The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Lesson (Morning) April 22, 2024.
Part 1: Baal HaSulam. Shamati, 59. “Concerning the Staff and the Serpent.”
Reader: Shalom, hello, we are reading in the Writings of Baal HaSulam, the articles of Shamati, Article No. 59, “Concerning the Staff and the Serpent”. The study material is on Sviva Tovah and the Arvut system. You can send questions live through the sites. Anyone asking a question here in the study hall should stand up, hold the microphone close to his mouth, and speak loudly and clearly.
Reading Shamati 59: (00:34) “Concerning the Staff and the Serpent.”
“And Moses answered and said: ‘But, they will not believe me,’” etc. “And the Lord said to him, ‘What is it in your hand?’ And he said, ‘A staff.’ And He said, ‘Cast it on the ground…’ and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it” (Exodus 4).
We should interpret that there are not more than two degrees, either Kedusha [holiness] or Sitra Achra [other side]. There is no intermediary state, but the same staff itself becomes a serpent if thrown to the ground.
In order to understand this, we will first bring the words of our sages, that He had put His Shechina [Divinity] on trees and rocks. Trees and rocks are called things of inferior importance, and specifically in this manner He placed His Shechina. This is the meaning of the question, “What is it in your hand?”
A “hand” means attainment, from the words, “If a hand attains.” A “staff” means that all his attainments are built on the discernment of inferior importance, which is faith above reason.
(Faith is regarded as having inferior importance, and as lowliness. One appreciates things that clothe within reason. However, if one’s mind does not attain it, but resists one’s mind, and then one should say that faith is of superior importance to one’s mind, it follows that at that time he lowers his mind and says that what he understands within reason, that he resists the path of the Creator, faith is more important than his own mind. This is because all the concepts that contradict the path of the Creator are worthless concepts.
Rather, “They have eyes but they will see not, they have ears but they will hear not.” It means that he annuls everything he hears and sees. This is called “going above reason.” And thus it seems to a person as lowness and Katnut [smallness/infancy].
However, with the Creator, faith is not considered lowliness, since one who has no other choice but to take the path of faith considers faith as lowliness. However, the Creator could have placed His Shechina on something other than trees and rocks.
Yet, He chose this way, called faith, specifically. He must have chosen it because it is better and more successful. You find that for Him faith is not regarded as being of inferior importance. On the contrary, specifically this path has many merits, but it appears lowly in the eyes of the creatures.)
If the staff is thrown to the ground and one wants to work with a higher discernment, meaning within reason, degrading the above reason, and this work seems low, one’s Torah and work immediately become a serpent. This is the meaning of the primordial serpent, and this is the meaning of “Anyone who is proud, the Creator tells him, ‘He and I cannot dwell in the same abode.’”
The reason is, as we have said, that He has placed His Shechina on trees and rocks. Hence, if one throws the discernment of the staff to the ground, and raises oneself to work with a higher attribute, this is already a serpent. There is no middle; it is either a serpent, or Kedusha, since all the Torah and the work that one had from the discernment of a staff, all has now entered the discernment of a serpent.
It is known that the Sitra Achra has no lights. Hence, in corporeality too, the will to receive has only deficiencies, but not satisfaction of the deficiency. And the vessel of reception remains forever in deficit, without fulfillment, because one who has one hundred wants two hundred, etc., and one does not die with half one’s wish in one’s hand.
This extends from the upper roots. The root of the Klipa [shell] is the vessel of reception, and they have no correction during the six thousand years. The Tzimtzum [restriction] is placed on them; hence, they do not have lights and abundance.
This is why they entice one to draw light to their degree. And the lights that one receives by being adhered to Kedusha, since abundance shines in Kedusha, when they entice one to draw abundance to their state, they receive that light. Thus, they have dominion over a person, meaning they give him satisfaction in the state he is in so he will not move from here.
Hence, one cannot go forward through this dominion since he has no need for a higher degree. Since he has no need, he cannot move from his place, even a slight movement.
In that state, he is unable to discern if he is advancing in Kedusha or the other way around. This is because the Sitra Achra gives him power to work more strongly, since now he is within reason and can therefore work not in a state of lowliness. It follows that thus one would remain in the authority of the Sitra Achra.
In order for a person to not remain in the authority of the Sitra Achra, the Creator made a correction that if one leaves the discernment of the staff, he immediately falls into the state of a serpent. He immediately falls into a state of failure and has no power to strengthen, unless he accepts the discernment of faith, called lowliness, once more.
It follows that the failures themselves cause one to take upon himself the discernment of a staff once more, which is the discernment of faith above reason. This is the meaning of what Moses said, “But they will not believe me.” It means that they will not want to take upon themselves the path of working in faith above reason.
