Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.

 

Daily Lesson (Afternoon) March 4, 2024

Part 1: Baal HaSulam. Shamati, 82. The Prayer that One Should Always Pray 

Reader: Hello, reading Shamati number 82, “The Prayer That One Should Always Pray.” You can find the study materials on our websites on kabbalahgroup.info and in the Arvut system and you can ask questions through these websites. 

R. Yes, let us read the article first, and then we'll talk about it.

Reading Article: (00:28) “Faith is discerned as Malchut…” Twice.

M. Laitman: (06:06) Okay, let's see your questions. Are you the first? 

Student. (06:17) Before the friends ask questions, what's the point of reason? Why are we not supposed to use it? What's so forbidden? 

M. Laitman: It's not that it's prohibited, it's just the opposite of faith. If we have to go on bestowal and faith, then against that we have not knowing. 

Student: At what point do we combine the faith and the knowledge of the reason?

M. Laitman: When knowledge doesn't bother us to be in order to bestow. This is the same with vessels of reception. We can't work, we perform a restriction upon them but after that, when we have vessels of bestowal, we can return and bring back to our work vessels of reception, so they will be to receive in order to bestow.

Student: What knowledge does this speak of, and what should we not use? Which knowledge gets in the way of faith?

M. Laitman: Anything. Anything that is from zero in the desire to receive to the highest of highs.

Student: The point is that I know, and I act in something. I tell myself that I know. Does this not blemish faith? Because there is always some minimal knowledge of what I know when I do perform actions.

M. Laitman: Okay, I don't use that.

Student: So how to neutralize this knowledge? It's always there, this is the foundation.

M. Laitman: To begin with, I want to be adhered to the force of faith, and develop only by that, only cultivate myself in that. And if I'm using the knowledge, then it's under the condition that I have the force of faith. 

Student: And if the knowledge rules?

M. Laitman: I don't let her do that.

Student: How do I not let the knowledge rule?

M. Laitman: I nevertheless want to work in the force of faith, and then open up the knowledge to the extent that it does not hurt the faith.

Student: How to stop knowledge that comes?

M. Laitman: That's all the work. Whereas I try to be in the force of bestowal, in the force of faith, sorry and restrict my force of knowing and open up the force of knowledge only under the condition that from it, I'm adding to the force of faith. 

Question Tbilisi: (09:52) First of all, I want to thank the Creator for the faith above reason. He gives us the path. This is a huge joy. The question is this, dear Rav. I'm in faith above reason. I attract the light. The light brings me to knowledge. How do I strengthen the screen? How do I hold on to the screen, so I don't transition to knowledge but stay in faith above reason?

M. Laitman: For this, we need to use the restriction in which I'm constantly under the restriction. Restriction. I open my desires and fill my desires only to in working without disturbing the restriction.

Student: And the screen is more individual work or group work?

M. Laitman: That's individual work. There's also group work, but in essence, it's individual work.

Student: Thank you very much, dear Rav.

Question Kyiv: (11:35) Dear Rav, what does it mean to always be under the restriction?

M. Laitman: I don't enable myself to use any desire except for the desires to bestow. And if the Creator pressures me, just like you're a guest at someone's place and he, the host, compels you to taste this and this and that and realize how much he toiled for this, then you can take something from this. But you don't want to breach its restriction. So that he does not spoil the restriction. And then even if he starts to taste and begins to come closer somewhat to the Creator in order to take a little more and a little more, all of that for him becomes reception in order to bestow. Meaning here, he needs to have work with the Creator and the Creator will press him to take more, meaning the host pressuring the guest and he needs to examine himself whether he can do it, whether he can permit himself to do so, and so on. 

Student: But the Creator pressures and spins us around, and I try this and try this, and He always changes the conditions. How to check, make sure you don't break the restriction. How to perform this calculation?

M. Laitman: This simply depends on your state and how you are connected to the Creator, and how you examine that restriction that you're holding on to, in order to receive it, not for yourself, but only for the Creator. You can check this on the group, whether you can receive for them, but by no means for yourself. And here there are exercises.

Question PT 22: (14:10) There's a sentence that says, “and got to know the Creator with all his essence,” it's not knowledge but feeling, that there is a knowledge, there is a feeling, right? 

M. Laitman: No, let's get into it. Knowledge is knowledge. Knowing the Lord.

Student: Knowledge of the Creator is the state of faith, it's knowledge that's faith.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question W Polish: (14:51) Circumcision of the foreskin is a restriction of the upper light? Because it says that foreskin is knowledge.

