The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Lesson (Morning) December 3, 2024.
Part 1: Baal HaSulam. A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar
Reader: Hello, we are reading from “TheSpeech for the Completion of the Zohar”, continuing from the verse, “now you can understand the verse.” You can find the text on kabbalahgroup.info in the Arvut system.
“Speech for the Completion of the Zohar”, “now you can understand the verse.”
Reading: (00:29) Now you can understand the verse, “In the multitude of people is the king’s glory,” since the measure of the greatness comes from the environment under two conditions:
The extent of the appreciation of the environment.
The size of the environment.
Thus, “In the multitude of people is the king’s glory.”
Because of the great difficulty in the matter, our sages advised us: “Make for yourself a Rav [teacher/great person] and buy yourself a friend.” This means that one should choose for oneself an important and renowned person to be his Rav, and from him he will be able to come to engaging in Torah and Mitzvot in order to bring contentment to his Maker. This is so because there are two extenuations concerning one’s Rav:
Since he is an important person, the student can bestow contentment upon him, based on the sublimity of his Rav, since bestowal becomes as reception for him. This is a natural fuel, so one can always increase his acts of bestowal. Once a person grows accustomed to engaging in bestowal upon the Rav, he can transfer it to engaging in Torah and Mitzvot Lishma toward the Creator too, since habit becomes a second nature.
Equivalence of form with the Creator does not help if it is not forever, “Until He who knows the mysteries will testify that he will not return to his folly.” This is not so with equivalence of form with his Rav. Since the Rav is in this world, within time, equivalence of form with him helps even if it is only temporary and he later turns sour again.
Thus, every time one equalizes one’s form with one’s Rav, he adheres to him for a time. As a result, he obtains the knowledge and thoughts of the Rav, according to his measure of Dvekut, as we explained in the allegory about the organ that has been cut off from the body and was reunited with it.
For this reason, the student can use his Rav’s attainment of the Creator’s greatness, which inverts bestowal into reception and sufficient fuel to give one’s heart and soul. At that time, the student, too, will be able to engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lishma with his very heart and soul, which is the remedy that yields eternal Dvekut with the Creator.
Now you can understand what our sages said (Berachot 7b): “Serving in the Torah is greater than learning it, as it is said, ‘Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on Elijah’s hands.’ It did not say ‘learned,’ but ‘poured.’” This is perplexing; how can simple acts be greater than studying the wisdom and the knowledge?
But according to the above, we thoroughly understand that serving the Rav with one’s body and soul in order to bring contentment to his Rav brings him to Dvekut with his Rav, meaning to equivalence of form. By this he receives the thoughts and knowledge of the Rav by way of “mouth-to-mouth,” which is Dvekut of spirit with spirit. In this way, he is rewarded with obtaining His greatness sufficiently to turn bestowal into reception, to become sufficient fuel for devotion, until he is rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator.
This is not so concerning learning Torah with his Rav, as this must be for his own benefit and does not yield Dvekut. It is considered “from mouth to ear.” Thus, serving brings the student the Rav’s thoughts, and the learning—only the Rav’s words. Thus, the merit of serving is greater than the merit of learning as the importance of the Rav’s thoughts compared to the Rav’s words, and as the importance of “mouth-to-mouth” compared to “from mouth to ear.”
However, all this is true if the service is in order to bestow contentment upon his Rav. Yet, if the service is to benefit himself, such service cannot bring him to Dvekut with his Rav, so learning with the Rav is certainly more important than serving him.
M. Laitman: Questions, please.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:50) What is to bestow contentment to his Rav?
M. Laitman: To perform the actions, and the study, and the connection, and dissemination according to what one's Rav thinks.
Student: What is the difference between bestowing contentment to the Rav or to the Creator?
M. Laitman: To the Creator, it is an eternal degree. Otherwise, it is not bestowal. And to the Rav, it can be temporary.
Student: He says that he gets his thoughts and knowledge of his Rav through equivalence of form.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Everything we receive ultimately is from the Rav, from the teacher, or it could be certain forces or an upliftment from the Creator?
