Morning Lesson October 26, 2021, Transcription
Part 1:
Baal HaSulam - Concerning the Vitality of Kedusha
https://kabbalahmedia.info/sources/F63UqPv7
1. Rav’s Introduction: The articles of Shamati contain several types of articles not in and of themselves because this is truly the upper light in terms of how we perceive it, how we absorb it, how we sense it and how it enters us and permeates and works within us. One of the articles that we can't really get an impression from I see this typically from my experience with the students. This article we're going to read now considering, the vitality of Kedusha article number 35 of Shamati, is one of the articles that is not immediately grasped but we then begin to see it more and more in depth and that is about the article itself, the content of the article.
The content is very important as we usually dismiss the states that are opposite to Kedusha
(Holiness). When I am in a descent, a fall, so in my feeling I am willing to give up these states, why do I need them? I feel bad, my mind is not working and the emotion is also kind of turned off and then what do I get out of it? That I am in a state of a descent, all of the states we should understand, all the states that are opposite to Holiness, to bestowal, to coming closer to the Creator, that they also accumulate in our work and our effort as we progress to the goal. It turns out that even the Klipa we curse and dislike and despise and are willing to let go, to dismiss, it works for the Holiness as it says, he shall swallow down riches and vomit them up. We spoke about it or the example of the wheel of how it goes backwards but it actually pushes the wheel forwards and this is how we advance. Where half of the motion forward happens by motion that goes backwards and without that motion backwards you won't have any motion forwards. On the contrary everything begins from darkness, darkness of night and day. This is how we count our days according to Kabbalah, meaning the day begins from the night there shall be evening and there shall be morning and they are 1 day.
We should understand this matter of how our state's being so terrible sometimes, that we just want to run away from everything, that we hate it because of our will to receive. We dislike these states but the truth is that these states in their essence are correct and positive states and they join the Kedusha and only thanks to them we can we enter spirituality and recognition of the Creator, knowing the Creator. This is basically what the article is about concerning the vitality of Kedusha.
Shamati 35. (05:31) Concerning the Vitality of Kedusha.
2. R. (08:00) Meaning we see here that anything that we received from above and at first it can be somewhat in the direction of bestowal and then we transform it in order to receive and we feel that it is in order to receive but it doesn't matter even though it is in order to receive and it goes to Klipa, meaning that we want to enjoy it ourselves but this is how we are deliberately being played from above. We then have to realize that this illumination that we perhaps received first with a good intention but then it was broken, so even though it all moves to the side of the Klipa it still remains and then comes to correction.
3. S. (08:07) He is right here in the article that he is not capable of sustaining the state permanently because his vessels are not clean enough, how can you receive an illumination if your vessels are not clean enough?
R. According to his desire, the way that he wants to enter spirituality, he wants to be in order to bestow, to move to a spiritual degree and according to his desire, according to his draw, his attraction then he receives some contact with it. Then as a result of that contact he feels he is coming closer to something and here he is not even aware that his attention is shifting, and he begins to think how he can enjoy this and how he was drawn to bestowal, is now going into his vessels of reception. We are not even so aware of it but the process should be understood.
4. S. (10:33) What does it mean that he's stepping with his feet on it?
R. That he is no longer interested in bestowing but only knowing feeling and getting, not to bestow by that, to have contact with spirituality, not interested in receiving the force of the bestowal and love of others but rather interested in feeling it and enjoying it himself.
Reader continues: (11:15) “At that time this illumination falls into the hands ….”
5. R. (11:42) Until this ocean is filled, years pass and some exertion and labor and descents and everything accumulates somewhere.
Reader continues: (11:56) Twice. “This means that after 1 reveals the full measure….”
6. R. (12:22) That is important, again.
Reader repeats and continues: (12:51) “Hence the illumination increases….”
7. S. (13:09) No Translation
R. No, this is about later that we get a little bit of the illumination from it but really everything accumulates in the sea of Sitra Achra it appears later, we will soon see how he speaks about it as it's only after we shift to Lishma.
8. S. (13:47) How does a person know that he has come to the end of his efforts and that he has performed all the effort they can do?
R. The limit of the efforts is Ein Sof, it is in Infinity, the final correction, what is the limit of the efforts.
S. It says he's done all of his efforts and then it is swallowed and vomited up.
R. That depends on the size of his soul and the greater his soul, the longer the path and he has to work a lot in concealment and it takes years and years until he understands and feels and collects all of his effort in the Klipa until it transforms and flips to Kedusha. It is like the allegory about the person who goes to the king's treasure with a little vessel to take coins. He takes a little bit and then he has to pour it and then he takes a little bit more and then he has to pour it again and he thinks he's losing it each time, that it's not his. This is what we feel through the descents, in the ascents we feel we're getting something and it's good and that and then in the descents we lose it, this is the example. That the Klipa actually helps us in completing the circle of the wheel, that half of it goes backwards and the other half goes forwards but the part that goes backwards completes the movement forward.
9. S. (16:00) When we feel the expansion of the ego and the will to receive for self, what are we feeling it against or in contrast to?
R. It is corresponding to the expansion of our vessels, one who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater than himself, it indicates progress, the distance of the vessels indicates progress as well. The question is do we remain in the same direction forward, so it is like I am doing sports, so the more that I Advance the more I am given more difficult exercises each time but there I understand that I need to take it upon myself more and more to do more because without it there's no progress. Same here except I don't see the process so each time I receive the hardening of the heart I think I'm falling but I am not falling. It’s that I am given more exercises and of course in all of these exercises I lose as much as I want to advance to connect myself to the group, to pray to the Creator, to do whatever is needed. I see that I still fall and fall, then it says, a thousand go into the room and one goes out to teach, to the light that is.
Meaning a lot of people leave the wisdom of Kabbalah because of that because they don't grow or understand that specifically through the darkness which amplifies until it encompasses us from all directions and then from the bottom, I call upon the Lord. Meaning then we can cry out to the Creator and it is an accumulative cry and then we cross the barrier, it’s the only way. It is a very long path to reach a state where we necessitate ourselves and the Creator and all forces of nature really, to transform this whole Klipa, shell, this whole labor that has accumulated in negative states where we feel that we are unsuccessful in every sense. This whole sea of Sitra Achra where all of our exertions and efforts are drowning, specifically from all of these efforts we then receive them and rise to Kedusha by them. This is what we need to understand because many people who don't understand this technology, this process of advancement they think that they are incapable and that they can't and that this path is not for them. The truth is it is not so, as all of our efforts must enter that sea of Sitra Achra, meaning in order to receive our ego and by that our ego grows more and more, we become more egoistic as well as being drawn to bestowal to connection and we discover in parallel we are more coarse and more egoistic until we fill the cup, the quota and then it opens up.
