The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.

Daily Morning Lesson: July 18, 2025 

Part 1: Recorded lesson – Oct 22, 2021. Baal HaSulam, Shamati #28. I Shall Not Die but Live.

Reader: Hello friends, in the first part of the lesson, we will learn from a lesson with Rav Laitman from October 22, 2021. This is article 28, Shamati, and it can be found at kabbalah.info. Shamati #28, “I Shall Not Die but Live.”

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Reader: Hello, we are going to be reading from the writings of Baal HaSulam. We’re reading Shamati, number 28, “I Shall Not Die but Live.” You can send questions. Pertinent questions will be aired during the lesson. You can find the study materials on our site or on the Arvut system under the study materials button.

M. Laitman: Yes, let’s read.

Reader: We will begin with Shamati, Number 28, I Shall Not Die but Live

Reading: (00:35) Baal HaSulam. Shamati #28. I Shall Not Die but Live.

I heard in 1943

In the verse, “I shall not die but live,” in order for one to achieve the truth, there must be a sensation that if one does not obtain the truth, he feels himself as dead, since he wants to live. This means that the verse, “I shall not die but live” is said about one who wants to obtain the truth.

This is the meaning of “Jonah Ben [the son of] Amitai.” Jonah comes from the [Hebrew] word Honaa [fraud], and Ben [son] comes from the word Mevin [understands]. One understands because one always examines the situation he is in and sees that he has deceived himself, and he is not walking on the path of truth.

Truth means to bestow, meaning Lishma [for Her sake], and the opposite of this is fraud and deceit, meaning only to receive, which is Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. By this, one is later imparted the “Amitai,” meaning Emet [truth].

This is the meaning of “your eyes are as doves.” Eynaim [eyes] of Kedusha [holiness], called Eynaim of the Shechina [Divinity], are Yonim [doves]. They deceive us and we think that she has no Eynaim, as it is written in The Zohar, “A fair maiden who has no eyes.”

The truth is that one who is rewarded the truth sees that she does have eyes. This is the meaning of “A bride whose eyes are pretty, her whole body needs no scrutiny.’

Rav’s Introduction: What does he want to tell us here? Baal HaSulam spoke these words. I’ll repeat it. 

Rav reads: It is written, shall not die but live. 

Meaning that one who determined that he does not want to die in spiritually, in the end he comes to spiritual life, this is the only way. Because he is between these two discernments, spiritual life, and spiritual death. 

A person, in order to come to the truth, must come to feel that if he does not obtain the truth, he feels himself as dead.

Since he wants to live. This is how we feel ourselves in ascents and descents in all kinds of states which, actually, we determine death as a state where we don't want anything at all. We are not against holiness or for holiness or anything. When the desires are taken away from us and we do not want anything in life, this is tantamount to death. Kabbalists call it differently; they say that life and death depend only according to my yearning for holiness. If I want something else from holiness, it’s also death. 

This means that the verse "I shall not die but live'' is said about one who wants to obtain the truth.

Meaning he feels life and death in those two discernments. He advances to above reason and goes above his intellect. He wants to develop his approach to life, not from within his natural desire but despite it, above it, so he is going towards life. 

This is the meaning of Jonah Ben [the son of] Amitai.” Ben the son of Amitai. Jonah comes from Hona’a, fraud; and Ben comes from the word Mevin [understanding]. What does he understand? Because he always examines the situation he is in and sees that he has deceived himself and he is not working on the path of truth. 

He is lying to himself. This is basically all of our mistakes. When we lie to ourselves and then we are happy this way in our feelings even though it is a lie in terms of the path. He deceived himself that he is not walking on the path of truth. 

Truth means to bestow meaning Lishma [for Her sake] and the opposite of this is fraud and deceit meaning only to receive which is Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. By this, one is later imparted the “Amitai” meaning Emet [truth]. 

