The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Morning Lesson: November 9, 2025
Part 1: Recorded lesson - Sep 4, 2020
Excerpts from the sources: “Work with Faith Above Reason”. #20
Reader: Hello. In the first part of the lesson, we are going to watch a lesson from September 4th, 2020. The topic of the lesson is the “Work with Faith Above Reason.” We'll be reading select excerpts from the sources. We're in excerpt number 20 now.
Reader: Hello, we're in a lesson on the topic of the “Work with Faith Above Reason,” and we're going to read chosen excerpts. We'll continue with excerpt number 20. You can find our materials in our website. You can find it also in the Galaxy program, pressing on the upper icon with the book icon. You can ask questions in our website, and selected questions will be answered in the lesson.
M. Laitman: (00:58) Yes, we're continuing on the same topic, “Faith Above Reason.” That is, the force of bestowal is higher, greater than the force of our reception, that’s the natural force that we receive from the Creator. This is how we will advance. There are many discernments in this. We are just at the opening of this feeling, this condition, this spiritual world, which is entirely, from here onwards all the way to Ein Sof, is entirely working based on this principle of faith above reason. Because it's a matter of the correction of our will to receive called Daat [reason], and faith is the quality of Bina, the intention to bestow. If we add it correctly to our will to receive, then we can identify with the Creator, to some extent, that is to start feeling that we are in the upper world, that we are in contact with the upper force, according to the degree of our equivalence of form with Him. And this is how we will advance until we reach contact, even embrace, even kissing, as we will learn in TES, what is happening. And also the fact that I'm getting from you questions about when will we study TES; I would like to start studying it. We will study it maybe after the holidays, because now we will have to study additional materials during the holidays. The time determines, not us. And I would like to study TES and the entire upper system, the “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” and TES tell us about it. I would like to study it so that we will already have some feeling in it. What is it? Where is it inside of us? What is it for? How can we be integrated with these systems and enliven them in us? Because everything is included inside of man. And besides man, there is only the Creator, the upper force, which is unattainable. We attain it inside of us. And now, in faith above reason, we are learning through what we can come closer to the Creator. And therefore, here, we have a few discernments that we need to scrutinize. What is more important for me: to be in the feeling or to be in the understanding? What is more important for me: to speak about the Creator or to speak about the connection between us? When I perhaps already understand and feel that everything depends on a connection between us, that actually the connection between us determines everything. And it's not a condition where I, like in a theater, let's say, I go and I pay a ticket, I buy a ticket, I pay for it, and then I go inside and see whatever they're showing there on the stage. Rather, by me connecting with the friends, in this manner, this way, it opens up for me the upper world. It opens up for me the Creator. Without it, I can't do it. I cannot skip over it. Pay in one place and get some entry ticket, entry pass, and go in there in some other place. Rather, this specifically, this manner of connection between us, is what gives us the perspective, the way to look at the upper state. It opens up for us the Creator. This is why the Creator is called HaKolel [the inclusive one], the total of the connection between us. So, the question is, therefore, what am I drawn to more, to study, to clarify, or to do, to implement?
M. Laitman: (05:28) If I feel that, for me, what is important is already the connection between people, or at least in a Ten, so that out of this connection, I scrutinize where I am, the Creator's attitude towards me - this whole system, then I'm already directed correctly, aimed correctly. If I still want something else, I want to attain the Creator, and not as a result of the connection between us, then I'm still not… I haven't yet scrutinized the true situation. And also, in faith above reason a person wants for years maybe, to understand what is the matter of faith, because he heard from all kinds of different places, other places, other sources, what faith means. Faith, faith, faith, and from that he has some definition of his own, which he took from there, and he constantly needs to correct himself, to cleanse, purify this concept of faith from all of the other characterizations, and to see what becomes established in him regarding this concept of faith from the words of Baal HaSulam. Then, it becomes independent of religion, independent of science, and independent of anything else, but only his attitude towards the Creator, and as much as he is connected to it, tied to it. And also, you can say about faith above reason, that in the beginning, when we enter faith above reason, we feel relief in our search, on our path, in our advancement, because all in all, what are we talking about here? It says that we have to accept that everything comes from above, There is None Else Besides Him. Fine. Next, that whatever I feel, I feel it from the Creator. That's even better, because then I seemingly, I don't blame myself or others, rather the Creator is arranging this theater that I'm in, in such a way, so that I'm on the stage, and whatever I receive, I receive it from Him, and He's playing with all of the people in the world. So seemingly, it's all easy. And in the beginning, when you enter faith above reason, everything seems easy, nice, good; I ascribe everything to the Creator, get whatever there is. It helps you not to blame anyone, but rather the force from above is arranging everything, etc. That's in the beginning. And therefore, this period of time, when it goes by, we begin to see that we actually need to work in establishing correctly our attitude to the upper force, and then we already begin to work against our ego, against the disturbances, against the darkness that comes, etc.
