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

Daily Morning Lesson: June 26, 2025 

Part 1: Recorded lesson - Oct 10, 2021. Baal HaSulam, Shamati #17. What Does It Mean that the Sitra Achra Is Called “Malchut without a Crown”? 

Reader: We read Shamati 17 from Baal HaSulam, What Does It Mean that the Sitra Achra Is Called “Malchut without a Crown”? You can find it in kabbalahmedia.com. You can also click the study materials tab in the Arvut system.

Reading: (01:09) Baal HaSulam, Shamati #17. What Does It Mean that the Sitra Achra Is Called “Malchut without a Crown”?

I heard in 1941, Jerusalem

Crown means Keter, and Keter is the Emanator and the Root. Kedusha [holiness] is connected to the root, meaning that Kedusha is considered being in equivalence of form with its root. This means that as our Root, namely the Creator, wants only to bestow, as it is written, “His desire to do good to the creatures,” so the Kedusha is only to bestow upon the Creator.

The Sitra Achra [other side], however, is not so. She aims only to receive for herself. For this reason, she is not adhered to the Root, being Keter. This is why the Sitra Achra is referred to as having no Keter [crown]. In other words, she has no Keter because she is separated from the Keter.

Now we can understand what our sages said (Sanhedrin 29), “All who add, subtract.” This means that if you add to the count, it subtracts. It is written (Zohar, Pekudei, Item 249), “It is the same here, relating to what is inside, it writes, ‘Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains.’ Relating to what is outside, it writes, ‘eleven curtains,’ adding letters, meaning adding the Ayin [the added Hebrew letter] to the twelve, and subtracting from the count. It subtracts one from the number twelve because of the addition of the Ayin to the twelve.”

It is known that calculation is implemented only in Malchut, who calculates the height of the degree (through the Ohr Hozer [reflected light] in her). Also, it is known that Malchut is called “the will to receive for oneself.” When she annuls her will to receive before the Root, and does not want to receive but only to give to the Root, like the Root, which is a desire to bestow, then Malchut, called Ani [I], becomes Ein [nothing], with an Aleph. Only then does she extend the light of Keter to build her Partzuf and becomes twelve Partzufim of Kedusha.

However, when she wants to receive for herself, she becomes the evil Ayin [eye]. In other words, where there was a combination of Ein, meaning annulment before the root, which is Keter, it has become Ayin (meaning seeing and knowing within reason).

This is called “adding.” It means that one wants to add knowing to faith, and work within reason. In other words, she says that it is more worthwhile to work within reason, and then the will to receive will not object to the work.

This causes a flaw, meaning that they were separated from the Keter, called “the desire to bestow,” which is the Root. There is no longer the matter of equivalence of form with the Root, called Keter. For this reason, the Sitra Achra is called “Malchut without a Crown.” It means that Malchut of the Sitra Achra does not have Dvekut [adhesion] with the Keter. For this reason, they have only eleven Partzufim, without Partzuf Keter.

This is the meaning of what our sages said, “ninety nine died of evil eye,” meaning because they have no quality of Keter. It means that the Malchut in them, being the will to receive, does not want to annul before the Root, called Keter. This means that they do not want to make of the Ani [I], called “the will to receive,” a quality of Ein [nothing], which is the annulment of the will to receive.

Instead, they want to add. And this is called “the evil Ayin” [eye]. That is, where there should be Ein with Aleph [the first letter in the word Ein], they insert the evil Ayin [eye, the first letter in the word]. Thus, they fall from their degree due to lack of Dvekut with the Root.

This is the meaning of what our sages said, “Anyone who is proud, the Creator says, ‘He and I cannot dwell in the same abode,’” as he makes two authorities. However, when one is in a state of Ein, and annuls himself before the Root, meaning that one’s sole intention is only to bestow, like the Root, you find that there is only one authority here—the authority of the Creator. Then, all that one receives in the world is only in order to 

bestow upon the Creator.

This is the meaning of what he had said, “The whole world was created only for me, and I, to serve my Maker.” For this reason, I must receive all the degrees in the world so that I can give everything to the Creator, which is called “to serve my Maker.” 

M. Laitman: Let's go over the article once again and then we can ask questions because if there are no questions, it’s as if there is no access to the material. We learn together. We spoke about it all the time. There is only one force, the upper force, the Creator. This force influences us in a dual manner, both from the right and from the left, from the seemingly good and from seemingly bad. In order to correctly guide us, aim us on the path, the Creator cannot be made of one force—it can be but then it is still, vegetative, and animate. The speaking degree is not like the rest of creation. It is different from all the other degrees in creation because it has two forces. It has the animalistic force like everyone like in the still, vegetative, and animate but inside it, in internality, we have the force of bestowal. The soul is already included of two forces, both the bad and good force that exist in the soul are such forces that do not exist in the still, vegetative, and animate degrees and also in the regular person.

