Morning Lesson September 29, 2021, Transcription
Part 1:
Baal HaSulam - What Is the Difference between a Shade of Kedusha and a Shade of Sitra Achra?
1.Rav’s Introduction: Yes, these are two discernments or a single discernment between the shade of Kedusha and the Shade of Sitra Achra, the other side that stands before a person and if a person advances well, then a person sees according to the measure of subtlety according to the measure of precision how to distinguish between this and that. In between these two forms he finds himself advancing, because precisely through the two of them, he advances towards the goal. So, let's see what is written and we'll see how the Creator helps us in that.
Shamati 8 (01:23-17:09) Twice
2. S. (17:13) What is the concealment that we want?
R. We want the Creator to be concealed and that we will yearn for Him in order to come closer to Him with our own forces in order to bestow with our own criticism, and that we will be responsible for us coming closer. That I will do it, it is my work, it should be my work. Therefore, I am concerned about the concealment. Because in that I find a place to work and if there is a place to work then I can work. I can reveal my desire, my inclination, my yearning for the Creator and over that to receive a reward meeting a desire to bestow. According to the desire to bestow to the Creator according to that extent in which the Creator wants to bestow and it is going towards me then we are mutually in a mutual form connecting and thus building between us a connection called a Partzuf.
S. What does it mean that we care about the concealment, we always wanted revelation?
R. I don't want to discover the Creator in my will to receive, I am concerned that He will be revealed only with restriction, screen and reflected light, I don't want to receive the light directly. Also, I will not receive it because there is this law of restriction which was reformed back then in Malchut of Ein Sof. But also, it is not to my benefit because I will never reach identification, equivalence of form with Him. I will not reach, resembling Him. This is why, to receive him directly, it is like the guest sitting next to the host and eating whatever he feels like whatever the host puts before him he just takes it, it can be a baby. Then his state covers for these things or it could be the degree of the still vegetative or animate we do not demand of them and it kind of response, but the speaking degree it is required for us to relate to the Creator as he relates to us. Then we will be called Adam, similar to the Creator in this is why all of our work is only with restrictions screen reflected light and receiving in order to bestow.
3. S. (20:33) It turns out that we're talking about a person who is already in spiritual attainment?
R. One who does not have contact with the Creator in order to bestow is not called Adam, human he is called animate or a beast. We are talking about the degree that we want to rise to which qualities which relations which desires, we wish to reveal towards the Creator and how to build this approach. In the relations between us because the group is actually the preparation this is why the Creator broke the vessel of Adam and gave us an opportunity to put it back together in order for us to learn how to relate to Him.
4. S. (21:40) In the article he says that if the heart does not exert enough in prayer, if it falls into double concealment. So, the essence of the work is to ascribe everything is going to the Creator?
R. Of course through the friend through the group because for him to relate to the group or to relate to the Creator it is actually the same thing because behind each friend stands the Creator. Therefore, why is the whole of reality divided in such a way to the group and to the Creator so that he will have a place to work in a way that is more clear and revealed and this is the way we need to do it, yes but in the end the attitude to the Creator and to the group should be the same attitude, truly the same attitude.
5. S. (22:59) In the text in the second discernment he says that it comes to a state of heresy, to understand that the pain the suffering comes from the Creator to bring him to that degree why is that heresy?
R. The Creator sends us all kinds of states. Whatever we have from the simplest state and up to the most complicated complex state the farthest from spirituality and up to the state, which is truly spiritual, all of these things we get them as a result of the influence of the Creator over us. There is None Else Besides Him and this is why we need to establish ourselves opposite to Him and to scrutinize what is he doing what does he want from us, He for sure once us above those states that we get from Him and undoubtedly, it's only from Him, He wants us above those states to connect with Him. First of all, that we will accept it forcefully that we will accept a priority that whatever we get it comes from the Creator. Secondly, whatever we get, it is in order to promote us. If it is so, then I have to try through the group to connect to see the Creator before me and I need to learn, learn that the Creator will seem to me that the good who is doing good and to constantly work on these two, that whatever I have around me in general in the whole of reality it is the Creator. And that he is relating to me as good and doing good and that I need in such a way that I relate to Him to see how I can come closer to Him.
