Part 2:
Morning Lesson September 01, 2021, Transcription
Baal HaSulam, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, #26
Item 26 (0:17) “We have thoroughly clarified the issue…” Twice
1. S. (4:09) How do we build the head nonetheless in this reflected light?
R. What does that mean? As much as I want to bestow to the Creator and build my thought, my intention. After that I request and check myself, as much as I can really bestow and or that I first receive from Him forces to bestow. As much as I can rise from my desire to receive by restriction. Meaning, not to use my desire to receive for myself but rather only for the sake of connection, to bestow contentment to the Creator. Then I raised from my desire to receive such intentions and then accordingly in my intentions clothes the force that comes to me from the Creator and then I begin to feel that I have a connection with the Creator. Then there begins to be the building of the Partzuf. Meaning, the same desire to receive there, I made a restriction on it and now by the upper light it begins to receive from the upper light the care and treatment. Meaning, the upper light begins to format it. That is where is the part that is the head, where is the part that is the end, and the inside, and what to do with the desire to receive.
S. What does it mean that later Malchut de Rosh expands?
R. That after I meet, meaning that I raised my request, my prayer to bestow and I received from the Creator the correction. Then my desire to receive, that was only restricted, now by that I received from the Creator the lights, the correction, the forces, and the intentions. Now, my desire to receive begins to feel what it is comprised of. How it can work. Then the desire to receive, by the influence of the Creator, begins to format itself, to receive a form. What is closer to the Creator and what is lesser. What are the vessels of bestowing and what are the vessels of reception, and in what manner it can work. It turns out that this appeal to the Creator has ended and now I have correction. The Creator corrects me in that He sends me the light which enters me and changes all of my desires, arranging and sorting them and thus the Partzuf is built. Beforehand it was just desire. Then the restriction was made on it and I turned to the Creator that I want to make use of it only on the intention to bestow to Him. Then I received a reaction in return from Him. This reaction works on my desire to receive and arranges already my desire to receive in a correct manner of Rosh Toch Sof, all of the parts that are in spiritual Partzuf.
S. Can we say that what we learned in the first part of the lesson, that we advance from Malchut to Bina and by that we build the Rosh?
R. Approximately. Rosh is, nonetheless, the restriction, screen, reflected light and the striking. It is not the same actions that we spoke about before, as these are the beginning of the connections to the Creator.
2. S. (8:41) How does the process of reception of light in Malchut become honor from the shame?
R. Out of this that I want to bestow to the Creator, instead of receiving from Him, then I turn the shame into respect. In this that I received from Him that I am similar to Him. I was on the degree of beasts, now I'm on the degree of man. Of course, the Creator does this, but it is according to my request.
S. Is this considered that Malchut corrects herself?
R. Yes.
Item 27 (9:32) “In the beginning, the first Partzuf of AK emerged….”
3. S. (11:32) What does this mean emotionally to reach the Creator?
R. That we reach contact with the Creator and then we feel the desire to receive. How much it wants to receive and fill itself, how low it is. If it turns itself into an intention to bestow, it is high and respected, honorable.
Item 28 (12:54) “Subsequently, that same Zivug de Hakaa repeated….”
4. S. (15:29) Where can we feel reflected light? Where is the reflected light felt?
R. Reflected light is felt in the same place where direct light is felt. And in there in that same place, meaning that same desire, it is felt internal light.
S. We depict or describe it above the desire?
R. That’s just how we call it. It is just the total of the will to receive in which we are now learning what actions occur.
S. The difference between the reflected light and the inner light is only if there is previously an intention in order to bestow or wanting to receive in order to bestow?
R. The difference is only from the side of the created being what it wants to do with his desire, all of the actions are only in the desire and by this as much as it wants to change its desire from the intention to receive to the intention to bestow, accordingly it feels the reality that is before it that is called that the light occurs, expands, gets closer, gets more distant and so on. All of the actions are in the desire. The result of the actions, the sensation of the Creator. The upper light appears as such in accordance with the actions of the created being.
5. S. (17:21) We just learned that there are the worlds of ABYA. What exactly in these Partzufim, what do they belong to? What is he trying to show us?
R. I don't know, I still haven't learned anything about them.
6. S. (17:48) The created being is trying to bestow back to the Creator with the Ohr Hozer (reflected light), what does it mean that they mate in the Zivug de Hakaa (coupling while striking) that they are in the intention?
R. It's not just that they mate, they clothe one another. That’s the sensation and the meaning, the hug and the connection, and all sorts of forms between the Creator and the created being. And it is all by the intention of the Creator and the intention of the created being, one towards the other as much as the created beings’ intentions are like the intentions of the Creator, he begins to feel the Creator and reveals Him, and to stabilize Him before him. That is all of our work, just in attitude from the created being to the Creator and then when the Creator is revealed to him as always, as it was, will be and is, always in unconditional love. But the created being feels it in all sorts of manners that correct is for its correction.
