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

Daily Lesson (Morning) May 15, 2024.

Part 1: Rabash. Article No. 31, (1986). Concerning Yenika [Suckling] and Ibur [Impregnation]

Reader: Hello, we are reading from the writings of Rabash. The article, “Concerning Yenika [Suckling] and Ibur [Impregnation]. You can ask questions at Sviva Tova, Kabbalahgroup.info, and also in the Arvut system. You can ask questions through those broadcast systems. Everyone who wants to ask a question in the hall, please get up, hold the mic close to the mouth and say the question clearly.

Reading Article: (00:36) Concerning Yenika [Suckling] and Ibur [Impregnation]

Ibur [conception/impregnation], Yenika [nursing], Mochin [adulthood/greatness] are three degrees. Once a person has been rewarded with entering Kedusha [holiness/sanctity], he begins to attain them. They are called Nefesh in Ibur, Ruach in Yenika, and Neshama in Mochin.

However, even during the preparation for the work, before one has been rewarded with permanent admission into Kedusha, these matters still apply. Ibur means that a person temporarily Maavir [shifts/removes] his selfness and says, “Now I do not want to think of my own benefit whatsoever, and I also do not want to use my intellect, although to me it is the most important thing. That is, since I cannot do something that I do not understand—meaning I can do anything, but I must understand the benefit of it—he still says, “Now I can temporarily say that I am taking upon myself at this time that I determine not to use my intellect. Rather, I believe above reason, believe in faith in the sages, believing that there is an overseer who is watching each and every one in the world in Private Providence.”

But why should I believe it and I cannot feel that this is so? It makes sense that if I could feel the existence of the Creator I could certainly work for Him and would desire to serve Him. Why then is this concealment? What does the Creator gain by hiding Himself from the creatures? Also, he does not provide any answer to this, but rather answers that with this question, too, he goes above reason and says that if the Creator knew that not making the concealment would be better for the creatures, He would not create concealment.

It turns out that to all the questions that come up in his mind he says that he is going above reason, and that now he is going with eyes shut and only with faith. It is as Baal HaSulam said about the verse (Psalms, 68:32): “Kush shall run to stretch out her hands to God.” He said that if one can say, “Kush,” meaning that his Kushiot [questions] are answers, it means that he does not need answers, but the question itself gives him the answer. That is, he says that now that he has a question he can go above reason. Then, “his hands are to God,” meaning that then his hands, namely his vessels of reception—from the words, “Should a hand attain”—then a person is regarded as whole, with God.

Therefore, the beginning of the entrance into the work of the Creator is regarded as Ibur [impregnation], when he cancels his self and becomes impregnated in the mother’s womb, as it is written, “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.” This comes from the verse, “For you should call Bina ‘Mother,’” meaning that he cancels self-love, called Malchut, whose original essence is called “will to receive in order to receive,” and enters the vessels of bestowal, called Bina.

One should believe that before he was born, meaning before the soul descended into the body, the soul was adhered to Him, and now he longs to adhere to Him again, as prior to her descent. This is called Ibur, when he completely annuls his self. However, although his heart tells him that only now he agrees to the annulment but later he will regret, we can say about this, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”

Also, tomorrow may not be the next day. Rather, tomorrow can be the present or the future. The difference in time can be even an hour later.

It is as our sages said, “Anyone who has what to eat today and says, ‘What shall I eat tomorrow?’ it is for lack of faith” (Sutah, 48). We should interpret that this means that if he has what to eat today, meaning he is willing to take upon himself faith above reason and only thinks, “What will happen later,” meaning he already has Reshimot [recollections] from states when he thought that he would remain in that state of ascent forever, but then descended once more to a place of lowliness, which is a place of garbage, where garbage means where all the waste is thrown.