To come closer means to agree more and more with whatever I get from Him, both in my feeling and my understanding in my mind and in my heart, He dwells there and He controls them. Then I have the group, the lessons, all kinds of actions that we do and then I need to see how I advance towards Him more and more in the understanding and also in the feeling that each time I can see the Creator, who is far away from me. That is not operating as the good and doing good and it's not only Him and there are all kinds of other forces. He is hidden and around me and there are all kinds of different foreign forces and specifically in these two states that I have many forces different forces working on me and they are bad, bad forces and they are confusing me. I need to compose of that only a single image, a single upper force only, who is good and doing good and this is our work all in all. Each time to focus on we with such a focus that before me there is only one force, good and doing good. How do I do it in order for me to constantly change myself and elevate myself to a greater degree of bestowal, a higher degree of connection with the friends, by that I will feel the Creator that indeed there is None Else Besides Him and he is good and doing good.
6. S. (28:29) What helps a person to go from one type of revelation to another?
R. It's that I see in all the forms of concealment how the Creator is playing with me and I do not forget about it. How can I not forget about it, if I am connected with the friends, each one of us according to his individual vessel, because we are connected between us in a Partzuf so each one seemingly forms a Sefirot. Then it turns out that when I am connected with them, it aims me, it reminds me that I need to be aimed towards there is None Else Besides Him and good and doing good. This is how we help each other.
7. S. (29:28) I don't suffer from the concealment on the contrary this calmness this connection with the 10 that I acquire a deficiency for that?
R. The fact that we want to discover the Creator, we don't discover Him in our vessels of reception. This is why he remains under concealment, rather we discover Him in our vessels of bestowal when we make of ourselves that same image of the bestower the giver, the Creator. Therefore, it is considered that we are raising reflected light and according to the measure of reflected light as much as we are able to resemble the Creator, we get His or we receive His bestowal. Therefore, it is not as we may possibly think in our vessels of reception in our ego that we discover the Creator, the revelation of the Creator is considered that I establish the image of the Creator out of my desire through the intention to bestow.
8. S. (31:25) From the article it's not clear can we or can’t we not prevent this double concealment through prayer or is this something that has to happen necessarily?
R. We have to go through periods of concealment each time because there's no revelation without concealment, it can't be that we will reach some revelation, so what does it mean revelation then? How can you have one without the other? How can you have light without darkness and the darkness remains and it exists as the infrastructure of the light and specifically by it the light is revealed. You cannot have good without bad but rather the bad awakens us to reach what we call the good.
S. That's actually clear from the article but there is a feeling that double concealment is not desirable if I get it correctly?
R. I don't understand.
S. He says that the double concealment where I lose completely the feeling of the Creator, and he writes that we have to come out of it through prayer as if it's more desirous?
R. Of course the Creator doesn't want to stay under concealment, He wants us to discover Him to reach Him in connection in an embrace, adhesion all these forms of connection of course. But these forms of connection all of them should grow out of the concealment, and through our own self-monitoring and effort.
9. S. (33:33) It says there is a known remedy in increasing the prayer?
R. That each time we connect between us in the group more and more, and from the connection between us we are able to connect our desire, our common prayer, common request and make it more powerful towards the Creator. According to that our demand increases and His response also.
10. S. (34:17) Why in the article the matter of pleasantness belongs to the creature? The matter of pleasantness it's described as relating to the creature. It says a person neglects the work, it belongs to the creature as if he is neglected, but I am asking, things come from the Creator, why is it ascribed to the creature?
R. Because the created being did not have sufficient preparation in order to increase his prayer request to the Creator. Everything depends on preparation, the work in the 10 in knowing the goal and preparing all things whatever is possible and there is nothing other than a prayer. All of our work there reaches its summary.
