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

Daily Morning Lesson: June 3, 2026

Part 1: Rabash. What Is, “The Herdsmen of Abram’s Cattle and the Herdsmen of Lot’s Cattle,” in the Work?. Article No. 6, 1991

Original lesson date: 01/16/2002

Reader: Hello, dear friends. In the first part of the lesson, we will watch a recorded lesson from the 16th of January 2002 based on the article, What is, The Herdsmen of Abram's Cattle and the Herdsmen of Lot's Cattle, in the Work? We will read the article together in the Ten; we have thirty-three minutes for that.

Reading: (00:57) What Is, “The Herdsmen of Abram’s Cattle and the Herdsmen of Lot’s Cattle,” in the Work?

Article No. 6, 1991

It is written (Genesis 13:7), “And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle.” Baal HaSulam said about this, that “cattle” means “possessions,” that the quarrel was among the herdsmen of Abraham’s cattle, who said, “How can we be rewarded with spiritual possessions, which are regarded as Av-Ram [High-Father], meaning specifically the quality of Ram [high] which is above reason, for the quality of Abraham is Av [father] of the faith.

Av-Ram means that he would want—Av comes from the word Ava [wanted], as in “He did not Ava [did not want] to send them away.” Ram means above. That is, Abram went above the desire that exists within man, called “will to receive,” and above the desire that exists within man, and which is called “desire to know and understand what he is doing, and does not want to believe.” Abram went above those two, meaning the mind and the heart. This is called “herdsmen,” for only in this way would he like to guide himself.

This is not so with the “herdsmen of Lot’s cattle.” Lot means Alma DeEtlatia [Aramaic: cursed world], from the word “curse,” referring to the will to receive, which is the serpent, meaning the will to receive for oneself. Lot was a chariot for the quality of the serpent. They would say that we must go and delight ourselves because this is how the Creator created the creatures—with a will to receive for ourselves. Otherwise, He would not have created the will to receive, since who does something in the world in order not to use it? Hence, since He created in us the will to receive, we must work for it, so the will to receive will take its satisfaction. Otherwise, it is considered that the Creator created it in vain.

Therefore, when considering the work, Abram and Lot are qualities within the same body. There is a dispute in the body: Some think like Abram, and some think the opposite and side with Lot. Hence, there is a quarrel between them as to how a person should behave in the work. That is, should man’s work be for the sake of the Creator, and to achieve this, one must go above reason, which is the quality, Av-Ram, or should it be within reason, which is the will to receive for one’s own sake, and since there was a Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment on it, this quality is called Lot, a curse, where there is no delight and pleasure—as was in the thought of creation, which can enter there—and it remains a vacant space devoid of light.

In the work, “herdsmen” means a guide how to behave, as in Moses being called “the faithful shepherd,” who guided the people of Israel with the quality of faith. Lot and Abram mean the good inclination in the person and the evil inclination in the person.

According to the above, we should interpret what The Zohar says (Lech Lecha, Item 162), “‘Abram was very heavy with cattle, and silver, and with gold.’ ‘Very heavy’ means from the east, which is Tifferet. ‘With cattle’ means from the west, which is Malchut. ‘And silver is from the south, Hochma, and ‘with gold’ means from the north, Bina.”

We should understand this in the work. It is known that east and west are two opposites. East means that which shines, such as the sunrise, and west is the opposite, meaning that which does not shine. Where the sun sets and does not shine, this is the west. The middle line, which is Tifferet, includes everything. For this reason, it is called “east,” since it illuminates because it contains the whole work that emerged from all the lines.

This is not so with the west, which is called “the kingdom of heaven.” We must accept the kingdom of heaven “with all your heart and with all your soul,” even if He takes your soul away. Also, we must take upon ourselves the kingdom of heaven, called “faith,” with love, as it is written (Article No. 4, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph), that even if he has no vitality, which is called “even if he takes his soul away,” meaning that he has no vitality. This is called “west,” meaning it does not illuminate. Still, a person should be in a state of faith above reason.

This is called “cattle,” by which we buy spiritual possessions, called “the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle.” In other words, specifically through faith above reason, meaning even if he feels darkness on this path, and even though he understands that if Malchut had illuminated openly and not in concealment, and the body would feel the greatness of the Creator, it would be easier for him to move further and be rewarded with always being in a state of work and he would have no descents, he nonetheless chooses to go above reason. This is called “the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle.” This is called “west,” meaning that even though it does not shine for him, he is still with all his might, as though everything illuminated for him openly.

This is the meaning of what is written, “Abram was very heavy,” meaning east, Tifferet, which is the middle line. It is called “east” because the middle line includes all the work he had, and it was sweetened by him, since he already went through all the work that needs to be done, and the light shines there anyhow. This is why the east is called “very heavy,” since the glory of the Lord, meaning the greatness and importance of the Creator is already very much revealed, meaning that at that time the light of the Creator shines.

For this reason, it is regarded as we explained (in Article No. 4, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph), “Anyone who runs from honor, honor chases him.” In other words, once he passed the dispute between the two lines, called “two writings that deny one another,” he is rewarded with the middle line, where the glory of the Creator is revealed and shines. This is called Tifferet, “east.”

