Part 2:

Baal HaSulam. Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah. #33

Reading item #33 (00:16) “Now we shall clarify the matter of the clashing..”

1. S. (02:12) This rejection of the light in the Peh of the Rosh is this on the 100% importance and greatness of the Creator or upon 20%?

R. First of all he rejects the entire 100% and then calculates, according to his calculation to what extent he is able to connect to the Upper Light and to receive in order to bestow. Meaning to the extent that they can be connected in mutual bestowal, the host and the guest, and then he receives from him part of it, let's say 20%.

S. When he rejects he feels during the time that he's rejecting the light so he feels 100% greatness or does he just do a calculation on 20% that he can receive in order to bestow?

R. He feels 100% of the greatness of the Upper Light but he measures himself and feels that he can be connected to Him like Him only in 20%.

2. S. (03:50) What is the discernment between the surrounding light and the diminished Hassadim that's at the end of the Partzuf?

R. The surrounding light is the same light that the vessel cannot receive in order to bestow and he is outside of the Partzuf, that is the surrounding light.

S. What's between that and the Hassadim that are in the Sof of the Partzuf which also doesn't receive after all the light is not received in that part of the Partzuf?

R. The Hassadim at the end of the Partzuf that are revealed there, they're not really revealed as Hassadim but the lights that are revealed at the end of the Partzufim are the lights that the Partzuf for the time being is rejecting, cannot receive from lack of a screen in order to bestow and that is why the lights are there. When the lights and states will come and the screen will be more revealed, then you will be able to receive more from these lights and more Partzufim will be built.

3. S. (05:20) We can see that the foundation to all the calculations is the restriction?

R. Yes.

S. And it is always stable and it always stands and all the scrutinies are above it how much and what’s surrounding it etc.. What’s the difference between the restriction that happens there onwards and all the next steps that it will go through and what we read in the previous part where he makes decisions and then he goes back to making, doing something wrong?

R. I don't remember what it talks about there but the Tzimtzum is the prohibition to receive in order to receive, that's forever.

S. What gives the authority for it to remain that way forever and not to return and regret and receive in order to receive?

R. Because the Creator receives the decision of the created being that wants to reach adhesion and equivalence with the Creator.

S. What causes the Creator to receive this and to receive that validity?

R. When the created being makes this decision freely because he wants that and this is accepted by the Creator as well.

S. And the person from below upwards makes decisions, why are they falling back to failing even though He decided? From above down you are saying that the Creator decides and gives the authority and eventually it's how it spreads above down happens, the decision above the restriction that is protected and kept later. Why the decision from below does not have such authority, for example, before he made decisions of how to decide and then he is going to behave and then he reverts to his bad ways?

R. No, it's not that he feels that he goes back to his bad ways but it's that he cannot face it's not that he's sorry for what he did. It’s not sorrow, it’s not remorse. He sees that he's unable to be in order to bestow, so he annuls his state.

4. S. (08:00) We are taught all in all that the first restriction was done after the creature asked the Creator to implement it. Earlier you gave us the answer that the Masach comes from below so that the created being will be able to give more to the Creator. So when the creature asks for a greater screen, why doesn't the Creator realize that?

R. The Creator wants the created being to have a Masach as large as possible until he will resemble the Creator.

S. Meaning if the creature asks I want to see You greater in my eyes and he gets a greater screen? How can I examine myself?

R. I don't know if you received it that same moment but he can ask and something from that he will receive.

S. What can hasten beyond reaching a fulfillment of a certain degree that requests more bestowal to the Creator and see Him greater in my eyes?

R. Is it what you are asking from your mouth outwards or is it a result of your preparations, of your exertion.

S. What is really from your mouth outwards and truly from his preparations?

R. Meaning it comes to a person, the strength, the lights so that he will be able to do the action in order to bestow.

S. How can I examine myself that I am asking this moment for real, maybe there is something that I want to give Him and all my request is for Him only?

R. Well that's one of the correct examples, yes. If you are able to correctly pray for the ten it is a sign that you are in a state of bestowal and the Creator gives you the ability, the strength, the force of the Masach, the light to do the action.

S. We talked about one being satisfied with what he has, that's being in a permanent prayer to bestow more to the friends?

