 21st of February, we're going to meet together here, all the friends from the world Kli, here and in the Arvut system for a very special Congress. A Congress whose topic is “Connecting to Lishma”. And following Rav's advice, he suggested that once a week, we will start the preparation for this important Congress. So we chose Saturday morning.So every Shabbat, every Saturday morning, we dedicate the entire lesson for preparation for the Congress, for scrutinizing discussions and engaging in the sources around this topic. So today, we have a lesson with sources that are about “Connecting to Lishma”. And in the second part of the lesson, we will have a workshop between us that will prepare us even more towards this very special Congress. So let's run.

Reader: So we're going to read selected excerpts from the sources around the topic of the Congress, “Connecting to Lishma”. We're going to read excerpt number one. 

Reading: (01:40) We find and see in the words of the sages of the Talmud, that they have made the path of Torah easier for us than the sages of the Mishnah.

This is because they said one should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even LoLishma. And from LoLishma, he will come to Lishma, since the light in it reforms him. Thus they have provided for us a new means, instead of the penance presented in the above mentioned Mishnah, Avot, which is the light in the Torah.

It bears sufficient power to reform one and bring him to practice Torah and Mitzvot, Lishma. They did not mention penance here, but only that engagement in Torah and Mitzvot alone provides one with that light that reforms him. So one may engage in Torah and Mitzvot in order to bring contentment to his Maker, and not at all for his own pleasure.

And this is called Lishma. 

M. Laitman: This is basically the definition for the matter of Lishma. Before that, in order to exit, in order to receive, they would engage in all kinds of actions so as to join to the will to receive all kinds of unpleasant sensations, as that would help to move away from Lo Lishma. And now, by the exercises that were collected by generations of Kabbalists, we don't need suffering, but only to get ourselves accustomed to what is it that belongs to lo Lishma, and what belongs to Lishma. 

Excerpt 2, The Zohar.

Reading: (05:48) One should always engage in Torah and commandments, even not for her sake, lo Lishma, because from lo Lishma, he comes to Lishma. This is so because for one's aloneness, he cannot engage in commandments in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker right from the start. Rather, by his nature, he can make any movement only if it is for his own benefit.

For this reason, first he must engage in commandments, and not for her sake, but out of his own benefit. And yet, during the practice of Mitzvot, he draws abundance of Kedusha, and through the abundance that he draws, he will eventually come to engage in commandments, Lishma, for her sake, in order to bring contentment to his Maker. 

M. Laitman: Equivalence of form that a person attains by desires and thoughts, Lishma, brings him closer to the Creator. And that brings pleasant sensations, and works in such a way that a person further and further adapts himself to the Creator. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (08:30) What does it mean to engage in Torah and Mitzvot, and Lo Lishma? 

M. Laitman: Lo Lishma, meaning, like the whole world. 

Student: What does it mean, really? 

M. Laitman: Meaning for self-benefit.

Student: Mitzvot. Let's forget about the whole world, but we, us here, what Torah and Mitzvot do we observe, and Lo Lishma, so that this will bring us to Lishma? 

M. Laitman: That which will bring us to Lishma? 

Student: He is saying that the whole world does that. They practice Mitzvot, Lo Lishma, for themselves, but he writes that from Lo Lishma one comes to Lishma. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: I don't see that in the world, people come from the Mitzvot that they do to Lishma, so I'm asking what Mitzvot of Lo-Lishma will bring us to Lishma?

M. Laitman: I don't have what to say. But to begin with, what we've received is actions called Mitzvot that we have to do in Lo-Lishma, and then by the light that nevertheless shines a bit through them, we transition to Lishma. 

Student: So, which actions should we perform that will lead us to Lishma? Which actions? 

M. Laitman: What actions? All the Mitzvot? That we can carry out in order to bring contentment to ourselves. And then to carry them out in order to bring contentment to the Creator. 

Student: When you say Mitzvot, commandments, what do you have in mind? 

M. Laitman: I mean specific actions that the sages defined as Mitzvot. For the sake of the Creator. 

Student: We always learn that everything is actually in the connection between us. If we make an internal effort in the connection between us, this will already lead us correctly. Connection for the Creator, right? I didn't complete it, maybe, but what is this matter of the Mitzvot? Why are the Mitzvot, the commandments, conditioned in order to reach Lishma? And what Mitzvot is he talking about here? 

M. Laitman: He refers to Mitzvot as those actions that we can carry out thinking of their purpose. Which is for the benefit of the Creator. 

Student: What actions should I perform and even add an intention to them, a special intention, so that they will lead us to Lishma? 

