https://kabbalahmedia.info/en/lessons/cu/qjcKipSd 

The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.

Daily Lesson (Afternoon) December 2, 2024                                                                       

Part 1: Rabash. A Ladder Set on the Earth Record 371, 

Reader: Hello, we are reading the Writings of Rabash, Volume 3, 1785, Article 371, “A Ladder Set on the Earth”. You can find the study materials on the website. 

A Ladder Set on the Earth

Reading: (00:31) “Behold, a ladder was set on the earth.” What is a ladder? It is a degree on which all other degrees depend, meaning the Nukva [female], which is the rest of the degrees (The Zohar, p 29, and in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar]).

“And behold, angels of God ascending and descending on it.” These are the appointees of all the nations ascending and descending on this ladder. When Israel sin, the ladder comes down and the appointees ascend. When Israel improve their ways, the ladder ascends and all the appointees descend (Item 53 in the Sulam).

We need to understand all this, and to understand what people say, that there is nothing straighter than a crooked ladder, and nothing more crooked than a ladder when it is straight. Malchut is called “the assembly of Israel” and includes all the souls. Hence, according to the practices of the lower ones, so the bestowal from above appears to them.

For this reason, when Israel engage in acts of bestowal, there is a decline to the nations of the world, whose root is only reception of pleasure for themselves. But when Israel engage in reception, they give strength to the nations of the world, for the power of reception to control. When the power of reception governs, the power of Tzimtzum [restriction] governs and the abundance cannot be drawn from above. 

It therefore follows that the ladder, which is Malchut, when the nations of the world ascend, Malchut descends, meaning that he cannot bestow upon the lower ones, and then there is concealment in the world.

But when Israel improve their practices through acts of bestowal, and the power of reception in order to receive declines, the ladder, which is Malchut, ascends in its importance, meaning it imparts upper abundance downward.

This is the meaning of what people say, “There is more crooked than a ladder when it is straight.” In spirituality, “straightness” is called a “line” that has above and below, where Malchut is below and Keter is above.

This is called “In the beginning, He created the world with the quality of judgment. He saw that the world could not exist and associated with it the quality of mercy,” which is regarded as a diagonal. It follows that when Malchut is associated with the quality of mercy, it is called “a ladder,” and “crooked” means it stands diagonally. But when it is straight with the quality of judgment, the world cannot exist.

It is written about the verse, “He will command His angels over you, to keep you in all your ways,” “His angels” are the good inclination and the evil inclination. There, in Item 2, “Rabbi Yitzhak started, ‘It is written, ‘The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear Him and will deliver them.’ But elsewhere, it is written, ‘He will command His angels over you,’ meaning many angels. He explains, ‘The words, ‘He will command His angels over you’ are angels as usual. And the words, ‘An angel of the Lord’ means the Shechina [Divinity].’’”

We should understand why at one time he says “two angels,” and another time he says “one angel,” referring to the Shechina. That is, when does he have two angels and when does he have one angel?

We can interpret this as our sages said about the verse, “with all your heart,” meaning with both your inclinations, the good inclination and the evil inclination.

Accordingly, angels as usual means that every person has two angels, the good inclination and the evil inclination, which are two hearts. But after a person is rewarded with fear of the Creator, he becomes among those who fear the Creator. At that time, he is rewarded with one angel, when his two inclinations become one, and by this he comes to love the Creator with both his inclinations, for they are both united within him. This is considered that he has been rewarded with the instilling of the Shechina.

M. Laitman: Questions?

Question (Women MAK): (07:26) How can we apply the principle of the ladder set on the earth in our usual life to achieve spiritual growth and connection with the Creator? 

M. Laitman: This is exactly what this article is talking about. If we look at the staircase and try to connect with it so it turns out that we will be constantly trying to climb onto it, and this is a guarantee of our proper development. 

Student: Does this speak of the ladder of Jacob and Israel? 

M. Laitman: Of course. That's exactly what it's talking about. 

Question (Women MAK): (08:31) How can we raise the importance of faith called ladder? 

