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

Daily Lesson (Morning) June 01, 2024.

Part 3: Baal HaSulam. Matan Torah [The Giving of the Torah]

Reader: We are reading in the writings of Baal HaSulam, the article “Matan Torah,” the giving of the Torah, item 9. The study materials are on Sviva Tova and the Arvut system. Anyone wanting to ask a question in the study hall should stand up, hold the microphone close to his mouth and speak loudly and clearly.

Reading Item 9: (00:24)

9) Indeed, we need to examine the heart and the source of this natural law, and who it was that fathered the flaw of shame and impatience that we feel upon receiving charity from another. It is understood from a law that is known to scientists, that each branch bears the same nature as its root, 1) and that the branch also desires, seeks, and craves, and benefits from all the conducts of the root. 2) Conversely, all the conducts that are not in the root, its branch removes itself from them, cannot tolerate them, and is harmed by them. This law exists between each root and its branch and cannot be breached.

This opens before us a door to understand the source of all the pleasures and pains in our world. Since the Creator is the root of His creations, we feel all that exists in Him, and which extends to us directly from Him, as pleasant and delightful, for our nature is close to our root. And everything that is not in Him and does not extend to us directly from Him, but contradicts creation itself, will be against our nature and difficult for us to tolerate. Thus, we love to rest and hate to move so much that we do not make a single movement if not for the attainment of rest. This is so because our root is not in motion but at rest, and no motion exists in Him whatsoever. Therefore, it is against our nature and loathsome to us, as well.

By the same token, we love wisdom, strength, and wealth, etc., because all those exist in Him Who is our Root. And hence, we hate their opposites, such as foolishness, weakness, and poverty, since they do not exist in our Root at all. This makes us feel hateful and loathsome, and pains us immeasurably.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (04:48) What are matters that don’t exist in the root, is there anything that doesn’t exist in the root?

M. Laitman: Yes, to receive, to do some kind of damage.

Student: But how does it appear in us if it is not in the root?

M. Laitman: It appears in us because it’s not in the root.

Student: Couldn't we say that everything is in the root but it appears in us in a different way?

M. Laitman: You can say that, but it’s more simple to say it this way. Bad things aren’t in the root, only good things, giving, love, and what isn’t in our root we suffer from.

Student: It’s not clear how there is something in their branch that is not in the root.

M. Laitman: Not directly, not directly from the Creator.

Student: In other words, we don't like movement and prefer rest because this is what exists in the root.

M. Laitman: Right.

Student: In the root, there is no movement?

M. Laitman: None.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (06:09) Everything that is written here sounds opposite from our reality because here he talks about the root, he means the Creator, the quality of bestowal, but we are created beings, we are the quality of reception that was created the exact opposite of the Creator.

M. Laitman: So what?

Student: I’m asking because he’s describing here that everything that is in the branch, everything that is in the root, the branch loves as well. He also writes afterwards that we enjoy giving and hate receiving, the opposite of our reality.

M. Laitman: So?

Student: If I understand correctly, he speaks from the perspective of the end of correction, the plan of creation, otherwise it sounds opposite.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: How does one acquire the ability to look at life this way because in reality we are in time, we are in the will to receive.

M. Laitman: Correct yourself and see.

Student: And until that happens, how do we approach that perspective which is opposite from the feeling, from reality?

M. Laitman: Each and every one has his observation and he corrects it.

Student: What does it mean to guard the…?

M. Laitman: Check, criticize, to try and understand exactly what's happening to himself.

Student: If I remember to criticize and I see that I'm working only in reception, so…

M. Laitman: So turn it into bestowal. What are you asking for no reason, it's not clear? Here, another one like that.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:50) From what I understand, the upper one, which is closer to the root, suffers more from qualities that are far from the root. Meaning, it means that the upper one that comes with contact with the lower one suffers from the qualities that are revealed in the lower one. Why in our nature, a mother with her child is the happiest in the world?

M. Laitman: Because she gives birth to him. Supposedly, everything in him, whether negative or positive, it all came from her. That's why she loves him entirely, the way he is.

Student: A teacher with his disciples should be in the same state ostensibly, so from where do you derive joy and happiness with contact with qualities that are farther from the root?

M. Laitman: Because the upper one sees the lower one's future, that's why he suffers, He understands them.

Student: It's the pain of raising children?

M. Laitman: It could be.

Reading Item 10: (09:10)

10) This is what gives us the foul taste of shame and impatience when we receive from others by way of charity, because in the Creator there is no such thing as reception of favors, as from whom would He receive? Because this element does not exist in our Root, we feel it as repulsive and loathsome. On the other hand, we feel delight and pleasure every time we bestow upon others since that conduct exists in our Root, which gives to all.

