Part 2
Morning Lesson August 31, 2021, Transcription
Baal HaSulam, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, #25
Item 25 “Thus, as long as not all five vessels…”
1. R. (03:20) Rav Reads: As long as not all five vessels KHB TM have grown in the Partzuf, the lights that are filling the Partzuf, that are still not in their place. Moreover, they are an inverse relationship.
What does it mean in an inverse relationship? In the absence of the Kli of Malchut with the light of Yechidah missing there and if two vessels of Tifferet and Malchut are missing then Yechida and Chaya are missing.
R. This is the reason for this, that it is actually opposite an inverse relationship to the lights and the vessels because in the vessels the higher ones grow first and
the lights, the last ones are the first ones that enter, the weaker lights the smaller ones.
You will also find that each new light re-enters, dresses only in the Kli of Keter because the light enters this way and it is because the receiver must receive in his purest vessel because it is closest to the light this way. Which is the vessel of Keter. For this reason, the light upon reception of the new light, which is already dressed in the Partzuf, must descend one degree from their place when each new light enters, which is like in the register, in computers, we have the same thing. Everything moves one step forward, for example when the light of Ruach enters there's the light of Nefesh must descend from the Kli of Keter to the Kli of Hochma and so on and so forth, to make room in the Kli of Keter to receive the new light which is Ruach.
Similarly, if the new light which is the light of Neshama entering, Ruach also must descend from the Kli of Keter to the Kli of Hochma and clear its place in Keter which is Neshama, as a result Nefesh which is in the Kli of Hochma, must descend to the Kli of Bina. All this is done to make room in the Kli of Keter for the new light, that always comes from Infinity into Keter and keep this rule and you will always be able to discern in each issue if it is referring to the vessels or to the lights and then you will not be confused because there is always an inverse relationship between them. Thus, we have thoroughly explained the matters of the screen and how through them the levels change one below the other.
2. S (06:40) Why is the new light accepted in the Keter, in the next vessel because we learn the greater coarseness is more important?
R. Because there is the matter of the equivalence of form which is the main rule in spirituality, the state between the Creator and the created being. A state in the creature which is the purest which is the closest to the Creator, up to the extent let's say, the embryo is inside his mother so we are inside the Creator and to the extent we then will grow and we grow in spirituality. The more I grow in spirituality, I have greater coarseness and opposite a greater screen and then it turns out I am seemingly emerging from the Creator even though with that, I'm with Him and I understand Him and I feel Him, but according to my vessels and my coarseness I'm distancing just like with a baby. Just like the fetus that emerges from the mother it begins to grow outside of her. By acquiring the Aviut, we grow and we are distancing from the Creator and in us what we are building is more similar to the Creator and this is how we grow. We will always be divided into two according to the vessels, always more coarse. But in the lights, we will receive more and more equivalence with the Creator and we will be filled with even greater lights. You need to think about that, you need to draw it out. You can enter the archive and you will see explanations, there are 40 years of explanations, it is really like that.
As much as I studied, I started to study in 1979 until this day. Throughout all these years I drew many pictures, diagrams. You can see them but it is even better to draw yourself and to think I'm in the Creator according to the degree of coarseness that are revealed in me, where he shines in me more. Then I discover more of my ego and that way I feel more, myself as distancing from Him. Whereas before I was at the same level but it is all relative to the attaining person. Hence as much as the ego is revealed in me as greater, I feel that I'm distancing and as much as I correct the ego and I become more differentiated from the Creator as one who was born and is growing, growing up but with that together with that I build in me, I build that system like the Creator. I have a desire to receive and, in my desire, to receive I'm building systems like in order to bestow. This is considered that the name of the Lord shall be upon you. In other words, the Creator creates in me the system, just like He himself is and then I within, truly function like the Creator like the form of the Creator is within me and this is what we reach. When the will to receive is shattered, by it being disclosing itself, revealing itself shattered and opposite it begins to collect, and connect all its parts in the intention to bestow and by that more and more composes himself in such a way that it is more in resemblance to the Creator and this is where the correction is coming from.
