Morning Lesson November 17, 2021, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences from audio
Part 1:
Baal HaSulam - Shamati 62. Descends and Incites, Ascends and Complains
1. Rav’s Introduction: Actually what he tells us here even the beginning, is one should always check himself. Let's read.
Shamati 62: “Descends and insights ascends and complains.” Twice
2. R. (06:53) This means that here we see that there is a very conspicuous correct and clear test whether we are on an ascent to spirituality or a descent from spirituality and this is our attitude towards others. We always measure ourselves out of ourselves, and how do we see others, either they are higher than us or lower than us and briefly simply. What does he say here that a person should always check himself how am I in relation to others and am I higher than them or lower than them? Am I coming closer to them or moving away from them and as much as possible check that in a true manner and this is possible only inside of the 10. As much as I try, as he writes elsewhere, that it is good to annul himself in practice before the others, so this is allowed for one this good for one, for a person to do that. If he annuls himself towards the friends, not just towards the world, towards the worlds they can even see him as proud, that's good, they will come to him unless with all kinds of things. With respect to the group, there he needs to behave in a spiritual manner meaning to try to annul and see himself, whether he actually has an inclination for that from himself or he has to do it forcefully and by that to invite this respective, this outlook that it would start to ride on him.
3. S. (09:10) It's not clear what he says when a person walks on the path of truth and then you will see that he descends and insights?
R. All the time if he wants to walk on the path of truth and he's going towards annulling himself so how does he check that he is indeed in self annulment? Because you have many teachings and methods seemingly and many people who heard that the most important thing is that a person who in spirituality should annul himself. He should sit on the ground in a corner in some isolated place, not show himself to others, he should be humble and modest, there are those who don't even speak. There are those who don't even look at the world, there are all kinds of things. We learn from the wisdom of Kabbalah that the most important is our work inside. That is, that I, by that correct myself, my internality, my attitude, my desire as we call it and it doesn't matter if I'm going to blind myself, put something on my eyes, sit alone or even be among people. That's not what's important, the most important thing is, what does he say, that one must always examine oneself, if one’s Torah and work do not descend to the abyss. This is because one's greatness is measured by one's measure of adhesion with the Creator meaning on one’s measure of annulment before the Creator, in other words self-love does not merit reference and one wishes to annul oneself completely, this is how we check but what are the signs? With respect to the Creator I cannot check myself, I am among people so how can I check myself in relation to them whether I am in the right direction?
Rav reading: “Because one who works in order to receive, the measure of one’s work is the measure of the greatness of oneself. At that time one becomes a being, an object, and a separate authority. In that state it is difficult for one to annul before the Creator. Whereas a person works in order to bestow and he completes his work meaning he completed correcting the vessels of reception that he had from the root of his soul. And he has nothing more to do in this world, meaning this world when he sees others because relative to others, he completed his scrutiny and his correction. It follows that one should think and concentrate only on that point only, meaning he feels that he annuls himself towards everyone. Then he has nothing more to do in this world, he is used to the world and everything possible meaning he doesn't become more and more compared to everyone rather on the contrary how lower and lower, less and less than everyone and it's not in words it's a feeling, it is in inner sensation that comes to him. And the sign for it is if one can see that he is in the state of descending and inciting meaning and his entire work is in a state of descent in this state this is how he sees himself. He's in the authority of the Sitra Achra the other side, this is how he feels and then he ascends and complains meaning he feels that he is in a state of his ascent and he complains about others.” That is if he is in the state of descending and inciting then he has complaints and criticism on everyone, whereas one who works in purity cannot complain about others. He generally has no such approach and if he does feel that he is complaining he's complaining about himself why he's not pleased with himself. He doesn't appreciate himself and also, he doesn't see the truth, where is he, did I do something or maybe I didn't do anything, it seems like I didn't do anything. All the time I'm below everyone, a zero not successful. This is what he says here, yet one who works in purity cannot complain about others but rather always complains about himself and sees others in a better degree than he feels himself. This actually is quite a simple discernment that we can understand, it doesn't require any special intellect or emotion it is clear this is how we measure ourselves.
4. S. (15:35) It turns out that both ascending and descending inciting, annulling everything is not correct why? It turns out that if he descends and decides he is under the Sitra Achra other side but if he ascends and complains then he blames everyone, so what is the correct form?
