The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Morning Lesson August 9, 2026
Part 1: Rabash. Three Prayers. Article 30 (1985)
Reader: Friends, in the first part of the lesson, we'll watch a recorded lesson from the 29th of July, 2002, based on the article "Three Prayers." You can find the article in the Study Materials tab. We'll read it together in the Ten. We have 23 minutes for that.
Reading: (00:34) Rabash. Three Prayers
Article No. 30, 1985
It is written in The Zohar, Balak (item 187): “Three are the ones called ‘prayer’: a prayer for Moses, a prayer for David, a prayer for the poor. Of those three, which is the most important? A prayer for the poor. This prayer precedes the prayer of Moses and precedes the prayer of David. What is the reason?
It is because a poor is brokenhearted, and it is written, ‘The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.’ The poor always quarrels with the Creator, and the Creator listens and hears his words, ‘a prayer for the poor when he is weak [also: wraps].’ It should have said, ‘when he is wrapped’; what is ‘when he wraps’? It means that he creates a delay, delaying all the prayers in the world, which do not enter until his prayer enters. The Creator alone is unified with these grievances, as it is written, ‘and pours out his words before the Lord.’ All the hosts of heaven ask one another, ‘What does the Creator do? In what is He exerting?’ They are told, ‘He is becoming passionately unified with His Kelim [vessels],’ meaning with the brokenhearted. This prayer causes delay and postponement to all the prayers in the world.”
Concerning these three prayers, we should understand the difference between the prayers of Moses, David, and the poor. What is the importance of the poor, in that he has grievances against the Creator, and for which he delays all the prayers? We should also understand what it means that it delays all the prayers in the world? Is the Creator unable to answer all the prayers at once? Does He need to take up time, as though they need to stand in line one-by-one?
We will interpret this in the work, for all these prayers apply to one person. These are three consecutive states in the order of the work. We find that there are three deficiencies that one should ask the Creator to satisfy for him: 1) Torah, which is called “Moses,” 2) the kingdom of heaven, 3) a poor, who is brokenhearted, pertaining to his Kelim.
We should understand why he says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” which is called “close.” We learn that “close” means equivalence of form. But how can we speak of equivalence of form with the Creator if he is brokenhearted? We should also understand what we learn, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth.” That is, what is “close”? “Truth” is called “close,” and brokenhearted is not called “close.”
We should also understand the grievance that the poor has against the Creator, as though the Creator is saying that the poor is right, for we see that because of the grievances He listens to him more than to others, as said in the above words of the holy Zohar.
But it is written in The Zohar (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” item 174): “Rabbi Shimon started, ‘One who rejoices in holidays and does not give his share to the Creator.’” In The Zohar (item 175), he explains what is the share of the Creator: “The share of the Creator is to delight the poor as much as he can, for on holidays the Creator comes to see His broken Kelim.”
He interprets in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] why the Creator’s share is for the poor, pertaining to the breaking of the vessels that preceded the creation of the world. In his words: “By the breaking of the Kelim of Kedusha [holiness] and their fall into the separated BYA, sparks of Kedusha fell into the Klipot [shells/peels]. From them, all sorts of pleasures and fancies come into the domain of the Klipot, for the sparks transfer them into man’s reception and for his pleasure. By that, they cause all kinds of transgressions, such as theft, robbery, and murder.”
Accordingly, we should interpret what it means that a poor’s complaint is with a grievance. He says, “Why is it my fault that He has created me from broken vessels, because of which I have within me all the evil lusts and evil thoughts? All this came to me only because I extend from the breaking of the vessels, which was the first place where they wanted to extend the upper abundance into the vessels of reception with the intention to receive in order to receive, and not at all with the intention to bestow. Because of it, self-love has been installed in me, and for this reason I am far from anything spiritual and have no part in Kedusha, which is founded only on vessels that have the intention to bestow.
It follows that all my suffering at having no access to Kedusha and seeing that I am far from You due to the disparity of form that I have as a result of self-love, which is the whole enemy that is in my heart, He is the one who causes all of my bad states. It all came because You created me this way!”