Only inside the soul there is a condition for development using these two opposing forces. Although there is one upper force, the Creator but relative to us it appears, teaches us, educates us through the two opposing forces just like we do it with our kids, we behave both in a good way and seemingly bad way but that’s in order to educate them and bring them to an understanding, to an awareness, for them to understand and feel reality in order to behave correctly with everything around them. Then, the system of these two forces that come to us from the Creator, it works on the people whom they want to advance and according to how much these people understand that the Creator relates to them with this duality, seemingly the good and the bad, in order to teach us how to correctly deal with what’s before us.

Then, thanks to both, the correct attitude to both, when we use both of them—we don’t erase any one of them—let’s say the bad thing and then we use only the good but, no, we relate also to the bad as to the good. The main thing is to reach, between them, to justification of the Creator and to come closer to Him meaning we approach Him through the middle line. Therefore, anyone who is taken into account, only by his egoistic will to receive, cannot advance but remains in the same level, same degree. Specifically, the ascent up the spiritual degrees happens when we use the ego and our desire grows and we advance alongside it. That’s what we need to be learning here.

He’s saying the following—Baal HaSulam—crown means Keter, Tag is Keter, and Keter is the Emanator and the root. Holiness is connected to this root meaning everything that exists below the Creator, below the root is called holiness because it comes from the Creator’s will to bestow. Meaning that Kedusha, holiness, is considered being in equivalence of form with its root. Meaning, everything that is below the Creator but that’s connected to the Creator is called holiness. This means that, as our root, namely the Creator, wants only to bestow, as it is written, “His desire to do good to the creatures,” so the Kedusha, holiness, is only to bestow upon the Creator. Sitra Achra, the other side, however, the other side from the Creator—that’s also surely managed by the Creator—she aims only to receive for herself. For this reason, she is not adhered to the root which is the Keter but it is entirely in bestowal. This is why the Sitra Achra, the other side, is referred to as having no Keter, no root. In other words, she has no Keter because she is separated from Keter meaning the Creator is managing it and all the Sitra Achra, the other side, is in His hands but it is not connected to it in such a way that His nature is in the system of the Sitra Achra.

Now, we can understand what our Sages said that all who add, subtract. This means that if you add to the count, it subtracts. Meaning, he thinks that there is the force of the Creator in the Sitra Achra; this is the meaning of adding. It is written, it is the same here, relating to what is inside; it writes, “Moreover, you shall take the tabernacle with ten curtains.” Relating what is the outside it says, eleven curtains, adding letters, meaning adding the Ayin letter to the twelve and subtracting from the account. It subtracts one from the number twelve because of the addition of the Ayin, the letter Ayin to the twelve. This is written in the wisdom of Kabbalah and in other books, this part. It is known that calculation is implemented only in Malchut. Malchut is called calculation who calculates the height of the degree and it is known that Malchut is called the will to receive for himself and when she annuls her will to receive before the root, towards the Creator, and does not want to receive but only to give to the root, like the root, she wants to resemble the Creator, the will to bestow, then, Malchut is called Ani [I], and it becomes Ein meaning nothing. Meaning, she replaces Ayin, the letter Ayin, with Aleph. Only then, does she extend the light of Keter to build her Partzuf and becomes twelve Partzufim of holiness. Meaning the moment it annuls itself, all the way to the root, Shoresh, then instead of “I,” she is called the Ein, nothing, because she annulled herself from Malchut to Keter.

However, when she wants to receive for herself, she becomes the evil eye, Ayin. In other words, where there was a combination of Ein meaning annulment before the root which is Keter, it has become Ayin (meaning seeing and knowing within reason). Meaning, above reason means to be adhered in the root and it is Ayin and within reason means to be inside Malchut and within reason. This is called adding meaning one wants to add knowing to faith and work within reason. In other words, she says that it is more worthwhile to work within reason and then the will to receive will not object to the work—of course the will to receive will not object but even help but it will stop being Holiness. The Malchut will not disconnect from itself and not adhere to the Shoresh, to the root. This is called subtraction. This causes a flaw meaning that they were separated from the Keter called the desire to bestow which is the root. There is no longer the matter of equivalence of form with the root called Keter. For this reason, the Sitra Achra, the other side, is called Malchut without a crown. It means that Malchut of the Sitra Achra does not have adhesion with the Keter. For this reason, they only has eleven Partzufim without Partzuf Keter.