Then the Creator told him, “What is it in your hand?” “A staff.” “Cast it on the ground,” and then, promptly, “it became a serpent.” It means that there is no intermediary state between the staff and the serpent. It is rather to know if one is in Kedusha or in the Sitra Achra.
It turns out that in any case, they do not have any other choice but to assume the discernment of faith above reason, called “a staff.” This staff should be in the hand; the staff should not be thrown. This is the meaning of the verse, “The staff of Aaron budded.”
It means that all the budding he had in serving the Creator was based specifically on Aaron’s staff. This means that He wanted to give us a sign to know if we are walking on the path of truth, or not. He gave us as a sign to know only the basis of the work, meaning what basis one is working on. If one’s basis is the staff, it is Kedusha, and if the basis is within reason, this is not the way to achieve Kedusha.
However, in the work itself, meaning in the Torah and in the prayer, there is no distinction between one who serves Him and one who does not serve Him. This is because there it is to the contrary: If the basis is within reason, meaning based on knowing and receiving, the body gives fuel for work, and he can pray and study more persistently and more enthusiastically, since it is based on within reason.
However, when one takes the path of Kedusha, whose basis is bestowal and faith, he needs much preparation so the Kedusha will shine for him. Without preparation, the body does not give one the strength for work, and one must always exert extensively, since man’s root is reception and within reason.
Therefore, if his work is based on earthliness, he can always be fine. But if the basis for the work is on the discernment of bestowal and above reason, he needs perpetual efforts so as not to fall into his root of reception and within reason.
One must not be distracted for a minute, or he will fall into his root of earthliness, called “dust,” as it is written, “for dust you are, and to dust shall you return.” And that was after the sin of the tree of knowledge.
One examines if one is advancing in Kedusha or to the contrary, since another god is sterile and does not bear fruit. The Zohar gives us that sign, that specifically on the basis of faith, called “a staff,” is one imparted fruitfulness and multiplication in the Torah. This is the meaning of “the staff of Aaron budded”: The budding and growing come specifically through the staff.
Therefore, as one rises from one’s bed daily and washes oneself to purify his body from the filth of the body, so one should wash oneself from the filth of the Klipa, to examine himself if his quality of staff is in completeness.
This should be a perpetual examination, and if one is distracted from it, he immediately falls to the authority of the Sitra Achra called “self-reception.” One immediately becomes enslaved to them, as it is known that the light makes the Kli. Hence, as much as one works in order to receive, to that extent he needs only a desire to receive for himself and becomes remote from matters concerning bestowal.
Now we can understand the words of our sages, “Be very, very humble.” What is that fuss that it says, “very, very”? It is because one becomes needy of people by having been honored once. At first one receives the honor not because he wanted to enjoy the honor, but for other reasons, such as the glory of the Torah, etc. One is certain of this scrutiny since he knows about himself that he has no desire for honor whatsoever.
It follows that it is reasonable to think that he is permitted to receive the honor. However, it is still forbidden to receive since the light makes the Kli. Hence, after he has received the honor, he becomes needy of the honor, he is already in its dominion, and it is hard to break free from the honor.
By this one acquires one’s own reality, and it is now hard to annul before the Creator since through the honor he has become a separate entity, and in order to obtain Dvekut [adhesion] one must annul one’s reality completely, hence the “very, very.” “Very” is that it is forbidden to receive honor for oneself, and the other “very” is that even when one’s intention is not for himself, it is still forbidden to receive.
M. Laitman: Are there any questions, please.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:53) Baal HaSulam writes that a person should wash himself each day from the filth of the Klipa. What is this action?
M. Laitman: Well, they usually mean the Mikveh, that each one had his pit of water, and they would wash there.
Student: It's a physical action?
M. Laitman: It is a corporeal action, but the spiritual action is accordingly, meaning to cleanse oneself from all of the shells, meaning from all of the desires to receive.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (20:50) My question is about the relation between a person and his environment. He writes, be very, very humble, meaning you're given honor, love, so it shouldn't go into your will to receive. In another place, he conditions a person's ability to be in bestowal and holiness on 600,000 people loving him. So, only if he receives a certain relation from the environment, all of his holiness depends on the relation he receives from the environment. How do you reconcile between the two, because there seems to be a contradiction here?
M. Laitman: I don't know how you reconcile this contradiction, but clearly a person must not receive honor of any kind from anyone.
Student: On the other hand, a person who feels rejected in his environment, disrespected, can he be in bestowal?