For this reason, he comes with complaints and says, “I cannot change the nature with which You created me, but I want that just as You have created me with self-love, now You will give me a second nature, as You have given me the first, meaning a desire to bestow, for I cannot fight against the nature that You have imprinted in me. Moreover, I have evidence that it is Your fault that I haven’t the strength to overcome. Our sages said (Kidushin 30), ‘Rabbi Shimon Ben Levi said, ‘Man’s inclination overpowers him each day and seeks to put him to death, as it was said, ‘The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.’ Were it not for the Creator’s help, he would not have overcome it, as it was said, ‘God will not leave him in his hand.’”
It follows that the grievances of the poor are justified. That is, he hasn’t the strength to overcome it if the Creator does not help him, as our sages said. Therefore, he comes with a complaint to the Creator that only He can help, and none other, as it is implied from the words of our sages that the Creator did so deliberately, so there would be a need for prayer, since “The Creator awaits the prayer of the righteous,” meaning those who pray that they want to be righteous. The reason for this was explained in the previous essays of Baal HaSulam.
It therefore follows that his grievances with the Creator for creating him in such lowliness is justified, meaning that the Creator Himself made it so that he cannot expect anything to help him but the Creator. This is why the prayer of the poor is called “brokenhearted,” meaning it comes from the breaking of the vessels. It follows that the argument of the brokenhearted is a true argument, and truth is called “close” because it is in equivalence of form with the Creator. This is why this prayer is answered first, since here begins the order of the work.
By this we will understand what we asked, that here he says that “close” means brokenhearted, and there we learned that “near” is true, as it is written, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth.” The answer is that the argument of the brokenhearted is a true argument. It follows that the two are the same, meaning that we must know that when we come to pray to the Creator we must speak to him words of truth.
This is what we explained in the previous article [29, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey], that when he comes to pray to the Creator he needs to ask the Creator to help him: “Since I am truly in the worst state in the world, for although there might be lower people than I, both in Torah and in work, they do not feel the truth as I see my situation.
Therefore, they still do not have the deficiency that I have, and therefore do not need Your help so much. But I do see my true state—that I am completely disconnected from spirituality after all the work that I have done both in time and in effort. And yet, now I see that ‘the former days were better than these,’ and as much as I may try to go forward, I feel that I am going backwards.” This is called “a true argument,” and to this it is possible to attribute equivalence of form with the Creator in that he is making a true argument.
By this we will understand the question, “Why does the prayer of the poor delay all the prayers? Is the Creator unable to answer all the prayers at once?” We need to learn all three prayers in one body. This means that it is impossible to answer everything a person asks, except by order of the degree that a person can receive. That is, if he receives this, it will be to his best. But if he receives some satisfaction that he wants it will be to his detriment, and his wish will certainly not be granted because the Creator wants to benefit him and not harm him.
Therefore, the lower one must receive from above according to what the lower one really needs. This is why he must pray for his poverty, that he has grievances that He created him with a will to receive, which he feels is causing all the evil in him and causing all his troubles. Afterwards he can ask to be given the kingdom of heaven, for he has already been given vessels of bestowal and can already receive faith, called the “kingdom of heaven.”
That is, one cannot attain the burden of the kingdom of heaven, called “faith,” before he has vessels of bestowal, as he says in the Sulam (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” p 138): “It is a law that the creature cannot receive apparent harm from Him, for it is a flaw in His glory that the creature should perceive Him as doing harm, for it is inappropriate for the perfect Operator. Hence, when one feels bad, to that extent there is denial of His guidance upon him and the Operator is hidden from him.”
Therefore, first one should receive strength from above to have a second nature, which is the desire to bestow. Subsequently, he can ask for another degree, which is David, meaning the kingdom of heaven. It follows that the prayer of the poor delays all the other prayers, meaning that before the poor receives his wish, one cannot acquire higher degrees. This is why it is written, “A prayer for the poor when he is weak [also “wraps”].”
Then comes the second prayer, which is the prayer for David, being the kingdom of heaven, when he asks to have faith, to feel the Operator who operates with His guidance over the entire world. This is so because now he can already perceive the Creator as doing good, as written in the Sulam, since he already has vessels of bestowal.
Thus, he can already see how He is doing good.
