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

Daily Lesson (Morning), April 22, 2024. 

Part 2: Baal HaSulam. “This is for Judah.”

Reader: We are reading from the writings of Baal HaSulam, “This is for Judah.” 

Reading Article: (00:21) “This is for Judah.”

(From a commentary on the Passover Haggadah [narrative])

“This is the bread of poverty that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.” The Mitzva [commandment] of eating Matza [the Passover unleavened bread] was given to the children of Israel even before they went out from Egypt after the future exodus, which was to be in haste. It follows that the Mitzva of eating a Matza was given to them while they were still enslaved, and the aim of the Mitzva was for the time of redemption, since then they departed in haste.

M. Laitman: Questions? Whoever sees there's something to ask about here, some word or altogether, a sentence, so raise your hand.  

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:37) What does it mean that today we're given the Mitzvah of Matzah while they were still in exile?

M. Laitman: The Matzah, the Passover unleavened bread, we eat it when we're already on the way from Egypt to a new place. And here, it's written that this unleavened bread, they were eating it while they were still in Egypt. He writes that it was a sign for haste, that suddenly they had to run out. 

Student: They were given the Matzah to eat. It's like, I'll ask like this: How can you be above reason while you're still in the will to receive? 

M. Laitman: Let's go according to what's written. 

Student: The question, how is it possible to eat the Matzah while you're inside the will to receive?

M. Laitman: That's right, that's correct. He writes that it's for the purpose of the upcoming redemption. The Mitzvah of eating the Matzah was given to them while they were still in slavery in Egypt, and it was for the time of redemption. Since then, they departed in haste, so, there's something simple here. They are still under the control of the will to receive and didn’t come out of it yet, but because exiting the will to receive is in haste, it turns out that you need to give them this commandment first. That's what's clear. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (04:34) Maybe we can understand what is in haste, because that's the gist of it here. What does it mean that they came out in haste? 

M. Laitman: Came out in haste, meaning suddenly. That they didn't have a preparation for it.

Student: This means that, basically, they felt already the form they will have to be in when they exit Egypt? Even before they exited, meaning if they accepted this Mitzvah, eating the Matzah so they feel? What does it mean they feel the future form? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: They started preparing for that form somewhat?

M. Laitman: I guess.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (05:23) What is a Matzah? 

M. Laitman: It's the bread of the poor. 

Student: Meaning what? 

M. Laitman: Flour and water.

Student: Yes, but what is it, what is that form? 

M. Laitman: It's the force of faith. We'll see.

Student: What is to eat the Matzah? 

M. Laitman: To receive this term of the bread of the poor. That you need to eat it and that has to be enough for you. To fill yourself. 

Student: It's different from what they had before they had to come out in haste?

M. Laitman: I don't understand. 

Student: This is the whole process of working in Egypt. It becomes working in order to bestow and then they begin to feel the exile. It's unclear how it's all connected to the exit. It sounds like the whole process of wanting to work in order to bestow, there is already some connection to faith? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Why, specifically, towards the Exodus, then we start talking about this matter of the Matzah?

M. Laitman: That, the moment we want to come out of Egypt then we have an obligation to prepare new food for them, okay? Meaning that they can't eat the bread they used to eat, but they need to receive this new type of bread called Matzah.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:55) With regard to the meals we're going to have, how do we treat the meal of the holiday from an inner attitude? 

M. Laitman: As usual, like all the meals. That in them, we want to receive in order to bestow. 

Student: Right, but in Passover, we say we raise the importance of coming out of the will to receive, coming out of Egypt and we have a meal here every day. How can we sit in the meal and demand internally that we truly come to this cry and exit?

M. Laitman: I don't understand.

Student: I feel it's not a meal like any meal, because it's Passover and we want to come out of Egypt, we want to come out of the will to receive. We want to reach the will to bestow.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: I'm asking myself, how do I sit in the meal, and internally, demand this new state? 

M. Laitman: That I connect to the friends, and I feel along with them that we can uplift above our will to receive. Meaning come out of Egypt, and connect between us through our common measure of bestowal.

Student: It's also, is there any meaning to the tastes, the flavors of the food?

M. Laitman: Not too much, no. There's the matter of that bread, the bread of the poor, which is only from flour and water, and that's it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (10:18) Why is it called the bread of poverty?

M. Laitman: Because there’s nothing in it except for flour and water.

Student: Is it connected to the prayer of the poor that we sometimes read about?

