*This transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves possibility for errors.*
*Morning Lesson October 27, 2020*
*Parashat Beresheet (Genesis) - Selected Excerpts from the Sources #35*
35. Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make man[h] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
31. R. Just like I said before the lesson we have several parts in our study that we can't do in one day, during the morning lesson to go over all the parts sometimes we are with the portion of the week sometimes we're in the study of TES so this way alternatively we will alternate between all these different parts don't worry, you will receive everything you need to receive.
*Excerpt #36 Reader (00:55 - 01:15)*
The verse says, “And God created the man in His own image.” The term creation applies specifically to something new, meaning a reality existence from absence, where the Creator has created something new that did not exist before He has created it. Our sages interpreted that this reality is called “desire to receive pleasure.” This is a lack and emptiness that must now be filled. There was no lack before He has created it, as before this creation there was only wholeness because it cannot be said that the Creator contains a lack. Therefore, this is the only thing that is new, meaning the will to receive.
32. R. The bottom line is everything is created so it will resemble the Creator resemble he'll control everything that's the Creator builds to the creation and this is the direction and this is what we will come to there is no doubt about this only the question is that it all depends on us we were now given the opportunity to truly reveal these things practically.
*Reader Continues (01:43 - 03:56)*
33. S. What does it mean by let us make man in our own image, who are the us?
R. The will to receive that the Creator created to start with, He created it in a corrected state in order to bestow, and this form is already there and exists, it's without the involvement of itself the closeness of man Meaning it's a certain system because it exists we need to come to the system from the opposite form where we are opposite the system and then from us being opposite it and understanding slowly, slowly and identifying it and feeling it, then when we come to it, we come to it with two discernments. One discernment which is we are the will to receive opposite the Creator and the other form which is we have made from this similar to the Creator and those discernments clothe one another and then it turns out that we are included by those two. W are made of the creature which is opposite the Creator and we are included from the form of the Creator and those two forms are in us and then we are aware of all of creation from the beginning to the end, meaning to feel to discover and reveal the Creator himself.
34. S. (5:57) Before he created creation there was only wholeness, no deficiency?
R. We almost never talked about before the creation there's nothing to talk about it's only for my wild imagination.
S. What does it mean there was only wholeness before creation?
R. We're only the force of bestowal exists and you also can't say just where the force of bestowal exists as towards what does it exist? Slowly slowly we will start to receive spiritual discernment more and more and we will be able to depict these things more and more for the time being it doesn't concern me too much.
S. The wholeness was shattered?
R. Perfection shattered? Only the perfection that Adam HaRishon had in the Garden of Eden which is very small perfection and it was shattered, it is the smallness of ZON of Atzilut that was shattered in order to construct the ego from it and come to the understanding of the true and complete perfection.
35. S. (7:17) What does it mean let us make?
R. It is the force of reception and the force of bestowal together, you're right about that, there are many commentaries about that.
35A. S. (7:37) Why weren’t we born in a corrected format?
R. Why I can’t say, the Creator didn’t consult me before that, those answers we only attain later. From starting to feel how much creation is perfect, it can’t be that there is a created being if he doesn’t exist upon those two forms and discovers this upon that. That is why we can't depict what is the Creator outside of the creature, because it is some reality, how does it exist, what does it exist, in what manner does it exist, it doesn't give, it doesn't receive, it doesn't operate, what is that? We cannot imagine such a thing, not with our mind and not with our feelings. Therefore, that's why the whole of creation begins from outside, it's called Bar, outside of that perfection and what does the ARI start talking from know that prior to the emanation and the creation of the creation of the creatures is the upper lights filled all of reality and there's no Toch, no Sof, everything was filled with the light of Ein Sof and so on. This is the point from which we can start and from this point, it is prior to the creation of the world before meeting he's already connected the time and to the action. This is philosophy here and not the wisdom of Kabbalah we are not attaining these things in practice, that's why the wisdom of Kabbalah is not so happy to talk about these things, because this is not coming from the senses that we can measure change scrutinize then it is philosophy, okay therefore we will continue.
Excerpt 37 Reader (10:09 - 10:26)
37. RABASH, Article No. 40 (1991), "What Are Truth and Falsehood in the Work?"
We need to understand the interpretation of our sages (Midrash Rabbah, Portion 6), that at the time of the creation of the world, when He said to the angels, “Let us make man in our image,” Hesed [mercy] said, “Let him be created, for he does Hassadim [mercies]; Truth said, “Let him not be created, for he is all lies”; Tzedek [justice] said, “Let him be created, for he does righteousness”; Peace said, “Let him not be created, for he is all strife.” What did the Creator do? He took Truth, and cast it to the earth.