R. Yes.

5. S. (10:47) This point where there is an assurance that he will not go back to his bad ways, is it something that is done from Lo Lishma to Lishma is it the point where all of a sudden it is assured to us that we won't go back?

R. If a person calculates and doesn't want to return to in order to receive under any circumstances then he is given the opportunity to advance in order to bestow.

6. S. (11:30) I heard that the screen rejects 100% after the calculation of how much he can bestow mutually, he may have received let's say, 20%, is that right? The question is: for what does he invite the quantity and quality of light that he cannot receive? Does he not do a calculation?

R. No, this comes to him from above. It's all according to the volume of his Kli. So the Upper Light comes 100% that can fulfill the vessel, let's say, that you are in hunger of ten kilograms, so you deserve 10 kilograms, and then you decide I can receive from that only one kilogram.

S. Something invites this 100% of quantity and quality and in every degree is something different and Galgalta and AB it is always different. So what depends, what is the quotient for each fulfillment and what does it depend upon?

R. That depends on the Kli, to the extent that he has a will to receive that he wants to pull upon it the Upper Light.

S. While he annuls the restriction and wants to draw the light?

R. He doesn't really cancel the Tzimtzum, that he only receives above the Tzimtzum to the extent that he can in order to bestow.

7. S. (13:23) He writes that the matter of the clashing of the inner light and the surrounding light on one another which causes the refinement of the screen and the loss of the last phase of coarseness. So actually the clash eventually causes the light to emerge from the vessel because the screen is refined?

R. Of course, the Bitush causes the exiting of the surrounding light, also the inner light it all goes out, it is all annulled.

S. I mean that the clash indirectly brings forth the leaving of the light from the Kli, it exits because there was a clash and then the screen had to go through a refinement so it's kind of contradicted to the interest of the landlord who wants more light to enter into the vessel and the surrounding light is pressuring and causes this clash and then the light leaves the vessel, so what do we do in that?

R. By that the vessel becomes greater it becomes more scrutinized, more sensing.

S. Why?

R. First there was a state where he didn't receive anything then he received a little bit of something the Host comes and pressures him again and he doesn't want to receive, he rejects everything, he can’t face that he has a little bit here and he has a little bit there so he completely removes contact, he removes himself from the meal.

S. But the landlord wanted to give him more. Eventually it worked out that not only does he not receive more but also what was there came out?

R. He can't do anything other than that if he wants to remain a non-receiver.

S. What happens next?

R. Next you come to a new state and he reaches out to the host and asks again for a meeting with him but he comes with a greater Kli and receives in order to bestow another portion and again it is done and again and so on that's how through the multiple actions, in multiple times and vessels he reaches the final correction. He eventually receives everything in order to bestow with the shattering with all kinds of scrutinies that's clear, but eventually this is what causes it.

S. Why does all the light need to leave the vessel in order to reach a new degree?

R. There is no partiality in spirituality, if you cancel, you cancel it all.

8. S. (16:52) Isn't it exactly the other way around? If I went for 100% and I came to the conclusion that I can't, I was refined I made a new calculation and now I'm going for 80%, I am not going for the meat I'm going for the fish now. It doesn't grow and grow it gets smaller, no?

R. Yes, so.

S. It's opposite to what you said at this moment?

R. But you're still adding your adding according to your ability.

9. S. (17:35) What's the difference between a clashing and a coupling of beating and striking?

R. Coupling and striking is first of all Hakka and a Zivug. What do you want to ask?

S. The clash and the coupling?

R. They don't penetrate each other but only clash. They enter this Bitush this clash and there are many actions here that we don't learn here. It has like all kinds of harmonies, these results, these secondary results that influences the vessels and also influences the light because the light clothes in the Klis response,however for the time being he does not receive, that is Bitush, clash.

10. S. (18:46) Nevertheless the surrounding light that belongs to the Partzuf even though it's outside of it?

R. Surrounding light doesn't enter the Partzuf, it exists around the Partzuf, he shines to an extent in the Partzuf but for the time being we do not talk about it.

S. What does it mean that the inner light and the reflecting light beat each other, what is this phenomenon take place, from what?

R. I don't understand what he's saying in Russian or what was translated.

S. No translation.

R. What state are you speaking of?

S. No translation

R. Well yes, two lights, inner Light and surrounding light clash with one another they come from different forms of the Kli. Inner light and surrounding light and then between them there is a beating a clash and from these clashes all kinds of phenomena are born and then we work with it and we discuss it.

