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

Daily Lesson (Morning) April 12, 2024.

Part 1: Article No. 20, (1985). He who Hardens His Heart.

Reader: Shalom, friends. We are reading the Articles of Rabash. What is, For I have Hardened His Heart In The Work. The study material is on the sites in Sviva Tova and Arvut. You can send questions to the sites. Anyone asking here in the hall should stand up, hold the microphone close to his mouth, and speak loud and clearly.

Reading Article: (00:57) “He who Hardens His Heart.”

It is written in The Zohar (item 186): “Rabbi Yitzhak said, ‘We did not find anyone who hardened his heart before the Creator as Pharaoh.’ Rabbi Yosi, said, ‘But Sihon and Og also hardened their hearts.’ He replied, ‘This is not so. They hardened their hearts against Israel, but they did not harden their hearts against the Creator, as Pharaoh hardened his heart against Him, for he saw His might and did not repent.’”

We should understand the difference between not hardening their hearts before the Creator, or hardening their hearts against Israel. After all, all the hatred that the nations feel toward Israel is only because they are the Creator’s people, as our sages said (Shabbat, 89), “What is Mt. Sinai? It is that Sinaa [hatred] came down to the idol-worshippers.”

To return to the topic, meaning concerning the hatred of Israel: Pharaoh hated the people of Israel and wanted to enslave them. Moses came as a messenger of the Creator but he wouldn’t listen and said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” Sihon and Og also hated Israel, but what is the difference with respect to Israel? The reason why they hate Israel. Did Sihon and Og harden their hearts because the people of Israel was unimportant, and this is why they hated them? Or did they harden their hearts against the Creator, that the Creator was unimportant in their eyes, and this is why they hated Israel? In that case, what is the difference with respect to Israel?

We should interpret the above words of The Zohar in the work. We need to know that there are two obstructors standing opposite a person and not letting him cross the barrier and achieve love of the Creator, since man is born with a desire to receive for himself and cannot do anything without a profit. That is, one can relinquish self-reception in order to bestow something upon someone if this gives him emotional satisfaction. In that case he can relinquish self-reception.

For example, a person can work for an important person. If, say, the ADMOR of Lubavitch comes to the airport with a suitcase, gives it to one of his followers, and gives him 100 dollars for his work. Certainly, the follower will not want to receive the pay from the rabbi and will give it back to him. If the rabbi should ask him, “Why don’t you want to receive it? Did I pay you too little for the work? If I had given an ordinary porter 10 dollars he would have been happy; why don’t you want to take it?” The follower would reply, “My privilege of serving the rabbi is worth to me more than any fortune in the world that the rabbi might give me.”

We therefore see that one can work for an important person without any reward. For this reason, when one comes to engage in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] in order to bestow, he can certainly relinquish self-love for the sake of the Creator. At that time, what does the obstructor to the work of the Creator do so that one will not be able to walk on the path of the Creator? He does one thing: He does not let a person depict the greatness and importance of the Creator. It follows that all the strength that the Sitra Achra [other side] has is against the Creator. He tells him, “I know you are very powerful, meaning you can overcome your lusts, unlike weak-minded and soft-hearted people. You are the strongest of the strong. However, the reason why you are not walking on the path of truth is that the goal is not so important to you, to make you annul yourself for it. With this force it obstructs him from achieving the goal.

This is what The Zohar says in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak: “We did not find anyone who hardened his heart before the Creator as Pharaoh.” That is, he did not appreciate the Creator and said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” This is the first obstructer.

The second obstructer is that when one sees that he has overcome his arguments, goes above reason, and does not regard what it tells him, then he comes with a complaint against Israel. That is, one who wants to walk on the path of the Creator is called Yashar-El [straight to the Creator], which is directly to the Creator. This means that he wants all the actions that he does to rise straight to the Creator, and does not want to have any other intention.

For this reason, what does the other obstructer do? He degrades the Israel in him and tells him, “The Israel in you is very weak, both in skill and in strength to overcome. You have a weak character, and this way you want to go—where all the works are only for the Creator—can be demanded from an Israel who has all the required qualities, namely good education, skills, and the courage to fight the evil in him. He can walk on this path, but not you.”

Thus, by what does he obstruct him? He no longer speaks to him about the importance of the goal, as with Pharaoh’s argument, who disputed the importance of the goal. Rather, he tells him that the goal is very important, but “You are not important enough to be able to walk on such a lofty path, so walk on the path of the general public, and you do not need to be exceptional. Only this way is suitable for you.”

