Morning Lesson February 19, 2022 Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 2:
Baal HaSulam, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, #158
1. R. Meaning here in the preface to the wisdom of Kabbalah we are learning the order of the Partzufim and the worlds that were created from above downwards. On the way he also somewhat explains to us about our path from below upwards. Soon there will be more of that because towards the end of the Preface there's a bit of explanation on that, on how we cause the ascent of the worlds. In the meantime he describes how the five Partzufim of Adam Kadmon build five Partzufim of the world of Atzilut and how the five Partzufim of the world of Atzilut dress in the five Partzufim of Adam Kadmon. Meaning it is not that the whole world of Atzilut clothes the world of Adam Kadmon but each and every Partzuf, too, clothes a corresponding Partzuf. There are five Partzufim in the world of Adam Kadmon, there are five Partzufim in the world of Atzilut.
How does each Partzuf receive from its corresponding Partzuf? So in the world of Adam Kadmon we have Galgalta AB SAG MA BON which are essentially the Partzufim of Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut and in the world of Atzilut we also have Atik, AA, Abba ve Ima, YESHSUT, and ZON, which are too, actually, Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut. So how does Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut of the world of Atzilut clothes the Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut of the world of Adam Kadmon, in what order, in what connection. So then he says this does not mean that each of the five Partzufim of Atzilut clothes each corresponding phase of AK, that it is impossible since the five Partzufim of AK clothes one atop the other. Meaning let's say Atik of Atzilut clothed Galgalta, Abba ve Ima clothed Hochma, YESHSUT Bina.
So that is not possible because the five Partzufim of AK clothe one on top of the other, they receive from each other and so do the five phases of Atzilut they clothe each other. Rather this means, and how do they connect? At the level of each Partzuf of the Partzufim of Atzilut aims to its corresponding phase in the five Partzufim of AK from which it receives its abundance. So even though all of the Partzufim of Atzilut clothe all of the Partzufim of Adam Kadmon but each and every Partzuf also aims to receive its fulfillment from its corresponding Partzuf in the world of Adam Kadmon.
So the Keter of Atzilut receives from the Partzuf Keter of AK, Hochma from Hochma of AK, Bina of Atzilut from Bina of AK, Zeir Anpin of Atzilut from Zeir Anpin of AK, Malchut of Atzilut from Malchut of AK, and so each Partzuf of Atzilut receives from its corresponding Partzuf in the world of Adam Kadmon. But it is not that they clothe each other, they receive through each of the Partzufim that are between them. That is what he says here. Do we have a drawing? They prepared a drawing which is from the diagrams of Baal HaSulam and we will see.
Reading Item 159 (04:38)
2. R. (07:33) As it says from the beginning to the end, that is the order of our study. That first we learn some part to the end of it and then we might go deeper. [Diagram shown] So we see that there are five Partzufim in the world of Adam Kadmon on the right within there is a line of Ein Sof, that is to the right, and then Galgalta, AB, SAG, MA, BON, and then over them there are clothing of the five Partzufim of Atzilut which are called Atik, AA, Abba ve Ima, YESHSUT, and ZON, five Partzufim. What does he want to tell us here? What is important?
That it is not that each Partzuf clothes the corresponding Partzuf but rather that all Partzufim of Adam Kadmon exist and all the Partzufim of Atzilut exist, and all the Partzufim of Atzilut as a package clothe all of the Partzufim of Adam Kadmon as a single package. However, the Partzuf of the world of Atzilut receives the influence from its corresponding Partzuf of Adam Kadmon. You see there is this dotted line [referencing the diagram], and so each Partzuf from the world of Atzilut receives from its corresponding Partzuf in the world of Adam Kadmon even though all of the Partzufim of the world of Atzilut are like a single package and all of the Partzufim of Adam Kadmon are also like a single package. That is what he wants to say here.
Reading Continued (10:00) “Know that the lower ones…”
3. R. (11:50) Essentially these are simple things, very simple systems. What does he want to say here? That the lower ones raise MAN gradually the MAN rises all the way to Ein Sof and from Ein Sof it comes down from degree to degree so it jumps from one to the next and then to the next like a ball that is jumping down the stairs until it comes to the level that invited it, and there it fulfills it. These levels are the degrees of the souls that are on the degrees of the worlds and the worlds are impressed by the souls in them.
4. S. (12:35) Can you explain a little better the thing that the five Partzufim of Atzilut clothes AK but received the light through the Partzuf that are between them?
R. Yes, so what is the question?
S. I do not understand.
R. Let us say that I turn to the government, to some office there, and I get a response from there. So in order to come to that place I have to, as if, go through all the degrees and in order for the answer to come to me it has to go through the degrees as well. That is the order. It is not that I jump and immediately go to where I want to connect, there is no such thing. Why? Because the fact that I need to come to some higher, upper place means I have to dress into many corrections, many garments, so as to be in that state, that degree of correction, and then I will connect with it and demand from it what is possible and then I'll receive from it, but not immediately, not directly. Let us say the parents are at work, they get money there, and also until the money reaches their account, in their bank, through other systems. Then they use it in stores, buying what they need, and then they go home and cook some food and give the food to the baby. So look at how many systems on the way. Similarly the same exists in spirituality. On the contrary, what we have in this world is a result of what exists in spirituality.
