Part 2:
Baal HaSulam. Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah. (#129)
Reading Item #129 (00:19) “You Should Know that Each Level…” Twice.
1. S. (05:58) It is written that when Partzuf of Atik came out it joined to it all the GAR of Nekudim that remained complete. What does it mean that after the breaking of the vessels there is something in the system that remains complete?
R. What was there before the shattering?
S. There was a system that worked with the will to receive and made it as if in order to bestow. To receive like the guest and the host that received that brought contentment to the Creator.
R. So?
S. That system shattered.
R. Yes.
S. In any case what remains complete after that?
R. Nothing.
S. What is it he writes here that Atik took?
R. Those are already connections. That's already corrections, what it takes from the shattering, what each Partzuf takes from the shattering in order to connect it to himself and correct.
S. Atik takes a part but he writes it that the GAR of Nekudim that remained complete during the breaking of the vessels, meaning he takes some part which as if didn't get corrupted and he pastes it into the system that is corrected so what is that part?
R. Yes, so you want to know what part Atik takes?
S. No, what is that GAR of Nekudum that he takes?
R. We learned it, he takes a part of Keter a part of Hochma a part of Bina. What does he take as GAR?
S. What exists there?
R. What do you mean what exists there? There are vessels that can be directed in order to bestow.
S. But everything is shattered, how can it be?
R. That's a question. I'm going to read it again.
Rav Reading 129 (08:50)
R. What are you asking about that?
2. S. (11:08) I have a similar question. Firstly, what shattered where the ZAT of Nekudim and the GAR of Nekudim did not shatter, is that correct?
R. They shattered because of the connection.
S. That clarifies what the friend asked. Atik took a path that did not shatter so why would they want to take something that didn’t shatter?
R. Because they had a connection with the other vessels and now he doesn’t.
S. Because he has something that needed correction, that is not in order to bestow?
R. Yes. I see that everything is calm except for those few that always jump up.
3. S. (12:07) What is the essence of TES impregnates into us and through the soul of Baal HaSulam.
R. I don't know.
4. S. (12:29) I want to ask you something specific. I read it here and he writes that in the Katnut of Nekudim they didn't come with him but only with the upper half from each degree. Galgalta Eynaim and Nikvey Eynaim the bottom half of each one which is called AHP descended to the lower degree. What are these half degrees, the half of the upper degree and the half of the lower degree that he connects. Why does he divide that into two?
R. I didn't understand again.
S. He says that in the Katnut of Nekudim only the upper half of each degree came with them, that is Galgalta Eynaim and Nukvey Eynaim. The bottom half of each one which is called AHP descended to the lower degree, meaning that the upper half is in the upper degree and the lower half. What is the reason for the upper half and the lower half? What is the story here?
R.The light that comes from above sanctifies only the top half of every degree the Galgalta Eneyim and the AHP no.
S. I want to ask you for a long time, why does he write here like some sort of technical writer? Because we learned that we want to learn within reason, it does not work out just like we see, we see with all the Q and A here. What does he mean by wanting to rise above reason? What does it mean to want to rise above reason when we are studying Pticha, the Study of the Ten Sefirot? How should we study?
R. You can’t during the studies learn how to go above reason, below reason, in reason, it does not matter, it depends on the exercises that you do with yourself.
S. What does that give me now to learn studying this technical way? We study, we hear some Q and A from students, from friends. On the one hand, we have these questions and on the other hand what does it mean to study this? How should we behave? What should we think about?
R. How we reach those vessels that we are learning about.
S. What does that mean?
R. That the same desires and intentions which we read about that they will work in us.
S. That progresses me in spiritual work
R. Of course, yes, that is what we are learning for.
S. Meaning drawing the reforming light. That’s what it means?
R. I am not learning this for knowledge. I am learning this for activation.
S. Meaning this, where it is written, the wise doesn't study, we need something above it, we should not try to be wise crackers as if we understand when we do not understand anything, but we need to just seek connection with the friends. That is what I should think about?
R.Yes.
5. S. (16:01) It is written at the beginning of item 129, you should know that when each level of these five Partzufim of the new MA emerged it sorted and connected to itself a part of the vessels of Nekudim which became its Nukva. Atzilut is the world of correction, right? It comes to correct what was shattered in the world of Nekudim. How does it make this scrutiny? According to what principle does it sort what it can take from that shattering to correct?