M. Laitman: Where did you read that?

Student: At the beginning, the second sentence. In the second sentence, opposite faith there is the discernment of the foreskin, which is knowing.

M. Laitman: Oh yes, I didn't even note that it was there.

Student: So, I understand correctly, right?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question Turkey 2: (15:42) What is knowledge? What is faith in the middle line?

M. Laitman: Knowledge and faith. I would recommend to work as it is written here, that I want to interpret faith in that I'm in connection with the Creator, with the upper light, and I want to pass all this light to fill the Shechina, and God forbid for these lights not to fall to the Klipot, the shells. And this is actually my first and foremost concern.

Question W MAK 25: (17:11) If the Creator pressures us, He doesn't do it individually, but the relationships between us. How do we together perform the restriction on our relationships?

M. Laitman: That's later. First, we need to accept it as pressure upon each of us.

Student: Then, for now, this is our inner work. We're not splitting, not confusing the Ten. Can we talk about this? 

M. Laitman: Well, we can talk about this if we, let's say, learn such an article, but in essence, for the time being, this is individual work of each of us, for each of us.

Question W MAK 98: (18:05) Hello. Faith is called the quality of Malchut. The quality of Malchut is the intention to restrict. Why does faith have such a non-altruistic quality as Malchut?

M. Laitman: The Malchut is called the quality of faith. We need to fill our Malchut with the quality of bestowal. And then Malchut will be filled with the quality of bestowal.

Question Asia: (18:54) Hello. Thank you very much. Hello, World Kli. Rav, after the restriction why do we need knowledge so that we don't just get filled?

M. Laitman: It's not important whether there is a restriction or not. In Malchut, we're talking about desires. In Malchut, there's a desire for the upper light. Or that there's a desire not for the upper one, but how to use the upper light in order to give, to fill the others.

Student: How to use?

M. Laitman: Yes, correct.

Student: Thank you, Rav.

Question Women ITA: (19:46) What does it mean to harm the upper light?

R. To harm the light is called to try and receive it in vessels of reception.

Reader: This is to blemish the upper light, he writes here.

R. Yes, to blemish, too.

Question PT 13: (20:34) I wanted to ask about the difference between faith and reason or knowledge. It's clear to me that I need to think about the friends, so I can think about the friends. And sometimes this knowledge is erased, and I cannot think about the friends, or at least I have to overcome, do work of overcoming. And is it better, is it preferable to know? Is there some knowledge that helps unity, or is there something we should overcome? Everything we should overcome. 

M. Laitman: I did not understand.

Student: Sometimes, we know and feel in a clear way that we have to walk toward unity. 

M. Laitman: Okay.

Student: And this is called, “in the quality of knowledge”? 

M. Laitman: Yes, that is knowledge. 

Student: So, when this passes, we have to work above reason. Sometimes I cannot do it. Is it better to be within reason? Or should I connect in faith above reason? 

M. Laitman: No, we need to try and go in faith above reason. Because even though you can, you may fail, first of all, who knows in advance that you will fail? But if you fail, then you will actually have the records which you'll be able to correct later. If you are not certain of what's happening, then it is worthwhile to go in faith above reason in such a way that you don't receive. But even if you are about to receive and even fail then you will have the opportunity to correct this.

Question Women English 1: (22:49) Good morning, Rav, good morning, dear world Kli. I have a little question, practical. When I'm praying, out of the bottom of my heart, for a friend or several friends. And a little bit later, it seems to me that He, indeed, listened to my prayer because the friend does get what I prayed for. Am I doing a mistake when understanding that the friend is happy? I also feel happy for the friend. 

M. Laitman: No, no, no, no, it is very well what you are doing. It only strengthens the vessel.

Student: Thank you. 

Question Women Latin: (24:26) Hello, Rav, thank you. I understand that the screen is when we get additional knowledge. And in this case, additional knowledge, how to give joy to the Creator? Can we be sure that this is the correct intention? And if we feel that we're in the correct intention? 

M. Laitman: Well, if I can check that all my intentions and desires at the moment are all aimed for the benefit of the group, the friends, and through them to the Creator. If I want to reveal the Creator and the connection between us, then my action is correct. And then I can continue. 

Question Women MAK 30: (25:44) Hello, dear Rav, hello, world Kli. If in the article, it speaks of the prayer. We constantly go in faith about reason, and we pray, and this is clear, always about bestowal about the friends. But what's not clear is what Baal HaSulam says about knowledge. 

M. Laitman: For the time being, he is not talking about knowledge, he is talking about faith.

 Student: So, about faith. Okay.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question Women MAK 70: (26:37) Dear Rav, dear Kli, a question from a friend. How can it be that this point in a person can be for the Creator and against the Creator? And how to connect these contradictions? 