R. Wait a minute, 1, is that he sees himself, when in what state he always sees himself higher than everyone or lesser than everyone?
S. He writes that if he sees himself below everyone then he is under the Sitra Achra other side it's not clear as well. If he descends and insights, he's under the control of the Sitra Achra why?
R. That's a direct result of him being in the Klipa shell because he's complaining about others, he sees others that they're not okay, they don't understand they are not working properly.
S. What's the correct option then?
R. When a person sees himself as lower than everyone. This is why it says, yet one who works in purity, the very last sentence in the article, yet one who works in purity cannot complain about others than always complains about himself and he sees others in a better degree a higher degree than he feels himself.
S. You have to focus on this point?
R. It's a good state, it's a correct state.
5. S. (17:56) It says the person needs to check himself if his Torah and his work don't descend to the abyss because one's greatness is measured by one's adhering to the Creator. How can one succeed in this task because any time a person can do something for the greatness of the Creator his ego grows in parallel, so how to avoid the work of descending into the abyss?
R. He should constantly annul before the group but annulment doesn't mean that he artificially puts himself in that form even though it's good to do so in practice also.
S. All the work is with the10 only?
R. Of course the 10 for you includes the whole of reality, don't you worry, through the 10 you'll receive everything in order to correct your soul, to correct it. Because the ten itself, those are the components of your soul.
6. S. (19:22) How should a person aim his prayer when he wants to work in purity and see everyone in a better state? He cannot ask for himself.
R. It depends on what he is asking for himself. If he wants to be below the friends in the group in order to support them, help them, and truly be the one who is bestowing and supporting, then he can ask for that. Where else will he get the forces from?
S. Should be happy about his lowliness?
R. It is a sign that he is going forward correctly towards correcting his will to receive for himself and inverting it in order to bestow. This is why he is happy even though it's hard for him and he is confused. There are many things along the way. The fact that he is aiming and climbing towards the goal makes him happy. He is not like a baby that checks whether or not he feels pleasant. It doesn't care what will happen but rather he tries to be happy about the goal and what is he advancing toward.
S. Where does a person get his strength to continue the work in this state?
R. First of all, he gets them from above through the ten, if he arranges himself correctly then he gets forces. Even if he doesn't get forces, he gets forces out of the fact that he does not get forces, that is, even if I am in a state where I have no force I checked my state, and I discovered that this is the right state. This already gives me strength. It could be that I am in a state of descent, in a state of exile, that I am like in prison and I have no possibility to get out of it. I see that my state stems out of the fact that the will to receive is holding me, jumping on me, that I am truly in captivity of the will to receive, of my ego and I try to connect myself to the goal. Of course, if I am not in a group then I stand no chance to be in that in joy and in the right direction, but if I am in a group, I somehow tie myself to them. We see what he writes in the Arvut article that we are all in a boat.
Each one takes upon himself a certain role so even though each one has times when he cannot function, according to what his role obligates, nevertheless he is happy because now he is not capable of it. It's like the second half of the wheel is going backwards but others are turning the wheel forward and this is how we all advance. We need to understand that if we are not calculating according to our mutual guarantee in the group, we will not see ourselves advancing and then we fall and have no justification for our state. I see many people that have no chance specifically because of their lack of connection in the ten. They say they are quitting, they have to take a break. They justify themselves saying, ‘I don't see any chance for me to advance.’ Of course, you don't have a chance to advance. If you are in a boat with others then for sure each time you have the feeling that you're going backwards with every step forward. This comes from you from below from the depths of your corrupted soul; you get another portion of your ego, of the will to receive and you have to elevate it to work. When the ego comes and occupies you, it grabs you, you feel that it is filling you, then you realize you have no chance but to connect with the others and let them also work on that. You will see how each one specifically elevates his ego for the collective work of the ten in this way. It's not that you have no chance but it actually becomes fuel for the ten and can advance. This is what it means when it says that he descends and incites, ascends and complains. This is what we have as the wheel.
S. Do we do this only in thought or should we do something in words or sharing to connect this to the others?
R. We simply need to work together, that is all. Then you will see how very quickly you can process all of these elements, input them correctly and you can go forward. The upper light is ready. To the extent you come together it shines on you; to the extent you don't connect it doesn't shine but rather in the opposite manner so you will see how far you are from the upper light in order to awaken you. This is what it does but it cannot cancel the process and let you advance without effort. The Creator does not make any concessions, He doesn't concede a gram of exertion, a gram of correction, because all of it will be required for the end of correction.