M. Laitman: The fact that a person sees in front of him a possibility to elevate, to rise to the Creator, and this possibility is called a stairway, and he's using this possibility, this opportunity in any way possible.

Student: How do we develop the faith in greatness of the Creator? 

M. Laitman: To develop faith in the Creator, we can learn from the fact that we have friends, groups, our studies, and we wish for everybody to realize everything we study between us in the group, in the connection between us. 

Student: How do we elevate the fear of the Creator in our work? 

M. Laitman: In our work we have to constantly bless the Creator, and then we will always be striving towards coming closer to Him, and this will embody the result of our work.

Question (Kyiv): (10:25) It says, the ladder is set on the earth, and all the nations ascend and descend on it. What does the appointees of all the nations mean? 

M. Laitman: It means that this ladder is for everyone. Anyone who wishes to come closer to the Creator has to master the elevation, rising on this ladder. 

Student: It says that the ladder is Malchut. How do we come to this Malchut, so that we can ascend on this ladder? 

M. Laitman: We try to define where we are in relation to this ladder, and we try to work with it in such a manner that we would be elevating, we would be rising using it all of the time.

Student: How can we determine where we are in relation to this ladder, for example, in the Ten? 

M. Laitman: It doesn't matter. Wherever you are, you have to imagine how you can climb it. 

Student: How do I imagine climbing it? 

M. Laitman: That's what he explained to you, that you imagine yourself, that you can start climbing the ladder, and at the same time you have to bring contentment to the Creator with your attitude, with your behavior, with your result. 

Question (Women Turkiye 7): (12:37) In the eighth paragraph, it says, when the quality of the judgment is correct, the world cannot exist. What is correct with the quality of the judgment? I did not understand this. 

M. Laitman: In front of us there is only a measure of judgment, despite the fact that we cannot climb this ladder. But you have to understand the principle here. How do we see this ladder, and how we can gradually, step by step, degree by degree, combine ourselves with the force of the Creator, and climb like this.

Question (Turkiye 2): (14:33) The Creator wants man to include himself with his whole heart and at the same time, his heart is in the Creator’s hands. How to work with the system of these interactions. They are direct and opposite.

M. Laitman: We have to be close to the Creator, connected to the Creator, and all of the time try to bring Him contentment and expect from Him that He will help us reach the state where we can bring Him joy.  

Question (Turkiye 2): (15:49) Are we ready to give contentment to the Creator? Are we ready for this action?

M. Laitman: This is exactly what we have to check. Are we able or not able? Can we or can we not? This is what we have to check, scrutinize, and then address the Creator and ask Him to help us, to cooperate with us, and this way we will be able to, from this action, bring contentment to the Creator.

Question (English 1): (16:45) How do we today, right now, bring contentment to the Creator? What can we do? I want to, but I don't know how to, and the wanting is the only thing I've got. How do I work with that to make it happen? 

M. Laitman: If your desire is to bring contentment upon the Creator, to try to do it, then you are already using your desire properly. There is nothing else that is needed here.

Question (Qazaqstan-Kyrgyzstan): (18:04) In Bnei Baruch world Kli are millions of people. Can we flip the eight billion people in humanity to light? 

M. Laitman: Of course we can. 

Student: How do we do this? 

M. Laitman: I'm sure we'll succeed in all this, otherwise I wouldn't waste my time on it.

Question (Women MAK 98): (18:47) How does the combination of mercy and judgment support the world? How does the combination of the qualities of mercy and judgment make the world exist? The world cannot exist only with mercy. 

M. Laitman: No, we won't be able to advance if the Creator is going to be only affecting us with mercy.

Student: Another question. How does the understanding of two inclinations, the good and the bad, connect to acquiring fear and love of the Creator? 

M. Laitman: If the Creator wouldn't treat us with the force of judgment, we wouldn't ever achieve anything. The Creator is constantly changing His influence according to His relation to us. Therefore, we're not left with nothing else but elevating above His attitude towards us.

Student: So, the judgments will always be there. We just have to learn to get out from in the middle between mercy and judgment, like that? 