We know the words of our sages, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds], even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma [for Her sake].” Because of his lowliness, a person cannot engage in His Mitzvot right away in order to bring contentment to his Maker. By nature, he cannot make a move if not for his own sake. Hence, first he must engage in Mitzvot Lo Lishma, meaning out of self-benefit. However, he still draws abundance of Kedusha [holiness] while performing the Mitzvot, and through the abundance that he draws, he will eventually come to engage in Mitzvot Lishma.
36. R. Angels means forces, forces in creation that with them also the Creator and also we work means, also spiritual forces so-called angel Melachim, from the word Malchut who that from Malchut we activate these forces.
Reader continues (10:44 - 11:17)
37. R. We see that there are four forces in creation and they are all contradicting one another, to create or not to create, yes or no, and from this correct participation and are opposite from one another specifically from that man was created and it's there in a way that through the contradiction, can scrutinize the perfection of creation meaning that what are all those forces what are they can all take care of them together but the Creator has made it in such a way that if we use these forces correctly then from all these forces, we don't scrutinize them, we scrutinize the Creator himself that is that's what he created.
*Excerpt Reader continues (12:15 - 13:24)*
37A. R. Meaning man performs actions that he is told to do these actions have no necessity to be performed from his corporeal life but in order to rise spiritual degree in order to give his actions a part of spiritual essence of connection of closeness to the Creator then these actions become spiritual actions and help a person come closer to the Creator
38. S. (14:04) We said that Melechim, angels, from the word, Malchut, we operate spiritual forces, what does it mean we operate spiritual forces from Malchut?
R. To the extent that she connects to the first nine she adds her force usually it's the force of resistance to the will to the and then performs qualities that are above her and from the Creator
S. Advancing in the ten out of these forces is that activate forces from?
R. That's exactly what Rabash writes you as much as you annul yourself to the friends and as much as you connect to them he scrutinizes it through practical actions.
39. S. (15:05) What does it mean that truth was thrown to the Earth?
R. That we cannot use it and if we all the other qualities then from the land it will grow if we bestow to the land, to the desire, and by those qualities then the quality of Truth can grow from the land even though we directly cannot connect to it and bestow to it, because we're opposite from the tree.
40. S. (15:59) What happened for that reason that the Creator told to angels, let us make the woman, what happened?
R. This is the thought of creation that the Creator wanted to create the created being and raise it to his own degree. He can't create anything less than Himself because it's not suitable to the Creator. I'm speaking as people would talk, the way we explain, that's how he creates, He creates man, a creature, a spiritual creature, not a human that you see before you in corporeal eye that's not people, it's a living degree. But that creature, the spiritual creature, that force of reception, that is clothed in the intention that grows as some Spirit out of us, that is called Adam and we are all as beasts. We truly don't have any difference between man and beast, that's why only in the spiritual form that we grow from us, that will be called Adam and until then, we are all as beasts, the living degree. Because you have nothing that separates from the animals that you have a bigger ego and that's why you develop in your desire and you know even more how to ruin the world. That is the difference between man and beast that the beast doesn't ruin the world and you bring this world to oblivion, to a complete corruption and an end. That's why you're called Adam, that doesn't make you a man, Adam, you are the worst, most harmful beast so it's not talking about you when it's written Creator created man but a man Adam, as someone who wants to resemble the Creator, that's why the spiritual image is entirely in love and bestowal the others that will be called and Adam, from the word resembles the Creator.
41. S. (19:17) It is written that they created man in His image, are these two qualities in a person?
R. These are forms of the Creator that according to those forms he created the spiritual Adam that spiritual Adam will later on it will be shattered or divided into many parts and all of those parts fell into the will to receive, the corporeal, beastly will to receive and in each one of us there are sparks from that first spiritual Adam. Which is a bit of the will to receive and a bit of the light that all in all it is called a spark, the spark of the Creator and the spark of the created being. That is in each and every one of us and gives us the ability to develop the spark and to connect it with other sparks and in this way all of us will reach the degree of the Creator. Where is that spark? It is clothed in this wrapping called a beast, that is called man of this world. Clear? That we are animals, that we are beasts, but there is a spark and that spark is drawing man to come back to be that spiritual Adam. So that's called that it is from the degree of Israel, Yashar Kel, that isn't drawn to be as the Creator so then it is called the nations of the world. In this way we gradually come closer to a state that we will all wake up. In our times, we are now in the opening that everyone will start awakening to be like the Creator, to return to him. As it is written the sons of Israel return to your God. Add everybody, everybody all of these billions will eventually reach it, as it is written the home, my home will be the House of Prayer for all nations, my home is the Creator itself, and all the nations will flow to him.