S. So when we feel the sensation between both the will to receive for self and the force of bestowal from the center of the 10 where are we in that sensation?
R. We are within the sensation, what can I say about it, the sensation you experienced as you are in it and consumed by it.
10. S. (21:22) How can one strengthen their faith in one's good intentions?
R. We will learn that that is next.
11. S. (21:43) There are different states in the group where it seems to you that you have a desire, and intention and there are states where you have only action.
R. We are now studying the article, I don't want to hear any more, don't you see you're confusing everyone with these questions that are completely unrelated. Be a bit more patient and you will hear what we're learning and not what you want to ask and then you'll miss the article and you have the same questions and it will remain that way.
Reader continues: (22:54) “It follows that all that the Sitra Achra….”
12. R. (23:50) Understood? You should write down questions. Learn how to work with the text and then ask. What the Sitra Achra receives from all of our descents, disappointments, and our troubles, all remains in it but it remains as a deposit and then all of those deposits that she accumulates later join our progress to Kedusha.
Reader continues: (24:41) “and a person never could receive all of those vessels….”
13. R. (24:59) If not for this work of the Klipot, Sitra Achra.
Reader continues: (25:06) “Hence there was a correction each time…”
14. R. (25:17) After he received something there was a descent.
Reader continues: (25:20) “he must start anew, meaning new ….”
15. R. (25:52) It is clear how it works; it is really a clear answer to all of our descents. These descents join the ascents and without it working this way we cannot advance to in order to bestow. We have to see ourselves as unable to advance alone to anything as we have no strength, no power, no mind, vessels, desires, nothing. The despair accumulates bit by bit until we are willing to nullify before the upper force, the Creator. When we truly want in order to bestow above the nullification and realize that we can't do anything on our own, it is like the example where we go to the king's treasure and use a cup to take all of the coins. We are told, ‘here is what you have been filling and emptying all the time, it is all yours,’ after we have despaired and see we can't do anything like that. This is how we work. We fall into despair from the work that is in order to receive and decide that there is no way to work in order to receive but only in order to bestow. In order to be so we don't receive anything, it's all for the benefit of the Creator and we see that this is the correct and desired work and that takes us to a resolution.
Reader continues: (28:06) “Yet, we must also know that is one….”
16. R. (28:44) This sorrow that he is sorry about and the illumination that departs all connect to him but as posterior, Achoraim. It accumulates next to him and he receives it afterwards but this is without him knowing and seeing so as to not disturb his work because otherwise it would ruin his progress, his yearning, his desire to achieve something. The more he advances, the more he advances in the feeling that he has nothing. The darkness becomes darker and darker as it says the deepest darkness is before sunrise. This is also how our nature is.
Reader continues: (30:01) “This is similar to a person who placed a seed in the ground….”
17. R. (30:50) If a person relates incorrectly now to his progress, then he is not putting the seed in the ground. Whatever he got in one moment that fell to the Sitra Achra, he doesn't relate to it as putting it in the ground so that something will later grow. He doesn't know, understand, or pay attention to that. He cancels the work that can bear fruit in the future by this.
Reader continues: (31:35) “It is the same here...”
18. S. (32:03) Do we descend into the intention of in order to receive when we fall into a state of descent?
R. Right because you begin anew at some point.
S. Does all the work fall into the Sitra Achra in the preparation of the next degree?
R. Everything you went through and all your work remains, whether it is negative or positive. There is no absence in the spiritual. We discuss it according to our feeling, but regardless of our feeling, each and every spiritual state remains thanks to the Klipa, the place the Creator created to accumulate, to collect all of our efforts to gradually advance us toward true bestowal, in order to bestow.
19. S. (33:50) What to correct and how to correct?
R. That is not a question and it is not how you ask in the lesson. In the lesson you ask according to what we just read.
S. Every day we do something for spiritual advancement in our mutual work, so what am I missing in my personal work to correct inside of me?
R. It is not just your question, this is what many of the friends are asking, and this is what we're clarifying. Keep listening and later at the end of the article we will see what we can add. You have to read the article several times to understand the article. I've read it maybe thirty times. I suddenly began to understand what he was talking about and what it wanted from us after the fifth, sixth or seventh time. The article is not difficult but it does need to rearrange us. I started discussing a new attitude to the descents, to the darkness, to our ego, to everything we call the Sitra Achra. These things are for our own good to advance us towards Lishma, to in order to bestow. We won’t advance without the system of Klipa. The Creator created it, “I have created the evil inclination.” It is a necessary thing. We grow by working this way and discovering that it is in order to receive and then trying again and falling again. There is no choice, everything works like a little kid trying to do something and then it breaks and he falls or something else happens. This is the only way. We have to understand that our game in spiritual work is coming to the level of the Creator, trying and then it breaks. We have to try and it breaks again until we come to the final state. Only the final state stays eternally; all of the other states fall into the sea of the Klipa, our ego, they are kept there and later they arise in the final correction. This is the great Zivug, the coupling, that happens in the final correction. All of our disappointments, despair, descents, and whatever we thought about ourselves as being wrong and doing wrong and being filthy, having bad desires and thoughts and all of the lies and deceit in everyone, and so on, all of those things achieve corrections by great light that appears in the final correction. It appears when we don't fall into despair but like little kids we try anew, again and again.
20. S. (38:11) We receive vitality from reading this article, but the vitality is going straight to reception. How do we deal with this transition?
R. You need to be above all of those sensations and feelings. I entered the Klipa once again but what I learned is protected and kept there. I continue with my efforts each moment anew, as it is written, “it shall be as new in your eyes.” This is the main thing.
21. S. (39:11) My individual efforts fall into the sea of the Sitra Achra before the crossing of the barrier. What about all the rest of the friends in the ten?
