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

Daily Morning Lesson: August 8, 2025 

Part 1: Recorded lesson – October 31, 2021

Baal HaSulam. Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work?

Reader: Hello friends, we will study Shamati Article 42, What Is The Acronym, ELUL, In The Work. Again, Baal HaSulam, Shamati 42, What Is The Acronym, ELUL, In The Work. We will watch a recorded lesson from the 31st of October, 2021, please.

M. Laitman: It's ELUL – the meaning of ELUL – how will I say, it's an acronym, Ani l’dodi v’dodi li – I am for My beloved, and my is to Me. The longing of man to the Creator, and by that he discovers how much the Creator longs for him, according to the rule, make your desire as his, so he will make his desire as yours. The Creator cannot reveal himself to a person more than how much a person reveals his disposition towards the Creator. Because otherwise there will not be an equivalence of form, either there will be a restriction, or there will be a bread of disgrace. This state is not a day or a month, it's a state that the person discovers. That he begins to long for the Creator, not like before, he was going through different states and didn't know how to orient himself. But rather when he begins to feel that he can truly rise above his ego and yearn for the Creator. Then according to this Tendency, this position, he discovers that the Creator, accordingly, longs for him, and this meeting where man longs for the Creator and the Creator shows that he longs for man. And it shows to the person that he actually prepared this meeting, this is called the month of ELUL.  Chodesh month, from the word, new, this is the revelation of a person's relationship with the Creator. So, Baal HaSulam starts with an explanation. Please.

Reader: So we are reading from Shamati 42, what is the acronym ELUL in the work, we are continuing from: To Understand All The Above, we were starting there. 

Reading: (04:02) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work?

To understand all the above, we must understand the purpose of creation, which is said to be because He wishes to do good to His creations. And because of the Tikkun [correction], so there will not be a matter of the “bread of shame,” a Tzimtzum [restriction] was made. And from the Tzimtzum extended the Masach [screen] by which the vessels of reception are turned into bestowal.

When the vessels are prepared to be in order to bestow, we immediately receive the light that is hidden and treasured for His creatures. It means that one receives the delight and pleasure that was in the thought of creation, to do good to His creations.

With that we can interpret what is written, “Annul your will before His will,” meaning annul the will to receive in you before the desire to bestow, which is the will of the Creator. 

M. Laitman: Is it clear? If someone doesn't understand what's written here, without the philosophy around it, make a sign and we'll try to scrutinize it. Okay, keep going.

Reading: (05:40) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

This means that one will revoke self-love before the love of the Creator. This is called “annulling oneself before the Creator,” and it is called Dvekut [adhesion]. 

M. Laitman: Just like the Creator loves what's outside of Him, meaning that's how He relates to all people, in order to bring them to the top of their existence, adhesion in Him, so we need to try to respond and to grow in this way towards the Creator.

Reading: (06:23) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

Subsequently, the Creator can shine inside your will to receive because it is now corrected in the form of receiving in order to bestow.

This is the meaning of “so that He will annul His will before your will.” It means that the Creator annuls His will, meaning the Tzimtzum that was because of the disparity of form. Now, however, when there is already equivalence of form, hence now there is expansion of the light into the desire of the lower one, which has been corrected in order to bestow, for this is the purpose of creation, to do good to His creations, and now it can be carried out. 

M. Laitman: Meaning the moment a person relates to the Creator the way the Creator relates to Him in bestowal, in giving. To that extent He opens up His valve, the restriction, the prohibition. And then the upper light, the abundance comes to Him and fills Him according to how much He opens Himself up.

Reading: (07:48) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work. Twice

Now we can interpret the verse, “I am My beloved’s.” It means that by the “I” annulling my will to receive before the Creator in the form of entirely to bestow, it obtains “and My beloved is mine.” It means that My beloved, who is the Creator, “is mine,” He imparts to me the delight and pleasure found in the thought of creation. Thus, what was hidden and restricted before has now become disclosure of the face, since now the purpose of creation has been revealed—to do good to His creations.

We must know that the vessels of bestowal are called YH [Yod-Hey] of the name HaVaYaH [Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey], which are pure Kelim [vessels]. This is the meaning of “All who receive, receive in the purer Kli [vessel].” In that state, one is awarded, “and my beloved is mine,” and He imparts abundance upon him, meaning he is rewarded with the revelation of the Face.

Yet, there is a condition to this: It is impossible to obtain disclosure before one receives the discernment of Achoraim [posterior], discerned as concealment of the Face, and to say that it is as important to him as the disclosure of the Face. It means that one should be as glad as though he has already acquired the disclosure of the Face. 

