Morning Lesson February 13, 2024

Transcription is made from simultaneous translation, which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.

Part 3:

Baal HaSulam. Foreword to The Book of Zohar. #11

Reading Item 11. (00:30) “Here we should learn these four manners…”

Reading Item 12. (02:30) “Know that we have no perception whatsoever…”

1. S. (07:48) I have a question that’s a bit difficult to explain, but it is written it feels and knows that I am solid and warm, and I think and so on, from discovering my essence. How do I know that there is an essence?

R. I don't know.

S. Why do I even give it a name?

R. Because I discovered the operation that stems from it.

S. Why did they come out of it; I discovered phenomena?

R. Phenomena, yes. Where are they coming from?

S. That's exactly the matter, if we try to say it's the essence so there's a problem because sometimes, we don't understand, it says as if it's my essence, maybe it's the Creator? Maybe it's the essence of something else? The thing is when we try to define essence itself as if it exists, we are trying to ascribe some certain discernment to it, that's why I find it hard to understand how can we even speak of something that does not exist? If it exists so there is a revelation already, if it doesn't exist how can we even call it by any name?

R. There is something that exists, but we don't perceive it unless through the manifestations that it seemingly emits outside of itself.

S. I feel a problem in that definition because it's something that exists and I don't grasp it. If I don't grasp it, how can I say it exists?

R. Because you discover the phenomena of its manifestations.

S. That means what?

R. That's something that exists but only from its manifestation of the phenomena; the thing itself I don't perceive.

2. S. (10:23) What essences exist in reality?

R. I don't know, maybe there are a lot more, I don't know.

S. Our perception of reality is constantly developing so if I think of the essence there's the will to receive, there's the light, that's two types of essence. I'm asking as the observer of those two essences. Where do I ascribe to myself, am I an additional third essence, is a person another essence?

R. No, man himself is a collection of essences.

S. What is the uniqueness of man because supposedly was given an opportunity to look from the side?

R. By being able to attain himself.

S. What is himself, what is that essence?

R. The fact that he exists opposite the Creator gives him a relation to the Creator and by this we can attain ourselves.

S. So our relation to the Creator is?

R. The created being.

S. That is what we have to constantly develop?

R. Yes.

Reading Item 13. (12:12) “We do have full perception in the first manner...”

Reading Item 14. (13:33) “The second manner, form clothed in matter...”

3. R. (14:22) Meaning, a matter that is clothed in the essence it's fine, we obtain it.

Reading Item 15. (13:30) “The third manner is abstract form. Once…”

4. S. (18:50) This is not simple, not simple. What does it mean that it's only a waste of time? Why don’t we nevertheless continue and research more and more and say that at one time we will come to a state? Why doesn't he write to us that we will come to, at the end of the studies and essences and our development to a state where we can determine?

5. S. (19:30) What is an abstract form in our work and why does he warn us so much about it?

R. Because you have no hold of it. You have no hold of it: You take a book, and it is written there, what it is that a person is strong or a liar, never mind what and then you go to someone, and you want to clothe it on him, right? So, what do you get? Basically, you are taking an abstract form and clothe it on the living person.

S. So, what is matter and what is the form that is clothed in matter?

R. Well, we learned it already; matter is the matter itself, which there can be no doubt about because it come through our five senses, and the form that clothed in the matter, is the internality.

S. But in the work can we say it's the desire and the intention of the desire? What is it in our relation to reality that we’re not speaking about materials right?

R. What degree are you asking about?

S. I'm asking about our work.

R. Our work should be in those four degrees.

S. I want to start from the beginning, what is a matter in our work and what is the form dressing in matter?

R. Matter is actual matter; wood, rocks, iron, doesn’t matter. Any matter. 

S. And the form that is clothed in the matter?

R. The form, which is unrelated whatsoever to the matter. You can depict it and draw it in the computer or in your imagination and then shift that form, transmit into, how should I put it, into matter.

S. So, we have an experience in life in our senses in matter and form clothed in matter? And then he says, be cautious, don't take the form and undress it from the matter and make a conclusion about it?

R. So?

S. What should we be cautious of here? What is the border that we have to be cautious of?

R. It's not a boundary between the matter and the form clothed in matter; but when we learn the form that clothed in matter, we should not escape or run away from reality. That reality, how should I put it? I am tired already. The form that is clothed in matter is what we see, you can say this is a person, although it is made out of clay or from a rock. It is a form, it's an abstract shape form, then you're not talking about something that exists, but something that exists in your imagination.