It follows that it is impossible to obtain faith, which is the kingdom of heaven, before one has acquired the correction of the qualities—to always be ready to bestow and not receive in order to receive. Otherwise from above he is not permitted to obtain faith. This is regarded as the prayer of the poor delaying all the prayers. That is, before a person reveals his deficiency—that he is immersed in self-love, and wants to emerge from it—it is pointless to ask for other things.
Afterwards comes the time for the prayer for Moses, which is regarded as the Torah. This is so because it is impossible to be rewarded with the Torah before he obtains faith, for “It is forbidden to teach idol-worshippers the Torah,” as it was said, “This is the law [Torah] that Moses set before the children of Israel.”
And it is written in The Zohar: “It is forbidden to teach idol-worshippers the Torah,” and “One who circumcised himself but does not keep the commandments of the Torah is as though he was not circumcised, as it is written (Jethro), ‘If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your sword on it, you will profane it.’ Although you wielded your sword on it, meaning he circumcised himself, he profanes it, which means that he profaned the circumcision.”
This means that even one who is circumcised and has Jewish parents is still not regarded as “Israel” with respect to the Torah, meaning that it is permitted to learn with him Torah, if he is not keeping the commandments of the Torah. This is what is implied from the above words of The Zohar.
It is written in The Zohar (Pinhas, item 68): “‘And wine makes man’s heart glad.’ This is the wine of Torah, for wine is the same number as Sod [secret]. As the wine must be concealed and sealed so it is not poured into idol-worship, so is the Torah: it must be concealed and sealed, and all her secrets are poured out only to those who fear Him.”
Thus, the prayer for Moses, which is the Torah, is a degree that comes after the kingdom of heaven, called fear. This is the meaning of the Torah being given specifically to those who fear Him. This is also the meaning of what our sages said, “The hand Tefillin precedes the head Tefillin,” since it is written, “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals between your eyes.”
The holy Zohar interprets that the hand Tefillin is Malchut, and the head Tefillin is ZA. The hand Tefillin should be covered because it is written, “And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand,” and they explained “To you as a sign, and not to others as a sign.” Baal HaSulam said that Malchut is called “faith.”
For this reason, it must be concealed, which means that because Malchut is faith above reason, it is called “concealment.” Therefore, once he acquires faith, which is called “kingdom of heaven,” he can be rewarded with the Torah, called ZA, which implies the head Tefillin, where there is already disclosure of Torah. This is why our sages said about the verse, “And all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you,” that these are the head Tefillin, where there is seeing.
Reader: And now, friends, we will go to a lesson of Rav Laitman from the date 29th of July, 2002.
M. Laitman: (21:28) We've read an article from the weekly portion “Balak,” as per usual from “Rungs of the Ladder,” page 187 ,"Three Are Called a Prayer." What does it mean, three are called a prayer? It's about there being three prayers: the prayer of Moses, the prayer of David, and the prayer for the poor.
Meaning three requests where all of a person's requests, whether he knows it or not, in various situations. Whichever they may be, they can only be one of the three of each one of those. Either for Moses, or for David, or for the poor and the request that's truly effective bringing a person forward in the most effective way, is the request of the poor he feels that he is lacking; he has nothing. He sees that the first days were better than these days of now, meaning that his state is worse now. Worse, meaning he sees his qualities as being worse. It's not necessarily that he suffers from this, if he understands that this is how it should be, he's glad of it, but this sentence, where he sees that the first days were better than the days of now — this might actually bring him happiness. And so the poor is first in line.
Meaning this lack of the prayers of David and the prayers of Moses, it's actually the lack of the poor, which comes first, influences a person's advancement, and comes first by order. And indeed, what we need is to first focus all the impressions from the states in which a person feels who he is, what he is, his qualities, his characteristics — to focus them all into a lack- which would be called a prayer for the poor. In short, this is a person asking for corrections.
Poor, destitute — what does it mean, destitute? He lacks corrections, as in this world, corresponding to root and branch. In this world, who is poor? One who has no money — Kesef in Hebrew, from the word Kisufa, a covering, a screen. When there is a screen, then there's no problem to receive, to pay and to receive whatever he wants.
And so, reaching such a lack, where what one lacks isn't fulfillments in order to receive, but rather the force of restriction and coverings — the desire for that is called the desire of the poor.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (25:32) But the prayer of the poor is when a person already feels that he is immersed in self-love and wants to come out of his state.