3. S (11:38) Baal HaSulam writes about the cascading from above down, is that a process?
R. Yes.
S. It is not clear how the vessels grow. we should start from the bigger vessel.
R. No, it is always from the small vessel how will the bigger vessel grow, the light where it bestows is according to the equivalence of form it is closest to the vessel of Keter, therefore through that enters and bestows upon the Partzuf.
S. But doesn't it start after the restriction, isn't that the biggest vessel?
R. There is no equivalence of form between the vessel and the light, how's it going to bestow, simply according to its nature it bestows upon the nature that is closest to it and that is how the vessel is corrected from the lightest to the heaviest.
4. S. (12:54) If the light is not in their places and also the vessel of Malchut is lacking, how could it be lacking?
R. The desire to receive that is received in the whole form in that Partzuf, the Kli of Malchut who it is not revealed yet, we are after all on the way to discover these stages that is one thing. Secondly, they are not in their place because he cannot be the light of Hochma and will be revealed in Bina. Here it is clear to us that the lights need to come to their place, on the way as they move through, we call them by the names they need to reach. Therefore, let's say the light of ZA when it goes through Keter, Hochma, Bina until it reaches ZA even though it is there, we can call it by the name of the light of Zeir Anpin even though it is revealed there differently until is revealed in ZA. Because it is meant to fill the Kli of ZA we call it that way, we need to get used to that matter, you need to see this picture and then there will not be any confusion.
4. S. (14:33) All this cascading that we discover it is only revealing new vessels, we discover more and more coarseness so the pure lights are not in our vessels, it is somewhere else?
R. The lights are dependent on the purity of our vessels, the refinement or the purity of the vessel depends on the coarseness of the vessel and the screen. If the coarseness in the screen works together it makes the coarseness become pure there. For anyone who is greater than his friend because if he is coarser, his inclination is greater than him. That is how it works, to the extent the greater coarseness is there then bestowal can be greater, only after there is a restriction, screen and returning light and a greater light to bestow. That is why I said not once that we are actually the worst of all the souls that have been revealed until our times because we are just now discovering ourselves and coming to correction and those that will be revealed, even after us will be even coarser even worse, even coarser and that's how it goes from the light to the heavier all of creation is corrected that way.
S. Where are the lights revealed, the feeling of bestowal, is it something we feel in the world, what does it mean that the lights are revealed?
R. In the vessel there are two parts, there are two areas in the vessel one region is the will to receive operates the bestowal and the Ohr Hozer, reflected light and another area according to the equivalence of form with the Creator. These are two things which seemingly don’t belong to each other as one gives and one receives. There is an inverse relationship between lights and vessels. Because although we have the desire to receive, we want to be like the bestower, so it works out in an opposite way, not like in a direct way like the Creator. He bestows because he is the source of the light, we bestow because we present the vessels of reception and want to receive from Him. Therefore, our work is opposite as it begins from Malchut and the result of the work we receive from Keter.
5. S. (18:13) It's hard to understand how there can be a descent from above downward because the lights take their places in the Partzuf like a correction, shouldn't the lights be in its own designated place?
R. It will be in the end of correction but not now, for the time being the lights are not in their places. Look at what he writes, he says 'after all the vessels are revealed and then all the lights come in as they are described as the light Nefesh from the Kli of Tifferet to the Kli of Malchut and Light of Ruach to the Kli of Tifferet and all of the lights and the light of Yechidah enters the Kli of Keter and all the vessels are in their places, this will be in the end of correction. Until the end of correction we will not see in a complete way that all the lights are coming and are clothing in their destined places. There will always be a gap between the light and the vessel until then. There will always be a difference between the light and the Kli. This is the problem.
6. S. (20:15) What does he mean when he says the vessels will be in their designated places?
R. He means that the lights NRNHY still clothe on the vessels KHBZON to enter the vessels in a general whole way, only taking place at the end of correction where the whole desire to receive will be corrected in order to bestow. For the time being what happens is the lights are not in their places, some of the vessel works and some of the light fills it and this is how we advance. This is how we attain the Creator in spiritual degrees and when we don't attain the Creator, we are just in our world and only a small light operates on us which shines in general in all of humanity and kind of advances us slowly, according to its software and our response to the corrections, so that all of humanity will begin the corrections. It all advances us to cause us to start with the work of faith above reason to prefer the force of bestowal upon the force of reception.