11. S. (21:32) no translation

R. Anything you want all you want is to raise the ten towards the Creator and then the Creator will let you do it, anyone who prays for the others is rewarded first.

12. S. (22:13) What determines the amount of surrounding light?

R. There is an inner vessel for the inner light and an external vessel for the surrounding light. The external Kli meaning you cannot receive meaning it's internality the upper light that determines the surrounding light. The surrounding light also needs to be in a vessel so there is an external Kli.

S. Does it have to do with that we cannot form with the returning light with the vessel of bestowal the amount that we cannot form the vessel of bestowal is not actually the Ohr Makif?

R. Again.

S. Does the measure of light that we cannot receive into the vessel and to bestow with it, is that the light called Ohr Makif that is left behind and outside?

R. Right.

13. S. (23:49 ) After the refinement of the light does the desire grow or get smaller?

R. The desire if it's fulfilled with light in order to bestow, then there is no deficiency in the vessel in a new record, Reshimot is continued.

14. S. (24:34) There's a certain problem that he writes here meaning that part of the light that the reflected light cannot raise it comes out of itself and becomes surrounding light, what’s not okay here?

R. I don't understand.

S. In other words that whole part of light that the reflected light cannot clothe like phase four herself emerged and became surrounding light?

R. Because there isn't any clothing on him for returning light, the host gives a lot more than what the guest can receive in order to bestow, he gives the guests everything according to the deficiency of the guest but not according to the screen of the guest, do you understand?

S. I understand, it just reminds me I have to fill air in my tire and all the air comes out and I have to get another tire how do I cause the air to enter the tire without it escaping outwards, what’s not ok here? Our intentions? The light does not go outwards and the inner light does not go in?

R. You need to receive the light only according to the deficiency of yours to bestow and not just according to any deficiency. I want to receive two kilograms of food but to clothe it in the intention in order to bestow I can only do it with half a kilogram so that is what I receive, and another kilogram and a half remains outside.

S. What's not okay that I'm not doin in the ten right, it's not clear to me. What is not alright with what I am doing, what else do we need to do to fill the tire with air so that the tire will not leave and come out? What is not okay?

R. The reason why I cannot receive too much of these refreshments in order to bestow is that I don't yet have the greatness of the host in my eyes.

S. They were talking about lowliness before, and we aren't humbling ourselves enough before the friends?

R. The lack of the greatness of the host in my eyes. If we all connect and we think of the greatness of the Creator and we raise him in our eyes so we will have the strength to receive in order to bestow much more than what I received.

S. Yesterday I heard a friend saying about the Creator, how can I see the greatness of the Creator even though I don't see the greatness of the Creator?

R. You have a Ten in front of you, I understand that you worked in the government and the louder you scream the more convincing it is but that's not how it is. The thing is you have a Ten so speak towards the Ten.

15. S. (28:51) What's the difference between the greatness the creature has upon which he can receive in order to bestow? Because also the fact that he cannot receive is a form of the greatness of the Creator. He prefers not to receive there not to blemish the honor of the king and that is one form of greatness and there's a part where he can receive in order to bestow. What's the difference between the greatness of which he receives?

R. Of course the part that you cannot receive in order to bestow there is the greatness of the Creator, a great portion of it but he cannot work with it, he cannot work with it. Now one gram of the greatness of the Creator will be revealed to me and I will be able to receive it in order to bestow. This infinite form of greatness of the Creator where is that? it's outside of me I cannot receive it, I don’t have the strength to do it and what can I do?

S. It's not just that I cannot receive but I also have the greatest of the Creator to reject that pleasure which is contradicted to my nature?

R. Yes, but that's not recognition of the greatness of the Creator, you're willing to maintain the restriction.

16. S. (30:38) To continue the scrutinies is it right to think that at first the creature receives a portion with the Kli with the light of Nefesh and he wants to receive the next portion so he receives two vessels so he gets Nefesh Ruach, so his desire grows. Is that the right way of looking at it or scrutinizing it?

R. Scrutinizing for what?

S. The friend asked about the engraving that each time we're engraving more, what is this refinement, is it simply the addition of vessel and more lights for the next portion?