R. This scrutiny through the lights that come to that same pile then there is an illumination on that pile and what gets scrutinized is or what gets shined on.
S. What is the criteria according to the scrutinies based on?
R. From light to heavy, as much as they were shattered in the light way, they will awaken first and the ones that awaken only in Gmar Tikkun, the final generation, are the heavy with a difficult shattering that they went through, that is why they awaken last.
S. When we correct our heart and we wish to connect with the friends and we see our hearts, when we see that there is all this dirt upon it, how do we approach this scrutiny that this work upon this, all this dirt that is in me?
R. I try and shine on this pile in the general light and to see what I can scrutinize first and what I can scrutinize later. What I can scrutinize now, that is what I engage in.
S. What does it mean to scrutinize?
R. To scrutinize means that I recognize that they are shattered vessels and that I need to connect them and raise them to actions in order to bestow and I can do it.
S. Let us say I see within myself all kinds of egoistic thoughts and desires, corporeal ones. that have no connection at all to love of friends. What should I do with that whole mound?
R. You still need to try and scrutinize between them which are more egoistic or as less egoistic and in this way to start sorting them out, sort them out. These go here, these go there, and with which you could already work today and those maybe tomorrow and the next day and that is how it gradually works.
S. What does it mean to work?
R. To work means to be connect between them even though they are all egoistic but for the sake of connection, for the correction, you can convince them and connect them to work together. That if we connect together we will be able to take another ascent towards the Creator, and another, and another, and in this way gradually we can perform corrections.
S. Atzilut, how does it convince the vessels it takes from Nekudim and starts correcting them? With what intensity does it convince them to be corrected?
R. It illuminates upon them and starts elevating them that they are in order to receive, shattered, and it illuminates upon them so that they feel that they are broken and as such they agree to the work of Atzilut upon them.
S. And we?
R. We are also the same.
S. What do we have to agree with?
R. We need to agree to that in which we connect to the actions above reason and that we expect the light to shine upon us and to give us the opportunity to be in mutual bestow, mutual support, and that only that do we receive or accept as correction?
6. S. (21:47) It is not clear. Now that the Partzuf of Atik is created suddenly it takes shattered vessels of Nekudim. Isn't it managed all by SAG?
R. Certainly you can say that it is managed by Ein Sof, so what.
S. Because when we say that a new Partzuf comes so it's created, let's say, in Katnut with the Galgalta Eynaim and AHP but here the AHP comes from Nekudim.
R. Yes.
S. Partzuf ……. is born with Galgalta Eneyim from SAG, so it is Atzilut that does it or is it SAG that …..the AHP to Galgalta Eneyim?
R. It certainly all comes from SAG, from Ein Sof through Galgalta of SAG. Through that Galgalta Eneyim and AHP couldn’t connect.
S.So there is no AHP of Atik itself, there is nothing of its own in the AHP but the AHP is entirely from Nekudim.
R. I didn’t understand that. What is an AHP that is not from Nekudim?
S. On records of root one there is no AHP for that record, right?
R. Right.
S. I understand. Now when he takes those parts, so Atik is Keter but it takes Keter and Hochma, Bina and also the roots of ZAT. Why this whole package?
R. Because it all relates to GAR, it all belongs to GAR of Nekudim. Keter, Hochma, and GAR de Bina it all relates to Gar of Nekudim.
S. And now this whole part of Nekudim is restricted, could we say that, under the second restriction.
R. No. They are not under the second restriction.
S. Because they are above the Parsa?
R. Yes.
7. S. (24:57) Can we understand that correcting the upper one is only through its incorporation of the lower one?
R. It could be yes.
S. If we continue that, what is our lower one of Bnei Baruch?
R. The whole of humanity.
S. How can we incorporate in it?
R. In the meantime we have nothing to incorporate with. We need to develop ourselves. First we build Galgalta Eineym, afterward when we build the AHP, we adapt the AHP to those who are below us.