M. Laitman: No, bread of poverty, that's how we call it. Just to show what our food is.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (10:54) How do they know that now is the moment to come out in haste? Everyone should feel it? 

M. Laitman: We need to try and feel all of us together, in our mutual common vessel. As much as we do want it, we do want redemption.

Student: It just comes from above or you need a prayer for it? 

M. Laitman: No, by us making efforts to feel ourselves, how important it is for us to come out of Egypt and to reach the Land of Israel. The Land of Israel is a desire, Eretz, and Yashar El. That we come out of one desire and go into the other desire.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (12:03) Continuing, what happens in that moment of haste, what happens in that moment? 

M. Laitman: That, we need to come out of Egypt, specifically in haste, you can't otherwise. You need to escape, you wait for a sign from the Creator that says, leave, get out. And immediately, we need to just run out. 

Student: We went through a very long process in exile, and all of a sudden, it's in haste? 

M. Laitman: Yes, because we didn't know in the exile where we are exactly towards the exit. And now, when we got that okay to leave, we run away.

Student: In what moment does the Creator gives the okay for the exit? 

M. Laitman: The moment we're ready to come out in the darkness. Meaning that we don't need anything except for the opportunity to escape from Egypt. And the difference between Egypt and the Land of Israel is to come closer to the Creator.

Student: Where does a person run towards, from the darkness? 

M. Laitman: He runs towards the Creator and in his vessels, that he still had during that time, he's in the darkness. 

Student: This is the Exodus? 

M. Laitman: Yes. We’ll add a lot of discernments to this.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (14:13) Following the haste, can we say the haste is also the work above reason? 

M. Laitman: You can say that, but now, you still don’t want to scrutinize the internality of it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (14:38) When he's still enslaved in the darkness and with vessels that are not prepared, incomplete? 

M. Laitman: Why?

Student: Because he's still enslaved, still in exile?

M. Laitman: But you can't come out of that enslavement from exile to redemption, if you don't feel darkness, pressure, and fear.

Student: It's like a moment before there is a Kli, this is the final state of building the Kli? 

M. Laitman: I don't know, it's not known yet.

Student: But there is already?

M. Laitman: But these are the conditions to run away. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (15:38) I wanted to ask: When you escape, you know you're escaping, or it just happens? 

M. Laitman: I don't understand the question. 

Student: Basically, the whole process of Egypt, it turns out the redemption happens in haste. I'm asking about that moment, that haste. Until it happens, do you know it's going to happen, or you're?

M. Laitman: Almost no. 

Student: What's the Kli that you build so that the haste happens to us?

M. Laitman: We build a vessel for the Exodus from Egypt.

Student: Which is what, how do you build a deficiency if you don't know where you're going? 

M. Laitman: No, no, deficiency, that's clear, deficiency for freedom. Not to be under the control of Pharaoh that obligates us to all kinds of work but gives us a full egoistic fulfillment for it. It's like in this world, let's say that you live in abundance and everything's good. Every day you have meals and festivals, and until you understand that you need to run. 

Student: When he writes, the redemption is in haste? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Can you somehow prepare for redemption, is there a preparation for redemption or what? 

M. Laitman: The preparation for redemption is that I am willing more and more and more to pay for escaping Egypt. 

Student: The whole process of Egypt only appears to you the opposite, the darkness. How much you're not in redemption, that's what happens to us in Egypt?

M. Laitman: No, this is already in the process of coming out, that they get the blows.

Student: Right, that's what I'm asking, the beginning of Egypt, clearly everything's great, and you want to stay. I'm asking about the state where you somewhat wish to go towards bestowal. You don't want to stay anymore? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: How do you stop agreeing with the will to receive, the ego in order to receive? How do you really get to the border where you can't stand reality in that form, anymore? 

M. Laitman: It's development, it's just their development and the sons of Israel sighed from the work. So, he explains it there, we'll learn it. 

Student: Okay, we don't have the ability to amplify it, to force it upon ourselves? 

M. Laitman: Why not? I see even today, there's a lot of people who feel what we're talking about in a more advanced way than before.

Student: Yes, it's just because it's in haste, it turns out that it just happens to you when the time comes, and you have no control over it? 

M. Laitman: No control, but before, yes. 

Student: That's clear.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:50) What do we pay to run out of Egypt? 