7. S. (22:07) Can we see this as an opposite process to the refinement of the screen or does it have nothing to do with that?
R. It is similar, the entry of the lights and the purification of the screen in an opposite way but I don't want to talk about that, it will confuse people, it is best to understand this in a simple way that altogether we need to understand the principles and to define them in our work between us.
8. S. (22:58) We say in Malchut the light comes from Keter which means in quality not quantity?
R. Both quality and quantity are connected to each other and we will speak about that to explain the difference between the light of Nefesh and Ruach, only in a qualitative manner, in the vessels, we can also talk about quantity but that is very relative.
9. S. (23:47) The Creator wants to build a vessel in a complete manner, this means the lights are destined to go into a special place that it fills the whole vessel?
R. I don't understand you, what don't you understand about what is written here?
S. Friends were saying how every light has to go to a designated place and until then it goes through many states in the middle. If all the lights reached the designated places this is called that the Creator feels the vessel in a complete manner, this is the end of correction?
R. Of course.
10. S. (24:51) What does it mean that the lights descend from one place to another?
R. The vessels reveal themselves ready to accept the light, to reveal the light, then the light appears in them according to the equivalence of form. Another vessel each coarser and coarser reveals the light within it and out of the vessel itself being able to resemble the light in bestowing to the light as reflected light to be the bestower to the Creator. Just like the Creator wants to bestow to him and then the light comes from the Creator clothes in the reflected light that comes from the creature, and this is how the creature reveals the Creator and the Creator fills the creature.
11. S. (25:56) Is there a connection between working in faith above reason and the five phases on the screen?
R. Of course, everything is revealed from faith above reason out of bestowing above reception.
S. From correction to the goal?
R. Of course. What do you mean simultaneously?
S. The five phases in the screen sound very purposeful from receiving in order to bestow.
R. Yes.
S. In faith above reason it's more of a correction on how to attain the vessels of bestowal?
R. It is the same thing.
12. S. (26:57) There's kind of a dynamic between the screen and the light, can you expand on that?
R. What do you not understand? How the lights enter the vessels, this is the light of Ein Sof there is no difference and it is going to fill the vessel according to the extent the vessel reveals His coarseness and the screen on it meaning the reflected light, the extent of bestowal that the vessel wants to bestow to the Creator, there is a connection between them. Me to my beloved and my beloved to me is how this is called that the vessel wants to bestow to the Creator in the same way the vessel reveals the Creator also wants to bestow to him. In that mutual way of the guests and the host, the light and the vessel, they start connecting to each other, this is called that the light fills the discernment in the desire to receive. What is the question?
S. That is the work of the screen?
R. Of course, you need a screen.
S. He is mentioning the four discernments, why is he saying that the 4 discernments receive or absorb every light that enters the vessel?
R. Did you see how we draw the Partzuf and how it works that there's a restriction, screen and reflected light according to the degree of the reflected light the direct light can clothe and both enter the Partzuf to the extent that there is reflected light and to that extent the direct light can clothe in it and fill the Partzuf.
13. S. (29:33) The entrance of the light of Nefesh to Keter in the Guf does this point to the first filling of the Creator inside the 10?
R. Yes, let's say so.
14. S. (30:05) It is written to keep this in your mind and you will always be able to discern if it's referring to the vessel or the light, what is the vessel because there's two parts one is bestowing and one is receiving?
R. Doesn't matter, there's vessel and light and we can speak on corrections on behalf of the vessel or the lights that enter, obviously the correction itself is in the vessel.
S. We are not like an equivalence issue or the value of the vessels?
R. The value of the lights shows that if the light is destined to receive a certain light to the extent of the reception of the light the vessel is bestowing to the Creator.
S. It's about the part of the vessel that is in the equivalence of form?
R. Yes.
S. Not the part that is about to reach it?
R. Of course not it is not called a vessel, a vessel is the only part of the desire destined to receive from the Creator.