M. Laitman: Meaning, that the prayer should be founded on several clear discernments already: who am I, compared to what I want to be, and for this gap to be such that it breaks my heart, that I truly ask. Where all the other conditions in my current situation, I don't care about them. I don't care about them in comparison with this parameter that I want replaced, changed.
Bless God- I feel good, it's hot, I'm dry, I have food, I have respect, money, security for the future, various things which a person, you know — health and everything, but one thing I lack, and because of that I feel poor. I feel my poverty, really, as being total, I have nothing.
The Rabash always gave the example of a woman- you know usually a woman's closet and a man's closet. You know of my wife it's an entire room, her closet, you could say; mine is somewhere there in the corner where I sleep. And if you ask her, she'll still say, "What, I have nothing to wear, I have nothing, nothing." That is the lack, the Nukva, the female, just like that.
Meaning, you have everything, but nothing; you feel you have nothing. Why? The main thing, which now appears to be the primary, the main thing, you don't have that, and because of that, everything else doesn't cover for it, it's all worthless. That is the feeling.
There's nothing you can do about it, that's how a person feels. Meaning, you don't need to lose all of your assets and be thrown to the bottom rungs of society. It's the feeling of poverty, being poor in spirituality, because that is what you want to attain. It needs to be such, that feeling that everything else doesn't count. That's one thing. The other thing is, you know more or less, that you know more or less what you want. Meaning what are you, how are you poor? We have states where simply I feel I have nothing. What do you want? I don't know what I want, but I feel bad. This is not a prayer yet, because I don't know what I'm demanding. It needs to be a clear request, clear knowledge regarding what to ask for.
Meaning the lack, the sensation of the lack, fine, but the vessel of the lack, it needs to be clear to me, to its full depth, all four discernments of it, so I'll know exactly what I want. Otherwise I will get no response, no reply. And the third thing is, that I'll turn to the right place, where what I want exists. That I won't go to a tree or a wood storage if I want to get flour. So I also need to scrutinize who to turn to, that He has what I want, and He wants to give it also, that it's part of His plan. And then there's this click between the giver and the receiver, because it's both in the desire of the giver and that of the receiver, and the quality and quantity of the thing they agree about — there's an agreement, and then it's clear. It has to be exactly equal, like when you have one hole, another hole, and you need to, let's say, insert a stick between the two holes, so exactly aligned, perfectly, it is exactly aligned. You understand? It has to be exactly perfect. So that is exactly the feeling. So here, also, we have all these conditions, and then it is called a prayer, giving a prayer for the poor, of the poor. Of course, it's not Moses or David, it's already — it's sort of luxury beyond that.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:58) To know what's wrong with me and come with it as a demand for correction, that is clear. I mean, that's possible. But how can I know what I want from Him, so that He will help me? That I already don't understand. I can know what's wrong with me, that, yes.
M. Laitman: No, you don't ask Him, "Help me in this way or that way." You don't say, "I want money. How much do I need? 2000 shekels. This will be enough for me, it'll give me everything I need. I know what I need and what I'll do with it." So I ask something clear, clearly defined of Him, and I don't care how that money will be given to me — through maybe a courier, or straight into the bank, or in a letter, a check. It doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter. I don't intervene with His business, how He does it, how His office does things. Understand? I agree with these things. That's His part. I know what I need to receive. Understand? It also applies, it's also in what way to receive. But that relates to the form of reception, it belongs to my vessel, but not how He does that, the Creator. The lower one doesn't know. He just concedes that. He doesn't even want to know. If you lack something, then what you lack is what you need to be filled by. That lack, and not how. You don't mind how He will do it. Why do I care? Doctors say they can heal me. I'm fine. Go ahead, you're welcome. I'm yours. Do whatever you want to me. I don't intervene there with his knowledge and what he'll do. I don't know. Sometimes it is explained, but that's kind of — that's corruption. It's used for, well, psychological needs here in our world, but it's completely — it doesn't relate to the receiver.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:05) This topic isn't clear to me. If a person now feels the lack, he feels that he's immersed in self-love, and you're saying that it's not enough for him to know this lack, it's not enough for him to feel it. He needs to know that the Creator can correct this lack for him. He needs to know why he's in self-love, and he needs to know what he will do when they correct his self-love. How can he even know these things? How can I know what I will do when they correct it for me? I'm not there at all. I have no criteria.