R. Of course in addition but what are you asking?

S. It seems to me that it's not so clear?

R. What?

S. How this action is continuing, also the other friend?

R. Don't bring me all the greatness of the generation.

S. We went  through scrutinizing how exactly this is happening and how the vessel receives the lights, what is this restriction? For the next stage there is an additional Kli, the first Kli is not erased and we receive another addition of lights in two vessels, also the Kli of Keter and the Kli of Hochma, receives the light of Nefesh and the addition of the light of Ruach, it is not being erased, so that is the discernment?

R. The scrutiny of what?

S. How the Kli works, how the light works?

R. Yes.

17. S. (32:44) The rejecting screen does it feel all the light?

R. The rejecting light feels all of the light that comes to it.

S. The feeling of the light we feel that it extends to the extent that it reflects or gives back, meaning the more he reflects he gets a feeling and then he clothes that, so it's not so clear whether he feels actually all the light or he only feels the measure with which he can bestow or is capable to bestow?

R. Only to the extent that it comes to him through the upper Sefirot that they scrutinize and they clothe the lights that comes to it in a way that is similar to the same screen.

S. And this is still to the extent that he's capable of bestowing?

R. Yes.

S. He's actually not feeling all the pleasure he's feeling the pleasure in the light to the extent in which he bestows, it is not 100% of the light?

R. 100% of him that he made is at the end of correction.

S. He actually doesn't have a problem he doesn't have the need for the greatness of the Creator upon the part that he doesn't feel. There's no question here because it's only to the measure in which he can create bestowal and the greatness of the Creator to that extent he feels pleasure

R. Yes.

18. S. (34:38) When I am missing something in this world let's say I'm in the perception of this world, for example you're missing vitamins or you're missing this or that but now when we're talking about spirituality I'm told you're missing the greatness of the Creator. Is there some way to explain it so that I will be able to understand with my vessels not just about lights and vessels and these things in spirituality that I have no grip on?

R. There's a force that works on you and arranges your entire life from start to end, in the way there and on the way back and also around you and everything and everything. You are in it, you are in that force, and this force wants to be introduced and this is what happens in the Wisdom of Kabbalah to know this force that acts and governs you.

S. Physically and physiologically with my senses I can understand, and I can point to something and I can say this is what's happening or are these all things and what you're saying, is it a change in our awareness? You can see some change in your awareness, the picture of your world will change and other factors will be added, there are additional factors that enter your awareness that were not there before. Is that the only explanation that I can give somehow in our vessels?

R. So what?

S. It's a question?

R. What's the question, let's say you got married, so from tomorrow you have another calculation in life, when you start calculating for family as well.

S. What I tried to see is if there's a possibility to explain this change a person goes through where he's somewhat come closer to spirituality in terms that anyone would understand because you're saying to a regular person?

R. I need to receive to calculate to bring the Ten into my calculations and it's like I married them and from this day onward the Ten needs to be in my head and in my mind and I need to constantly calculate for them.

S. I thought about dissemination, how to explain it to people who are not here?

R. I don't think about that, we are working with the Ten and that is it, love of others is the Ten and then love with the Creator within the Ten.

19. S. (37:44) Before the restriction the light filled the fourth phase 100%, it felt all the pleasures that creation has to give?

R. Not exactly because there wasn't a prohibition there there wasn't in order to bestow there was simple life fulfilling all of reality.

S. That's exactly what the question is about because the light fills everything and from the greatness of the Creator the shame is created, this opposite-ness in the fourth phase feels from the Creator in his disparity of form, and he also sees how great he is and how small she is and it creates shame?

R. No not that, to the extent that the host wants to give me and I don't want to give back to the host, the difference between giving one towards the other, this called the shame.

S. This shame leads to 100% departure of the light from the vessel meaning a complete restriction, it feels like at this point it's a decision that's already in the point of this decision that is 100%?

R. Well let's say.

S. It's not like the fourth phase that it's 80%, no she took 100% of it. That's 100% of the greatness of the Creator and then there's a process where again when you can build the greatness of the Creator again, but there was 100% of the greatness of the Creator. Why do we need to build gradually that greatness?

R. It's a different greatness.

S. What's different about it?

R. There was the greatness of the Giver and here it is the greatness of the receiver. It's a different quality of the Creator that's revealed after the restriction. I search for how I can come closer to Him and equalize myself towards Him and that's why it's different. The result of equivalence of form will be like returning light like bestowal, before the restriction then no bestowal is required from me just reception.