5. S. (14:53) Here it talks about NRN of the righteous, raise MAN. Do we attain this degree in the connection between us?
R. If we rise to be NRN of Tzaddikim then we raise the MAN and the upper one receives it, feels it, incorporates with it, and makes a Zivug, coupling with upper systems and then gives to us what we need. But if we cannot achieve it then we are not NRN of Tzaddikim, NRN of the righteous. So, we have to fulfill the role of being NRN of the Tzaddikim.
6. S. (15:45) What is MAN? Is it a portion of light that comes to us?
R. No. MAN is our deficiency to be sanctified, to be more in bestowal, to the point that we might even want to receive in order to bestow but at least to be bestowing in order to bestow, and at least to be in simple faith above reason. Meaning to detach from our will to receive, from the calculation to receive for ourselves, and to cling to the vessel of bestowal of the upper one. That is what we need. To that end we raise MAN. MAN means Mayim Nukvin, which means we raise our deficiency from Malchut to Bina, that our will to receive will take on the shape of Bina, that is called MAN. Then from above, in return, we receive the upper force called MAD, Mayim Duchrin, which means the force of the male, the bestower, and then by that we become somewhat bestowing and accordingly we join the spiritual world.
S. So the MAD, what is it? Is it a correction, correcting the intention? What is it?
R. MAD is a deficiency of the lower one that wants to be adhered and nullified towards the upper one. By that he receives treatment from the upper one because he nullifies himself because the upper one's desire is to bestow. The lower one, who nullifies himself, gives the upper one an opportunity to bestow to the lower one and that is how the lower one corrects himself, to the point that he can then, in his correction, even receive the abundance from the upper one in order to bestow.
7. S. (18:46) I didn't understand, so is there a connection between a Partzuf of Atzilut and the Partzuf of the same degree of AK?
R. It is not on the same degree, it is according to the same quality, Keter and Keter, Hochma and Hochma, Bina and Bina. But there is a connection, however, that connection is not through the clothing of the Partzuf, one over the other, because from a lower world no Partzuf can clothe and attain its corresponding Partzuf in the upper world. Rather it happens through all of the Partzufim in between. We will learn that more.
S. What does it mean that one Partzuf clothes another Partzuf?
R. “To clothe” means to attain it only on the outside.
8. S. (19:50) What does it mean that he writes that there are three kinds of raising MAN? Can you explain the differences between them, and do we have to achieve it?
R. We will learn, we will see. Do not be afraid about this we will learn and see.
9. S. (20:15) If a Partzuf receives the MAD in the end from its upper Partzuf, why is it important to know if it comes from AK and from whom it comes?
R. Because that is where he receives from, it is where he wants to be aimed, that is his upper one except he does not have direct contact with the upper one but through all of the Partzufim in between and he has to clothe into them, to reach the upper one.
S. Let’s say Atik receives from Galgalta, is it important for it to be directed towards Galgalta or directed towards BON of AK?
R. It's connects with BON of AK so as to be aimed at Galgalta.
S. So, it needs to know at what degree it is in order to connect to the degree above it?
R. Of course. How could it be that it is in some spiritual reality and doesn't know on what degrees it is in or what kind of question this is?
S. Because in the beginning I guess we do not know where we are.
R. That is you who doesn't know where they are.
10. S. (21:49) I hear that the clothing of one Partzuf into the other is an external attainment. What is an external attainment?
R. An ‘external attainment’ means not to be instead or in the place of the Partzuf but to clothe it.
S. But isn't it all internal qualities?
R. But still these qualities are qualities that a person attains and if he attains it, he attains it internally. But with respect to attaining the upper one it’s not attaining the upper one but the externality of the upper one; or the upper one dresses in various corrections in order to make contact with a lower one. It’s like, say, a child is in the hands of the mother and the mother is playing with him; and a child thinks that’s what he has from his mother, and that this is his mother. But he doesn't know what else is there between him and his mother in order to truly be connected to her fully. For that he is going to have to grow and learn and become like a parent, like his mother himself and by that he can attain that. These are degrees of attainment, degrees of connection between the lower and the upper.
11. S. (23:23) The lower ones that are worthy of raising MAN are the NRN of the righteous. Can you explain what an NRN are?
R. “NRN of the Tzaddikim” are simply Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, which the souls wish to rise towards, NRN.
S. How's it connected to us?
R. That is already a different connection question, it is not connected to us. In our work, we have to reach a state where we have vessels of bestowal and these vessels of bestowal, in general, are called “NRN of the Tzaddikim.
12. S. (24:13) What should I do at a given moment to draw the light of correction?
R. To nullify towards the friends in the ten to the point that you feel that you are inside of them, and then you will be closer towards Ibur, impregnation.
13. S. (24:52) In every raising of MAN, are there three discernments then?
R. Ultimately yes, Ibur, Yenicka, Mochin. However, accordingly we need to work each time on greater Ibur, Yenicka, Mochin, from one degree to the next, to rise through the degrees.
