Afternoon Lesson November 02, 2023, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.
Baal HaSulam. Shamati 241. Call Upon Him When He Is Near
1. Rav’s Introduction: Yes, it's a short article but very important, there are a lot of discernments in it. We’ll try to stop on every one of them and see how it belongs to us and to see how it is all relevant. Please.
Reading Article: (00:55) “Call you upon Him when He is near...”
2. R. (08:01) Okay we heard it once.
3. S. (08:16) How can I build a vessel of bestowal by holding onto the Creator and how can I rise above my present reincarnation?
R. That's what we are learning about, we need to do it through the connections between us each shall help his friend and we can each one to help the other to come out of the desire to receive and reach the desire to bestow. To the extent that we connect between us and turn to The Creator to help us to that extent, we do from out of this dark force, and we can reach a place where there is the light of the Creator.
4. S. (09:49) The Creator gives a person the yearning for him, and he also gives the rejection of the person from him, and a person needs to connect these things that it all comes from None Else Besides Him. How does the work in the ten happen here when the Creator pushes the ten away and then calls upon them?
R. In the ten we need to work all together in this constant closeness these attempts to come closer between us and from us towards the Creator there is no other possibility here just to create around us such a common field of unity with which we turn to the Creator. We convince the Creator to help us and to bring us closer to him.
S. What is His power and the might of his hand?
R. Well it's everything that the Creator needs to do in order to take us out of the ego and to bring us closer to raise us closer to him.
S. Does this speak of the man or of the Creator?
R. The work is the work of the Creator and in general we need to always be aimed between us and him, the Creator, in such a way so as not to miss out on a single opportunity to turn to him for help.
S. Can we say that the opportunity to ask the Creator for help, if we work correctly as Kabbalists, we can do it every moment? Is this possible?
R. Of course, of course.
5. S. (12:20) Can't we see what is happening and the economic crisis and everything that is happening in the world? Can we say that the more we unite the more problems we see the less united we are with the Creator?
R. These are signs that ultimately awaken us to connect between us and to turn to the Creator.
S. He asked if I'm connected with the news just this means that I am not justifying the Creator and I am not connected to him?
R. No, no many times already I have told the story of how Rabash would listen to the news all the time, meaning that a few times an hour at least he would listen to a few minutes of the news.
S. Do we accept everything we see in the news or not?
R. No, I didn't say that we accepted, we hear it, and whether we accept it or not it is already something else. To accept it means to be under the influence of the news and all sorts of media channels, I am not under its influence, but I hear it. I hear what they are speaking about and what the public is hearing.
6. S. (14:31) Why is it that if we don't connect the help with the upper one the help goes away and how to bring it back?
R. If we don't turn to the Creator then we lose connection with him. Yes, he awakens us and raises us but if we don't respond then this disappears.
S. Is this for long until when?
R. Until the next opportunity that the Creator can turn to us again and awaken us towards a connection to him.
7. S. (15:27) The fact that a person falls and loses this connection with the Creator in this wild forest among the animals, does this mean that the Creator develops a true fear, fear of losing this connection? This strengthens the person on the path, doesn't it, when he calls upon the Creator next time?
R. It depends on how a person accepts it.
8. S. (16:09) How do we overcome our opinions and our thoughts?
R. By connecting with the friends and turning to the Creator.
9. S. (16:30) In the article it says, “If you pay attention, you will see that the Creator is close to you.” Our question is what can we pay attention to and what does it mean to feel that the Creator is close to us?
R. It is when you are thinking suddenly that you can turn to him that this means that he is already close to you.
S. We’ll feel it, yes?
R. Yes.
10. S. (17:12) How not to miss out on this opportunity when the Creator calls upon you?
R. The more you think about the connection with the Creator the more you awaken your friends and through them, you receive a greater aspiration for connection with the Creator.