However, the main work is in the west. This is the place of the work because when a person is still in a state of darkness, where there are ascents and descents, since all the concealments are on this place, called “west.” “West” indicates the kingdom of heaven, and in general, Malchut is called “faith,” and the matter of good and evil applies there, as it is written in The Zohar, that Malchut is called “the tree of good and evil.” If he is rewarded, she is good and the evil is concealed. If he is not rewarded, the good is concealed and the evil becomes revealed outward, and anything that is outside rules.

For this reason, “west” is called “cattle,” since this is the main possession that one should acquire, which is the kingdom of heaven. If he does not have it, meaning Malchut, called “faith,” then he has nothing. For this reason Malchut is called “cattle,” as it is written, “Abram was very heavy with cattle.” Because of it, cattle is called Malchut and west, since from here begins all the possessions of Kedusha [holiness], as it is written, “The beginning of wisdom, the fear of the Lord.”

This is the meaning of the words “Silver is from the south, Hochma,” as our sages said, “He who wants to grow wise should go south,” meaning to be rewarded with a garment of Hassadim [mercies], where Hesed [singular of Hassadim] is called “love,” when he wants to give and to bestow. He wants to annul before Him, and this is called “silver,” from the word Kisufin [longing], as it is written, “My soul longed and also yearned.” “South” means right, wholeness, when he needs nothing and his only passion is to be passionate about the Creator. He has no thought of himself, and only after the stage of the right can we be rewarded with the left, called Bina.

This is the meaning of “with gold means from the north, Bina.” “Gold” means as it is written, “Gold means from the north.” Gold is regarded as Bina that returns to being Hochma. Also, it is written, “Wisdom is for the humble,” meaning that Hochma [wisdom] should be clothed in a garment of Hassadim, which is called “humbleness,” by clothing in Bina and not being seen without a garment of Hassadim.

The thing is that it is known that Hochma dresses in vessels of reception. For this reason, she needs keeping so that the vessels of reception will always work in order to bestow. Hence, since he is using vessels of reception, guarding is required. For this reason, Hassadim must be extended, as this is the light that shines in vessels of bestowal. By this, the light of Hochma that can shine in vessels with the aim to bestow can shine.

This is why they said that south is Hochma, meaning that one who wants to grow wise should go south. He who wants the wisdom to remain in him and not depart needs the south, meaning Hesed, called “yearning,” from the words “My soul longed and also yearned.” Those two, south and north, which are Hochma and Bina, illuminate in the middle line, called “east,” Tifferet, where everything is included. However, the essence of the work begins in the west, which is the quality of Malchut, called “cattle,” which is regarded as Malchut, and “west.”

Concerning Malchut, called “west,” and “cattle,” we should know that the order of the work begins with the kingdom of heaven. Before every Mitzva [commandment/good deed], a person must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven, called “faith,” where he believes that the Creator leads the world in a manner of good and doing good. For this reason, he blesses Him.

This is as our sages said, “One should always establish the praise of the Creator and then pray.” We should ask, What is the praise of the Creator that a person should establish? The answer is that since a person says to the Creator that he believes that He leads the world in a manner of good and doing good, this is called “the praise of the Creator.” Afterward, he should pray.

Baal HaSulam said about this that when a person asks something of his friend, the order is that 1) he knows that his friend has what he asks of him, and 2) his friend has a kind heart and likes to do favors. In that state, it is relevant to ask from his friend.

Hence, when a person asks the Creator to give him what he is asking, he should believe that the Creator can give him what he wants, and that He is good and does good. Because of it, the beginning of man’s work is to establish the praise of the Creator, meaning to believe that He is good and does good, although the body disagrees with what he says, and he sees that it is only lip service. At that time, he should say that he wants to believe above reason and he is happy that at least he knows the truth about what one must believe.

Although these words that he says are compulsory, meaning that the body will not agree to what he says, he is happy about that, too, that he can say with his mouth words of truth.

“And then pray” means that once he has established the praise of the Creator, that the Creator leads the world in a manner of good and doing good, if this were within reason, of course he would be happy. But since this is only above reason, although it is compulsory, still, sometimes he has the strength to pray to the Creator to give him the power to believe that this is really so and he will be able to say all day the praise of the Creator by the Creator only doing good to him.

In this work there are ascents and descents. A person must believe that he has a point in the heart, which is a spark that shines. But sometimes, it is only a black dot and does not shine. We must always awaken that spark because at times that spark awakens by itself and reveals a lack in a person, where he feels that he needs spirituality, that he is too materialistic and he sees no purpose that enables him to emerge from these states.

That spark gives him no rest. That is, as a corporeal spark cannot illuminate, but using the spark, a person can light up things, so that through the things that the spark touches, a great fire can ignite. Likewise, the spark within man’s heart cannot shine, but that spark can light up his actions so they will illuminate because the spark pushes him to work.