Likewise, we find in The Zohar (Shlach, item 63) concerning the spies: “‘And they returned from touring the land.’ ‘They returned’ means that they returned to the bad side, returned from the path of truth, saying, ‘What will we get out of it? To this day we have not seen good in the world. We have toiled in Torah and the house is empty. Who will be awarded that world? Who will come and be in it? It would have been better had we not toiled so. We labored and learned in order to know the part of that world, as you advised us. ‘It is also flowing with milk and honey,’ that upper world is good, as we know in the Torah, but who can be rewarded with it? ‘However, the people … are strong,’ meaning the people that has been rewarded with that world is strong, not considering the rest of the world at all—to engage in it, to have great wealth—who can do so and be rewarded with it? ‘However, the people … are strong.’ ‘The rich man answers roughly, ‘and we also saw the descendants of the giant there,’ meaning you need a body as strong and as mighty as a lion, since the Torah weakens man’s strength.”

It follows that the argument of the spies, according to the interpretation of The Zohar, is that Israel is unimportant, as we explained that it is similar to the argument of the second obstructer, meaning that all the hardening is against Israel.

By that we can interpret the difference between Pharaoh’s argument, who hardened his heart against the Creator, and the argument of Sihon and Og, who hardened their hearts against Israel. Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice,” meaning that all his strength was to lessen the importance of the Creator, as it was said, that he is the first obstructer. Sihon and Og, however, hardened their hearts against Israel, meaning to lessen the importance of Israel, which corresponds to the second obstructor.

To this, meaning to all those arguments, there is no other tactic but to walk on the path of faith above reason, disregard their arguments, and trust that the Creator that He can help everyone and there is no force that can resist the power of the Creator, so we should trust the Creator to help.

We find such as this in The Zohar (Beshalach, item 187): “Rabbi Yehuda said, ‘Rabbi Yitzhak said, ‘Pharaoh was wiser than all his sorcerers. …In their entire side he did not see that Israel would have redemption... And Pharaoh did not think that there is another tie of faith that governs all the forces of the Sitra Achra. This is why he hardened his heart.’’” It follows from the words of The Zohar that Pharaoh means within reason, that rationally, it is impossible to exit their authority, unless through the power of faith above reason, for this power cancels all the powers in the world.

M. Laitman: What do we have to say about this article?

 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (15:18) The first obstructor is describing the article quantitatively much less from the second obstructor so it’s difficult to analyze. The first obstructor says, the Creator is not important. Rabash doesn't elaborate what it means  that the Creator is not important. Afterwards he explains why Israel is not important. I couldn’t understand why it’s difficult to explain why the Creator is not important. 

M. Laitman: Okay, more? Any more impressions from the article?

Question (Petah Tikva center): (16:27) We have to strengthen ourselves in the greatness of the Creator and faith above reason. There’s no other way. That’s what I understood.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (16:53) When we’re lacking greatness and importance of the goal and revelation from the Upper One and we have doubt regarding connection so what we have left is to hold our hands and walk into the articles instructions on the path. 

M. Laitman: Okay, that’s it?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (17:36) He tells us about faith above reason and rationally it’s impossible to emerge from their control. Meaning, Pharaoh and the obstructors but only through faith above reason because this force cancels all the forces in the world, all the powers in the world. So, faith above reason is probably the most powerful force in reality so much so that it cancels Pharaohs. On the other hand as powerful as this force is Baal HaSulam writes elsewhere that we can use it any minute without any effort, don’t know exactly where. How can that be? If this force is so powerful that he can defeat Pharaoh then how can it be so accessible and available?

M. Laitman: We probably have another problem against that, which, although this force is accessible and opportune to us, on the other hand, we have great difficulty to connect to it and use it. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:07) Pharaoh lives within our minds and Pharaoh goes against the Creator. So when we rise to faith above reason, something that connects to you lets you see. That's phase one but phase two is when you see his magnitude and you need the friends because then you'll say, how can I, and here the society comes in, the general collective unity. This is why they re-elaborate more, so that we would focus on that. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:56) We can say that reason is a result of a returning feeling in this world. Faith is a feeling that returns from the next world, straight to the Creator, the Creator is zero root. Pharaoh a record of zero one, he doesn't know what the Creator is. It's in the spiritual phase of this world. In the corporeal phase, they don't know anything about spirituality.

M. Laitman: We hear, okay.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:05) They say that land is flowing with milk and honey and that upper world is good, but who can be rewarded with it? Why? Because if their goal is to deter a person it makes sense that they should say that the land is not flowing with milk and honey but is full of thorns so why do they say that it is worthwhile to reach the land of Israel, but it's impossible? Why? 