S. In our work what should be the minimal Ohr Hozer (reflected light) so there will be the minimal Zivug de Hakaa (coupling while striking)?
R. Coarseness of root with light of Nefesh. Then the created being can feel itself inside the Creator like an embryo in the womb and then it says that ‘he sees from one end of the world to the other end’, that truly he has no problem because he annuls himself with respect to the upper one. And he still does not work with his vessels of reception, only annulment, and then he doesn't bother the upper one, on one hand. On the other hand, he feels the upper one but he feels the upper one only in the degree of Nefesh, he can't understand or attain the upper one, it’s like a baby next to its mother, what does it understand? But he receives everything from her.
7. S. (20:28) We really feel in the 10 changes in our relation to the friends and the Creator. What does it mean that it spreads and expands from Rosh (head) to Guf (body)?
R. Actions, does it influence or not something in connection you feel between you or not? You want to determine these things, to be constant and to progress onwards above them. Also, that you talk about this and determine all sorts of actions, exercises that will be between you and between you to the Creator. That is very important.
Item 29 (21:27) “Thus we have explained the emergence of five Parzufim of AK ….”
8. S. (23:00) When the Creator clothes in the created being, it becomes something new, a new structure? Or are the Creator and the created being always separated from one another?
R. This is done in the clothing of the created being. There, is made a structure called ‘soul’, a full soul, partial but a full soul. That’s called that the Creator clothes in the created being or the light fills the vessel, and the created being in this reveals the Creator that clothed in him, and he can connect with Him according to the degree of coarseness in the created being to connect with the Creator. If it is on the degree of root, it is called Ibur (impregnation) and it goes onwards to Katnut (smallness), onwards to Gadlut (greatness). And this, the created being attains and feels the Creator.
S. (24:38) If we can be precise here, we learned that the Creator and the created being are separated from each other, distinguished. But in the final correction there are no more different objects, it becomes something new?
R. As much as we correct ourselves, we reveal that we are inside the Creator, that He feels everything and maintains everything, holds everything, performs everything, and that’s how it always was, rather that we were given a concealment in order that we should reveal this ourselves, and then feel and see these discernments between us, and even more and more attain the Creator.
9. S. (25:39) I don't really understand this concept of spreading within her and from her?
R. It expands within the created being.
10. S. (26:00) It sounds to me like all of these emergences of the Partzufim are a consequence of building the screen. Is that correct?
R. Very correct. Very nicely said. Only by the screen from the will to receive to itself and from the upper light that separates from it, from that is built a structure that the will to receive will be in the intention to bestow and accordingly filled with the light, and the revelation of the Creator, and that will be called a Partzuf. From such Partzuf we build, and build, and build, the structure called the general soul that the Creator created, Adam.
11. S. (27:05) When we read and we see that the Partzufim are being revealed, does that mean they exist already? When in the ten we cleansed the vessels to receive the lights, then we discover that they do exist, only when we cleansed and purified, we discover them?
R. The concatenation from the world of Infinity down to this world, all of the worlds and Partzufim and Sefirot came out and emerged. What we need is to learn how to rise from degree to degree on that same ladder and return to Infinity. That’s what we learn in the wisdom of Kabbalah. By the wisdom of Kabbalah, we receive the force to rise and that’s how we advance.
12. S. (28:29) Why should there be a disconnection from the previous state in our work instead of addition to the previous state? Why does every attempt to connect to the Creator start from scratch?
R. Because that’s called the spiritual action that you always take to correct the corrupted desire and you correct it from zero onwards, Ibur (conception), Yenika (nursing), Mochin (adulthood). That’s how you always progress.
13. S. (29:08) You answered us something very interesting to the friends, you said in the final correction we will discover we’re in the Creator, meaning the light and the vessel are one as we’ve learned. Through this whole process what’s the role of the will to receive if everything is basically one?
R. In order to bring us to awareness, awareness of the Creator, recognition, in accordance, matching with Him. That’s our whole process.
S. Isn't there good, is there an evil inclination, if everything is perfect?
R. In order that you will determine that there is no good and not bad, rather that it’s all good because it is all the Creator. Not because it feels good in your vessels, but because the Creator controls everything.
14. S. (30:25) We have two screens. One is prior to the vessel standing in the Peh (mouth) of the Partzuf, meaning in Malchut de Rosh which incorporates with all the light. The other screen gets all the light standing in Malchut de Guf?
R. Sir, I am sorry, we didn't learn this. Maybe we'll learn about this in the next lesson, but we didn’t talk about this at all.