R. Don't worry, you won't cross the Machsom before you connect with your friends. We don't cross alone. The Machsom, the barrier, is the boundary after which holiness begins. Holiness can illuminate only in a whole vessel. A whole vessel is where there are ten, maybe six, no matter how many, that are connected together. Each annuls himself before the others, somewhat at the level of the Machsom, and then you cross the Machsom.
22. S. (40:19) How do we recognize the illumination and then how do we hold on to it?
R. We just need to yearn forward ahead. We can't measure the illumination, or preserve it, keep it or give it back. We just need to yearn for an intensified connection with the friends and towards the Creator. I constantly say to myself that this is how I am working and slowly, slowly I start to feel some attraction, some illumination, some awakening. I don't even know where this awakening comes from, but I need to constantly push myself towards that.
23. S. (41:17) Is the Sitra Achra something transient that ultimately disappears or is it something that will always exist?
R. The Sitra Achra are our desires, intentions, and deeds that we wanted to do in order to bestow but we fell to in order to receive. That is what the Sitra Achra is made of. If we do this in such a way upon all of our actions, together with that we later ascend on the ladder of degrees. All of our disappointments and our lack of success specifically rises and pushes us to the end of correction. This is why it is written that ‘it was swallowed and then vomited back’ and ‘there is no righteous in the land that has done good and did not sin’ prior to that. There are many other such sayings of the Kabbalists. They all go through this path so there is no point in despairing. We should just be concerned with the pace as much as possible, more and more through the ascents and descents, ascents and descents, just as we heard from Baal Shem Tov who had 200 ascents and descents within 5 or 10 minutes. That is how we need to do this.
24. S. (43:45) I understand that the Sitra Achra (other side) dominates me. How will I start to draw the light from the Sitra Achra gradually?
R. We cannot, that is not on us. Our point is to be drawn forward upon all those conditions that are being revealed now. I'm repeating myself again, it is not our problem that which we fell from, we fell, okay. Just like a little child, learn from Him. He fell down, he did something, he starts to build all over again as if it didn't happen. That is, it, he's not disappointed like us. He starts to do and carry out his desire all over again. Learn from that and you will see how He does and you do it that way. Where do we have those stories about the thief, about the children, what to learn from them? Let's take them out from the vault and talk about them also.
25. S. (45:08) I understand that the light we are drawing now, in our current state, through desire and prayer, it all comes through the Sitra Achra (other side). So, we need to get ready to just receive additional darkness and problems?
R. I did not understand the question. Say it again.
S. When we draw the light it only comes to us as new problems, new disturbances, tougher states? Is that what we're actually asking for indirectly?
R. We are not asking. We are asking for only one thing, to be drawn to the goal. What was, where we felt we fell. I need to continue towards that same goal, towards connection between us and with the Creator, that is it. I am not paying attention to what fell along the way, what I loss along the way, I cannot control that and there's nothing to that. The main thing for me is to advance in the current states, are there new conditions? I am advancing by them, that is it, just like a child. I gave an example, why do you not hear the example? You all saw how children build something and it falls down, he builds it falls, he builds it falls down, he doesn't get tired. Why can’t we do the same thing as children in spirituality? Because we have calculations, we're smart. Don't be smart. The wisdom needs to come in order to observe creation, and we want to observe our little ego, not to see the Sitra Achra (other side). There, it is truly the Klipa (shell) against spirituality, then it will several fold. The thing is, how are we sustaining our little beastly ego and that is a problem.
26. S. (47:52) What is the difference between a descent and a fall?
R. The difference between a descent and a fall is that a fall we feel after we are already down there, and a descent we feel during the time that we are descending in our qualities from the height to the low. A fall is a kind of free fall. Sometimes we don't feel we are falling, but when we are actually down there, then we say that we feel that we fell. A descent extends, and extends, and sometimes we try to stop that descent. Either are capable or not capable, that we need to see. Usually, we are not capable. A descent, like everything in spirituality, there is no somewhat in spirituality, it has to take place all the way. Then, only later can we isolate, locate that state and use it to go back up. We will work on this, these are things ahead of us.
S. The moment where we need to ask for help from the ten, is the moment where we begin to fall? Is it better to ask in that moment because I think that when I fall I can no longer ask for help?
R. Why are you asking if you are not capable? There's no question about it.
S. When I fall, as I fall, and when I am on the ground, I don't have more strength to ask. But when I begin the fall, the descent, maybe that's the state where I can ask for help from the ten to shorten the times?
R. Try, let’s see. There's no one wiser than one with experience, try and see. Then, tell us, when you caught that descent in the beginning, if you could have stopped it and in what you stopped it. Then, you can say that's okay, that I respect. Try in every state to do something, then you will understand whether it is in your hands or not.
27. S. (51:05) Why does it say that a person doesn't have the ability to accumulate his vessels?
R. We don't have any possibility of doing so. Where can I receive the light if I don't yet have a vessel for that light. There needs to be a desire with a restriction, with the screen, with the reflected light, the Zivug de Hakaa (coupling while striking) and reflected light, and the clothing of direct light inside the reflected light, then I receive within me some dose of light in order to bestow. You understand what preparations need to take place here on my behalf towards the reception of the light? That which we understand, what we feel once in a while along the way that is just a little bit spark, and not that we're receiving it. Whereas here, in the Sitra Achra (other side), here we are truly seeing that the Klipa (shell) truly collects within it all those illuminations, the small lights to the big ones. As it is written, that is the vast broad sea with the animals. Meaning, the light of Haya, the light of Hochma, where in such a way they live inside this sea of the Sitra Achra. After the sea is filled with all these animals, then it reaches a state in which the upper light comes and corrects all of these Klipot (shells). These Klipot are not just, I did not make them. Rather, the Creator plays with the Leviathan, with the whale, where eventually the Creator prepares for us all these Klipot so that later He will correct it all, and will be revealed by them as great, as the war hero.
S. Do the deposits that fall to the Sitra Achra (other side) happen in the times of descents or ascents?
R. During the times of descent nothing can fall to the Sitra Achra (other side), where will they fall from? During a descent, we don't have anything. On the contrary, only during an ascent, when we do something, and when we reach a certain state in which we are not capable of advancing more than that now, then that is the state that falls to the Sitra Achra (other side). We need to feel that descent, and then again to begin to ascend again. That happens to everyone, men, women, everyone. If we were to be a little more sensitive to it, we would understand that all the spiritual process we go through also takes place as day and night. More correctly, night and day, night and day, where a day begins from the night. ‘’There was night, there was day, one day.’’