In other words, after the scrutinies of being between truth and falsehood more and more and more. In the end, he clarifies more and more what is the concept of truth until this concept becomes so obvious in his eyes that he begins to detect and see the Lishma (for her sake). 

This is the meaning your eyes are as doves. Eynaim (eyes) of Kedusha, holiness, meaning of bestowal, the holy Shechina called Eynaim (eyes) of the Shechina (divinity). They are as doves. In other words, they deceive us and we think that she has no eyes. 

We think that holiness has no eyes, that we can do whatever; that only we exist in the world. This is basically what the Klipa (shells), the opposite of holiness, wants to show us and we must protect ourselves from it. One who is rewarded with the truth, meaning who tries to raise himself above reason, sees that she does have eyes. That there are Eynaim, eyes of holiness – her eyes are as doves. They deceive us and trick us into thinking there is no Creator, no Shechina, no Providence, nothing. But everything is in the hands of the wicked and this is how we advance. If we discover the truth, Lishma, in order to bestow, then we see that she has eyes, the Holy Shechina, the appearance of the Creator in our eyes, in our world. 

This is the meaning of the bride whose eyes are pretty, her whole body needs no scrutiny. 

Meaning if we come to the real eyes, meaning beautiful eyes which is Lishma, for her sake, we discover seeing the Shechina. Then, we also discover her entire body, her bestowal, all her bestowal. That she sustains the whole of reality, the whole world.

Question (Kiev 1): (09:08) What does it mean that they’re eyes of holiness?

M. Laitman: It is Providence. When Providence is concealed, it seems to us like there is no Creator. He's not looking, He does not see us and we are only in our own hands. Or in the hands of blind nature, or evil nature. But if we rise above it either through our work or through an awakening from above. When we are given this feeling, when we are elevated a little bit, then we think that there might be eyes, after all, and there might be Providence, and we are in contact with the upper force.

Student: Only above reason we get such a state?

M. Laitman: When we discover that there is the Shechina and she has eyes. Meaning that, she has the guidance of the Creator over us. And it is a tight guidance and we are in this guidance, we do not exit it, we do not emerge from it. Then, of course, it is through the power of faith above reason, the power of bestowal. We try to continue going in this way but, again, it is through constantly falling and rising. Falling from the guidance as if it did not exist and, again, we try to raise ourselves by force to open Providence and likewise each time.

Student: Can this be as a certain atmosphere in the Ten?

M. Laitman: Of course, the feeling of the existence of the Creator and the influence of the Creator on the Ten can be like that in the Ten. The Ten must be more solidified, on top of all kinds of conditions that the Creator arranges for them. So that they want to discover that it came from the Creator, and through all those states, they are dependent and adhered to the Creator.

Reader: (11:50) How can you stop lying to yourself and seeing that one’s not going on the path of truth?

M. Laitman: Try to bring yourself back by force, to the feeling that you are under the wings of the Shechina, under constant governance. And there is nowhere to run and that the Creator is holding us tightly. And every cell, every organ, every thought, and every desire—all of them, every single one of them—are locked on the upper force and are governed by it, absolutely and decisively. And the person needs only keep this form in mind and heart that he is being guided to the point of open Providence, open guidance; he must exert in this.

Question (ITA 4): (13:30) I didn’t understand what the difference is between a person feeling himself dead, spiritually, and one not wanting anything else? He doesn’t want anything else because he's connected to spirituality or internality?

M. Laitman: Dead means that he does not want anything in life, he doesn't even want corporeality, we have such states. When we are in this state where we do not care about anything – I prefer to die than to live, that’s it. We are given this feeling, made to feel this state, because all of spirituality is a feeling; our whole life is feeling. It is when we feel that we are in a certain world and it influences us, etc., it is all feelings, there is nothing else. We were given the brain only to scrutinize our feelings and to try to manage it, govern it somehow. We need to try to constantly be aware, what state I am in, this is number one. 

