The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Lesson (Morning) August 7, 2024.
Part 2: Baal HaSulam. “The Ruin as an Opportunity for Correction.”
Reader: We're in a lesson on the topic of “The Ruin as an Opportunity for Correction.” We have come to the subheading, “The Sorrow of the Shechina.” And we're in excerpt number 30 from Baal HaSulam.
The Sorrow of the Shechina.
Reading: (00:18) 30. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 2, "Shechina [Divinity] in Exile."
All those discernments, beginning with Malchut, the root of the creation of the worlds, through the creatures, are named Shechina. The overall correction is for the upper light to shine in them in utter completeness.
The light that shines in the Kelim is named Shochen, and the Kelim are generally named Shechina. In other words, the light dwells inside the Shechina. This means that the light is called Shochen because it dwells within the Kelim, that is, the Kelim in general are called Shechina.
Before the light shines in them in utter completeness, we name that time, “a time of corrections.” This means that we make corrections so that the light will shine in them in completeness. Until then, that state is called “Shechina in Exile.”
This means that there is still no wholeness in the upper worlds.
M. Laitman: Okay? Everybody heard? Everyone agrees? None? Okay.
Reader: Excerpt number 31 from Baal HaSulam.
Reading: (01:59) 31. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 2, "Shechina [Divinity] in Exile"
Below, in this world, there should be a state where the upper light is within the will to receive. This correction is deemed receiving in order to bestow.
Meanwhile, the will to receive is filled with ignoble and foolish things that do not make a place where the glory of heaven can be revealed. This means that where the heart should be a tabernacle for the light of the Creator, the heart becomes a place of waste and filth. In other words, ignobility captures the whole of the heart.
This is called “Shechina in the dust.” It means that she is lowered to the ground, and each and every one loathes matters of Kedusha [holiness], and there is no desire whatsoever to raise her from the dust. Instead, they choose ignoble things, and this causes the sorrow of the Shechina by not giving her a place in the heart that will become a tabernacle for the light of the Creator.
M. Laitman: Any questions?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (03:39) Does the heart necessarily have to be lowered to the dust, the desire?
M. Laitman: Meaning, as a state on the beginning of the path?
Student: In the state at first, in the beginning, or in the advancement of the path, does it necessarily need to be that a person will feel that his desires are lowly, and he just wants to fill himself with nonsensical things like he writes?
M. Laitman: He must for even a small moment, but he must go through that state.
Student: What's the purpose of this action?
M. Laitman: Deficiency. That from that point, the lowest place, just the dirt, from here he can want to reach that high mountain, the Creator.
Student: What does it give him that he feels that his desires are so lowly in relation to desires that can be, or that the Kabbalists talk about, that are so high and distant from him? What does this gap give that person?
M. Laitman: Depth, size, volume of the Shechina.
Student: And in this state he has no choice, he must fall, he feels the...
M. Laitman: Yes, each one must fall.
Student: At some point does he start feeling stable before these feelings?
M. Laitman: According to participation between the friends and the prayer and corrections.
Student: Meaning, that this state is given from above as a certain sign of advancement, of seeing lowly states inside of him, what we call the recognition of evil?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (05:45) First of all, a short question. What's the difference between exile in the Shechina and exile in the Shechina in dust?
M. Laitman: No, it's the same. No difference.
Student: And in that state where the Creator wants to give us abundance, and he has no one to give it to. Meaning, we don't know how to receive this abundance.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So his sorrow is that we're taking it to our vessels of reception.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Now, the sorrow of the Shechina is a feeling that's felt in me, that I am sorry that I'm not giving to the Creator a Kli?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: It's not something that you can act to. It's something that really is revealed?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (06:41) What is the sorrow of the Shechina?
M. Laitman: The Shechina that has records from the correction, from Adam HaRishon, and now she's in the revelation of her lowest state, in the exile from holiness. So she has one compared to the other, a feeling of sorrow, a feeling of a fall, darkness. And that's what's revealed in her.
Student: Who is the Shechina?
M. Laitman: It's a collection of all the souls.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:52) Continuing friend's question. So what's the discernment, the difference between the Shechina and the soul of Adam HaRishon?
M. Laitman: The soul of Adam HaRishon is something private. It's a part of the Shechina. The Shechina is all the souls, still, vegetative, animate and speaking, in all states, they are all in the Shechina. And correcting the Shechina is our work. Sometimes we say that the Shechina is supposedly the part that we need to correct and the rest already join in to that corrected part by us. That's also right. We'll come closer and see more.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (09:18) Kind of like shaking this excerpt. He writes in a place where the heart should be a tabernacle for the light of the Creator it becomes a place of filth and waste. He continues and says, that each loathes matters of Kedusha and there’s no desire to raise it from the dust, that they don’t make a place in their heart divine to dwell. It's really difficult. He's describing a state that you can identify with. What I don't understand is how altogether... Well, he writes, there's no desire or will to raise them from the dust. So where would that desire come from?
M. Laitman: That's a question. But for now, he's speaking about a state, the state she's in.
Student: I'll say what I'm asking because earlier he told us that it has to be a moment, a momentary moment. That you have to feel it for a moment then come out of it.
M. Laitman: That's right for our matter. But here it's speaking about a general state that we could get to.
Student: I can say that many times in my life. I feel, I come to the morning lesson, like now I read this text, all of a sudden I grasp that most of my life is filled with filth. It kind of stabs a little bit. I go out. Again, I merge with that reality, and I don't even notice that I'm there. Then I ask myself, when, how do you free yourself from that state? How do you invert all of reality to?
M. Laitman: Ask, pray for a change.
Student: But there's no desire. There's no longing for that. That's what I'm asking.