42. S. (21:59) You said that the Creator created man, he created that desire with all of the light and it's complete correction and then there was a breaking.
R. He didn't create him in the end of correction, there were more additions, the end of correction from our world from the world of attainment. He created him in a way on behalf of the upper one. But there still isn't work or exertion or agreements, or a participation on the part of the lower one. Meaning he created him as an image, do you understand? Like this balloon in a form of man, but the internal part with our desire, with our nerves, with our exertion, with everything we are searching for and want and demand, that is lacking in the balloon.
S. We learn that in the ascent of the lower ones, in the corrections we attain 620 times more?
R. Correct because now we don't attain anything, but from that first feeling that was in Adam HaRishon in the Garden of Eden, meaning he was a swelled up balloon, everything was on the account of the Creator, we now it's saying 613 times more when we reach it with our exertion, soon.
43. S. (23:40) Can people hurt each other in thoughts all though they're still regarded as beast?
R. We must understand that we are in one system and as much as we advance and our advancement doesn't only depend upon us but also upon that general process. So by this we bestow to one another, we affect one another, all of our thoughts and desires influence each other mutually.
S. Why do we have no fear of this?
R. Because we are stupid, you see what you have right before you, we are causing what is happening on the earth ecology, bombs, everything is ready to destroy us we have prepared at all from each and every direction and what is going on, we don't even have the brains to digest what we have done. And how to keep ourselves from really not using all of these evil forces that we have prepared. Just the upper Force that is watching over us.
44. S. (25:11) I heard you say that we see there are four forces in creation and they're all focused on each other and the Creator created this in such a way that if we use these forces correctly, what does it mean to use the opposite forces correctly?
R. We learned that in peace in the world, those four forces it's like the four phases, when they exist correctly.
*Reader Excerpt 38 (25:53 - 26:47)*
38. Zohar for All, Pinhas, "Let Us Make Man in Our Image, After Our Own Likeness", No. 500
It was said, “Let us make man in our image after our own likeness,” why does it say afterward, “And God created the man in His own image”? When He asked the angels about the creation of man, some of them said, “Let him be created,” and some of them said, “Let him not be created.” The Creator created him, as it is written, “And God created the man in His own image.”
Thus, He did not place in him one portion from the angels, and he was not made in their form, but in the form of the king, in His image and after His own likeness, only in the image of the likeness of His mold.
45. R. These forces that work on us called the angels from the word Malchut, that activate us, all they're doing is pushing us to receive the form of the Creator, that is what the upper Force wants. That we will be like Him even though we are made from the opposite material and that is something that we don't understand yet what is going on, that in this opposites material and the will to receive, we will receive the form of the quality of bestowal and be able to exist in those two forces, what an opportunity that we have to know creation from within. All of it. we can't understand or feel this or give gratitude for it will come later on.
46. S. (27:43) Why do you say that the friends are in the beast degree?
R. Because we are animals, according to what are we man? Man, the sons of Adam, means that we are similar to the Creator, man means similar to the Creator, Adam. In what am I similar to the Creator? By being able to develop more than animals in this world, correct, yes. But that isn't called that I am already on a more developed degree from them towards Divinity. I am still in the same will to receive as they are, only that is why I have no preference over the animals. I am a worse animal than all other animals, worse, because I use all the other animals for the benefit of myself, I kill them even if I don't need to, I make whatever I want of them from the still, vegetative, animal even from other humans. No animal uses its will to receive more than it needs in order to survive, to live. That is why all of nature is in balance, would be in balance if not for men that goes into nature and completely demolishes everything, does that mean I'm higher or lower than other animals? I'm worse.
47. S. (30:18) They said let him not be created was there a doubt in creating man?
R. Yes, because if those four phases are there you can't reach the compensation, the purpose of creation.
S. Are you talking about the four phases, the fourth discernment?
R. Yes, they won't let us get there without the divine intervention from the Creator.
S. It means the Creator does everything?
R. Let's say it is his game, he is playing with the whale.
*Excerpt 39 Reader (31:08 - 31:45)*
39. Zohar for All, Yitro [Jethro], "You Will Behold the Secret of the Lines in the Palms,” No. 123
When the Creator created man, He set up all the forms of the high secrets of the upper world—Bina—within him, as well as all the forms of the lower secrets of the bottom world, Malchut. They are all engraved in man, who is in the shade of God, since he is called “a creation of the hand,” a creation of the hand of the Creator.
