Morning Lesson September 21, 2023
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation, which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 1:
Rabash. Article No. 45, (1990). What Is, “The Concealed Things Belong to the Lord Our God,” in the work?
Reading (0:44) “It is known that in observing Torah and Mitzvot…”
1. S. (28:34) What does it mean to put the will to receive to sleep? Again, what does it mean to put the will to receive to sleep? Put it to sleep, yes, but it says here that he doesn’t want to kill the will to receive, he just wants to put it to sleep.
R. We must not destroy any qualities or laws that exist in creation at all. We only need to arrange them according to our intention to bestow contentment to our Maker and this is why to destroy something, to remove something, it’s never our intention. The Creator did not create anything in vain, nothing is redundant but rather we should only connect correctly the connections between the forces of nature and then to see how much they will operate in a nice, correct way according to the Creator’s intention and according to the corrected intention of the created being and in such a way we will be able to advance. This is actually our work, our role.
S. Can we say that thanks to the Creator putting our will to receive to sleep is this the power of overcoming?
R. He doesn't quite put the will to receive to sleep. He gives us possibilities to use all the forces of nature according to how we decide to use them so that we will learn from them - what is to our detriment, what is to our benefit - and according to how much we want to be connected with Him. This is what we need to learn.
S. Only after that I can clothe the intention of the will to receive?
R. Yes, ultimately this is how we will learn.
2. S. (31:23) In the article he writes that self love or the will to receive for oneself is the enemy. How is it possible to always place yourself in such a way, position yourself such and self love, the will to receive for yourself love is the enemy? It's not always so clear.
R. That we can use it only in the opposite manner. Not what the will to receive demands from us all the time, receive, be filled, for its benefit but rather that first we have to scrutinize how much by that we get closer to the Creator, equalize with the Creator, and then we will use the will to receive in the right way.
S. What causes us to see clearly that self-love is our enemy?
R. When we learn between us how much we want to connect with each other and we see that all the time we forget about it, we run away from it, and that we don't want it and this is how we begin to discover that our will to receive is truly against us.
S. Do we always have to feel resistance?
R. From the will to receive? Yes.
S. If we don’t feel resistance? Because sometimes the will to receive is, as if, in favor?
R. It's a sign that we agree with it and we operate against the Creator.
S. We always should want to identify with the resistance?
R. To detect the will to receive that it can only be in order to bestow following great corrections.
3. S. (33:35) If I'm a thief and every day I steal 100 shekels, now let's say one day I didn't steal 100 shekels so am I bestowing that 100 shekels?
R. Why so?
S. Because I didn't steal?
R. Yes, but to whom do you give by that to bestow?
S. I don't give but I don't take?
R. Okay, but it's still not considered giving.
S. In terms of the will to receive if it doesn't steal it's not…?
R. No, it's not considered that you gave anything.
S. What does it mean when he writes that one doesn't want the will to receive to die but only to repent that it will be poor?
R. Yes, that the will to receive in order to receive anything according to its choice, according to what it chooses, this is how it will continue until it will correct itself to become the opposite.
S. That's clear, I'm asking the vessel of bestowal, bestowing in order to bestow, it doesn't take for itself but it's not considered bestowal?
R. If we're talking about the created beings then they have a will to receive to begin with. This is the whole substance of creation from its beginning to its end and therefore even if one doesn't work with the will to receive he's already a certain measure of bestowal.
4. S. (35:44) Rabash writes when a person is under the will to receive these desires cause him a state of bitterness he wants to get rid of them and thinks about it all the time and it pokes his mind and if he was able to kill them then how happy he would be. What can a person do in that state?
R. Again.
S. When a person is lying under the rule of the will to receive these desires cause him a state of bitterness and he wants to get rid of them and he always thinks about how to get rid of them and they poke his mind and if he was able to kill so they vanish he would be very happy.
R. And the question is?
S. What can a person do in that state?
R. If he feels like that then he also feels that the will to receive is not under his control but rather the Creator created it as it is written, I created the evil inclination, and then a person should only ask of the Creator to help him cope with his will to receive.
S. What to ask in a state of such bitterness?
R. For forces, forces to overcome, that the Creator will govern the will to receive and the person will see how much it is possible, with the help of the Creator, to govern the evil inclination.
S. If despite the requests he doesn't see a change in his state?
R. It's a sign that something is wrong with his request because creation is arranged entirely in such a way that if a person asks correctly he will get help, or he needs to connect with the friends, or maybe he needs to know something more about what to do. There are many ways to the place.