M. Laitman: Try with the friends to reach a desire and a need, at least in somewhat, to rise, to raise a prayer.
M. Laitman: Next.
Reader: Our next excerpt. Excerpt number 32.
Reading: (11:40) 32. RABASH, Article No. 14 (1991), "What Does It Mean that Man’s Blessing Is the Blessing of the Sons, in the Work?"
When the Creator cannot bestow upon the lower ones, due to the disparity of form between them, this is called “the sorrow of the Shechina.” That is, from the perspective of the receiver, she cannot receive abundance because if she receives abundance for the lower ones, it will all go to the Klipot [shells/peels], called “receiving in order to receive.” It is also called “sorrow” from the perspective of the Giver because the thought of creation is to do good to His creations, but now He cannot give them the delight and pleasure because everything that the creatures will have will go to the Klipot.
Hence, the Giver is sorry that He cannot give, like a mother who wants to feed her baby but the baby is sick and cannot eat. At that time, there is sorrow on the part of the Giver.
M. Laitman: Clear?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:10) What is it that the heart will be a tabernacle for the Creator? What does that mean?
M. Laitman: That a person will be able to feel the Creator in his whole vessel.
Student: And the whole Kli will be the friends, right?
M. Laitman: There are conditions for that.
Student: For myself, I dream as well. In my personal feelings?
M. Laitman: Obviously, with the friends and incorporation and all that.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:50) Something is not clear to me in this text. He writes that when the Creator cannot bestow to the lower ones because of the disparity formed between them, it's called the sorrow of the Shechina. That is from the perspective of the receiver. She cannot receive abundance because if she receives abundance for the lower ones, it will go, it will all go to the Klipot, called receiving in order to receive. What's not clear is that if she receives the abundance for the lower ones, then it goes to the Klipot. But if she, it sounds illogical, because if she wants it for the lower ones and not for herself, then it's not receiving in order to receive. He writes that it is.
M. Laitman: Yes, because to begin with in advance, it was already shattered. She can't receive anything, even in order to give it below.
Student: It's not clear because the whole essence of being a pipeline, of being a conduit…
M. Laitman: So the conduit is broken.
Student: Okay, I'll think.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (15:16) Now that I know that I'm like a calf that the cow wants to nurse, and I'm not suckling or a baby that's sick, and is not capable to eat what my mother wants to feed me.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: I know that. What do I do with it?
M. Laitman: You incorporate it in society and try to correct yourself.
Student: That's what will bring me the abundance?
M. Laitman: Yes, that's what will bring correction. And from your corrective desires, you'll be able to draw the abundance from above and pass it on to the others. As a corrective part from the environment, from society.
Student: That's what will delight the Creator, that I don't want all the milk for myself.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (16:27) It's hard for me not to get annoyed with these excerpts, because it's like he's blaming you for having an evil inclination. I didn't decide that. I didn't decide about these conditions I was born with, this cursed root of the soul that I received. I didn't decide those things. So you're blaming me. He's like saying that I'm choosing loathsome things. I didn't choose to be this way, and to be born this way.
M. Laitman: That's right.
Student: So you're blaming me for the evil inclination that I didn't decide about?
M. Laitman: Because the Creator decided that this is how you need to be born. Yes. What can you do? You need to accept these things in the right way, nice way, and say, thank you very much. And I will try to correct it.
Student: But it's impossible, you can't contribute to this, you can't contribute to this.
M. Laitman: You can, he's showing you how, by connecting to the others, by being concerned about the whole world.
Student: But you have a big evil inclination, you can't, it's impossible to do what you described.
M. Laitman: You can ask for a correction. And you'll be able to connect to everyone, and specifically draw for them, with all your forces, you'll be able to draw the upper light.
Student: Why didn't I come out like Moses, or something like that? Also Baal HaSulam, I didn't know he was Baal HaSulam until he became that way. So why couldn't I receive such a good opening, good conditions, good details?
M. Laitman: You should ask about that, too. Why specifically you and not your friend next to you that's sitting? Moshe was the only one.
Student: Is there room for such questions?
M. Laitman: No, if you think about it, you'll see there isn't. I was born in a specific generation, and under certain conditions, with all my corrections, good, bad, doesn't matter what. And from that, I have to do what the Creator wants me to do.
Student: So you don't need to aspire for certain corrections, just for the work?
M. Laitman: The work is the corrections.
Student: There's correction to bestow, and there's also to work until you get there.
M. Laitman: Stop complaining it won't help you. You need to understand that people who come here want to correct themselves, and to begin with, they have to understand that none of them have anything except for a Klipa, a shell. That's it.
Student: But he writes that you're choosing loathsome things, and now you're saying you were born in a Klipa, so I didn't choose that. I'm not choosing loathsome things.
M. Laitman: We're not even talking about what you chose.
Student: Reader, read that excerpt, please. That sentence. In the previous excerpt.
Reader: 31, the last sentence. “Instead, they choose ignoble things, and this causes the sorrow of the Shechina by not giving her a place in the heart that will become a tabernacle for the light of the Creator.”
M. Laitman: Yes, that's how we were born, and this is how we choose all these low things, and we suck everything out of the Shechina. Yes, and there's nothing you can do about it. Either you go and receive your correction, or learn in all kinds of worse ways than you are now, until you agree and do it.
Student: As I'm sitting here and standing before you, it's a sign that I want to agree, and I want to come to it.
M. Laitman: Okay, very good. It's good that from lack of patience and time, but what can you do? What can you do? It’s better to listen to how we can quickly come out of this in any way we can. Everybody's interested in it, not only you. You can ask each and every one here, and other thousands that are outside, they'll all tell you they want to reach the corrected state.
M. Laitman: Let’s go. Go to our business.
Reader: (22:05) Announcements.