Part 2: Preparation to Convention – Connecting to There Is None Else Besides Him
Lesson 2: Believing that the Creator Is Good and Does Good
Reader: Shalom, friends, as part of the preparation for the World Kabbalah Congress on the topic of “Connecting to There Is None Else Besides Him” taking place less than two weeks from now, we will learn from lesson number two on the Congress, on the topic of believing that the Creator is the Good Who does Good, and we'll continue from excerpt number two. Baal HaSulam writes:
Reading: (00:25) 2. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 34. "The Advantage of a Land"
It is known from books and from authors that the Creator is benevolent. This means that His guidance appears to the lower ones as good and doing good, and this is what we must believe.
Therefore, when one examines the conducts of the world, and begins to examine himself or others, how they suffer under Providence instead of delighting, as is fitting for His Name—The Good Who Does Good—in that state, it is hard for him to say that Providence is behaving in a manner of good and doing good and imparts them with abundance.
However, we must know that in that state, when they cannot say that the Creator imparts only good, they are considered wicked because suffering makes them condemn their Maker. Only when they see that the Creator imparts them with pleasures do they justify the Creator. It is as our sages said, “Who is righteous? He who justifies his Maker,” meaning he who says that the Creator leads the world in a manner of righteousness.
M. Laitman: It's really the first condition that we have to attain in the connection with the Creator, that He is the Good Who does Good to everyone. Meaning, that the very worst things that a person goes through in life, those too come from the Creator, and those too bring the person to know the Good Who does Good.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (03:54) It says here that everything is measured according to one's feeling.
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: We also heard in the first part that the world of spirituality is intentions, it has nothing to do with bodies and desires. Can you feel the intention or is the intention always within the body, within the desire?
M. Laitman: We need to feel our intentions and to try to connect them, to attribute them only to that single force.
Student: Is there a state where I can feel pain or suffering inside the body, and together with that, and the intentions to feel pleasure? What are we talking about here in this excerpt? Is it not simply talking about what's inside the bodies?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: It speaks of something else completely, the spiritual world, and if a person enters, he can then live in intentions. He cares less about the feelings of the body. The question is what about those feelings of the body?
M. Laitman: The feelings of the body, well, a person transcends them, they become unimportant to him, so to speak.
Student: Everything is measured according to the importance?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (05:48) Should a person look at how the Creator is leading others – the way he looks at how the Creator is leading him, himself?
M. Laitman: I don't know if we can feel how the Creator truly relates to everyone in the world because that's how it appears to us. But we cannot say that it truly is so.
Student: When a person is suffering, it's clear to him that he needs to correct himself in order to receive from the Creator good influences. What does he do when the other is suffering, where is the correction then?
M. Laitman: The person feels from the Creator according to his measure of how he identifies with the nature of creation.
Student: Nevertheless, what does he do with the suffering of the other? Even though he can identify with these torments, it still doesn't seem whole to him because the other is suffering.
M. Laitman: Again?
Student: You just said that it depends on the degree of identification with the actions of the Creator. There's an addition here. When the other is suffering. I'm asking what is the correction there? Is it simply identifying with him – I, the one who observes it? Or is there something else that I need to do here?
M. Laitman: We can only understand others on the condition that we share the same qualities. And therefore, we don't have anything to change here except for our attitude towards the Creator. If we say that, according to the words of the sages, He is the Good Who does Good, as they have attained it, they felt it, and this is what they say. So, we need to bring ourselves to a state where we relate to the Creator as the Good Who Does Good. Even if we don't feel it in practice, but in order to aim ourselves, direct ourselves towards Him, that's what we have to accept, and that's how we start on the path.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (10:48) When I look at the other who is suffering, for example: I look at my people, or my country, and whenever I see they are being murdered, and raped, and kidnapped, I see only suffering in my eyes. What should I tell myself?
M. Laitman: You need to explain to yourself that what you see is a copy of your inner state. And therefore, you need to look at yourself in a way where, according to what you feel, that you also understand where it comes from, and why, for what purpose, and so to advance.
Student: What I see is a copy of my inner state, or should I see it otherwise?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: I need to even see it otherwise? I have to change what I see?
M. Laitman: You want to see the way the Creator relates to you, called Providence, in a manner in which you won't have anything to add to it.
Student: But I have to complete, to compensate above all the suffering I see. The story I'm telling myself – do I tell myself that the Creator is Good Who Does Good, or do I have to demand a change in my eyes, that it'll change internally and externally?
M. Laitman: No, the reality is a result of what you feel. So, what you want is to just change your feeling.
Student: Change it to what?
M. Laitman: Until you see the Providence as right, as good.
Student: And then, what will I see? When I feel that the Creator is Good That Does Good?
M. Laitman: And then you will feel how much you change to reality, the perception of reality, the attitude towards reality.