However, sometimes the spark quenches and does not shine. This can be in the middle of the work, and this is regarded as a person having a road accident. In other words, in the middle of the work, something happened to him and he descended from his state and was left unconscious. Now he does not know that there is spirituality in reality, he has forgotten everything, and he has entered the corporeal world with all of his senses.

Only after some time does he recover and sees that he is in the corporeal world and he begins to climb up once again, meaning to feel the spiritual lack. Then, once again, he receives a drive to approach the Creator.

Afterward, he descends from his degree once more, but he must believe that each time he raises his spark to Kedusha [holiness]. Although he sees that he has descended from his state and fell back to the place where he was at the beginning of his work, each time he nonetheless raises new sparks. That is, each time, he raises a new spark.

In the “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” (Item 43), he says, “When man is born, he immediately has a Nefesh [soul] of Kedusha. But not an actual Nefesh, but the Achoraim [posterior] of it, its last discernment, which, during its Katnut [smallness/infancy], is called a ‘point,’ and it dresses in man’s heart.”

We should interpret that this “point,” which is still in the dark, reveals and shines each time according to one’s work on purifying his heart. At that time, the point begins to shine. This means that each time a person begins to ascend once more after the descent, he should believe that this is a new discernment from what he had during the previous ascent, for he has already elevated it to Kedusha. Thus, each time he begins a new discernment.

Since in every beginning a person must start over the acceptance of the kingdom of heaven, it is not enough that yesterday he had faith in the Creator. For this reason, every acceptance of the kingdom of heaven is considered a new discernment. That is, now he receives a part of the vacant space that was devoid of the kingdom of heaven, and admits that empty place and fills it with the kingdom of heaven. It follows that now he sorted out a new thing, which did not exist before he took that empty place and filled it with the kingdom of heaven. This is regarded as elevating a new spark into the Kedusha. Finally, from all the ascents, he always raises sparks from the vacant space into the Kedusha.

It follows that from each descent he arrives at a new beginning and raises new sparks. Hence, when a person sees that he has descents, he should be careful not to escape from the campaign, even though he sees that he is not progressing. Rather, he must try to start anew each time. That is, the fact that he begins to ascend does not mean that he returned to his previous degree. This would mean that he did nothing by his work, since he thinks that he is now ascending to his previous level. Rather, he must believe that this is a new discernment, that each time, he raises different sparks, until he raises the sparks that pertain to his essence.

According to the above, we should interpret what our sages said (Bava Metzia, Chapter 7), “Elazar said, ‘Thus, the righteous speak little and do much, and the wicked speak much and do not even do little.’”

Concerning “wicked” and “righteous” in the work, we should interpret that all those who want to observe Torah and Mitzvot for the sake of the Creator are called “righteous” in the work, meaning they want to be righteous. Conversely, those who engage in Torah and Mitzvot not for the sake of the Creator are called “wicked,” in the work, since they are in disparity of form from the Creator. Hence, they are regarded as wicked (though among the general public they, too, are considered righteous).

Among those who work in the manner of the general public, we can say, for example, when a person is forty, he knows that since the time of his Bar Mitzva [age 13], meaning since he was thirteen until he turned forty, he has acquired a possession of 27 years of Torah and Mitzvot. It follows that they say that they have a lot. This is the meaning of “speak much.” In other words, they have much Torah and Mitzvot. However, they do not work even in the least for the sake of the Creator.

But the righteous “speak little.” That is, they say that they have been engaging in Torah and Mitzvot for 27 years but have not been rewarded with doing anything for the sake of the Creator. However, they must believe that they are doing much, meaning that from each doing that they see that they are incapable of doing it for the sake of the Creator, and it pains them, this is called “a prayer.”

In other words, they make a lot of prayers, by seeing how far they are from the Creator, from having a desire and yearning to bring contentment to the Maker. In other words, they are far because they haven’t the ability to appreciate the greatness of the King. Hence, they do not have the power to do anything for the sake of the Creator, but only for themselves. It follows that they do a lot in order for the Creator to bring them closer to Him.

It follows that one need not be impressed when he wants to work for the sake of the Creator and sees each time that he is regressing. He must believe that he is doing much in order to approach the Creator and be rewarded with the Creator giving him the desire to bestow. That is, specifically through the descents and ascents, a person can pray to Him to really bring him closer, for each time, he elevates new sparks into the structure of Kedusha until he elevates all the sparks that belong to him. Then he will be rewarded with the Creator giving him the second nature called “desire to bestow.” Then, he will be rewarded with permanent faith.

But before he is rewarded with all his works being for the sake of the Creator, there is no room for faith. This is as it is written (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Item 138), “It is a law that the creature cannot receive disclosed evil from the Creator, for it is a flaw in the glory of the Creator for the creature to perceive Him as an evildoer. Hence, when one feels bad, denial of the Creator’s guidance lies upon him and the superior Operator is concealed from him to that same extent.”

In other words, as long as a person does not have the desire to bestow, he is unfit to receive delight and pleasure. Therefore, when a person suffers, he loses the faith. But once he has been rewarded with the desire to bestow, he receives delight and pleasure from the Creator and is rewarded with permanent faith. It follows that all those ascents and descents bring him to a state where the Creator helps him achieve the desire to bestow, and then all his works are for the sake of the Creator.