M. Laitman: (09:11) But in the meantime, in the entrance, we're getting the possibility, the opportunity, a situation such that we need to connect more between us, arrange ourselves correctly, like babies, when they're born, they don't need, they don't take care of themselves at all. Everything is in the upper force, and He takes care of everything, and this is how we are for now. So the most important is to ascribe ourselves, all of us, to the upper force, and especially the connection between us, and to check, at least to do one examination. What am I more drawn to, yearning for? Am I yearning more for connection with the friends, or am I yearning more for the revelation of the Creator? According to the truth, I should have yearned more for the connection between us, because this is close to me. It's mine. This is my Kli, and I work in it, I find myself in it, I become oriented in the spiritual realm. However, for the time being, it's possible that I forget about the group, the Ten, and actually, I find myself yearning for the revelation of the Creator. I need Him. Then, I will understand where I am. It's interesting, it fulfills me, etc. It answers all of my questions. So, I yearn for the Kli, not for the fulfillment. And here, we need to work between us, and persuade one another that what is important is the Kli. The upper light is in absolute rest, and we only need Kelim [vessels]. Well, and there are more and more, all kinds of little discernments. We will speak about them each and every day. Also, last evening, we had a Yeshiva, a meeting, a lesson, and I would like to get responses, reactions, through our friends. Who usually collects these responses?
Reader: Responses, we can simply, each one can open the mic, and just share. So, if you took part.
M. Laitman: No, no, no. I don't want to talk about it now about it.
Reader: So, everyone can send to boardworldkli@gmail.com an email, if we can see this email address, and we'll take all the comments and we'll share them.
M. Laitman: Okay, I just want to know, how should we organize this evening lesson? I have great hopes for it. I hope that anyone who is capable of it will participate in it live, and those who cannot will watch it later. This is materials that we are not going to repeat later on in the morning. We would like to add, and this way we will advance. That's it. And I also said that soon, we will have TES as well, in addition to these materials about faith, when we will be able to see in TES the same thing as in the articles, in the excerpts. There we will see how it is done in the forces of nature, the will to receive, the will to bestow, Zivug [coupling], Masach [screen], etc. When we will have these discernments inside a little bit, then we will be able to approach the study of the system, and we will feel that it is inside of us, and we're beginning to work with it.
Question (Heb 10): (14:01) If a person has a feeling in the Ten that he's more yearning for a connection with the friends, and he's forgetting about the Creator, by that, is he lying to himself? There’s an egoistic calculation here? He's forgetting the study?
M. Laitman: It's better that he connects with the friends more. Full stop, don't start philosophizing or getting confused.
Student: Without the Creator?
M. Laitman: Maybe without the Creator. Connect with the friends, be with them truly in heart and soul, the rest will come, because this is the right approach for beginners.
Question (ITA 4): (14:52) We feel as if we are going through a metamorphosis, as if we’re coming out of our light without knowing where we’re headed to. So I'm asking you, is faith above reason the instrument that passes us to the upper worlds?
M. Laitman: Yes, faith above reason is the device, the instrument that takes us from this world to the upper world, and through all of the degrees of the upper world, 125 degrees, 5 worlds, Olamot, until the complete end of correction called Malchut of Ein Sof. It's only by keeping faith above reason. However, don't you think that faith above reason, what we're talking about between us and that's it, it's so simple, there are entire systems in that. We don't yet know what Malchut is, where there is reason, and what is Bina, faith, and the combination between them in all kinds of different possibilities. It's between the forces of the Creator and the forces of the created being. Bina is the force of bestowal of the Creator that appears towards the created being, and Malchut is the force that the Creator created in order for us to exist on our own. Therefore, this combination of Bina and Malchut, which is in Tzimtzum Bet [the second restriction], and Ibur, Yenika, Mochin, and all of those states, we will study it. This is already in the upper worlds.
Student: So, all we need to do is just to constantly invest in the connection between us?
