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

Daily Lesson (Morning) June 20, 2024.

Part 2: Rabash. Letter 45.

Reader: You can find the study materials on our websites and ask questions there. Whoever asks a question here, please stand up, hold the microphone close to your mouth, and speak loud and clear. 

Reading (00:28) Letter 45.

January 22, 1959, Tel-Aviv

Hello and all the best to my dear friend,

I hereby reply to the letter you sent on the 25th of November. You asked two questions regarding the primordial serpent: 1) Why was it punished, for we find nowhere that it was warned not to incite? 2) What is the punishment, “On your belly you will walk,” with regard to the evil inclination?

It is written in Lips of the Wise about the verse (Genesis, 3:14), that the serpent was punished only because a mishap occurred through it, for it was not commanded not to incite. This means that the punishment is not that it deserves to be denied its power because it sinned, but for a different reason: so that others will not fail through it. It therefore follows that it was not punished because it was not commanded not to incite.

In regard to “On your belly you will walk,” we should interpret that there are three degrees in holiness, called Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama. Nefesh comes from the word, Nefesh (rest/pause), when the vitality is so small that one cannot move at all. Ruach is already a measure where there is ability to move toward correction of the qualities, called Hesed, the right hand, and Gevura, the left hand, meaning he can use his hands with vitality of holiness.

Neshama means that he already has the intellect and mind of holiness, meaning that he has already been awarded the reason of holiness. This is regarded as having a Neshama.

The order of reception of spiritual light is as it is in corporeality. We see that when a baby is born, its vitality is so small that it cannot move by itself, but others must assist it. All it can do is lay down. Laying means that the head is not higher in virtue than the body, but rather the head is at the same level as the feet. This is called Nefesh in spirituality.

When the baby grows, by receiving more strength, its vitality is sufficient for it to be able to sit. Sitting indicates that it can move its hands, and by that the head grows. This is discerned as distinguishing between the level of the head from that of the body.

When he grows more, meaning when he has already obtained intellect in his head, his vitality is so great that it spreads to its legs, as well. At that time there is a big difference between the level of the body and that of the legs.

It follows that there are three degrees. However, this is so specifically in the speaking—that the head is on top, the body is lower, and the legs are the lower still—since he has intellect and thought, and in that he is higher than the animate degree. But in animals, the head and the body are on the same level, indicating that their heads are not more important than their bodies. Hence, we discern only two degrees in them, which are Nefesh or Ruach.

When they use their legs, it shows that they have great strength, which is that their body is higher than the legs. But when they have no legs it means that their vitality is very small, they were not given the vitality power of two degrees, but that the head and legs are equal.

By that we can interpret, “On your belly you will walk.” That is, the Ruach was taken away from it, its mobility, and with that power it could incite Eve into eating from the tree of knowledge. When its legs were taken away from it and it walks on its body, called “belly,” it means that its vitality is very small. This is called Nefesh, immobility, lacking sufficient vitality to move. By this it will not be able to harm the world so much.

Nefesh is called “female light” receiving what she is given. She cannot receive vitality on her own, but only what she receives through the bad deeds of others, and from this comes her vitality. Therefore, when a person commits transgressions and imparts upon her vitality, she has the power to make one sin.

This is the meaning of “On your belly you will walk,” meaning that now it has nothing more than Nefesh of Klipa (shell). This is why it cannot do much harm to man. But when it is given power, it grows stronger.

This is the meaning of “transgression induces transgression,” since its power has increased. Therefore, now that a person has become stronger in Torah and Mitzvot (commandments), it is possible to defeat it and attain the real perfection.

M. Laitman: That's it. Are there questions? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (09:31) Should a person ask himself if he has two legs or what those two legs are?

M. Laitman: Right and left. 

Student: Should a person feel that it exists in him so he can function correctly, even in the Ten?

M. Laitman: I guess, I don't know how it's connected to the Ten.

Student: He wants to advance on two legs in the Ten, so he has to be careful from it, not to work without legs?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (10:22) Concerning having three degrees in holiness, Neshama means he has the mind and heart of holiness, meaning he knows already. So, what is knowledge of holiness? 