M. Laitman: They have a way to accompany a person where the goal is nice, but there's a long way to it. 

Student: How does it contribute? What does it contribute? 

M. Laitman: What it contributes is that it's not that the spies want completely to cancel the action of the people of Israel. Rather, they want to bring them to degrees in which they will get stronger. 

Student: They're building us the overcoming of the faith above reason? 

M. Laitman: Yes. A desire that comes against it. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (22:37) It is written that Torah weakens a person's strength. So, the question is, the light is supposed to give strength. Why does it say that it weakens a person? 

M. Laitman: Because this speaks about those cases where we need to turn to the Creator and find in Him our foundation and then therefore, what the Torah does is it shows us how we have zero forces on our own and that we have no choice but to turn to the Creator.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:27) I understood that the importance is on a mechanism by which I can increase my desire for the Creator and lessen my connection to Pharaoh. This mechanism inverts my desires, my thoughts, so it's an instrument I can use. 

M. Laitman: Okay. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:07) From the article there is a question, what is Pharaoh saying? Is he saying that there is no Creator, only the will to receive? What is his argument? There is a Creator, but you can never reach Him.

M. Laitman: No, that's how the spies say it. 

Student: What does Pharaoh say? There's no such thing? Why? The will to receive is the only ruler and don't look for anything beyond it? Besides it? 

M. Laitman: Let's say. 

Student: Because he says, who is the Lord that I should obey His voice? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Maybe he says, there is such a thing but you cannot obey it. What exactly is Pharaoh saying there? 

M. Laitman: It's written in The Zohar, and Rav Yitzhak said, Pharaoh was wiser than them all and in order, in every step they had, he did not want them to have redemption for Israel and Pharaoh didn't think there was a connection, another connection of the nation that controls all the forces of the Sitra Achra and therefore he would harden his heart, meaning, we need to go against Pharaoh as he doesn't let the heart feel the greatness of the Creator and to bow before Him, before the Creator. 

Student: His argument is that the heart is…?

M. Laitman: This is the argument that's in the Zohar, because in the Zohar it talks about the matter of Pharaoh is within reason, where from the side of the reason and the intellect, there's no way to come out of their control but only in the force of faith above reason, where this cancels all the forces in the world then you can emerge out of Egypt. Only with the force of above reason, of faith above reason. 

Student: It's an intellectual force, it says, I don't see anything beyond so it doesn't exist? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: What does it mean, harden his heart? What is Pharaoh saying with respect to the heart? 

M. Laitman: If so, we need to read it again. You're not asking those questions? 

Reader: (27:26) Returning to the article, He Who Hardens His Heart. 

Re-reading Article: (27:37) “He Who Hardens His Heart.”

It is written in The Zohar (item 186): “Rabbi Yitzhak said, ‘We did not find anyone who hardened his heart before the Creator as Pharaoh.’ Rabbi Yosi, said, ‘But Sihon and Og also hardened their hearts.’ He replied, ‘This is not so. They hardened their hearts against Israel, but they did not harden their hearts against the Creator, as Pharaoh hardened his heart against Him, for he saw His might and did not repent.’”

We should understand the difference between not hardening their hearts before the Creator, or hardening their hearts against Israel. After all, all the hatred that the nations feel toward Israel is only because they are the Creator’s people, as our sages said (Shabbat, 89), “What is Mt. Sinai? It is that Sinaa [hatred] came down to the idol-worshippers.”

To return to the topic, meaning concerning the hatred of Israel: Pharaoh hated the people of Israel and wanted to enslave them. Moses came as a messenger of the Creator but he wouldn’t listen and said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” Sihon and Og also hated Israel, but what is the difference with respect to Israel? The reason why they hate Israel. Did Sihon and Og harden their hearts because the people of Israel was unimportant, and this is why they hated them? Or did they harden their hearts against the Creator, that the Creator was unimportant in their eyes, and this is why they hated Israel? In that case, what is the difference with respect to Israel?

We should interpret the above words of The Zohar in the work. We need to know that there are two obstructors standing opposite a person and not letting him cross the barrier and achieve love of the Creator, since man is born with a desire to receive for himself and cannot do anything without a profit. That is, one can relinquish self-reception in order to bestow something upon someone if this gives him emotional satisfaction. In that case he can relinquish self-reception.