That is, during the ascent he thought that the whole matter of self-love is nothing but waste that should be thrown to the garbage. That is, he felt that the will to receive is garbage. But now, during the descent, he himself is descending into the place of garbage so as to receive nourishments from there, like cats poking through trash to find something to eat to sustain themselves. Likewise, during the descent he is like a cat, and not like spoiled people who always select what they should eat and what they shouldn’t.

This is the meaning of what we say in the Hallel [Praise]: “He raises the poor from the dust, lifts the poor from the trash.” Accordingly, it follows that when a person can annul himself a little bit and at that time says, “Now I want to annul myself before the Kedusha,” meaning not to think about self-love. Rather, now he wants to bring contentment to the Creator, and believes above reason that although he still does not feel anything, he believes above reason, that the Creator hears the prayer of every mouth, and before Him, small and great are equal, and as He can deliver the greatest of the greatest, He can also help the smallest of the small.

This is called Ibur, meaning that he passes from his own domain into the domain of the Creator. However, it is temporary. That is, he truly wants to annul himself forever, but cannot believe that there will be annulling forever now since he has already thought many times that it would be so but then descended from his degree and fell to the place of garbage.

However, he does not need to worry about what to eat tomorrow, as was said above, that later he will certainly fall from his degree, as this is for lack of faith. Rather, he must believe that the salvation of the Lord is as the blink of an eye. It follows that since he annuls himself for the time being and wants to remain this way forever, it follows that he has the value of Ibur.

However, in truth, one must believe that his desire to enter the work of the Creator in annulling his self is a call from above, for it is not within man’s wisdom. The evidence of this is that during this call, all the questions he had before he was called from above—he had many questions, and each time he wanted to do something in order to bestow the body resisted and could not understand if there is a person in the world who could annul his self before the Creator and not worry at all about his own benefit. He was always under some fear whether he could annul himself to the Creator.

But now he sees that all the thoughts and doubts have been completely burned and he would feel great pleasure if he could annul himself before the Creator. Now he sees that all his reason is worthless, although previously he thought that no one in the world could convince him to annul himself before the Creator, and he would say that this is hard work that not just anyone can come into. But now he sees that there is nothing that interferes with his adhering and annulling before the Creator. Rather, as was said above, since it is an illumination from above, all the obstructers who came and told him the argument of the spies have surrendered to him and vanished from sight.

It is as it is written (Psalms, 103:16), “For the wind has passed over him and he is no more, and his place will no longer know him.” It is as it is written, “For the wind has passed over him.” When a person receives Ruach [spirit/wind] from above, all the obstructers disappear and even his place is not apparent. That is, during the ascent, when he receives spirit from above, at that time he does not understand how can there be a place where the wicked can do something with their arguments.

It follows that during the Ibur, when we see that there is a time of a miscarriage if the fetus is born before the time of corrections of the Ibur has been completed, as some weakness in the impregnation causes a miscarriage when the fetus emerges prematurely and cannot exist and dies, it is the same in spirituality. If there is a weakness then a person comes out of the Ibur and comes into the air of this world, and all the thoughts that exist in this world fall into his mind, and all the desires of this world cling to him. This is considered that the Ibur has died.

In The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 9 (p 788, item 83), the ARI writes, “There should be doors in a woman, to close them and hold the fetus within so it does not come out until it is completely fashioned. And there should also be in her a force that depicts the form of the fetus.”

He explains there in “Inner Light” that there are two forces in the Ibur: 1) A depicting force, where the depiction of the fetus is Katnut [infancy/smallness], for in order to obtain Katnut there is an order, since Katnut is preparation for Gadlut [adulthood/greatness], and without Katnut in the degree there is no Gadlut. And as long as he is in Katnut he is still incomplete, and wherever there is a deficiency in Kedusha there is a grip to the Sitra Achra, who might spoil the Ibur so it cannot be completed. By this he is aborted, meaning that he is born before the state of Ibur has been completed.

