Morning Lesson December 19, 2022 Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 1:
Zohar for All. "Introduction of The Book of Zohar". "The Flower Buds".
1. Rav’s Introduction:(00:35) Yes, this is a very important article. It is the opening article for the book itself. Thus, we will begin from it, from all the heart and the desire to connect to open our hearts to receive all the words of the Zohar in our heart.
Reading (01:14:) "The Flower Buds" In the beginning,
2. R. ( 01:27) Opening, meaning the tubes of light, the abundance and in this He brings the light closer to the students, to human beings at all in general so Rabbi Shimon...
Reading (01:54) "The flower buds appeared on the earth..
3. S. (12:41) About the flower buds, they describe two processes,one when Malchut rises to BIna or to Ima and the second one rises above the buds that descends from Zeir Anpin to Malchut, to the Nukva, how to correctly understand what is happening here, what's the connection between then?
R. MAN and MAD, they are forces that the lower ones raise to the Creator called MAN, a request, a deficiency, a desire for correction and they are the responses to the Creator to the lower ones, which is called MAD, which descends from above below as a response to the request from below and both these directions are all the time in action. Each one awakens the other and by this there is a connection between the upper and the lower one.
S. Are the flower buds always a response to the request?
R. Yes, the Creator is always the one who initiates them either in a revealed or concealed manner but He initiates the matter. On this it is written, ‘I am the first and I am the last.’
S. What is in our work when we are rewarded with the appearance of these flower buds?
R. When there is a connection between the upper and the lower one we need to make the effort in each moment of our life to find some beginning of connection with the Creator and to begin to turn to him. That's what we need. That's how it is.
4. S. (15:30) I understand the words, I understand the combination of the words but not in the heart, not in the mind but not everything is moving.
R. It is still early, it is still early for you. Read, read, read, the same excerpt many times the same passage and then you will see how gradually you begin to feel yourself closer to the passage you will begin to feel yourself closer to the passage. It will begin to enter you, you will begin to immerse in you, soal up in you and you will then see how it works in you and you will begin to see how the Zohar is very close to your heart, alright
5. S. (16:40) What is […]
R. We will learn that later on.
6. S. (17:05) It says that hearing is the quality of Bina and doing the quality of Malchut. What is this is hearing in spirituality, and what is doing?
R. Hearing is a sense that comes from Bina, from the qualities of Bina and Assiya is the Malchut itself.
S. These are two kinds of connections with the Creator?
R. Yes.
7. S. (17:36 ) The sixth day of creation is when we discover the Creator?
R. Yes.
8. R. (18:00) It's good that we dont have alot of questions because all of the questions are clarified during the readings, a few more pages and a few more pages and you will begin to see how the Zohar gradually begins to explain itself.
9. S. (18:29) Can you tell us a bit about the action that Malchut is doing?
R. We are not not going to begin to explain anything. We are simply going to read the book of Zohar and gradually you will reveal it in yourself. I will just clarify the different points that are necessary because to explain in-depth will take so long, it will take so much time that it is just impossible. It's an explanation upon explanation. The depth is infinite. We will go through this gradually. The Zohar is comprised in such a manner that reading it gradually brings a person into a new field, a new area of sensation and understanding and in such a manner you become familiar, closer to the book and become familiar with the wisdom of Kabbalah.
10. S. (19:56) Why did Malchut return to the land of , I don't know what he is saying.
R. It doesn't matter . Let's go on.
11. S (20:23) The moon is saying that Malchut is saying that two Kings cannot live under one crown.
R. That too we will learn later on. Here in this small excerpt you can ask a 1000 questions and of course they have no room here because we have to include an entire explanation to the book of Zohar. wWe will wait patiently, waiting for the Zohar itself to speak about it.
12. S. (21:20) It says that the Malchut is receiving her influence from Daat-Tifferet-Yesod, The Sefirot of Daat does not always appear under the ten conditions of the Sefirot. What is the feeling of Daat under the conditions of Sefirot?
R. I don't know. Again you can ask 1000 questions like this, again why don't you understand that we don't learn in such a manner. We learn along with the book, what the book explains, we understand it, okay? This is what we need to know but the main thing is not to know but rather to hear, not even to understand and feel but rather, in the meantime, just to hear and from this we begin to become familiar with the Zohar, step after step, layer after layer. Try to understand the approach, explain it to one another, that we are just listening, listening.
Excerpt 5. (22:37) " The flower buds are the patriarchs.."