For example, a person can work for an important person. If, say, the ADMOR of Lubavitch comes to the airport with a suitcase, gives it to one of his followers, and gives him 100 dollars for his work. Certainly, the follower will not want to receive the pay from the rabbi and will give it back to him. If the rabbi should ask him, “Why don’t you want to receive it? Did I pay you too little for the work? If I had given an ordinary porter 10 dollars he would have been happy; why don’t you want to take it?” The follower would reply, “My privilege of serving the rabbi is worth to me more than any fortune in the world that the rabbi might give me.”

We therefore see that one can work for an important person without any reward. For this reason, when one comes to engage in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] in order to bestow, he can certainly relinquish self-love for the sake of the Creator. At that time, what does the obstructer to the work of the Creator do so that one will not be able to walk on the path of the Creator? He does one thing: He does not let a person depict the greatness and importance of the Creator. It follows that all the strength that the Sitra Achra [other side] has is against the Creator. He tells him, “I know you are very powerful, meaning you can overcome your lusts, unlike weak-minded and soft-hearted people. You are the strongest of the strong. However, the reason why you are not walking on the path of truth is that the goal is not so important to you, to make you annul yourself for it. With this force it obstructs him from achieving the goal.

This is what The Zohar says in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak: “We did not find anyone who hardened his heart before the Creator as Pharaoh.” That is, he did not appreciate the Creator and said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” This is the first obstructer.

The second obstructer is that when one sees that he has overcome his arguments, goes above reason, and does not regard what it tells him, then he comes with a complaint against Israel. That is, one who wants to walk on the path of the Creator is called Yashar-El [straight to the Creator], which is directly to the Creator. This means that he wants all the actions that he does to rise straight to the Creator, and does not want to have any other intention.

For this reason, what does the other obstructer do? He degrades the Israel in him and tells him, “The Israel in you is very weak, both in skill and in strength to overcome. You have a weak character, and this way you want to go—where all the works are only for the Creator—can be demanded from an Israel who has all the required qualities, namely good education, skills, and the courage to fight the evil in him. He can walk on this path, but not you.”

Thus, by what does he obstruct him? He no longer speaks to him about the importance of the goal, as with Pharaoh’s argument, who disputed the importance of the goal. Rather, he tells him that the goal is very important, but “You are not important enough to be able to walk on such a lofty path, so walk on the path of the general public, and you do not need to be exceptional. Only this way is suitable for you.”

Likewise, we find in The Zohar (Shlach, item 63) concerning the spies: “‘And they returned from touring the land.’ ‘They returned’ means that they returned to the bad side, returned from the path of truth, saying, ‘What will we get out of it? To this day we have not seen good in the world. We have toiled in Torah and the house is empty. Who will be awarded that world? Who will come and be in it? It would have been better had we not toiled so. We labored and learned in order to know the part of that world, as you advised us. ‘It is also flowing with milk and honey,’ that upper world is good, as we know in the Torah, but who can be rewarded with it? ‘However, the people … are strong,’ meaning the people that has been rewarded with that world is strong, not considering the rest of the world at all—to engage in it, to have great wealth—who can do so and be rewarded with it? ‘However, the people … are strong.’ ‘The rich man answers roughly, ‘and we also saw the descendants of the giant there,’ meaning you need a body as strong and as mighty as a lion, since the Torah weakens man’s strength.”

It follows that the argument of the spies, according to the interpretation of The Zohar, is that Israel is unimportant, as we explained that it is similar to the argument of the second obstructer, meaning that all the hardening is against Israel.

By that we can interpret the difference between Pharaoh’s argument, who hardened his heart against the Creator, and the argument of Sihon and Og, who hardened their hearts against Israel. Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice,” meaning that all his strength was to lessen the importance of the Creator, as it was said, that he is the first obstructer. Sihon and Og, however, hardened their hearts against Israel, meaning to lessen the importance of Israel, which corresponds to the second obstructer.

To this, meaning to all those arguments, there is no other tactic but to walk on the path of faith above reason, disregard their arguments, and trust that the Creator that He can help everyone and there is no force that can resist the power of the Creator, so we should trust the Creator to help.

We find such as this in The Zohar (Beshalach, item 187): “Rabbi Yehuda said, ‘Rabbi Yitzhak said, ‘Pharaoh was wiser than all his sorcerers. …In their entire side he did not see that Israel would have redemption... And Pharaoh did not think that there is another tie of faith that governs all the forces of the Sitra Achra. This is why he hardened his heart.’’” It follows from the words of The Zohar that Pharaoh means within reason, that rationally, it is impossible to exit their authority, unless through the power of faith above reason, for this power cancels all the powers in the world.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (41:06) I want to describe a situation where a person begins to feel the state of Egypt, the who and what questions against the Creator, against Israel, as he describes. What is not clear is the advice of Rabash, go above reason. They are in Egypt and the will to receive in order to receive, now he discovered that he is there. With what force does he rise above his reason? 