M. Laitman: Nothing. A person is not demanded to know anything beyond his vessel. But if you ask for corrections and fulfillments, then you need to know exactly what those corrections and fulfillments that you'll have are. Otherwise, it doesn't mean that you ask. It's not called a lack. A request means that you scrutinize it exactly, and you know what it is. Unless you're on the degree of a baby, or the degree of an embryo, or the degree of the small, then the requests are proportionate to the level, the spiritual level called an embryo. In that a person annuls himself, and he doesn't intervene at all in whatever comes to him. He just wants to be adhered. That's it. But also, just being adhered, there are many degrees to that. It's the nine months of conception. All the coarseness, all the thoughts, all the confusions and disruptions that come to him, above them he remains adhered, and by that he grows. He adds more and more lack s to himself.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:55) If a person has the same general lack, he feels that he's working in such a state, he feels that it's not good for him, this self-love, he feels that he's stuck inside the ego, he does not have the ability to…
M. Laitman: To feel that I'm in the ego, and I feel bad about it, that's nothing. Look, there are many people in the world who feel that they're egoists and it's bad, they feel bad about it. It's just a person who is a little bit more developed. He sees, he watches TV for example, he sees how people are dying in various disasters, they're starving to death, and he can feel that he doesn't care at all. They write about it in the newspapers, that people care about nothing. So, someone who doesn't care, he writes about that.
Student: I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about a person who studies here, follows the path, wants to reach something else, wants to reach that spirituality.
M. Laitman: I wanted to say that in you saying that I'm an egoist, you didn't say anything special. This is knowledge that many people have. When I explain it to everyone in a lecture, everyone agrees. Why do they care? In truth, they feel this is rational, this is acceptable, reasonable. You see how the body functions, how everything in us functions. That it's truly all within the bounds of self-love.
Student: How from this place, from a point where I also want to reach a place called spirituality, where I don't know exactly what it is, but apparently it's something outside the ego; how do I, from this general thing, from this present raw material, begin to make and examine discernments within it in order to reach a clarified request in such a way that it's possible to…?
M. Laitman: How do I, from being just an egoist and feeling that it is so, how do I further scrutinize this vessel? Meaning delve into it, into the roots, discernments 1, 2, 3, and 4, where I know exactly all the details, all things, and also, I learn these qualities and I see what's written.
The lights scrutinize the vessels. I have no solution with my intellect so as to truly be able to check what this vessel is, the will to receive. I can, from the perspective of psychology or biology, see that it functions that way, how the cells behave, each one wants what's best for it, it wants to swallow and do. The laws of nature, right, or in psychology, that's how people work. But it's not sufficient for the scrutiny of this vessel to determine that it's evil. And evil, it's not that I don't care about people starving in Africa. Evil opposite the Creator, that's what I need. So, with respect to the Creator, where is that? Do I have it? So, we need to… Something needs to be revealed to me from above, opposite which I'll feel that it's towards me.
Meaning, the surrounding light is mandatory here. Without it, I can't delve into what I need to delve into within my will and to check all the data there. I can't just shout that I feel bad. There are people that are so gentle. They see that you killed some fly and they're ready to kill you, it makes them feel so bad. So, we're not talking about that.
We need discernments corresponding to the Creator. And there are none, outside of the surrounding light. That factor, the surrounding light, it gives us proportions from the world to come. I understand that it's not right in front of you where you can see it and measure it and do anything about it, but that's how it is. You can see, as much as we talk about it, a person still doesn't feel that it's in his hands. You're told, "Oh, you lack the surrounding light. Please go ahead here, study. Then you'll get more of the surrounding light." You start studying and you forget about the surrounding light, right? There's no connection. You don't see a connection. You don't see that from that it comes, from the text that's connected to the surrounding light.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (38:51) The poor is the one who asks for corrections. The poor person is someone who asks for corrections. How does he find a way to understand that what he needs is corrections? How does he know what corrections are, and that he knows that he needs… How does he know that this is actually about a request?