M. Laitman: I didn't understand. Again.
Student: You can say that if you adhere to Him, you acquire the thoughts of his Rav.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, all of our attainments, all the corrections we go through, everything we do is because we adhered to the Rav for the time being. Or is it possible to have another form to reach correction, or everything the student receives is what exists in his Rav. He cannot receive something that does not exist in his Rav.
M. Laitman: No, it's not like that. By a student wanting to adhere to the Creator, out of that he begins to work in order to adhere to his Rav, which is a degree that's before adhesion to the Creator. And that's how one advances.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (10:34) He writes here, using the Torah is greater than learning it, and the importance of the speech is greater than the work. What does it mean, the merit of the service?
M. Laitman: The merit of service has to do with the importance, greater importance to his Rav than study itself.
Student: What does it mean, service? What does it do?
M. Laitman: That the student is doing everything in order to perform the desires of the Rav.
Student: He compares it to the importance of mouth-to-mouth versus mouth-to-ear.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, just follow Rav's path, not simply listen, but follow the path.
M. Laitman: Yes. That's clear.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:41) How do we acquire the thoughts of the Rav?
M. Laitman: Out of observing what's written in the Torah. Meaning, from a student seeing ahead of himself each time, the questions, the difficulties, and he wants to rise above them, and that is actually his work.
Student: And what exactly is the service?
M. Laitman: The service is where he uses the environment, the study, and everything that's before him, individually and in general, in order to come close to the Creator and to prepare for him a place for His revelation.
Student: And how is the service to Rav gives the person the strength to engage in Torah Lishma.
M. Laitman: The service with the Rav means that all that the Rav wants to do in the students, a student that understands that supports it, and also executes on his behalf such actions.
Student: And if the student doesn't understand?
M. Laitman: If a student doesn't understand, what can you do? Then until he understands.
Student: If he understands and disagrees?
M. Laitman: Then he will do according to what he thinks until it becomes clear that his direction is incorrect.
Student: What for us, for our group, means serving the Rav, which is different than learning from the Rav?
M. Laitman: The group must be as one connection of all the friends and to help the Rav carry out the actions for correction.
Student: How do we help you now? We're now studying, yes? How can we turn the study to service?
M. Laitman: It's a simple thing. If you want this purpose to be the purpose of us connecting between us and to reveal the place that the Creator can dwell.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (15:45) Our teacher, our Rav, has given us the path, the group, the work in the group. That's what you gave us. That's what you leave for us. Today, there's a gap in the perception between serving the Rav and serving the group. If Rav would ask for coffee, there isn't one here who doesn't yearn to go and make coffee for the Rav. But if I have to go on coffee duty for the group, there's a gap in the feeling and the desire. How do we close this gap?
M. Laitman: Greatness and importance of the Rav, of the group, of the Creator, of the friends. We need to constantly be concerned with being at a higher height each time.
Student: The words are clear. I don't think there's one here that disagrees or hasn't heard it a million times. So, what we need to do is always raise importance and greatness. But still, there's always a gap in a person's inner perception between serving the Rav and serving the group. It's two different personalities, two entities. How do you take upon yourself what the Rav gave you, that to work in the group is to serve the Rav?
M. Laitman: That is all a matter of how you appreciate something or evaluate something. To the extent in which I appreciate that I am doing something according to the commands of the Rav, the teacher, and accordingly, I advance.
Student: Is it the group's responsibility to do it or the individual's?
M. Laitman: The group itself needs to raise the importance of observing these actions that they feel that come from the Rav, that the group needs to support.
Student: In conclusion, today there's an even greater gap between serving the group and serving the Ten. I have a Ten. I worry about this small part of me, but to care for the society is already less in importance. How do we change that perception?
M. Laitman: That's our work. That is our work. Yes, I need to appreciate the society, the connection in the society, the purpose of the society as the most important thing in reality.
Student: What's the difference between the group, our holy society, and my personal Ten?
M. Laitman: You're asking about the whole society?
Student: That's what we have in our hands, that's what's left for us, the group. If I only work as a small cell, how do I truly serve my Rav? How do I continue his way if I don't care for this wholeness?