M. Laitman: Such a thing can be in order to enable a person to understand what relations he is with the Creator. 

Question Women Spain: (27:38) Our friend is asking, who helps us perform restriction at the right time? 

M. Laitman: Who helps us do the restriction in the right time? If we want, then the Creator performs the restriction upon us. We receive forces and do the restriction.

Question Women Kyiv 7: (27:59) When we are in restriction, in Tzimtzum, how do we actively develop? We shouldn't want anything; we should cancel ourselves. How is this next degree built out of annulment? 

M. Laitman: After we do the restriction, we can start bestowing in order to bestow, and even receive in order to bestow. 

Question English 1: (28:48) The Masach, does it come as a result of exercises and prayer? 

M. Laitman: I did not understand. 

Student: The Masach, does it come? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: We read about the Masach, and I'm trying to understand how one gets the Masach. Is it through exercises and praying and exercises and praying? Or is there something else that we should do? 

M. Laitman: Yes, especially through the exercises and prayers. Yes, more correctly, the prayer corrects in the best way. Correct us in the best way. 

Question ITA: (29:51) Are we able to always walk in faith above reason? And above everything that happens to us, see that the Creator is constantly acting upon us? 

M. Laitman: If the Creator gives it to us then we can always be in faith above reason. That is all dependent on the help of the Creator.

Question Women MAK 97: (30:28) Dear teacher, is it correct to say that we have to start our work from a restriction and not wait for the light to fall into the Klipot? And then build the screen and perform a calculation of how much we can receive for the Creator? 

M. Laitman: In essence, yes, correct. 

Question Women Brazil: (31:01) Explain, please, the point of the expression Holy Shechina.

M. Laitman: The Holy Shechina is the entire revelation of the Creator in a person. That state, that place, that feeling. All of that is called the Holy Shechina. 

Question Women German: (31:43) What is the state that is called the suffering of the Shechina? 

M. Laitman: The sorrow of the Shechina is the feeling in us as we invite the Creator to the extent in which we do not answer correctly to His appeal to us. Then it's considered that He is in sorrow. 

Question Women PT 25: (32:33) I would like to know how to work in the lesson, correctly. I make a lot of effort in the lesson to understand what you're teaching but suddenly in the middle of the lesson, I feel that what am I doing with this? If I want to receive everything for myself, what should I be thinking about in the lesson instead of receiving this for myself? 

M. Laitman: You want to come to a state that from the lesson you are closer to your friends and to the Creator in order to perform acts of bestowal to all the friends, to the entire group. That is what you intend to do. 

Student: Should I try to understand the lesson with my mind? 

M. Laitman: Understanding is not important. It is written about that, “not the wise learns.” 

Question Women ITA: (33:59) Does the force of the screen weaken the boundary that separates us from the Creator? 

M. Laitman: The force of the screen strengthens our connection with the Creator dearly since we want to be connected to Him more than before. Also, in action.

Question Women PT 26: (34:40) We said earlier that the Creator pushes us and pressures us. How does He do it? 

M. Laitman: By Him wanting us to advance and receive His light. So, we will see how successful we are. This is all sent to us by the Creator, these signals, so that we will determine the state of the connection we are in with Him. 

Question Women PT 27: (35:48) Dear Rav, you've been speaking recently that we have to unite as one Kli. This creation of the screen, is that transition from individual to the general? 

M. Laitman: Of course, that is the intention of being as one man in one heart, that is the state we have to come to. We need to come to wanting to connect between us in a manner that there will be no difference between us. And eventually, to that extent, we come closer to the Creator, who is one. 

Student: So, the person that's under a restriction, he doesn't want to feel his Hissaron? Or just his friend's Hissaron? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question Women PT 27: (36:35) Hello, dear Rav. First of all, I'd like to say that we're all praying for your health so that everything is good! My question is this, every time we want to ask you, we are very nervous. I wanted to ask for a friend. You say that each one of us is connected to the Creator. The point that connects a person to the Creator, is it connected to Israel? Do we all have to be Israel? 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course, we all have to come to that correction.

Question Women Turkiye 8: (37:50) Hello, dear Rav, hello, dear friends. What's the true restriction? Is it when a person performs a correction and feels pleasure from this? Or when he has suffered from the pleasure? 

M. Laitman: It is not important, as long as a person must take upon himself the restriction, so that he will not be in order to receive, and will not distance from the Creator, and not be opposite the Creator.