S. With regards to the deposit. It's unclear how cashing the deposit works. Is the Sitra Achra (other side) like a partition between the ups and downs of the person?
R. That is not on us to talk about, right now. What work the Sitra Achra (other side) does, we don't have any connection to it, right now. I don’t like to talk about some theoretical thing, only something that is practical.
28. S. (55:58) What actions of the person are considered registered in his account? Are there any empty actions that have no influence on the spiritual path?
R. Again?
S. What actions of the person are considered registered in his account in spirituality? Are there any empty actions that have no influence on the spiritual path?
R. There is no such thing. Everything belongs to actual spirituality, even all of corporeality, as a result of our spiritual advancement in the still, vegetative, and animal. Everything accumulates eventually into one big calculation, and in that sum, everyone is included in everyone. There is nothing redundant in reality.
S. What is accumulating? The efforts to bestow which are for my own good or the inability and strength to do actions to bestow?
R. Both this and that. All the feelings, thoughts, desires and actions of ours, even the corporeal ones, everything is in that big computer that writes down in its hard disk, if you could say it that way, everything that happens. Like a scan, it does a scan on all of our systems and everything remains and is inscribed. There is nothing that disappears, that we lose, there is no such thing. We only later receive it in a more concrete compact way, to the extent in which we correct our vessels. In vessels, in order to bestow, all of these things are apparent in a much more arranged, sorted manner.
29. S. (58:08) Why during the descent, in that moment, we can't see that it will bring us an ascent?
R. Otherwise, it would not be a descent. First of all, all the ascents and descents are taking place in our feelings. Our vessel, first of all, is feeling, desire is a feeling. Then, we can maybe and also how much is the question, to process these things that we feel in our desire, in our intellect.
30. S. (58:50) How do the vessels gather, accumulate, and purify when the illumination that a person received are under the rule of the Sitra Achra (other side)?
R. This is gradually clarified in a person, not immediately. It could be that it will take sometimes, there are those that it takes several years. Nevertheless, we begin from this to see reality and how it all takes place and accumulates into it with the good things and the bad things. We need to understand that actually all results of our work is to the extent in which we are in descents, falls, disappointments. With that, as we start to receive some form of control over our desires and thoughts which is called a Masach, a screen. Then, we begin to work with the desire in order to receive in a different way, as we have some kind of control over it, that we perform a restriction on it, then a Masach (screen) over it. The reflected light, some we receive in order to bestow, meaning that we're ready to correct, a part of it we can't. Also, in that there are ascents and descents, much greater ones than those that were prior to entering holiness, where before you have those screens. Then, our work is different. Even though it is different, it comes, nevertheless, day and night, ascents and descents, but much deeper descents and much higher ascents.
S. Is it possible to identify the descent at the beginning, and advance without a fall or is it necessary for progress?
R. The descents are necessary. Although, we need to try, to the extent in which we discover them, to resist them, and to adhere to Kedusha as fast as possible. We need to agree that all these states are spiritual ones, that also the descents have a place and a form of vitality, just like he says in the ‘Matter of Vitality and Holiness,’ which is the title of the article.
31. S. (01:01:56) How is it possible to use the Sitra Achra (other side) to advance the ten?
R. We learn that all the time. We need to try and ascend above all that is possible. Well, this is clear, we learned this.
Reader, from the book ‘Following the Heart’ (01:02:37): “The Maggid of Mezritch, the great Kabbalist of ...”
32. R. (01:05:18) It is clear to us what was conveyed by the table list so let us hope that we will be good and correct babies and grow up well.
33. S. (01:05:40) Should we understand that these animals referring in the text correspond to different egoistic desires?
R. Yes, the animals are from the degree of animal, the light of Hochma which awakened such desires. That's what is written about in the text. Later we will talk about the whale, the Leviathan and other examples that come to the wisdom of Kabbalah.
34. S. (01:06:35) What does it explain to us in this line; that every creature must go to look for a place from which to receive delight and pleasure?
R. It is our nature in every place to find a source for good and pleasure, even in the most restricted places we nevertheless seek naturally from ourselves to our organs, and our limbs and bones and bodies all together; also, in our intellect and feelings we are seeking all of the time the most convenient and pleasant place for us. That is nature. Only through the wisdom of Kabbalah we want to rise above our nature to a spiritual nature, where there are different values and definitions.
Reader continues: (01:07:55) “We must know that it is a rule that one cannot….”
35. R. (01:12:00) I think these are clear; these are things that we feel in our life, each one of us.
Reader continues: (01:12:08) “here the pleasure of rest that one will ultimately receive….”
36. R. (01:17:53) Meaning he doesn't want anything for himself but only to exist in order to do actions in order of bestow. This can be felt very well in the connection between the friends. If someone is truly able to think of the well-being of his friends then accordingly, he will feel that by that vessels are beginning to stabilize in him, to receive the force of bestowal.
Reader continues: (01:18:35) “Anyone who is sorry for the public…”
37. R. (01:20:33) This is the entire article. I wanted us to hear it together because later, if you read it or not, I do not know; but even if you do then each one reads it himself or in a small group which has less benefit of reading it together.
38. S. (01:21:00) In the reading it says anyone who has sadden for the public, he's rewarded by seeing the comfort of the public. What is the comfort of the public? What is that reward of seeing the comfort of the public?
R. It is how the Creator dwells in the public. How the Creator dwells in the public. Now, how can it be that the Creator dwells in the public? Just a moment ago we saw that he is in sorrow in the public meeting, the public is not in a good state, so now how can he see the Creator dwell in the public? What is going on here? What change took place? That he corrected his vessels and he now sees that the Creator dwells in the public. How did he reach that? By being sorry for the public being immersed in evil, in the will to receive, in order to receive, that he cannot find the good and correct attitude towards the Creator; and he does arrive at that, and he is sorry that the public does not want to do it. By that, he seemingly covers for the public and therefore he is rewarded with; that the Creator is in the public ‘in my people I dwell’ and that is how he discovers it.