Student: The relation towards reality changes, the perception changes. But what about reality itself? First, I saw suffering. What do I see now in my eyes, what comes across?
M. Laitman: If you were to long to see a matter of truth, then you would relate to what you see differently. And you would be missing in this picture that you're receiving, you'd be missing – you'd just be missing to justify the Creator.
Student: Do I see a different reality? Or do I see the same reality but justify the Creator?
M. Laitman: You see the same reality, just that you justify the Creator.
Student: How to see the reality as something good? How to justify?
M. Laitman: You can justify under the condition that you want to justify the Creator. That you try to see that He's the Good That Does Good to everyone. And that His Providence is eternal; and that He includes everyone.
Student: What's the difference between the suffering that the Creator is taking me through, to the suffering that He's putting the others through and showing me their suffering?
M. Laitman: We cannot compare the suffering of a person to the suffering of one's friend that a person sees, those sufferings. And in the future, it will connect to one source.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (18:16) Thank you for scrutinizing. The topic sounds very intimate between man and the Creator. I want to ask: he says that the righteous is the one who justifies his maker. Why does he call Him his maker or his buyer? His owner.
M. Laitman: I think it's in order to show that there's but one force, one judge that determines everything. And His role from which all forces emerge from and return to, all those forces.
Student: What's the relationship between the created being who wants to justify his maker and the Creator? How does the Creator help him to justify Him; how does He teach him to justify Him?
M. Laitman: A created being who wants to justify the Creator tries to enter the system that aims him correctly to the Creator. That He is Good That Does Good to everyone, and that is how he comes closer to Him.
Student: Maybe I'll ask in a different view: What's the difference between a Kabbalist who justifies his maker and someone who just says, “thank God, thank God, everything will be okay”?
M. Laitman: A Kabbalist who justifies his maker says it that the Creator Does Good as a result of his attainment. And that is that which he attains.
Student: So, in this attainment, there's like a relationship?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, that's what I'm trying to ask: In this relationship, who's helping who justify? The Creator is helping the created being or does the created being feel that he's helping the Creator in this, somewhat? What's this relationship between them?
M. Laitman: A person who wants to justify the Creator and discovers that the Creator is just good that does good to everyone is in the same properties, the same qualities as he feels from his states, from his nature – that the Creator is Good That Does Good to everyone.
Student: That he can really justify only when he acquires his qualities?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: And before that, on the way to acquire the qualities?
M. Laitman: No.
Student: So, he can't justify, yet?
M. Laitman: He can't, he's not allowed, he can't. Either he's lying or he doesn't know where he is.
Student: So, actually, you have to test now. I'm slandering, and I have to justify. So, help me justify?
M. Laitman: Let's say.
Student: Because it's this constant relationship that is developing.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:18) In the process of justifying the Creator, are there stages?
M. Laitman: Of course, there are degrees.
Student: Degrees is on the level of justification. But let's say, a person sees a certain state or feels a certain state – suffering and so on – what does he do now?
M. Laitman: He needs to decide what he's going to do. We can't say that in place of a person.
Student: Yes, but what's desired that he does? Let's say a student discovers a state that there's suffering. He's suffering, he feels bad, he has a disease, or his relatives are suffering.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, the state is negative.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: He understands he needs to ascribe it to the Creator?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, what's to ascribe it, what is he doing?
M. Laitman: He's in the world of the Creator. And sees that from his state. He discovers that it's not good for him.
Student: But it sounds very intellectual, the state. Meaning, he's understanding the state but he's still suffering. How does he justify the Creator when he suffers?
M. Laitman: He justifies from the understanding that otherwise he won't feel. That he feels from what he receives from the Creator. And that there's a mutual relationship here between him and the Creator, and that is how he discovers, that's how he feels.
Student: But he feels bad.
M. Laitman: He feels bad.
Student: Or, like you said, the beast suffers, like Rabash used to say. How does he disconnect the suffering beast from man who's trying to justify the Creator?
M. Laitman: Let's say, a person who climbs a mountain, and he has to reach the peak. And really feels himself powerless, fatigue. What can he do? So, he prays, where else will he take forces from? So, there's the Creator here. A person's relationship or attitude towards the Creator. The Creator's attitude towards the person. And the result of the relations between them. That's it.
Student: And when a person suffers – when the beast suffers – so the person, what does he ask from the Creator? To give him the forces to do what?
M. Laitman: He asks the Creator for this suffering to finally end.
Student: So, he's asking for the suffering to end?
M. Laitman: Even if he doesn't want to ask, but his body, his desire asks.
Student: Why should the suffering end?
M. Laitman: Because he wants in all his states to be, heart and soul, adhered to the Creator.
Student: But he has an opportunity to be in contact with the Creator.