M. Laitman: Hochma, Bina, Daat, Daat is already a degree.

Student: Can it be the beginning of connection that you understand, or you communicate? There are many degrees in this, or is this black and white?

M. Laitman: Daat is already a degree.

Student: So, it's black or white, everything opens up to you?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:07) It is written, transgression induces transgression.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: How do we come out from this cycle of transgressions?

M. Laitman: It’s a nice question: By trying to such an extent that one can see his transgressions as one big transgression, and he must come out of it. Must pray to the Creator, and through the prayer to the Creator, he gets forces to uplift above the transgression. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (12:10) I'm not sure it's a legitimate question: How does a person choose between a Nefesh of shell and a Nefesh of holiness? What is the difference between a Nefesh of holiness and a Nefesh of shell?

M. Laitman: It's a small force, for now, that brings into a feeling of the reality.

Student: What is Nefesh of the shell, from what is the serpent nourished, how does it live? So, what is a Nefesh of the shell?

M. Laitman: Nefesh of Klipa or of Kedusha, holiness, it's still Nefesha, on that degree, meaning a small force. That's it, that relatively, a person can overcome it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:28) A person who is rewarded with the degrees of Nefesh, Ruach, is he called a Kabbalist?

M. Laitman: I guess so.

Student: It's an interesting situation, I remember that many years ago, we mention the barrier, and a person thought that there is a degree, above which, you already know and feel. And here, generally, in recent years, we say that the spiritual path is more complicated. A person might be in a spiritual degree, but he doesn't understand and grasp everything. And here, there is the question, what is an attainment or perception that a person is in spirituality, but he still doesn't understand? What is happening there? 

M. Laitman: Yes, just like in our world, you don't see people that live but they know why they're living, what for, why. No, to be on a degree doesn't mean that you already attain it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (14:59) I understand that the correction of walking on your belly, the serpent's correction, means that our work is from the easy to the hard.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Meaning that we, in our aspiration for connection, for the revelation of the Creator between us, we make the serpent bigger.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: In other words, the process is that we constantly aspire for the good but, in order to have choice, we are the ones who make the serpent bigger, is this correct?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, it's basically a correction that enables a person to work from easy to hard, right? 

M. Laitman: He who is greater than his friend, his inclination is bigger, too.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (15:58) Our corrections, do they go from the head to the feet, or the legs, the feet make the Rosh, bigger? Let's say now we're going out to a new day, how will there be innovations in spirituality that we get strength and then? 

M. Laitman: By us agreeing to take upon ourselves new forces and to organize them, correctly. 

Student: Advancement, is it that we get strength from the society, and would this correct something? Or does the Creator show us desires to correct and then we pray for correction? How is the correction done, from above, from the head downwards, or does the correction rise from the feet upwards?

M. Laitman: From the head, the Creator is awakening us.

Student: If we want to advance, today, we need to receive more strength from the Rosh, from the head?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (17:21) If I heard correctly, you said being in a degree does not mean that you, already, attain it, right?

M. Laitman: Every degree has Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama.

Student: We can scrutinize with respect to the group, we are at a certain degree. What does it depend if we attain the degree that we are in now?

M. Laitman: That you're on a degree?

Student: There is a degree, we work together, we do things, we have intentions, we make efforts. So, there is some degree, we don't attain it but there is a degree, or not?

M. Laitman: What do you mean if you don't attain it, it exists?

Student: Well, as a result of all our efforts, we get the influence of the reforming light, it makes changes, we don't understand the changes it does. And there is our advancement as a result of our labor, and as a result of our labor and the influence of the light. We have a degree as a result, but we don't attain it. Is this correct?

M. Laitman: So, what does it mean that it exists?

Student: Which is correct, what's missing, I don't understand?

M. Laitman: What does it mean to receive a degree?

Student: That's also a question, if he's telling us about Nefesh, he says that there is no Rosh there, no head, no mind, no feeling. He doesn't understand anything, he's like a baby, a newborn?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But with respect to our state as a group, we don't know, maybe he's now talking about the state after the spiritual birth and not before, right? He's not telling us about phases of the impregnation, the Ibur?

M. Laitman: Yes, after spiritual birth. Next?

Student: Next, so regarding our state, what does it depend on that we're not only in our next step in our spiritual development. But we, also, attain this degree or we don't need to?