However, a person must know that when he comes to a state where he does not see how he will ever be able to emerge from self-love and he wants to escape the campaign, he must know that there are two matters here, which are opposite from one another, as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 2:21), “It is not for you to finish the work, nor are you free to idle away from it.”

Thus, on one hand, a person must work and never idle away from it. That is, it is within man’s power to attain, since he says, “nor are you free to idle away from it.” This means that one should work because he is guaranteed to get what he wants, meaning to be able to work for the sake of the Creator in order to bring contentment to his Maker.

On the other hand, he says, “It is not for you to finish the work.” This implies that it is not within man’s hands, but rather, as it is written, “The Lord will finish for me.” This means that it is not within man’s ability to obtain the desire to bestow.

However, there are two matters here: 1) A person must say, “If I am not for me, who is for me?” Hence, he should not be alarmed by the fact that he has not been rewarded with obtaining the desire to bestow, although in his opinion, he has made great efforts. Nonetheless, he should believe that the Creator waits until he reveals what he must do. 2) Afterward, the Creator will finish for him, meaning that at that time, he will receive what he wants at once, as it is written, “The salvation of the Lord is as the blink of an eye.”

Reader: Let's continue to the lesson from January 16, 2002.

M. Laitman: (33:48) We read an article on, What is the Herdsmen of Abram's Cattle and the Herdsmen of Lot's Cattle in the Work? The person always has this inner argument between this or that guide, and he has to scrutinize between these things and discover each thing through its opposite, and thus advance. How? To see that on the one hand it's impossible without vessels of reception. That we begin from the left line and then—left line from the north – and then when we want to work with the vessels of reception, meaning to receive the light of Hochma, then you need to go south. Meaning to go to the side of mercy, the right line. When he does that from the side of Malchut which is the west, he gains the east which is the middle line. And this is the work of the three lines: left, right, middle, middle line above them; and, everything is based on Malchut but Malchut herself doesn't receive anything but, rather, above her: meaning north, south, back to the east, adhering to the Shechina – the Shechina is in the east; from the west which is Malchut which is truly the real Shechina. But her adhesion is by working above the Malchut, and that's the work. What else did he say? It's an article that mentions many details but the usual things.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (36:20) The person mentioned in the article, what is that person who can through his descents and descents, elevate sparks of holiness and correct them?

M. Laitman: He says that to begin with, the person only has a point in the heart which is called the beginning of his soul, Nefesh of Nefesh and that's what he needs to develop. With all the rest of the things around this point, besides this point is only for the development of this point – that's how he should accept his life. That all his body, meaning the rest of his desires, the incidents that happen; whatever happens around the point in the heart is only for that point. If he relates to it this way, then he is awarded with developing it, correctly. What are you asking about this?

To develop it means to put more will to receive into it and to give it more corrections on top of the will to receive. Meaning that when the will to receive is in the intention in order to bestow, we then put in more will to receive to the point in the heart, we feel a descent, opposite of Kedusha, distancing. When we acquire corrections by the labour, comes the light that reforms and the same will to receive is corrected and, then, it's felt as an illumination inside the corrected desire. That's called an ascent but that's the whole path: ascents and descents, ascents and descents. But everything begins from a descent, every new discernment – There shall be evening, there shall be morning and there shall be one, and it shall be one day. Meaning the attainment comes after the evening and the night and then the day. In the end, that's the attainment of the whole, of the entire day and then the new day begins from night. That's what we learn, that's what he said, meaning the left line, the right line, and then the middle line, or north, south, and east.

The whole path is built from ups and downs. Now, the question is this: if a person receives his ups and downs in his feeling without a mind, then either he's just getting crazy from joy or he feels really bad. It's like a kid, he feels good, he feels bad and then just goes crazy with his feelings. If he begins to add to the feeling the importance of the goal, meaning he doesn’t check the—meaning he has to give his states a purposeful interpretation, is this closer to the Creator or farther? He no longer measures himself according to the good or bad feeling but according to closer or further away. And then he's not influenced by the feeling – how he feels himself – and then everything that is both in descent and ascent that he receives it in an effective way for the goal and sees it this way, then he's happy. And then he has no descents in his feeling, he only has monitored ups and downs that he controls, that he knows what the Creator gave him as a new vessel so he feels it as posterior of Kedusha. Then, he merits the correction of this posterior and receiving the light in this posterior, and this is called the face, the anterior. It all depends on how a person accepts his development. Of course, in the beginning he has not, he doesn't have enough strength and mind to accept it intelligently, purposely, consciously like a grown-up. But he's like a baby and he's under the influence of his feeling; but, later, bit by bit, he moves on to states that he controls. To a state where he controls the ups and downs. Meaning he doesn't control the ups and downs themselves, but how he accepts them, how he feels about them. And, To You, the day and also to You is the night, meaning, again, he equally relates to all these states as good states that bring him closer. So there are no ups and downs here but in his feeling, these ups and downs are only with respect to closeness to the Creator – according to the vessels – or farther from Him. Even in a state where he's far, he is in control, meaning in awareness of his state; so the main thing is that he could justify the Creator in all these states that He orchestrates for him and he adheres to Him in each and every state he goes through, it doesn't matter what kind of states. And in such a way, he comes closer to a state of Ibur, conception, that doesn't matter what he's given, what's important for me is to cling to You, like one little point. Nothing else matters, nothing needs to be done meaning, besides knowing that whatever happens to me comes from You and anything that comes from You is good.