M. Laitman: We really need to care for the wholeness of the big group.
Student: I'm asking, what's the difference between the perception of the importance of the group and the importance of the Ten? How, in the group, you don't become a cancerous cell? How do you not become a cancerous cell in the group? If there's a cell in the body that simply...
M. Laitman: Yes, I understood. We need to learn from one another and to hold ourselves together, bestow to one another. And this is how we can advance towards connection in the center of the group.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:25) It says, each time he equates his form to his Rav, he cleaves to him for a time. What does it mean to equate his form to his Rav, his teacher?
M. Laitman: His teacher, his Rav is as the Rav of the group. He leads the group and lets the group each time have values and questions that are higher and higher, seemingly more difficult. And then each and every one wants to solve these questions and to adhere by them to those degrees that the Rav is thinking about, let's say.
Student: What does it mean, cleaves to his Rav, adheres to him?
M. Laitman: That by him performing these actions, he wants to rise and to adhere to his Rav.
Student: What does it mean to ascend? Ascend over what?
M. Laitman: To rise in degrees of bestowal.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:47) It says here, if he serves his Rav in order to receive, it's better to learn than to serve. Why?
M. Laitman: Because at least the study is something that remains for him. Whereas, if he is adhered to his Rav, then he can intensify his Dvekut and perform actions from the adhesion, from the Dvekut. That is more beneficial than doing actions from the mind.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:43) What does it mean that the Dvekut with the Rav is measured from mouth to ear?
M. Laitman: For the time being, I don't know how to explain that.
Student: You said earlier that we need to use the environment individually and collectively, and by that, we approach the Creator. We make room for the Creator and we approach Him. But here, he says something I'd like to scrutinize. He says, if the serving is to benefit himself, such service cannot bring him to adhesion with his Rav. So, learning with the Rav is certainly more important than serving him. So, what is this personal serving and benefit to myself?
M. Laitman: That he intends that this study will be wiser, this will be clearer to him, he'll be more important, he'll be righter.
Student: Meaning, I look at my personal corporeal matter over the connection with society, with the environment, as Rav aims us?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:34) When we serve our Rav, meaning, we realize the advice he's given us, we have to do it with the intention that we're giving to him contentment, and that's the meaning of serving him?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: That's an action where we say that we connect and later we connect to an upper force, and along the way, we place Rav in this image and the intention.
M. Laitman: Let's say yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:21) Can we check that we serve the Rav not in order to receive? How can we test that?
M. Laitman: That may not be yet, now, but soon you'll be able to say that I think for the benefit of myself, or for the benefit of the friends, or the benefit of the Creator, and you'll be able to differentiate.
Student: What if a student discovers that he is serving him, but there's self-benefit? He has to switch to learning? Does he have to go to learning over service, or continue?
M. Laitman: No, no, continue. Just continue, and the study itself, the connection with the friends, will on its own correct it.
Student: If a student expresses doubt in the decisions of his Rav publicly and it harms the hearts of the other friends, let's say he hears slander. How can you take it out of the heart, or it stays with you for life?
M. Laitman: No, it doesn't stay forever, but we will have to correct it.
Student: In what way do we do it?
M. Laitman: It's called to repent.
Student: How is that related?
M. Laitman: That he's sorry that he performed these actions and separated between the friends, and talked about them disparagingly, and he continues in it. He doesn't even think to perform corrections on this, but he doesn't agree that he's wrong.
Student: I'm asking not so much about the student but the friends who heard it.
M. Laitman: The friends who heard, they're also harmed by it. It harms them, and it's a problem. It's a big problem. They too will have to in some way disconnect or disconnect themselves from what they thought, from what they heard. It's a problem.
Student: Well, how do you do it in practice?
M. Laitman: In practice? There are corrections. Just like now, we're trying to do, to connect, to rise above our egos, to connect with the friends. So, there are such actions as well in order to correct this.
Student: I don't know, to have a meal about the greatness of the Rav, to gather, to study something?