38. S. (01:22:55) How to let go of the past, of all those emotional assets inside of us?
R. I do not need to give up on everything, I do not need to erase anything. We're not in this life, in corporal life that we need to behave like regular people do. I simply relate everything to the Creator. That is why I have no problem not with the past, not with the present, nor the future. If I relate everything to ‘there is none else besides Him’ then there is no problem here; I am willing to complete with everyone and in everything.
39. S. (01:23:53) What is the best way to prepare in advance to go through the state of the posterior?
R. No. We cannot. And we mustn't do it. A person must not be immersed in the vessels of reception; it is the exact opposite; there are no such things on the path. We always need to be drawn to adhere to the Creator through the group and we prepare our vessels and our connections so that the Creator will be able to be revealed. That is the only way. Nothing else. What he is saying is the opposite of sanctity, God forbid not in that direction
40. S. (01:25:05) What should we do in order to incorporate it in the sorrow of the collective?
R. It happens itself gradually because we are in the last generation, and our fate and the fate of the public are entwined and interconnected and we are advancing towards the same goal, which is closed. That is why, let us only think that our future and the future of the public is the same, and to that extent we need to disseminate and spread this method of education and spread the future of the world. Look at the world, how it is deteriorating and how it is beginning to understand where it actually is? How is it beginning to agree that it has no good future in anything? Each person is seemingly lowering his head, not thinking that there will be anything good. The goodness is what he had, not what he will have. The next generation will be a lot less privileged, they'll have a lot worse off than this generation. At the end of the nineteenth Century, in the beginning of the twentieth century, which has already passed, we were at some kind of a peak on the corporeal level. And from now onwards we are deteriorating; there is nothing good for the future and this is what we see. We see despair, drug use, all kinds of things that are being revealed in humanity. We ourselves are looking at our children thinking that it is a shame that they were born and they're growing up, and what world are we leaving them. That is why all of our work is to tell everyone as quickly as possible while it is being revealed that way. Why do we need to move closer to understanding, to recognizing these forces that govern us? Everything comes eventually in order to advance us, if we understand that it is all for the better and from all of these things, we need to extract strengths and morals and so on, then we will quickly arrive towards the good goal. That is why along that path we can fall into all sorts of states and wars and very problematic situations. We can already see that we are not just being threatened by different crises of climate, of hunger and things like that. We need as soon as possible to learn what is ahead of us, and Kabbalists write about this, they wrote about this a while ago; that it is worth our while to skip over it.
41. S. (01:28:53) from the article it turns out that the reward could shine from the future in a certain image as society will accept us and the suffering will end and then, I will not have that type of work. But it is not real work towards the Creator if you get something to shine from the future, eventually I will have to reach a state that I'm working towards the creator and nothing shines?
R. I'd say it is the opposite; that also the past, the present, the future, they all join in this calculation in this wholeness, in this absolute goodness and not what it seems to me. There is no moment in life that does not go by for no reason, everything is taken care of towards this state of the end of correction, which everyone is advancing towards; If not in receiving in order to bestow in this world now, that we exist in our bodies, then in the future to come in different forms. That everything falls into the Sitra Achra [to the other side] and later it rises, and then is corrected.
S. About what you just said, we remember the past that we were at some peak in the 19th and 20th century, and now we are complaining about the present; drugs, depression and now the fear of the future being even worse. What should come from that state?
R. We have to publish to everyone what the future is. What is the good future that could be. Otherwise, we are in fact advancing towards this good future but in a very bad way. That is all we need. We need to understand that with respect to ourselves it is our spiritual work and with respect to all of humanity it is corporal work; to explain to them how we can better our situation, our corporeal situation. This is what we need to explain to the general public. In fact, it is the same work only by coming closer to one another, only by breaking all of the walls between us, and by that we will discover the good future. There's nothing more to do. This is also for us and for the general public but it is on two levels, and we are on the higher-level but it is the same work. We have no other work other than annulling all of the borders between us.
42. S. (01:32:46) If I understood, the Creator is expecting us that we should explain all the reasons to humanity. He is expecting it from people that are still in the darkness and do not feel the good. How can someone succeed in this, to explain something he does not feel yet?
R. Whatever he doesn't feel, he doesn't feel. What are you asking, I don't understand.
S. If someone is still in the darkness, not in spirituality, he has to explain his advancement to humanity, the reason for everything, the wisdom of Kabbalah. How can you do it correctly if you are still in the darkness?
R. He should just share what Kabbalah is saying, not from himself, but what Kabbalists are saying. Very simple. Take some excerpts from Kabbalists that he thinks are suitable for the general public. Maybe even rewrite them to make it suitable to the public and publish it wherever the broad audience can read it, or hear it, or see it. That's what needs to be done. The fact that he is no expert or doesn't understand it, doesn't mean anything.
43. S. (01:34:16) In the beginning of the lesson you gave us a few points. You said that if you do not relate correctly to what the vessel feels, by that you are not planting the vessel on the ground, you are stopping your advancement and also disregarding the descent. So, but that, the person does not advance. How or when does the attitude change towards the state he gets?
R. By what?
S. And when?
R. Does the attitude for the vessel of a person change?
S. That his vessels are spilled out. When does he start relating correctly?
R. No, he doesn't take it correctly, ever. We spoke about this, you didn't hear. We are not returning to vessels that have fallen. It is fallen, it is fallen, that's it. It should be seen in your eyes as new, I always advance with new thoughts, new vessels, everything is always new. Every single moment should be anew.
S. I'm asking about the attitude, not the vessels themselves. When does the person change his attitude towards that? Because you said that most people that leave, it is because they cannot change their attitude to the fact that his vessels are spilled out.
R. And?
S. There are articles that we get inspired by and article like this, we are not really inspired by because it is speaking about the opposite side of sanctity. Now we are reading this, they are explaining the process. Why can't we get the right attitude for our vessels being spilled?
R. We cannot receive the right attitude for all of our exertions in every awakening that we have. That we receive something, we relate it to ourselves and not to the Creator. That is why, when it disappears, I supposedly am in a state of, I have no mood, I blame the Creator for losing it, because I think that what I had, I gained by being in a descent that is my work and not that it comes from above. I do not feel that the Creator gives and the Creator takes, that is why my attitude is in accordance with that. However, if I understand that everything comes from above and I need to give whatever it is from my sight and relate myself to the ascents and descents in such a way that I mainly need to awaken towards ascents.