13. R. (41:45 ) We read this passage is not so simple there are a lot of details, the rose buds and the part we are learning about the Zohar it's let's see what are friends want to ask
14. S. (42:13) How can I connect what we are going to learn soon like you answered the other friends if I can't even remember what I just read beforehand? How can I connect one line that continues through the reading of the Zohar?
R. You wish to put what you hear from the Zohar into your brain, into your mind, into your intellect. Let's say that you have a computer that you brought 20 or 30 years ago from the first models that came out. Then you want to make some calculations on it or watch some videos on it and pictures and scrutinies and put some programs that only modern computers can understand, so how can that be?
It won't happen in this way. You will have to do an upgrade, innovations,renovations to your computer until it will be fitting those problems, those exercises that you wish to introduce into them and to work with them. There is no choice, we are the same, our brain doesn't work according to spirituality at all, it is a totally different level of activating our powers. We have in us powers also from spirituality but they have to be activated. There is no choice, we need to approach it gradually and then we will succeed. That's what the Zohar is teaching us.If you want to feel, to see, to understand you the world you won't be able to do it except through such stages that the book of Zohar commands that you take. Invest the proper forces in it and you will reach you if you won't then you won't make it, it's very simple. It's just like in our world to new techniques and new technology.
You can go to the university and learn something from the most advanced stages. If you didn't prepare yourself to some extent in school, you can't . What is the preparation that we need to make? First of all I won't accept that I came here to study and that we are being taught by Rabbi Shimon and his students that they wish to teach us. They too wish to draw us into this spiritual university but we have to help them out. We have to hear, we have to try and do something and that's how it develops and continues. Let's not get ahead of ourselves because you just it will simply confuse us. Let's just advance gradually stage by stage.
15. S. (46:55) You just answered this question, partially in any case, how do we relate to this the large part of the questions you truly cancel them, you didn't give the friends an answer. How do we approach this and what type of lack or deficiency do we need to awaken during the reading of the Zohar?
R. We don't need to awaken any deficiency during the reading except for one, except to be glued or adhered to the text. I wish to annul before this text so that it can work on me. This is how we enter spirituality, an unknown state that we do not understand: we are not in it. Even in our world when we enter somewhere that is unfamiliar to us we are incorporated with this place, we annul before this place, we keep quiet, we don't ask that much, we don't get involved, rather for the time being it's as if we are not there. Very quietly we begin to incorporate in it to each and every new state.
16. S. (48:39) If we generate such a place in which we are not present, in which we make a space in which He can enjoy it from this. How do we receive the Zohar simply to make space for it to operate.
R. Listen to what the Book of Zohar is saying and try to absorb it inside of you, you understand. Whether you understand it or not, open your mouth and swallow it like a baby that doesn't understand anything that he's being told.
S. [no translation]
R. I don't want to compare to anything else, what you mean by those words, the fewest words possible.
17. S. (20:01) On one hand I need to annul myself before the ten and the friends, on the other hand before the text.
R. Yes, annul yourself towards the text and annul yourselves before the friends and wait until it will enter into you; to process it inside of you.
S. Doesn't it sound a bit egoistic, that I'm thinking about myself that I will absorb it?
R. Otherwise you will not be able to participate in anything.
S. How do we do this as a ten?
R. You annul yourself towards everything.
S. Okay, I annulled myself, let's say I annulled myself and together with the friends, how do we read this text with connection, are we listening through some common ear?
R. No you can’ immediately hear through one ear. You annul yourself towards the friend and you become incorporated in them together as they are and in this incorporation you want to absorb into you what the Zohar is saying meaning throughout the entire ten, you wish to hear what the Zohar is saying. If you will be alone you will not be able to hear anything: you will simply not have the ear for it.
S. What can I hear in our connection? Some changes will occur?
R. Of course there will be changes because the Creator, He will start to let you know.
S. Specifically in the words that we read?
R. In connection with these words.
S. These words that are absorbed in the ten, what are these words some light or what?
R. It's a feeling, an inner feeling that you will begin to feel. These feelings will begin to change you somehow and you'll be able to begin to feel what the light is doing in you.
S. The sensation is also something because this is written by Rabbi Shimon and his ten and they had some common feeling?
R. Of course.
S. They just sat and felt what they’re writing?
R. Yes.
18. S. (53:20) Are all these stages in our work until we reach the sixth day, can we reveal the Creator and in what part of the study with the friends or during the preparation, how?
R. We reveal the Creator gradually, all the days of creation that we are reading about. Soon we will come to the beginning of the revelation of the Creator.