This is the meaning of what our Sages said that 99 died of evil eye, meaning that because they have no quality of Keter, it means that the Malchut in them being the will to receive, does not want to nullify before the root called Keter. This means they do not want to make of the Ani, the “I” called the will to receive  the quality of Ayin, nothing, which is the annulment of the will to receive. Instead, they want to add, and this is called the evil eye. That is, where there should be Ayin, nothing, meaning zero with the Aleph, they insert the evil eye. Thus, they fall from their degree due to the lack of adhesion to the root, and this is the meaning of what our Sages said: “Anybody who is proud, the Creator said, he and I cannot dwell in the same abode” as he makes it two authorities. And this is the reason. However, when one is in a state of Ayin, nothing and annuls himself towards the root, meaning one’s sole intention is only to bestow, like the root, we find there is only one authority here. The authority of the Creator. Then all that one receives in the world is only in order to bestow to the Creator. This is the meaning of the saying: the whole world was created for me, and I, only to serve my maker. For this reason I must receive all the degrees in the world so I can give everything even on the left line against the Creator. I am willing to go through it to be able to bestow everything to the Creator, which is called to serve my maker. Let's start with the questions.

Question (Turkiye 3): (22:43) Can you explain the 12 Partzufim of holiness?

M. Laitman: We learned about it, that number is not important here, we cannot get into all those things. We have in the second restriction in the world of Atzilut, we learn about it.

Question (Turkiye 1): (23:14) How can I see the difference between Malchut without a crown and Malchut with a crown?

M. Laitman: The Malchut without a crown is Malchut without a Keter. When the Malchut is not connected to the Creator. The will to receive is Malchut and Keter is the will to bestow. Between the will to receive and the will to bestow, between Keter and Malchut you have all the other Sefirot. All the incorporations between the bestower and the receiver. These incorporate the various forms above the will to receive in them are called Sefirot, which besides the Keter is the will to receive that requires different modes of bestowal, it wants to resemble in different ways to the Keter. This is why all the HB HGTNHY, down to Malchut. All these Sefirot, they wish to resemble the Keter to some extent. Meaning all their desires, are the desires to receive, various modes that resemble the Keter. This is why they are called Sefirot. Although they are the discernment of the creature, nevertheless, they shine, Sefira from the word Saphire. They shine because they are similar to the Keter to some extent, except for Malchut, the last Sefira that only has the will to receive. Then through the correction, it makes restriction, screen, and reflected light, she likens herself to the other Sefirot before her to reach the Keter. Then it turns out that the Sefirot between Keter and Malchut are the example for the Malchut how it needs to improve and to be adhered in the Keter. We will learn about those things. Our entire work is in the Ten Sefirot.

Question (KabU 3): (25:45) To give everything to the Creator, I must receive all the degrees in the world. Could you explain this last sentence?

M. Laitman: Yes of course, it is this way because the Creator is the uppermost degree relative to us, and we are the lowest degree relative to Him. In order to reach the Creator, we have to resemble the Creator gradually in my will to receive and resemble more and more the desire to bestow. This is the meaning of climbing up the degrees seemingly from Malchut to Keter.

Question (Moscow 6): (26:52) It says here that all who add subtract. What does it mean to add here?

M. Laitman: Generally speaking, anyone who thinks that all those disturbances are coming to us not from the Creator but from some other side, he subtracts. He is wrong, because everything depends on and belongs to none else besides him.

Question (Kyiv 1): (27:29) You want to nullify and dissolve and become nothing towards the friends, and the Creator still forces you to add your own thoughts, desires, so how not to add?

M. Laitman: We can’t not add, we constantly have doubts, to add or not, to be with the Sitra Achra, the other side or not, what to do with the will to receive which constantly awakens. But without the awaking of the will to receive, we cannot grow up. Imagine to yourself a baby that is not growing up because he does not have an addition, he doesn't want this, he doesn't want that, he doesn't want to grab or demand things, it is a poor baby. How much we suffer to have such children, and they require special treatment, and we are the same. Although we do have an impulse to progress, but we stop along the way, and we are rewarded with special treatment from the Creator and we advance nevertheless, because the purpose of creation has to be revealed.

You have to understand that all these seemingly negative evil forces, the Sitra Achra, the other side, come from the Creator, the same Creator, the same intention to advance us. What does it mean that she lacks a crown, Keter, and she does not come directly to the Creator, but she is help against. He rejects us, He repels us and by that He advances us. He brings us forces of disruption, brings us a criticism lack of agreement to what is happening, precisely to awaken in us a positive criticism and agreement above the disagreement. Then we are not happy with the Creator. We don’t want to advance, and we hate the friends again like the students of Rabbi Shimon who wanted to kill each other. All of that only so would learn to distinguish good and bad and bad from good, the correct combination of the two because we are in both. From the bad side, we receive the coarseness, from the good side we receive that strength, the forces of restriction and screen, and by using both, meaning love covers all transgressions. The sandwich: here is the ego, and here above it is the corrections. When we use it in order to bestow thai is how we advance, and we also see it in our world, if the ego is that the bigger strong egoist who takes a directed goal then he can succeed and if he has a great force of the left but he can cover it with the right, progressing towards the goal, he can reach very high levels. Meaning, it is good to have the evil inclination. It is good to have the egoistic desires, this cruelty if we could only conquer it and learn how to use the evil system to learn to manage to aim at the attainment of the Creator.