What happens later on, is that the ascent ends and descend begins or even a fall, as we spoke, then I treat it regularly. I can even experience that 200 times a minute, it is more and more. You can say, what is the benefit? You add an ascent 200 times, but you also added a descent 200 times. What is the benefit of that? It is that until this sea of the Sitra Achra (other side) will not be filled, listen to the calculation, until this portion of the Sitra Achra will not be fulfilled, the past does not end. Everything, eventually, needs to fall to the Sitra Achra (other side), like, the same example, with a cup. If I take this vessel and I fill it with coins from the king's treasures and then I go out, and it's poured out again, I go in again and fill it up, and it is poured out for me again. I don't want to go back there anymore, but I am forced to go in, I fill up the cup and then I go out again, again and again.
That is what we are all doing until the end of correction, till the end of correction. The difference is that those who do not attain the spiritual vessel, they do it out of lack of choice. Those that do attain the spiritual method, they do it out of their own freedom of choice. It is not that it becomes easier for them, they govern the desire of theirs to do that. It means that you agree with the flavors that the Creator is giving you. In such a way, that is how we advance until we reach a state that everything is in the Klipa (shell). Our exertion is in sanctity. Then, it was swallowed and then spilled out again, that all the vessels of the reception, meaning, the sea of Sitra Achra (other side), they rise, they come back to life. That is called the revival of the dead. Then, they get the force in order to bestow and then, the Klipa (shell) becomes Kedusha (sanctity).
S. When do I enter with my own desire?
R. Where?
S. To that place where the vessels are spilled.
R. Okay. That is not willingly that you, yourself, want to decide that you receive the light in order to bestow. In order to continue, then you have to empty yourself. There are also actions here. It is called the striking between the inner light and the surrounding light, that you force the screen to be purified, because you see that only like that you can go with your new desire, the new realization.
S. When does the recognition of this process start?
R. Whenever you will have screens, Masachim. It all depends on the Masach (screen), in order to bestow.
S. So, I am asking, we just read the article. I really, for the first time, understand after so many years.
R. I know that most students do not even notice this article.
S. You said in the beginning that there are such articles and those articles, articles that are opposite of sanctity, we disregard them. We read this together. Is this bringing us closer to this recognition that we will work from our own desire? What is the trigger that ten we'll take this and work with it with their own desire, that their vessels are being spilled?
R. I do not know what to answer you. You are demanding from me to do the work instead of you. You have to sit together with all seriousness, every single ten, and decide how we can apply what we read in the article, that this article will begin to work on us, how we can begin to ignite it, to get it going just like we ignite a motor, how do we do that to make it work. It needs to work together with the help of each and every one towards the others in the small groups. I hope that you review these articles again throughout the day, otherwise the benefit from it is very small. If one person, who doesn't have anyone to do with it, then he can download it from the archive, the lesson, and listen to it again.
S. This period, when we start to read the articles again, you are probably expecting us to work it in the ten and come back to that spiritual portion we get in the lesson. By reading this and thinking about the states, what is the optimum way to make sure this article does work on the ten? How not to disregard it? How not to miss it out? This is what I'm crying about.
R. Yes, that is the biggest problem, you are right. It depends on what extent we will push into it, but still, all of these things need to be with love and with the understanding that it is like a wheel that is turning around. That when one goes forward, the others will go backward. We do all that with ‘’There is none else besides Him,’’ and He will guide us, help us, with all of these things.
S. In the meal on Sunday, I heard you say, for the first time, that by that inner burning it ignites the spark. What is that inner burning? What is that point? How to focus on that inner burning?
R. Prayer, no more. Prayer. You want to ignite the spark, to have it fire up like a flame? Okay, no problem, only through prayer. We have no other actions other than prayer. Upon each and every action, a prayer should be raised from which we will reach its realization.
44. S. (01:45:56) I wrote down what you said in the lesson today. That in order to attain the future world, we need to break the walls between us and annul all the borders. That is the work.
R. It is the same. It is the same, yes.
45. S. (01:46:29) At the beginning of the article, it said that if a person can’t sustain the elimination constantly, his vessels are not pure to resemble the light. What does it mean to hold onto an illumination on pure vessels?
R. Only through connections between the friends can you hold on to this illumination. It does not exist in a single person, it is not revealed in anyone only, the connection between you. The upper light demands a minyan, a ten, it doesn't matter the number, it could be even 2 or 5, 10, but it demands that there will be a connection above the ego of the individual. There's a person and he works above his ego to connect to someone. Then, already between them there can be a spiritual system. Of course, it is not so powerful but still a spiritual system. That is why it says, the minimum is two.
46. S. (01:47:57) A few days ago, you explained how a Kabbalist feels descents. How does a Kabbalist feel ascents?
R. The Kabbalist feels ascents and descents only as a means to prepare or to be guided to additional adhesion. Of course, there are states when he is incapable of doing anything in mind and in heart. There is such a time like that time, it is given to a person on purpose. But after these passes, after this pause, this short break, he awakens and each and every state he tries to build the actions of bestowal.
47. S. (01:49:16) He writes that you can get vitality and pleasure in the future, also from the past and also from the future. That means to hold on to the illumination constantly?
R. Yes, let's say so.
48. S. (01:49:45) You said, a few minutes ago, pay attention to the most important sense in the article, that I do not want anything for myself but to do actions for the benefit of the friends. What is the essence of such an action and why is it so important?
R. Because by that you exit yourself and certainly work in order to bestow towards the friends. You can't really cheat yourself, of course you do but not completely. That is why it is highly beneficial for advancing. Succeed!
S. How do I do it?
R. You will do and then you share with us how you succeeded. If you did not succeed, you can check why.
49. S. (01:50:43) In an ascent in the ten, I do things so that when I am in a descent, I can get the forces that I invested in them. There is exertion, like in here, that goes into Gmar Tikkun (final correction). How do I discern between the two?