19. S. (54:40) In order to transition to Ibur and Yenika we need to go through Netzah, Yod, Hesod and go to HGT, Hesed,Gevura, Tifferet?
R. We will learn about it, for the time being we did not learn about it. I'm asking you to ask questions only that are within our common framework of the study here.
20. S. (55:25) There is like this war that's going on through the lesson. Maybe you can help. If we read the Zohar on our own it's always this intimate, deep process. In the ten it also took us some time when we are able to aim ourselves correctly and now there's a sensation as if we’re naked, it's a very unique, intimate sensation of incorporating the Zohar and there's a great quantity of friends that are engaged in it together. How do we work with it like this because it's a dream to read the Zohar in the morning lesson and how do we work with this?
R. We are cells in one body, and so that's how we need to perceive ourselves and these combinations and that's why we should simply open ourselves up one towards the other, meaning that we are ready and willing to connect with mutual help as ‘one man in one heart.’ We don't need to think or invent what was before or what will be after but simply to go to that state where we connect with help towards one another.
S. How do we overcome this rejection, repulsion and opposition?
R. Overcome it, I don't know how to imagine anything else. He sure needs to overcome, each one by himself, each one according to his own way. It will happen to everyone but we have to do it.
21. S. (57:50) From the passage, ‘Because Nukva has nothing of her own and her entire building is from what Zeir Anpin gives her.’ How does this connection influence us from the group to the Creator and the Creator to the group?
R. What does that have to do with what we just read, the connection between a person and the group and between the group and the Creator has to be one as one, as one. Except that we are building it from over two stages, that's it.
22. S. (58:43) What to do with our imagination that's active during reading the Zohar?
R. What to do with the imagination, arrange it slowly according to what is written in the ‘Book of Zohar.’
S. We see that our imagination can take us in all sorts of places?
R. No, it's not describing any more than what is happening inside a person, qualities and inclinations. It's not something that appears to us in the corporeal world, it's only in our inner depictions.
S. That's exactly the question, how do I take this imagination that’s showing me all types of corporeal images?
R. Don't take it at all, you need this imagination only to somehow arrange the relationships between forces.
S. When we read the text a lot of emotions wake up and afterwards we have all sorts of questions and even more emotions arise, more sensations, what are we emphasizing on the request during the reading?
R. The correct request during the reading is that I want to be not in imaginary things but to approach the Creator and get incorporated into him; to get integrated with him.
23. S. (01:00:38) The force of the light that we receive during reading the Zohar, is it dependent on our unity?
R. What is our unity I don’t know but yes it depends on that. The quality of our qualities.
24. S. (01:01:05) If I hold my ten and Bnei Baruch in my heart will it help?
R. Yes it will help.
25. S. (01:01:15) Do you recommend to us during the day to read what we read in the morning?
R. Certainly.
Reading passage number 6 (01:01:34) “ And who is the one that sustains the world..”
26. S. (01:04:55) Many times when we're reading it, like yesterday, there's a lot of things in parallel with ‘Talmud Eser Sefirot.’ Is it okay to see connections between the two?
R. With ‘Talmud Eser Sefirot’ It's a different language. Of course it speaks of the same things, we're opening up the system of bestowal in place of the system of reception which is our world and in this system of bestowal their forces of Tzimtzum, Masach and Ohr Hozer and everything we learn in the spiritual world. The question is how to talk about it, either you talk about it using the language like in ‘Talmud Eser Sefirot’ or using a language as you do in the Zohar or you mix the two like you see here.
R. The question is just not how not to get confused. It should be very clear. There's no restriction, there's no prohibition, you can read both here and there.
S. It's okay if I'm sometimes looking for connections between the two that I say in the Zohar this must be Tzimtzum Bet, the second restriction from ‘Talmud Eser Sefirot’?
R. Yes, it's possible. The only question is in a person himself. You're not harming anything, just as long as you don't get confused and into trouble.
27. S. (01:06:37) Can we ask what's the difference between the incorporation of right and left and left and right?
R. Who is causing the incorporation?
S. Meaning either will to receive or will to bestow?
R. You're just using different words.
28. S. (01:07:05) It talks here about the appearance of the left line. What preparation can we do for the appearance of the left line?
R. The fact that we already have a Tzimtzum, Masach and Ohr Hozer, the Kli is beginning to be ready to work with the will to receive.
29. S. (01:07:55) You say that we need to learn what the Zohar gives us to receive it but I don't understand anything. Are we supposed to just learn in sensation and not intellect?