M. Laitman: It is possible, why not? We see it was this custom to go out to exile. They would go to places where people didn't know them, and there they would try to subjugate themselves before everyone. It was a custom for many years, but to receive honor, that is a problem. Even a person who is the farthest from honor, from receiving honor, he nevertheless surrenders before it. This is how it is. There is no choice. The will to receive precedes all of the other inclinations of a person, and so the person cannot really supervise himself and be certain that he will be able to stop it. Every second, every minute, in every thought, in whatever comes, to be in the annulment of the will to receive, it is very, very difficult.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:50) On the one hand, rejecting, on the other hand, coarseness, how not to become kind of spiritual, yes? You know, there are many who think that they are ready and all that. So how do we acquire coarseness?
M. Laitman: The person doesn't need to think about that. He needs to think only about to be above the feeling of himself as much as possible, about the feeling of the honor, the feeling of the self. That's it.
Student: And how does he know that he did acquire coarseness? This is the place for correction?
M. Laitman: He will know that. This is not his concern anymore.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:46) Is there a way for a person to hold the staff and not let go of it?
M. Laitman: Why?
Student: Because he says the minute I let go of the staff it becomes a serpent.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, is there a way to always keep the importance high?
M. Laitman: It depends on him, and on the environment.
Student: What should they do? How do they see?
M. Laitman: Well, first of all, we need to see how a person arranges himself, his life. How he doesn't give himself the possibility to appear before some audience. Well, it depends on the person, the way he feels it.
Student: He writes that it's forbidden to be distracted from the work. But we live in a world where your mind is distracted every second. You're so busy with yourself today that you distract your own mind and then you immediately fall into the work of the serpent. How do you always keep the staff in your hand?
M. Laitman: One should always hold oneself in a way that he knows how much he is really a zero. Because there is nothing more than that. Meaning that a person, as much as he can be higher than others, and from the entire still, vegetative, animate and speaking, nevertheless one should see oneself precisely because of the recognition of his own nature as lower than everyone. Here there are no compromises. Meaning here it's a problem. Because one always sees how much others can be above him, more respectable of a higher pedigree. He has to make a calculation with respect to them, but the calculation has to be to what extent he can be lower than everyone.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:44) I heard, as we were reading the article that the light builds the vessel. I wanted to ask what that means?
M. Laitman: The light that influences the will to receive, according to the manner of its influence, the will to receive takes on a form of a certain desire.
Student: When we build an environment, for example, can we build a stronger vessel, where we receive more light, something like that?
M. Laitman: Yes. Through the building of the environment, we establish ourselves such that each and every one receives a specific form of the will to receive, so that he can complete others through his effort. All in all, we reach a complete desire in the Ten, and then they all receive the revelation of the Creator.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:25) What is the quality of a serpent? He constantly warns us in that state. From that state of descending to the point of being a serpent, to raise myself above it, and going down to the state of a serpent. What is a serpent? Why should we be so careful of it?
M. Laitman: Because this is the wisdom, the contemptible wisdom that we have inside of us, and through this serpent that hides inside of us and becomes revealed, it lowers us. It lowers us. It brings us pride, justification to whatever we do, and so on.
Student: What does it mean that a person comes to a state where he thinks he's above everyone?
M. Laitman: This is the will to receive itself that the Creator created, of course.
Student: In our work in the Ten, how are we constantly careful from falling into that state?
M. Laitman: We make efforts. We pay attention. The environment should give such a surrounding illumination, so that a person will watch out from that.
Student: I am constantly raising the importance of our goal. Is that a tool that helps us not fall in there?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (31:34) It is written in the article that if there is the strength to learn, it's probably the shell that's giving strength.
M. Laitman: Meaning it depends on what intention a person is studying with.
Student: Even if it comes with enthusiasm, strength?
M. Laitman: Well, enthusiasm doesn't mean anything yet. Enthusiasm can work in both directions, in the egoistic direction or in the opposite direction. This is something we need to scrutinize.
Student: How can we discern from what we are excited? I'm not sure how to ask. Because when you get strength, it's probably the ego that supports this action. Even in the study too, you're getting some benefit, some reward, some things. How to make all our efforts, all our excitement after the lesson, so it doesn't go into the shells?
M. Laitman: It's best if a person does it in the society. Because in the society, it somehow becomes stabilized, it reaches some sort of an equilibrium with the others. This is why it is written either together or death. This is what I recommend. To study alone, really, with each and every word, one can increase his ego and he will not be able to keep himself. That's how it works.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:40) Sorry, I can't get it out of my head. Why did you say we have to relinquish honor, not give honor, not receive honor? This is the most important thing there is, more than money, more than anything.
M. Laitman: I understand. But this is the problem. What is it that you want from life? Either you want to realize yourself in that you will reach a creature that is similar to the Creator. This is why it is called Adam, similar to the Creator. Or you are going to achieve a state which is as high as possible so that people will bow down before you. What is it that you want?
Student: I didn't talk about that. Why does one contradict the other? It's about how you can even communicate, connect with each other. If there's no respect between people, how will you conduct yourself with them?