11. S. (35:38) You always say that you cannot change yourself only the light can do that can change?
R. That's right.
S. How does the Creator expect me to suddenly say that everything comes from above there's None Else Besides Him, in the good that does good?
R. Well you need to say it even though you don't know it and you don't feel it.
S. What does it mean to say it when you don't feel it?
R. Just say it, say it right now everything comes from the Creator.
S. What, with my mouth?
R. Yes, say it with your mouth, what, say it with your ear? Throughout the day, say it a thousand times and tomorrow we will talk about it.
S. You told me to do this once and I tried.
R. I told you everything already, however you're not hearing me and even worse, you're not doing what I'm telling you and then you're showing everyone how much you are like a wall. You don't want to accept any advice.
12. S. (36:56) In the state of double concealment I have nothing to do, I am passive even if I want it, I can't want what happens in that state?
R. That state you are adhered to the 10 and you annul before them without a heart and without a brain. This is why you are getting such a state of double concealment where you have no choice but only to ascribe yourself to the 10 as much as you are capable of. Try and you will see how much in that and precisely specifically in such states what you don't ascribe your mind or your emotion to yourself, but rather as much as possible you actually gain.
S. It's like a donkey, like an animal?
R. Do it and then we'll talk.
13. S. (38:08) When we identify inside of ourselves in spite of the efforts that we make to incorporate in the connection in the 10, in spite of it we discover that we are more egoist, cruder than before, are we allowed to pray for ourselves in order to be corrected?
R. When I feel myself today, worse than yesterday, it's actually good, this revelation of evil that was there before yesterday but I didn't see it. Now I can see it so I have a reason to pray more to the Creator. That's excellent, I have advanced.
14. S. (39:18) The states repeat themselves and we forget even a second after the Congress how much worse there is in the connection, how can we shorten the time of forgetfulness?
R. Only through the connection between us. When we wish to remind one another how we need to be connected and how we need to help one another so on and so forth. It's all written just shouldn't forget and we should always renew it.
15. S. (40:01) What should be our behavior in the state of lowliness?
R. Lowliness is already a state and we need to understand that in each state no matter which we have to be connected between us, as much as possible and be collected from us to the Creator as much as possible. To feel such, the greatness of the society as much as possible and the greatness of the Creator as much as possible. Meaning to try hard to exert in the connection between us and the connection with the Creator. The fact that we are in the worst possible state, that is fine. If we are in a group, we can remind one another none of us will remember and none of us will be able to raise himself, but because we are in a certain connection between us in the ten, and everyone can remind everyone where we are, what work we are and where are we headed and who is governing us and so on and so forth, if we are connected between us. That's why our work is to ensure the connection between us never stops.
16. S. (41:50) He writes in the article that when one receives the suffering and the troubles, he will surely adopt the well-known remedy which is to increase in prayer. Why does he tie these two together, suffering and prayer?
R. If we pray not from the suffering then our prayer is called gratitude. We are grateful and we thank the Creator but a true prayer is in disclosure of deficiency when the created being is asking the Creator, that the Creator will correct something, this is the main role to the Creator that we ask and he corrects and he enjoys when we turn to him in this way. But we have to look for the kind of request and deficiencies that we have to raise to him so that he will correct them.
S. So this is about suffering out of the fact that I don't succeed in connecting, I don't succeed in coming closer, this is what causes sorrow and from this I pray?
R. Yes.
S. What about the other torments?
R. The remaining torments we can also raise to the Creator, what is the question, are they far away from connection or the request for connection and then they are not helpful? I'm not deciphering them correctly.
17. S. (43:40) Everything is written so what is the authority that we have in the work?
R. To do what is written.
18. S. (43:56) Can we explain about the prayer and scrutinize it, Rabash in this article or Baal HaSulam follows a certain order, first discover the prayer and then increase the prayer, how can we advance through the stages?
R. That you will try to advance until you feel you receive a reaction from the Creator and then you'll feel it then you'll learn from it.
WSQ. What did we learn now? How do we correct our state through prayer to the Creator? How should we relate to our state?