M. Laitman: Each and every action that we do, we have to do it for the sake of getting closer to the Creator.

Student: What is any action different from an action called a Mitzvah?

M. Laitman: All of the actions, all of the actions we are able to do, but here we're talking about actions that are Lishma. Which means that our intention has to be for the sake of the Creator and not ourselves. Which is truly the opposite of what we're capable and what we're drawn to by nature. Therefore, that's how the sage is defined. That the actions we need to do, should all be for Lishma. 

Student: I don't understand the connection between intention and action. I understand that the intention is the most important, and I can actually compose it over any action. So what does it matter which action I perform? I can jump and have an intention. So what's the connection between the action and the intention? Why are there specific actions that I need to perform? Why is the intention not enough? Delving into the intention over any action that I perform. 

M. Laitman: I am obligated by the Torah to maintain an intention in order to bestow contentment to the Creator in every action I do. Meaning, we were born and raised in a way that we didn't receive any guidance as to what intentions we need to have. Until we come to a state where we are taught by great sages that one should do all his actions Lishma. Literally everything. And that's how we should educate ourselves. 

Student: What is special about these actions called commandments that specifically on top of them we compose an intention and not over other actions? 

M. Laitman: Each and every action we have to we have to carry it out for the sake of the Creator. And therefore we have to learn how to sort out our intentions so that in a precise, automatic way we can carry them out like that.

Student: With respect to the preparation for the congress that we have two months ahead of us, what actions should we perform? Not intentions. I understand with each intention we have to work but which actions should we perform in order to bring ourselves to greater preparation for Lishma for entering this special state of Lishma? 

M. Laitman: Lishma means for the sake of heaven, for the Creator. That if I want to do my actions for that I have to come out of thinking about myself and then I get closer, I get closer to the actions of Lishma.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:48) He says that even when a person initially works Lo-Lishma, he does it for himself, there is some abundance that he draws. The Creator nevertheless gives us something in return so that we can keep working in order to reach Lishma. What is special about this process where the Light does its work on us, so that even though we do it for ourselves, nevertheless we reach a certain point where we do eventually want it, so the process inverts and we do feel that we want to do it for the Creator. So what is special about this process? 

M. Laitman: What is special is that we nevertheless become incorporated with a desire to bring contentment to a part or all of humanity, that we are drawn after thousands of generations of Kabbalists who did it and we want to join them. This is called Lishma, that we don't leave anything to ourselves, just like the Creator. So through our intention, we will do everything for His sake.

Student: How, inside this process, do you begin to feel that you don't want to do it for yourself? At first he tells us that we can't make any movement which is not for ourselves. How suddenly this processor we have inside of us changes and you feel this desire that you don't want anything for yourself. What is this difference that suddenly from this Mitzvot that we carry out, suddenly something changes in this processor we have in our nature? 

M. Laitman: The attitude that in these actions I want to do everything for the sake of the Creator and not myself. Bit by bit, if I continue with this intention in all my actions, then by that I shift my direction in bringing contentment to be truly for the benefit of the Creator. 

Student: In the end, I mean, we are working here in Tens, so this change, it should all be in the connection in the Ten, right? We should feel this change in the connection between us.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: So, this connection between us that we feel where each one of us actually wants to do things for the friends, how do we change this attitude from the friends to the Creator? Because we always tell ourselves we want to go to Lishma, to work for the Creator. So how in this transition we don't miss out on this special connection with the friends? 

Student: The connection with the friends is very unique. Without it, we would not be able to detach from the egoistic intention for self. Therefore, when we try to do every action in order to bestow contentment to the Creator, then in each and every action, there is a great force that the Creator adds to our thought. And then, bit by bit, we arrived in Lishma? 

Student: So, our awakening between us, our common efforts, bring us to a new state so that we can overcome more and more.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (25:03) I heard before that a person should adapt himself to the Creator. What does a person who is suitable for the Creator, who is adapted to the Creator, look like? 

M. Laitman: That he always thinks of the Creator and aims all his actions for the benefit of the Creator. 

Student: This concept of Lishma, how is it related to that, to being adapted to the Creator, congruent with the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Man is born and exists in the world of the Creator. And if he makes actions with the intention to bring contentment to the Creator, then they appear to be what we call face-to-face. Meaning that man aligns his face towards the Creator, and then the Creator, as if, appears in front of the person. That's it, and then this slowly makes the person want to get closer and closer to the Creator and enter the illumination that he receives from the Creator.

Student: What is Lishma? 