M. Laitman: You need to see honor as something that is necessary, you're right about that, but with respect to what? A person should have some results, some states, so that you will respect them. So, that you will truly appreciate them. Which ones?
Student: Here's an example. I don't call you Michael, right? I call you the teacher. It has meaning, it has weight. How will I communicate with you otherwise? So, you have to have it?
M. Laitman: Well, yes, you're right. In relation to the teacher, the student must behave respectfully, because otherwise he will not be able to receive from him. This is something else already. There's a different reason here.
Student: Why are you saying we should erase it?
M. Laitman: In an ordinary manner between people, each one should relate to the other in a normal way, where I respect everyone.
Student: That's what I'm saying, it's a basic thing, it's not something that?
M. Laitman: Well, you're right.
Student: Honor people, kill.
M. Laitman: I understand that this is what exists in our nature, but if we think a little bit differently, we will reach the right form of respecting the others. There's a song that says, who has more honor?
Question (KabU 4): (37:10) They're asking, on one hand it's forbidden to receive honor, on the other hand, and envy, lust and honor, bring a person out from the world. On one hand, how not to receive the honor, on the other hand, how to use it correctly in the spiritual work?
M. Laitman: If I'm directed towards the purpose of creation, and all the time I make a calculation towards that with my qualities, and with my environment, the small environment in which I need to attain the right direction, then I don't fall because of honor, but to the contrary, I enlarge the honor of the Creator, the honor of the teacher, perhaps, and this is what I belong to, this is what I'm directed to.
Question (Belarus): (38:18) How from within reason, do we shift to the degree of faith?
M. Laitman: We need to perform the same actions that Kabbalists advise for us, and then through great and prolonged efforts, we reach a state where we break through into the quality of faith above reason.
Student: He asks further, how does the quality of faith afterwards become bestowal?
M. Laitman: Because through the quality of faith, I reach the awareness of my own lowliness and the awareness of the greatness of all of the created beings, and more than that, the Creator. Then I can keep myself towards them in the right way.
Question (KabU 14): (39:38) If we try to go with faith above reason and not within reason, how do we nevertheless use our intellect when we study the articles and try to understand the principles?
M. Laitman: Precisely, we need to try to use our intellect correctly and extract from all of the articles the principles of bestowal, of faith above reason, and in such a way establish ourselves correctly.
Student: What is above reason if I do use my intellect with the principles?
M. Laitman: Above reason doesn't mean that I erase my intellect. That is not the right form of using it. But rather, above reason means above the egoistic reason that I had, I shift myself to a higher degree.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (41:00) He writes that the failures themselves make a person take upon himself again the quality of staff, which is faith above reason. What failures is he talking about?
M. Laitman: He wants to attain spiritual discernments and he sees that he is not capable of it.
Student: But he already has the quality of staff. He writes in the article that he wants to go to a higher degree. And this is what drops the staff and turns it into a serpent. Why advance if you are already in faith above reason? What more should you do there? What leads you to want a higher degree?
M. Laitman: To receive a higher faith above reason.
Student: How do you even know if such a thing exists?
M. Laitman: Of course there is. Because he feels that there is more.
Student: By what? Because on the will to receive he already has, he is going above reason.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So where, with respect to what, does he feel that there is more than that?
M. Laitman: With respect to the annulment that he made, he feels that there are more, there are greater degrees of annulment.
Student: In other words, faith above reason means that he goes above reason and annul with respect to a certain part, but there is more?
M. Laitman: Yes, it's relative. He didn't yet reach the end of correction.
Student: In what work, correct work, should we do in order not to deliberately fail, but advance correctly toward these failures? Meaning, how to obtain a bigger desire for faith above reason so we advance through it?
M. Laitman: That should be before him all the time. There is nothing more important in the world than obtaining faith above reason on a higher, as high a degree as possible. There are no limitations in that. This is what we need. Is this clear?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:42) Can there be a state, as a ten become one big snake? Like, we're strong, we're a special Ten, we're big, strong, we praise and glorify each other, and actually it's one big serpent?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Can there be such a state?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: How can we be careful of it?
M. Laitman: Because what is your goal of each one and everyone together?
Student: Connection.
M. Laitman: Just connection. Go out to the street and you can find all kinds of groups there. And you'll see how connected they are.
Student: But we are here. Before Rav, we're together, we do what we should, we come to the lesson. We are here half an hour before everyone else. We did the preparation. We're very strong and heroes. It's one big serpent.
M. Laitman: Well, not exactly. Actually, by coming and studying and connecting, by this, we reach the spiritual goal.
Student: But there's a fine line here. How do we not miss here?