It is so because there are twenty-five Partzufim [plural of Partzuf] in the Ibur, meaning NRNHY, and in each of them there is also NRNHY. Therefore, there must be a detaining force, meaning that even in Katnut there should be wholeness there. He receives this through his mother, although the fetus in itself has no Kelim [vessels] in which to receive Gadlut in order to bestow. Still, by annulling before the mother it can receive Gadlut from the Kelim of its mother. This is regarded as “An embryo is its mother’s thigh; it eats what its mother eats.”

That is, since it has no choice of its own but rather eats what its mother eats, meaning that what its mother knows is permitted to eat, it eats, as well, it means that he has shifted the choice of what is good and what is bad from himself. Rather, it is all attributed to the mother. This is called “its mother’s thigh,” meaning that he himself does not merit a name.

There it speaks of upper lights, but the same thing applies during the preparation, when wanting to enter the King’s palace—the same orders apply. As there are many discernments there and the Ibur is not completed all at once, and it is said that there are nine months of pregnancy until he obtains twenty-five Partzufim, in the preparation, too, there are many discernments until he obtains the complete Ibur during the preparation. Therefore, there are many ups and downs, and sometimes the Ibur becomes corrupted, which is also called a “miscarriage,” and we must begin the order of the work anew.

Let us explain the depicting force that exists during the preparation period. The depiction of the Ibur is Katnut, which means that only in vessels of bestowal, when he engages in Torah and work, he can aim to do everything with the intention to bestow.

That is, the reason why he engages now in Torah and Mitzvot is because he believes in the Creator and in His greatness. He takes upon himself that henceforth, all his pleasure will be in that he has a desire to serve the King, and he will regard this as though he has made a fortune, and as though the whole world is looking at him and envies him that he has been privileged with rising to the highest degrees, with which none other has been rewarded. Naturally, he is delighted and does not feel anything bad in the world, but rather that he is living in a world that is all good.

However, all the importance and joy is in that he gives, meaning that he wants to give to the Creator. That is, throughout the day he has one thought: “What should I do that will please the Creator?” That is, on the one hand we say that a person needs to work not in order to receive reward, but only for the Creator. On the other hand, we say that he must enjoy and picture how he can enjoy.

This means that he must depict pictures of greatness and importance of how we appreciate flesh and blood kings or other world leaders and see how the public appreciates them. Afterwards he should learn from the world how they enjoy serving world leaders and use this for the greatness of the Creator, that when he is serving the Creator he must feel the same pleasure as they enjoy serving world leaders.

Otherwise, if he does not derive great pleasure from engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, it is a sign that he does not appreciate the Creator as they appreciate and receive delight and pleasure from serving world leaders.

Therefore, when he speaks to the Creator, he must first depict to whom he is speaking, meaning His greatness and importance. That is, in what manner and what reverence I speak to Him, and He listens and looks at me when I speak to Him.

For example, when a person eats a cake or some fruit, we know we must believe that the Creator has created all these, and now we are enjoying what has been prepared for us to enjoy. We turn to Him for this and thank Him for this, and we say, “We thank and praise You for this pleasure and say, ‘Blessed are You, O Lord, creator of the fruit of the tree.’”

At that time, a person can monitor what he has just said to the Creator, what reverence he felt while speaking to Him, and what he feels after he has spoken to Him, meaning what impression it has left in him, what elation, since if he truly believes that he spoke to the King, where are the excitement and elation? It is written about it: “If I am a father, where is My honor? If I am a master, where is the fear of Me?”

If we look more closely we can detect two discernments in this act: 1) he enjoys the fruit he is eating. This joy he has from the fruit pertains to the animate will to receive. That is, animals also enjoy eating and drinking. There is no need for man to receive such a pleasure, and this is why this pleasure is called “beastly pleasure.”

But the blessing and gratitude he gives to the Creator for it, in this we should make several discernments. In the second discernment in the above action, meaning the joy of thanking the Creator, this pertains specifically to man and is absent in animals. There are many discernments here because in this act, which belongs to man, there are many degrees to discern.

