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

Daily Morning Lesson: June 7, 2025 

Part 1: Recorded lesson Sep 24, 2021 Baal HaSulam. Shamati 5. Lishma Is an Awakening from Above, and Why Do We Need an Awakening from Below?

Reader: Hello, we are going to be reading in the writings of Baal HaSulam in the articles of Shamati, article number 5, “Lishma Is an Awakening from Above, and Why Do We Need an Awakening from Below?” You can find study materials in the Arvut system under study materials button. You can send questions, pertinent questions will be aired during the lesson.

M. Laitman: (00:30) Because the Creator is a will to bestow, to give, to love, to be with a positive emanation, He created the created being in the opposite desire, in the will to receive, so he would want to receive and he will only want to care for himself. In such a way he gave the created being the possibility to invert himself. Of course, the Creator helps him in that, but this disposition, the desire, the effort in order to change himself and make out of himself, out of the will to receive, to make something that is similar to will to bestow that person has to demonstrate. And this demonstration on behalf of the person, that he does want to reach resembling the Creator is manifested in that a man who was created inside in a system called Adam HaRishon after the sin, is broken, meaning he hates everyone, he rejects everyone, he feels himself as he is the center of the world. To begin with, he wants to manage everything, that is how his ego is operating within him, so that this person begins to understand that in this he is totally opposite to the Creator and what he needs to do is to actually use these qualities that are opposite to the Creator in order to resemble the Creator. And that is not going to break his egoistic nature. He needs to understand that this is not possible to do that, but rather even surrenders before his nature, and he is asking the Creator to give him on top of that nature, that the Creator created, a desire to connect, an intention to connect. In this way, even though he is entirely an egoist, however, when he gets help from the Creator, he yearns to connect with others on top of his ego. It is a wonder, however, he discovers that he has both the egoistic desire that grows more, and more, and more, and next to it, in parallel, grows the desire for connection, the altruistic desire more and more. And if he constantly yearns to care for the altruistic desire, the desire for bestowal, for connection, then he begins to see that also his egoistic desire, the left line, also grows and thus they grow in parallel. And in between them by using both of them, he begins to discover the Creator, the middle line, and this is how he becomes similar to the Creator. All of this work, certainly, is all done by an awakening from above, discernments that come from above, actions that come from above, the establishment from above of each and every step along the way on our ascent on the three lines. Nevertheless, to want to be in that, to advance in that, is something we have to establish this approach on our own. Even though this is against nature however when we are together, then each helps his friend, and then we are able to learn and teach and stimulate each other, so that through envy, lust and honor we will be able to rise on the three lines toward the correct balanced connection.

We always get from above intensification of the desire to receive, we get this each and every day, we forget about spiritual work, suddenly it becomes not important, maybe even rejects us. Later on, again, we come back to feeling that it is important, usually by incorporating into society and getting from there some spirit and influence, bestowal and then we have such ups and downs. The descents are when we don’t have the influence of the environment and the ascents are when through the influence of the environment we want to be connected between us and with the Creator and through such states we assemble our path. On this path there are two partners, we and the Creator and it is worthwhile to understand when we say, “we”, “us”, it means the group, and when we see in these articles that they do not mention the group all the time but they are writing about the person, they are writing about the person who is already in a certain connection with the Ten, and he is aimed to the Creator because otherwise he is not Adam, he is not in the right direction of identifying with the Creator. Let us now learn our next Shamati article in this way.

Reading: (07:24) We are reading from the writings of Baal HaSulam, the articles of Shamati, Shamati No. 5, Lishma Is an Awakening from Above, and Why Do We Need an Awakening from Below?

In order to attain Lishma [for Her sake], it is not within one’s hands to understand, as it is not for the human mind to grasp how such a thing can be in the world. This is so because one is only permitted to grasp that if he engages in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] he will attain something. There must be self-benefit there for otherwise, one is unable to do anything. Rather, it is an illumination that comes from above, and only one who tastes it can know and understand. It is written about it, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

M. Laitman: This means that, all in all, we do not understand anything, we do not feel anything. We get a certain awakening, and that awakening we feel inside of us as some kind of disposition to discover the source of our life, what to do more with our life. We see that all of these things are somehow not within our hands but in something, that maybe it depends on us, maybe we can somehow influence our destiny, our fate, and so we want to know. We want to discover the secret of life - who is managing us, what for and for what purpose, what states we are going through and how can we influence things? And so, where will we reach the most important thing then - the summary, the bottom line? And about that it says, simply, that if you want to know these things, then you need to be in, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’ Taste, means to actually taste, to receive inside, in your internal vessels, and then you will discover that this force who is managing you in everything, is truly a good force. He is a good force. Let's continue.