M. Laitman: Well, check yourself each time that your goal is above everyone, above everyone, meaning above the general ego and also the individual ego.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (45:21) I have a question from yesterday already about Aaron, specifically when he says that the staff of Aaron batted. Yesterday also, he says that Moses is hard of speaking and can't really explain what faith is. And he says to him, Aaron, your brother, will speak. Aaron is also a Kohen, a priest, and the people of Israel are called the kingdom of priests?
M. Laitman: We shouldn’t get into that right now. We'll have time during the week.
Student: But also, the question that was there before about the scrutiny within reason that brings one to faith above reason. We study, we try to understand, but it seems as though faith is something which is above all of that?
M. Laitman: Of course.
Student: Aaron, does he seemingly have the ability to use reason or to bring us to some guidance of how to work correctly in order to rise above reason?
M. Laitman: Yes. This is the force of Aaron.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (46:38) How students before they have a screen how can they teach? Because they receive a lot of honor, a lot of respect out of that. So, how can we not fall into that?
M. Laitman: That's true. But over time, when you're in this position, they get used to it. They don't fall into that pit of pride.
Student: Can we somehow support these friends who are teaching?
M. Laitman: But support in such a way that you're guarding them, so they don't fall into pride.
Student: How? What does it mean? How do we do it?
M. Laitman: I remember I told Rabash about it. He laughed. After the first lesson that I gave to a group I had to go home. It was close, maybe 100 meters, perhaps even less. And I felt how my stride changed with importance. I took one step at a time, and another step, like that. So, I told Rabash about it, how the body understands how it should conduct itself. That's it. What can you do? This is the body, you have to look at it from above, and see how it behaves.
Student: Can I ask another question? Between the friends in the Ten, am I supposed to respect my friends or am I actually supposed not to exaggerate with respecting them so that I don't make them fall?
M. Laitman: It's better to exaggerate than respect.
Student: Each one of us should greatly respect the other friends, but each friend as for himself, should not want to receive it?
M. Laitman: Not to want. If he doesn't want, he'll reject everyone. There has to be, in the group, a good relation. A good relation, correct, to keep everyone and pull everyone. As much as everyone can, toward the goal.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (49:49) Rabash describes in the article that the lights entice the will to receive the lights of the Sitra Achra, or the other side truly entices it, but it cannot cope with it, meaning it cannot be filled. A vessel of reception can never be filled. It's clear to us how much we are enslaved to that state, every time, every moment. My question is, seemingly, everything related to faith above reason is felt as something that is blurry. The will to receive, we understand what it is, it's clear to us, we can look at it. Like you said, I saw how I was walking, I see how much I want honor, it's tangible for us. But everything related to faith above reason, how can we have a grip on it, so it becomes tangible? How do we rise to this state so that we start being there instead of this trash bin of the will to receive? Sorry for saying that.
M. Laitman: I didn't understand the question.
Student: I’ll try to say it. We need to go with faith above reason.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: But for us, these are just words, we don't know what it is. I don't know what it is.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, how can this become something that is tangible, that we have a grip on and we can walk with it in a certain way that is tangible?
M. Laitman: We need to think about it for a long time and live in it, seemingly. From that seemingly, you will come to a state where the power of faith above reason will be more felt, more tangible, and will enter your lives.
Student: What does it mean to live in, as if, in faith above reason?
M. Laitman: It means that when I look at the whole world with a perspective, with a look of bestowal.
Student: It's only to look at the world from a perspective of bestowal, only to aim my eyes so that I see only bestowal around me, or is something else required?
M. Laitman: A lot more is required. But when I want to come into faith above reason I have to depict to myself how I relate to all of reality, not with the will to receive, but with the will to bestow. Maybe this way. We can say it. As much as possible, I maybe I should leave it this way. I relate to everyone, each one, with a desire to bestow.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (53:40) A little bit more about that. This depiction of bestowal to the friends should become my baby, that I constantly work on it, develop it?
M. Laitman: I develop it all the time.
Student: I check this place inside of me, I want it to grow. This is and there, we also learn when we feel exile, when I don't have it, when I feel how much I'm really all the time inside of myself?
M. Laitman: It's all within this new relation, new approach.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (54:15) In the description here, Moses is in an excellent state. He speaks with the Creator. He asks Him, what is in your hand? He sees the serpent. He becomes alarmed by the serpent. In reality, when the serpent gets hold of you, you yourself become the serpent and you are doomed already, you can't see the situation, you're dead, you're done. So, what is the salvation so that we truly remain in that state all the time, when you can actually see the serpent and see the desire and not die inside of this serpent?
M. Laitman: How can we keep from staying away from the serpent?
Student: To be in that state where you can see that it is a serpent but not you, you don't become the serpent.
M. Laitman: Through connection. Moving away from the serpent is what brings the people of Israel to run away from Egypt.
Student: How does the connection keep us, guard us in that place?