M. Laitman: Meaning how do we connect ourselves, bind ourselves to the force of faith above reason, so it will correct us? Actually, as we see from all the sources it is the force of prayer and there is no more than that. Yes.

Student: The force of prayer is a request to receive strength, but in practice he cannot work above reason as he rises, he has to go above reason. 

M. Laitman: A force, there is no force, he has no force above reason, he starts from being in zero. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (42:37) Concerning above reason, does a person activate it when he has importance to the goal or when he doesn't have it – importance of the Creator. 

M. Laitman: When he has importance to the Creator, of course.

Student: If the Creator opens His importance to me I'll be able to serve Him. If He doesn't open I won't be able to serve Him. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: That's the law in nature. What does a person do if he doesn't have importance? Where is the above reason here? What is he activating when he doesn't have importance? 

M. Laitman: The question is in place?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:31) A similar question. He says that he doesn't let us depict the importance. Why does Rabash say that he obstructs us from depicting the importance and greatness of the Creator? What in our work is the act of depicting the importance of the Creator? 

M. Laitman: That's what should save us. 

Student: It's as if there's an intermediary degree between faith above reason and within reason where the Creator is hiding. It's just hidden. There's like a half degree called depicting importance? Is this our work? Do we have work in this? 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (44:29) He writes about two forces that seemingly make a person act. One is the importance of the goal, and two is that he doesn't have the strength. Can we receive these two forces only in a Ten? One, the ability, and two, the importance of the goal.

M. Laitman: Of course we can, through these things, emphasize them and make them stand out more. 

Student: Turning to the Creator. When a person turns to the Creator, what is the condition for this plea to work? 

M. Laitman: It all depends on a person and the Creator. As it's written, make your will as His and the Creator in return makes His will like your will. 

Student: Does it depend on a person’s going above reason? So, first it needs to go above reason and then comes the plea to the Creator or is turning to the Creator can be regardless. But in going above reason, a person says, I don't want to receive anything. I don't want to be filled. That state is intolerable, he can't stand it. We constantly look for some filling quickly. So in that state, when you're searching for a filling and you stop it, should the plea to the Creator sit? If it sits on that will the plea to the Creator be more intense? 

M. Laitman: It depends on what state. Yes and no. 

Student: Okay, another question about turning to the Creator. You said before, if I understood correctly, that it works if a person becomes helpless, hopeless about his own strength. To come to that hopelessness and helplessness, can we do that without making efforts? In any situation you're given all kinds of possibilities to act. You have to use these opportunities. You can't not do them. They're unpleasant but you have to do everything that is given to you from above. You try it physically and after you fail, you come to hopelessness, and then you turn to the Creator, and does the plea work then? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Okay, so the plea is like a process, like a command in a computer that you have to get to a threshold and then it works. If it didn't work, it means you haven't tried enough?

M. Laitman: Correct.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (47:40) Is the article implying that in exile we see the purpose of reason through wisdom and not through knowledge and not through intentions, and in spirituality it comes from canceling the reason in order to be like the light but that's impossible when you regard this world as the world of action, where we fail, where the spies accuse the friends and accuse Israel and slander them. 

M. Laitman: Yes, it's worthwhile to think about it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (48:35) People of Israel people do a lot of slandering there they like to where is the meat where is this and complaining about everything and arguing, so there comes this piece where they sat on land and they returned to the evil side and they came to the truth that says what did I get from this so far we didn't see any good in the world. We labored in Torah, and the house is empty, and they never see who will be rewarded and who will get within it, and those who have labored so greatly. And then he comes and says, meaning they need a strong body, like a heart, like a lion, for his request to be like that. Truth is you can really feel it like that. 

M. Laitman: It's exactly your words. 

Student: Well, it's written so I'm asking you. You each time tell us, look, it's easy work, what do you want, it's easy, you come in the morning, connect, and that's it. Draw the light, and everything's fine. What's okay? Nothing is fine that's happening, because I feel like I'm doing the work, and I'm not getting anything. And here it's written, the work wears down a person's forces. When do I start to feel that the Torah does not wear me down? What does it happen after twenty years, thirty years? When? 

M. Laitman: Under what condition will you feel that the work does not exhaust you? 

Student: Exactly, I'm asking you. 

M. Laitman: You know, you give a person some work, and with it, you give him some reward, some pay. When does he feel that he's getting the pay and he's happy? 