Question Women Turkiye 2: (38:33) Sometimes a person has such a desire to just not exist. Is this a preliminary condition for restriction? 

M. Laitman: No, this could be very big pride. 

Question: Women Ukraine 2: (39:02) Dear Rav, what is connection with the Creator?

M. Laitman: This is something I cannot explain. The feeling of the Creator, that is the closest as possible. 

Student: Is this something else, attracting the light and connection with the Creator, or is it the same thing? 

M. Laitman: Let us assume that it's the same thing. 

Question Women Lithuanian: (39:33) There is a prayer from the depth of the heart and there is a prayer from knowledge, from reason. When you know what to pray for, but the heart isn't burning. Does this prayer correct? 

M. Laitman: Every prayer corrects, every prayer. 

Student: Rav, when we talk about reason, what knowledge does this speak of? 

M. Laitman: Maybe someone else can repeat it. 

Reader: She asks, when we walk above reason, what reason are we speaking of? Can we get an example of reason, the knowledge? 

M. Laitman: Let us say above all the knowledge that a person has.

Question Women MAK 56: (40:48) We know that everything the Creator does for us is His endless love towards us. When in the prayer we reveal His love as reason, what does this knowledge do inside of us? 

M. Laitman: I did not understand. 

Student: We know that everything the Creator does for us is His endless love. So, in a prayer, do we reveal His love as knowledge so, when you don't just believe that it's love, when you feel it with your whole heart. What does this love do inside of us? 

M. Laitman: This love restricts or diminishes the distance between you to such an extent that you will soon be able to feel the Creator. 

Question Women Moscow 5: (41:56) Rav, I would like you to redress this contradiction. There is an intention to attract the light. There is a difference between a woman's unity and a man's unity. We have thought that only men attract the light. 

M. Laitman: No, women draw the light no less than the men do. In such it means, they are completely equal. They are equal in those things. 

Reader: (42:42) Before the friend from MAK 56 asked, what to do with the reason when everything the Creator does for us is eternal love? This knowledge we also have to push away and rise above it.

M. Laitman: We do not need to reject anything that comes from the Creator. 

Student: The knowledge that the Creator is for complete good, that He is bestowing. 

M. Laitman: Yes, yes, we need to know this and accept it and fill ourselves with that. 

Student: This is not the knowledge we speak of. 

M. Laitman: No.

Question Women MAK 97: (43:18). Dear teacher, Kabbalah gives us a lot of knowledge, of course, it's all to strengthen our faith. Is it correct to say that the transformation of this knowledge into faith happens when we put knowledge through feelings? 

M. Laitman: I do not think you can do that. It's an illusion, imagination. 

Question Women ITA: (43:45) We have a women's gathering on Saturday. We know that women can change reality. We feel that a lot of the questions on behalf of all the women in the world. We know that recently everything that happened in Israel and the world has brought us closer. We're in huge gratitude for our part, and I would like to ask what is lacking in the feeling in our hearts so that we can bring about a change in reality for the better?

M. Laitman: We are just lacking the good connection between us so each of us will help a friend, man, or woman, in order to come closer to the Creator. So that all the connections between us will rise from us to the Creator and will want and draw him to fill our entire common heart.

Student: Another question, Rav. What result should we expect from this gathering of the women of the world? Thank you so much. 

M. Laitman: The revelation of the Creator, or at least the nearing of the Creator.

Question Women Lithuanian 25: (45:29) Dear teacher, world Kli, I want to ask about text number one, the prayer we should always pray. Here it says, “The Creator wants for His names to be revealed only in this way because in this way they will not blemish the upper lights,” and so on. I would like to clarify, what are these conditions depending on luck? Or will we see this when we perform enough effort? 

M. Laitman: This depends on our intentions.

Question Kyiv: (46:25) Dear Rav, coming back to the question about the restriction, the restriction is a process when I restrict everything and this is a constant process, or for each desire that's revealed I have to perform a restriction. 

M. Laitman: On every desire that is revealed, the moment you feel that some desire is revealed in you, you need to perform a restriction on it. 

Student: Is this me uniting with the Creator this time? 

M. Laitman: The moment it is revealed, the next action is that you want to connect with the Creator; yes, to the extent of your equivalence with the Creator. 

Student: Is this the reflected light? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question Women Ukraine 2: (47:23) Thank you, Rav, a question from a friend: We learned that we have to want to give to perform the Creator's work without reward. Is knowledge of reward for... 

M. Laitman: No, we can receive knowledge and to perform every action that raises us and brings us closer between us, brings us closer to the Creator. These are all actions that are worthwhile from the side of the Creator. 