M. Laitman: We help each other. Each one helps the others not to fall into the serpent.
Student: How? Can you give an example? Let's say in the Ten let's say you can't see it on yourself, but you can see it on a friend and now he fell into honor, what do you do?
M. Laitman: I help him, maybe a hint or something, I begin to wake him up.
Student: I bring him something higher maybe, or verses?
M. Laitman: Either way I give him some example, usually of connection, because someone who falls into the serpent, he disconnects from others, and in this way we come to a state where the force of Pharaoh operates on us from one side, and we resist it, and in this way, in the end, we run away from Egypt.
Student: Each one should guard the others from falling into the serpent?
M. Laitman: Yes. Each one should guard from the other, I'm not sure how you put it.
Student: Guard the others?
M. Laitman: Guard the others, yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (57:37) We always have to give honor, Baal HaSulam says, we need to give tokens of honor to continue the friend's question, the fact that we always place the Creator and the teacher above us, is this a safe means to guard ourselves from honor?
M. Laitman: There is no guarantee, no certain means. To the extent that a person feels or directs it, but all in all, we need to see, the end of the act is in the preliminary thought. What do I need to keep now in order to reach the correct end of the act? That's it.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (58:45) It's written that the Creator tells Moses to throw away the staff, and then the person discovers that he is a serpent?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, why does the Creator tell him to throw away the staff, if he's holding it already? What's the benefit in that?
M. Laitman: The benefit is that by disconnecting from the serpent, when he sends it, when it's not in his hand, he can get to a different development. Okay?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (59:36) I didn't understand the example you gave, about a friend who fell to honor. How do I know what's happening to a friend? How do I know that a friend now fell into honor?
M. Laitman: If you don't know, then you don't know, but if you see and it's clear to you that he is in trouble, then you need to show him a different behavior, perhaps an example, a different example, maybe something else.
Student: Many times I look at a friend and I attribute to him all kinds of foreign reasons for whatever he's doing. So, each time that I see that, I should tell him that?
M. Laitman: I'm not giving a medicine, a prescription here. You simply need to see how you unite the Ten to be as one man with one heart, and accordingly you work. That's it. Now, you're going to start detailing and elaborating every possible situation.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:00:58) One should try to see the world from the perspective of the quality of bestowal. In the center of our life there is the Ten and the friends on the spiritual path. How should I see the friends when I want to see the world more and more from the perspective of bestowal? What are the friends in my reality?
M. Laitman: I don't understand. The friends in your reality should eventually be the components of the soul.
Student: I perceive in the egoistic world, everything is something that I can use for my own benefit. But earlier, we talked about the quality of bestowal. I should use the friends for something. So, what for?
M. Laitman: In order to reach the quality of bestowal.
Student: How will the friend help me to reach the quality of bestowal?
M. Laitman: Through his example.
Student: This means that I should reach a point where I already see the friend. All of the examples that I see from the friends are examples of bestowal. This is in the quality of bestowal?
M. Laitman: Somehow, yes.
Student: And if I don't manage to? I mean, this is actually my attempt to see the world from bestowal. To see examples around me of friends that are bestowing, right?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:03:17) What I don't understand is, what I don't understand should awaken in me faith, or should I believe something or understand something in order to believe it? That I can feel something which is not in my knowledge, and here I have to check my intention, if it is in order to bestow. But bestowal is impossible without the friends. This is why I need their deficiencies?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: The common heart from the deficiencies of the friends, is it me that I connect those deficiencies? The essence of the connection of the deficiencies, is that another intention?
M. Laitman: A common intention. Yours. Your common intention.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:04:34) Here he describes in the question that was asked before, when he tells Moses to cast down the staff, what I understood is that he tells him, throw it down so that you can see what the serpent is doing when you cast it down, meaning he gives importance to the state of the serpent for the purpose of learning. How do we use it correctly? The serpent is given the honor, the respect, yes, in order to learn the situation, but when a person falls into the Sitra Achra, the other side, because in the second part of the article he describes it in this way. That's how I understood it at least?
M. Laitman: I didn't understand, again.
Student: He describes a state where he tells Moses to cast down the staff on the floor, so they will see what is the state of the serpent so that they learn from it. Then seemingly there's a plan, in that sense they give respect to the serpent because through that we can learn our state. How do we use it correctly, that state of the serpent, because it comes?
M. Laitman: Don't drop the staff, don't drop the staff in your life, try to constantly keep it in your hand.
Student: Even though the Creator told Moses to cast down the staff?
M. Laitman: This is what the Creator said and this is what Moses did. Through the study we should understand it, but once you understand it, do as much as you can the opposite.
Student: What it says that you should be concerned that the staff will always be in wholeness, so how can you check that you're always in wholeness in that? How can you discern that you are not in the state of wholeness?