M. Laitman: Attaining a degree means that we receive it in Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama.

Student: But if we still don't have attainment of these degrees, Nefesh Ruach Neshama? 

M. Laitman: So, you don't attain.

Student: Isn't that what we're missing, to make an effort to attain that state?

M. Laitman: Whether we're lacking it, yes or no, that's something else.

Student: When he writes, meaning that he doesn't have more than the Nefesh of Klipa, the shell, is this connected to our state or not? Should we take it to our work in our situation, or is it in higher degrees and not for now?

M. Laitman: I don't understand where you're asking, what you're asking about.

Student: We are reading the text, we want to work with it. And he writes, meaning that now he doesn't have more than the Nefesh of Klipa, the shell. If I know I'm not in holiness, maybe it's something smaller, from the posterior, that we have Nefesh of the shell. So, my question is can I assume that I'm in that state and I have to work according to that state. I have Nefesh of the shell and I shouldn't give strength to harm, to move away from evil?

M. Laitman: I don't know, scrutinize it on your own. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:16) Just for the sake of scrutiny: Can we say that the shell is in order to receive, and holiness is in order to bestow?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Can we say that Nefesh is a certain level of illumination, of vitality?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And Ruach is a stronger intensity and Neshama is stronger, too?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Just to clarify?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Reader: (21:51) We have another letter that we can read, Letter #47. It's in The Writings of Rabash.

M. Laitman: Please.

Reader: Letter # 47 by Rabash.

March 11, 1959, Tel-Aviv

Hello and all the best to my friend,

I will hereby write you the entire talk that I gave on Shabbat, portion Shekalim [March 7, 1959]. “On the first of Adar we speak of the Shekalim.” We should understand the meaning of Shekalim [pl. of Shekel], which is one of the things that Moses found perplexing. RASHI interprets the verse, “This … will give.” He showed him what seemed like a coin of fire weighing half a shekel and told him: “This … will give.” We should understand why Moses found it perplexing.

We should interpret this in ethics: Half a shekel is called a “fissure per head.” It is written in the holy Zohar (Nasso, Idra Raba, item 20): “Each Galgalta [head/skull] brings a reward of whiteness to Atik Yomin... To accept it, he split the head downward. Thus, it was calculated.” Baal HaSulam interpreted that Galgalta means beginning, as the head begin with the skull. “Whiteness” means “white,” which is faith and Dvekut (adhesion) “Fissure” means splitting and breaking.

To interpret his words, we should precede with the meaning of the Torah being written with “black fire over white fire.” We should interpret that to be rewarded with the light of Torah we need two states: a state of “black” and a state of “white.” Black means a time when the faith and Dvekut (adhesion) in the Creator do not shine. This comes to a person by having a nature that burns as fire and wishes to satisfy the lust of the will to receive only for oneself, and one cannot do anything … will not see in advance that by this he will later receive delight and pleasure.

At that time, when a person begins to look at the whole world and wishes to believe that the Creator leads the world with benevolent guidance, he falls into foreign thoughts, and these thoughts cause him a fissure and a breakage in the work that he took upon himself—to believe above reason. This fissure creates in him darkness because then the faith departs from him, and he lacks the Dvekut with Him. This is called “a fissure in the skull, half a shekel,” meaning a state of darkness.

This is what Moses found perplexing: Why do we need this darkness, since it would better if there were always a state of open providence, where the light of faith would illuminate clearly? And why is it necessary to fissure the skull, which is splitting and breaking, in order to keep “Take the head … of the children of Israel”? This is what Moses found perplexing.

The Creator replied to Moses: “This … will give,” meaning the nature of fire, which is what the will to receive compels them; this they will give as a donation to the Creator.

The necessity to overcome that black state obligates His help, as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” The holy Zohar interprets that he is aided by the Creator giving him a holy soul so he can overcome his situation. Subsequently, He can help him by giving him a higher degree. And he must always extend “white,” which is the upper whiteness, as explained in the book Tree of Life, Gate Akudim (Chapter 1), and this whiteness is called “white.”