M. Laitman: This is an important condition. I have to highlight. Read it again. 

Reading again: (09:56) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

M. Laitman: We have to come to a state where to us personally it is not important if it is revelation or concealment. We have to rise above the restriction and relate only to the Creator, what are we doing by that? This will determine if we open ourselves up or close ourselves up or everything else we do. 

Reading: (11:01) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work. Twice

However, one cannot persist and appreciate the concealment like the disclosure, except when one works in bestowal. At that time, one can say, “I do not care what I feel during the work because what is important to me is that I want to bestow upon the Creator. If the Creator understands that He will have more contentment if I work in a form of Achoraim, I agree.”  

M. Laitman: Again, please.

Reading again: (11:39) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

M. Laitman: There are no questions, yes? So we continue. 

Reader: (12:24) This statement that, I agree, should he say that within reason, within the will to receive? He has to feel that he agrees? 

M. Laitman: That he is going for it, he arranges himself in this way, he wants to come to it. It depends on the degree he is in, the states, but he understands that he wants to reach a state where it is not important to him what he feels. But it is important what the Creator feels from him. 

Student: But the question is whether this agreement, is within the desire to receive or what? 

M. Laitman: How much can a person check if his heart is whole or not? It changes every moment.

Student: Yes, every moment, but he has to every moment see that he does not want to agree, but he wants to agree? 

M. Laitman: Yes, yes, develop his attitude in this way. 

Question (Turkiye 1): (13:30) Can you explain what is the expansion of the light into a desire, and what are the consequences of it on the desire? 

M. Laitman: The light that expands in the desire, meaning it expands the desire, the desire becomes bigger and more suited for the light. And accordingly, when the light makes such a correction in the desire, it fills the desire, and then together with the desire it becomes as one, although they are two. Since the desire is the created being and the light is the Creator, then they reach a certain adhesion. 

Question (PT 24): (14:37) It says in the paragraph that we can't persist unless one works in bestowal. In bestowal, what's the mean in bestowal, when he's not bestowing yet, by the indirection of bestowal or then? 

M. Laitman: We can't hold on to see constantly falls and rises and falls and rises. 

Question (PT 23): (15:03) We've learned that a person can work in bestowal when the Creator is revealed, and so I know that I'm working to bestow to him. If the Creator is hidden, how could it be that a person is in a state?

M. Laitman: If the Creator is revealed and he did not start to bestow, what does it mean that you receive in order to receive? You enjoy His revelation. 

Student: Right, that's why I'm asking. 

M. Laitman: So there's no such thing, the Creator cannot be revealed before a person attains the restriction and the concealment, conceals himself, conceals his will to receive. And then from that begins the equivalence of a person to the Creator.

Student: So, in that state that he wants to bestow, it's that state. If the Creator is still hidden, why will a person want? 

M. Laitman: A person needs to bestow during the state where the Creator is concealed. 

Student: But what keeps him in that state? How is it possible? 

M. Laitman: He should ask for the forces, but he cannot receive something before he has the force to bestow. You can sit for a thousand years and wait for the revelation of the Creator and it will not happen, It will not happen, it goes against the law of nature. Only when you begin to bestow, to that extent the Creator opens himself up because He's the Bestower but only to this extent. Apparently you should understand what's lacking – what's lacking is the work in bestowal. Even when we receive nothing and feel nothing, we have to put in the work. That's why you are in a Ten, start developing the quality of bestowal relative to the friends.

Question (PT 19): (17:26) This is something I keep thinking about: That there is a condition that it's impossible to obtain disclosure before one receives discernment of Achoraim. What does it mean, do I need to pray for the Achoraim? 

M. Laitman: Achoraim, posterior, is darkness; you cannot receive revelation unless it's preceded by darkness. Just like it was evening and it was morning one day – you cannot have day if it's not preceded by night. 

Student: Why is it though, why do I have to hold the darkness first, why?

M. Laitman: Because during the time of darkness you can prepare the vessels. And then comes a time called, day, where you receive lights in the corrected vessels. 

Reader: So we'll continue in the next paragraph.

Reading: (18:32) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

However, if one still has sparks of reception, he comes to thoughts, and it is then hard for him to believe that the Creator leads the world in a manner of “good and doing good.” This is the meaning of the letter Yod in the name HaVaYaH, which is the first letter, called “a black dot that has no white in it,” meaning it is all darkness and concealment of the Face.

M. Laitman: Although it symbolizes all the light of Hochma that we will receive, for the time being, it symbolizes darkness. 

Reading: (19:18) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

It means that when one comes to a state where one has no support, one’s state becomes black, which is the lowest quality in the upper world, and that becomes the Keter to the lower one, as the Kli of Keter is a vessel of bestowal.