11. S. (17:41) What does it mean to hear the Creator's voice and see the light of the Creator?
R. That's inside of oneself, it's how a person feels it suddenly someone distracts him or awakens him somehow.
12. S. (18:07) When bad thoughts come, bad thoughts of the friends or anything, can I think that these bad thoughts are the Sitra Achra and for us to address the Creator to correct and he would send the good thoughts? When you ask him it seems like I am asking for him to teach me how to think of the friends in a good way and does this return to him or should I ask for something else?
R. No, that's enough, that's very good. You are asking how to connect with the friends so that in your common connection between you and the friends you can turn to him, to the Creator, this is called “From the love of the friends to the love of the Creator.”
13. S. (19:30) Can we say that when we are rewarded with the opportunity to connect all the points in the hearts with a big desire to give pleasure to T
the Creator then the Creator feels our heart with love?
R. Yes, of course.
S. And the stronger this desire is the more we have an opportunity to give to the Creator and he will bestow to us?
R. Yes.
14. S. (20:12) If I want the Creator to answer my call what intention should I hold for him to hear my call?
R. All the time to think about him if possible, with the friends together, and ask of him for connection, for him to teach you how to come closer to him, how to perceive him, and to reach adhesion.
15. S. (21:12) Is it the right feeling when we feel that we are just about to make a transition and we didn't manage, and it feels like we didn't use this opportunity and it's as if it depends on me it's because of me that this didn't happen?
R. No answer.
16. S. (22:14) Does the Creator forgive us for these small mistakes?
R. The Creator forgives us, he forgives us for many things, of course, yes.
17. S. (22:47) In the article it says to call upon him when he is near, how do we identify if he is near?
R. When we think of him when we want to come closer to him, when we have a certain attitude to him it means that we are close to him and it means that's the time when we need to we need to turn to him and call him.
18. S. (23:30) It says here that he didn't use the opportunity and remained as he was. What does it mean to miss the opportunity?
R. When you were given the possibility to speak to turn to ask the Creator to come closer to him somehow and you didn't do that, it means you didn't use the opportunity.
S. How do we make that we tune our hearts and always use every opportunity not to miss out?
R. You tune your heart, especially with the friends, direct it, and then you will get an answer and opportunity and an answer.
S. And went way call upon him when he is near, how do we do it so that it's not just a request somewhere into the emptiness but so we can really feel him?
R. What can you do you need to try; you need to always feel that in the heart that you are tuning into that wave.
19. S. (25:00) Is the voice of the Creator to pass and direct us to our good?
R. Yes, there we feel it.
S. Does being completely in bestowal overcome every human fear?
R. Yes, if we together want to adhere to the Creator by that, we cancel all the fears.
20. S. (26:09) The closer we get to the Creator the more we feel the force of rejection the force that gets in the way of us getting closer to the Creator.
R. Yes, it's in order for us to invest more forces into the connection and in turning to him. So, what do we do? We speak together, we pray, and we ask together.
21. S. (26:52) In all the personal dialogues we have to seek the answer in the center of the ten, or can the Creator talk through some other place?
R. No, no it's better to do it through the ten. We shouldn't get confused and search for other places, it's best to always hear the Creator and speak to him through the ten.
22. S. (27:33) Can we say that the Creator expects a request from us and the main thing is for us to direct this at unity?
R. Well we can say it so, but just so for people not to get confused otherwise they will depict to themselves, and they will imagine and come up with all sorts of seaming thoughts and appeals. It's best if we know exactly how to turn to the Creator, and to hear out of that what the Creator wants to tell us.
23. S. (28:39) With regards to listening to the news in mass media you said that Rabash listened to the news for several minutes once every several hours. When in our time when stuff is always happening the friends can always listen to the news, so how do we listen to the news without accepting what is happening?
R. Rabash would hear not more than half a minute up to a minute of the news and this was enough for him. I listen even less than that. What do I recommend doing? It's enough to hear it twice a day let's say the news and that's enough. Not to be under the influence of the media channels.
S. When you hear the first half a minute you hear about 20-year-old soldiers that died you hear about people that have been kidnapped, it's very hard to accept this. How to make it influence you in the right way?