This is the meaning of “black fire over white fire.” This is also the meaning of “Each Galgalta (skull/head),” meaning each beginning, namely that one must always make new choices, causing him to draw each time the upper whiteness, which is a new Neshama and degree, by having to overcome his state, which is called “black fire.” When the help comes from above, there is “white fire,” until a person is rewarded with the complete purpose for which he was created.

May the Creator help us be rewarded with the revelation of the light of Torah and the coming of the Redeemer soon in our days, Amen.

Your friend who sends you regards and wishes you all the best,

Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag

M. Laitman: This letter is, obviously, not simple. It's still not for us but it's good to know about it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:31) It is written that a person must make a new choice every time?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: In what, what should he choose each time?

M. Laitman: In a more advanced state, in a more advanced state. That what he has right now, in the vessels of reception will pass to the vessels of bestowal. And the vessels of bestowal will affect his general state, more. That's what he wants to have happen, that's in general.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (30:33) For what does a person receive help?

M. Laitman: On anything he asks and demands, and he really needs it.

Student: When he writes, he who comes to purify and then he gets an aid, or a white fire, all kinds of depictions that describe it. Why should he receive it?

M. Laitman: Because he asks for it, because he feels that that's what he needs in order to advance.

Student: A person constantly asks, he constantly wants something. What guarantees that I will receive what I need, correctly?

M. Laitman: That's really a question: What to ask for that you really need. So that's what Baal HaSulam means, that a person needs to try and scrutinize what he really needs. What the Creator wants to hear from him as a plea and what He will be willing to answer him.

Student: How does he receive, precisely, from the Creator, precisely what I'm asking for?

M. Laitman: If you scrutinize, correctly, what you want in order to help the friends and to raise everybody along with your plea, then you'll succeed.

Student: He writes here that when a person begins to look at the whole world and wants to believe that the Creator leads the world with the guidance of Good Who Does Good, he comes to foreign thoughts, God forbid. It breaks him, it gives him darkness. So, when a person does have a desire to reveal Him, that He is the overseer, he's taken to the opposite, to darkness.

M. Laitman: Because he needs a true desire, a true need.

Student: So, how does a person work with it, with this reaction? How does he know? Because is this the Creator's guidance, darkness means that he's directing me?

M. Laitman: Yes, in order to help you advance, he's adding darkness.

Student: And if a person feels the opposite, like expansion, and light, for example, then what? 

M. Laitman: Sometimes that.

Student: So, how does he know light, darkness, everything is valid but how does he know which is correct, and what to do next?

M. Laitman: To try and turn himself around with his face towards the Creator in each and every state.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:41) Rabash says, in continuation to what a friend asked, that in order to carry the heads of the children of Israel, we need a fissure and a skull. It seems like that state is necessary?

M. Laitman: Of course.

Student: To whom did Rabash write this letter?

M. Laitman: I don't know.

Student: He signs in the end, your friend who gives you best regards. So, he gives guidance for life and his own signature to this demand?

M. Laitman: Yes, what can he do?

Student: So, that signature, it gives a lot of strength that even though there are all those ascents and descents?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: There is someone who is watching over you.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (34:57) The last sentence says, May the Creator help us be rewarded with the revelation of the light of Torah. What is to be rewarded with the revelation of the light of Torah?

M. Laitman: The revelation of the light of the Torah is all the NRNHY, that's what I can understand.

Student: For example, just not all the NRNHY, just a little bit. The revelation of the light of Torah, to the smallest extent, what should we expect? What do we want to have revealed?

M. Laitman: The illumination of Nefesh.

Student: Which will illuminate what in us, if it happens?

M. Laitman: On the degree of that light, we will discover what good is, what bad is, what direction we need to advance in. It's all through the light of Nefesh.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (36:21) When it's dark for a person, he turns to the Creator for help because he sees no other way out. But there are two states, sometimes he turns because he has no way out; and sometimes he turns to Him because he sees in it a call from the Creator for him to turn to Him. Meaning, the reason is different. So, what determines it, is it even in a person's hands or is it some prior preparation? Or does it just happen?

M. Laitman: I don't know what you're saying.

Student: I can turn to the Creator because it's important to me, and I'm in distress so I turn to Him, this is one state. Another state is, I feel during the distress that it happened on purpose so I will turn to Him?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: The question is what determines how we turn to Him, because of what reason? 