M. Laitman: If a person doesn't know that he needs to ask now, and he asks, and he knows what he needs to ask about and who to ask it of — if he doesn't know, he's not called poor. He's not poor yet. He doesn't feel himself to be poor, because poor, that's the sum total of all the discernments, which in total give you, create that concept of the poor. Otherwise he’s not before David or Moses. Because they're asking for luxuries, so to speak, as far as the poor sees it. Yes, I want to thank You, I want to receive in order to bestow, all these things. Moshe, that's Netzach Yisrael, you understand. David, that's all of it. The poor is the beginning of the work.
Student: And at the stage of the corrections, how does he know exactly what he needs to correct?
M. Laitman: How does he know? Gradually, the surrounding light creates in him the discernments. But until it does that, the surrounding light, that person is not called poor. We still don't think about ourselves that we're poor. We have something, God bless, we can settle for it, we can settle for it, it's not so bad. And to bring us to the degree of the poor — ascents and descents, ascents and descents. And in each ascent, you look, you see, I'm poor? I have, God bless, everything. And then again you fall. And with respect to the previous ascent, you see that it's nothing, you have nothing, and so on. And this accumulates. Both these extremes need to accumulate in ascents and descents to a sufficient quota let's say, form where they determine these two extremes they will.
You don't know, we don't understand yet that the ascents and descents are different in category, how to say, different discernments. Each time I lose all of my assets, all of my possessions, then I rise again. Once I descend in love, I rise in love. I descend in joy, I ascend in joy. Meaning, each time the ascents and descents are with respect to something different, you see? We can't distinguish it, but that's how it is. And ultimately, when they all accumulate, then they bring me the right discernment between I below, and Him above.
Student: And also they change in terms of difficulty?
M. Laitman: In terms of difficulty, of course they change. In terms of difficulty, ascents and descents change to such an extent that, well, it's written about the Rabbi of Ropshitz, the Baal Shem Tov, that during descents they would forget the alphabet, the alphabet. They would look at it, and there'd be such a departure of Mochin, that he'd be reading, what is that, “Balak?” He cannot read, you understand? We're not talking about him being unable to understand Pshat or Pardes, or being in a loss of degree with him since spiritual and corporeal degrees are dressed together, the loss of a degree simply means that there is not even the possibility of reading. He does not know these letters, he does not remember that there is such a thing as letters. On the great degrees, the gap between the degrees, this cut between them, is the departure of the Mochin. With us, no. With us, just as there is no life this way, there's also no life that way, it's not so bad.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (42:57) So a person actually knows what correction he needs to ask for and what he's supposed to get?
M. Laitman: Yes, a person needs to know all the details of his empty vessel, and exactly what its emptiness is. That is, ultimately, he needs to know what the filling that should be there is.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:22) A person who has fuel for prayer and so on, what does he use when he exits that stage, when everything's fine and he lacks nothing?
M. Laitman: There is nothing worse than a state where a person has come out of a descent into some kind of animalistic or beastly fulfillment and thanked the Creator, everything’s good and fine and all right, and it's possible to just continue living like this. If he has established his daily schedule and nevertheless comes and studies and everything, and surely another blow is waiting for him somewhere along the way, right? That's clear. But if this satisfaction is so animalistic or so beastly, then he does not even return to study. What should he do? How should he use this state correctly?
We talk about that in which, in each and every state, we need to establish our attitude toward it. Establishing our attitude toward it is simply, how do I determine what this state is, how this state is connected to the goal? And this state in which I am satisfied is very hard to come out of. But it is, it's very hard to move oneself. Only by becoming incorporated with the society, then whether you want to or not you’ll begin to move because they will provide you with their deficiencies.
You're in some kind of an animalistic, beastly satisfaction, but there are many people here who are in the opposite state — in dissatisfaction, emotional, spiritual, and animalistic as well. And then you will quickly renew your vessels.
Alone, when a person passes from one state to another by himself, the time stretches out. It's really terrible, it's terrible. It takes months for the states to change, because he is alone.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (45:35) I don't understand this mode of operation, the lights and all this, this whole process.