M. Laitman: But he can't make the most of that opportunity. What can you do?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (28:12) In every moment, a new state is revealed. Sometimes it's pleasant, sometimes it isn't.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: I wanted to ask about the correct work, the right balance, the combination between the actions we do, corporeal, and working with the intention. What is the right combination?
M. Laitman: That we, by this work on the connection in the efforts between us come closer to one another. And discover, altogether, what our common nature is and how we can reveal Him in every state.
Student: I want to take this, these are the… let's say, efforts that we initiate. But let's say, God forbid, an unpleasant event happens. Every time states are revealed, so conditions come from above, specific conditions to work in, that you need to do actions. You can't just sit and turn to the Creator you have to do things. The Creator is organizing all kinds of states. It reminds me of the allegory about the person carrying the heavy suitcase and they told him that he didn't carry the right suitcase. How do we check ourselves to lift the light suitcase and not make all kinds of efforts and actions that just waste energy?
M. Laitman: For there to be a clear form before us of the connections between us and with the Creator, and with Him with us.
Student: And the actions I need to do, how do I check them? Because sometimes, let's say, God forbid, something happens, you have to exchange an organ in your body. And now he has to get donations and do things with his hands and legs, there are all kinds of states that obligate you to do actions. And many times, you run from these actions, you don't want to do them. It's unpleasant in the world to receive to do them so you run to some kind of fulfillment. How do we calculate correctly, work correctly to do the actions?
M. Laitman: We try to come close to the Creator; we try to connect to Him – to understand what form He wants us to be connected to Him with – to feel, from our effort, how and to what extent He can be connected to us, adhere to us. And how we, from this, attain His greatness. That's it.
Student: What is the right relation when states come to a person from the actions he did? What attitude should he give those actions?
M. Laitman: As much as possible, he needs to join the correct intention, each time to the correct action.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:48) When Baal HaSulam wrote The Nation newspaper, and he warned in The Introduction to The Book of Zohar that all the suffering will come to Israel as a result of not implementing our duty. So, what was he worried about? People suffering and slandering Providence?
M. Laitman: Don't ask me about him. That's not a question.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (34:44) What's the path of the righteous?
M. Laitman: There are many interpretations for this. It could be that this happens to a person that wants to justify the Creator all the time; or vice versa, he wants to justify his state. And from this relate to the acts of the Creator towards him. That, I think.
Student: So, even though we get all these states and we're in a different perception of reality every time. How do we, with our common efforts as you just said, when we try to come closer to the Creator, come closer to one another, how do we actually, how are we constantly on the path in justifying the Creator? This is the path of truth?
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: How do I constantly make the efforts to be on the path in justifying Him, even though everything I see in my eyes?
M. Laitman: It's really not simple. There are such that didn't want to see the world and they bound their vessel of seeing in a way that they won't be able to see the world. How can we justify the Creator for all that He brings upon us? We don't know. Only from nullifying, and eventually we attain His righteousness in all of His ways.
Student: Last evening, we had an interesting meeting about annulment. What does annulment give me on the path in order to justify the Creator? What's the meaning of annulment towards the friends in the Ten? Towards the friends here in the hall or towards everyone? What does it give me? What addition do I get in justifying the Creator when I annul?
M. Laitman: You need to depict, to imagine to yourself, that all that you discover is altogether that which you receive from what the Creator sends you. And in this, there's two conditions: Your conditions and the conditions of the Creator. And that which the Creator Is The Good That Does Good, and He has nothing but that. Meaning, in all of His actions, He just wants to bring a person to that feeling of unity. And that's why you receive this with your eyes shut.
Student: So, during the annulment when I uplift above my nature, I build different vessels of perception that I don't even know about. I'm building a special attitude in the connection between me and the friends of the Creator. What are these vessels of perception that every time you only feel them from the efforts? And you don't want to relate to what you feel, you want to come out of yourself. It's not simple, but how you acquire these vessels every time more and more. And maybe thanks to the friends you acquire it, but how do you acquire these new vessels of perception that aren't in the senses?
M. Laitman: Yes. I feel them, I attain them, from identifying with the Creator in the worst states I go through.
Student: And that's where the friends, the society, enters.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (41:50) What does it mean to receive that which comes with your eyes shut?
M. Laitman: It talks about a person that is in contact with the Creator, and he's sure that he's receiving from the Creator as The Good Who Does Good. By that he watches over himself.
Student: So, what does it mean to believe that the Creator is the Good that does Good? To believe, what does that mean?
M. Laitman: To believe is already – I don't know how to explain, but – there is knowing, there is faith. I don't have a precise definition.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:38) You once told us about a case in which you had a strong skin rash or disease. And you were traveling with Rabash, and he hugged you and said something about that you don't know what kind of profit you're making here, what reward you're getting here. What is that benefit that you're getting? What does the person benefit in these cases?