M. Laitman: Lishma means that each and every action that one makes has to be done in what we call Lishma. That the intention is only to bring contentment to the Creator. 

Student: So Lishma, for her sake, for whose sake is it? 

M. Laitman: For the sake of the Creator.

Student: So why don't we say for his sake? Who is that for her sake? Lishma. 

M. Laitman: Lishma, for her sake, means that I make an action that unites me with the Creator and brings me closer to him. 

Student: So I operate for the sake of the action? To distinguish it from what? What are we trying to emphasize? What should I detach from? 

M. Laitman: I detach from self-benefit. And I entirely fully bring myself closer to and align myself to getting closer to the Creator. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (28:54) What deficiency precisely does a person begin to feel when he is in Lo Lishma? 

M. Laitman: In Lo Lishma, a person feels himself.

Student: This means that he can also remain in that state of Lo Lishma. 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course. 

Student: So, what exactly does he receive during these actions when he is in Lo Lishma? Are there any discernments or points of Lishma also in Lo Lishma that he starts to sort them out, or how exactly does it work?

M. Laitman: It's given to man internally. One who carries it out, bit by bit, begins to feel what's the benefit from it and what's the difference. 

Student: Because they gave us this special work through which we draw the light. And that? 

M. Laitman: Let’s say.

Student: So, how exactly does he suddenly begin to yearn for the Creator? What suddenly is built within him so that he starts to yearn for the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Because he thinks about the Creator, he shifts himself from thinking of himself to thinking about the Creator, and he tries to aim at Him and to be close to Him. And that basically becomes the purpose of the goal of his life.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (31:09) In the order of cascading from above downwards, let's say, there are many degrees, but in the end, the person meets Rav, the group, and the books as his upper one that directs him. When a person thinks how to bestow contentment to the Creator, should he check what he can do for his teacher? Let's put it this way, simply, the way I feel personally, and I think I'm sure many friends feel this way. We feel that 15 years, 20 years, 30 years, through you, people here received life. And now they feel a bit uncomfortable, and they try to feel what can we give back? What can we do? 

M. Laitman: There's no need for that, and nothing mandatory here. Rather, each and every student, it's good if he wants to direct himself this way towards his students. 

Student: In many places, they draw an analogue between the teacher and the Creator as the source from which the abundance comes, the light, the knowledge, the discernments. Doesn't it work in such a way? I mean, shouldn't a student think about how can he bestow contentment to the Creator? 

M. Laitman: No. 

Student: So, to whom is he bestowing? To whom does he want to bestow? 

M. Laitman: Towards the Creator. 

Student: The Creator is something slippery, a person depicts to himself the Creator in various forms. Each day, the Creator is new. Every day, he depicts a new Creator, and we also learn, this is how we need to do it. We have to restart and search for the work anew every day. The friends, that is something that is stable, the sources, that's one, the Creator is one, the environment, it's one. How can a person begin to imagine something new every day to himself that he's bestowing to the Creator or not bestowing to the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Quite the opposite, I think that every day he has a new Creator. So, that's what he didn't have yesterday, he has today, and so forth. That's how he advances, he's moving from day to day, and indeed, he has to examine himself. Does he have something that doesn't change? And to be in a true state of being, to be in a true state of being, and to be in a true struggle with thoughts, desires, feelings that keep him in the same place as yesterday. 

Student: We are in this struggle every day to become free from thoughts about myself, concerns about myself. I think we understand that this is what is detaining us, but we don't quite find a tactic for how to truly get rid of it.

M. Laitman: This is only through getting close to the environment, so that by the power of the environment one can detach himself from all kinds of thoughts about himself and to shift that through the society for the benefit of the society and the benefit of the Creator. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (35:47) There is a way that the person relates to reality. Let's say the person relates to himself, he has a certain relation to the Ten, he has a relation to the Creator, and there is also a relation to various actions he performs. Let's say to put on tefillin, to say blessings, all kinds of things that he also relates to. How does the relation to all of these, to himself, to the Ten, to the Creator, and to these actions bring him to Lishmah? 

M. Laitman: Because by his desire that he wants to achieve bringing contentment to the Creator, he activates this force in everything he has, and these forces accumulate, they gather, and that's how the Creator brings him to Lishma.

Student: So, in the beginning of the path, obviously he wants to gain something for himself. He's relating to himself and he's asking himself, how can I gain something for me? It's something called the Creator, something great, but we are told that if we do all of these things, if we relate correctly, then suddenly he won't be searching for a benefit for himself, but he will look for benefit for the Creator. He will shift from himself to the Ten, to the Creator, in all of these actions.  How do we tie all of these things to shifting to the benefit of the Creator? 