M. Laitman: Pay, we promise the Creator that we'll be connected to Him above everything. And then we get forces and an approval to come out of Egypt. Except for that, we have to take from Pharaoh all kinds of things of value and so on, the vessels of silver and gold.

Student: What is the sign that comes from the Creator to leave? How not to miss out on that sign? 

M. Laitman: When darkness comes, terrible darkness, and then they discover that the Creator walks before them with a torch, let's say, something that, well, that's it. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:39) Haste, is that a feeling that there's no time? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: We need to hurry? 

M. Laitman: Probably so.

Student: The perception that life is about to end, and we need to hurry up. It's really, it's felt very corporeal, it's not a feeling above time?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: We see that the more we advance that the Kabbalist is at a point where you need to hurry up. He tries in this life to do everything, everything he can, all the corrections possible. He really values the corporeal time and this perception, it's supposedly not spiritual. What's wrong in this observation that, on one hand, you really, really? 

M. Laitman: You're asking me about discernments that I still don't know. Neither do you, so there's nothing to ask about.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:18) Well, it's Layla Seder tonight and I think that because we did all the preparation these weeks that we really want to reach that state and say, enough, I want to come out. To be ready to run, to escape, to really mean it. I don't really know how to ask this, because it's complex, but I want some kind of, can you give us something that will help us? You know our society, what can we do to, maybe to just eat a Matzah together? Or maybe give us a blow, give us something so we can feel it stronger inside us.

M. Laitman: Anything that you need to acquire, you can acquire it if you connect together. 

Student: That's right, we agree one hundred percent. Here, we're here now together, we want to come out of the will to receive. We want to go above reason, so what will help us? I know it's a simple question, but I don't know how to explain it?

M. Laitman: If you all ask together from one heart, you'll get an answer. And if I talk about it for an entire year, it's not going to help. 

Student: I agree with that too, but how to do it here? It could be here now, it could be afterwards, how to really experience it between us? Like you said, we can ask what Matzah is, what's that, what's this. We can go forever with this, but we don't want to wait forever, we want, that's it now?

M. Laitman: Now, please! Desire it and you'll get it now. 

Student: How to help the friends to aim everybody to that precise desire, pure. To come out of the will to receive and adhere to the Creator that loves us so much, that is waiting for us so much? 

M. Laitman: Together, there is no other secret here.  

Reader: (27:02) We can keep reading or change an article. We have the Gate of Intentions. 

M. Laitman: Should we continue with this or move to another article? 

Reader: Who wants to continue this? Who wants to go to ARI’s Gate of Intentions?

M. Laitman: Okay, that's clear. 

Reader: Can I ask about the darkness? 

M. Laitman: There's nothing to ask about the darkness. Let's first feel the darkness. 

Reader: So, I'll start from the beginning.

Re-reading: (27:59) “This is for Judah.”

From the commentary on the Passover Haggadah.

“This is the bread of poverty that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.” The Mitzva [commandment] of eating Matza [the Passover unleavened bread] was given to the children of Israel even before they went out from Egypt after the future exodus, which was to be in haste. It follows that the Mitzva of eating a Matza was given to them while they were still enslaved, and the aim of the Mitzva was for the time of redemption, since then they departed in haste.

This is why we like to remember the eating of Matzas in Egypt even today, since we, too, are as when we were enslaved abroad. Also, with this Mitzva, we aim to extend the redemption that will happen soon in our days, Amen, just as our fathers ate in Egypt.

“This year—here… next year—free.” It is written above that with the aim of this Mitzva we can evoke the guaranteed redemption, destined for us, as in the Mitzva of eating the Matza of our fathers in Egypt.

“We were slaves…” It is written in Masechet Pesachim (p 116a), “Begins with denunciation, and ends with praise.” Concerning the denunciation, Rav and Shmuel were in dispute: Rav said to begin with “In the beginning, our fathers were idol worshipers,” and Shmuel said to begin with “We were slaves.” The practice follows Shmuel.

We need to understand their dispute. The reason for “beginning with denunciation and ending in praise” is as it is written, “As the advantage of the light from within the darkness.” We must remember the issue of the denunciation, for through it we acquire thorough knowledge of the mercies of the Creator that He did with us.

It is known that all of our beginning is only in denunciation, since “absence precedes presence.” This is why “a wild ass’s colt is born a man.” And in the end, he acquires the shape of a man. This applies to every element in Creation, and this was so in the rooting of the Israeli nation, too.