M. Laitman: What determines, your feeling determines.

Student: Can we influence it somehow or is it automatic?

M. Laitman: Yes, yes, you can affect it, influence it.

Student: Is it some preparation we do in advance or something?

M. Laitman: Also in advance, also in advance, yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (38:07) He writes that when a person comes to look at the world, he sees darkness and he wants to believe that the Creator leads the world in benevolence. And in that state, the thoughts that he decided already to go above reason with, all the thoughts that hide the Good That Does Good, there, the fissuring and breaking in the work happened to him, and then he is in darkness. So, if we attribute the darkness, let's say, for example yesterday I read in Shamati that we have to ask for the collective, for the friends. I don't know what it means to ask for the friends, I don't know what it is?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, maybe that's the darkness, if we define this as the darkness. And that I feel good or bad everything will be clear. The definitions of what is darkness?

M. Laitman: Darkness is a lack of light.

Student: Which, what, lets us see?

M. Laitman: That lets us see where we are, who we are, who we're with, and so on. Just like in our world.

Student: Yes, but in our work, darkness is concealment from the friends, from how much I can ask for them?

M. Laitman: If that's darkness for you, okay, so that's darkness.

Student: How do we define darkness in our work in a way that will help us advance? Or light?

M. Laitman: Not either, not darkness, not light, you cannot define them in an absolute form. It's always one against the other.

Student: Yes, okay so one opposite, one against the other but there should be connection to what? My connection to others, to the group?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And all the observations are always on them, on how much I can develop through them?

M. Laitman: Yes, towards the others, towards the group, towards the Ten. Only this way, you can determine your state, correctly.

Student: Darkness, light, in all the terms?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (40:56) There's a feeling that, today in the lesson, I'm coming out with hopelessness.

M. Laitman: Great.

Student: Because it sounds like we're not the last generation, and I myself cannot be an altruistic communist, that's what it seems like. So, what do we do?

M. Laitman: We learn how to become suitable for the upper force.

Student: Yes, but if I can't create a model society, and I heard we're also not a model society, right now?

M. Laitman: Okay, I don't see any model society, anywhere, so? 

Student: So, what do we do?

M. Laitman: We are trying to find the right path towards the right purpose, all of us together, in the right way.

Student: Well, that's what I'm saying, our logo, our motto is building a future society, a spiritual society?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, what does it mean to build a spiritual society?

M. Laitman: That we have to know how to build it and actually do it.

Student: Can we be an example, a model?

M. Laitman: If we make ourselves to be like that.

Student: Because if we're not regarded as the last generation, he wishes that the Redeemer will come soon in our days.

M. Laitman: So, until yesterday you thought that you are called the last generation.

Student: I thought we are already in a state where we can change, something?

M. Laitman: You can always change something.

Student: But it seems like nothing is changing?

M. Laitman: That is whichever way you determine. It depends in what eyes you're looking at the things of what's going on and what you're expecting.

Student: Through the eyes of Baal HaSulam, who wrote for us the Writings Of The Last Generation?

M. Laitman: Well.

Student: I don't see it as if through his eyes, I can't. I can't see it happening, not even in us. That we understand how the world exists and what is the purpose of creation?

M. Laitman: That's something we have to attain in the end.

Student: What's the end?

M. Laitman: The end of the studies, the end of creation.

Student: In other words, if I end my life here, it's still not regarded as the end?

M. Laitman: I don't mean, you understand what it means to end your life here.

Student: My physical life.

M. Laitman: Well, we'll wait a bit. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (44:27) In order to draw white fire, and place it over the black fire, is it enough for a person to come to a real desire? Or does he also need to raise the request in the right way?

M. Laitman: Raises the request, correctly, as much as he can.

Student: Because he would rise through the degrees that are more and more important?

M. Laitman: Yes. Okay. What else do we have to do?

Reader: (45:12) We have announcements.

M. Laitman: That's it? What are we left for the rest of the day?

Reader: Now, there's a prayer.

M. Laitman: Okay. So, let's go to the prayer, and then scatter.

Reader: (45:38) Announcements 

Reader: (46:55) This concludes the lesson. Good day and great night.