M. Laitman: That's what we should not forget. We should try and remember that everything we do, we always advance up the ladder. We raise in holiness and never demote. Everyone, wherever he is, whether he studies Kabbalah or not, he's successful or not, he always advances towards the purpose of creation – everyone is like that. So we should understand if we enter the period of darkness, it's a time that precedes the following period, which is the period of light. It was evening and it was morning, it's always like that. So, do not despair, but try to go through this period of darkness, consciously, with awareness, with strength, with participation. And then what you will receive later when the light shines, you will receive it with greater understanding and connection with that same source of light. 

Reading: (20:58) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

The lowest quality in the upper one is Malchut, which has nothing of its own, meaning that she does not have anything. Only in this manner is it called Malchut. It means that if one takes upon himself the kingdom of heaven—which is in a state of not having anything—gladly, afterward, it becomes Keter, which is a vessel of bestowal and the purest Kli. In other words, the reception of Malchut in a state of darkness subsequently becomes a Kli of Keter, which is a vessel of bestowal. 

M. Laitman: Meaning we enter a time of darkness, let's say because we don't have vessels of bestowal; that's why all the light that shines on us, we feel it as darkness. Later, gradually, we correct our vessels, and we feel that this darkness disappeared and was replaced by light. And in truth, darkness is not darkness, it all depends on our vessels. Light shines in every state – There's None Else Besides Him – His glory fills the earth. Everything is light, but it all depends on us and the vessels of the created beings.

Question (Turkiye 2): (22:49) If preparation is necessary, what is it? 

M. Laitman: Typically, our preparation is carried out in a group, where we try to come closer to the friends. And by that, we begin to feel various stops in us, various disturbances. And we don't even need to talk about it or perform actions, like little kids between them. But this helps too, perhaps, it depends on a person's nature, but that's how we should do it. From this, we come to an understanding of what is restriction in us, how closed off we are, how much we're unable to come closer to the other. And what do we need to do? What can we do? So the heart of each one will open up, and in the connection of the hearts, we will reveal the Creator.

Reader: We are continuing.

Reading: (24:36) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

It is like the verse, “For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous will walk in it, and transgressors will stumble in it.” This means that transgressors, those who are controlled by the vessels of reception, must fall and crouch under their load when they come to that state.

The righteous, however, those who are in the state of bestowal, are elevated by this, meaning by this they are imparted vessels of bestowal. (“Wicked” should be interpreted as those whose heart is still not set on obtaining vessels of bestowal, and “righteous” means those whose heart is already set on obtaining vessels of bestowal but are as yet unable.)

It is as The Zohar writes, that the Shechina [Divinity] said to Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai, “There is no place to hide from you,” and this is why she appears to him. This is the meaning of what Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai said, “Because of this, and His desire is upon me.” This is, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,” and then he bestows upon the VH [Vav-Hey].

This is the meaning of “The Name is incomplete, and the throne is incomplete until the Hey bonds with the Vav.” The Hey is called “the will to receive,” which is the last and final Kli in which the Vav will bestow into the Hey, and then it will be the end of correction.

This is the meaning of “Righteous—at once to life.”

Question (Moscow 4): (27:19) It says, the Malchut has nothing, what does it mean? 

M. Laitman: Malchut has only the will to receive and nothing besides that, that's it. All the rest of the corrections, she receives by annulling to the Keter. And accordingly it receives from all the discernments from above – all of their discernments – it's intermingled with all the Sefirot, it builds a Partzuf, that's what Malchut does. 

Question (PT 35): (28:14) The one who receives the burden of Malchut of heaven, where does he receive the Kli of Keter from?  

M. Laitman: The kingdom of heaven, Malchut, is Malchut that connects to Bina – Bina is called heaven, Malchut is Malchut, vessels of reception. When they connect with vessels of bestowal, then we say that they reach the kingdom of heaven.

Question (Kiev): (29:30) He writes here, that there's no place to hide from you the Divinity says. 

M. Laitman: If we are in vessels in our vessels of reception, meaning in order to receive we want to receive, we're always in the vessels of reception. But do you want to use them or not; if I am in the vessels of reception then I hide myself. If I make a restriction, then I'm restricting my will to receive from myself, so I become neutral relative to the Creator. If I correct my will to receive so it will be in order to bestow, and accordingly I come closer to the Creator. And to the extent that I'm closer to him I become a vessel for the reception of the light. Because how do I actually come closer, only when our vessels acquire the intention to bestow, that's it.

Student: So, it happens in each and every state? What does it mean, she can't hide?