Student: When he gets a salary, when he gets some kind of reward. 

M. Laitman: When he gets a salary, when you give it to him, and he accepts it but the work is not so important, right? 

Student: Right.

M. Laitman: The salary covers the effort. 

Student: You each time tell us, look, from above, it's like there's a calculation, it's written, a penny, another penny, makes a great sum. But we don't see, we see anything. So, how can you tell me, on one hand, you're saying the Torah does not wear a person's forces down, and here he says, too, on the other hand, you need a strong, to be a hero, like a lion, because the Torah can truly wear a person's forces down. So, who or what should I believe? It's not that I don't believe you. He writes like this. I'm asking, when do I come to a stage in all this study, after years and years, that I don't feel like the Torah is just fatiguing my forces. I truly feel like I'm completely worn down from all this work. 

M. Laitman: When you connect to the Creator and He will show you the way.

Student: What does it mean that I connect to the Creator and He shows me the way? 

M. Laitman: I don't know, ask Him.

Student: No, that's okay.  I'm asking, when will I feel that it's going to be easier for me, as far as the work in spirituality? It's hard for me to get up in the morning, it's hard for people to come to the morning lesson every day, and see how many people are falling along the way.  When will we receive that strength? What do I need to do to receive the force, so it will be easy for me to wake up in the morning, so it will be easy to sit for three hours, so it will be easier in life. 

M. Laitman: Importance. You need to get importance from the friends.

Student: That's the whole thing, to get importance from the friends? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Then what? 

M. Laitman: And then it will be easy for you to sit in the lesson. 

Student: That's the thing? 

M. Laitman: Yes, if you're asking with respect to this? 

Student: Bottom line, only importance? 

M. Laitman: Only importance. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (52:37) The spies come and say that the land is beautiful, it's got good fruit, etc.. But we're weak, we're not capable of reaching it. With what plea do they see that the land is beautiful? After all, bestowal is opposite to reception. They need to somewhat be already in some measure of bestowal in order to see that it's beautiful. 

M. Laitman: You're right, but about the spies we don't really ask because they're angels. 

Student: Even if they see that the land is beautiful if they're in the desire to receive it will appear almost repulsive to them and yet they see that it's beautiful but still there's a certain attitude towards the goal. They say, yes, it's nice, it's beautiful, it's good but the weakness is mine. I'm not capable of reaching it. So with what Kli can they see that it's beautiful? 

M. Laitman: In their vessel. 

Student: That's already a corrected vessel?

M. Laitman: For the angels, yes.

Student: For the spies, yes. 

M. Laitman: The spies, they're angels. 

Student: Meaning it's enough that it's sufficient forces that you can see the greatness of the goal? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But still not enough for him to see that he can get there? 

M. Laitman: It's because a person doesn't have the strength. 

Student: What are they actually asking? They said they sinned, they missed something, there was some state that was…? 

M. Laitman: They make a person ask for the strength. 

Student: The spies didn't ask? That was the mistake that they had to?

M. Laitman: No. Precisely these are forces by which man wants to reveal. These forces, the spies stimulate them, awaken them. 

Question (Zichron 1): (55:13) This article confuses me a little. He seemingly presents the main obstructor, Pharaoh, as the great issue and my feeling is that, actually the big obstructor is Sihon and Og who say that actually, that the land is beautiful but it's not from our forces. I feel like most of the public, the people of Israel, agree that the land is good but it's not from their forces to, they have to kind of give up and not continue the work. It almost connects to our situation today even but in spiritual work it feels like the real difficulties, be like everyone, do, but you're not going to win here. So, it's like a clash here. The real danger is to be for forty years and not reach the land. They always say that that's the case because the enemy is too big. 

M. Laitman: So, what's the question? 

Student: The question is, do I understand the article correctly? Is it Pharaoh or Sihon and Og? The first obstructor or the second obstructor? 

M. Laitman: They are different obstructions. Different obstructions. When do we win? The people of Israel, when do they win? Only the force of faith. Through which obstruction? 

Student: It is the disturbances to see his true state. That it's him that's not asking enough. That he doesn't believe that the Creator can save him and that's why he doesn't ask. To see that it's divided here to several levels of faith, several layers of the correct request. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (57:97) He says that all the hatred that nations have against Israel, it's because they're for the Creator and this really feels relevant. Later he explains why Sihon and Og, why they hate, why they hate. He says about Pharaoh that the Creator is not important in his eyes, that's why he has a hatred for the people of Israel. It's kind of a clash. If they're not important to, only if the Creator is important for them he should hate them.

M. Laitman: Right. 

Student: What's the explanation? 

