The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Lesson (Morning), August 6, 2024.
Part 2: Excerpts from the sources on the topic on “Ruin as an Opportunity For Correction.”
Reader: Hello, we are reading select excerpts from the sources on the topic of “Ruin as an Opportunity For Correction.” We're in Excerpt Number 23. We'll remind you that you can find these excerpts on Sviva Tova on the Arvut system and live questions can be asked through the sites as well. We're reading select excerpts on the topic on “The Ruin as an Opportunity for Correction,” Excerpt Number 23 from Rabash.
Reading: (00:32) RABASH, Article No. 15 (1986), "A Prayer of Many" Twice
It is written, “I dwell among my own people.” The Zohar says, “One should never retire from the people because the mercy of the Creator is always on the whole people together.” This means that if one asks the Creator to give him vessels of bestowal, as our sages said, “As He is merciful, you be merciful, too,” one should pray for the whole collective. This is because then it is apparent that his aim is for the Creator to give him vessels of pure bestowal, as it was written, “The mercy of the Creator is always on the whole people together.” It is known that there is no giving of half a thing from above. This means that when abundance is given from above to below, it is for the whole collective.
M. Laitman: Next.
Reader: We're going to read 24, we're reading from Zohar for All, Excerpt 24.
Reading: (02:12) Zohar for All, VaYechi [Jacob Lived] "Be Gathered, that I May Tell You." Items 515-516
One should pray one’s prayer in the collective, since He does not despise their prayer, even though they are not all with intent and the will of heart, as it is written, “He has regarded the prayer of the destitute.” Thus, He only observes the prayer of an individual, but with a prayer of many, He does not despise their prayer, even though they are unworthy.
“He has regarded the prayer of the destitute” means that He accepts his prayer, but it is an individual who is mingled with many. Hence, his prayer is as a prayer of many.
M. Laitman: There's no problem here, nobody's asking?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (03:19) Who is the destitute? He says although they're all in the intention of the heart, he writes that he turns to the prayer of the destitute. He observes the prayer of an individual, but with the prayer of many, he does not despise their prayer even though they are unworthy. So, he turns to the prayer of the destitute, what is the destitute?
M. Laitman: Anybody know what that word means?
Student: I heard them saying someone who's poor, some plant, someone says poor plant. Many meanings to this word, in Hebrew, it's a rare word, the translation is destitute. Can you talk about the prayer of the collective but it's still not clear.
M. Laitman: There is such a term, the prayer of the destitute. I don't know, I didn't hear an explanation from Rabash about it.
Student: Let me ask differently: He talks about someone, a person should pray in public although they're not all with the intention and desire of the heart. So, what does it mean to pray for the collective, even if not the collective is with the desire of the heart? So I assume it means not all of his desires are for connection and pure, etc.. So, there are several wicked ones there?
M. Laitman: A person doesn't take that into account, he looks at the collective and sees them as one place.
Student: So he takes the prayer with everything that's in it?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (05:48) Are there parts of the nation from which a person should stay away?
M. Laitman: Could be, I don't know, here it's not written about that.
Student: Because today there's a part of the people here in Israel that hates Judaism and wants to harm it in every way they can. How should we relate to it?
M. Laitman: To awaken us that we have to direct ourselves in such a way that these things will disappear.
Student: That's pretty obvious, it's pretty conspicuous. I'm asking, is this part, a part of the Jewish nation? Should they be included, are they even Jewish? Do they belong to the Jewish people?
M. Laitman: If they belong to the Jewish nation, you have to take care of them in a different way than the way it's clarified in the nations of the world.
Student: How should we relate to this part, internally, how should we relate to them?
M. Laitman: That we want them to disappear?
Student: They can't be a part of the connection?
M. Laitman: No, it's against.
Student: So, they're like harm-doers, like a pest? We have to get rid of it?