Number Two: That this state came to me from the Creator; Three: What the Creator wants me to do after giving me this feeling, having given me this feeling. He is already in this state, in my feelings because He is managing it, He is doing it. How should I respond to the extent that I understand that this is His intention in bringing me to the present state. Here, I need to start maybe organizing the environment, the study, all kinds of things. As long as I respond correctly to the situation, that I feel. I can turn to the Creator, that’s seemingly the simplest, the closest. But to organize the right connection, the right plea to the Creator, I may, nevertheless, need a group, an understanding, a deeper understanding, so that my plea will be as powerful as possible and will bring me to the new state. The Creator wants us to come and dialogue with Him, in conversation with Him, in mutual connection. And I am for My beloved and my Beloved is for me. I speak to Him, He speaks to me and we build a connection to such an extent that the connection grows stronger and stronger. To the point where I feel in this connection that we are truly, very close to one another. To the point that, sometimes, I begin to discover that we are actually one. That there is no distance between the receiver and the Giver, and back from the Giver to the receiver and so on.

Question (Moscow 4): (17:14) What is the difference where there’s eyes of Divinity?

M. Laitman: Bestowal, it’s bestowal, that's it; in every place, bestowal is what I imagine as the desire of the other and toward the desire of the other, I work. All of the desires of the other, all of them, the sum total of them are the desire of the Creator which I should see in front of me. Because if I come to a state that I relate to all of humanity in its entirety. Of course, there are terrible things here and there are crimes and criminals and so on, but if, in general, I want to do good to them, that they will be reformed, that they would be good. Meaning that all of them will be in bestowal, in connection, that's it; by this, I bring everything back to the Creator.

Question (Moscow 1): (18:37) If I understand correctly, a person can only be in one situation, he cannot be in several states simultaneously. And it turns out that our movement is when we move from one state to another. How do I not stay stuck in the right line all the time? Because he wants to continue, you receive some pleasure for yourself and, what obliges me to continue to move?

M. Laitman: Mainly, it is connection with the friends, the main thing is connection with the friends. And besides this, it is written that envy, lust, and honor bring a person out from the world. Meaning if you want or yearn for greater things, then you can't sit still and yet want to grow. Try to understand that you obtain greater things only if you are in greater power of bestowal.

Student: Let's say that the desire disappears and I cannot do anything with myself. I simply sleep or sit?

M. Laitman: I understand you but only work in the group can shake a person because then I am more connected to others and then I yearn for something. I do something—either company or death, as it is written. Only this type of work in society when we do something together, when we move each other. You can't take an organ from the body and revive it, sustain it. You have to connect it to all kinds of other organs and they will give to it and it to them. And, in this way, by mutual giving, this is called, life. Life is connection, connection among parts – not in each part individually but in the connection between them. This is why we have to come to; we have to disseminate. We have to do all kinds of work. We have to organize ourselves in Congresses in order to feel the changes. This is the main thing that brings changes when I take the society and begin to work with them and organize something. Then even if we forget, if we are not so precise in our spiritual work, nevertheless by this, we achieve great corrections. Even work in the Ten without much of an intention because initially we forget about the intention during the work. Nevertheless, it is more instrumental and more effective than just sitting and doing all kinds of intentions, unifications.

Question (MAK 22): (22:54) Do I understand correctly that this this law, this rule – love thy friend as thyself – if we can understand it in depth and discover it. It’s not just a commandment that is brought to us. But, rather, it was the condition to receive the Torah for the people of Israel, and assures them their uniqueness and closeness to the Creator?

M. Laitman: Yes, love your friend as yourself, is a great rule of the Torah. Rule also means, collective, in Hebrew, it includes everything that a person has to do. If you come to love of others, by this you correct yourself practically, completely. After that, you leap into loving the Creator because the Creator is revealed as the common force, the collective force that is in the society. This is why we go from the love of the people to the love of the Creator, and not the other way around.