M. Laitman: Invest in the connection between the friends in order to reach such a connection in which the Creator is revealed. That's it. It's called from the love of people to the love of the Creator. You cannot skip over the love of people, only to the extent that you love the friends, and even all of the people, but that will come later. We cannot yet scrutinize this thing, but from the love of people to the love of the Creator. Love means that you connect with them in such a way that they feel that they're all inside of you. Then you are this person who is about to connect with the Creator. Okay. Let's read. I see that everybody understands what it's about.
Reader: Yes, we're going to read chosen excerpts from the sources about faith above reason, excerpt number 20 by Rabash.
Reading: (17:59) 20. Rabash. Article 24 (1991) “What Does It Mean that One Should Bear a Son and a Daughter in the Work?”
If one decides that he wants to work as “dust,” meaning even if he tastes the taste of dust in the work, he says that it is very important for him to be able to do something for the sake of the Creator, and for himself, he does not care which taste he feels, and says that this work, in which one tastes the taste of dust, meaning that the body mocks this work, he says to the body that in his view, this work is regarded as “raising the Shechina [Divinity] from the dust.” In other words, although the body tastes dust in this work, the person says that it is Kedusha and does not measure how much flavor he feels in the work. Rather, he believes that the Creator does enjoy this work, since there is no mixture of the will to receive here, since he has nothing to receive because there are no flavor or scent in this work, as there is only the taste of dust here. For this reason, he believes that this is the holy work, and he is delighted.
M. Laitman (Source Text/Commentary): (19:28) I'll read it as well. Excerpt 20.
If one decides that he wants to work as “dust," that is, he doesn't care whatever he's receiving. He's like dust, lying on the ground, on the earth, inside of the desire, and he understands nothing. And his feeling might be, well, it doesn't matter to him what he feels, meaning he does not demand anything, anything for himself, even though he feels himself in all kinds of unpleasant situations: lack of sensation, lack of understanding, lack of confidence, lack, lack, lack. He wants to work as though it's irrelevant to him, unrelated to him, meaning even if he tastes the taste of dust in the work, he says that it is very important for him to be able to do something for the sake of the Creator. And as for himself, he does not care which taste he feels. This is the state of dust, meaning it's not important for me, I completely neutralize my own feeling, I realize that I am feeling the taste of dust, that it is entirely tasteless, I have no attraction to it, I have no relation to spiritual work, I have nothing. And I, nevertheless, continue this work, and I do not leave the group, and I do not leave the path, I don't stop with the wisdom of Kabbalah, because by this I'm giving contentment to the Creator. And the Creator arranges for us in such states many exercises. About this it says anything but leave, that we have to hold on truly by the teeth in such a state where I don't know what I'm doing it for, I have no future, I have no hope, I feel that the friends are disregarding me. And also such friends that, well what will I get out of it if I stick to them? And the Creator? I don't know who He is, He's hidden, and in general He's not even leading the world, or maybe He is leading the world. That is, I'm in a state where with all of my mind and emotion, I have nothing, no reason to stay in this, rather let others do it, that they feel some taste in it, let them stay with it. I see no reason to stay on this path. This is a very important point, and the Creator deliberately is taking us through this, through this state, where only then, when we go through such states, we can say that our work is in order to bestow contentment to Him, and not to ourselves. When we go through this state each and every time, on each degree, we disconnect ourselves, cleanse ourselves of our will to receive, and we emerge without a will to receive for oneself. Then already I am truly clean, for the time being. On the next degree, again, I will have it on a higher degree, so it's not important what taste I feel.
M. Laitman (Source Text/Commentary): (23:12) And he says that this work, in which one tastes the taste of dust, meaning that the body mocks this work, he says to the body that, in his view, this work is regarded as raising the Shechina [Divinity] from the dust. Meaning the Creator also becomes unimportant for me. I want to quit the group, leave spirituality, leave this method, advance towards the Creator. What do I care? Because the Creator is also like dust, I also don't think about Him, I forget about Him most of the day, and I remember whenever my ego, nevertheless, awakens me and says, “Well, what's going to happen to you? What's with you?” Then I remember it, but without the ego awakening me in such a way, I don't care. I don't care to think about the Creator, about spirituality, about the group, no. This is how it is. This is called dust, that they want to show me from the heavens how much I depend on the flavor, on the flavors - that it will be sweet for me, it will be interesting for me. And if I, in spite of such states, I awaken the importance of coming closer to the group and through it to the Creator, it is considered that I am raising the Shechina [Divinity] from the dust. So, pay attention, raising Divinity from the dust, raising the Shechina from the dust - Shechina is this field blessed by the Lord - it is the connection between us, it is the place where the Creator is revealed. Our corrected desire, our common, corrected desire in which the Creator can be revealed, according to the equivalence of form between us and the Creator. This is why we need to understand that to raise Divinity from the dust, first of all, we have to think about the Creator. And then we can also think about how much we are advancing in order to discover Him, in order to give Him contentment. In other words, although the body tastes dust in this work, the person says that it is Kedusha [sanctity], and does not measure how much flavor he feels in the work. Rather, he believes that the Creator does enjoy this work. Why? Since there is no mixture of the will to receive here of the person, since he has nothing to receive, because there are no flavor or scent in this work, as there is only the taste of dust here. For this reason, he believes that this is the holy work, what he's doing, while he feels himself in the dust, and necessarily because he's advancing in such a way, and he is delighted. Is this clear? Now, let's have a few questions, but questions that are precisely about this excerpt.