S. Meaning the work after the restriction is building the restriction or the greatness of the creature?

R. Right and also the Creator in comparison to it.

S. There's a mutual greatness instead of this?

R. Also the baby, what does it feel from the greatness of his mother.

S. Many times we relate or correlate the baby as the first in the root phases and later it's the   phases it is more?

R. Okay.

20. S. (41:05) There's a complete measure of benefit that can be received and if we can do according to our conditions it's through clashes and strikes is that how it is?

R. The end of the act starts with a preliminary thought the Creator has no limitations and He takes the final state, we are corrected completely, we are in complete adhesion with Him and from that state He starts creation. Then it turns out that what we have in front of us is all of that creation and only that now it's divided into parts that we need to collect to connect and to learn and like that to realize.

S. In other words it's like that servant who comes with his cup?

R. Let's say, but it's not just for screens and for records, Reshimot and all kinds of things that we will resemble ourselves to the Creator completely.

21. S. (42:29) What makes Malchut of the Rosh to suddenly have such a scrutinized deficiency that it can start to do a discernment on the greatness or feel something?

R. Why can't she do it.

S. Yes, what helps her in this?

R. She has the upper light in front of her and she has after her all the coarseness and she is in between, so from these two things she builds herself and how to tie the upper light to the desire that she has following her and from that she builds herself. Other than Malchut we don't need anything.

S. What's the difference between her deficiency and the deficiency of Malchut that restricted herself from the fourth phase, is that actually the deficiency that invited that light that comes to the Rosh?

R. Yes.

S. What's the difference between their deficiencies, between the lack of the Malchut of Peh of Rosh and the lack of the Malchut that restricted herself in the fourth phase?

R. Malchut of Peh of Rosh only comes through it because she wants to receive it later on in order to bestow. It's the guest that enters contact with the host, it's Malchut of Peh of the Rosh. Later when he does calculations how can he receive what the host asks him to receive, then he starts behaving differently. He starts calculating to what extent does the host want to give to him and to what extent is he able to receive and to what extent is he influencing bestowing back to the Creator to The Host. It's like he's constantly measuring him on this scale that needs to be calibrated to zero the meter, and on these two plates what the host gives him and what he gives to the host they need to be equal. That is how he works and the host adds and adds and as he reveals greater and greater pleasures in what he gives the guest, so the guest needs to add his response to the host. Then he's constantly doing this Middle Line, the zero and that's how he advances until the final correction. He doesn't go so smooth because in order to see himself and what the host gives him then he's in a state of shattering and all kinds of states, but that's in order for him to check himself and see how he equalizes himself to be host to be a complete zero of the meter, right in the middle of the scale.

22. S. (46:13) What gives us the strength and the force to receive the whole measure of the greatness of the Creator?

R. All of the form of the greatness of the Creator, the full quantity of it we will receive it only in the final correction. That's what I understand because we're not there, and there the Creator who will be revealed in its full perfection and its full scale and intensity.

23. S. (46:49) Does the landlord always give to the guests always more so it will remain on the deficiency on one hand, on the other hand we will receive all the abundance but each time in a greater degree?

R. The host doesn't give the guest more than the will to receive of the guest. That in order to leave for himself a place to the intention in order to bestow, the guest needs to receive less than what the host wants and part of it he returns to the host and part of it he receives in order to bestow. Then he is in some form of balance with the host and not according to the quantity but balanced according to the intention, to the extent that he is able to face the host with the intention of bestowal.

24.S. (47:58) If the host restricts himself, how does he restrict himself in a way that he can receive pleasure from the meal, how does the guest do this?

R. The guest enjoys the meal partially to the extent he can receive with it his intention in order to bestow and receives pleasure for the meal too because without it he cannot give contentment to The Host. Doing it with the intention as well and he has two sources of pleasure, from the meal and from the intention, and both of them are revealed through adhesion.

25. S. (49:05) You said there's an inner vessel for the inner light and an external vessel for the surrounding light, what is the external vessel?

R. The external Kli is what cannot be an internal Kli, and he receives in it the surrounding light, these are the desires of the Kli intentions of the Kli and that's the Kli, that he cannot place it below the screen.