So under these conditions, the point in his heart then adheres to the upper one through the barrier like in a womb and it begins to evolve. It clings from below as if from this world, clings to the barrier, to the walls of the womb, as if. And begins to grow above the barrier from the other side – that point remains below and everything that grows, grows from the barrier upwards, across all the months of pregnancy and so forth.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:07) It also says that this development is founded on three lines: the left line and the right line are in opposition. And then, suddenly, it's written that he's awarded with a middle line so it seems we learn that the middle line is an outcome of a person's work with the other two lines?

M. Laitman: Nothing comes to a person as a result of his efforts, his efforts only create the condition which, then comes to him from Above, a new discernment. And every new discernment that comes from Above, because it comes from Ein Sof, it means that he is awarded. Well, what does it mean? Like the Creator said, Okay, he's a good boy, he's a good kid, I'll give it to him? Or what, he's awarded, like it's a reward, why? I worked, I did everything the best way and, therefore, I was rewarded. So I earned it as a cause and effect; and here, when we say that he is awarded with the middle line, with some new discernment, there is a deeper interpretation here. Because, I labored and I found, happens in each and every thing. When a person is given the place of labour, it's in order for him to prepare his vessels to feel something, to be able to feel. When he feels something, then from above he is given as if without any connection to his status, from Above he is given. Meaning then he begins to feel something completely new that doesn't belong to his previous preparation. Meaning you've prepared yourself fine but the fact that you've prepared yourself doesn't mean that you have to accept this fulfillment. Rather, the fulfillment comes from the thought of creation to benefit His created beings, that the thought of creation isn't connected to the person. The Creator wants to do good so He gives that to you but the fact that you made efforts, you made efforts – it's like there's no connection between this and that – by this, you obligate the Creator to give you. There's no—that's why it says, I was rewarded, and not I gained, or I found, or I acquired; but it's literally a win, an award.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (45:55) The work with the sparks is work with the desires, screens and desires? It's not clear to me, the matter of the sparks, he relates to sparks in two ways: on the one hand, the spark is the point in the heart, a set point, and in the beginning, I have only the behind of it and, backside of it, and it begins to grow. But, on the other side, new sparks, it's a new thing being revealed each time from within – the place is clear for him?

M. Laitman: The spark he's talking about is the initial spark that exists in the person which is the point in the heart – the desire for spirituality given from above. Because in this beast that we call human in the sense of this world, he has no desire for spirituality. He has a desire to attain something hidden from him but it's a human desire, it's a human passion that pushes everyone to develop. The true desire for spirituality, for the Creator has to come from the same point of existence from absence that the Creator created. And that is from the souls where it comes and reveals in a person. If this thing is revealed in a person, he also calls it a spark, why a spark? Because it's a point from the screen and reflected light by which a person begins to feel some connection with the Creator. That there is something even though this spark is still dressed in the heart, in man's egoism. Even though this spark comes from the point of shattering, it's not really screen and reflected light. But there is still some illumination through it from above that attracts the person even though, unconsciously, and not clearly in reality. But he already has some attraction and that attraction cannot be quenched and he calls it a spark.

Besides that, what a person is going to do afterwards when he develops this spark is he acquires new sparks. Which are broken vessels from the shattering – from the shattering of the soul of Adam HaRishon– that's already a different thing; this is in addition to that initial spark. And when he corrects these sparks, he simply connects them each time to that initial vessel, to that point in the heart, that initial spark. And that's how he builds his soul: there are lights, sparks, and vessels. Lights are the lights that filled the vessel of Adam HaRishon, and then they departed upwards and they shine as surrounding lights until the end of correction. And not until the end of correction but to the extent that the vessel is corrected and then, they just dress inside the vessel.

Sparks are that screen that Adam HaRishon had but he was shattered so the Reshimot from the screen are those sparks that need to be corrected because, altogether, we need to correct this screen. The vessels are vessels, that's the will to receive, so nothing happened to the will to receive. What does it mean that it's broken? It lost the screen and instead of a screen, it has just sparks left and lights above, the lights are above. That's what we learn from part eight of TES and onwards, we study it simply there, and this is how it happens with us. That in our beastly will to receive, this first spark is clothed and if we make enough labor and we realize it correctly, then we are awarded with a spiritual vessel.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (50:11) The work with the sparks is some kind of work with desires, screens and desires?

M. Laitman: Our whole work is to acquire the screen!

Student: That's actually the work of the commandments? What's the difference between performing commandments and making sparks?