The reason for this is that the Creator elicited Creation existence from absence. Hence, there is not a single creation that was not previously in absence. However, this absence has a distinct form in each element in creation, because when we divide reality into four types—still, vegetative, animate, and speaking—we find that the beginning of the still is necessarily complete absence.

However, the beginning of the vegetative is not complete absence but merely from its former degree, which, compared to itself, is considered absence. And in the matter of sowing and decay, which are necessary for any seed, it is received from the shape of the still. Also, it is the same with the absence of the animate and the speaking: The vegetative form is regarded as absence with respect to the animate, and the animate form is regarded as absence with respect to the speaking.

Hence, the text teaches us that the absence that precedes man’s existence is the form of the beast. This is why it is written, “a wild ass’s colt is born a man,” as it is necessary for every person to begin in the state of a beast. The writing says, “Man and beast You save, O Lord.” As a beast is given all that it needs for its sustenance and the fulfillment of its purpose, He also provides man with all that is necessary for his substance and the fulfillment of his purpose.

Therefore, we should understand where is the advantage of man’s form over the beast, from the perspective of their own preparation. Indeed, this is discerned in their wishes, since man’s wishes are certainly different from those of a beast. And to that extent, God’s salvation of man differs from God’s salvation of a beast.

Thus, after all the inquiries and scrutinies, we find that the only need in man’s wishes, which does not exist in the whole of the animate species, is the awakening toward Godly Dvekut [adhesion]. Only the human species is ready for it, and none other.

It follows that the whole issue of presence in the human species is in that preparation imprinted in him to crave His work, and in this he is superior to the beast. Many have already said that even the intelligence in craftsmanship and in political conducts is present, with great wisdom, in many specimens in the animal world.

Accordingly, we can also understand the matter of the absence that precedes the existence of man as the negation of the desire for God’s proximity, since this is the animate degree. Now we understand the words of the Mishnah that said, “Begins with denunciation, and ends with praise.” This means that we must remember and research the absence that precedes our existence in a positive manner, as this is the denunciation that precedes the praise, and from it we will understand the praise more profoundly, as it is written, “Begins with denunciation, and ends with praise.”

This is also the meaning of our four exiles, exile after exile, which precede the four redemptions, redemption after redemption, up to the fourth redemption, which is the complete perfection that we hope for soon in our days, Amen. Exile refers to “absence that precedes the presence,” which is redemption. And since this absence is what prepares for the HaVaYaH ascribed to it, like the sowing that prepares the reaping, all the letters of Ge'ula [redemption] are present in Gola [exile], except for the Aleph, since this letter indicates the “Aluph [Champion] of the world.”

This teaches us that the form of the absence is but the negation of the presence. And we know the form of the presence—redemption—from the verse, “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor …for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them.” Hence, the form of the previous absence, meaning the form of exile, is only the absence of the knowledge of the Creator. This is the absence of the Aleph, which is missing in the Gola, and present in the Ge'ula—the Dvekut with the “Champion of the world.” This is precisely the redemption of our souls, no more and no less, as we have said that all the letters of Ge'ula are present in Gola but the Aleph, which is the “Champion of the world.”

To understand this weighty issue, that the absence in itself prepares the presence ascribed to it, we should learn from the conducts of this corporeal world. We see that in the concept of freedom, which is a sublime concept, only a chosen few perceive it, and even they require appropriate preparations. The majority of the people are utterly incapable of perceiving it. Conversely, with regard to the concept of enslavement, small and great are equal, and even the least among the people will not tolerate it.

(We saw that in Poland, they lost their kingdom only because the majority of them did not properly understand the merit of freedom and did not keep it. Hence, they fell under the burden of subjugation under the Russian government for a hundred years. During that time, they all suffered under the burden of subjugation and from least to great, they desperately sought freedom. Although they did not yet assume the taste of freedom as it truly is, and each of them imagined it as they wanted, in the absence of freedom, which is subjugation, it was thoroughly engraved in their hearts to cherish and like freedom. For this reason, when they were liberated from the burden of subjugation, many of them were bewildered, not knowing what they have gained by this freedom. Some of them even regretted it and said that their government was burdening them with even more taxes than the foreign government and wished for their return. This was so because the force of absence did not sufficiently affect them.)