S. Are you talking about the desire or the reflected light?
R. We say the desire can't be a vessel because it needs the process itself to go through the process and instead of that we speak about reflected light, the extent of bestowing to the Creator is called reflected light. That is why we measure the ability to bestow of the vessel, the ability to receive from the Creator as reflected light.
15. S. (31:54) If we can feel some dependency or connection between how the lights are arranged inside the vessel and our states of ascent and descents?
R. Try to bestow to each other and connect and you will start feeling yourself closer to the text and you will also be able to locate how this text is explaining your inner self, the text is speaking about the connection between you and the Creator. That the Creator is the source of light and the connection between you is a vessel and then you will build that vessel to the Creator.
16. S. (32:59) We learn about the intention that we need to build a new difficulty of how we try to build the intention as it falls because you can't hold on to it, so how can you be every day in the right intention?
R. Not every day, you have to try day and night every year and all your life to be in one intention to bestow through the group to the Creator. If you don't build that it is very difficult to be in connection with the Creator personally. Still when you advance in it, the Creator will organize the group for you and you need to realize the connection in the group, to discover the Creator in the group in the connection between the friends.
17. S. (34:09) We are learning here about some graduation between we say it's from Malchut to Bina where we enter and exit, how do you combine these in the same gradual issue? It is written describing the cascading of the lights and the diminishing of the vessels in our work with the were moving Malchut to Bina, so how is this in our work?
R. I don't know how to explain it in a simple way Bina is the will to bestow Malchut is the desire to receive as much as Malchut wants to make of herself as if she is the desire to bestow, by that she raises herself to Bina, Malchut restricts herself and wants to work only to bestowal, this is what we say Malchut ascends to Bina. Bina herself doesn't exist in herself, it is a quality of the Creator but when we try to be as the Creator, we reach a state that entirely wants to bestow, that is called that we have reached the degree of Bina.
S. In the work between them we discover different lights, what is that he's writing about here?
R. When Malchut tries to reach the degree of bestowing in all kinds of ways that she works in, she discovers by that, she in all kinds of forms is close to the Creator as this is revealed in her as lights. This is how she feels the very appearance of the Creator in front of her in many different ways, NRNHY.
S. In our work are all attempts to reveal Bina?
R. Of course how could it be otherwise?
S. What does it mean that all these lights come to Keter?
R. Of course everything comes to Keter the bestowal, the upper one himself but how can we reach with that desire to receive what degree of bestowing can we reach. We are speaking of Bina also from the cascading from above downwards where this appears for the first time, it is in Bina, that's why it is called Ima.mother, this is where the desire to receive appears for the first time and it belongs to the Creator and then it descends to us until it becomes the desire to receive that is separated and exist on its own and that is Malchut. Until we attain it, we can't really understand it, you can a bit, but it is still all in your mind.
18. S. (38:32) What is driving the cascading of the lights, are these calculations?
R. Everything takes place in the connection between the group and the Creator if we are already talking about it, everything is in the connection between the group and the Creator and that is what we need to do to reach that connection and then we will see practically what is written.
19. S. (39:32) When I'm sitting in the lesson and I'm trying to connect to the material and I'm not connecting to the group The only connection is when I'm holding on to their feet and dragging behind them, how from that state can I help them or bestow to them?
R. First of all you need to try and read the materials of the lesson before the lesson. You, even from reading, should put some questions together about it, to the point about what we will study. Then in the next lesson you will go over today and prepare yourself for the next one and in this way, you can be prepared to absorb what we are learning and then you will advance.
20. S. (40:51) The vessel after the first restriction, is it like a mold that's ready to receive the light or the lights that come after one another build the vessel?