14. S. (25:22) The degree above us helps us scrutinize raising our MAN so what do we add in raising MAN, what comes from us?
R. We raise, we add to it deficiency and by that deficiency this upper degree rises even higher with our deficiency, and then it rises higher and higher.
15. S. (25:48) Is the connection of the lower Partzufim with the other one only through raising MAN?
R. The raising of the deficiency from the lower to the upper one is all the connections at the lower one has towards the upper one. What else does the lower one need? It only needs help from the upper one to become corrected, that is why it always has a deficiency towards the upper one in such a way, the lower one keeps awakening the upper one. What does a baby want? It is always asking for something, right? More demanding, less demanding but always making a request towards the upper one; that is its work. The upper one must always be concerned about what can I do next for the lower one, that is what the Creator does.
16. S. (26:56) Do the lights that come as an answer to our MAN, are they dependent on our power of connection and desire?
R. Everything depends on our desire, everything. If we do not identify it, it doesn't mean it is not the case. Everything depends on our desire only.
17. S. (27:22) How do we feel the MAD is it a personal vessel or a connection in the ten?
R. MAD is felt for us, well not right now, right now we cannot identify it. But there is always MAN and MAD, there's always a connection between the lower and upper. It is either clearer or not as clear, but the connection is there. MAN means that towards a person who attains, we measure it, the person knows exactly what he is asking for and what he is getting. That is already a tight connection between the upper and lower, and we need to achieve that. Then we will be clear about where we are, in what world and what state.
18. S. (28:19) Is every raising of MAN through the world actually a refining of a corrupt will to receive until it becomes a corrected desire?
R. Right. Very good.
19. S. (28:37) What is the difference between raising MAN and prayer?
R. There is no difference except that to raise MAN is when it’s really clear to us what deficiency we raise and perhaps even to whom we raise it; we can somehow define the upper one and this way, we raise our request. And our request is actually that we raise ourselves, we rise to the upper one.
Reading Item 161 twice (29:24 - 33:36)
20. S. (33:38) Here he writes in item 161 right in the beginning that “it is impossible for the lower one to receive anything from ZON of Atzilut before all the higher Partzufim in the world Atzilut and the world of AK are brought into the world of Gadlut”. What does he want to say?
R. He wants to say that the light passes first of all from Ein Sof through the world of AK then enters the world of Atzilut and only then enters the soul, that is it. The soul exists in the world Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya.
S. So, he says there is no new Mochin but from the ten Sefirot? It says “there is no new initiation of Mochin except from the ten Sefirot but only the NRN of the righteous can receive them?
R. Yes, of course, it's ten and not eleven, it all has to go through the system.
S. But why does he say, “no initiation of Mochin”? What does he mean?
R. The light that comes has to go through ten Sefirot until we can feel it, absorb it.
Reader: It says there is no initiation of Mochin except from Ein Sof.
21. S. (35:27) In 160, the last sentence there, he says “no degree can raise MAN or receive abundance except from its adjacent upper one”. So the question is who creates the whole chain, where does the demand come to the MAN?
R. Everything is from Ein Sof, the deficiencies, the feelings, everything comes from Ein Sof. We're only operated but by being operated upon, there is our participation in it to answer correctly to how we are awakened. Just like with little kids, you wake them up, you give them everything but there has to be some response, some act on their part.
S. Many times, it misses, doesn't understand what I want from him? How do we understand what the upper one wants from us?
R. The upper one doesn't miss, you miss, the lower one does not understand what the upper one wants from him. Why doesn't it understand? Because it doesn't want to perform the act of bestowal when the upper one gives him an opportunity to be in it. This is why he doesn't understand, he doesn't want to be in the same relation, on the same wavelength with the upper one. This is usually our problem.
22. S. (37:04) The abundance we're talking about that the lower ones receive its illuminations for connecting the first restriction to the second?
R. Not only, all abundance that comes, comes in this way in general.
23. S. (37:34) Can you please organize the order of the prayer for us? Do we turn to the adjacent upper Partzuf or Ein Sof, and can we use in our prayer the help of the vessels of HBD HGT if they're included NRN of the righteous?
R. The truth is for us it is all the same. Because both the upper one, the one above us, the upper one above us is also without attainment, we haven't reached it, we haven't clothed it, we haven't adapted ourselves to it. So, to us from our perspective it is Ein Sof, no end, infinity. Infinity means no border; we can't contain it in our vessel. So, the upper one from our perspective is always Ein Sof. The fact that Baal HaSulam draws a ladder of degrees, this is already after you attain the whole system, then you can draw it. But for those who are at a certain degree on that ladder, they do not know anything more than they attained from the ladder that is underneath them, below them. But ahead of him, his next degree is Ein Sof, and there is nothing more, there is just Ein Sof, no end.
24. S. (39:18) In our prayer, can we be assisted by the previous souls who were already corrected in HBD HGT?
R. We cannot scrutinize anything in Partzufim above us, but only to the extent that we become impregnated in them and then go into the suckling and then Gadlut, adulthood. And then we can rise to their degree and then we can understand who we are with, who we are connecting with to the extent that we acquire that same form with the upper one on ourselves.