Now we can understand the dispute between Rav and Shmuel. Rav interprets the Mishnah as beginning with denunciation, so that through it the salvation will be thoroughly appreciated. Hence, he says to begin from the time of Terah, and does not say what Shmuel does, since in Egypt, His love and work were already planted in some in the nation. Also, the added difficulty of enslavement in Egypt is not a deficiency in itself in the life of the nation called “Adam.”

And Shmuel does not interpret like Rav, since the concept of the freedom of the nation in knowing the Creator is a sublime concept that only a few understand, and this is through appropriate preparations, but the majority of the nation has not achieved this attainment.

Conversely, everyone grasps the difficulty of subjugation, as Even Ezra wrote in the beginning of the portion Mishpatim, “Nothing is harder for man than to be in the authority of another man like him.”

He interprets the Mishnah that because absence prepares the presence, it is considered a part of His salvation, and we should be grateful also for this. Hence, we should not begin with “In the beginning, our fathers were idol worshipers,” since that time is not even regarded as “absence that precedes the presence,” since they are completely devoid of the human type of presence, since they were completely removed from His love.

Hence, we begin with the enslavement in Egypt when the sparks of His love were burning in their hearts, to an extent, but due to impatience and hard work, it was being quenched each day. This is considered “absence that precedes presence,” which is why he says to begin with “we were slaves.”

M. Laitman: Anything to ask, well ask.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (45:38) He writes that we need to remember the absence that came before our presence in a positive manner. If you could explain what that means? What does it mean to look at the absence in a positive way? 

M. Laitman: That what we discover is missing, should be revealed.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (46:24) What does he write about that taste of freedom that is for those chosen few? 

M. Laitman: Special flavor because they tasted a certain taste in slavery. And then in coming out to freedom they also feel a special taste. It's all based on the deficiency. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (47:05) He writes about the chosen few that know the matter of exile more deeply. That the difficulty of the enslavement is clear to everyone. He also gave the example of Poland that part of them were missing the enslavement because there were less taxes. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: The period we're in now, there's us who study the wisdom, understand the difficulty of the connection and how it is important more and more. There are the people suffering on the outside; the difficulty of enslavement is clear to everyone. What is that because they're not lacking the love of the Creator. They're not looking for the love of the friends, that through that they can reach the love of the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: What does it mean that the difficulty of the enslavement is hard for everyone?

M. Laitman: In the slavery, you have two states: There's slavery to your nation and there's slavery to another nation. So, slavery to another nation, that's understood, they conquer you and then they determine all kinds of limitations and taxes and so forth. So, then you, for lack of a better choice, you surrender. But when you are under the slavery of your own nation, then here, why, what for, because of what, and so forth. So, then it turns out to be a much worse kind of enslavement. That's it, that's what he says.

Student: My nephews in the army and he says I really feel that when we're there in the war, we're right, we're leftist, but all together we feel that we're in the same trouble. When I come out, I went into Israel, and I feel that the nation is separated. He says it's very painful.

M. Laitman: Well, then let's hope that they'll come back from the battlefield and force all the people, necessitate all the people to rise above all these differences and be as one people. 

Student: That layer that is starting to feel the pain and sorrow by not being together. Like they feel now that they're in front of a common enemy. Can that in someone be translated as the difficulty of enslavement that is clear to everyone that they can reach? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (50:44) About haste, there's a feeling that we can come out of Egypt only through trouble? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: We learn that it shouldn't be that way.

M. Laitman: Why? 

Student: That, also through Torah?

M. Laitman: The Torah also tells us about troubles. Pharaoh is the Creator's messenger, and he does his job loyally.

Student: I'm trying to explain, is that either at its own time or through haste? Here, he only gives one choice, that you need darkness to come out. I don't understand.

M. Laitman: You're right, we need darkness in Egypt, in slavery until we discover it as darkness. Many years go by when we start identifying that we're not in a good, not in good shape. But in the same form we were in, we now begin to feel the darkness, the difficulty of the slavery and so forth. Meaning, we have to see the depth of who and what controls us. Then we'll be able to escape, otherwise we won't be able to escape Egypt. Alright, we have concluded the article, all right. Anything else close to Passover?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (52:57) Today we have the Laila Seder, the feast of Passover. Can you say a few words about what this evening is, what is this, Layla Seder?

M. Laitman: Maybe we will talk about that before the actual Passover Eve.

Reader: (55:19) Yes, Announcements and then we will end with a song.

M. Laitman: So, prepare yourselves for the burning, for the fire, and we'll continue. Song!

Song: (56:09)