For example, in man we should discern the measure of faith—how much he believes that the Creator has given him all the pleasures to enjoy. Afterwards we should discern—in the speaking that he speaks to the Creator—to what extent he believes that he is speaking to the Creator. Afterwards we should discern to what extent he believes in the greatness and importance of the Creator. In that, it is certain that every person is different. And in a person himself we should discern according to his current state, for because a person is walking, he could be ascending or descending. Thus, in one person we can discern several states, as it is written, “And I will give you moves among these who are standing.”

It turns out that in the will to receive pleasure, which by and large pertains to the beast, there is nothing to discern, since it is general pleasure. This is not so with pleasure pertaining to man. There we should already make many discernments. It follows that the foundation of the joy that pertains to man is not attributed to the vessels of reception. Rather, it pertains to bestowal because all his pleasure is built on the Creator. That is, all the fuel from which he has Kelim [vessels] for work depends on the greatness of the Creator and not on the measure of man’s pleasure. This means that the measure of pleasure depends on the extent to which he assumes the greatness of the Creator.

This is called “pleasure that comes to a person indirectly.” He wants to bestow upon the King directly, and to the extent that he depicts the greatness of the King, to that extent he is happier that he is delighting a great king. He receives indirect pleasure from this. It follows that pleasure is permitted only in this manner, for he does not intend for self-pleasure when he is serving the King, but the importance of the King commits him to serve the King.

It turns out that his intention is to delight the King, to make the King happy, so it naturally follows that he enjoys, as well. Such pleasure is permitted because when he receives this pleasure there is no matter of shame here, called “bread of shame,” as his pleasure is from giving and not from something he receives directly from the Creator.

When he enjoys something that the Creator gives him it is regarded as pleasure that comes directly from the Giver, as lights. This is called Ohr Hochma [Light of Wisdom], which comes to the receiver directly. That is, the receiver enjoys the reception, and this requires a correction called “aiming to bestow.” But if his pleasure is because he is giving to the Creator, and he enjoys serving Him, this pleasure is regarded as coming indirectly because his intention is for the King to enjoy, and he does not think about enjoying this.

It was said about this: “Serve the Lord with gladness.” That is, the joy should come to a person from serving the Creator. However, if he is serving without joy it is for lack of faith in the greatness and importance of the King. Otherwise, there must be joy and elation without any preparation for it, meaning he does not need to see that he will enjoy the work but needs to see that he prepares himself to know Whom he is serving and what is His importance. The joy is the result. Thus, if he has no joy in the work it is a sign that he has no idea about the importance of the Creator, and then he must correct himself in matters of faith.

Thus, he does not need to work on having gladness in serving the Creator. Rather, he must labor to obtain the importance and greatness of the Creator. That is, in everything he does, learns, and engages in Mitzvot [commandments], he wants reward for his labor—to be rewarded with the greatness and importance of the Creator. To the extent that he receives the importance of the Creator he will be naturally drawn to annul before Him and will want and crave to serve Him.

Everything we said thus far is regarded as Ibur because he must believe that everything comes from the Creator, giving him the thought and desire to annul before Him. At such a time he must find a place for depiction, meaning how he is inspired by this awakening, and criticize, and he will certainly find deficiencies to correct there. But when he sees what is missing there, he cannot be happy because every deficiency causes him suffering, so how can he be happy? On the other hand, it is not good to be so deficient, according to the rule that where there is a deficiency in the Kedusha [holiness/sanctity] there is a grip to the Klipot [shells/peels], and he might fall from his degree and receive from this weakness in the work.

Therefore, a person must see himself in wholeness, that he has no deficiency. He sees himself as happy with his life and as having where to find pleasure from seeing that there are many people like him who do not enjoy the life that he does, and if they had the pleasure that he has, they would all envy him.