Question Women Spain: (48:25) The question is, getting closer to the Creator is through the love of friends. the external world, and how does it influence us? 

M. Laitman: Because it carries within it many desires, and those desires are with us, connected with the Creator. So, it turns out they were either coming closer or distancing with all the desires. We cannot disconnect from them. 

Question Women Heb 2: (49:20) We attract these new sparks, and thanks to this we get closer to the Creator. 

M. Laitman: Again?

Student: Attracting the sparks and getting closer between us, does this mean we are getting closer to the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: I'd like to say that we are in big anticipation of the Saturday's lesson that will be dedicated to the women's force. What connection do you think we should have? 

M. Laitman: Connection and love. May we become adapted and suitable to being connected with the Creator.

Question MAK 24: (50:26) Question about restriction: The Creator always pushes us with more desire. How do we perform a restriction without spoiling His thoughts? 

M. Laitman: You need to check exactly for what you are connecting, what you are asking the Creator, for the sake of what you want to ask, what you want to receive, and everything will be fine. 

Student: (51:00) Another question from a friend. Thank you, Rav. Can we say that restricting oneself is not letting the desire control you? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Thank you. 

Question PT 20: (51:14) The role of the lower one in restriction is to turn to the upper one, so he restricts his force to receive. Where is the importance of the lower one in acquiring the Masach, the screen, and working with Masach? 

M. Laitman: The work of the lower one is to ask from the upper one for a screen and work with it. 

Student: This is an action of restriction, then you can ask about the screen?

M. Laitman: Well, probably.

Question Women Almaty: (52:07) Hello, Rav, today in Almaty, there was an earthquake. People are in panic, they're afraid of going into their houses. What do such disasters mean that the lights fell into the Klipot, and we should pray to the Creator for mercy? 

M. Laitman: No, it is not a consequence of some bad actions that you are doing.

Student: And what should we ask for when facing such forces of nature? 

M. Laitman: For this to act on us in a positive manner. 

Student Women German (52:59). The desire to unite with the friends, should this also be taken through restriction? 

M. Laitman: No, from below upwards, we do not have to move anything through the restriction. 

Question Women MAK 30: (53:39) Dear Rav, please tell us, the Creator teaches us and expects such a prayer to develop our connections and strengthen the screen to such an extent that the more light can pass through, receive, so we can receive, and the less light goes to the Klipot. Is this the essence of the article? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question Women French: (54:27) There was a friend that left recently, and we are doing a lot of work to help her and pray for her every day. So, it's as if we didn't do anything and it's not in our strength. Now we have another friend that needs help. She is also drew away, and we want to achieve success this time. What kind of advice can you give to bring her back? 

M. Laitman: Be closer to one another, embrace and feel that we are all coming closer to becoming one, which is the purpose of creation. Then the Creator will be revealed in us, in all of us and this is how we come to the apex of our development. Okay?

Question Women Azerbaijan: (56:03). Hello Rav, I'm sorry, Vatan. If you let us, we have two questions a friend also wants to ask. If we read the sources in the group, we share our impressions. For example, if a friend disagrees, she is correcting me. She says it was written differently, or you asked the wrong question, not for the first time. I stay silent, and I cancel myself. But, or should I say, “Let's open it again and take a look, just to check?” Or we shouldn't discuss this? 

M. Laitman: it is not worthwhile discussing this. We need to accept it as it is, and all in all, not to add any comments to it.

Student: A friend also wants to ask a question from a friend: How can we come to perform the circumcision of the foreskin together so we can give pleasure to the Creator? 

M. Laitman: How can we bring contentment to the Creator? If you can be as close as possible to one another, in that, you're already delighting the Creator.

Question Women Turkiye 8: (57:38) In our work, we make efforts to bring ourselves in accordance with the environment. How do I know if I do this correctly? 

M. Laitman: Ask the friends, talk about it and you will understand faster what is correct. 

Question Women Kyiv 7: (58:20) We're supporting the group of France and praying for them. We had the same situation, a friend left. What do we do, should we ask for her in a specific way? 

M. Laitman: No, you do not need to. She left, she left. There is nothing you can do about it. I would not even be reminded of such states and cases.

Question Tbilisi: (58:48) Dear Rav, in faith and by reason, I can always justify the Creator. Within reason, I can't, not always. So, it turns out that in faith above reason, I'm a righteous man, and within reason, I'm a sinner. 

M. Laitman: That can be too, the main thing is not to despair. We are all moving forward. 

Student: Thank you. 

M. Laitman: I am hugging everyone. May everything be good for all of you! Health and success, at home, with your families, in the group, and everywhere!