R. Before the vessel performs the restriction, screen and reflected light, the light can't appear in the vessel because the vessel made a restriction. Restriction means that it just pushes the light out like with the host and says I'm not receiving from you. I'm not receiving anything; I have restricted myself and above that restriction how can I bestow to the host so the vessel discovers that it can bestow specifically by receiving and now she will receive in the force of bestowing in faith above reason and in this way, she discovers herself as a bestower. Then in the equivalence of form in between her and the Creator that each one bestows to the extent that the vessel sees that it can be like the Creator so you can open herself for the upper light to fill her. Because the filling will be called the light on behalf of the vessel to the Creator. As much as the guest refuses to receive from the host and then agrees to receive from the host, so his reception won't be reception anymore, it will be bestowing even though it enjoys itself, it is still bestowing to the host enjoying himself for the host. This is what happens in the vessel, try to do this in the group, in your vessels and you will see.
S. When the guest stands in front of the host, the host puts the whole spread in front of him with all of the courses and says come and take the biggest course and he makes a restriction on that?
R. On the desire for the biggest course he restricts all his desires, he checks himself as much as he can be in connection with the pleasures the host is giving him as much as he can't receive them in order to bestow and it is completely different than receiving directly. Directly, when I received from the host some kind of meal, so I took it in a meeting let's say, but if by me eating it from the host, that I received from the host, I have to discover some pleasure, what pleasure I am giving the host. According to what pleasure am I receiving from bestowing to the host, what pleasure I am getting that the host is in front of me and I have a relationship with him, giving to him, that this is a completely different pleasure. Then the host gives me a plate, with that dish that he is giving me I can connect to him and be like him, not just to be the one that is eating some kind of dish. By me, accepting this dish from him and restricting myself with the screen and a reflected light and relating to him, I become like a bestower like a Creator to some extent that I am receiving from him and this is what I have to calculate. This is the entire work to calculate as much as we receive from the Creator that it will be with no shame, in equivalence of form and here we have great work and scrutiny.
S. The restriction is on the attitude not on the portion itself
R. Yes.
21. S. (46:34) Explanation for the law of the inverse reception of the vessels in the lights?
R. We should send this material or put it in the lesson, the inverted value of lights and vessels is very confusing but it stems from the created being becoming a source of bestowal that became a source of light because the light is called bestower. The created being becomes a source of this because it makes a restriction on its desire to receive, screen and reflected light and a calculation of who and what he is giving. What is he giving? He is giving nothing, he is giving an attitude that he wants to resemble the host that is why he restricts himself and by these actions he wants to resemble the host, to give to the host. Imagine to yourself that there is a child next to you and he's saying I don't want to eat like I ate yesterday, now I want to eat like you are. That he wants to bestow equal to the giver so he needs to learn how to do this, how can he only by connecting to the giver. This is why the first action and connection are restriction his desire to receive and not receiving any more, that by this he already became, he slices himself off from the giver and says I am standing on my own even though he really wants it and it gives him the ability to sort out and check and to start working in an opposite way without the restriction on behalf of the created being that can't be anything. This is why we must shut our desire to receive and only afterward start working to bestow in some kind of form of connection and then our connection with the Creator will already be in a different style in bestowing not receiving.
S. So what is the inverse relationship between vessels and light?
R. It is in the created being that the created being is bestowing to the Creator in the coarsest place, in the biggest desire as much as he is activating it, he is bestowing to the Creator more, he is presenting the biggest desire he can to bestow with and receive in the same way but what comes from the Creator doesn't enter the same place where the created being restricted himself and created that reflected light. When the created being is in equivalence to form with the Creator meaning where the created being is in a bigger purity, refinement. This is why you bestow in the most coarse vessels and you received the light from the Creator in the most refined vessels. That is the big confusion and also the Kabbalists to Baal HaSulam until he was able to attain it and explain it. The problem isn't the verbal explanation but as much as we are not built in such a way until we don't work in that method, under that law we can't understand it even though we use it we use it as much as man corrects himself in his more coarse vessels, he can understand more exalted things. Not in the same vessels that he corrected but in more exalted ones. We need to talk about it more and more, the inverted value of light and vessels is always an issue to explain in simple words as you can't say something because it's not a problem to say the vessel of Keter or Nefesh, but in a personal way that one can reveal it you have to work to the revealing and then from your deeds I will know you.