M. Laitman: Yes, you hold it in your hand, you don't let it fall. This is called going with the staff correctly, walking with it correctly. You keep what is of low importance and it is under your control.
Student: And the one who doesn't yet have it, I'm not certain I have the staff yet, so how do I?
M. Laitman: So it's not talking about you.
Question (Woman MAK 104): (01:07:08) My ego moves me forward, that's great, it moves me to reach spiritual as well as corporeal achievements. But if I will get rid of the ego, what will move me forward towards spiritual attainment?
M. Laitman: We don't get rid of the ego, you can't get rid of it. Each one who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater than him. Rather, we have to come to a state where we work with it correctly.
Student: How do we use it in order for spiritual advancement?
M. Laitman: Like Moses.
Question (Women Heb 2): (01:07:57) To go above reason is it an exercise, is it an inner dialogue of the point in the heart versus the serpent? What does it mean to go above reason?
M. Laitman: Yes, exactly what you said.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:08:09) When I direct myself to rise above reason, something stops me from performing external actions, but rather I can only do everything in prayer. How do I find the right balance between the inner actions and the external actions in the Ten?
M. Laitman: It's impossible to explain. It depends on the inner feeling. A person gradually learns from experience. That's it.
Question (Türkiye 7): (01:09:27) How can I become free of this state where I feel that I want to take everything for myself, but I don't feel that this is death?
M. Laitman: What? Death?
Student: Death.
Student: I don't feel that the will to receive for myself is actually death?
M. Laitman: Keep going and you'll see. The concern that you don't feel it, this itself already brings you to the right state.
Question (Turkey 1): (01:10:25) The article says that the Creator has placed His Shechina, divinity, on trees and rocks. What do trees and rocks mean here?
M. Laitman: He explains, it's all kinds of things that, reasonably thinking they have no way in them. But if we go above or below reason, if we go this way, then we find merit, we find value in what seems to be worthless. Nevertheless, we find high values there. The spiritual world that we want to come close to and feel and enter is an opposite world. What seems to us, according to our work, according to our state, the closer we come to it, the more opposite we will see it as. Precisely the trees and rocks, we will begin to respect them. Such states that according to our reason, our egoistic reason, are completely needless and worthless.
Question (Hungarian-Polish): (01:12:32) This is going with the staff and we have it under control, we're helping each other, we're guarding each other in the Ten, and we're holding it up all the time with the help of the friends. Then what is, let's say, when we're holding it up, this budding of the staff, what sort of a sign does it give us in the Ten?
M. Laitman: That we are holding faith above reason as the highest value. This is the correct way to work.
Student: And what does the budding mean, Rav? What is the addition of budding of the staff?
M. Laitman: It's the will to receive for oneself.
Student: He's asking, he’s asking about what is the budding? What is this budding?
M. Laitman: Well, it's 288. He explains it there, these things, that by increasing the importance, what is of low importance to make it of high importance above my head. Accordingly, the staff of Aaron budded. What else do we have here?
Question (Moscow 6): (01:14:57) I wanted to ask about the ego. You always say you answer differently about the ego. Sometimes we should choke it, burn it, get rid of it. Now you said that we're not supposed to get rid of it, but reach a state where we understand how to use it correctly. What does it mean to use the ego correctly?
M. Laitman: We can't get rid of the ego in a way that it will just disappear. We can't. That's the main force of creation. The rest is the Creator. That's why we need to see how we can use it in the correct way. With faith above reason, we actually keep over it and just invert it in order to bestow.
Question (Moscow 6): (01:16:13) How is it possible to invert the ego to make it in order to bestow? There is such a gap between the ego, which is reception, and bestowal. How?
M. Laitman: It inverts because that's an action the Creator performs on it.
Question (Haifa 1): (01:16:48) When a person works within reason, the body gives fuel to the work. When he goes through Kedusha, it requires much preparation and effort. That's what Rabash writes. How is this extra preparation and effort expressed?
M. Laitman: That he constantly holds on to the friends and faith above reason, and tries to hold himself above, not to fall into his egoistic calculations.
Question (Mak 4): (01:17:40) Do we have the opportunity to draw the light so that it doesn't reach the Sitra Achra, or is it just a natural process until we have a Kli?
M. Laitman: We can't receive light through the Sitra Achra, through the other side. It comes to us through the system of impurity, and by that it holds us, and for now lets us exist, but in an egoistic way, a very wild manner. But that's how we exist.
Student: Is it because we have a connection with the Creator through the desire to receive?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So we have to reach a spiritual deficiency to receive the light, not through the Sitra Acha?
M.Laitman: Yes.
Question (Kiev 1): (01:18:47) When we try to rise to that state of faith above reason, what does it mean that we can then see this good sign of the staff of Aaron went up?