Reading: (10:14) Thus, we must understand why one should seek advice and counsels regarding how to achieve Lishma. After all, no counsels will help him, and if the Creator does not give him the second nature, called “the desire to bestow,” no labor will help him to attain the matter of Lishma. 

M. Laitman: We get everything from above but we need to divide everything into two, either I ask and then I get something that I asked for, and even following my request maybe I get something I did not ask for, then I have to realize that this is what I need, therefore this is what was given to me. Or I do not ask for anything, and then I am still taken care of from above because the force that operates creation is the upper one. Here there is a question, should I give what is called an awakening from below or should I just wait, and be there, and flow along with whatever I am given, and that’s it. These are the two approaches to our development. If we want to develop quicker so we can be in some active form, and we will know what is happening and what we should do, and how to enter a certain connection, certain interaction with the force that is developing us, then it is a very important for me to know how to awaken it, how to shake it. Like the way little children shake the grown-ups to get what they want. Or just be passive as though nothing matters to me and whatever happens to me, happens. These two approaches exist in reality and they don't quite depend on the person because there are people who have an inclination towards awakening, to be active in their development, and if they use it correctly, then they truly awaken their own development, they hasten it. And there are people who do not feel it, whatever happens, happens, let it be, just like yesterday it will be like that tomorrow. Even those people who do not have the feeling that they do not feel the need to accelerate their development, they have short periods where they do want it. And also to the opposite - those who do want to change and accelerate, suddenly, they stop and they do not want to advance. Let whatever come. We need to scrutinize these things, but the most important is that our goal should be that if everything depends on the development, on the awakening from below, then how we can activate this engine of our development in the most optimal way.

Question (CzechSlovak 1): (13:48) What do we need for the egoistic desires before we can begin to enter spirituality? Because we have different cultures and different desires, for example one in Europe and one in Africa.

M. Laitman: This pertains to the degree of the beast, the animal degree. We are in a will to receive, in which there is the layer of still, then the layer of vegetative, then the layer of the animate, and then - the speaking. What you are saying is that all of our cultures and all kinds of habits in our world, all exist on the level of the still, vegetative and animate, and none of it relates to spirituality. Towards spirituality that is relevant is only the desire in the heart for spirituality, only that, the desire. And when you look at the desire you do not see the general character of the person, you do not see whatever culture or education he has - nothing corporeal, both earthly in spirituality all these details do not exist.

Reading: (15:24) The answer is, as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 2, 21), “It is not for you to complete the work, and you are not free to idle away from it.” This means that one must give the awakening from below, since this is regarded as a prayer.

A prayer is considered a deficiency, and without a deficiency there is no filling. Hence, when one has a need for Lishma, the filling comes from above, and the answer to the prayer comes from above, meaning he receives fulfillment for his lack.

M. Laitman: There is a part in men, a part of creation, an active part, that he has to activate himself to the Creator. This is called an awakening from below, from him, that he does want to some extent to bestow to the Creator, and it is possible to bestow to him only one thing. The Creator wants us to receive from Him a filling, an elimination, so we need to bring Him a vessel so that He can fill it, and in this way, we work together with Him, with the Creator. We give the awakening from below in a form of the vessel that we want to receive, just like me towards the host, let’s say, and the host fills the vessel with whatever he prepared for me, so I will receive it. This is our work. In order for me to have equivalence of a form with the host, so I will not to be ashamed to receive from him, I have to rise to his degree, I want to be the bestower, the giver, like him. So, our nature was formed the will to receive, and the nature of the host is the desire to bestow, and to the extent that I can through small pieces and small portions, I can invert, transform, my will to receive, seemingly, to a will to bestow, to use it for bestowal, then in that I reach equivalence of form with the host. He fills my desire, and I by that fulfill his desire. He wanted to fulfill me and I wanted to receive it, but later on I turn it into a desire to bestow to Him. This way we are in mutual bestowal with Him. And to the extent we are in adhesion according to equivalence of form. I am no longer considered a receiver, I am also considered a bestower, and in that we connect with the host, accordingly, I also understand his actions and his attitude to me, and this is how we advance - more and more we become similar to each other.

Question (ITA 4): (18:53) What is the most powerful prayer, the request, that the Creator has to answer?