M. Laitman: Yes, this happens allegorically like that – seemingly the Creator hides himself from the created beings. And created beings, by correcting themselves they discover the Creator. 

Question (KabU 3): (31:18) Why do we call Malchut the kingdom of heaven? Why do we call Malchut the kingdom of heaven because we wish to reach Bina?

M. Laitman: Bina is called heaven, Malchut is kingship; kingdom is the land, the ground. So when we want to climb from the land to the heavens that means that we raise Malchut to Bina. When it works together with Bina it's called, Malchut Shamayim, the kingdom of heaven, it's simple.

Question (Merkaz 1): (32:13) We read that, the righteous shall walk in it and the wicked will fail. What path are we talking about?

M. Laitman: He speaks about each and every person, if he's righteous, he advances because he justifies the Creator and he tries to make acts of bestowal on his part. He prays, he asks, restriction, the screen, help etc.; and, if he's wicked then he fails because he cannot advance toward the Creator. Each and everyone should do it, in each one, there's a little bit, there's a righteous and a wicked. And also it can't be that a person will be righteous, if he wasn't wicked before. There are many examples like that. 

Question (KabU 7): (33:37) When I'm in Malchut, in total darkness, and I aspire to vessels of bestowal, that's considered Malchut?

M. Laitman: Yes, you may say that. Later you'll scrutinize things more precisely.

Question (PT 31): (34:16) So, what we do advances us to the purpose of creation, the darkness as well? So why are there states Kabbalists refrain from, they say, G-d forbid. What do we need to be cautious of on our path?

M. Laitman: You have to be careful not to get into contact with it in order to receive, in your thoughts, in your desires, in your actions. It's not clear, what do we need to be aware of? There are no other prohibitions, only to be in contact with it in order to receive, which is opposite the Creator.

Student: The state of darkness doesn't mean being in the will to receive?

M. Laitman: Yes, inside the will to receive.

Student: Because he said that darkness advances us to the purpose of creation as well. 

M. Laitman: Yes, but it depends on the darkness. If it's darkness that's on the path along the way, yes. But if it's not a result of the path and you didn't invite it, then it doesn't advance you so well. It advances, but not directly. 

Student: When we guard ourselves from direct reception, the feeling is that ultimately the will to receive wins. So, what needs to be the right intention to not fall? 

M. Laitman: I don't quite understand you: The correct intention not to fall is always towards the connection with the friends and with the Creator. And all of it is, both according to equivalence. Meaning as much as you annul your desire and you come closer to their desire, either the friends or the Creator, or one inside the other. 

Reader: So, we are continuing.

Reading: (36:29) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work. Twice

[…]It means that the person himself should say in which book he wants his name to be written—whether in the book of the righteous, meaning that he wants to be given the desire to bestow, or not. Since one has many discernments regarding the desire to bestow, meaning that sometimes one says, “Yes, I want to be given the desire to bestow, but not to completely revoke the will to receive.” He rather, finds that wants both worlds for himself, meaning he wants the desire to bestow for his own delight, as well. 

M. Laitman: Meaning he wants the desire to bestow for his own delight as well, this is called, the Book of the Wicked. Read again.

Reading: (37:22) Shamati 42. What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work.

Question (Tel Aviv 4): (38:20) He wrote before that, righteous is the one who didn't determine, set his heart. And also he says the person should say, what does it mean a person should say or should set it in his heart and how to do it? 

M. Laitman: By yearning for it, by doing all these actions in order to receive from above such a force of bestowal that will influence us and bring such discernments to us. 

Student: So, by actions that a person does? 

M. Laitman: With a friend, with a prayer to the Creator, we learned that everything is attained by the power of prayer. So, you receive corrections from above and you begin to think this way, you begin to agree.

Student: But there are times when you don't agree at all, you don't want it? 

M. Laitman: Sometimes, of course, you'll see what kind of ascents and descent you're going to get if you keep going! Of course, he who is greater than his friend his inclination is greater. He had a great desire down below until he corrected it and came up and from above he falls even lower where he never was before. And from there he does all the work, dropping down exactly to that place from which he can climb back up again. This is according to the group, according to the study, according to all the preparations he has made. So they don't let him fall lower than that, rather all according to his preparation. Then according to the preparation that's in him he begins to correct the descent – not right away because at first he's unconscious. And then he advances this way and he rises higher than where he was before. And then he falls even lower, to a place he has never been to and that's how it is. He rises to a place higher than where he was before and that's our work.

Student: So the state where it's set in his heart or the person needs to say that he wants it, it's a one-time thing? 

M. Laitman: No, each time, each and every time.