Question (Baltia 3): (27:05) What is the response of the group to such a state of a person? And what's the action of a person for the group? How does this mutuality occur?
M. Laitman: According to what we read, the person then starts to understand that all of his progress is in the connection in the group. In the connection in the group. And then, there he sees all of his progress, in the right connection.
Student: In practice, many times there were cases where friends even left the group for a certain time. So, how does this process strengthen the group itself, in general? Different states in order to rise together.
M. Laitman: We need to strengthen one another. All in all, each shall help his friend. Again, I'm reminding you about Rabash's articles. If you don't keep them, you will not reach the next stage.
Question (Kyiv 1): (28:42) When he writes about the state of dust, can we say the Creator wants to give us restriction through this?
M. Laitman: No, it's not enough. Through the feeling of dust, the Creator wants to give us conditions that are comfortable, convenient, good, so that we can start to equalize with Him. That's it.
Student: In practice, we have to build a Partzuf between us. This is one of the first conditions. He doesn't let us enjoy so that we can bestow unto Him, as he writes in this article.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So once we feel this dust, how can we reach the next step?
M. Laitman: It wasn't written about this. I don't want to hear such questions. Be careful about asking questions that the text didn't speak about. It's not the first time that you've been doing it recently. I only answer about what it says here. He writes about the state of dust, ask only about this. What’s later? I'm not wise, and I don't want to answer you, and I will give you less and less opportunity to ask, unless you will go with us, even though you want to advance. I don't respect that.
Question (Kyiv 1): (30:27) It's written about the taste of dust. What? Shouldn't I feel any flavor in the spiritual work to work with, or should I feel a certain flavor and invert this flavor to dust for me?
M. Laitman: You simply should be drawn to the connection between the friends, so that out of this connection, you will start to scrutinize how you can connect with the Creator, because the Creator is like a plant that grows from the ground. So you have to precisely prepare the soil for it in the right way. This is how it is.
Question (Holland 1): (31:26) I have a question about the last sentence, that when he believes that he's doing the holy work, and he feels that he's delighted, what does it mean that he's delighted? Because it seems to me like a fulfillment of the will to receive.
M. Laitman: No, but what is he delighted about? That the Creator has given him now the possibility, even though he is in the feeling of dust, to rise from it on the degrees of faith. And then the reason doesn't hinder him. The will to receive is asleep. Why does the Creator give us a feeling of dust? That we have nothing to our will to receive, so that I don't feel that I'm gaining anything, so that in the meantime, I will develop my will to bestow.
Student: How can I be sure that this is not an egoistical calculation?
M. Laitman: Well, keep going, and you will start to get these discernments. Don't you worry, it will be so.
Question (German 1): (32:57) How does one feel the taste of dust in the Ten?
M. Laitman: The taste of dust in the Ten is when all of us reach a state where we feel that we have no individual personal gain to any of us, and to the whole group together. There is nothing. What are we working for? We don't feel that we're going towards something, that there is something there that we can even stay in this state all the time. And what is required of us, not to demand anything, but only to agree that from this comes contentment to the Creator. I have nothing and my friends get nothing, and we can talk about it, that we're not going to have anything, nothing. But the Creator is enjoying this. And we, between us, all agree to this state, to remain in this state, indefinitely, forever. And we are happy that specifically in such a way we can give Him contentment. Not because we are in the dust, but because we are in the dust, and we have nothing that’s towards our will to receive. Nothing is hindering us, because the will to receive is not chasing after the dust. So now, between us, we can think about how to give contentment to the Creator. That's it. And this way we begin to scrutinize more advanced spiritual discernments, but out of the feeling of dust only. Everything stands on, and everything comes from the dust..