M. Laitman: No, no, no. To do a meal is not yet for us. We can't by a meal bring forth corrections yet.
Student: So, which action can extract from the heart the words of slander that he heard?
M. Laitman: First of all, talk with the person. Let's talk that way. And to see to what extent one can correct this.
Student: One person is less important. The people who heard it, how to take it out of their hearts.
M. Laitman: The people who heard that, truly received a great corruption. They received the corruption. And we'll have to correct that as well. That's why it's written “blessed is the ear that did not hear” and all kinds of such sayings that a person needs to correct also that which he didn't do, but not by chance he was present and he heard. Was incorporated.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:28) Is it correct for a student to understand that serving the Rav is like serving Bnei Baruch for the speedy Dvekut of Bnei Baruch with its spiritual root?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Can you say the name of the spiritual root of Bnei Baruch?
M. Laitman: No, it's not clear yet. It has yet to be revealed.
Student: If the friends could all connect in a mutual prayer for the adhesion of Bnei Baruch, for the root of Bnei Baruch because we're all parts of Bnei Barush, that could be natural.
M. Laitman: We're not yet in that.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (34:21) He writes that after he's accustomed to bestow to his Rav, he can also work in Torah and Mitzvot, Lishma for the Creator to get accustomed to bring contentment to his Rav. Is this what the value of the environment is based on? How much a person in the study grows his tendency to bestow? Is that what the importance of the environment is best based on?
M. Laitman: As it is written. And you can read it again.
Student: After he is accustomed to bestowing to his Rav, he can move it to Torah and Mitzvot Lishma toward the Creator. Is this what the appreciation of the environment is based on? Because it says that the value of the exaltedness comes from the environment and the two conditions. And because of the difficulty, our sages said, make yourself a Rav and buy yourself a friend.
M. Laitman: Yes. Okay.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (35:36) Baal HaSulam makes a distinction between the equivalence of form with the Creator and the equivalence of form with his Rav. So, let's start with item number two. It says, the equivalence of form with the Creator does not help if it is not forever. Meaning, until He who knows the mysteries will testify that he will not return to his folly. What does that mean? What is the equivalence of form with the Creator that does not help if it is not forever?
M. Laitman: That a person wants to remain in connection with the Creator, inclined towards the Creator eternally.
Student: But we constantly try to reach an equivalence of form with the Creator, and it is not exactly perfect. So it's not beneficial?
M. Laitman: Yes, it's somewhat beneficial.
Student: And then he writes, where his equivalence of form with his Rav, since Rav is in this world, but in time, equivalence of form with him helps even if it's only temporary, and later he turns sour again. What does it mean here?
M. Laitman: He means that it's not the same towards his Rav like it is towards the Creator, that it's only beneficial temporarily, that also a temporary correction operates with the Rav.
Student: It sounds like equivalence of form with his Rav is more effective, more beneficial.
M. Laitman: It's easier.
Question (Africa): (37:27) How does it work that the size of the society plays a role in raising the importance of the Creator?
M. Laitman: In the multitude of the people is the greatness of the King, that's what it's written. King’s glory. So, we have to accept it that way.
Question (Moscow): (37:51) Why do I need a Ten if I can reach adhesion with the Creator by serving the Rav?
M. Laitman: No, you can't distinguish all these conditions, even all the conditions for Dvekut, a person cannot scrutinize that on his own.
Question (Northeast): (38:24) Every time he reaches equivalence of form with his Rav, he adheres to him for a time. What does it mean for a time when you talk about adhesion?
M. Laitman: For a certain time. And then you have changes in the records that take a person out and place him under new conditions.
Question (Woman PT 33): (38:54) How can a student check himself if he's truly serving his Rav and not deluding himself?
M. Laitman: According to what we’ve just read, there's no other examination here. To the extent in which he sees that he is receiving changes of conditions, then accordingly he can also see himself. To the extent in which she is more suited or less suited.
Question (Woman Turkey 5): (39:45) You said to the friend, if she hears something bad about the Rav, there's great harm. Is it the same when you hear something bad about the friend?