R. For the time being we are reading, we read five or ten pages. We have reached the Flower Buds, we're finishing it today. Tomorrow we will continue forward in the Zohar in the next pages.
Gradually we are hearing about what the Zohar is talking about, these words remain in us even when we don't quite understand what is going on. It's like when we're learning something new, for the time being we're learning the names and the connection between the elements the way that they are called and gradually we begin to approach a new reality, you don't understand it, you don't feel it but somehow you are talking perhaps we'll start talking about that new state that is not yet revealed and not yet felt but we can say a few words about it. That way remember and anything we can use to connect the two and gradually through our desire to know the state, then just as Baal HaSulam and Rabash write, we read about it, a person by mentioning the holy names and reading and yearning to be in contact with these things he draws the reforming light upon himself and this light builds Kelim in him and connections and in this way a person starts to get into it.
In the beginning like children, he doesn't understand exactly what he's saying a word here and there but gradually he enters and this is the entrance to the spiritual world just like we see it in children in this world, how they enter the feeling of this world until they begin to understand it, to feel it and even to manage it to some extent and spirituality it's much more, it's much stronger because they don't let us act in spirituality until we understand the cause and effect of everything we wish to be connected to. That is why our entrance is more, a bit slower and more gradual but it's really the entrance to the new world.
30. S. (01:11:59) This initial stage nothing is clear yet, there's nothing to grasp onto, everything is just in sensation; what are we supposed to do actively?
R. Actively means that together with the friends you're trying to crack that new state.
S. That's called emotional learning that's not intellectual?
R. It's not emotional because you're still not feeling anything. You have only one emotion, you want to understand it and to know it and to feel it; to get to know it.
S. Why is it like this, why is the process like this?
R. How else would you build it if you have a will to receive that knows none of your new discernments, what will you do?
S. I don't know it's a very slow gradual process.
R. It's not slow, it builds in us very quickly new discernments. Only we grasp only one discernment out of a million but inside of us the cog wheels are spinning and engines are moving at very high speeds and we on occasion we grasp one of those tiny things and we grab them with our eyes, with our senses.
S. Do we need to hasten this process?
R. The process will get accelerated if we connect more between us; only in that.
31. S. (01:13:47) What change is in a person from day-to-day during the study?
R. He's got more and more spiritual Kelim, he brings himself closer to spirituality and more and more he's starting to get to know the names and everything else that exists in the world that he's studying the spiritual world that he's studying. He has better orientation, even the names: who is Aba and who is Ima, Yeshsut, Malchut, Yesod, all those names but gradually he's connecting these names to certain discernments.
S. As if when I come out from such a lesson, I come out with this entire package of sensations and I don't know how to make discernments out of this but let's say compared to reading some article from Rabash or ‘Shamati,’ then I have discernments from them that are related to work as if you understand what's going on. How do we take the study from the Zohar and turn it into something that you can actively work with?
R. No, you cannot work with it in practice so much but I think that it will come soon enough and in addition try to arrange it in the connection between you in the group.
S. What do you want to come out of the lesson with?
R. I want the lesson to appear in the connection between us. That is certain and correct that the lesson will work in the connection between us.
S. It doesn't matter what we read but it should be the line for it to be revealed in the connection between us?
R. Yes.
S. And the expression, I finished the study, what is the expression, how do you check yourself?
R. No matter what, by the lesson you became closer.
S. I check to see how much closer I am with them?
R. Yes, yes.
S. I noticed that precisely when we read the Zohar they're always thoughts that fly you all over the place. What is the right response to the disturbances you have during the reading?
R. That they're the ones that you have to overcome and draw them to the matter of the lesson to be as ‘one man in one heart.’
32. S. (01:18:09) A large portion of the study of Zohar you dedicate to questions and answers. What do you recommend during this part to draw the same light and use this portion of the questions and answers?
R. Look, I nevertheless want to answer all the questions that are to the point and that could advance the students. There are certainly many such questions that are not for advancement but just to confuse you, without malice or such an intention that are being asked but upon them I do not answer or answer in such a way that it can neutralize it. The main thing is to see how each and every question can receive an answer that brings the students closer between them.
33. S. (01:19:33) To continue about the thoughts during the study, there are thoughts that throw a person off completely and suddenly he thinks about what he needs to do at work and there are connections of events of life and blow it up with emotion.