M. Laitman: Yes, yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:29) What does it mean not to despise the public? When I come to pray with the public, I have to come with the intention not to despise them.
M. Laitman: That you respect it and you want to incorporate in it, and together with it reach adhesion with the Creator.
Student: So it's exactly like work in the Ten, and I have to see the friends as?
M. Laitman: In somewhat, yes.
Reader: Number 25, from Zohar for All.
Reading: (08:04) Zohar for All, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar”, "Torah and Prayer." Item 183
The prayer that we pray is the correction of the Holy Divinity, to extend abundance to her, to satisfy all her deficiencies, for hence, all the requests are in plural form, such as “And grant us knowledge from You,” or “Bring us back, our Father, into Your law.”
This is so because the prayer is for the whole of Israel, since all that there is in the holy Divinity exists in the whole of Israel. And what is lacking in her is lacking in the whole of Israel. It follows that when we pray for the whole of Israel, we pray for the Holy Divinity, since they are the same.
M. Laitman: Here he makes a real comparison. How could you ask about this?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (09:16) Who are the whole of Israel?
M. Laitman: I don't know, the whole of Israel.
Student: Is it my Ten, is it?
M. Laitman: No, it's the collective, it's a lot of people that are in, according to the general definition, of Israel.
Student: That whole, that collective, are they like the Shechina? Should I feel that there's some sort of connection between them?
M. Laitman: You don't have to feel anything, for now, you just have to know that the whole of Israel, it's the center of the world.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (10:09) In the previous excerpt and in this one, he talks about the whole of Israel, and the prayer also keeps coming back to Israel. Why is it that we, when do, we in the Ten should have this intention? Sometimes we should, sometimes we shouldn't, sometimes we forget it for a long time. And sometimes we feel like the work in the Ten is to make it better for all of Israel.
M. Laitman: We really need to incorporate in the collective of Israel.
Student: To be incorporated means to pray for them?
M. Laitman: To incorporate, not to pray. Praying is something else, that's your decision already.
Reader: Excerpt 26, Rabash
Reading: (11:11) RABASH, Article No. 217, "Run My Beloved"
It is impossible to receive anything without equivalence. Rather, there must always be equivalence.
Hence, when he evokes mercy on himself, it follows that he is engaged in reception for himself. And the more he prays, not only is he not preparing the Kli [vessel] of equivalence, but on the contrary, sparks of reception form within him.
It turns out that he is going the opposite way: While he should prepare vessels of bestowal, he is preparing vessels of reception. “Cleave unto His attributes” is specifically “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.”
Hence, when he prays for the public, through this prayer he engages in bestowal. And the more he prays, to that extent he forms vessels of bestowal, by which the light of bestowal, called “merciful,” can be revealed.
M. Laitman: Yes, clear? Next?
Reader: Excerpt 27.
Reading: (12:45) Rav Chaim Vital, Shaar HaGilgulim, Introduction, 38
My teacher the ARI cautioned me and all the friends who were with him in that society to take upon ourselves, before the morning prayer, the commandment to-do of “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and to aim to love each one from Israel as his own soul, for by this his prayer would rise comprising all of Israel and will be able to ascend and make a correction above. Especially, our love of friends, each and every one of us should include himself as though he is an organ of those friends. My teacher sternly cautioned me about this matter.
M. Laitman: Clear, yes? What?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:56) We disseminate to the whole nation, to the whole world. But the majority of our time is dedicated to Connection in the Ten.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, it's not only clear in the sense that our work in connection in the Ten includes within it the whole world, the whole of Israel, like it's written here in these excerpts. That he warns you not to leave the collective for a second.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, how do we see that all the efforts in our connection are always with the intention that it's actually work on all of reality? How do we make every second of exerting to connect in the Ten, that all of reality is in that work?
M. Laitman: I can't say, that's the internal work. I am always checking and in efforts to connect myself inside more and more. Also with my friends and also with our group, and also with all of Bnei Baruch.