7. S. (28:18) Why does Baal HaSulam associate walking on the path of truth with being under the authority of the Sitra Achra?
R. How else can it be, what work can we have if it's not for the Sitra Achra, the other side? Tell me, how could it be? The Sitra Achra, the other side, is our whole nature. We just do not ascribe it to the Sitra Achra, to the other side, until we start to work with. When we start to work with it then we say, ‘this is the Klipa, the shell, this is Kedusha, holiness; this is an order to receive for myself,’ etc. I'm prouder over others, I put myself above others, I distance myself from others. It's the opposite here, this is Kedusha, holiness. What is Holiness? Whatever I don't like, I don't love, but I have no choice, I have to turn these things so that I love them and respect them. It's connection, participation, mutual help, and self-annulment before the friends, etc. This is how we work. It is impossible to work in connection with the ten, in holiness and spirituality. We don't have that, we have to build that. We build it from the opposite form, from not wanting to be in corporeality, in order to receive, and disconnection, in being proud. So from this we get to that.
8. S. (30:31) A friend found a letter that highlights this point. Reader reads: Baal HaSulam 21. “But if you do wish to cleanse the sins off you, you should engage in annulment of self-importance instead of the mortifications, meaning to feel that you are the lowest and the worst of all the people in the world. It requires much learning and education to understand this, and each time you should test yourself to see if you are not fooling and deceiving yourself. It also helps to lower yourself before your friend in practice. However, you should be mindful that you lower yourself only before the right people. So if you wish to engage in it in practice, you can annul yourself before our group, and not before strangers, God forbid. However, you must know for certain that you are the worst and the lowest of all the people in the world, for this is the truth.”
9. R. (31:50) Baal HaSulam gives us a simple advice: do it inside of the society, inside of the ten. Realize you have nothing else to do, only annulment before the friends, connection with the friends up to the form where the Creator is revealed in the connection between you. He does not exist, there is no such thing at all. Bore, Creator, means ‘come and see.’ If you create the correct condition in the connection between you then the upper force which is disconnected and detached from us starts to be revealed there in the correct connection between you. This is called ‘Bore,’ before that there is no Creator, as it says, ‘there is no Creator without the created being.’
R. (33:07) This is not written about you, it is written about me.
10. S. (33:12) You described it's like a wheel and I see that we're going through the revolutions of this wheel many times up and down up and down, is there an end to this or will this be an ongoing process?
R. This is what I'm waiting for, that finally we will start it and finish it. This process doesn't have to be long but we have to get it in our minds and emotions that it all has to be realized in the ten. Let go of the whole world, we don't care what is happening there, that is the still. We need to arrange such states, such forms, inside of the ten where each one helps the other, annuls himself before the others and by that he actually becomes higher spiritually and our tens will start to become spiritual tens. Start with the very first annulment which is called the first spiritual degree. It is very difficult because a person doesn't quite understand what is going on with him, but this is what we need.
S. The article is endless, without an endpoint. Do we have to reach this perfect state where everyone is connected where we lack this condition at the end of the article?
R. This was a speech of Baal HaSulam and I'm not sure what the context was. That's what he said, he didn't really write it, but this is what he said and Rabash wrote it. I don't think it's worthwhile to add anything to this, it seems to me that this is kind of closed, what else can you add to this. One must always examine himself. Rav reading: “One must always examine oneself if one’s Torah and work do not descend to the abyss. This is because one’s greatness is measured by one’s measure of Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, meaning on one’s measure of annulment before the Creator. In other words, self-love does not merit reference this we can already check. Rav reading: “one wishes to annul oneself completely…” How does one check himself? The Creator will be revealed in the center of the ten, in the connection among everyone so I need to always check myself whether I am annulled before the connection in the ten, this is what each and every one should do. The moment we do this, in the smallest measure but we do it, we make the condition for the place for the Creator to be revealed and then He's revealed among us according to the extent of our annulment towards each other. You have nowhere else to annul yourself towards because the Creator is not revealed in such a way that you can annul before Him. The fact that you annul before the center of the ten is considered that you're annulling before the Creator.