R. What do you mean that I don't understand what is filling them up with emotions?
S. Let's say we read the last part and it's about the children. Maybe through different events, life events, is relevant, is it correct, incorrect, ignore it or not, do something with it? What do I do with life events, of our life, of corporeal life that we live in this world when it clothes within the Zohar?
R. That is really a very specific matter with a person studying the Zohar with the Sulam commentary and his reading Baal HaSulam. I don't know how to answer this. Each one receives it in a different way. I remember myself how I received it, say thirty years ago, forty years, and now there's a difference; there's a big difference. Therefore, each receives it the way he sees it correctly and with time it will change. But mainly when we study together we receive immediately the correct discernment and rise with it more and more. Give us some time, a few weeks at least, so that you will start to feel where we are and what the material we are being in contact with.
34. S. (01:22:10) When you say that women aren't asking I had a need to share that in our ten there was a great excitement and yearning to read always the Zohar to hear it in the background all day, throughout the day. There's a feeling that something new is clothing in us and maybe there is a difference between the attitude of men and women?
R. Yes, women receive the ‘Book of Zohar' in a very different way than men. Also, when it comes to ‘Talmud Eser Sefirot’ they relate and perceive the material a little differently. I'm very satisfied from the way I feel the women's participation in the Zohar. It's good for them, it's very much advancing for them, it really raises them up, uplifts them. Now we will try.
35. S. (01:23:25) When we study Rabash articles and during the day we go over that during the day even if I don't understand I have something to say and here I have nothing to add, so how do we go over it?
R. Read, simply read what's written as an influence upon the growth of your soul and it's worthwhile to read it again.
S. And suppose there's a few friends that can give an entire lecture about it?
R. It's best to read it together from Baal HaSulam.
36. S. (01:24:17) Does the Zohar give us the purpose for the inner states that we go through and can this help us during the day when we go through the states?
R. Yes,yes certainly the Zohar bestows, influences everything even though we are not aware of it.
37. S. (01:24:45) I don't understand anything from what we read in the Zohar, is it because I am not connected to the friends or not in Arvut with them?
R. No, no one understands what we're reading in the Zohar but in order to understand we need, like a little child that suddenly starts to understand and feel, even to talk a little, it all comes seemingly together and therefore we need to just continue. To just continue.
38. S. (01:25:45) Today during the reading I felt a very deep connection with the text and the friends and the question is why we read always speaking about Tifferet and within ourselves and feelings. What are those qualities that I need to aim for aside from loving the friends?
R. Inside your heart. Inside your heart. Until you start to see inside your heart many discernments and you will be able to see by which discernment from within your heart you connect with certain friends and then with all the friends and so on and so forth.
39. S. (01:26:52) Is it correct to relate to the Zohar, all of these names are forces and when we study that Rabbi Shimon opened is a force that is very opened, close to the Creator that opens before us and try to bring it closer like the young ones to the old ones. Is it correct to look at every name of the ancestors? They are all forces that are acting, so I would want to ask from a systematic point that now that we're studying about the Nitzavim, is it the same system that's revealing the force, all the forces that are bringing us closer?
R. Yes, you are right we will advance and we will feel them more and more closer in a sharp manner.
40. S. (01:28:15) I noticed the moment I connect to the Zohar I distance from the group, it’s somewhere in the background and when I connect to the group, The Zohar is somewhere distant. How do I connect it together?
R. Try and make an effort.
41. S. (01:28:48) Since we started reading the Zohar I had a feeling that all day we are surrounded by the light of Zohar and not just us but the entire world Kli is under the influence.
R. Correct, wonderful you are talking 100% correctly because we started to awaken the light of the Zohar in the world and therefore we feel this throughout the day. I heard this from many people who feel this way, that already the Zohar is seemingly wrapping us and we just began to read, we are yet to feel in the future but soon how much this influences us and protects us and wraps us and binds us.
S. It's what I wanted to confirm that this feeling is true.
R. This feeling is true. We start to feel it here and there, men and women let's hope that we will all feel it.
42. S. (01:30:13) It is written that a different explanation, what is this different explanation?
R. It's a different approach to the explanation of a certain spiritual phenomenon. Just like in every science, that's how the Zohar also explains it to us.
43. S. (01:30:56) The topic of the study of the Zohar is important one and other than preparation that we're doing in connection we are brought to a state of between Heaven and Earth and not understand but to flow with it. My question is if a concept is written several times, should we ask you or skip it?
R. We will soon discover in our study of the Zohar a lot of study material, just like in ‘Talmud Eser Sefirot.’ Don't worry, you will have plenty.