M. Laitman: The thinking is correct, it's just that you don't succeed in vocalizing it, but it's correct in general. 

Question (MAK 39): (20:49) Can we associate the ladder with the qualities of the Creator and the ability to express ourselves in these qualities? 

M. Laitman: We can, during our spiritual work, rise all of the time and be connected to the Creator, so that by the end of the day, our path would finish with us elevating the Creator above us. We would elevate ourselves towards Him, and we would experience nothing else. 

Question (Women MAK 51): (21:38) I'm a little confused when an article says nations of the world, or Israel, does this speak of the qualities in us, or the society, or the world? 

M. Laitman: Sometimes it says about the society, sometimes about the group, sometimes about the nations of the world. It doesn't matter. 

Student: If Israel ascends on the degrees of the ladder and performs actions of bestowal, they pass on the good to the world. What is this good for the world?

M. Laitman: In that they also can come closer and attain the Creator.

Student: How can we check ourselves in relation to the state of the world? 

M. Laitman: Just wish for it to happen, simply wish. 

Question (Women Moscow 5): (22:47) If we rise on the degrees, does it mean we are rising in the force of bestowal? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: And what do we pass on to the lower ones if we just give and give and give? 

M. Laitman: We're gradually passing to the lower ones the part of a force of bestowal that we attain ourselves.

Question (Women Spain): (23:30) What is the meaning of the sentence, there is nothing more crooked than a ladder when it is straight, and there is non-crooked as a straight ladder? What does this have to do with Israel and Malchut and the souls? 

M. Laitman: There is nothing straighter than a crooked ladder, because due to the fact that the ladder is crooked, we can elevate, we can climb into the spiritual world and attain the Creator. That's it. 

Question (Tbilisi): (24:37) I want to help the friends from the greatness of the Creator and understand my evil from the prayer towards the Creator, so that the Creator corrects me. There is no other way, just this way. Is this correct? 

M. Laitman: Yes, we've got to pray for every friend. 

Question (Tbilisi): (25:19) There is one desire, a desire for oneself. I'd like to ask the Creator to annul it, to cancel it. On the other hand, everything the Creator created is great and beautiful. So, what to do? Can I turn to Him with this request to cancel my desire for myself in favor of a desire for others? Is this possible? 

M. Laitman: It is possible. 

Question (Women Turkiye 6): (26:13) When I feel sad, does this mean I don't respect the Creator in that, and I have to ask for forgiveness? 

M. Laitman: Yes, we have to keep and save our state, and guard our spirits, and make sure that we're always in joy.

Question (Women Turkiye 7): (26:52) What is the demand or the lack that connects between the good and bad inclination?

M. Laitman: When we want to attain adhesion between us and connection to the Creator, through which we attain this, we will be able to truly correct the whole world. 

Question (Women French): (27:43) When we study at school, we know that we go from degree to degree. Why is it that when we study here, we don't know when we transition or advance from degree to degree? 

M. Laitman: We don't know from degree to degree the wisdom of Kabbalah, because our whole study is called studying what's being concealed, when we truly don't know where we are. Soon we will have a convention, a congress. When do we have a congress? 

Moderator: In February we will have a big convention, the 21st of February, and we have another event on the 29th of December, Chanukah.

M.  Laitman: The congress at the end of the day is a congress, a convention. We hope that in preparation for this congress, we will make it so that everyone enters spirituality and climbs this ladder, and this way we will rise. 

Student: You're speaking of a congress because for us it's a degree? 

M. Laitman: Yes, I think this congress that we're approaching in February is our exact degree. Specific. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (30:00) At the congress in February, what are we approaching? What is the kind of preparation we need? 

M. Laitman: We're approaching the degree, the level of bestowal for the sake of bestowal. 

Student: What is this degree? 

M. Laitman: That's the first degree before spirituality.

Student: Bestowing before spirituality? 

M. Laitman: Yes, let's say so, yes. 

Student: What kind of preparation do we need to perform to receive such a degree? 

M. Laitman: We have to try and be in connection between us as much as possible, above all our potential personal calculations, and together with this we also have to be in mutual bestowal from everyone to everyone, from each one to everyone. 