Rav reads: “This is because in one who works in order to receive, the measure of one’s work is the measure of the greatness of oneself.” Then he becomes more and more proud. Rav reads: “At that time, he becomes a being, an object, and a separate authority. In that state it is difficult for him to annul before the Creator. However, when one works in order to bestow, when he completes his work, meaning that he has corrected all his vessels of reception for himself from whatever is revealed now from what he has from the root of his soul, then he has nothing more to do in the world. It follows that one should concentrate all his thoughts only on that point…” Meaning he annuls himself before whatever is revealed. Rav reads: “The sign by which to see if one is walking on the path of truth is if he is in the form of “descending and inciting,” meaning that they keep adding ego to him, meaning his entire work is in a state of descent this is what he feels. In that state he is in the authority of the Sitra Achra [other side], and then he ascends and complains, meaning feels that he is in a state of ascent and complains about others…” He feels that he is in a state of ascent and he complains about others and he feels he is in a high state Rav reads: “Yet, one who works in purity, cannot complain about others and always complains about himself, and he sees others in a better degree than he feels himself.” We can expand this article and make a few books out of it but really everything is written here succinctly. The most important thing, as Rabash would say, ‘anything but leave.’ This is what it says in the Torah, ‘anything but leave.’ You have to stay in the ten and feel yourself in this boat and assist everyone as much as you can. Then you'll advance and reach the goal.
11. S. (40:45) How can we overcome these states where we are not in an ascent or a descent but feel like we are suspended in the air between heaven and earth?
R. Check your state relative to the friends and you'll see how you'll have something to do. On one hand, you feel yourself as the lowest of all the friends; on the other hand in that state you have to add to the society because you are among them and you must be active. So check yourself, as much as you can, both from below and from above. You should be in the lowest state and also in the highest state. Then you're not annulling, you are placing, positioning yourself correctly relative to the ten. We always check ourselves relative to the Partzuf that we are building and arranging.
S. What is the center of the ten and what am I annoying myself towards?
R. I annul myself towards the boat. The boat is ten Sefirot, a group. There is not one, two or three people, but rather the connection between us, what the Creator wants us to carry out under the conditions that he is placing for each and everyone. He gives each and every one internal condition, the ego and all the qualities and conditions, why? I must sort out these qualities with everything within me and connect with others in order to arrange us as a circle, a sphere, a vessel in and of itself. This is the work of each and every friend, how he can arrange all the friends into one vessel and to feel that it is up to him. It can be in place of the Malchut, the lowest of them all, and it can be as the Keter, the highest of all. He checks himself and ten in this way and this is how he works on them.
S. Does the upper light arrange my position in the common vessel of the ten or do I do that?
R. Of course everything is done by the upper light to the extent that I can annul before it and I do what it wants. I discover how He's doing everything and how in adhesion to Him I understand more what's going on.
S. What inner qualities do we have to connect to build this boat as a 10?
R. All the desires and thoughts, everything you want, in order to connect everyone into one boat, one vessel. There's no clear answer because each one has a collection of qualities and a person has to connect them as much as possible to friends in order to add and complete everyone into one vessel.
12. S. (46:15) If it's hard to see a specific person in the 10 how do we work on it?
R. It's very simple if I cannot annul myself towards a friend to see him as greater than me then it's not a question. It's the Creator or arranging it so I have to work towards these friends with greater effort. It's not that the friend appears to me the way he is, rather it says, they have eyes but they cannot see. We cannot see the friends we see with the Creator is showing us and he is arranging this for us, He corrupts our sight. If my ego enters my sight, my eyes then I see everyone is small and despicable. If I correct my ego that the Creator corrects it then I see everyone is righteous as great as wise and so on and so forth. We don't see anything except for what the Creator arranges for us to see. That's why we're always playing this game with Him and we should not forget about it
13. S. (47:58) It's still not clear to me what is this behavior, what does it mean decline descending and in sighting?
R. That's our evil inclination is doing it, who's doing it the Creator, of course there's none else besides Him. Does he awaken us through the complaining why, in order to awaken us? In a form that is opposite to Him so that we would grow here we would develop in us the opposite of what He is doing. We are working against the Creator. He is growing the evil inclination and it scares us off each time, and seemingly doesn't let us reach anything easily. In order to raise us to grow like you do with a small child you bring him games and challenges to overcome to work with and he would develop himself we do the same.