Student: With all of Israel and with the whole world or does it stop with Bnei Baruch?
M. Laitman: That's something else, already, the people who are in Bnei Baruch are people that heard of connection and they're yearning for that. But the whole of Israel, I'm not sure as much as they think about it or even heard about it.
Student: I understand this and I understand we have to realize it in the connection between us. But my question is from what we realize in the Connection between us?
M. Laitman: Well?
Student: I can't finish my thought, in all the texts we read now, he speaks specifically about the whole of Israel.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: He says that the prayer should be for the collective of Israel not for another collective. So, how is the realization that must be in the connection between us, those who have the inner desire for it, how do we relate to all of Israel through that because he says it's a must here.
M. Laitman: So we need to relate to the whole of Israel in such a way to all Jews that are in a state that are willing to connect in order to adhere to the Creator. And they're asking the Creator to shine upon them and to feel that it's in their forces.
Reader: Excerpt 28.
Reading: (17:19) Zohar for All, Toldot [Generations], "These Are the Generations of Isaac," Item 3
There is not an organ in a man’s body that does not have a corresponding creation in the world. This is so because as man’s body divides into organs and they all stand degree over degree, established one atop the other and are all one body, similarly, the world, meaning all creations in the world are many organs standing one atop the other, and they are all one body. And when they are all corrected they will actually be one body.
M. Laitman: No questions, read it again.
Reader: Again. Zohar for All, Toldot [Generations], "These Are the Generations of Isaac," Item 3
M. Laitman: No questions? Well, what?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:19) Maybe in this excerpt, you can say if it's correct, there is an answer to what the friend asked. He says that there is no organ in a person's body, he's talking about degrees and making corrections. And in the end, he says that when they are all corrected, they will become actually one body. So that image of a man that we are supposed to build, He will do it. We don't have to make corrections in the world, so to speak. Is this correct?
M. Laitman: No, we also have to do something.
Student: But, in terms of the change that happens in us, it's supposed to influence the world.
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: Can I ask another question about prayer?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Two short questions: The prayer for the friends, I pray for the friends or is the prayer for us? Which prayer is more effective, if at all?
M. Laitman: On the friends.
Student: For the friends it's better. A common prayer: Every friend has his own point. But if we all turn to the Creator, is this regarded as a common prayer?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:03) In the previous excerpt, there was a warning that before they come to the morning prayer, they should take upon themselves the commandment to love your friend as yourself. Why does the ARI warn them so much not to approach the morning prayer, if they don't, first of all, love their friends as themselves? There's no point talking to the Creator beforehand?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: We say that sometimes we ask the Creator to help us connect, and help us, so we do approach the Creator before we achieve connection.
M. Laitman: Well, we start.
Student: What does he mean when he says the commandment to do of love your neighbor as yourself? Why does he emphasize that it's a commandment to do, that it's not something like intellectual but a practical commandment?
M. Laitman: Because it's a commandment to do.
Student: How do we realize that the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself in practice? Why does he emphasize that it's a commandment to do?
M. Laitman: There are commandments to do and not to do.
Student: What's the danger if a person skips this commandment and prays the morning prayer without it? Why does he warn them so much, it’s like, as if, there's a danger, here, or something?
M. Laitman: His prayer won't be whole.
Student: So, it's the danger that you have to warn from it and the rest of his prayers are complete? Is there some loss if a person approaches the prayer to the Creator before he establishes his love your neighbor as himself?
M. Laitman: It's a very important condition.
Student: I'm asking if there's a loss in it.
M. Laitman: I guess so, if they're talking about it so much, so probably, yes.
Student: What's the loss?
M. Laitman: The loss is that a person won't reach love your friend as yourself.
Student: A person on the path has several, I don't know, authorities in front of him. He sees the Creator, he sees the Kabbalists in front of him, he sees the Rav, he sees the friends in front of him. Is there an order of priorities, should he regard this more or this less? Should we focus more on one thing and less on another thing? How to connect this whole thing into one idea?