M. Laitman: Well even if you don't understand how it works, it works. You understand? It doesn't depend on your understanding. Depends on what you do. "As an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load," you understand? Neither the ox nor the donkey has much intellect, but if they do what's needed of them, this one for the burden and that one for the load, then everything's fine. And it's written, "The ox knows its owner," right? It comes to knowing. Look from where?
From an ox, from the quality of an ox, it reaches “the ox knows, knows its owner.” Knowing it means connection. How can such a thing exist in this world? Do you see an ox knowing its owner like that? In spirituality it really is knowledge. You don't need intellect at all.
Student: The mind disrupts.
M. Laitman: The mind doesn't disrupt, it doesn't interfere. No, nothing was created that interferes. The mind, the intellect, it doesn't interfere, but using it correctly is a problem. You need a lot of intellect in order to use that intellect correctly.
Student: I want the Creator, to swallow.
M. Laitman: You want — what does it mean, to swallow?
Student: For me, for my sake, for my benefit.
M. Laitman: You want to use Him for your own pleasure. You want the Creator to serve you.
Student: Yes, I want to be like Him.
M. Laitman: And afterward you somehow reach a state where you want to serve Him, right? That's it. How does this transition from one to the other happen? That is, who gives you this transition? With us this is called, really in the degrees it's called the correction by the light of AB SAG. It's the same desire that you wanted to enjoy. Now, that same pleasure that you wanted to receive from Him through it, you also want to receive that pleasure from it, but so that He will feel the pleasure from it, because He wants it. That is, you want it to happen to Him that way. How can I put it?
You use the same vessel, the same pleasure, the same vessel. You add an intention, you do not change the vessel itself. Your problem is that it seems to you that you're jumping into something, into something else, but the vessel remains just as it was before. If previously you recognized it and wanted to enjoy from Him and receive from Him, that's called a Klipa, shell. Now you turn it into Kedusha, into holiness, only through the intention.
P p There is no difference between Klipa and a BBB Kedusha except the intention alone. Thus they're called two parallel systems that exist opposite one another. It's very simple. What's missing? That the light should come from above, right? It'll shine upon me and I jump from left to right. Simple. I have absolutely no control over it. If such an action comes from above, that's it.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (49:36) How can we tie this to the group?
M. Laitman: In the group, I cannot receive corrections from the group. From the group, I can receive only incorporation. Right? There are no lights in my friends such that I receive the measure of correction that is in them, and then I receive it too. No. The incorporation between us is incorporation as in the soul of Adam HaRishon, as we learn, its incorporation in the vessels. But the more the vessels we have, the more deficiencies accumulate and become greater and demand corrections, the right things, stronger and stronger. Then the surrounding light comes from above and more quickly corrects an overall collective desire than some small individual desire. Depict to yourself that now, if people are now protesting over layoffs, over jobs, over all kinds of things in the country; there were such things in the past as well, but they weren't happening among the masses. Now it reaches a state where you understand, if it happens, say, to another few thousand people, the government will fall. Very simple. The quantity, the desire, inverts your whole reality. So whether one person is shouting or a thousand are shouting, it's different. That's it.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (51:18) How to relate to a state which isn't connected to the goal? My child is sick, or maybe there's some court case. How to tie these to the goal?
M. Laitman: If I'm in some kind of trouble in this world, God forbid, my child is sick, or I have some court case, some matter with the police, all kinds of troubles like these that give us no peace, then I need to understand that these circumstances have a purposeful form.
On one hand, I must deal with them on the level of this world: go to a lawyer, take all kinds of actions- whatever’s customary to do in this world, because through these systems the Creator has arranged from above how we need to conduct ourselves. That's one thing.
Second, in all these systems I need to see where I'm receiving this from, from whom I received it, and carry out all these actions with the intention of being connected with Him. When I go to a lawyer, when I sit with a lawyer I know that I received that from the Creator, and I received from Him, from the lawyer, the instruction to deal with it through a lawyer. It could be a non-Jew, a secular person, it doesn't matter who or what deals with it through him, that's it. These two things go together.
This world is altogether a kind of wrapping, a system in which, at our degree I need to accept all the laws of this world, even laws that are not natural. The laws of nature are certain because nature has the same numerical value as Elohim, as God. Meaning that these are literally the Creator's actions in a direct form. But even laws that are not laws of nature, but artificial laws made by human beings, the laws of the state, courts, all kinds of things. I need to use them as they are. That's it. As they are and to understand or not to understand, but to think and to remain connected with the Creator who is inside all of that.