Student: How does this work in a world group where thousands of people are studying, is everyone as one or each one individually?

M. Laitman: Exactly, all of us together as one.

Student: And everyone from his place ascends a little bit and enters spirituality, are we all ascending together? 

M. Laitman: We all ascend together. 

Student: And in such a state, when we're in one spiritual feeling, what is this, as he describes here? We ascend on the degrees of the ladder? How does this happen in the world? 

M. Laitman: I don't want to talk about the world now. The main thing is what's concerning us. 

Question (Hadera 1): (32:46) It is written that when Israel descends the ladder ascends, and there is no possibility to elevate for the lower ones? There is no contact between the ladder and the lower ones? Why is there no opportunity to elevate from the lower ones? 

M. Laitman: Because the ladder is not arranged in the right order. 

Student: So, the lower ones have no approach to the ladder? 

M. Laitman: It's not that there is no approach; in this case there is no approach. 

Student: Yes, in this case. The other way is that if Israel elevates, then the ladder descends, and there is an approach?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Hebrew 2): (33:38) Is it the supplement of mercy that makes the ladder crooked?

 M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Does it depend on the coming of the Shechina towards the gathering of Israel? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And it depends on our prayer for our friends? 

M. Laitman: Yes, this depends on our unity in this work. 

Question (Women Hebrew 2): (34:33) Our advancement towards the next degree that you were mentioning before, we have to look for and fill the lacks of the friends, the deficiencies. Is that the direction? 

M. Laitman: No. What for? 

Student: I am looking where to advance, except outside of our common feeling of unity, to where do I advance? 

M. Laitman: Advance towards unity. 

Student: What does it mean, except for what we are doing already? 

M. Laitman: So that we all feel that we are all in one embrace.

Question (Women Ukraine 2): (35:30) You answered another student that we have to imagine this ladder for ourselves to rise on it. So, what's the importance of imagination in our work? I have a feeling that we first have to imagine this, and then we will rise on it. 

M. Laitman: There is something in this, yes. 

Student: How do I imagine the advancement of the friends, and you also replied just imagine. Maybe it has something to do with faith above reason and imagination? 

M. Laitman: All this will be revealed and will come by itself. 

Question (Women MAK 25): (36:29) Why exactly the quality of mercy? Why does it give this needed crookedness of the ladder that will allow us to climb the ladder? 

M. Laitman: Because this is how we need to treat each other.

Student: Through mercy we reach love? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Women Kavkaz 1): (37:01) You said that the principle of ascent happens when the person connects himself with the force of the Creator. So, currently the way I understand it is when my prayer reaches the fact that I feel that I don't have any forces and I'm unable to, but then at the same time this free space gets filled with the Creator, and I have a feeling that He's ready and willing to correct me and this is how true ascent occurs. Do I get it correct? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women German): (37:43) Prayer for the friend elevates a person in general above his body and it frees him of ego, and it looks like the higher reward is being able to pray for the friend. But my ego puts a wall in front of me and it does not let me enter this prayer, and it tells me that I'm not worthy. What do I do in this case? 

M. Laitman: I have no idea. What's the difference, worthy or not worthy? You just want to enter the state, that's it.

Student: But it feels like this upper reward will free me from myself. This way it seems as if I didn't work hard enough for this reward. 

M. Laitman: This is correct on the one hand. On the other hand, what difference does it make to you? 

Student: Well, maybe I don't want to receive it in a lawless way. Maybe I'm afraid of shame. 

M.  Laitman: Even if you didn't deserve this reward, still demand. We didn't deserve anything. None of us. So, demand. And everyone else.

Question (Women MAK113): (39:17) There's a picture of degrees that when we lie on the floor, on the ground, and it's as if we receive the full measure of judgment from the Creator. And when we start praying and asking from Him, it's as if He's sending us the ladder and helping us, pulling us towards Him. This way, we, as if from lying, we rise up and we advance, and this way, we come closer and closer to the Creator. Is this correct? 