Question (PT 25): (35:19) How does the flavor of taste in a Ten, how is that expressed between the friends? Friends are talking, so how is that expressed?
M. Laitman: That no one feels any taste in his personal work, and all of us together do not feel any flavor in our collective work, and everyone feels themselves as being truly immersed in the dust, dead, and this is how progress is felt in them. Specifically, the Creator is promoting us. We raise the importance of the goal, which is above our ego, and we feel that we're in the progress, the process of advancement, and “each shall help his friend.” We truly help each other to advance in such a way.
Student: So it's as if there is an internal converse. I don't see the conversation here.
M. Laitman: Why? You can also try to talk between you about how much you are in it, or maybe you're not in it.
Question (Moscow 1): (36:55) We say that such a state comes to a person, to a Ten. When I examine the basis of my work, I see that most cases I have egoistic calculations of a certain format. I understand that the state we're learning now, the state of dust is more correct, even though it may be less pleasant. Can I purposely lead myself to such a state, because I know it's correct?
M. Laitman: Well, it's possible, even though in each and every thing, you know, in the spiritual work, just like in our small corporeal world, there are many discernments, but it is possible. It is possible, yes. We will do exercises with it.
Question (New York 4): (37:54) From where we're sitting today, what should be our attitude towards this upcoming state of dust? Are we excited about reaching a state called dust? Are we nervous? Are we scared?
M. Laitman: Yes, we want to reach spirituality, and we constantly demand that spirituality will be revealed. And I am in a despaired state that spirituality is not becoming revealed. And following these despairs comes a state where I don't even care. And later on comes a state where I can begin to work in faith about reason, that I can concede my spiritual advancement only in order to actualize my connection with the group and with the Creator. We will talk about it. We haven't all gone through this yet, and so it's difficult for us to scrutinize these things. We don't yet have enough input, enough elements. But you're asking correctly.
Question (USA Northeast): (39:33) I find this, it seems to be much easier to find this state in the dust with my Ten. My Ten, for some reason, I'm finding pleasure in looking at my Ten as a great thing and for some reason it has become pleasure. Now, I don't want to say that it is for myself because I'm really trying very hard to serve, disseminate, but it's become truly a given, and it's truly a pleasure to serve my Ten. How not to come down from a situation? Is this good? Is it bad? Is this okay?
M. Laitman: Everything goes by, you know, passes, sir. This will pass as well and then you will start to feel that in this too you have dust. It will come. It will come.
Question (United VG 3): (40:38) It turns out that the Creator helps us when we're in complete despair?
M. Laitman: The Creator helps us in that He takes out of us all of our forces, and He shows us that we have no strength of our own. That's it. It's not that we lack strength and then the Creator helps us. Rather, the Creator makes it so for us that we have no strength, and then the Creator comes and helps us. There is nothing that comes from you.
Question (KabU 1): (41:27) It says in the article if one decides that he wants to work as dust. How does one come to the decision to work as dust? Is this free will he's working with?
M. Laitman: When it comes, the person feels it, that he agrees to work in the state of dust. For the time being, one should advance mostly through connection with the friends. It's not that he gets discernments from the friends, which is also correct, but rather through them he will get discernments from the Creator. Only in such a way.
Question (Spain 1): (42:30) One who feels the state of dust should cling to the books and Rav?
M. Laitman: Yes, usually then one is drawn to get help.
Question (Kyiv 2): (42:56) I'm trying to scrutinize the role of the Shatz, the Shatz and the Gabbai. How can they use this state of dust?
M. Laitman: The Shatz and Gabai should be considerate of the general state of the Ten, and accordingly aim the boat where everybody’s sitting in, in the direction of the correct goal. That's all I can say. Look at the whole group and how do we, the Shatz and Gabai… I heard that in many cases it is one person, it's a single person, not two. This is how we advance ourselves.
Question (New York 3): (43:54) When a person goes through the state of dust and continues the work because he brings contentment to the Creator, how does that decision come about? Is that a conscious decision, or is it just a sensation, or help from the Creator that makes him continue?
M. Laitman: The person doesn't know why he's continuing. The person doesn't know why he's continuing. It is hidden from him for all kinds of different reasons, from within the person, out of all kinds of calculations or sub-calculations, and from the environment, from the heavens, it doesn't matter. The person doesn't know from where does he think this way and decide this way. Sometimes, he doesn't think and he doesn't decide, he just does it inadvertently. This is how it is. The most important is that we have to do whatever is up to us, which is as much as possible, push ourselves into the group, because without it, certainly we will have no advancement, especially in our current situation, in the last generation.