S. What's confusing here, maybe you can help me is what is the difference between descents and insights and ascents and complaints in the descents and the ascents, in both of them we hear complaints towards the friends so what's the difference between the two?
R. I think you have to work on it by yourself. Think that what you will hear from me will correct you it's not true. It's like little kids, you have to put in a great deal of effort and want it and want it until it enters a person's qualities. Look at what they write, look how spirituality is set up. You want everything to enter through your intellect and through your feeling and it cannot be because your mind and your feelings are built on your ego on your will to receive how can you bring something that is not made of part of your mind and feeling, it's the opposite form, explain to me this explain to me that, there is no explanation for this. You will work and you will see that a new mind and a new feeling awakens in you and then you will understand and you will feel that this is the only way it works. As much as I will show you and reveal new things to you nothing will happen it all depends on your effort.
S. Well you're aiming us very well towards the work in the 10 and will discuss it today but when you said that I am ascending and being prideful and I complain, I feel the others as lower than me so when I descend, I should actually see them as great but the text says that actually inside, so it's confusing?
R. You'll read a few more times and talk with the friends and if you still have some questions left you will ask. I think you can solve your problems.
14. S. (52:17) We study intending to connect between us and to build our kli to the Creator, how do these articles help us, our work to 10?
R. We have to implement them in the 10, I don't understand the question. What we are reading we should read at least 10 times until we begin to understand what it is talking about and the understanding is mostly from talking to one another and reading the article until we chew it as much as possible with your teeth you know what it means to chew. It's to take a piece of food and turn it into such a state that you can swallow it. You can absorb it, you can live off of it. And we do it in the 10 we all argue we all add we all agree or disagree and then through those things when you have opposing things like in your teeth, for each tooth you have an opposite tooth. By that we come to a state where we are able to chew it and after chewing it, we also cut it. We don't only cut the food, we also grind the food, until it becomes not crumbs but like this quality that you can swallow. We will learn about it, it is written how it is happening, how it’s being absorbed. We need to do all these actions if we wish to connect to what we are receiving from the Creator. It's not simple to receive the upper light in a way that we will grow by it.
15. S. (55:02) What advice can you give us in order to do this self-examination that he's talking about in the article?
R. You need to talk several times and read it and talk about realizing, implementing this small article and then we can repeat it all of us together no problem. As long as it is clear also have to build the right attitude to each article, to absorb it, to work with it. Because we are in, we go through advanced states, such a large quantity as we have today, we never had it before in history. Such a large number of people entering into and knowing and becoming acquainted with the Creator so we have to work on it.
16. S. (56:32) What can I do in order to be certain that the friends are in adhesion and they're aiming themselves to the center of the 10 even the friends that don't show up for every morning lesson, what can I do to have more confidence or certainty that they are on the same level of adhesion and enthusiasm like the friends that show up every morning?
R. You can't see it until you become the smallest and lowest of everyone. And if you will lower yourself more than anyone more than everyone in the 10, then you will see what more you can do in order to connect the 10 and raise it higher.
17. S. (57:37) This exercise of feeling ourselves lower than everyone, in which way can we check if we are doing it correctly if we're truly in the right process?
R. I recommend reading a few times during the day the articles we are studying in the morning. That's what we'll get that will perform the spiritual work on us.
18. S. (58:45) Each time that I enter a descent should I make the group greater in my eyes more and more?
R. Of course, meaning if I wish to reach the Creator, I need to reach a state where all my friends are on the same level as the Creator. Truly so it's unbelievable how can such a thing even be, they are like me. No, according to my intellect more or maybe feelings more according to their soul they are greater, is this what it is about, is this what's happening, what's going on? Yes, indeed a person has to reach a state where there is nothing outside the Creator in the world. Even when he sees the friends before him, he sees what the Creator is presenting to him. Since by that he comes to adhesion, the Creator the recognition of the Creator and he begins to see more and more that all the qualities in the text in the friends are not the qualities of the friends it's the Creator formatting him in this way. Where if he clings to the friends in this way he clings to the Creator. Where the Creator in the group and all of those characters he gives a person the opportunity to calibrate himself. To cleave to the Creator.