M. Laitman: Every time I make an action in spirituality, it's called a Mitzva – any action of correction is called a Mitzva, commandment.

Student: In the articles, he always writes about how a person needs to organize some things for when he enters a descent or what he needs to think about and so on. Now, how is it done in the society towards someone if you can't speak with the friend?

M. Laitman: In all of the articles that he mentioned, here, he described the three lines for us: how does a person need to go through them? Because there's no other work, until the end of correction it's the three lines, from the embryo to the greatest Gadlut in all the degrees, it's only the work of three lines. Until we complete the second restriction, go back to the first restriction, that's already the end of correction. The coupling that is made after all the corrections; and that already brings back to the first restriction;and to the second restriction is cancelled. Perhaps, I didn't understand the question?

Student: I asked, how can I talk about it?

M. Laitman: How can this work happen in the group, why do I need the group?

Student: How, in the group, can you show all the friends that there's a Creator?

M. Laitman: The group, first of all, I need it as an assistance to me, an assisting force, that they give me something and I can give them something. Only in this mutual work: me, opposite the group, I can develop – that's what he writes. That it's the free choice and it's the realization of the entire spiritual potential in me, it can only be realized in a group correctly. Now, to the extent that I receive and to the extent that I give, in receiving I have to be the smallest, in giving to them, I have to be the greatest, to bestow to them. These two edges, these two polarities, the bigger they are in a person, the more efficient he is for the group and for himself. But when he uses them intelligently – meaning knowing why and how much – and the great one to be giving and the small one to be receiving has to do exactly with the two lines that he needs to build each and every time on his discernment, meaning, that's the work.

Student: The question I'm asking, perhaps I didn't explain properly: we always say that in the society?

M. Laitman: I said that in the society, if a person just sits and works quietly, this is not enough, it's not enough. We must be very prominent and large on both sides, you understand? He has to receive a lot and to give a lot and for everyone to see it, he has to be prominent, each one.

Student: Is it possible, in the society, to use the words of the articles to speak with each other? Or we should really say that the Creator is Good That Does Good, and things will be better even if it's a bit?

M. Laitman: You, we—in what way to speak with a friend – you could speak with a friend about whatever you want, just not what you have in your heart with respect to the Creator. Meaning, you can explain to him what's written in the article, this is what's written, but not what I now feel and I have these emotions, usually, that's forbidden.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (55:01) You said that a person makes a certain amount of labor and this becomes a condition to receive the fulfillment from above or not. Now, I don't understand how can it be? If a person made some amount of work then the next fulfillment is simply the next degree he needs to receive. How can he not receive the degree if he already filled that state?

M. Laitman: The order of the degrees has been set from above. From above, all these degrees cascaded down after the shattering of Adam HaRishon. Of course, in the same way in which they descended by cause and effect, in that same way a person rises, climbs them from below upwards through cause and effect, cause and consequence. The thing is that between each and every degree, there is a cut, an absolute cut; meaning, each and every discernment doesn't really belong to the previous discernment. It comes after the previous discernment, correct, but it doesn't emerge from it. It's like a seed has to rot in the ground and, then by the power of that, a tree comes, a new tree. It's a new tree that came from the seed that rotted in the ground. But the connection between them is just this spiritual discernment that something remained from the one, the old, and it passes on to the second. It's not corporeal clothing, we're talking about the clothing because we're entirely made of clothing. But the inner energy, what remained from that seed, it's the light, so to speak, a new record that remained, a record that remained from it.

How come something new can emerge from that record? There's this impulse: the seed rots. Then, there needs to be this impulse at the height of Ein Sof, infinity. Wherefrom comes the agreement, you could say, the force that activates that new power in the record, making it take on new clothing, you understand? That's why it's called, In the hands of the Lord; of course, it is through cause and consequence. But who activates that force, that record, to make it develop into a spiritual, a new spiritual object, a new tree, let's say, yes? The thought of creation to do good to His created beings which is in Ein Sof, in infinity. And so he writes that a person is awarded with that, he's awarded with that from the highest thought, to do good to His creations, new life is given to him. I have to be born again, I haven't, I didn't complete my correction, correct; but you are awarded with that thought acting within you now, at that point. That's why we say awarded because there's no transition without receiving this impulse from Ein Sof.

Student: What's a force, how is it felt if it's a spiritual force? Is it a kind of illumination or a desire or an urge?

M. Laitman: What force?

Student: Spiritual force.

M. Laitman: In a person?

Student: Yes.

M. Laitman: The same way I feel forces now. Sometimes I'm as if, dead, I can't move. You feel if you have power, don't have power, in the person.

Student: Is it felt in a special vessel?

M. Laitman: I don't understand: if now, it was within my ability to perform an action which is truly in order to bestow without, well, to make an accurate calculation and to see that I will get nothing from it. To find such a thing, right now I can't, even if I want to find some action that I can carry out with giving, without receiving anything from it. I can't find such an action, I don't have that nature. If I can find this thing where I give and truly get nothing out of it, this means that I've found a spiritual force and performed a spiritual action but I don't have it, I can't find it; simply, it's not in me, yet. Give me an example of when you had such an opportunity to perform something spiritual. You will not find it. If you truly, truly introspect, observe yourself, you will see that it comes from something you receive, there must be payment. Without payment – that's why you won't discover any thoughts and desires – you won't discover within you this ability, this opportunity. When this opportunity is given, that is salvation already! Then a person begins to see, oh, this is it! Before that, he can't even imagine to himself what it may be.