Question (German 1): (45:20) Should we make sure that we're happy in this state of dust?
M. Laitman: Yes, yes, absolutely. We have to constantly yearn for joy, for gladness, constantly, because only out of joy can we advance. Look at children. The upper providence makes children, you know, be happy, impressed by each and everything, and only through that they grow. A child who is not happy, well, it's not good. You need to check it. It's not normal.
Question (New York 1): (46:06) What is to bring contentment to the Creator?
M. Laitman: I don't know. I know that if I work correctly and I advance my friends towards connection and up to love, up to joy, then by this I give the Creator an opportunity to be revealed. And for the Creator to be revealed in the created beings, this gives Him joy. I don't know what joy is. I only know through what I can make Him, give Him joy.
Question (French): (46:58) To feel the taste of dust, can you explain how to know that, if it's a personal Hissaron or a matter of the whole Ten?
M. Laitman: Well, it is first of all a personal deficiency, and then it is also a collective deficiency of the group. That we all agree more or less to our situation, that we don't demand anything for ourselves, rather, we want to be connected only in order to bring contentment to the Creator. That's it. A little bit, as much as we can, however, we don't demand anything for ourselves. Even though our situation is not so good, we don't take it into consideration. This is what we mean by being placed in the dust. That's it.
Question (PT 31): (48:03) I wanted to scrutinize the matter of the taste of dust. When we feel the taste of dust, there are many doubts in the will to receive, and it's hard in this situation.
M. Laitman: Then it's not the taste of dust. If there are doubts in the will to receive, and you're living in the doubt, that's not good. The taste of dust is when you are below the doubts, or you might say above the doubts. For the time being, we don't have discernments about it. That I don't care about the doubts, I don't care about anything.
Student: You're saying that the doubts are unimportant. If I feel that I may be wrong, carrying the wrong suitcase, as in Baal HaSulam's example.
M. Laitman: I need to connect with the friends, and by this I will chase away all of the doubts. I'm included in them, and that's it. I'm also dust towards them. To be in the dust is something that is general towards all of my directions. By this, I lower Malchut, and then even if I don't have the force of bestowal, the force of Bina, but even if a little bit will come, already I'll be able to feel that I have the force of Bina too, faith above reason, because my reason is in the dust. So even if a little force of Bina will come, it will already be faith above reason.
Student: So when I'm in the reason of dust with the friends, I'm basically, I'm certainly not diverting from the right direction?
M. Laitman: Let's say, so. It will all come.
Question (PT 32): (50:01) If a friend is incapable of finding joy in the state of dust, is it because we as a Ten or haven't supplied something to him, or what can we do in order to give the strength to every friend to rise?
M. Laitman: An example. An example. Show him how you relate to one another and to the collective state of the group, and that each one is trying to be the dust towards the others, and show him that. Maybe he won't see it, because he's truly in, how shall I put it, well, in the opposite state. He can't grasp it, what is it that you're doing to him? So wait, and following some time, again and again, give him the possibility to develop. And just realize that it is the Creator who is giving you such a friend in a group who cannot catch on to being dust towards the others, annulling himself as a zero towards everyone. Well, what can you do? So you nevertheless have to keep trying, if he is not harmful. And then by this, you're truly going forward.
Question (Tel Aviv 10): (51:40) How can I make sure that I'm really giving contentment to the Creator, meaning connecting the Ten?
M. Laitman: It's on the condition that the friends are pleased with you. Accordingly, you can check how you are directed, aimed towards the Creator. It's only through the Kli, which is the Ten.
Question (PT 34): (52:08) If dust is the will to receive, the Guf of a person, at what point does he feel the gladness? And is the happiness a result of the work?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Rehovot): (52:28) In this and also in the previous excerpt, it says that we depict that the Creator enjoys this work. Isn't this putting this state in reason, or making it sweeter so it's less exertion for me?
M. Laitman: What do you bring into your reason? You try, in each and every incident, whatever you're going through, to subjugate yourself unconditionally in adhesion with the society. This is considered that you're making yourself into dust.
Student: If I see a picture of the Creator enjoying it, it gives me a feeling of sweeter than it really is.
M. Laitman: We're not yet talking about how does the Creator enjoy it, and that we're working with the Creator. For the time being, we're only talking about this point of dust. That's it. The attitude to the Creator, to the group, that's still ahead of us.
Question (Haifa 2): (53:35) I'd like to understand if the flavor of the dust, isn't that a declaration of war of my ego? And if it is, how can I work?