R. Look I am expecting the nation of Israel to understand what state it reached for there not to be soldiers on the borders, not to be ready for an attack, as if from above the Creator on purpose did a very difficult exercise for us. It's not the first time that he's doing this with us, but we need to ultimately think and from this to, how to say it? Well, to introspect to draw conclusions yes, it's truly unclear how we reached this thing.
S. To what conclusion should we draw from this?
R. That we reach the state that the Creator made this game with us in order to teach us. And how much this cost us and will continue to cost us in our lives with the children and the soldiers for us to come out of it.
S. The Creators game with us is an expensive game; we are paying a big price.
R. Correct, correct because maybe this nonetheless will shake us up and will bring us to the right calculation. How could it be that we as if on purpose left, look what happened, how we left all the borders and we are completely not ready for anything, how could it be, could someone explain this?
S. Is there a Providence guiding all this?
R. Yes, but it's not an explanation. I'm asking from a different degree; this is just talking about how much this decay is inside within the Israeli society and it's all a result from the relations between us.
S. And what's the conclusion that we have to come out with that there's a lack of unity in the society, what should we do?
R. That we need to make a calculation, first of all, where were those that needed to be at the borders, needed to be at their posts?
S. Should we find those responsible?
R. It's not to see who is to blame, but in order to arrange these things.
S. Should we reestablish the management of the army and so on?
R. I don't know, I am just saying that the fact that we reach such a state, it talks about that our whole society our country is not okay, it's not okay.
S. What does the Creator want to show to us?
R. He wants to show that we are incapable of being as a nation a country that can maintain itself.
S. If we come back to the very beginning, we are listening to the news you see all those responsible, where you hear about the dead, the kidnapped, the hostages, what kind of suffering should a Kabbalist feel when he hears about all of this?
R. There are thousands that are harmed and not just them but families and each one needs to ask why, who's responsible?
S. Where then do you direct this feeling of pain you feel this sadness how do you direct this?
R. Direct it towards this introspection towards that calculation this introspection and why did the Creator do this with us and what must we do in order to take out of this the right reply.
24. S. (37:06) What the friend talked about right now, this quote from the Torah we see that it always comes out in this way. How can we cope with this matter?
R. We have to get closer between us, hug each other, and care for one another, then this won't happen again, but if we go to all kinds of demonstrations in the streets and we are shouting and then we see that nothing good will come out of it.
S. There's another matter that the Parliament members were talking about how the mother got kidnapped and she ends with I love you to the Creator. Can you relate a bit to this matter of how during this time of sorrow when someone's daughter is kidnapped and she still has all this faith, is that the place that we need to reach even though this is placed against our throat, that we need to hold to this, the Creator is the Good Who Does Good despite everything?
R. Maybe.
25. S. (38:54) You asked how it happened to us and I wanted to say what I feel regarding this, it happened to the nation of Israel because it has been happening for a long period already. The nation of Israel simply doesn't want to live here, so when a person doesn't want to live here there are all sorts of mistakes, like these. What can the nation of Israel do if the evil inclination causes us to fight all the time with each other?
R. We have to analyze why it’s so, in what state he has to be in, and what kind of correction should he come to. We are in life we are living this life and nobody asked us if we wanted to be born, but we have to hold ourselves in any case, not just exist, and just a slow move until death where we have to continue.
S. We have to also think about life. Life in Israel is good, but it doesn't seem to the nation that it is good. If we look at the heart of the person from the side of the Jew in Israel, we see that he has no joy inside of him all the time he's slandering he is unhappy.
R. This is natural, it is our evil inclination it's worse, it is worse than what’s in all other people.
S. As with all of nature we can have a lot of explanations here but with all of this nature what brings correction because the nation of Israel we see that it is incapable of coping with what it has here. These blows we already got them once and we don't know how to truly cope with them as a nation, we don't know how to reach the right conclusions. What does the wisdom of Kabbalah truly advise for this state for the nation of Israel for the corporeal one to take its true role?