Then nothing cancels out anything else for you. And one who runs away from it does not use what's been given to him for progress. So it's written, "Do not separate yourself from the public," "permission has been given to the physician to heal," and all kinds of such things. "I dwell among My own people."
A person needs to actually use all the systems that are before him. And it's not that this finds favor in my eyes, and that does not find favor in my eyes. There is no such thing. You are the one who determines it. And according to how you conduct yourself with it- accordingly- from above, they also give you these or those conditions and circumstances. So don't run away from these things. To such an extent that Rabash found it very strange. It was not strange to him, he understood it, but it was as though- why don't people pay taxes? Why do they run away from paying income tax? Because in the spiritual form, you use the systems that exist, and that's it.
Student: Even when you're certain it’s wrong.
M. Laitman: (55:06) It's not a matter of whether you are sure or not. If you do not go and directly follow all the laws, then it is as though you are not getting along with Him, with the Creator, who placed them before you in this way. For him, these were very serious matters. To enter a store and how much something costs when you have no intention of buying it — that was forbidden. To intend something towards someone else, that you're giving something to them, but whether it will reach them or not, all kinds of such calculations — he would insist on such things.
You can ask Feiga, his wife, as well. He required this of her too. Not that he demanded it, but he said that this is not how you do it, and this is how you do it. This integrity of his was something almost obsessive. It really seemed like you simply do not do that. You understand? I would say to him, but if you say to take an example from what happens in society, then even though in society the book says such and such, people actually behave differently. So should we follow the law that is written in the book or in the book, you know, like American laws?
They have laws there that you are not allowed to walk down the street with an elephant. You understand? And that law still exists. You understand? Well, something like that. So do we follow those laws, or do we follow the laws as they are today, only they forgot to write them down? That’s a topic in and of itself. You have no problem with that, right? You are an honest, innocent person. Keep going.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (56:58) You said that our problem is that we don’t remember about the surrounding light. What will it give me if I have no lack? How will remembering it help?
M. Laitman: If a person suddenly finds himself in a moment where “I have no lacks, I have nothing, everything is fine,” or “I am kind of hazy, and life just passes by.” That’s how we feel most of the time. We don’t feel that we are in such states. Then only the habit of becoming incorporated in a group helps. Habit. That brings him into all kinds of activities of the group, and then he receives a lack, and then he is renewed. Because you do not catch yourself throughout the entire day and see where you are, in what internality, in what inner state.
You simply pass through it like that from moment to moment, just like that, and roll along. Only the habit of becoming connected with the group, with everyone together, within them, changes you.
Otherwise, time simply becomes erased. It goes, and goes, and goes. Another day, and another day, and another day, and you still have not received any renewal. Until a Reshimo, a record, is renewed in you, only through your own forces, when from above there is some slight change in the general lights, the general system — then wait another hundred years until something comes out of it.
So again I say, therefore, it needs to become a habit in what we do and how we act. Everyone has some group to teach. There is a regular friends' gathering. There are meals. We talk about it here. Each time, all kinds of things need to be determined and established. But what influences you most is that you are in the society that influences you — not that you go and teach someone, not that you do some things of your own there, or even that you're doing something in the kitchen, but that you are under the influence of the friends, under the influence of the friends.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (59:39) Our state could be the opposite. We have grown accustomed to being in the group, and then it's also a kind of habit, as you say, where it's always the same.
M. Laitman: There is also a habit of being in the group, right? There is a habit for everything. There are habits in spirituality too. Habit exists in spirituality too.
Student: So, we need something extra.
M. Laitman: So, we need to build support systems that will help me time and again, and help me. Why is there specifically work in this every time? Because in this, you need to renew the importance of the Creator. At the end of it all, only the importance of the Creator, when it lights up for you like a red warning light, that'll compel you to perform all these actions.
Reader: And now, friends, let's summarize our impressions from the lesson, what we take for implementation in the Ten. Six minutes workshop.
Reader: And now, friends, we'll continue to the next part of the lesson.