M. Laitman: Well, you will work, and then we will talk. You're asking about something that you haven't yet felt, you haven't yet done it, and therefore we cannot scrutinize it with you. It is truly so.
Question (Netanya): (54:07) Can we talk about it in a Ten about the flavor of dust? How to talk about it?
M. Laitman: Yes, yes, absolutely. Talk about it, even get confused about it, philosophize about it, it doesn't matter. This is a state that we have to be in, and therefore it's not something foggy, which is beyond us, above us.
Student: And how to correctly talk about it in order not to awaken the left side.
M. Laitman: Don't you worry. Talk about how do we determine, in each one of us and between us, all in all in the Ten, the state of dust. What do we have to do for this?
Question (New York 3): (54:56) You said earlier that a state of dust is a field between us, if I understood correctly. So, does that mean that we should expect this state of dust to only occur between us in the Ten? That it's not an individual state?
M. Laitman: There is nothing that is individual. Each one of us is a point, and from Ten points, we determine this field, the place where, if we arrange it properly, there the Creator will be revealed. It's called “a field blessed by the Lord.”
Question (Kyiv 2): (55:51) What prayer would you recommend in the Ten to feel the taste of dust?
M. Laitman: It has to come from you, so try throughout the day to compose such a prayer. How do we feel that we are in the dust? How this state of dust is a blessed state? And how do we ask of the Creator to help us build such relations between us that are called a field of dust? And that from there, we will start to grow towards Him.
Question (Holland 1): (56:30) In relating to this, what's just been said, how good is it to see the friends in the dust? And what should I do, or what should the group do when we see the friends in the dust?
M. Laitman: In my relation with the Ten, on the one hand I need to see the friends as truly great, at least greater than me. And it's desirable to see them as the greatest of the generation. And that's on the one hand. And on the other hand, I want all of us to feel towards the Creator. We didn't speak about that yet. With respect to the Creator, that we are truly as dust, that we are willing to concede ourselves, everything that we will have, all of the past, present, and future, and only in such a way can we come closer to the revelation of the Creator. Because if we're going towards the revelation of the Creator, then in each and every place we need to see ourselves as dust, even though we will start to feel that the Creator is revealed there. That is, we will have truly great work later to always come back to the dust. But Malchut has to be restricted. The will to receive needs to be in darkness, and we will never use it, but rather only as much as we can be above it.
Question (Qazaqstan): (58:32) How important it is to feel all the variety of flavors of the dust, because I feel it helps me come out of it quickly when I feel.
M. Laitman: In the feeling of dust, you have all the flavors. Because what is dust? It's when I have before me a table set by the Creator, a world full of all good, and I, in receiving for myself, I want to feel each and every flavor, each and every dish that is on the table, I want to fill it in reception for myself, I want to feel it as dust. Later on, we will come to a different kind of work, when we will want to discover these tastes, these flavors. However, we will actually want to feel these flavors, but so that we will be able to receive them in order to bestow in new Kelim, in faith above reason. But in our Kelim, we want to restrict them. It will come, the Kelim expand, we will see these things.
Question (Toronto 2): (59:58) So, it turns out that that state of dust is a state of true ascent, not a descent.
M. Laitman: Of course, it's on the way towards correction. What are you thinking? There is never, what we learn is… we never learn anything that takes us down. Well, it lowers the will to receive, it lowers all kinds of negative things, the Klipot, the shells, but we are constantly ascending. In our work, in our spiritual work, there is nothing that truly lowers us. As it says, they elevate in sanctity, they never lower in sanctity, always. Okay, read next.
Reader: We're going to read excerpt number one from Shamati 19 by Baal HaSulam. What is that the Creator hates the bodies in the work.
Reading: (01:00:58) 21. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 19. What Is “The Creator Hates the Bodies,” in the Work?
Sometimes one despises this work of assuming the burden of the kingdom of heaven, which is a time of a sensation of darkness, when one sees that no one can save him from the state he is in but the Creator.
M. Laitman: It's even more so. On the one hand, I see that the state that I'm in is darkness. I need to justify this state that is on the path. There is no state which is not on the path. And the fact that it comes and it comes on the path, it comes from the Creator. And it comes in order to promote me towards the Creator, even though the state itself can be terrible, right? We're reading 21.
Reading: (01:01:48) 21. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 19. What Is “The Creator Hates the Bodies,” in the Work?
Then he takes upon himself the kingdom of heaven above reason, as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load.
M. Laitman: That is, I don't demand anything for myself, but only to advance for the benefit of the group and through it to the Creator.