Let us say, for example, that there are prisoners, and no one is allowed to come out of the prison to breathe some air. But one man wins the warden’s favor, and no one knows it, but he lets him out free one hour a day. He goes home to visit and then returns to the prison. How happy is that man? 1) He is happy because he visits his home. 2) When he looks at the rest of the prisoners, who are not given this freedom, he derives immense delight and pleasure from looking at the others, who are sitting in the prison without seeing any of the light that there is outside.

This means that besides his own pleasure, meaning the pleasure he himself enjoys, he can take pleasure from what is outside of him. He enjoys seeing what he has and what others do not have. It follows that this pleasure comes from outside, meaning from looking outside and seeing how they suffer from not having any leaves, while he enjoys his leaves.

It follows that we should discern two pleasures here: 1) the pleasure he receives from enjoying, 2) the pleasure he receives from having what others do not have, which is called “receiving joy from outside.” The lesson is that since we are incarcerated, it is as we say (in the Kaparot [atonements] on the eve of Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement]), “Dwellers of darkness and the shadow of death, prisoners of poverty and iron, He will deliver them from darkness and the shadow of death.”

We have sinned and were placed in prison, where all the prisoners who sinned before the King are placed, where they do not see light their whole life, meaning they were given a life-sentence in prison. They are disconnected from the parents, called “fathers of the world,” as our sages said (Tana de Bei Eliyahu Rabah, Chapter 25), “When will my deeds reach the deeds of my fathers?”

That is, where there is connection with the fathers, when one knows the good deeds of the fathers, it can be said that he is asking, “When will my deeds reach the deeds of my fathers?” That is, that he, too, will have the ability to do good deeds like the fathers. But because of the sin—as it is said, “For our sins we have been exiled from our land”—we have been placed in prison, completely disconnected from the fathers, meaning we do not know that we had fathers who were adhered to the Creator and we have no idea that it also pertains to us to say of every spiritual matter that we want to do things by which we can adhere to the Creator.

It follows that the people who were sentenced to life imprisonment do not see light their whole lives and accept their situation. They accustom themselves to enjoy only what the warden thinks he should give them for nourishment, and habit causes them to forget what they once had—a life outside the prison, where they enjoyed the life they chose for themselves and did not have to accept the nourishments according to the terms of the prison. However, they have forgotten everything.

The lesson is that one should be happy that the warden loves him and has therefore given him some freedom each day to walk out of jail and enjoy what innocent people enjoy, meaning as though he had never sinned against the King. He walks home and partakes with everyone in his family and the rest of his friends and loved ones, but then he must go back to jail.

This happens every day. That is, when a desire comes to a person to enter the synagogue and pray and learn a little and feel a little that there is spiritual life, that he finally believes it, meaning that he has faith, it is called “diminutive feeling about all the things in Kedusha,” that he receives illumination from afar. That is, although he is still far from equivalence of form, for because he sinned with self-love, called “disparity of form,” he was sentenced to life in prison. Jail is where there is no spiritual life but a place for the wicked who have sinned against the King.

But he was favored by the warden, who gives him a thought and desire to enjoy the life of humans, as in, “You are called ‘man,’ and the nations of the world are not called ‘man,’” since they enjoy man’s food, called a “spiritual life,” when they are connected to the King of Kings, meaning that they temporarily feel that they are speaking to the King.

When a person pictures that he is favored by the warden, who has given him a temporary leave, although he knows that later he will have a descent and will have to return to prison, even while in prison he can still be happy because he knows from past experience that there are ups and downs. Hence, even when he is returned to prison he knows that sometimes he is favored by the warden who will give him another temporary leave, and in that short while he will be able to see and plead with friends to set him free completely.

This means that even during a descent he sometimes gets thoughts that he is already used to being ejected from the thoughts and desires of sinners who are immersed in self-love. Later, when he receives a call from above, for so he believes, the thoughts and desires he has during the descent, he feels that it is impossible that he will ever be able to come out of self-love, for he sees the body’s resistance. Each time the resistance takes on different forms, and each argument is different from the other, but they are all the same in making him see that it is difficult and that there is no such thing in reality that a person can come out of them.