R. No. The exertion that the Klipot (shells) fall to the sea of Sitra Achra (other side), meaning that they fall, that I did not correct them when they enter Gmar Tikkun (final correction). It is not simple, we will learn how it takes place, how it happens. Don't think that if it is falling already that it is yours, no. We will see these things. Don't finalize anything, that it is all clear, like this or like that.
50. S. (01:51:39) Should one feel shame about craving for vitality in moments that one believes of not deserving life at all?
R. Should a person be ashamed. It depends on what for and why, why does he need livelihood. He needs to first of all try and align his goal. In that direction, he asks for strength that is required to reach the goal. If he doesn't have a goal ahead of him, what does it mean that he's asking for livelihood and why does he deserve it?
51. S. (01:52:48) In the article, all the process of Lo Lishma (not for Her sake) is described?
R. Not a question. I don't know what you are asking. In this article is it written about all the Lo Lishma (not for Her sake)? How can such a thing be? Why to ask about it? That I will say, ‘yes’? Of course, not.
52. S. (01:53:35) In the beginning of the article, and also throughout, it sounds that every person or individual spiritual being has its illumination. Is that the care that every point in the heart gets from the Creator, individual care?
R. Yes.
https://kabbalahmedia.info/en/lessons/cu/YxUUtzfx
Part 2:
Morning Lesson October 26, 2021, Transcription
Baal HaSulam, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, #79
https://kabbalahmedia.info/en/sources/kB3eD83I?language=en
1. R. It is a very important topic because it already belongs to our work and what we need with you is to understand what the second restriction is. We talked about it many times, I think we somewhat understand it but still we will need to deal with it again. Because this is our life, this is our work. (Rav drawing). We're talking about the part of Malchut that from a lack of forces is incorporated with Bina in a different way than it was before. Before in the desires of Galgata AB SAG, these desires of Galgata 4/4, AB is 4/3 SAG is 3/2 and the world of Nekudim comes out on 2/1. Then after they are mixed with NHY of Galgata and receive the second restriction when Malchut ascends to Bina and in this place the Parsa becomes and then above we have the vessels of GE and below the vessels of AHP. Meaning in the vessels of GE we can receive in order to bestow, bestowing to bestow it doesn't matter what, because there are vessels of bestowal here the qualities of Bina. That is why Malchut limits all the vessels in the ascents to the degree of Bina and these vessels as we drew, the upper light can and expand up to the Parsa.
The rising of the Malchut from the Nekudot of SAG to Bina of Nekudot of SAG is called the second restriction. Now we are learning that after Malchut ascended to Bina, here it was 3/2 here in the Nekudot of SAG when they are refining themselves it is 2/2 meaning only the degree of Bina, the pure Bina it has come below the Tabur and mixed Bina and Malchut. Here Malchut influences Bina. That is why the second restriction took place here. That is that until the Parsa the place of Keter Hochma, Bina, Hesed, Gevura and the top ⅓ of Tifferet, this is above the Parsa and ⅔ of Tifferet NHYM. That is below the Parsa. The whole top part is called the world of Atzilut below is the world Beria, Yetzira, and Malchut is Assiya. We have a place for the four worlds of ABYA, above is the world of AK. What happens here, so where can Bina be in control, it is the force of bestowal that the upper light can expand there and fill these vessels. Because Bina fills them and makes them able to receive the lights in order to bestow where Bina cannot fill these lights, cannot control them so the upper light cannot come and fill them in order to bestow.
These vessels are restricted. Meaning there is a limitation, there's a force that comes from above that limits them, stops them and in such a way, they do not receive the light. If they will, it will be in order to receive. Now, how do we advance onwards? Because the purpose of creation is there all of these vessels from the Rosh of Galgata until the Sof will be filled with the light of Ein Sof. That is the goal. This took place above the general Tabur and then it took place in the Nekudot of SAG that Bina expanded also to the Parsa, it was not allowed but she also filled expanded the vessels of Malchut so Bina participated in Malchut by entering here. So now here there are vessels that can receive in order to bestow from the Parsa to the Tabur only the vessels from the Parsa to the Malchut they are not able to receive.
They are not able to receive in order to bestow the vessels of reception. They are very big hearts, difficult, egoistic so we need to learn how they get corrected. How these vessels start receiving, actually what is the work, how these vessels, how can we bring the quality of Bina to them. If the qualities of being able to enter these vessels of Malchut then Bina will mix with Malchut and will eventually be able to add forces of bestowal to Malchut. And this way Malchut can be corrected but for now when Bina in Malchut are mixed together so we saw that by this, even though a part will be corrected, it is GE but the other part will not be corrected. It will keep being restricted and that is AHP part. How we will do it so in these vessels AHP it will be possible to use them in order to bestow. First of all, these vessels of AHP, are vessels of reception, how with them we can make some kind of a contact with Bina. How can we make some mutual connection between them? That Bina will influence the vessels of Malchut and Malchut back will influence the vessels of Bina, that Bina will understand what is below the Parsa of Malchut and Malchut will want to connect the vessels of Bina.
How could that be, because the Parsa is such a limit that it can go through only on the condition that I get the qualities on the other side. Otherwise no, so if I want to ascend above the Parsa I am willing and wanting the vessels of Bina to the extent I have vessels of Bina I can extend upward above of Parsa, to the extent I lose the vessels of Bina I go below Parsa. How can we build this elevator, that with it we can first of all from the world of Beria, from the world Yetzira, from the world of Assiya we can raise the parts of the will to receive include them in the Bina and there they will be corrected in order to bestow. Meaning desires will be here from the worlds of BYA and the intentions will be from the world of Atzilut in order to bestow, intentions from Bina. How can we bring a desire from Malchut and intention from Bina and combine them together, this is what we also want ourselves too. On all of my desires, no matter what kind from 0 to 100, all of my desires I want the upper light to come, here, this red part, and I wanted to correct it in order to bestow here, please I'm willing. Just here, another thing is revealed, what work I need to give in order to invite it to draw upon myself the bestowal of the upper light that will correct me.