M. Laitman: It is not measured according to the magnitude of the outcry, but according to the depth of the desire from which you are asking. That depth of the desire does not depend on you, but on the extent of your connection with your friends. The more the outcry is closer to a single outcry, as much as the participation, the sharing between the friends is true, the Creator hears it, because then in such a way the vessel and the light will be more similar to each other, even equal to each other. Because the vessel rises above the ego in order to cry out as one in a single outcry, and then it resembles the light which is also as one. It turns out that one receives one.

Question (PT 35): (20:23) How to internally pay attention to all our thoughts and invert them all not to be for ourselves?

M. Laitman: It is by all of us asking for corrections. All of us, meaning in the Ten, and the upper light influences us, and it connects us that we try to incorporate with one another, and by us wanting to be incorporated inside the group with each other, by that we establish the condition that in this way they also turn to the Creator. That we want to bestow to Him, we want to incorporate in Him.  So, it turns out that without this preparation between us in the Ten, we are not ready for the right relation to the Creator. Therefore, one who turns to the Creator by himself is considered a voice crying in the desert. He has no possibility to reach a connection with the Creator, he cannot reach out to the Creator, he's not turning on the same wavelength that the Creator is able to receive and hear.

Student: How do we test our scrutiny on this?

M. Laitman: You should check this in the group, how much you truly connect into one heart, and out of the one heart how much are you reaching in the direction of the Creator?

Reading: (22:27) It follows, that the need for man’s work in order to receive the Lishma from the Creator is only in the form of a lack and a Kli [vessel]. Yet, one can never obtain the filling by himself; it is rather a gift from the Creator. 

M. Laitman: That is that we should never care about the filling, the whole upper light is above us, and according to us being ready, it enters, it corrects and it fills. The host is always ready, we say the upper light is in absolute rest, but everything depends only on the preparation of the vessels on the behalf of people.

Reading: (23:16) However, the prayer must be a complete prayer, from the bottom of the heart. This means that one knows one hundred percent that there is no one in the world who can help him but the Creator Himself.

Yet, how does one know this, that no one will help him but the Creator Himself? One can acquire that awareness precisely if he has exerted all the powers at his disposal and it did not help him.

M. Laitman: It is specifically in that we are going, and trying, and falling, and falling, and not capable, we do not succeed and we despair.  Out of this despair, comes together within us a despair towards the correct state, trying to connect, trying to come into contact with the Creator, trying to bestow to Him and give Him the possibility to fill us. Not in our favor but in order to bestow to Him contentment. By that, as much as in these things we are in them, we try as much as we can, like little children, but all of these efforts that we make, those specifically that are called exertion, and ultimately, through that we learn. Like a little child from whatever they do they gradually, the nature that is the Creator, teaches them how to do it correctly, and they become wise, and they can grow.

Reading: (25:07) Thus, one must do every possible thing in the world to attain “for the sake of the Creator.” 

M. Laitman: Meaning, to bestow to the Creator, as much as possible, from the whole group, as much as we can.

Reading: (25:26) Then one can pray from the bottom of the heart. 

M. Laitman: Because he doesn’t succeed. What helps? The true prayer after he made many actions and tried many things, and failed. And now he has a true prayer. This is considered success.

Reading: (25:55) And then the Creator hears his prayer. However, one must know, when exerting to attain the Lishma, to take upon himself to want to work entirely to bestow, completely, meaning only to bestow and not to receive anything. Only then does one begin to see that the organs do not agree to this view. 

M. Laitman: We need to check - do we truly want to bestow? It turns out, we don’t. Do we truly want to connect between us in the Ten? It also appears as - no. So we have to ask for corrections from above, the Creator can do this. I don't know how I understand that it's impossible. It can be a friend, as is customary in this world, in the Ten, but to connect as the wisdom of Kabbalah demands from heart to heart, I don't see that this is possible. I also don't see how I can yearn to the Creator in one heart with the friends. What does it mean to yearn to the Creator in one heart? I don't know, I feel my own heart, the other’s heart, the desires of the other, I can say that they also are aimed at the Creator, perhaps, but the desire to be connected between them and to be as one desire - I don't understand how it is possible or what it even is. What is up to us is to scrutinize how incapable we are. We don't need to carry out the act of connection, we need to perform our inability to be in connection, and this is the only thing that is demanded of us. Then according to the correct scrutiny you will become needy of the help of the Creator, so He will do it, because in truth only He can do it. but according to the correct deficiency that we offer Him. We ask, we cry, we demand that this is what we need, specifically this. To the extent that we ask correctly from the connection between us, the Creator makes the connection and, in the connection, we feel Him, we have our first meeting with Him.