M. Laitman: Of course, there's no difference.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (40:03) What can a student do to give contentment to his Rav?
M. Laitman: Just like to the Creator. And just like to a friend. It's the same.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (40:30) What is contentment? What does that mean?
M. Laitman: Contentment. I don't know how to explain it to you. It's where you enjoy something that leaves no empty space.
Student: Yes. So we have to aim ourselves for you to enjoy fully from us?
M. Laitman: Let's say.
Student: And the directive is in the heart and the thoughts.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: How can we aim ourselves at that, at giving you contentment?
M. Laitman: You want it to be that way.
Student: Yesterday, in the afternoon lesson, you said it was the desire to give contentment. How do we scrutinize it? What is the next stage in contentment so it becomes more and more?
M. Laitman: How do we work with the desire to bring contentment to the Creator?
Student: Yes.
M. Laitman: By increasing our desire to participate.
Student: To participate in?
M. Laitman: To participate in the connection. And then we connect everyone together in a greater desire, in a greater connection with quantity and quality. And we try to come to a connection. There's nothing else to say here.
Student: He said we need to move into a place where the Creator can dwell. Why does this bring Him contentment?
M. Laitman: Because in such a way we come with Him to a connection, to adhesion. Where we are the Kli and He is the light that dwells in the Kli.
Student: So, we need to aspire to feel like we need or want to bring contentment?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:19) Could there be a state where a student serves his Rav out of habit?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: What does he do in such a case? What happens? Does it operate upon him, these actions, even though he's without intention?
M. Laitman: It's operating out of second nature.
Student: Yes, so what to do?
M. Laitman: It all depends on the extent in which the society which includes them together is concerned with it and performs actions.
Student: How to renew intention to serve?
M. Laitman: Let's say by a blow from a fall by a prayer, all kinds of actions.
Student: Are there positive actions?
M. Laitman: Positive... not really but... it has to be like that.
Student: So the blow is actually... for the use of the fall, a blow will come. The blows will actually teach the person how to serve the Rav, right?
M. Laitman: Why the Rav.
Student: That was the question.
M. Laitman: The Rav or the Creator?
Student: From his Rav to his Creator.
M. Laitman: Ok, fine.
Student: And Rav too?
M. Laitman: Also, yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (45:50) I would like to ask, to continue what a student stated earlier. If I am now hearing from a friend who is belittling the Rav and his friends in my eyes and my ears. What should I do? Cover my ears? Tell him to shut up? Be patient and listen to him until the end and then explain to him that he is wrong? What should I do?
M. Laitman: Try to explain to him that he is wrong.
Student: Now, if there is an opinion that maybe this friend is actually brave, he is telling the truth, I also feel something like him?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: After all, in each of us there are doubts and all that. So I say, it's very good that he is speaking. He is telling the truth. What to do with this opinion that is inside me?
M. Laitman: Ok, but what do you do with it? With this opinion?
Student: Nothing. I am glad that someone is telling the truth. I also think like him. There maybe something inside me a little against the Rav, against the friends. So, it is good, I am happy that someone is saying it.
M. Laitman: All of this is legitimate except for one thing. Your reaction. How do you react?
Student: I came into the world to reach greatness and achievement not for someone to take me down.
M. Laitman: So?
Student: So I feel sad. I am really sad because it already entered my ears and now I don't know what to do with it.
M. Laitman: The question is simple. If I hear criticism about the Rav, about friends what do I do? That's the question.
Student: What do I do and how do I relate to it?
M. Laitman: You need to stop the flow of the lesson and call on everyone to participate in this scrutiny.
Student: It could be during the lesson or something like that?
M. Laitman: It can be sometimes together. Again, friends, there are other possibilities here.
Student: So we need to put the phenomena on the table and talk about it, not to ignore as if nothing happened. And then how do we relate to the phenomena?
M. Laitman: We discuss it. We discuss from the side of the Creator, from the side of the teachers, from the side of the students, from the side of the friends, on my behalf.
Student: And how do we make sure that … the discussing could be like an opening a puss up, and can lower us even more. How do we make sure that the discussion will lead to a high goal?