M. Laitman: Below an importance, something that isn't important in our eyes now it becomes above an importance, and it draws us towards it. And that's how we grow.
Student: When we're in faith above reason, we'll be seeing good signs or not, because within faith we don't need any strengthening?
M. Laitman: We'll see it. Let's advance a bit. Another two, three days, and you'll feel these things in practice.
Question (Women Moscow 18): (01:19:59) How is it possible to be below all the created beings on the other hand, to be a leader and use the staff like a herdsman?
M. Laitman: It depends on the created beings that it appears towards them.
Student: It turns out that you can be a shepherd only in spirituality?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Woman Almaty): (01:20:31) Until we exited Egypt and received the faith, does that mean that we ourselves should monitor ourselves to support the deficiency?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: What is preferable, to ask the Creator to give us faith or to monitor that the staff won't fall?
M. Laitman: Staff.
Question (Women Ukraine): (01:21:09) Moses is so high that it seems to us that his speech is unclear, and we have to develop the quality of Aaron to understand Moses, or we have to develop our hearing so we can hear him directly, or is it the same thing?
M. Laitman: Or you wait and you'll understand, and don't be wise.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:21:46) I wanted to ask about increasing the Kli of the person. The increase can come from the bestowal, or first always comes from the left line?
M. Laitman: It comes from the left line.
Student: In order to bestow to the society, let's say a person is in this world, to bestow as much as he can to his environment, to his Ten, to the whole society, so he actually always needs to grow through the left. He can't do this by attempting to bestow in order to be meaningful.
M. Laitman: That's enough. The Creator still corrects everything.
Question (Women, Latin 22): (01:22:49) Question from our Ten. You said, Rav, that ultimately the friends are pieces of my soul. What is the meaning of this? How do we attain this? And you said that ultimately the friends are the pieces of your soul.
M. Laitman: I can't explain it. The friends are parts of my soul. All the desires that I will correct, eventually connect to one desire of my Ten.
Question (Latin 1): (01:24:11) In regards to what you said to the friends from Turkey 1 about the rocks. So, we ask, when objects in reality cause us resistance and disregard, what kind of test should I do to treat each object with greatness and through that develop faith?
M. Laitman: If I won't be in my will to receive, but in the will to bestow, how will I relate to those discernments that I was disregarding before. Clear?
Question (ITA 3): (01:25:30) I wanted to ask, how do we work with the will to receive correctly? Before, I can never work correctly with my will to receive. So, how to do it?
M. Laitman: Keep going with us. We'll help you.
Question (Belarus): (01:26:07) The staff in our hand, is that the greatness of the Creator?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Our method always talks about making the friends greater, and we see how much that helps, especially when you're in a descent in order to come out of that state. So, if I'm treated as greater and I pass on that respect to the Creator, is that a correct action? In this way, do I take the crown off and give it to the Creator?
M. Laitman: Yes. Okay. So we're done.
Question (Beer Sheva): (01:26:52) With your permission, the system of the Sitra Acha, was it created by the Creator so that we will come out of the exile in Egypt? It gives us livelihood until we come to the forty-nine gates of impurity. Is that the role of Sitra Acha in principle? After that, there's no more Sitra Achra?
M. Laitman: There is. Afterwards, we still have things to do with it.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:27:31) A bit more about the matter of within reason and above reason. A person really wants to adhere to the Creator. On the other hand, he has the Ten. Either it disturbs him on the way and he's only waiting to bypass it and give me the Creator, or he understands that the connection with the Ten is the entry to faith above reason. How to make the true scrutiny every moment, like he writes to us here, that he scrutinizes if he goes in Kedusha or, God forbid, the opposite. The Creator gives a sign. How to keep that sign and never fall?
M. Laitman: Hold on to the Ten. Not only him, but the whole Ten, that's how they hold themselves. Because it's like a lifesaver. By this, they won't drown.
Student: When the serpent jumps on him and says the Ten is not important. What they do is a mistake. It's nonsense. You are in adhesion with the Creator. Keep going on your track?
M. Laitman: So, you have to go in faith above reason here. Follow the advice of the sages.
Student: That's the problem, because then one is certain that he's in faith above reason. He's with the Creator. He's already in faith?
M. Laitman: What do you mean he's sure, he's confident?
Student: He missed that device called the Ten. Maybe the Ten is the staff, is that it? To hold on to the Ten is holding on to the staff?
M. Laitman: Yes. That's how it works.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:29:39) The quality of Aaron allows using reason in order to organize us. What is that quality working within reason on a new degree?
M. Laitman: Yes.
M. Laitman: What are we doing next?
Reader: We'll move to the next part of the lesson, which is, “And This is For Judah.” We'll move to the next part of the lesson, before that we'll sing a song.
Song: (01:30:12)