M. Laitman: This idea is called love of others.
Student: There, everything connects into one?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Women PT 38): (24:12) What does it mean that the creations stand one atop the other?
M. Laitman: There's more, there's less, yes. They're not equal.
Question (Women Turkiye 7): (24:31) Can you explain the mixing of a prayer of an individual to the prayer of many?
M. Laitman: That's difficult, it's difficult, it almost doesn't interfere. They almost don't mix the prayers between the collective and the prayers for the individual.
Reader: Excerpt 29. Twice
Reading: (25:18) Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Halachot [Assorted Rules], “Grace for the Food and Final Water,” Rule No. 3
“Love will cover all crimes,” meaning love that is of holiness that is present in the point, covers all the crimes and cancels all the breakings of the heart.
M. Laitman: Again.
Re-Reading: (25:36) Love will cover all crimes. Meaning love that is of holiness, that is present in the point, covers all the crimes and cancels all the breakings of the heart.
M. Laitman: Questions?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:14) From where does it come, when it happens to us, or what should we do when it happens to us because it melts you. It really shows us that everything we held onto disappears and you feel clean, again.
M. Laitman: I guess it's from above.
Student: And there's nothing we can do with it, right? Only to be thankful and that's it. Or can we take this or that small step?
M. Laitman: No.
Student: No?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:57) What's that thing that love covers?
M. Laitman: There's nothing you can do, it controls you.
Student: The love or the crimes?
M. Laitman: The love, the love will cover all the crimes. So, the love covers all the crimes. So, this is what you feel.
Student: And the crimes I also feel are only the love.
M. Laitman: You feel the crimes and that they are covered by love. You can feel this with your children. When they give you some trouble but, afterwards, you come to a state where you discover, where you reveal love toward each other, everyone. And then you see that that's the way it is, that there's not even a trace of what was before or perhaps even more. And as much as there was trouble, now, love covers them, that's it. We are in the sorrow of the Shechina. What are we doing?
Reader: We have the excerpts on the Sorrow of the Shechina and excerpts on Connecting For The Sake Of Humanity.
M. Laitman: So, maybe we will leave it here, the sorrow of the Shechina is a big part.
Question (Kyiv 1): (29:03) I wanted to ask about the text that love covers all crimes. It's written that love is connected to holiness, what kind of relationships should we build in the Ten so this love will really be holy?
M. Laitman: When a person relates to the others in the Ten, as to himself, you depict yourself, to yourself in their shoes and in their place. And then you relate to them in this way, try to do it.
Student: What does it mean to imagine myself in their place?
M. Laitman: It's just like you would like others to treat you.
Student: We want to build a common vessel, a general vessel, so, how to imagine that incorporation with the friends? Me and them, them and me, in a way that this holy love can be revealed between us?
M. Laitman: The common vessel is made of individual, specific relationships.
Student: Love is the quality of holiness, it's not just like a good attitude for me to the friends, love of this world. But actual quality of holiness and love.
M. Laitman: It's when a person receives, accepts, the other person as himself, as a part of himself.
Student: The Kabbalist, he feels the Ten like himself?
M. Laitman: You can say that.
Student: Is that like passing the self to the friend or is it a different reality?
M. Laitman: It's just the law of love, it doesn't talk about anything else, here.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:35) Love will cover all crimes, are there some conditions? I always have in mind that you can say this, in general, only if people accept the principle that I am evil and I should correct, even if I don't feel it. But if you engage in this correction, you can adhere to this principle. If not, no, correct?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:40) He emphasizes a point, here, that love of holiness is a point covered by all crimes. Is that the point that is a part of Godliness from above?
M. Laitman: Yes. Okay, what are we doing next?
Reader: (34:07) So, either we go to The Sorrow of the Shechina or we go to Connecting for The Sake of humanity.