M. Laitman: To the extent in which the society is advanced. Then don't cancel itself out, and for all the scrutiny to be to the point.
Student: We could say like the rules of Rabash, that's like first of all sublimity and gratitude.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (50:02) There is a being ready for some barrier here, or I can't be surprised no matter what someone says. Is there something that someone can hear and reject it from me?
M. Laitman: Why?
Student: Because my approach is certain, and if I give this thing the possibility to enter, then it's like the friend said, it will lower the importance of the friends of the Rav. That's something I'm not willing to hear. It doesn't matter if it's a great friend or not, that's not the point. But it will be expressed in me in such a way.
M. Laitman: I don't think so. Well, there is a matter of hearing something bad, but I don't think it's worthwhile for us to do more than that.
Student: To take the risk and make sure that there will be a correction?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (51:36) Each year Rav, in himself, in his heart, Rav says something is absorbed in my heart from Rav, and in a friend it's absorbed in a different way. Maybe it's perceived in a completely opposite way. One says to kill him, the other says no, Rav said you have to let him live, to talk to him. But one said Rav thought about killing him. What do I need to do? Maybe I'm trying to annul what I heard from Rav and only go with the friends, and then always it'll be the reason of the friend, and maybe Rav's reason will never come out of me, because it will not always be adapted to the Rav and the friend.
M. Laitman: What do you want to hear? What do you recommend? I can't suggest anything here. Nothing.
Student: So what, we'll die like this?
M. Laitman: No, continue. Continue, and with time you'll understand what response needs to happen here.
Student: How will we be able to deepen the reason of the Rav, which will always be higher than that of the society, the degrees of, the level of degrees, but also be in the environment?
M. Laitman: Again?
Student: How could we receive here the opinion of the Rav, which for the moment I hear it from something new, not like some consensus that I was, it appeared to me, and it seemed like something new, and also, so I won't be in some kind of dispute, and we can actually unite around it. Because then it becomes something personal, what he says, he answers, and maybe we're not using what Baal HaSulam says, he put it into the article. It's probably part of the way of using the sublimity of the Rav in a practical way, in the society. Because now we're using the sublimity of the Rav, the greatness of the society. Rabash says, engage in this publicly. We understand that. That's clear. But Baal Hasulam writes in the Speech to the Completion of the Zohar, the whole process from equivalence of form, he did stages, and he put this subject of the greatness of the Rav, or the sublimity of the Rav, meaning that that too needs to be something that we work with. But it's kind of like, it remains like this personal corner, and we're not working on this in an emphasized manner, as if it compels us because Rav, because it came from Rav. Maybe if we were to make it that only because Rav obligated us, maybe that would have helped us break through to another stage forward. Even just because Rav compelled us to do so.
M. Laitman: We will see. We will see. Meanwhile, there's no solution for this.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (55:59) Altogether, in the wisdom of Kabbalah, is there room for criticism towards the Rav and friends?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: How do we do it, and in what states?
M. Laitman: Towards the friends, the criticism needs to be also towards the Rav, and also towards the Creator. It all needs to be bundled together, and relate to it, first of all, with love. With love. This is considered that I am on the path that is aimed towards care, towards the truth. And that's it. Afterwards, what else do you want to hear?
Student: This criticism that you talked about, is that self-criticism, or am I talking publicly about it? That I think, and we know that in the society there, those who think we need to study more TES, those who think we have to have more workshops, those who think, why doesn't Rav take us out to the streets for us to do circles? And more and more, there are a thousand opinions, and Rav thinks altogether differently. I can get up, and the fact that I'm thinking inside about this, it's clear, but I'm somehow working with this. But if I express it, is it a problem? Is it not a problem? I talked about external criticism, not internal criticism.
M. Laitman: Look, we have many friends, and each has his own opinion. This is how he was born, this is how he was educated, and so on. This is why we cannot see here one opinion. That's it. What else do you want to hear from me?
Student: I'm asking whether it's legitimate that each expresses his opinion or not. Maybe I have an opinion, but I have, but I don't express it.