48. R. That is how the Zohar explains creation that in the end the Zohar doesn't speak about a corporeal man only about a spiritual one, that develops to the degree of the Creator.
*Excerpt 40 Reader (32:03 - 32:33)*
40. Zohar for All, VaEra [And I Appeared], "Four Elements: Fire, Wind, Water, Dust", No. 32
How dense are people for not knowing and not observing why they are in the world. After all, when the Creator created the world, He made man in His image and established him with His corrections, to engage in Torah and to walk in His ways.
49. R. The Zohar is surprised how people are dense and not knowing and not observing the world, after all when the Creator created the world he made man In His Image like the Creator and he established them in his corrections to walk in the Torah in his ways and we have to do it. Meaning as much as we advance by the Torah and Torah means the light that reforms, the light that bestows upon us at the right time when we connect correctly and want to be one body, the one Adam, the first Adam the one system and then the light, the upper light from that state bestows upon us and helps us advance.
*Excerpt 41 Reader (33:36 - 34:22)*
Zohar for All, Beresheet [Genesis], "Let Us Make Man", No. 167
“Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness.” “In our image” means in our light. “After our own likeness” means in our darkness, which is a clothing for the light, to separate it from that darkness that was created on the first day, of which it was said, “And the wicked will be silenced in darkness,” for it is not a clothing for the light but makes the man sin. The darkness of Ima is a clothing for the light, like the body, which is a clothing for the soul.
50. R. That's kind of complicated.
51. S. What does it mean that the Creator created man in His image?
R. To bestow, to entirely bestow, he wanted to make man that would bestow completely as he is because the form of bestowal is a special whole upper form that is why he made it in such a way, but it is not enough that he made it in such a way, that same image that he made needs to reach a decision that it is really good to be the bestower like the Creator and how does he do it? In an opposite way that he doesn't want it. Meaning that you have to create man in an egoistic form that is completely opposite of the Creator and that he himself will gradually reach the decision that he must be like the Creator. Then he reaches that.
52. S. (35:30) If a person attains the desire to bestow what is the difference between him and an angel?
R. The angel is a force of bestowal there is also a force of reception, there is a good force and an evil force that work, that the Creator activates in order to manage us on the way. These forces are activated by the Creator, by the decision of the Creator, but if man, he has the freedom of choice to do or not to do, yes or no, how and so on. To the angels they have no choice, they work and that's it. The difference between man and an angel that man has the freedom of choice and the angel does not. Like a machine, like animals, let's say all the vegetative, still and animate they are on the degrees of angels and only the Adam, man has freedom of choice. That is why what is written, that the Creator brings man to the good fortune and says take this for yourself, if you want it yes if you don't know but the Creator recommends that you do.
53. S. (37:13) Why in order to bestow to the Creator on the minimal ever do we have to first have a big Aviut?
R. It's not a big Aviut, thickness you have to feel that you're an egoist so that you have a decision of what you want to do.
54. S. (37:36) He writes that man was created in singular form and they went down and plural form
R. We will learn it, that is long, it is the way that it was divided into many first into two, Adam and Chava, Eve, and then more and more.
55. S. (38:11) What does it mean to be the work of the hands of the Creator as you say the woman is the work of the hands of the Creator?
R. We have to feel that we are like matter in the hands of the Maker, He, the Creator is doing everything but only according to the extent that we ask of Him and then we attain that it wasn't according to what we asked, but according to that our demands equalized with His plan.
56. S. (39:11) Tell us please what are the two types of darkness that the excerpt speaks about?
R. There is darkness from the vessels of reception and darkness that I myself wrap myself in vessels of concealment that I don't want to see the Creator because I am afraid that I will receive in order to receive.
57. S. (39:49) So we like, the Zohar are surprised at how dense we are although we're talking and doing often we find ourselves disconnected from the Creator in the goal, what is the advice of the Zohar to come out of this?
R. The Zohar has advised us through the group to ask the Creator for the quality of bestowal and then through the group to use that quality of bestowal correctly in order to bring the group to a spiritual Partzuf where the Creator can be revealed gradually.