19. S. (01:00:57) If I see that everyone is connected can I deduce that my work is done?
R. Our work never ends until the end of correction. The end of correction when I begin to see the whole world in this way. This work that is before me ahead of me so by that I will discover the Creator. All of humanity, all the people, every person in the world including the still, vegetative and animate degrees, they all come to us in such a way that if I arrange myself correctly towards them, then I come to equivalence of form with the Creator.
20. S. (01:01:53) What is necessary for the 10 in order to work on the way of purity, and not reach that state of complaining?
R. Why is it needed? Because this is our goal to resemble the Creator, to make ourselves, each one of us, and all of us together in 10 into the image of the Creator. The image of the Creator which is called Adam (similar to the Creator) Domeh Bore. one who resembles the Creator. That is what we have to do.
S. What's necessary for this, how to do it?
R. I don't understand. You're saying half a sentence, and I am not hearing the first half of the sentence.
S. What is necessary for the ten in order to work on the way of purity, and not to reach that state of complaining?
R. It is needed, because by that we come to adhesion with the Creator, to resemble Him, to come closer to him at least. This is our work, this is the process that all of humanity has to go through, and we are the first to go through it as a group.
21. S. (01:03:11) Does the work on the way of truth precedes the work of purity?
R. Does the work in truth proceed the work in purity? Is that what you said, or is there anything else?
S. That is what I asked.
R. The work on purity and the work on the path of truth is really the same. You can interpret it as two parts on the way, but relative to us for now it is the same.
22. S. (01:04:39) How in the state of descent can a person show an example of the importance of the goal?
R. By annulling before the society. That is his work during the descent, and the others who see that he annuls himself in this way, like a baby towards the grown-ups, by that he shows them his greatness.
23 S. (01:05:08) Is it enough to be in concern for connection in the ten in order to be in the state of self-annulment?
R. If I annul myself towards the ten, then I cancel myself and there's no more work for me there. Everything is included in my work relative towards the ten.
S. Is the work in the ten sufficient in order to reach self-annulment?
R. Yes. I said it's entirely enough for now and until the end of correction. You have no more than ten Sefirot, that is it. You need only to delve into them, and you will begin to see the connection between these qualities. It doesn't need to be a ten, precisely a ten, rather a few friends who wish to reach adhesion with the Creator. Adhesion with the Creator is attained in the adhesion between you. Adhesion between you is the vessel, and adhesion with the Creator is the light that will fill that vessel.
24. S. (01:07:38) You said the Creator advances us through complaints. So who is the one who is complaining? Is it permitted to complain on the spiritual path?
R. Of course, without complaining we can't reach the goal. If we won't identify what's good and what's bad, how can we grow ourselves, develop ourselves, educate ourselves, how will we know what is good and what is bad, and how we should be in between the two. We position ourselves, if you can say it in this way, we position ourselves according to the conditions the Creator is giving us. It's like a mother and her baby. It's like little kids, right, we create these conditions for them, we set them up, and between those conditions they try to act, to play, to do something. Nature obligates them from within. We establish those boundaries on the outside, and the person arranges himself in this way.
25. S. (01:09:16) In our work, this enslavement to the Sitra Achra (other side) the will to receive, is that necessary or should we resist it all the time?
R. Without the will to receive, it is called ‘help against’ the Creator, how can we detect Creator otherwise? If we won't have this darkness, how can we see the light? You cannot see the light without darkness. You must see one against the other, only in the difference and the contrast between the two, because we are created beings. They say that the Creator is in one quality, and He doesn't need the opposite quality to feel everything. It's like you know, they say there are special light beams between us such that they can travel through space without any restriction, they pass through every kind of material, they just pass through and nothing can stop them. This is somewhat similar to the quality of the Creator. He is present everywhere, He does not consider anything, His quality is above all those things we can discuss, because nevertheless we are speaking about things from within the matter, the matter that is either below the will to receive or above the will to receive. Meaning, below the will to receive is in order to receive, or above the will to receive is when he is using the will to receive in order to bestow, but he is using the will to receive. That's why our work is darkness and light, darkness and light, and how to combine them together to later understand how the darkness can express better and can increase and highlight the light even more. The greater the darkness we receive, by that we will be able to get to know the light better, we will be able to see in the light various modes and opposite states from the light. Where do we get all of that when we are climbing the ladder of degrees? Our coarseness is growing, and from the growing coarseness we begin to feel all those modes that we have, that exist in the light, Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida - NRNHY, all of NRNHY.