26. S. (49:37) On one hand we learned that after the clash it's refined and it gets rid of all the light, on the other hand we learned that it's an accumulative process, how do these work together?

R. I don't understand what the difficulty is, the Kli is constantly purified after receiving the light.

S. He says he loses all the Inner Light in him and this is an accumulative process?

R. That's for the time being, it's just like with the cup that he goes to the treasury in and out and in and out, same thing here it's an accumulating process.

27. S. (50:36) Can you say that the inner light is Hochma and the surrounding light is Hassadim?

R. Inner Light is usually the light of Hochma and also the light of Hassadim because you cannot have the light of Hochma without the clothing of light of Hassadim and the surrounding light.

S. He asked whether the inner light is Hochma and the surrounding light is Hassadim?

R. No it doesn't divide up that easily.

S. What is the reflected light?

R. The returning light is what he received before or wanted to receive before, he knows to go back to his source to the Rosh of the Partzuf.

28. S. (51:53) In our Ten we meet everyday for about half an hour and want to work according to what the teacher recommends to read the excerpts between us and what we learned, how do we do the correct scrutinies of Pticha and not philosophize between us?

R. Scrutinizing Pticha.

S. How do we read this as recommended and not fall to redundant scrutinies but rather to qualitative discernments between us?

R. You need to decide yourselves, I don't want to get into it, because there are those that I heard that read articles and there are those I understand that you need to go deeper in, in faith above reason. Because for them it's like a wall that cannot be passed through more and more, so I don't know what you'll do and how you'll do it.

S. Actually it doesn't matter what we're studying just surround ourselves with the source?

R. No it's important, let's say you come at 6:00 p.m. for an hour and then go to sleep until 7:00p.m.

S. How do we work in this hour between us so that you will also be able to work correctly with the source and also come with the proper scrutiny to the lesson and not just fall asleep between us?

R. You're not beginners anymore, you need to see yourself and what to do and to take some material close to what we're studying either from Pticha or the Articles from the teachers and to start consistently, perhaps going over them.

S. Just watching ourselves through the reading it or also when we're talking?

R. It could also be in through talking but scrutinizing not just talking.

S. How often do you meet each day?

R. 30 minutes, 45 minutes.

R. Okay that's enough to consistently read these articles.

S. When we read the articles, we said that we did what the Rav recommends, but how do we not just sit here for half an hour and fall asleep, we heard some words that passed by us, how do we work correctly to doing this half an hour?

R. That depends on the style of how you read, what that one reads and others are asleep.

S. No we divide up the reading between us, but how do we work with this and not let it just wash you?

R. The deficiency, you should pray for the deficiency in the Ten that each one will feel to the extent that he is included in the heart of the friend and by that he comes closer to the Creator. I have in front of me I have this and that amount of hearts and I need to be included in them in order to reach the Creator, in order for my prayer and my request to reach the Creator I need to go through all of the hearts of the friends, go ahead do it.

S. All the Tens are meeting all around the world, how during this half an hour do we check how we enter the meeting and how we exit the meeting?

R. I don't know entering the meeting or exiting the meeting, these are emotional things how can I enter them.

S. Do we need to divide the time of the meeting in such a way that it's before you enter the meeting to see the state that we entered and then the second before we left, what state we're leaving or does that not matter the light worked on us and washed us?

R. Each and everyone has to check to the extent that they yearn for meeting with the Ten and to the extent that after that after this meeting they're happy that they have a Ten and he's with them in contact.

29. S. (57:44) We talked now during this lesson about the greatness of the Creator meaning that's what we're always missing, and I heard you say that the Creator controls everything and He manages us from the beginning to the end. When we are searching for this force of None Else Besides Him, after all he has a certain characterization also physicists are searching for one force that unites all the forces, but when a Kabbalist says None Else Besides Him, I kind of understand that there is something beyond that that there's also an intention behind this absolute control of us. This whole thing is that I cannot differentiate between this force that controls us and His intention. When I search for this in the Ten I'm searching for this intention, so the meaning is maybe it's something that I have to attain and maybe it is suffice in the intention or this tendency that this controlling force has?

R. I don't know what to tell you, I think that you still have some confusion and you need to wait until we stabilize.

30. S. (59:39) Is the Ten the host or the landlord?

R. If you make it the host then it is the host.