5. S. (38:00) He writes here about vengeance, what is this attitude towards the will to receive?
R. The egoistic will to receive always enjoys being in control and it's all its direction is to rule instead of the Creator over the whole of reality. The more a person advances he sees himself that he needs more and more to rule over the evil inclination is such a way that the evil inclination will gain from being used in order to bestow, this is its entire inclination. This is why the evil inclination in a person grows.
S. Yes, but vengeance, it's just the first time I'm seeing this. Usually it says turn your enemy into your lover. What's the vengeance? I understand this is just my nature that I need to acquire a different nature and this is intended to help me advance, so what?
R. The fact that you want to lower the will to receive so it will be just as it brings the person down, this is actually your inclination towards vengeance. You want to humiliate it, lower it and bring it to the opposite form. That's it for the time being. Later on in receiving an order to bestow this is already a different work, more advanced.
6. S. (40:32) He writes in the article, there is the intention and there's the action. Can you clothe any action with an intention to bestow or it has to be an action of contributing to society in some way?
R. If there is an intention, sorry if there is an act, the act has to be with an intention meaning for what purpose does a person want to carry out this action even before he carries it out.
S. When a person brings contentment he has to feel he's bringing contentment or you can bring contentment without feeling it?
R. Yes and no.
7. S. (41:25) The will to receive when it's poor does that mean it's corrected?
R. No, the corrected will to receive is when it feels itself that it can be in order to bestow. With this intention one can use all the will to receive in it, in him, all the emptiness in him in order to bestow to the whole world.
S. I'm asking in terms of how a person feels in a corrected will to receive
R. Yes, so the will to receive, he uses it with all his power in order to bestow. What is the question?
S. What does it mean poor? That the lust for pleasure in order to receive doesn't exist anymore? What is a poor will to receive as King David describes it? A poor will to receive, what is that discernment?
R. Poor meaning that he feels himself no power to bestow. If he has the power to bestow and uses it he’s no longer considered poor.
S. The lust for receiving in order to receive that is what?
R. Yes, that means he's already above it.
S. Then another lust appears?
R. There's no longer any lust.
8. S. (43:22) I want to clarify the work in the lines. It says when a person starts working he should work in joy and when he works in one line for now, so when we begin we have to achieve the aspect of joy. The beginning of the work it's not always in joy so even when I work with one line, just to begin the work, there's always a matter of overcoming to begin with?
R. Yes.
S. That's still not considered the right line, it's just one line?
R. Yes.
S. The left and right line begins when he already has his own conscious inspection then the left and right line begins to grow?
R. Yes.
S. Sometimes when we feel we have resistance in the work we think we already have left and right, but from what I understand here it doesn't mean that left and right yet, but just entering the work could also be just one line?
R. Yes.
9. S. (44:45) He writes that left for rejects, meaning that he sees the extent in which he's distant from the Creator and he needs to believe that the Creator repelled him, and I think that we learned that when a person discovers that gap, that distance between him and the Creator, and specifically there where the Creator rejects him he's supposed to, from that revelation, be happy. My question: When a person, there's always these disturbances that reject a person and he enters a state that he's not happy with, and it's the same with the friends, where they see how he rejects and distances the friend, they're not happy about that. I want to ask: How do we break that point, that negative acceleration where a person finds himself entering this depression where he distances and cools down. How do we do the opposite there and start to see as much the Creator is actually bringing you closer and the friend?
R. It's only through connection with the friends. From the states that you're talking about you cannot get out by yourself. Envy, lust, and honor, through connection with the friends, they are the things that help a person ascend.
S. And that friend, it's hard to come to him and to see this when he's with honor and envy, and so how do you, how do the friends bring that friend closer and say listen, here rejoice, look what strength you're getting, what forces you're getting?
R. This is exactly what the friend should do, constantly show each other the correct states in the work.
10. S. (47:22) What is that transition from the left line to the right line according to what he writes at the end of the article? How does that transition take place and what is our action exactly?
R. Our action is that we always try to work with all of our forces for the sake of connection and through the connection in order to bestow to the Creator, then we see how much all of our vessels can be positive vessels.
11. S. (47:59) What is the mitigation of the judgments in spiritual work?
R. That I add the intention to bestow to our actions.
12. S. (48:15) How to work correctly with the thought in order to turn to the Creator from the depth of the heart?
R. Through the thought I count my desires, I dig into my desires and intentions into the depth of them and what I want is to scrutinize their intentions.