S. When a person feels that he is, let's say that he has coarseness - he gets more coarseness, so should he wait for a state where this coarseness will complete itself?
R. We don't need to wait for anything. We need to be initiators, those who construct, who advance, who demand, like little kids who are constantly moving forward and demanding.
S. What about the quota that needs to be filled?
R. That's how you complete that full measure, full portion. By sitting down like a fool, sitting idly by eating his own flesh? We need to reach connection as quickly as possible, and this is possible. It's been given to you, you are in this world, you can start by working on the connection, and within the connection you'll see that gradually this connection is becoming spiritual, and in it you are discovering the work of the Creator.
26. S. (01:14:05) So it turns out, according to the article, one should always aim towards the descent in order to guarantee an ascent, is that correct?
R. The descent will certainly come to him if he's working correctly. In the ascent there's always a point, during the ascent, where he begins to descend. It is up and down always
S. That point is measured by our attitude towards the friends, when I feel myself having complaints, negativity towards my group? Then, I know that I am at a peak, at an ascent?
R. Yes. And if you hear the friends’ complaints, it is perfect - it is great, you have what to work with, to turn it into connection. Then, you receive a wonderful ascent. Just understand that all the quarrels, all the problems, the Creator awakens them in the way so you will take one step
forward. It is the most powerful direction that one can get from above.
S. You made this analogy more than a few times, your answer about the wheel. So it seems like in the article the descent and this incitement, this initiation you just spoke of, this momentum that we are trying to build by aiming downwards through nullification, we are guaranteed an upward rise - an ascent in ego? And our work to incite, then again, is to push down, nullify, in order to continue this momentum?
R. Correct. The Creator constantly awakens our ego, and we need to constantly turn the other half of the wheel and nullify our ego and ask Him to nullify it. He increases the ego, makes it bigger on His own, and we ask Him to give us the ability to rise above the ego, to work in faith above reason, in bestowal above reception, in love above rejection. That is all our work. Friends, it is very simple.
27. S. (01:17:24) Can you please direct us in what is each friend in the ten in the degree of the Creator?
R. You must accept this in advance. It has to be in advance. This is what we have: I do not see friends before me, behind all those faces stands the Creator. I must correct myself in a way that I do not see nothing except for the Creator. That is called that I reveal the Shechina [Divinity]. That is it. So try here and there, at least somewhat, to locate it and depict this, and locate that. That is our work.
28. S. (01:18:26) Sometimes you give advice that if we see open degradation, looking down from another friend of the ten, we should gather and discuss how we work with it. When can we truly reach some agreement on this matter?
R. If we see that the attitude of disregard comes from one friend towards the ten, then we need to discuss this, and then try to talk between us with his presence, and to gradually explain these things not towards him, but to take a certain article, a certain source material, and to try to talk between us in such a way of what we need to do. It could be that the friend didn't hear what we heard even though he was present, but he did not hear. His ego is so great that he did not hear. Then, we need to talk between ourselves, and he should just hear and to try to make it so that he will hear. That is how gradually, slowly, slowly, we will be able to take him out of the depth of his ego, and to help him in such a way without talking directly towards him. Then, it could be that even talking to him in a more disclosed manner, that he is not hearing. This is how we will advance. But again, I'm saying that it needs to be a group work on this.
29. S. (01:20:57) The work in the time of descent is preferable to the work in the time of ascent?
R. The work needs to be in each and every state. But the most, the greatest, effective work is in the states of descent. Yes.