M. Laitman: Yes, this is correct.

Student: But it's in spirituality. I was just exaggerating a little bit in a material way, but in spirituality, it all happens in the group, right? Our state from judgment and our state of mercy that we showcase, and this way, we scrutinize how to act further. 

Question (Women MAK 36): (40:28) In every person, from every one of us, do we have a pre-installed good inclination or do we obtain it and we reveal it? 

Today we read the article, and I have such a feeling that it's written here that we have two hearts, right? And we talk about it so often that we have to ask for a different heart. It's as if there's an evil inclination and both good inclinations. Do we have it from the get-go, both of them, or is the good one being obtained by us? 

M. Laitman: Yes, this is in each. 

Student: Primarily, right? But we will also have to correct the vessels of the good inclination, or are they designated for work straight away?

M. Laitman: You have to develop them.  

Student: How does a person check himself? What is the most precise check from what inclination he is working right now? 

M. Laitman: He needs to try by himself.

Student: But can it be initially a check of intention when he feels that he wants correction for the others? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Spain): (42:35) When it is said about the bestowal towards the world, we understand that it's towards the nations of the world, but when it is said to bestow upon the society, it is said about our world Kli, or the whole world Kli, or the whole wide world, too. 

M. Laitman: It depends on what you think. Everything depends on how a man thinks about this.

Question (Women Petah Tikva 33): (43:26) It's written in the last paragraph, that every person has two angels of good and bad inclination, and you replied that every person has those two inclinations. What does it mean that every person has? Am I considered an every person? 

M. Laitman: Yes, you are also considered a human. 

Student: So, what is good inclination? 

M. Laitman: I don't know. Seek. 

Student: But every person has two angels, if I want. The Creator created me so that I have two hearts, good and bad. It’s very hard to find the bad inclination, because everything has a desire to receive. But what is the good inclination? 

M. Laitman: Seemingly, it's the opposite to the evil inclination.

Student: So, you're saying that both of these inclinations are corrected for the sake of bestowal? 

M. Laitman: Why is it two inclinations? 

Student: Good inclination and bad inclination. 

M. Laitman: Yes, it's what's considered a corrected good inclination. Good question. 

Student: Is there such a thing at all? 

M. Laitman: Also a good question. 

Student: We have created with the desire to receive. That's our nature, that's our material. What is it the Kabbalist says? That there are two natures inside of a person, two inclinations. What can it be? 

M. Laitman: This is the way it is.

Student: So, it's an incorrect state? 

M. Laitman: Think about it, think about it. You're close to it. 

Question (Women MAK 97): (45:51) Is it right to say that through our actions in bestowal, as if through reflected light, we attract the light of Hassadim and exactly the light of Hassadim, of mercy, and it bends this ladder so we can rise using the climb, using it, but not fall? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Italy): (46:23) With the two inclinations we operate for the Creator. Does it mean that in the heart there is one heart with the friend as a partner? 

M. Laitman: Let's say yes.

Question (Women MAK 105): (47:20) The first physical unity occurred between us, first time in two years, and we truly, for some time, caught the Creator. That's how we felt. But after this, we have lost three friends from the Ten. How can you comment on this? 

M. Laitman: This is normal, don't worry. Hold together and increase your force of dissemination, and you’ll acquire, instead of those friends, new ones, even better ones.

Question (Women Rehovot 1): (48:13) Regarding those two angels. It says that angels rise and descend. There is such a conflict. He doesn't see the Shechina, or what?  Jacob was the most corrected one, but maybe you have an answer to that?

M. Laitman: I think differently. This is not the right direction. 

Question (Women MAK 104): (48:55) I'd love to clarify about the state of trepidation when two angels adhere to each other and become one. This work is private work in the heart. So, it's said that a person merits the Shechina.

Shechina is revealed between the two, right? 

M. Laitman: Yes. What does it mean? That it's Shechina between a person and the Creator?

M. Laitman: Yes, between a person and the Creator. 

Student: And then you have to project this state into the group somehow. 

M. Laitman: Of course. 

Question (Asia): (49:52) Regarding the question of another student. Is the whole calculation bad? Does it require correction? 