22. S. (53:15) The complete annulment to the 10 to just want to bestow is that the Kli of Keter?
R. That Kli of Keter is the smallest vessel that we can make in order to bestow or you can say otherwise that that's the one we start from with the coarseness of the root and then we only receive the light of Nefesh. You can say it is the biggest coarseness of phase 4 that you can restrict and put a screen and reflected light and reach with that reflected light all the way to the degree of the Creator, meaning it depends on what we are meaning. If we are meeting the purity of the vessel then it is the coarseness of the root if we are speaking about the work of Malchut to be Keter that is the degree of Dalet with the restriction, screen and reflected light until the Keter as we always need to explain where we are at in this is all because of the inverted value of lights and vessels.
23. S. (55:00) In bestowal we continue to feel Malchut and enter into Bina to feel both. It is connected to the inverse relationship, Nefesh enters Keter and this is the reason we continue to feel Malchut?
R. What it is we need to gradually relate to this matter of the inverted lights and vessels until our mind and feeling will balance, connect and give us a correct form of this picture and then we will understand it. I've seen it with a lot of students that with time they can absorb and understand in a correct way, even though really the state changes especially when entering a spiritual feeling.
24. S. (56:40) How can you explain the state of the guests in the hosts in the 10?
R. Each one to the 10 can present himself as a guest and the host imagine for yourself and act in play in it that each one is the guest and the host is the 10 and 1 time each one of you is the host and the 10 is the guest, please try it, it is role playing, it helps and give the flexibility to the desire to receive in man otherwise the desire to receive is still, not flexible, it needs the water, the quality of Bina. We have different roles, me, the friend and the Creator and this helps us to be more flexible and according to our flexibility we can accept the qualities of Bina that enter the cracks between us.
25. S. (58:17) With everything that is happening in the world we start to feel the importance, how do we come into Congress preparation like a professional athlete who is trying to improve his performance, how can we be in this state of improvement continuously?
R. Importance, if we are in a group that is about to reveal the Creator to reveal all of reality it is possible only to the extent that when we correct ourselves and put ourselves in correction of all of reality otherwise, we won't advance in spirituality. This is why we need to know what is happening in the world and how we in our intentions still try to be close to humanity and bestow to humanity the explanation of what humanity needs to take on itself to be safe from the blows. You know all the words already, what do I need to add, the world doesn't know as much as it needs our explanation and as much as we don't appreciate what we have and how by our explanation we can help us and the world and mainly the Creator. That is our work and why to the extent that we bestow between us to the world that we will ask the Creator to be our partner and by that we will advance until we incorporate us, humanity and the Creator which should already happen in our times as it is allowed because from above this whole system is revealed. It all depends now to the extent that we make an impulse from below, from us.
26. S. (01:01:05) In every degree does the creature bestow to the Creator only according to his appreciation of the Creator?
R. According to our effort it is more correct to say, even though we don't have any equivalence of form with the Creator because then we would at least be in the first state of spiritual conception, impregnation. This is why we have no choice, we do this from the state we are in, but as much as we feel sorry about what is happening in the world and want to correct it by bringing the Creator closer to the world and that is something we can do only in all of humanity. We are the ones who are connecting these things so according to the extent that we are concerned about it to happen, by that we bring ourselves closer to the Creator and the end of correction and the whole world to the Creator and the end of correction. It is worth working on it and also from this that is why we are thinking of the Congress that has to come that it will be our meeting place where the hearts are connected and by this, we are taking an extra step ahead and correcting the world. We can see according to what is happening in the world today that it won't end, for certain in the end it will be good this is called the end of correction Malt but on the way, there will be more, either there in a good or bad way, there will be more states that depend on our efforts as everything can appear whether in a corrected or corrupted state. If we in advance see and discover the corrupted states and demand for them to be corrected then we and humanity will go on the nice, paved way to the end of correction, if not those corruptions will affect us even stronger than all of humanity because we are responsible for them appearing and we need to correct the connection between us and invite the Creator to correct the whole vessel.
27. S. (01:04:13) What is the preceding condition in the 10 that we have read about where the light up Nefesh starts to clothe in Keter?
R. Connection on the coarseness of the root, connection at least on the coarseness of us that we will want to connect. Obviously, we won't be able to do it but you will ask the Creator to do it for us.