13. S. (49:01) How can you raise the kingdom of heaven to a state of exaltedness so it will be high in my mind?
R. It is through connection with the friends. Then what we want to feel between us, that the Kingdom of Heaven is in a height and a force which is above us.
14. S. (49:44) What is the state of women and children inside of us?
R. This is what we scrutinize later when we scrutinize the forces of Malchut and then we will also scrutinize that, what does it mean women and children in the will to receive.
15. S. (50:16) We said today that we're not killing those foreign thoughts of the Creator as He doesn't give us anything redundantly. How do we overcome them and what does it mean to overcome those foreign thoughts that divert a person and bother him with the connection with the friends?
R. Imagine to yourself that you have no forces of resistance then how will you be able to advance, you need something that you overcome, that you rise above it, this is how we are in a world that is entirely made of two forces: the force of bestowal and the force of reception, and therefore it's impossible to have one without the other.
S. What does it mean that I have overcome? After all, I am trying to get rid of those bad thoughts to incorporate.
R. We don't want to just erase them or burn them or lose them in some way, we need to be above them, which means to use them in the right way, where we are above these forces that disturb us, that hinder us and we get closer to the Creator. Otherwise we will not be able to get closer.
S. You talk a lot about kind of leaving the evil inclination and connecting above it with the friends, above it with the Creator. What does it mean to leave the inclination and with that, connect with the friends and work with them?
R. That I don't work with my evil inclination but rather I want to connect with the friends and only to be inside the good inclination but as much as I work with the good inclination I come back to the evil inclination, I seemingly awaken it and this is how I advance. It's impossible to only go on the right leg.
S. Let's say a certain thought that diverts me from the path, arises in me, so I try to say, “no,” and then connect with the friends. What does it mean that I return to the evil inclination now?
R. So when you want to connect with the friends you need to use both forces, so that opposite your right is the left of a friend and the other way around; this is how you connect.
S. What does it mean to help his friend?
R. Each one should help his friend. When you connect between you, you connect the forces of bestowal and the forces of reception so that they will work together.
16. S. (53:23) Why does the Creator hide from me the intention of the friends?
R. He opens up for you everything that you need so that you can advance, to the extent that you need to advance, He opens up for you your qualities and the friends' qualities to this extent or that extent.
17. S. (54:00) Is the reason for the restriction and the judgment that they appear in externalities that a person doesn't have the force to judge or restrict his egoistic intentions for himself?
R. I don't understand.
S. He's asking whether the reason for restriction and judgment that they're dressed in externality is that a person doesn't have the force to judge or restrict his own egoistic intentions and therefore the restriction and judgment need to happen in this external way?
R. Yes, this is also a style of work.
18. S. (54:55) What does it mean that the intention is the concealed part of the work?
R. It's the concealed part in the work because it's not apparent outside of the person and the person himself doesn't and cannot always detect what is his intention, this is why it is called the wisdom of the hidden or the hidden work.
19. S. (55:41) By what actions will we understand the necessity of difference between receiving in order to receive and receiving in order to bestow?
R. During the work we get feelings about this and that, the most important is not the action itself but the essence of the action, to bestow or to receive; to whose benefit.
20. S. (56:28) How can I examine myself to see whether I managed to nullify myself towards the Malchut of heaven?
R. Check it in the group and it will be clear to you.
21. S. (56:47) It is written the hidden part, the intention, is not in the hands of man but in the hands of heaven, so giving us the nature of in order to bestow it says that both the desire to bestow and the intention to bestow. What does the Creator give us the intention or the desire?
R. Sometimes we cannot distinguish between this and that, so maybe we should say that both.
22. S. (57:30) In what way does the connection correct the will to receive? Is there no risk that even if I connect I will want to receive more for myself?
R. No, the connection among everyone is built in such a way that the Creator manages it from Above. This is why he always corrects the will to receive.
23. S. (58:10) If a person asks correctly he receives aid from Above. The question is: What prevents you from asking correctly?
R. Our ego, we need to annul ourselves, each one of us towards the others, to connect between us in a single desire to act with one intention and then as much as we try to be in that we need to turn to the Creator so he will shape this connection for us and then we will succeed.
24. S. (59:05) In the article, at the end of it, it says that a person should be in joy from the work of Torah and Mitzvot and he should then have a scrutiny inside of himself, how much does he feel the necessity to do everything for the sake of heaven. What is the state where suddenly I find myself in joy and I begin to make a scrutiny whether all of this is for the sake of heaven? How do I imagine for myself this heaven of Lishma?