Student: Here, the north is expressed as the left and as Bina.

M. Laitman: The north side, that's Hochma, the north is Hochma and the south is Bina.

Student: It's just not clear how Bina, which is all mercy and bestowal joins the left line; but how does the left line, the left side goes with Bina?

M. Laitman: Bina is the right side. North, Hochma, the light of Hochma, the vessel of reception, that is all the left. After acquiring that, there's something and then you go to the right side, south, Bina, vessels of bestowal, desires to bestow, light of Hassadim, clothing on the light of Hochma. When you make a connection between them, properly, you clothe them on each other, properly. Whatever of it you can clothe, it becomes the east, the east side – the middle line, Tifferet – and what you can't use, you don't use it, that is the west, Malchut. Well, you can read afterwards.

Student: (01:01:43) There is a moment of something new, and then, afterwards, this new joins the prior experience. Is that the beginning of the descent that it's added to the previous attempt – this growth of something new, a new attitude? Something that begins from zero, that's clear; but at a certain stage after passing that state, there are memories, there are things, there are previous states. It's no longer like the first time, like before. Is that the beginning of the descent, the desire to join it to previous states?

M. Laitman: No, after a person has been awarded with being in ascent, meaning using vessels he acquired previously as darkness, he then sees in them new attainments, new discernments. He sees in it the actions of the Creator which are truly benevolent, that they're for the sake of development and advancement. He can justify the Creator. The main thing here is to maintain the thought that it comes from above, from the Creator. And that, at this point, he's connected to the upper force, that's it. The moment where you try here in some way, or rather, in the moment where he's being detached from that thought, disconnected from that thought through pleasure, greater pleasure or a descent in what he senses. He needs to be very alert that whatever happens, any change in pleasure, positively or negatively, he's always ready to correct it with more adhesion to the point of connection with the Creator. Meaning, now I have a very good feeling and I feel that I'm connected to the Creator and He gave me this. And, previously, when I was suffering that also it was in order to now discern this new good discernment. I can be toyed with, played around with in two directions: either, I can be given greater pleasures, then I'll let go of my thoughts about connection with the Creator. Or I can be given suffering of some kind, the state begins to settle, then sink, and then I also forget about Him. So, always being in that point of connection with the Creator – be very alert – and to use all these changes of states, even to examine them, constantly, and to seek, to look at where they are. Maybe still within your range – how to put it in Hebrew? Yes, the range, yes, the range of your sensitivity. You don't feel it, you have from 1 to 10, through to 100, through to 200, some kind of sensitivity in your instruments. Now I feel that everything's good, and I'm connected to the Creator. So now let's make it so that, well, I feel that way for a few minutes, right? But if now I raise my sensitivity, then perhaps I will begin to feel all sorts of thoughts and changes of desires and attitudes, my attitude changing for bad or good, it doesn't matter.

The main thing here is to use these changes to reinforce the connection, to reinforce the point of connection with the Creator, right? That means to wait, to expect, to want there to be changes. But in order to strengthen the connection with the Creator, this is called, this is, An old man searching for something he lost before he even lost it. That is a very important point: if a person does that, he's in very controlled ascents and descents, and he can certainly advance in a controlled way, constantly, and very, very beneficial, very quick, also. So now at a very rapid rate, very intensively, you go through all these states which are under your control. And you can begin to count them, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, constantly. Thoughts and emotions come, and you know how to organize them correctly, and they're small. They're not big bomba, you know, like being inanimate for a few days or weeks, right? So that is the work, that is clear, well, the technique is clear.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:06:50) The question is this: if now in the same state there's a desire or a clarity that this is joining previous states that I had – previous ascents, previous descents – things are falling into place, is that not becoming a means to make you forget about the current state, like it's a descent already?

M. Laitman: The fact that I now understand that all the previous things also happened so that I will now be awarded with understanding, and justification, and adhesion with Divinity, then why is it bad? Why? It's not bad, this now needs to provide me with… look, everything that I go through, I need to suck it dry. All the flavors in it, not just to be in it and enjoy it but to always constantly feel it all the way through. Meaning that if now I understand that the thing I went through previously was truly in my best interest, to my benefit, now I've been awarded with understanding, and connection, and so on through it. Then certainly I need to connect these two states, let's say the bad state I felt a month ago and the good state that I feel, now. Not good in how I feel, but awareness, really; and to see how the previous bad state and how I felt it, now gave me a good state in connection, in awareness, understanding, justification. And if I connect it, then it's worthwhile for me; then all the details, all the things I felt throughout this month, let's say, from a bad state through to a good state, I can see and connect it together but in a very goal-oriented way, very purposefully. Not to allow it to, again pass to emotion and regress but it's always under control; to criticize all the states but with keeping the point of connection with the Creator that I've been awarded with.