M. Laitman: Questions? No. Keep going.

Reading Item 11: (10:28)

11) Now we have found a way to examine the purpose of creation, which is to cling unto Him, in its true appearance. This exaltedness and Dvekut, which is guaranteed to come to us through our work in Torah and Mitzvot, is no more and no less than the equivalence of the branches with their Root. All the gentleness and pleasure and sublimity become a natural extension here, as we have said above, 1) that pleasure is only the equivalence of form with the Maker. When we equalize in every conduct with our Root, we sense delight. 2) Everything we encounter that is not in our Root becomes intolerable, disgusting, or considerably painful to us, as is necessitated by that concept. And we naturally find that our very hope depends on the extent of our equivalence of form with our Root.

M. Laitman: Questions? Okay, I see that you're not perceiving already.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (12:35) Everything that a person does for bestowal realizes a Reshimot, a record in him and advances him in the correction. What helps a person strengthen the records?

M. Laitman: To repeat the reasons, to try and understand why it comes to him. Who came as a result of which actions or deeds and so on?

Student: In other words, persistence is what gives them confidence?

M. Laitman: Yes, adhering to the root.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:29) The state of the end of correction, is it adhesion with the root?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: It's a state of infinite rest or infinite work?

M. Laitman: Rest. What should we do?

Reader: What you decide, we can continue to item 12.

M. Laitman: What I want? I see according to the audience that they don't want.

Question (Turkiye 2): (14:44) How can we include the Creator, who is our root, in the meals with the friends, in the Yeshivat Haverim, in the assembly with the friends, so the upper one can build from us a vessel of bestowal?

M. Laitman: We need as much as we can, to bring the Creator closer to us. As it's written, that you won't have a foreign Creator, that He will be like your friend and even more than each friend. And then we gradually start feeling how He is incorporated in us, how much we are drawn to Him, that He's completely not foreign to us. This is worth making efforts in and depicting it in such a way, that is very important.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (16:14) I love rest a lot and I hate movement. Now, if rest is the equivalence of form, why doesn't the Creator give me rest?

M. Laitman: What equivalence of form?

Student: The quality of the root is rest, I love to be in rest, I want to be in rest too, so if I'm at rest, I'll be in equivalence of form with the Creator.

M. Laitman: The Creator's rest means to constantly work for your benefit.

Student: Let Him work for my sake and give me rest.

M. Laitman: Write Him.

Student: What rest do I need? The rest I want is not a good rest?

M. Laitman: Rest that we need to reach is that we're working non-stop and the actions for the sake of the Creator, for us that is rest. That's called equivalence of form.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (17:26) He writes, in the Creator there is no matter of reception because from whom would he receive? When we give contentment to the Creator, does He receive something from us?

M. Laitman: You must say so, yes, even though we don't discover it in our vessels.

Student: Where does He receive it?

M. Laitman: In His vessels.

Student: What vessels can the Creator have to get contentment from the created beings?

M. Laitman: I don't know, vessels of bestowal, vessels of reception, depends how you define it, but he feels everything that's in the created being.

Student: I didn't understand, what are the vessels of reception of the Creator?

M. Laitman: I guess such qualities where He feels what a person can receive from Him.

Student: It's not only that we bestow and feel it, He also receives it?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And will we receive what He receives when He receives benefit from us?

M. Laitman: We want to bestow to Him, and come closer to Him, and give Him gifts.

Student: In what is there adhesion between us and the Creator, where is it?

M. Laitman: By feeling that we're getting from Him, and that in the same way we want to give Him what we have.

Student: Will we, in the end, feel that He's receiving from us or is it concealed?

M. Laitman: Yes, yes.

Question (Women Turkiye 5): (19:22) Why are there things that are not in our root, which are not our root and yet exist in our reality? What is the right relation we should have toward things that are opposite from the roots?

M. Laitman: Man is the root of all of creation. Whatever's in creation is in man in all kinds of ways. That's why if we can't find it in our root, it's a sign that we did not discover it yet, we haven't reached it yet, but it must be found, it must be.

Student: And what is the relation toward what’s not in our root?

M. Laitman: What's not in your root you do not feel, you see? Either you feel positive things, pleasant things, or unpleasant things.

Question (Women PT 38): (20:38) You told us to measure our advancement in the Ten from week to week. How is success measured, that we were not at rest or that we really reached the states that we determined? How do we measure success?

M. Laitman: Success is that we're all connected together and we're all in the Creator, and this state has to be the most exalted, the most pleasant, the nicest and this is how we want to keep going forever.

Reader: (21:30)

Song: (22:10)