S. That’s actually written in the part.
R. It's not enough what’s written, we’re going to have to learn about it with all the details. Do you hear what I’m telling you? I can’t stand only one thing, when you disturb the study process. We'll learn this in the next lesson, we haven't learned this yet, not about the screens, the multitude of screens, we will get to that. That is the structure of the Partzuf, you see what’s written here, the Hizdakchut (refinement/purification) of the screen to the emanation of Partzuf. Right onwards we’re going to keep learning about the parts of the Partzuf itself and how they work.
15. S. (32:10) Is the result of the Sof (end), the fear that leads to the purification?
R. I don't understand, let's learn. We’ll continue and you will see, you’ll get answers. These things need to be solved until the final full correct understanding and here on the spot, not after a few years.
16. S. (33:19) Can we understand a question that Baal HaSulam asked at the end of item 29? He says, we have to understand who and what caused the screen to diminish until it divided the five kinds of Zivugim (couplings). What is he asking basically?
R. We need to understand why the screen diminishes from the Rosh of the Kav through all the worlds, Partzufim and Sefirot, until it entirely disappears. That’s it, why it was done this way. We’ll learn about this onward, the next topic precisely talks about this. He goes here forward in a very precise manner, that’s why I can't stand when people jump ahead, like they're trying to show me that they have their own mind, no mind. The mind needs to be only on the spot where we’re learning and then surely, we’ll certainly succeed.
Item 30 (34:34) “The Hizdakchut of the Masach to the Emanation ….”
17. R. (35:16) Meaning, do you understand all of these things, we have to learn the entire concatenation from above below, what occurs with all the worlds, degrees and Sefirot. Alright?
Item 31 (35:29) “The thing is that there is no Partzuf, or any degree….”
18. S. (39:22) Why can't this Partzuf be filled with light, wasn’t there a screen over all of Behina Dalet (fourth discernment)?
R. Yes, that’s the reason. Also, you could say otherwise that they couldn't be revealed, all the discernments that there is in Malchut of Infinity and thus, the vessel didn't receive correction on them. Do you understand? Still not, because the vessel is clarified at the entrance of the light into it and the exit of the light from it, by all sorts of works. The expansion and the departure of the light in the vessel, from the vessel, makes the vessel worthy to its cause, to its purpose.
S. The restriction was over all Behina Dalet (the fourth discernment)? So why wasn't there a screen there?
R. There was a screen on the entire fourth phase, but what was revealed from the fourth phase is that she simply doesn't want to receive. It’s not enough though. In order to really make a restriction in all the details in the fourth phase that have still not been revealed, they have not been revealed. In order to reveal all of the details in the fourth phase, and to perform all the necessary restrictions on them, then the screens and reflected light, and to bestow all this in return to the Creator, by this we need to scrutinize all these parts one by one, and thus to work this way. That’s precisely what’s been done.
19. S. (41:28) He writes in the beginning of item 31 that there is no Partzuf or any degree at all that does not contain two lights called surrounding light and inner light.
R. How can it be that there will be one light without the other? Because the vessel is still in some state that receives part of the light of infinity, so the part that it does not receive remains outside. It can't receive already, to receive in order to bestow, the entire light of infinity and then the entire light of infinity (Ein Sof) would enter internally.
S. That’s clear. In our reality from below upwards this law also all applies, right?
R. Of course. Until the end of correction you have both internal light and surrounding light. At the end of correction all the light enters the internality of the Neshama (soul) of the vessel.
S. So the spiritual embryo in its first degree is also somehow in Ohr Pnimi (inner light), receiving in order to bestow, somehow?
R. No, it’s not in reception with intention to bestow. It’s in annulment with respect to the upper and so the light that expands it is very small, light of Nefesh, it’s only like blowing of air. What the created being, what it’s capable of doing, this is why it is called an embryo.
S. What is the reality of the inner light in it?
R. It’s the light that expands in it, internal light doesn't show anything but liveliness.
S. Which is the pleasure only from annulment?
R. Let’s say it’s pleasure. He can't even reveal this pleasure so much. There is a huge lack for the vessels that they need each vessel to show itself compared to others to feel pleasure, demands, a lot of discernments between the vessels. Do you understand? You take someone who doesn't understand anything in music, you take him to some classical music symphony, what can he understand about it? He will sit and wait till its ending, until it’s over. But if you take someone who understands this music, he'll sit, and he’s laughing and he is crying.
R. (44:25) We are going to go onwards; we need to finish here at 32. Read 32 and besides this there are lots of additions to the Preface to these items. Look them up and read them if you have time, it can be helpful. Just be careful, don’t get confused. What’s written here, we need to know each and every word. More than this, it is already a question ‘will this confuse us or not?’. Be healthy and be happy out of this that you are progressing, and we'll meet tomorrow, all the best.