S. He is warning us from our imagination and says don't use your imagination?

R. He wants to define the boundaries for us. How far can we go with our senses with our imaginations, and where we can no longer continue.

6. S. (24:08) When we say that we need to turn to the Creator and ask, what is the right depiction to the Creator on those four definitions? When we turn to the Creator, what do we turn, to what form, what essence, matter, clothing?

R. It is the upper force that arranges for us all the matter and our perception in the matter of all the reality that comes to our senses.

S. It sounds like something that Is undressed from the matter, meaning if it's the upper force that arranges everything, so it is outside of this desire. 

R. The upper force, The Creator, of course, it’s abstract. 

S. When we turn to the Creator, we pray, so we turn to the essence?

R. We turn to the upper f,orce, which has the power to organize, arrange for us our whole perception. 

S. Where is it perceived? When we turn to Him from our degree that is disconnected from Him, where do we perceive it?

R. In our imagination.

S. This imagination is the form that is an essence, it's abstract?

R. This imagination is in us.

S. I understand it is in us, can we depict it?

R. In our imagination.

S. But it sounds to me like it's dangerous to be in the fourth state or the third state which is abstract?

R. No, neither. If we're talking about the Creator, we have nothing with which to grasp Him, perceive Him.

S. Exactly, when we say prayer that eventually our work is in prayer so who are we turning to?

R. We're turning to some upper force.

S. Some?

R. Yes, which is not in our perception.

S. So, it's abstract from us, why is that not go over the third or fourth discernment?

R. What does it mean?

S. It says, the fourth one is not to touch the essence, the third one is not to touch the form without matter. When we turn to something that is abstract for us so we are supposedly going over these conditions?

R. But the Creator is outside these limitations.

S. Why is it not called that we are going over the third and fourth limit here?

R. I don't understand you. What are the third and fourth limits?

S. Essence and the abstract form?

R. Yes, so I can't perceive either essence or the abstract form; I can perceive as a created being only the form that is clothed.

S. That is called the Creator, that I attain Him, Bore, come and see, that He's clothed in me, in the quality of bestowal in me?

R. So?

S. Before He is clothed in me, when we say prayer, what form of an upper force are we turn to?

R. You are turning to the Creator who according to your perception, your imagination, or I don't know what you are describing; that you have a connection with Him.

S. How to turn to the Creator correctly?

R. How can you depict Him?

S. We need to depict Him according to how He is being revealed in the relationships between us. That He’s revealed by the form of bestowal that we feel ourselves in one desire, in one heart, with the friends in the Ten, that is called Creator.

R. Yes.

S. So, what form am I turning to correctly when I turn to the Creator?

R. You are turning to a form that is above you, it contains everything, it's infinite; that is impossible to grasp, it cannot be defined in any way. That is simply the Good Who Does Good that manages everything.

S. Why is it not called going over the abstract form or the essence?

R. You don't put it into any limitations or boundaries.

S. That's why he's abstract for me, and I make a mistake according to what I understood from what he's saying, that we don't go on the 4th or 3rd limitation, and here you described a Creator that he's abstract, endless, above matter above everything, so I have no attainment in that?

R. Okay.

S. How can I turn to something abstract for me?

R. That's a different question? How can I turn to something that is not perceived in my senses right? I turn to someone who is influencing my senses even though I don't feel it, why? 

I will tell you; it is because I have faith in the sages. Faith in the sages.

S. That they already attained it?

R. They attain or did not attain, I have no way to determine here conclusively, but the fact that I trust them; it allows me to turn them to those sages. It is very, very elusive.

7. S. (31:00) To continue, can we say that the plea to the Creator is the matter?

R. No.

S. It's a desire a person has like a need to turn to the Creator, why is it not a matter?

R. What is this matter?

S. The actual plea.

R. You can say start at any degree and say that the initial state is matter.

S. I didn't understand?

R. Why is the first plea to the Creator that you choose, why call it matter?

S. If not, why should I do it if I don't have a desire for it?

R. Okay, you have a desire to attain the Creator. Can you say that it is real?

S. The desire to attain the Creator?

R. Yes. How can there be a desire to attain something that you can't define that seemingly doesn't exist with respect to you?

S. That's difficult, but the plea to Him is something more initial, that I could have such a desire?

R. No. He doesn't define it this way. Okay, we'll leave it for tomorrow.