S. That is what we do now?
R. Yes.
8. S. (25:43) The Partzuf of Nekudim before it shattered so it is actually Ten Sefirot, whole Ten Sefirot.
R. Yes.
S. And then when it shattered we start speaking about the vessels. How can Ten Sefirot become vessels? That we have vessels of Keter, of Hochma, of Bina. What is the connection between the vessels and the Ten Sefirot that were before? After the shattering, we started talking about vessels, vessels of Keter, vessels of Hochma, vessels of Bina, and before they were Ten Sefirot.
R. Sefirot are not vessels?
S. When I think of Sefirot, I think of the HaVaYaH.
R. HaVaYaH is also vessels.
S. What is the difference between Sefirot and vessels? Why do sometimes he uses the term vessels and?
R. Why? There are several names.
S. But doesn't it express something different?
R. Yes, but that doesn't matter to us right now.
9. S. (27:09) We learned that the world of Atzilut, the world of correction is what corrects the shattering, so here he corrects something above him too. Why should he correct something there anyway?
R. When we correct something we correct it above, below and also at the place where we are because there is a correction here that we position between the upper ones and the lower ones.
10. S. (27:58) What are these seven roots of ZAT that are included in Gar of Nekudim?
R.The seven roots are clear to us. It is from Hesed to Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malchut. Therefore we need to correct those connections as well which are between those seven roots and Malchut.
11. S. (28:31) Can you say that the world of Atzilut took all of the deficiencies from the state of Gadlut of Nekudim.
R. No answer.
12. S. (28:55) It also relates to some of the questions in the first part of the lesson and to all of the corrections that we need to carry out. Do I need to carry out, in the 10? Do I need to correct the general Malchut before we come to Keter and we let the Creator reveal himself?
R. Lets say yes.
S. Because that gives an explanation in relation to the first article where the sin was that we came out of faith, meaning when I stop believing in Malchut, in the general Malchut, then I wish to enter within reason, and that is the sin where I leave the work above reason and I want to attain it within reason. Is that the explanation and the connection between the two articles of what we read before and the Pticha that we read now?
R. It could be.
13. S. (30:15) Continuing his question, I wanted to ask for practical advice. This study that we are now doing, how can we turn it into becoming more emotional and not just finish the lesson and this discernment of the donkey makes books.
R. Try to connect your heart to it and then you will understand how we need to correct our heart. That other than the heart, we have nothing to correct.
S. When you say connect hearts, how do you do it?
R. Connect friends and then we will understand how to connect hearts.
14. S. (31:15) It's not a question but more of a gratitude to our veteran teachers and veteran friends that are also our teachers for their questions. That maybe for them these questions are clear, but when they ask through you Rav it reveals the answers we need, the younger friends on the path. So, I would like the veteran friends to keep asking questions. Not only for them to get an answer, but that through them we will get the knowledge that will come down to us.
R. OK.
15. S. (32:25) Owen asked you earlier about scrutinizing the desires. He asked about egoistic desires that awaken inside him and it sounded to me that you are answering him about connecting the friends in the group. So I don't understand exactly what is scrutinizing a desire, something that happens in man? Family, money, food, sex, or is it something that happens outside of us with the friends in the group?
R. With the friends.
S. So what is the connection between the internality and the externality?
R. We don't engage in that. We don't deal with it.
16. S. (33:15) When Partzuf Atik came out of the Katnut of Nekkudim and if the whole world of Atzilut, the whole world of correction is based on that state of Katnut? Is it?
R. Yes.
S. Yes, so what is Katnut for us?
R. Foundation.
S. Foundation for correction?
R. Yes, in general a foundation.
17. S. (33:56) We said that the Partzufim here of the corrections now that their vessels are Keter Hochma and ZAT. ZAT of Bina so we also talked before that from this pile of desires we choose the ones that are easier for us to correct. My question is, let us say that now we are engaging in it, we are trying to scrutinize in it. So these vessels that we can work with, can they truly fill us more than the other vessels. It seems that they are so pure, so how could they even compete on the heavier fulfillments?
R. But they need to go through the light. They need to use them in order to bring the light to more materialized vessels.
S. Yes, but when I work with it and I want to scrutinize, I could really take them as vessels, as a substitute, as a greater compensation than using other vessels in me.
R. Could be. We still need to work with that.