It cannot be that you've now been awarded with some revelation and you don't have the power to conduct criticism; so when to conduct criticism if not in a time of ascent? Specifically in a time of ascent, a person should see how more he could be advancing, on the state of descent, he's a beast, nothing is demanded of him. In the state of descent, where he has no light from the will to receive, if he's not given anything from above, nothing is demanded of him, as well – who is he, you know? But if he's given in the will to receive, recognition, forces, understanding, then you begin to demand. So what do you do with it? You begin to enjoy it, that is the shell; if you begin to use it for the purpose of correction, that is fine, then you will be given more and more spiritual discernments. These are simple matters.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:10:02) Why will I relate to the up and down that are close in time as if they're connected?

M. Laitman: It's not that I connect the ascents and descents together, because it's one vessel, I don't need to connect them, they connect that way, and then, so as to be experienced in whatever happens to me.

Student: And it just appears as connected, becomes revealed like that?

M. Laitman: Of course, it's revealed to be connected, I received some knock, some blow a year or two ago, and I begin to feel good, now. Maybe I begin to feel good because I'm emerging from it, and in a year or two, I'll receive an answer as to why it happened, and why it was good, and so on. And it could be that these things are close to one another, and the difference between them could be measured in hours, minutes, or weeks, maximum. It depends on a person's exertion and the extent to which he receives more forces from the society. From the study, it's difficult to receive these forces, to work on it, quickly.

Student: At what stage does the spark begin to be something active?

M. Laitman: The spark becomes active the moment I'm connected to it all the time; the moment I'm connected to it and I want to leave, then disturbances start. And these disturbances that I connect to them – the spark – they begin to be active in the flesh, because it begins to grow around it.

Student: From these disturbances?

M. Laitman: These disturbances are my corrected vessels, through these disturbances, I don't just throw them away, then my disturbances are like flesh, uncorrected. Through these disturbances, around the spark begins to be a body, the desire to receive, which remains in the desire to receive. We need to do it, correct it, correctly, to give it a form of man, the form of bestowal. Otherwise, you just have a piece of flesh, or clay, it doesn't matter how. How will you take this form, you need to give it on its own – without it, it's just disturbances, otherwise, it's impossible. Where will you take this matter? The matter is the disturbances and you correct them, and then the mistakes become transgressions and sins, and they become merits, eventually. The Creator didn't create more matter for Kedusha and another for the Klipa: the same matter of the Klipa, you need to move it into Kedusha, into holiness. Only the matter of this world has no change, it exists as it exists. It's written, the world follows its habit, the way it follows, it works by its ways. All the laws that are here, don't change, you should say, why? If all of nature changes, then all the nature of this world will also change. So, instead of attracting, earth would push; instead of everything wanting to be absorbed, no, it would expel from itself instead of absorption. Laws would be like beyond, like the mirror, like in Alice in Wonderland. Yes, so it's the same laws, the same rules remain, and this world is uncorrectable, understand? This is a point where matter here remains like this, I don't know what's beyond all kinds of spiritual degrees, what happens with this degree. As much as I understand today, it's like that. It's also written, The world operates in its ways – that's what the Rambam writes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:14:20) We say that a person doesn't need to depend on a good or bad feeling; just one thing, that he is bonded or connected to the Creator, meaning to know that it comes from Him. Now this process of being bonded and connected is something very complicated, so how to know what it's connected to? Meaning, how do I connect to something outside of me, how?

M. Laitman: Let's start studying. Is there anything urgent?

Student: There's this paragraph that confused me with the left line.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And it was written that:

Silver, from the word Kisufin, has written, "my soul longed and also yearned." South means, and he wants to nullify, which is a longing, which is the word Kisufin, has written, "my soul longed and also yearned." South means right, meaning wholeness, when he needs nothing, and his only passion is to be passionate about the Creator. He has no thought of himself, and only after the stage of the right he can be rewarded with the left called Bina.

So, he says the left, that is called Bina, this is what's confusing, it's like upside down over another thing that's upside down?

M. Laitman: In every part of the sentence, he changes it so you don't really know what it is associated with. It's written that way but in the same article in another place he explains exactly what south and north is. In here, he actually writes it this way, that only after that stage of the right can we merit the aspect of left, which is called Bina. He wrote it that way, what can you do? We also write it and that's it; but on the other hand, if we were to talk about how we arrange the Sefirot, then we have Hochma, Hesed, Netzach are right line, and Bina, Gevura, Hod are left line. So, there we're really talking about overcoming, you see? But here he's not speaking about the direct light. You'll see one way or another, you'll see the whole article.

Student: West and east are also states in the work?

M. Laitman: West and east are not states in the work but rather conditions: the Malchut is in the west – all of it – and her holy part is in the east, that's it. All the vessels of reception are in the north, all the corrections in the south, all of Malchut is in the west, which is corrected in the east.

Reader: Let's share our impressions from the lesson: what can we take for realization in the Ten? And then, let's sing a song together!

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