Question (PT 31): (29:17) Is it correct to ask for necessities to be arranged in such a way that it won't bother but only to advance a person into spirituality?

M. Laitman: You need to check.

Question (PT 25): (29:32) It is not clear. I understood that it's not on us to connect as it's not in our power but that we do have to ask. You always tell us, why didn’t you ask? The thing of asking is on us.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Meaning that this is something that is in our power to do.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Can you explain that?

M. Laitman: There's nothing to explain, you have to do all kinds of actions towards connection, towards mutual bestowal, see that we cannot do it, and ask the Creator to help us.

Question (ITA 4): (30:36) Contrary to what we do with our kids when they ask from us, we are satisfied when they, with their strength, go and on their own volition do something. Why does the Creator do it like this? Why does He put this border before us so that we will never be able to advance with our nature?

M. Laitman: We can't because we don't have the power of bestowal. How can we advance? To advance means to equip ourselves, each and every moment, with additional powers of bestowal, we don't have it, but when we make efforts, we see that we are incapable, we detect that it is only possible to do this with the upper force to give us the power to bestow, because ascending the ladder from degree to degree by receiving more and more of the force of bestowal, it’s not in our hands. Therefore, each time we need to turn to the Creator and ask for it. By asking for it, not that we need the force of bestowal itself, rather by that we attain adhesion with the Creator more and more. We discover Him, we attain adhesion with Him until we become truly together. This concept of together.

Question (Kyiv 1): (32:13) It's not the first time that I hear that we need to notice that we're not capable. How in the Ten can we discover that we are not capable?

M. Laitman: You are incapable of connecting in one desire towards one goal, but you don't want to discover that you can't do it. You wish to perform an action where you are capable of connection where you do reach a stage where you are similar to the Creator in the connection between you. That you are similar to Him, and when you make such efforts, specifically out of the efforts to be connected, to be in bestowal, you discover how much you are not connected and you're not in bestowal. Out of the hope to be connected and to reveal the Creator and not out of disappointment that you can't be connected and can’t discover the force of bestowal, you feel greater shattering between you, and from that you cry out to the Creator and ask for correction.

Student: This discovery that we're not capable, is this an individual personal thing or as a group?

M. Laitman: Both. It is both personally and also on the group level. You cannot be connected; and this is called the revelation of the true vessel, the higher vessel over which you then begin to work on how to connect and fulfill it with the light that unifies all of the parts. This is how you reveal the Creator. The Creator is called Boreh, come and see; you discover the vessels that are in separation between you and then you discover how through our own efforts from above comes to light that connects the vessel together, and then it feels them.

Student: Do we have an instrument to scrutinize, how do we practically realize this inability to us?

M. Laitman: To talk amongst yourselves and mainly to turn to the Creator because from there you will receive all of the discernments and guidance from above.

Question (Spain 2): (35:19) When you say that the Ten is working, how can we try to work in an integral way?

M. Laitman: I don't understand the philosophizing, can you go back to a normal question?

Student: I see we need to take responsibility and work integrally, how do we do this from the work in the Ten?

M. Laitman: From within the work in the Ten you are asking for connection which brings you to certain closeness between you; to the extent that you come close to each other you feel a bit more what it means to be one. By attaining this one you feel how much you are not able to come to one fulfillment, that your connection does not attain the one force that organizes this unity. Therefore, you are again working on attaining the shattering, you yearn for unity and you fall, your yearn for unity and fall. From such disappointments like little kids, we learn how to build something. From that you come to connection with the Creator because you constantly discover yourself, more and more, as dependent on Him. If you don't let go of the path then you constantly turn to Him, there is no choice, and you will attain the connection to Him, the dependence on Him. Then more and more you will feel how He is working, and that is how you advance, it’s very simple. You should not let go of a tendency for connection, the process of connection. As much as possible try to feel the heart, the mind and time with the concern and work on the connection. The Tens that engage in this more will advance more.

Question (Turkiye 3): (38:24) How does true scrutiny bring a person to need the Creator?

M. Laitman: Because after all what are we scrutinizing? We are scrutinizing what might help us be in connection between us in building the vessel. And why do we need to build that vessel? So we can give the Creator a place to be revealed, by that we're giving Him contentment, and then in building the Kli [vessel], when we engage in that, we gradually turn ourselves from a desire to enjoy the Creator to a desire to delight the Creator. This happens, and you see it even in this world, in our lives when you need to care for something or someone, and out of caring for them you begin to connect with them to such an extent that you begin to love them. Like it is with animals or with adopted kids, and in this way, we gradually turn our vessel from reception into bestowal.