Question (Rehovot): (24:22) Who is the bride that is being talked about and what is, beautiful eyes?

M. Laitman: The bride is the Shechina, the Divinity, meaning the revelation of the Creator to the created beings, this is called, the Shechina. And her eyes are how we check the revelation of the Creator to us, that this revelation is clear and beautiful and then it is called, her eyes being beautiful.

Question (PT 35): (25:21) How can we neutralize ourselves of negative influences, and make room between us that is to discover love in every moment that is more sterile?

M. Laitman: You can't do it at once; in each degree we try to clear the area between us from the ego. And then see the relationship between us with what is called, beautiful eyes, this is how it is.

Student: I feel that with every step forward we are more sensitive to external influences?

M. Laitman: From outside it is not so much, the main thing is that within us we have to increase our influence on each other. And we have to understand that only through this mutual influence between us, we can arise into a greater and greater connection between us. And then in the center of connection between us we then reveal in the connection between us we reveal the upper force the Creator.

Question (W MAK 21): (26:37) What is the truth we have to reach?

M. Laitman: What is the truth to which we need to reach, to come to? That we have beautiful bestowal, absolute bestowal upon everyone. And by this, in our bestowal upon everyone we discover a relation to the Creator, from the love of people to the love of the Creator. And in the love of the Creator, we will then discover how the Creator relates to us, according to the law of equivalence of form. As we relate to Him, so He relates to us, and this is what we have to discover.

Question (Woman Internet): (27:42) If we really do not want bestowal, what does the person who is going to the path want?

M. Laitman: We have nothing more than the way that through our connection we have to come to a state where we find in the connection between us the root of the connection between us, which is the Creator. I search and search how more and more, to connect to the friends. And I discover in my search what I actually looked for supposedly, I looked for the connection between us. But what I really found is the connection with the Creator, that He is between us.

Question (Woman Internet): (28:46) Why in our feelings it seems like we are bestowing but it is a lie and we are in the calculation that we are receiving for ourselves? Why is it built this way and how can we reach a state where in my mind we can feel the truth in our mind and heart?

M. Laitman: It is true that we think we are bestowing upon each other and it is also true that it is a lie on one hand. On the other hand, we have to accept it as such, and play with this until we give sufficient quantity and quality of labor to really discover the truth. This is how it should be.

Question (W Internet): (29:44) Why is the holy Shechina hiding its face? And under what conditions does she reveal herself?

M. Laitman: The holy Shechina is the presence of the Creator between us. Meaning that place where the Creator reveals, that the desire in which the Creator is revealed, this is called, Shechina. It's a network of desires, it is hidden until we, ourselves, really try through our efforts to discover such connections, correct relations between us and the friends from which we build the Shechina, Divinity. 

Let's say we have ten friends and we want to connect between us, all of us in this way and in that way, so that we build a network. A network of connections between us and this network, if it begins to operate mutually in all of the various connections between us, we call this network, Shechina. Meaning from that place where we expect the Creator to be revealed. And He is revealed as the Shochen, the Dweller; the One that is present in the Shechina, Divinity. When the Creator is revealed in the network of connections between us, according to the equivalence of this network that we build. The relations we build are in equivalence with the Creator. He is One revealed as the Shochen but He is One and we are ten. When we build among the Tens such connections that these connections have the essence of one as well. Then it is called, one receives One and this is how the Creator is revealed in the connection between us.

Question (W Internet): (31:44) Is that mutual connection with the Creator from a person in the Ten or from the whole Ten?

M. Laitman: Through the Ten from the perspective of the person to the extent that person gives to the Ten. And also, from the whole Ten together, both operate on the Creator because both are the power of bestowal from our perspective. But there is a power of bestowal from one person, even if it comes through the Ten, otherwise it would not be bestowal all together. And there is the power of bestowal which already comes from the Ten. This is already something very special – which is certainly directed to the Creator.