M. Laitman: Yes, we start from a state that's fully bad. Everything is in evil. The beginning of a man is bad from the beginning. So, we have to calm down and what is ahead of you, which is yet to reveal, will be an even bigger evil. 

Question (Women Turkiye 7): (50:49) Can you explain how this diagonal on the ladder works, the diagonal of judgment and mercy. How do they combine to create this diagonal? 

M. Laitman: The one who learned at school certainly knows what a diagonal is and what it's made up of. It’s made up of vertical and horizontal lines. The unity between them, combination. How do I express it?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (52:03) Connection between a straight line and a perpendicular line. Vertical and horizontal, and they create a diagonal.

M. Laitman: The middle, the common between them. 

Student: The average? 

M. Laitman: Let's say average. This is what we receive.

Student: Question not translated.

M. Laitman: All these mathematical terms. Yes, I know this. This is no problem.

Student: Yes, but feeling-wise, what does it mean, this diagonal, this curve? What does it mean that we unite in ourselves, and we bring the… It's not geometry. What does it mean inside of us? 

M. Laitman: Inside of us, this is called we unite two forces in our senses. 

Student: What characterizes those two forces?

M. Laitman: Oppositeness between them. 

Student: And what is the result, this diagonal? 

M. Laitman: And to unite them in ways that both of these forces work together. 

Student: What is considered a horizontal between us? 

M. Laitman: It doesn't matter what is horizontal. It doesn't matter.

Question (Women MAK 56): (54:18) You said that without the judgment, we cannot advance. But is a person who is already in Lishma advancing without judgments, or are there some different kinds of judgments? 

M. Laitman: A different level.

Question (Women Spain): (54:53) In the text, it says that originally he built the world with the measure of judgment, and he saw that it cannot exist, and he connected the measure of mercy. What does it mean that the world was created with the measure of judgment first, and then there was connection with mercy? 

M. Laitman: In such a way, the Creator wanted to shake up the world and prepare it for correction. 

Question (Women Moscow 5): (55:52) When a Kabbalist writes, and he is expressing himself. To me, two thirds are unclear qualities. What is it given for? Do I have to sit in an intention and soak it, because my brain is boiling, what do I do? 

M. Laitman: You have to extinguish it.

Student: With what? 

M. Laitman: With cold water. 

Student: I can go to shower, of course, but seriously, it's unclear. Why is the ladder crooked? Why can't we rise using the straight ladder? 

M. Laitman: Did you try to ascend not on the crooked ladder? 

Student: No, you cannot do this, you fall back. 

M. Laitman: That's why only on the crooked one.

Student: Very curvy is not, you cannot really rise on it too. 

M. Laitman: No, it's not zigzag-like, it's just slanted. 

Student: But in general, what does Rabash mean when he's writing it like this? He knows that we would be reading this. Do we have to put it through our feelings?

M. Laitman: So, put it through the feelings and everything will be clear. 

Question (Novosibirsk): (57:17) It's written here, when Israel engages in actions of bestowal, there is a decline to the nations of the world, whose root is only reception of pleasure of themselves. So, what is the act of bestowal? 

M. Laitman: That all the nations get closer to each other, understand each other better, and feel each other closer and strive for unity. 

Student: Can we say that we, through our efforts and efforts of bestowal, we shorten the volume of sufferings in the world, now and in the future? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Hebrew 2): (58:12) What is this ladder and the Ten built upon? What is the basis of the ladder in the Ten? 

M. Laitman: The ladder is made up of two forces, vertical and horizontal. Out of these two lines, the ladder is made up of that becomes a vertical that we can then climb. 

Student: What does this ladder mean in the Ten? 

M. Laitman: In the Ten, this ladder is when we want to unite and help each other. In such a way, we attain the peak. 

Student: So, it's possible to say that the behavior like this in the Ten is an annulment? 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course.

Question (Women Moscow): (59:52) How can these three directions of the ladder be applied in internal work? Is it in faith above reason? Does it occur in faith above reason? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Okay, here we'll wrap up for today. Be well until tomorrow. 

Announcements: (1:00:17)

Song: (1:00:32)