M. Laitman: That's the explanation. That the more the Creator is important, the more Israel will be hated. Natural. 

Student: Who is more important to whom? What does it mean that the Creator is important to Pharaoh? Pharaoh is inside of us. 

M. Laitman: No, no, no, no. Not within us, not within us. Everything is within us. The fact that, you say it.

Student: It's felt that from the explanation of the nations, I'd say about Sihon and Og, the Creator is more important to us. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Is it like that? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So they feel him more than we do. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: What does that mean? It's like we're supposed to be, well what does it mean that we're the nation of the Creator? 

M. Laitman: If we don't reach that level, then we're not his people.

Student: If we don't reach that degree, what's there to hate us? 

M. Laitman: Even if you're not doing your duty, your duty doesn't run away from you. 

Student: The nations feel the potential that's in the people of Israel more than they do. 

M. Laitman: Yes, and because, on the one hand, the people of Israel don't do what the Creator wants, on the other hand, if it succeeds, people go against them.

Student: He also doesn't feel what they want of him. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: How can you come with complaints to Him? 

M. Laitman: Tell me more than that. If the people of Israel were attached to their duty and would show it to everyone, and if it were revealed to everyone then they agree with the role of the people of Israel? 

Student: Yes, it's written that then they will carry the people of Israel on their shoulders, etc.. 

M. Laitman: But out of which desire? How would they suddenly agree? 

Student: According to my understanding, we're blocking the light to the world, and if we become similar to the light, then everything opens up, no? 

M. Laitman: Through the general correction. Well, why can't we through the general correction, bring down light to the world? 

Student: It's like the Creator is not letting us. He doesn't enable the people of Israel to feel their role, to execute it. 

M. Laitman: In other words, in any case, we must first ask the Creator to be in agreement with us, for us to be in agreement with him.

Question (Turkiye 2): (01:02:03) What form or method of prayer can lead a person to faith above reason? How to reach faith above reason? 

M. Laitman: The illumination that comes to him from above, from the Creator. When a person performs all kinds of, does all kinds of actions against his will in order to get closer to the Creator, and then the Creator gives him this gift. Faith above reason is a gift. It's not like we come to it with our own strength. 

Question (Kyiv 1): (01:03:02) It's written that with the force of faith above reason it's possible to cancel all the forces in the world. How do we, how do we get rid of all the forces in the world with the help of faith above reason? 

M. Laitman: Faith above reason is such a force that, faith above reason is a force that it is possible to increase, to magnify only with actions that are above reason. I don't know how to say it. 

Student: What does it mean that this force cancels all the other forces in the world? 

M. Laitman: It is that, indeed, there are no forces in the world that can influence a person and turn him in another direction if he has the strength of faith above reason.

Student: What does it mean that we have to equalize this force of faith above reason, it's so powerful? 

M. Laitman: We reached the level of Bina. 

Question (Tel Aviv 1): (01:04:56) There are two obstructors, one of Pharaoh, which diminishes the importance and greatness of the Creator, and the obstructor of Sihon and Og that they're diminishing the force of Israel towards the goal. If I'm in a state of Pharaoh and I have no importance of the force of the Creator, the goal, why should I turn to Him with prayer altogether for Him to take me out of that? 

M. Laitman: Everything is in its place, everything in its own place. You see how many forces there are with respect to which we have to constantly go around. We have to go around that force and this force, etc.. So, there's not one thing here that I come to, jump over and continue. 

Student: How do I circumvent the force of Pharaoh that controls the relevancy of the Creator altogether? How from that force do I turn to the Creator Himself when His importance was kind of negated? There's a paradox the way I'm looking at it.

M. Laitman: What does it mean? Did you cancel the Creator, God forbid? 

Student: In the state of Pharaoh, when I was in the state of Pharaoh, who's the Creator that I should turn to Him? Who's the Creator that I should turn to Him? How can I even pray to Him for Him to take me out of it? 

M. Laitman: Then you really need the Creator so then you see that the Creator is in front of you. What do you do? 

Student: I, in the state of Pharaoh, according to what I understood, was a state that negates the importance and validity of the Creator. Who is He that I should turn to Him? So, how in such a state do I turn to Him for Him to take me out of it? 

M. Laitman: Pharaoh cannot take you out of it. Pharaoh cannot take you out of it. 

Student: Not to turn to Pharaoh, I'm saying that when I'm in a state of Pharaoh, who negates the force of the Creator or importance of the Creator, I'm in such a state, how can I even turn to the Creator to take me out of that? If I'm in a state of negating…? 