M. Laitman: It's not important who expresses it and who doesn't, and whether one expresses it or not. It's important how a person advances towards the truth. And then he will see how correct he was in the initial state where he started to wake up, or not correct.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (59:42) What is to relate to criticism with love? How do I criticize with love? How do I critique with love?
M. Laitman: Do you have children?
Student: Yes.
M. Laitman: So explain to me how you relate to them when you're criticizing them, but with love.
Student: Well, we know that criticism is usually directly, whether we like it or not, it enters our ego. It hurts our ego. How do we actually circumvent that and do a constructive criticism towards each other that doesn't harm our egos but really from the goal, the importance of the goal? How do we do this? Because I think that in the Tens, one of the important things is how to do the correct scrutiny and pinpoint it so it will truly advance us and not harm one another.
M. Laitman: This is why we want to first be connected in the Ten, and then each and every one will be intermingled in the whole Ten. And when he is in the Ten, then he can criticize. He can critique.
Student: Only when he's intermixed into the Ten. What does that mean, that one's merged into the Ten?
M. Laitman: Yes, that he's in the Ten, and the Ten is holding him, and he is holding on to them.
Student: Meaning he's an active partner in the Ten in all the states. No matter what, he's there with the friends.
M. Laitman: Of course.
Student: And how do we take this mass that is together with one another all the time, how do we raise it a degree so that the scrutiny between us every day will be more and more precise so that we will really feel that it comes from the truth and not, God forbid, to harm anyone, and for us to truly see that it advances us to the goal. And that's where we want to come.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: How do we do it so that the scrutiny between us will be purposeful?
M. Laitman: Where we don't exit the Ten, and raise it up more and more, and with love. The scrutiny first needs to be, we need to see the purpose of the connection of the group, not each personally.
M. Laitman: No, no, of course not.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:02:52) If Rav asks someone to give him some service, and the friend understands with all his heart that someone else can do it better, much better. What to do?
M. Laitman: Let the one who knows how to do it better do it.
Student: And it doesn't matter if the friend feels that the Rav understood, or it's not important. The Rav receives the best service possible. As long as Rav receives the greatest service, that's all that matters? And then from that point, the person feels more distance from the Rav. Maybe, it hurts his heart because he rejected.
M. Laitman: I don't understand. What are you doing besides the lesson? Are you talking in Hebrew?
Student: Can I ask a question? Can I ask in English?
M. Laitman: To ask, please.
Student: If Rav asks for a service from a friend, and someone else can do it much better, then the friend says, no, thank you, someone else can do it much better. But then the friend feels in his heart that he hurt the Rav's feelings. And he feels more and more distant from the Rav. What does the friend do?
M. Laitman: I don't know. I don't know. It's... I can't answer you because I don't understand you.
Student: I didn't want to talk about myself but as an example. I gave you two haircuts. And in the second one, I screwed up your beard pretty bad.
M. Laitman: Yes, I filmed in New York.
Student: Yes, in New York. The first time it was nice. The Creator gave me a blessing to give you a good barber job. But the second time, it was like your beard was... I really screwed it up. The friend thinks that he screwed up the Rav's beard in a really not successful way.
M. Laitman: Well, so what?
Student: During COVID, I got a call from your secretary to come give you a haircut. And it was clear that the friend was giving you beautiful haircuts at this point. And he made you look far more handsome. And I didn't want to screw up your beard. I know this looks foolish. And I said to your secretary, no, the friend does a nicer job. And since then, I haven't heard my name pass through your lips. It's like you forgot my name. And I'm sure it's imaginary because you're so great and you have the concern of so many friends. But I don't know what to do because I feel very far from you all the time. And I was worried that I hurt your feelings.
M. Laitman: No, no, no. You never harmed me. You never hurt me. I never felt from you any such, not nice or not good attitude. No. I just understand you because I'm also with the same problem when it comes to Hebrew. Just like you are towards Hebrew. But it's not going. It's... I don't know what to do. And it's not a joke because I'm really, how many years am I in Israel? And nevertheless… Yes, I want to say to everyone, let us make an agreement. We don't speak a language other than Hebrew. Very simply. Otherwise, our society is really something that's not okay. It's something that's not okay. Did we make an agreement? Who's for? So who's against it? None against. That's it. So from this moment onwards, only Hebrew.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:11:18) What does a friend do if he feels distant from the Rav or more distant from the Rav? That's how he perceives it, he grasps it.