R. In unity, only unity above all of the parameters.
S. It's above nature, how will the nation of Israel rise above nature?
R. They are asking the Creator if this is higher than our nature then we turn to the Creator.
26. S. (42:34) You told a friend that we need to direct everything towards a certain introspection, and I remember in Turkey that there was an earthquake a lot more people died there than died in this war. Our friends as well got hurt we sat and we thought about them, and then there was a war in Ukraine. So, towards every world disaster, we need to reach a certain calculation and introspection and think about why the Creator is doing this with us, as you said or is it something local?
R. Especially when this is local because the calculation with us is not according to our place but around the whole world even if this only has to do with Israel with Jews in any case this goes to the count of the whole world.
S. Meaning every disaster that happens in the world we need to see it directed towards us towards Bnei Baruch?
R. No, this is not what I wanted to say. This is also right but what happens to us happens because we don't hold on to the center of the creation, the Creator. We don't bring him closer to the whole of humanity and that's why this is what's happening to us and the whole of humanity.
27. S. (44:20) We see that you explain to us all the time how to justify the Creator and according to our explanation, we also need to see who's to blame, us or the upper force?
We invite such actions but of course, it's the Creator doing everything but in the explanation who is to blame us or the upper force?
R. Us, yes of course.
28. S. (45:06) The Creator is in the connections between us in our unity. How can we ask him to hear us when we are fighting with each other?
R. We have spoken about this many times everything depends on our unity first of all, between Jews so that we would be like one man in one heart, and we will want to bring everyone closer to this, and through this closeness, we will avoid all kinds of problems and getting closer to the whole humanity is that clear?
29. S. (46:16) What is this action to bring our nation closer to the Creator?
R. If we get closer to one another then to the same degree we'll become closer to the Creator.
S. You're speaking of Bnei Baruch now?
R. No, on all the Jews.
S. How we bring all the Jews closer?
R. This is the question, this is the question.
S. It's what the friend said it is seemingly above nature?
R. Yes even if it seems above nature, the Creator is above nature.
30. S. (47:08) The friend asked. Do we have this feeling that we had a certain opportunity to do this transition and we couldn't do it?
R. I don't know what she meant; I didn't see any opportunity.
S. I just have a similar feeling.
R. Yes, feelings are feelings.
S. There's a certain self-blame that it’s for her because of her for me it's because of me.
R. This is correct, this is the feeling of shame and guilt that we didn't do something.
S. And how do we work with this correctly?
R. To ask for corrections.
31. S. (48:19) On a corporeal level when this intense state gets revealed our response is those that need to influence matters internally, is it as a ten to do with the external actions with the ten or from the outside, or is it from the outside?
R. Yes, in accordance with this, in accordance with what you feel the pressure from outside this is how you have to respond.
S. Response with that intensity needs to just be on the inside, or do we have to see that we are increasing in quantity these actions of connection that we can truly feel?
R. Yes, our action of unity we have to make it stronger in many actions.
32. S. (49:34) Is it correct that we as students need to adhere specifically to our teachers to Baal HaSulam specifically during such times and to see these as an opportunity for the revelation of the Creator as the Good That Does Good, despite the whole nation and the world cannot feel it but we from our point of view can?
R. Correct.
33. S. (50:08) He depicts that man is lost in a dark forest this spirit among animals how from there does he identify the Creator?
R. We see that this is so, from the depth of our hearts.
S. In today's date do we understand and hear the Creator's voice?
R. Where else do we have?
34. S. (50:53) I wanted to ask about calling upon him when he is near. The Creator is always seemingly near us, and we just evoke him being concealed in hiding when I remember him and I feel he brought me closer and I need to turn to him but in between these moments is there a certain action like remembering to connect with the friends and for him to truly bring me closer again?
R. Try it, what can I say.
S. If we do this mechanically, we will think about him and at that moment he will bring us closer?
R. Yes, yes.
35. S. (51:47) Regarding the topic of prayer the question is: The form in which we build the prayer the depth of the prayer is that in a direct relation to the connection in the ten meaning sometimes we need a blow in order for the right words to come out?