Reading: (01:02:11) 21. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 19. What Is “The Creator Hates the Bodies,” in the Work?
One should be glad that now he has something to give to the Creator,
M. Laitman: His devotion, his dedication above his own benefit, because he doesn't have any self-benefit. The Creator helped him. He gave him the taste of dust. Then the person is not concerned about him robbing something, stealing something for himself. But rather, if he can work in such a way where he has no flavor, no attraction towards spirituality, if he nevertheless performs some actions, it is considered that he's doing it as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load. Meaning as a beast working for the sake of man, just like we can work for the Creator. Let's say I have many hours during the day where I cannot think about the group, I cannot think about the Creator, I don't think about anything, or I engage in all kinds of nonsense in my life. I fill my life with all kinds of things that are unrelated to spiritual development. And this is a time when I'm vacant, when I'm free. This is the big problem.
Reading: (01:03:27) 21. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 19. What Is “The Creator Hates the Bodies,” in the Work?
One should be glad that now he has something to give to the Creator, and the Creator enjoys him having something to give to the Creator. But one does not always have the strength to say that this is beautiful work, called “adornment,” but he despises this work
M. Laitman: Because he has no flavors in it. He doesn't feel that he's becoming wiser, understanding more, feeling more, nothing. So, what am I working for? What am I doing? I invested, let's say, an hour or two in some study, reading something, our books, doing something. Nothing came out of it.
Reading: (01:04:08) 21. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 19. What Is “The Creator Hates the Bodies,” in the Work?
This is a harsh condition for one to be able to say that he chooses this work over the work of whiteness, meaning that he does not sense a taste of darkness during the work, but then one feels a taste in the work. It means that then he does not have to work with the will to receive to agree to take upon himself the kingdom of heaven above reason.
M. Laitman: This is the problem. We need to pay attenion. There is a lot of time during the day for each one of us, when a person doesn't feel an inclination to engage in the wisdom of Kabbalah, right? And it just remains this way like a log of wood. He doesn't care about anything. He just fills himself up with playing on the computer, watching TV or something, and a lot of times pass like this, and it's well known. So here is the problem. It's more worthwhile in such states to tie yourself to the Ten, and through the computers today we're all connected between us, and immediately to engage in something, do something, study something, build something, or at least engage together in dissemination. “Each shall help his friend.” In such states, we truly need to constantly pressure the friends to take part. Because specifically in such states, such times, we are missing a lot, losing a lot in our spiritual advancement.
Reading: (01:06:03) 21. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 19. What Is “The Creator Hates the Bodies,” in the Work?
If he does overcome himself and can say that this work is pleasant to him that now he is observing the Mitzva [commandment] of faith above reason, and he accepts this work as beauty and adornment, this is called “A joy of Mitzva.”
M. Laitman: So, we need to be concerned, and especially I'm turning to those who today, meaning on each and every day, those who are Shatz and Gabai, they should care about this. And here it's more the work of the Gabai than the Shatz, to arrange, each and every Gabai in his Ten should arrange it so that all of the free time will be full with common efforts towards study, searching, dissemination, each and everything that is related to spiritual development, advancement. I see that there is no question about what we read now. Is it also clear, so that you are actualizing all of your free time as we call it, towards spiritual advancement?
Question (Zichron 10): (01:07:34) Suppose I don't have the strength to wake up before the morning lesson, or I feel distance from my friends, and I overcome it without any joy. Is that not pleasant in the eyes of the Creator?
M. Laitman: What does it matter if you despise the Creator or disgrace Him? You know, really, I mean, you want to give contentment. Well of course, if you make an effort that goes against your will to receive, by this you do give contentment. Yes, try. If you feel that you are opposite Him, and truly, indeed…well, why is He hidden? Because if He were revealed, then you would force yourself, right, to get up and do it. So, He doesn't want to obligate you, force you. He wants you to perform this overcoming with faith above reason. The Creator is hidden. Seemingly, He doesn't exist, and you forget about Him, or you don't care about Him, etc. And then, specifically in such a state, He wants you to overcome. Try to speak with yourself about it. The Creator is hidden. He doesn't want me to feel His presence in any way. And I now need to specifically in this state where I have no strength, no motivation, no motive power, nothing that makes me jump, and I nevertheless need to search for some means that will help me to get up and do everything. And so, in this, I will think and maybe even feel that I am giving Him contentment by this. So, how? If I'm giving contentment to the friends, for sure He is inside of them, and I'm giving Him contentment. This is how it is.
Song: (01:15:57)