M. Laitman: A person is always is always in the dwelling of the Creator's attitude to the created beings, and therefore, now when he tries to bring contentment to the Creator, so his intention gradually turns him to be with his face towards the Creator, and thus he comes to a state where all his intentions, all of his pleas, his actions are for bringing contentment to the Creator. 

Student: If I understand correctly, the Kabbalist already lives in the Creator's world, that's his state, his existence, but nevertheless he still performs certain actions all the time in the direction of the Creator. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: And we're told that these actions are called Mitzvot, commandments, between man and his friend, and between man and various actions he performs. How does this relate to this connection that we call the Creator's world? 

M. Laitman: The Creator is that force that if we aim ourselves in his direction, then it turns out that we are active in the direction that's outside of us, toward the direction of the Creator, as much as possible. And if a person does that regularly as long as he is conscious of it then this turns the entire world to the direction of the Creator. 

Student: How do these actions that we perform together and we try to reach this direction, how do they cleanse up from this dirt that is always pulling one to himself? 

M. Laitman: That's how we were born. It was the will of the Creator to shift us from Lo Lishma to Lishma. And that's why we accept it as something given in our hearts. What else can we do? Thank the Creator for allowing us to rise to a new intention, to a new sensation and join our Maker. 

Student: So bless all of these disruptions, all this..?

M. Laitman: To bless, I don't think, but each and every one will see himself connected that way to the Upper force. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (42:14) Sorry for what I'm saying, but in this education of intentions, a person can only reach despair of his own strength? 

M. Laitman: But this is enough. This is enough. He doesn't need to do anything besides that. 

Student: Can we help each other in that regard, in this education? 

M. Laitman: Give an example. 

Student: And it's mostly to make room for the Upper one to help us, and give an example to the friends. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:06) You said before that we didn't receive guidance from childhood how to clothe the actions with an intention and what is Lishma. Now most of us here are mothers and fathers. Do you have any recommendations for how to bring the children closer to actions over the intentions over the actions? 

M. Laitman: In educating children, the most important thing is to give an example. Because naturally, children look at their parents and they mimic what they see in the parents. So this is what we should not forget about. 

Student: What examples do you think are very effective that the child will really be impressed by? What would you recommend? What's the direction? 

M. Laitman: I think that all of the Mitzvot that we perform on our own and we teach the children, so all of these Mitzvot we can observe them, Lishma, and through their teaching we can also pass the forces of the Creator that exist in the keeping of each and every Mitzvah. Also to pass them to them, to our children. 

Student: I think that one of the things that a child is impressed by, or any person, is that he is given an example of friendship, when he sees his dad with the friends and things like that. At what age would you recommend to, say, bring a child to a Ten meeting, to see actions of connection? 

M. Laitman: I think that the fact that this is already organized in such a way for us, that all the children are in a group, and this is how they go through all of these years, this later gives them the forces to continue.

Student: But, if there's an opportunity to also take the kid to some social activity. By the way, I know that there are fathers here who just came from a father-son activity, maybe they can share later. So an action that, let's say a social action like a meal with the Ten, if I feel that the child is ready for that, is it recommended to bring him on? 

M. Laitman: This is according to whatever you decide. Among you there are those who engage in education for young children, so you should listen to what they say. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (47:29) Rav, we're all on the way to Lishma, there's a congress soon, you have students who study for 30 years, and students who study for 1 or 2 years, if you could say what, now there are some who study for 30 years and didn't reach Lishma yet, could you say what they are lacking, what the students who study for a short time should take from that? Is it natural? Is it something that they have to go through too, 30 years? 

M. Laitman: Apparently it is natural. And let's hope that they will reach it, but the condition for reaching Lishma well, eventually it has to influence the person, and the person will shift to Lishma. 

Student: The desire and passion of the new students to also be in Lishma, does that also help the veteran students reach that state? 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course, each one influences the others.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (49:40) We studied for many years. We went through many processes in this study. There was a time when we started the Tens and workshops and dissemination, many things. At this stage where we are on the way to Lishma, in our current stage, in terms of our attention, and focused attention has a lot of power, but it's focused on one place. Where would you say we should put our focus at this stage? 

M. Laitman: Focusing our intention of each and every one on the fact that there should be no vacant space between us. That's the most important.

Student: What does it mean, no vacant space? 