R. This depends on how ready you are.
36. S. (52:36) In this introspection we see really quickly that people start to blame each other, the left blames the right, and the right blames the left, what would you tell these people how do we do this introspection correctly?
R. We are all to blame that we don't open up our hearts to each other, 100% of the whole Israeli society is to blame and that's why the Creator gave us this exercise to shake us up to come back to the right state.
S. If we were to open our hearts to one another then such a thing wouldn't happen, what’s the connection?
R. No this wouldn't have happened.
S. Why?
R. Why because we wouldn't be so much to blame, we wouldn’t be guilty of this. If I'm acting in my state, in my country, that I am prepared to kill it, then this is what the Creator does to us.
S. In the world, there is a lot of hatred towards the Jews in every corner and Jews are afraid what is the connection between these hatreds and the introspection that needs to take place here?
R. Of course, everyone hates the Jews, and we just don't understand why they hate us, and it doesn't matter how much I explain this, people don’t understand this so well. The Jews are to blame, the Jews are at fault because the nations are in hatred towards each other. The Jews are responsible for the wars in the world. If we have to bring unity to the world and bring correction to the world and we don't do this, we are to blame for what is happening to the nation.
37. S. (55:33) A few weeks ago in the writers meeting you warned us that we'll see all kinds of wars and separations will happen right now in the nation of Israel, and it happens now it's really shaking things up. What can the nation of Israel do, we as Bnei Baruch, with the hatred that was already here and that we didn't do, what could we have done in order not to reach what we reached?
R. To come out to the street and hug. We have to push all Israelis to this towards one another to an embrace.
S. It's that way too, we can come out to the streets and hug.
R. Think about this, you are doing, you are dealing with mass media.
38. S. (56:47) Can we organize, we want to organize connection circles In Tel Aviv, in order to push everyone towards this embrace.
R. I don't know, I have nothing to do with this.
S. It's not a question of the organization but it's a question of the intention with what intention do we come out to the nation?
R. Maybe, maybe, not just the nation we have to think about the whole world. As the whole world is rising in hatred towards us and they are right in hatred towards the Jews when we are studying as we study in the wisdom of Kabbalah it is all about good unity between people between the nations.
39. S. (58:00) What we see today and all over the world, in Europe, in America. We see in Istanbul, London, Paris, and New York that they are working in an organized way, on the internet, to spread terrorist propaganda. What can we do? We have a love of friends, we have prayers for our friends, and we are praying for the children of our friends who are in the army who are at the border now. What can we do more than pray, what can we do in social media to prevent this demonstration and propaganda of terrorism? Do you think it's logical to do, you think we do a small dissemination in the name Kabbalah or without the name of Kabbalah, what do you think about this?
R. No, Kabbalah can't play any part whatsoever. But we have to, we have to call upon the nation of Israel no matter where they are they have to unite and then the world will come to correction and there's nothing else we need to do today. These are only wars against the evil inclination, against the ego. There are in the Jews and if we cancel our ego everyone will feel good.
S. I don't want to watch the TV in Turkey, people don't see what happens in the Kibbutz, and people don’t understand what happened there at the borders. I don't want to watch television in Turkey people are spreading lies all day.
R. Yes, yes, this I understand. This isn't lies, this is what people feel, I am not speaking against all the people in the world apart from the Jews they are to blame for anything, no. They are not to blame for anything this is a natural reaction because the attitude, the relationships between peace and the war, between hatred and love, depend only on the Jews' look at what the Kabbalists write. And that's why there is nothing to do. We can't come to any nation in the world but only two ourselves and say to ourselves, enough. Listen you have to awaken love in the world you have to say from your heart to the hearts of all the Jews, and all the people in the world let's be brothers. Otherwise, the world if the world explodes it will be bad for all of us. Okay. Thank you to everyone, all the best, and until tomorrow.