R. The upper Force that holds all of your qualities and you to the extent of identifying with it, you connect correctly.
S. Let's say that I organize a meal or a breakfast for the meal and I feel happy because of it.
How in this concrete state, how can I stop this joy and say this is for the sake of the Creator or it's not for the sake of the Creator?
R. However you can describe it, that's how it will be. The action is an action. It's a correct action. The intention depends on how you tie your heart together with the friend's hearts to really bestow to them from your heart to their heart that fulfillment that you want.
S. This is the same image of the Creator that Rabash talks about?
R. No, no, don't get confused.
25. S. (01:00:55) There are two paragraphs here that talk about surrounding light. The first one, it's on the second line, second paragraph, it says that surrounding light is depicted here as the still of sanctity which helps a person to be in joy but in order to come out of the will to receive it says in the third paragraph, that this faith is not enough for him but rather he needs faith in the greatness of the Creator in order to rise above the questions of the body. My question is here we see two degrees of faith, where one gives us joy and the other one the ability to answer the body and to rise above the will to receive?
R. You can say that.
S. Malchut or David that he speaks about here, he actually composed 18 Malchuiot in order to go through these states and that's what Rabash is telling us that this was his way to work without a ten but only by connecting all the general Malchuiot [kingships].
R. That was his role.
26. S. (01:02:20) According to the text, when we are in a state of suffering, spiritual suffering, we can realize that we are actually taking revenge on the enemy, on the will to receive? When we are in a state of spiritual suffering is it vengeance on our will to receive, against the enemy?
R. You can say that.
27. S. (01:03:00) It says in the article, that a person tries to work in bestowal and the body doesn't let him do it, and later it says that the Creator doesn't give him the forces to work in bestowal, do we nevertheless try to have an awakening?
R. Concretely, what are we lacking?
S. In order to serve the Creator?
R. The intention to bestow to Him, that He will be better off. It's like a woman has a baby and she has to think how to do good to the baby, it doesn't matter what, eating, putting it to sleep, giving it something to drink, keeping it warm, cooling it down, whatever it is, just to make sure it's good. That's how we should think about our group.
S. There a person feels each time that he has less forces that his forces are taken from him? Why does a person feel each time that seemingly his forces are taken away from him?
R. He should get closer to the friends and work closer to them.
28. S. (01:04:55) Rabash writes at the end of the article that a person should see that he's being seemingly pushed away from the work, the Creator is rejecting him and by this he will exert with greater forces, but throughout the entire article Rabash teaches us that a person is unable to do anything, the Creator gives him everything, so what kind of an effort is required from a person?
R. Both this and that, all that you are able to do you should do.
S. That's exactly what it's about: you do everything and you constantly reach a state where you're despaired and you pray and you do everything. Does it ever end or will that be the way that the work will always be?
R. What are you despaired of?
S. That I don’t succeed in doing the work for the Creator.
R. So another step is opened before you that you can do.
S. Is that the extra prayer?
R. Yes, yes, you must not fall into despair and this is how to move forward with the group, if you hold on to the path and you don't fall into despair so quickly.
29. S. (01:06:17) To continue the friend's question, you said that we have to work with the left of the friend. Does this mean to work with the resistance that is revealed to me through the friends?
R. That, too, yeah.
S. Is there something else?
R. There's a lot more guys. Come on, you can't ask if there's something else.
S. What does it mean to work with the left of the friend?
R. If you take his overcoming and his resistance and you try to turn that to the right.
30. S. (01:07:23) A person who has reached receiving with the intention to bestow contentment upon his Maker and not at all for his own pleasure is he less obligated to perform actions?
R. These are his actions.
31. S. (01:07:56) What is repentance; to repent?
R. To repent means that a person who comes back to the Creator; comes closer to the Creator.
S. A few times I asked the same question: What is repentance and also in Hebrew, Teshuva, returning and I heard that the Hey returns to the Vav.
R. That's words.
S. But how you answered me, so then what, I think that..?
R. If you want to achieve the actions of the Creator that means you are yearning for repentance, that's it.
S. This action of repentance or returning?
R. That you take your will to receive and you want to make it and turn it into actions in order to bestow; that's repentance.
32. S. (01:09:37) If we see that we don't have the intention, we try to make the intention but we don't have the intention, so should we ask to change the intention and do the right intention? Is that considered as an exertion towards intention?
R. Yes, everything is calculated, everything goes into the account.
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