30. S. (01:21:39) What does it mean to see the friends as on a higher degree than myself?
R. Repeat.
S. What does it mean to see the friends as on a higher degree than myself?
R. The meaning is that if I see the friends as greater than me, then really, they are greater. This is how I raise myself to them and adhere to them as the small one that wants to adhere to the big one. That is how it helps me rise. Altogether, the Creator plays with us in such a way between all the friends, where each of us depicts his friends as greater than himself, that is how everyone ascends. We do not have any other possibility of rising, because the Creator is not revealed - He is not there. He is revealed inside my friends. If I see them as greater, then I am drawn to them, I adhere to them, and that is how I rise. This is how each does towards the other, that is how we raise ourselves. The Creator plays with himself, entering into us the feeling of him being great, him being great, him great, or on the contrary, he is small, he is small, he is small. Then, I feel it that way, and process it correctly, both the feeling of the smallness of the friends and also the feeling of the greatness of the friends. Then by that, I advanced. I do not advance towards the Creator. The Creator is called Boreh [come and see], I advance by what I see in the friends, and I have no possibility of coming to spirituality, towards advancement, only by me depicting my friends as more and more sublime, where the spirit of the Creator is in them more and more. We do not see, and we will never discover the upper force ever. That is what Baal HaSulam says in his song, ‘’Beware of sending your hands towards Him.’’ There's no such thing, rather always just the group, just friends - that is what is revealed before us. That is why, when I'm talking about the love of the Creator and my attitude towards the Creator, it is altogether how I relate to the friends. That is what happens.
31. S. (01:25:05) Over the course of the day, when we are digesting the article, we feel that all the friends are really making an effort to digest it. Sometimes, we reach the time to discuss, it kind of gets stuck, we do not know what to talk about.
R. I don't know. You're all wise, a strong group. Try to, nevertheless. If there is nothing to talk about, then read. Read more, repeat it again, go over it again. I can't tell you what to talk about. I should teach you what to talk about, and how to do something? Just do not talk like you are in a bar somewhere, or water cooler talk, just what is important for us in order to advance from this state to a higher state from it.
S. That is fine. But we shouldn't try to start explaining the article - right?
R. Also interpreting the article is good, of course it is. But at least, read it. Read it a few times and see how each time you feel it more in depth, you can depict more details in it.
S. That is it. When everyone is quiet and we are reading it, then you feel that we are all chewing and digesting it. But when the time comes to speak about it.
R. You have such powerful friends there that I have nothing to add. Heart what they're saying, and then you will succeed.
32. S. (01:27:00) I reach our Zoom meetings and the friend talks about his day, about different difficulties he has, and I feel that weakens me or upsets me. What do I need to correct in myself to see him in love?
R. I need to correct my attitude towards him, to understand that this attitude is not established by me, but the Creator established my ego this way, my will to receive. He is giving me such discernments right now, and I in every manner and every state need to come to love in each and every form and shape.
S. I have nothing to tell the friend?
R. No. It all depends on me. Unless he is really causing damage to the group, and then I must consult the group. But not to that friend, for me to disclose to him something that he is not okay or something. No. Anyone who negates, does so in his own flaws - that is the condition.
33. S. (01:28:34) You spoke about neutrinos. Can I ask about that?
R. No. I am not a physicist. S. I thought that maybe it is a force that the Creator is activating towards us.
R. No, no. You do not have a force that the Creator operates upon us, except through the friends. That is it. Learn that, and not about neutrinos.
34. S. (01:29:09) In reality, we make an effort to see only the flaws in himself. What uplifts and brings when we make an effort to see the world in such a manner?
R. We need to see joy from the increasing connection between us. This is how we come to a state in which the Creator will be revealed between us, and we will feel that we are bringing Him contentment.
35. S. (01:29:42) What importance is there to always see not the faces of the friends, but the forces behind the friends.
R. I did not understand.
S. What importance is there in not seeing the friends’ faces, but the forces behind them?
R. What is the face, what does it mean the face? What? His external form doesn't mean anything to me. I need to already see the internality of the friend, how he relates to me, and that is how I perform the correction upon myself. What I see, I see it with my ego. Then, I try to see him perfect.
36. S. (01:30:49) What is the difference between the desirable state, complaining about oneself to the fullest and eating his own flesh?
R. It is the same thing, it is from the from the same grouping.
37. S. (01:30:10) In what force is a person privileged with not complaining about the friends, but only about himself?
R. By effort greatly towards nullification towards his friends, and through that receiving the reforming light.
38. S. (01:31:27) What is to put myself down before the ten? This is part of the examples that I have to give the friends?
R. Yes. Give an example by that. Also to see, like what Rabash writes in the ‘Social Writings,’ to nullify himself completely towards the friends, in practice.
39. S. (01:31:50) How does the development of the 10with one intention appear? How should the ten as a whole control this?
R. If the ten gathers and decides about something, what they decided is correct. That should be the law. If they accepted in a manner in which we all point to that, we all vote for it.