M. Laitman: That we will be so tight together that there will be no vacant space between us. 

Student: You recommended before, in the beginning, that every action, to check every action that it's aimed at the Creator, that every action is aimed at the Creator. Now, we try to do the maximum between us in all kinds of actions, now, ultimately, it also divides into quantity, to succeed in the quantity of times you think of the Creator, and there's a quality, a quality of intention that you manage to produce in whatever state that appeared. So how should we relate to both the quantity and the quality? 

M. Laitman: You should talk about it more between you. 

Student: Now, I saw an example from you, that you should have infinite patience, there's this feeling that you have infinite patience, and there are states where you have zero patience. Now, when I look at that example, it's being in extreme states. To what extent do we need or do we have to develop such a flexibility, not necessarily with patience or impatience, but all kinds of things, to be very tough and meticulous on one hand, and on the other hand, very soft and making concessions, and is it necessary to develop these abilities on the way? 

M. Laitman: I think that all of this falls into place by itself along the way. Each one of us who walks the path, with every step on the way, he receives greater strength, he receives more guidance, and it does something to him. 

Student: Now, the congress we're about to have, we're preparing for it, and we also went through many congresses before, I feel like the preparation is becoming very qualitative, more focused. And the question is, when you look at a congress now, in the end, in our daily work, we have to relate everything to the Creator. How does the congress help in that work? 

M. Laitman: We should be together in the same efforts, in the same actions, in the same intentions, with the same goals. 

Student: If our work, in every given moment, is to accept a certain state, the Creator is in control of our heart and changes our state. And we have to tie these states to the Creator. Sometimes you succeed more, sometimes less. And we, at least as far as I understand, we have to always focus on the here and now. And so how does a Congress, with all its outcomes, can help us in that work at any moment? 

M. Laitman: We make preparations for the Congress. We even have workshops. And out of that, each and every one feels how he's beginning to feel that he is already at the Congress to a certain extent. And in such a way, this is what we need to do. We need to continue. 

Student: In every moment where I try to relate everything to the Creator, sometimes I forget about the Creator. Sometimes I can't succeed in doing it 100% with that action. Maybe I will succeed partially. So what can help us have more success in quantity that will identify the Creator in many states, and quality so that we can work with this state with more intensity and power? What can help us? 

M. Laitman: What can help us is that we join each other. We truly want to see zero vacant space between us. And that we very much hope that these exercises will bring us to adhesion. Well, that's it. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (57:40) He writes here that the sages of the Talmud made the path of Torah easier instead of self-mortifications to work in Torah and Mitzvot, Lishma, through bringing contentment and so forth. So can we say the reason they made it easier is because the generation changed and then the method was adapted? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: So now the question is can we also see that the sages of Kabbalah, our teachers, also made a certain move and made the work easier for us? That by working in the group, we can advance by the light that reforms towards Lishma. My question is, Rav, that outside there's a completely different generation. Is there any thought that we will also have to somehow make it easier for them, for their format of studying? 

M. Laitman: There is the matter of every generation and its preachers. But this is especially with the forces that we received compared to previous generations, and continue with that. I have nothing more to say. 

Student: I just want to understand what Rav said from the inner effort that will go deeper into the study, will draw light, and the Creator will help us how to turn to the new generation that is completely different and has a different language and understanding.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: So we have to speed up. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:00:45) We talk about all kinds of things, friends, teachers, means to reach Lishma. Why don't we raise the matter of recognition of evil sufficiently? Because if I feel bad in my nature, if I feel that it eats me up, kills me, and doesn't let me breathe, then I'll find the means, through who and how, to reach bestowal. But this matter is not emphasized. Is that deliberate? I don't know. 

M. Laitman: I think that this exists inside each and every one. However, each and every one is the boss, that can decide whether to open up for himself or not, to the extent that he's suffering, and the ego in which he's suffering, and the lack of help from around, etc. This depends on the connection between the friends. 

Student: I understand that. But who will point at that for a person? A person on his own doesn't know. And we're talking about sages who made corrections. Why don't they point to that, saying, this is your cancer, this is the reason for all the troubles? 

M. Laitman: Look. Whichever way you look at it, there's only one reason that is truly the root cause of all of our problems. It's the lack of the knowledge of the Creator. The lack of the feeling of the Creator. That if we were to feel Him, then we would do everything in order to reach Him. What to do? That's the whole wisdom of Kabbalah.

Student: So, until I feel the Creator, I have no chance to reach recognition of evil? 

M. Laitman: No. With the recognition of evil, you should be impressed by two things, the nature of the Creator and the nature of the created being. And then you should try to do something with that. 

Song: (01:04:34)