M. Laitman: You cannot turn to the Creator until you come to a state where the people of Israel force Pharaoh to bow his head.

Student: The people of Israel obligate? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: The people of Israel have the force to do this without the Creator?

M. Laitman: Not without the Creator but with the Creator. The people of Israel, the people of Israel are kind of between Pharaoh and the Creator and it eventually determines who governs. 

Student: And he has choice to what direction? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Moscow 1): (01:08:24) The degree of Bina is when we look at the events that are happening without entering into them? 

M. Laitman: Put it this way. 

Student: We're just touching them or in the degree of entering the feeling of it? 

M. Laitman: I don't know how to say it.

Student: You said that it's enough to just touch? 

M. Laitman: No, no, no. I don't know how it was translated to you. 

Student: It was at some point. 

Question (MAK 4): (01:09:11) The essence of truth and knowledge. In truth, there is wholeness and in knowing there's this investigation. When we're told to go above reason does it mean to hold on to the wholeness of the action? Do I understand correctly? 

M. Laitman: Faith above reason is not complete knowledge. It is a special force that elevates a person above his mind, his reason. 

Student: Another question, with your permission? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: When we invest forces, we do this in two ways, either annulment or justifying the Creator. We need to do this one after the other, to start with annulment and then move to justification? 

M. Laitman: This is already a person's choice; this a person chooses.

Question (Toronto 1): (01:10:49) In our work in the Ten is it right that we have to overcome the second obstructor first and then overcome the first obstructor next, like unite against Sihon and Og first and then face Pharaoh together with the Creator second? 

M. Laitman: No. We need to see what is ahead of us and then go against that. This will be more correct.

Question (ITA 1): (01:11:42) Are there spiritual obstacles that we have to face or do we always have to go with faith over reason?

M. Laitman: That we don't believe enough and feel the Creator, feel the Creator among these forces. 

Question (New York 2): (01:12:32) Question from the Ten: What does it mean to rise above the disturbances and to specifically rise above? Is there recognizing that the Creator stands behind them and we need to be in joy that He's operating upon us this way and we identify Him? 

M. Laitman: We cannot be in joy if we don't attain the joy itself. This cannot be. We have to yearn for connection between us and out of feeling the connection between us we have to obtain or come to joy. 

Question (Women PT 23): (01:13:32) It is written that Pharaoh would see his Gevurot and would not return. What are they and what does it mean that he would not return? 

M. Laitman: What did she say? 

Student: It is written that Pharaoh strengthened his spirit against him. In the beginning he quotes the Zohar. He would see the Creator's triumphs and not return. What are the heroic things of the Creator and what does it mean that he did not return? 

M. Laitman: That means that he was going against it and so, what next? 

Student: What are the soul strengths of the Creator? What does it mean that he used to see them? 

M. Laitman: His strength.

Student: The question is, in our work does a person have some feeling sometimes that the Creator is really helping him, but he kind of neglects that later and is not reminded by those moments that he did feel that way. 

M. Laitman: Yes, you can say that. 

Question (Holland): (01:15:10) What gives us actually the force of faith to overcome the obstructors when we don't have the force of faith and the force of faith is the only force we need to overcome?

M. Laitman: If we don't attain the force of faith so there's nothing to talk about. We need to attain that force. The force of faith is... 

Student: How do we get it, Rav? 

M. Laitman: From Above. Only from Above. Through prayer? Through praying, asking, demanding. No, actually, thanks to them, we get an increased force of faith. 

Student: So, what do we do? It says that the only remedy is the force of faith to get above the obstructors but the obstructors are hindering us to get the force of faith.

M. Laitman: But that's in order for us to attain an even higher force of faith. What can you do? If we see disturbances between us, confusion, that someone tossed us from the stairs that we've only climbed now with our forces, and then again we have to climb that same ladder. So what to do? That's the sons of Israel sighed from the work, and so on and so on in such cases, so specifically from the state of despair we can reach a plea, a cry, the correct plea, and then you get the right help for it and we succeed. 

Student: So, then we ask for even more force of faith, to come to higher states of faith, and faith gives more faith. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, the remedy is asking all the time for faith above reason?

M. Laitman: Yes. Until we reach, until we're completely dependent on the Creator in everything and then, because we have no more choices, we cry out and the sons of Israel sighed from the work and their plea rises above and if not complete help from the Creator there's no chance to reach anything from a spiritual degree. It's the final despair because they see that with their own forces they can't succeed. 

Reader: (01:19:08) We are going to go to the next part of the lesson and sing a song.

Song: (01:19:10)