That will raise my vessels above the Parsa. Or in other words, after we perform these ascents, ascent number one, two, three. We raise all of the AHP above the Parsa. We raised it above the Parsa and the vessels are here in Atzilut, we can do another action that all of these vessels that accumulate here and it is all from all the four worlds, ABYA, all these vessels can descend back down. Meaning that the Parsa will be annulled, because all the vessels will have ascended and corrected themselves in the AHP of rising and then there is AHP of descending, that all these vessels can go back to their place. Then the upper light will bestow upon all the vessels until the Sium, the end. So for here with what we have now are two actions, one is to raise or determine the Parsa. Second action is to determine the ascending of all the vessels above the Parsa. This is through the six thousand years as we say and the third action is to bring all the worlds of ABYA to their place to the Sium and that is the Gmar Tikkun. That is the work, the work to raise the vessels above the Parsa is the work of six thousand years and then comes to final correction. These are the actions we have to learn that they need to take place. It is all by our work, our work is called prayer or raising MAN and this is what we will now learn.
Item #79 (16:36) “Now we shall explain the ten Sefirot of... “
2. R. (17:22) That is what we learned in Galgata, the light expanded from Peh to Tabur and then refined and AB was born and then refined and SAG was born.
Read continues (17:36) “There was a coupling by striking on the records ...”
3. R. (18:13) All the vessels that can give us forces are above the Tabur, above the Tabur the light shines, the light of Hochma and Hassadim, that is why what we need to do is to actually, if there are no desires here below the Tabur to receive in order to bestow even to bestow in order to bestow to begin with we do not have because of here, what expands from Galgata expands only Malchut. The vessels the very big vessels of reception from the Tabur to the Sium then when we add when we add here the Nekudot of SAG, of Bina, when she comes to the Malchut she starts making this place ready to be able to receive in order to bestow the upper light here. From all of their participation of Bina, Malchut, they have reached the state that until the Parsa they are able to receive in order to bestow and below it they cannot receive in order to bestow, nothing there is no such thing, because the desire to receive are in control there. That is why, what we need to learn is how to correct the vessels below the Parsa.
Item 80 (20:11) “Know that the origin of raising MAN from….”
4. R. (21:29) He said something very special here. We have Keter which is the desire to bestow, Hochma bestows, see it bestows. Bina does not want to receive. Afterwards it wants to be able to bestow to the Keter so she develops the vessels in the ZAT of Bina and builds ZA. That is from the vessels of reception and the vessels of bestowal, it is compromised. Then Malchut comes which is entirely wanting to receive.
Reader continues: (22:40) “this assignment of the day to Bina….”
5. R. (22:57) Meaning ZA when it also has Hassadim, mercy from Bina and it also has the desire to receive like in Malchut or like in Hochma. ZA there also wants Hochma, it receives from Bina the light of Hassadim and feels the deficiency of light of Hochma, so it raises his deficiency to Bina, demands from her like from someone who gave birth to him the fulfillment of the light of Hochma. Meaning of the light will come and fill his vessels of reception. Because ZA uses his vessels of Mercy and part of his vessels of Hochma, it is like he is divided into half and half and Bina, when she receives the deficiency from ZA called MAN she turns to Hochma in order to receive Hochma and brings it back from Hochma to Bina that light that ZA is demanding. What she gives back to ZA is called MAD. We have MAN and MAD. Two new things here. MAN is that ZA asks and performs a deficiency in Bina and MAD is what Bina brings back to ZA and in this way they work.
Reader continues: (25:02) “without the ascent of ZA to Bina….”
6. R. (25:10) She's not lacking anything. But when ZA turns to Bina, he brings her deficiency to the light of Hochma that he wants. Then Bina turns to Hochma and receives from Hochma, like we said, the light of Hochma and then passes it on to ZA, and then to Malchut, to all the souls. All the souls are in Malchut.
Reader continues: (25:22) “since she herself is only light of Hassadim.”
7. R. (26:15) Meaning they do not connect between them, Hochma and Bina. They are opposite according to their nature, according to the lights, according to everything. Only when ZA demands from Bina the light of Hochma, that she will supply it for him. Then Bina turns to Hochma and demands the light of Hochma from it. Then Hochma obviously, happily, supplies that light to Bina for ZA.
Reader continues: (26:44) “Which means that she does not want to receive from Hochma…”
8. S. (27:39) We spoke about the fact that MAN is a request for correction. So how can you ask before the shattering?
R. MAN is a deficiency. Bina asks for the light of Hochma in order to build ZA, gives birth to ZA, fills it, raises it. That is a deficiency. Rav refers to the drawing. Hers, the deficiency, that rises from Bina to Hochma here. Afterwards, everywhere there is a deficiency in the lower one, it raises it to the upper one. It is called MAN, the Mayin Nukvin.
S. Why is ZA asking for the light of Hochma, isn’t he under the second restriction?
R. That's for later, it is not for now. If he receives the light of Hochma he will be big, he will grow and will be able to receive in order to bestow. And in this way, he has a small light of Hassadim. We will learn about it. There are many details there and states, Ibur Yenika Mochin. All these things we will learn them.
9. S (29:07) We see in the drawing that the purpose of creation, what you said, is to fulfill the vessels of Galgalta. We see the work of purifying the Masach, to the extent that I calculate how much I received, I come to a state that the Nekudot of SAG go below the Parsa. Here the question is about the raising of the worlds. What is the mechanism that goes from ZA to Bina?
R. It is not to the point now. We are not learning about it. I just gave it as general knowledge. If we are speaking about the vessels, then I just wanted to say that these vessels of Atzilut we corrected in its own place because the upper light can reach until the Parsa. Below the Parsa the upper light cannot reach. Then we raise these vessels one by one from the world of Beria, Yetzira, Assiya to the world of Atzilut. When all these vessels, when we will be able to fill them all, it will be 2,000 years. It is not our years. We will learn later on what it means. 2,000 is from the world of Beria, 2,000 from the world of Yetzira we raise up, then 2,000 from the world of Assiya we raise up. All of it together is 6,000 years. Once we perform this work, it is called the AHAP of Ascending. All the souls rise to the world of Atzilut, filled with the light of Hochma they can connect between them in order to bestow. That will all be in order to bestow to the Creator. Then from above comes a special light called the light of Gmar Tikkun, the light of the end of correction. Then all the vessels also descend back to their place. Not the AHAP of Ascending but the AHAP of Descending. That is the 7,000 years. Afterwards, there are more questions about it. All of these vessels start ascending to Ein Sof, the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth thousand. But that is already when we get there.