M. Laitman: That doesn't really belong to me, but there's a thing and the opposite here. That on one hand the person is suffering, on the other hand, he enjoys it. We'll go through things like this.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (44:53) About the justification of the Creator: There are things that when a person feels that he doesn't justify the Creator, it could be because of corporeal matters, like health, work, and as such. And it can also be as far as the work in the Ten – how he sees the friends, he doesn't see their greatness, he doesn't manage to pray, meaning he's not justifying the Creator. How do you create the right balance? Is there a correct balance between the lack of this justification to that lack of that justification?
M. Laitman: It's a wrong relation. You want to see where you connect to the Creator in paying less and receive more.
Student: How do we make sure not to get drawn in the flows of life with all kinds of lack of justifications? For example, corporeal things that happen to a person, that he sees that he's not justifying the Creator in them and they're kind of dragging him maybe to the wrong way. Or each time we have such an attitude; there's a place for work.
M. Laitman: It's not simple but gradually, through the experience, we go through it; from the experience.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (46:54) What's the right reason that we try to justify the Creator, why do we want to justify Him?
M. Laitman: That's something you have to answer, yourself.
Student: It sounds like there's a certain danger here. Maybe I want to justify Him so it'll be comfortable for me, so it'll be pleasant.
M. Laitman: That's for sure.
Student: And then that's not good.
M. Laitman: Not good.
Student: It'll just calm me down and leave me as is, won't let me change.
M. Laitman: Right.
Student: So, we need to constantly seek why we want to justify Him?
M. Laitman: Yes. We are now in a state that doesn't have an open path. That's why, to keep asking about these things, there's a thousand directions and stages. That's why I don't think it's worth it.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (49:21) Simply, the excerpt starts with, it's known from books and authors, and it's from a complete Shamati, Number 34 article. And it seems like if we read the whole article, maybe even just in the Ten, there's a lot to scrutinize there.
M. Laitman: Of course, there is.
Student: The question is, because we're focusing a whole lesson with you on this one excerpt, is there room for doing such a scrutiny out of the article itself?
M. Laitman: No.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (49:57) I want to ask another topic, I'm going to leave this for a second. About the convention, in a week and a half, we are gathering all around the world in physical conventions. Our subject, our topic is exactly this - None Else Besides Him, in all its manifestations. My question is actually about the veteran friends. Yesterday, we had a meeting with the organizers of the convention and the impression that they're seeing from the convenings in the world is that there's a difficulty specifically for the veteran friends, not everyone.
M. Laitman: What difficulty?
Student: Veteran friends, meaning friends that are studying 15, 20, 25, 30 years, that, okay, another convention, another lesson with Rav, another gathering of friends, another meal – routine. What could I possibly receive there? It's already my 100th convention I've been in already. And not just in Israel, also in other places, also in Europe, also in the United States, and also other different points, Ukraine, and others. How do you relate to this, what can you advise to such a friend?
M. Laitman: There's the friction. When a person becomes dull, people get used to it, their body, our nerves, all these things. We can't even hear anymore, and a thousand – and a thousand and one time – the same slogans. It's hard to give them a new interpretation, we can't always do it. And then you just stop in place. I see in myself that I was searching for what could help me to advance. And actually, except for the Creator's help, there's nobody to hope for or wait for. That's why I think that all in all, what we need to do is only the connection between us, it will help us. That's why man will help his friend; that's the main thing.
Student: What does the help of the Creator come for?
M. Laitman: On what?
Student: Yes, why should I receive the help from the Creator?
M. Laitman: I didn't understand. On what you get help?
Student: I heard you earlier saying that besides the help of the Creator, there's no one to hope or to wait for.
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: So, what does a person receive the Creator's help for? Why should he be rewarded with that or merit that?
M. Laitman: Because he wants to. And from within his heart, he prepared himself to get that help.
Student: How can we come to this upcoming convention with new vessels?
M. Laitman: He should go to the Mikveh and dip himself in there really good. And in that way, understand that all the friends with him together need the help of the Creator to take him out of the swamp, upward to a revelation. And nothing but that will help him.
Student: I'm returning again to the question about the veteran friends that we have that are having great difficulties with another convention. How do you approach this? For you too, it's not the first convention. How do you approach such a convention? How do you take something new out of it, how do you relate to it?
M. Laitman: I prepare myself for an innovation. No convention is similar to the previous one we went through. There's nothing the same in the world, every moment isn't similar to the next. That's why I really hope that we will succeed in this convention more than the previous ones. Each one will reveal as much as he can in his heart, reveal such desires, and intentions, and movements, connections that before he didn't have. Before he didn't feel, he didn't reveal them, and now he is able to do it, and hopes the Creator will help him and bring him out of exile to redemption.
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