M. Laitman: First of all, Rav is not the final degree. There's the Creator still. So turn to the Creator and ask to change his state.
Student: Now, what to do if we see it's like there's friends that are more adhered to the Rav, there's friends that criticize the Rav, and he is somewhere in between that and that.
M. Laitman: Let's say there are all kinds of friends, and each appears this way towards everyone, towards the others. Well, so what?
Student: Because throughout the years, it could be according to disparity of form. If a person doesn't have equivalence of form, he can't remain in the society. Like that, in place of the Rav. Can a friend stay in the group if he doesn't agree with everything that happens beneath the Rav?
M. Laitman: Well, with all that happens, I don't know. It's not a reason to leave the society, nevertheless.
Student: How to respond to an inner criticism that awakens in a person towards the Rav?
M. Laitman: That he needs to talk about this, talk about it in the group to ask them whether he's right or not. And that's how it continues.
Student: He says, for the friends, I have a criticism towards the Rav. He's not passing the lessons right.
M. Laitman: Yes, yes, whether I'm right.
Student: That's what I ask, am I right? The Rav has to answer less, he has to open more, we have to study TES.
M. Laitman: Then they should talk from the group towards the Rav. To offer to talk less and learn more.
Student: And how will that correct a person's attitude towards the Rav? Such an action.
M. Laitman: What is there to correct? He speaks the truth, what appears to him.
Student: How does he correct the criticism? Is it right?
M. Laitman: It could be that not, but it exists.
Student: But we said that the criticism I say out in the open, in the public, it harms the friends.
M. Laitman: Well, there are all kinds. There are all kinds..
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:15:18) When is a person regarded as harming the society?
M. Laitman: When he criticizes everything in society, or anything in society.
Student: We heard from you many times that if someone harms the society, the society should eject him.
M. Laitman: Well, not immediately.
Student: How do we know when to do it, when not to do it?
M. Laitman: The problem is that there are people who are in society and express criticism against the society, against friends, against me, it doesn't matter who really. And they don't hear that the society disagrees with their opinion. They don't hear it. That's a problem.
Student: If a person or a friend doesn't only do damage to the Ten, the group, it's a world damage, so isn't that harmful?
M. Laitman: Yes. What to do? What can you do? What?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:17:08) Maybe it's a combination, that a person makes Rav and acquires a friend. Is that helping go above reason with the Creator? Yes. So how can a person, it's a matter of devotion, a person is surrounded by friends, some are devoted more, some less, some can work with themselves in a moment, some less. How can a person navigate himself with the friends to be as devoted as possible?
M. Laitman: He becomes incorporated with those he sees are truly aimed toward equivalence, toward devotion.
Student: How is it concerned with the part that is less devoted? In every Ten there's more, there's less.
M. Laitman: He hopes that they too will see it, what needs to be.
Student: So how does he see himself?
M. Laitman: As constantly standing between the bad and the good, and wanting to belong to the good.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:18:37) Well, if there is a father that has 15 children he raised. They're all beautiful, wise, smart. But there's also one child, two years old, that says that the father is bad because he didn't get some lollipop. Does that make the father look bad in front of the 15 older ones?
M. Laitman: No.
Student: You look at the child, he's small, he didn't get his candy, he's in the kindergarten with the right teacher to raise him, and you keep going, he'll grow.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: The example of the 15 children will affect him eventually.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So look what a beautiful society we have. So, okay, somebody, what's up? For a whole hour we're wasting time on scrutinizing. What if I got insulted?
M. Laitman: You're right. Okay. Mister, what do we do? What are we doing?
Reader: We can keep reading, or we can go to the next part in praying for Lishma. So, we'll sing a song first. Let's go.
Song: (01:19:59)