Student: But ultimately, how do I add in the right way?

M. Laitman: When you annul yourself, you annul the negative use of it, try as much as possible to turn it into a good use. According to he who is greater than his friend his evil inclination is also greater. You cannot have good without the evil force. You understand, you must have an aim to reach the goal to reach the Creator, to explore, to understand everything, but all of that has to be covered with the desire to bestow to the others and through them to the Creator, we'll talk about it.

Question (Moscow 4): (32:45) The number 99 that appears here, what does it mean?

M. Laitman: That other than Keter, there are no changes between bestowal and reception. Rather, what does not exist in the force of a reception, that is the connection with the Creator. That is what is missing. The force of reception is not connected to the Creator. This is why it is at 99 and not 100.

Question (ITA 2): (33:28) Is the Sitra Achra an illusion that we want the Malchut without a Keter?

M. Laitman: No, Sitra Achra, the other side is not an illusion. It is here in this world, but it is not Sitra Achra, it is just a will to receive, like in animals, they do not have evil or good in them, it is simply nature that is running them and managing them. That’s it. In man, it is already about the intention to enjoy harming others because this corresponds, what has to be in the person, which is to delight the others. In this way we have opposite forces in us, our ego, that why it’s calles our ego. And in animals, in still,  vegetative, and animate,  they have no ego, it is simply the will to receive. The egoistic will to receive is when he wants to enjoy feeling pleasure at the expense of others, and corresponding to that, he has to install these new relationships whereby he wishes to give pleasure to others and delight them. Then using these systems, where each time he wants to enjoy the world more and enjoy the Creator, he installs an opposite system, that’s what man needs to do, the right line, so we would be able to do good outside of ourselves to the others. So, between the two systems, we start to connect to the root, to the Creator, because the Creator is the root both for the right side and for the left side, and taht’s how we attain the Creator, the upper one the uppermost one which is managing both the right and the left.  

Question (Woman Internet): (35:58) What is the difference between the desire to receive and desire to bestow?

M. Laitman: What is the difference between the will to receive and the will to bestow? It’s actually not a simple question. The will to receive is the created being, their nature, and the will to bestow is the Creator. And these things never change not the will to receive, not the will to bestow, they do not change. What changes is only the intention of how we use the desire. The Creator in His desire is entirely the intention to use His desire to bestow for the good of the created beings, and the Creator behaves this way all the time. He simply changes his clothing all the time in order to educate us changing his clothing in order to educate us just like we act in different forms before our children. We clothe in two different forms of behavior so the children know that we relate to them this way and that way, and accordingly they change their attitude, their behavior.

While the created beings, he is in the will to receive and this is it, the desire to enjoy, this is it and he cannot change his nature forever. But we need to learn how to acquire new forms on top of our will to receive, on top of the desire to enjoy, when we seemingly clothe like a wolf clothing into the sheepskin. It's truly like that, it is not simple, we need help from above, the upper light to help us. On the one hand to stand on the ground with both feet on the ground, on our will to receive, on our ego and on the other hand, we are not disconnecting from the ego, we are not entering some convoluted states, some clouds or imaginations, no. With the will to receive, we will start to acquire the intention to bestow, the desire to receive will acquire and dress into various forms of bestowal and this is what we wish to learn to demonstrate inside the group. This is the most convenient, the best possible and safest environment when in the group I can gradually see my attitude, how I improve towards the friends where although I remain in my desire to receive, I don't get into some form of Illusion but together with that, in order to attain the goal in order to reach adhesion to the Creator, I am willing to work for the others in order to bestow, in order to help, in order to contribute to do everything that is good for them. Then it works out if everybody is like this in the Ten, we try, then we begin to feel that behind our attitude to the friends, we find the Creator, as it is written that the Creator stands behind every friend. This is possible to do only when we truly change and we give each other positive examples then it turns out that from the attitude to the friends we wish to bestow, to help, to support, they becomes closer emotionally to each from the Ten, we begin feeling connection between us and the connection brings us the image of the Creator. This is how we attain the Creator according to the rule “from love of the created beings to the love of the Creator.