Still, he sees that when an awakening from above comes to him, he forgets all their arguments and they all burn as though they never existed. Now he wants only one thing—to annul before the Creator, and now he feels pleasure, specifically in this.

Because of this, when one has some grip in spirituality, even if it is the smallest of the small, he can already feel happy and complete, for two reasons: 1) He has been given a leave. He enjoys being temporarily out of prison, meaning out of Torah and Mitzvot. 2) He enjoys seeing that everyone else is in prison. He looks at them with pity and sometimes wants to ask for mercy for them, that the Creator will permit them to come out of prison.

Now we can understand that during the Ibur, when his force of depiction is only Katnut, when he can barely observe Torah and Mitzvot with any intention, he must believe that it is very important that the Creator has given him a place to depart from the rest of the people in the world, who have no connection to Judaism, and whose aspirations are clothed only in beastly pleasures, meaning they settle for that which nourishes and sustains beasts. As for spirituality, they pride themselves in not being stupid like the religious, who say that there is a matter of spiritual life. Instead, they have a strong and clear sense that they are right. They tell themselves, “We are the smartest in the generation in that we don’t believe in spirituality, and our life’s purpose is only corporeal life.”

They know for certain that there is no spirituality in the world, to such an extent that they want to make the religious also know that common sense dictates that there is nothing in the world but corporeal life, just like animals. There are even bigger smart alecks who—because they live like animals—have come to the conclusion that we should not eat animals because the speaking does not have a higher purpose than an animal, so why should we eat them if we are all on the same degree and have the same purpose?

It follows that on the one hand, one should appreciate the thought and desire to do simple things without any understanding or intellect, but completely above reason, and believe that even the small desire to observe Torah and Mitzvot was also given to him by the Creator as He favors him. However, he does not know what merit he has over other people whom the Creator has left in the corporeal life while picking him out from among all the people, as in the prison allegory. This matter should bring him joy and wholeness, and because he feels wholeness he can thank the Creator for it. It is as Baal HaSulam said, “To the extent that a person thanks the Creator for having brought him a little closer, to that extent he always receives help from above.”

We can interpret that the reason is that if a person understands that he must thank the Creator, it does not mean that the Creator should thank him like flesh and blood. Rather, the question is the measure to which he understands that he must thank Him. At that time, he begins to think how much gratitude I should give Him.

There is a rule that to the extent of giving is the extent of the gratitude. For example, if someone helps another person, who did not have a job so as to make a living, and he went and toiled for him and found him a job, naturally, he feels deep gratitude.

But if, for example, a person commits a crime against the government and the judge sentences him to twenty years in prison, and he must leave his family, and he already has sons and daughters that he should marry, and he just started a business, meaning started a company with one hundred workers, but in the meantime he only has fifty workers, and now according to the crime for which he was caught he must be incarcerated for twenty years, he is worried about the outcome of his plans and about his family while he is separated from the world. He says that now he would prefer to die than to live in prison and worry about everything.

And along comes a man who gives him tips by which he is acquitted from all the charges, and he is freed. Then the person certainly begins to think what he can give to this man who saved his life. Undoubtedly, now this man has but one concern: “With what can I show this man my heart, that my every bone thanks and praises him.” It is as it is written, “All my bones shall say” songs and praises for this man.

It follows that by having to thank him he begins to contemplate the measure of salvation he has given him so as to know what kind of gratitude he should give him. Because of it, when a person thanks the Creator it depends on the extent to which he appreciates the importance of the Creator delivering him from prison for one moment to breathe some more of the air of the world of Kedusha.

It therefore follows that a person suffers a descent because he did not appreciate drawing near to the Creator, and not appreciating it caused its loss. It is as our sages said, “Who is a fool? He who loses what he is given.” This means that he does not have the intellect to appreciate the measure of nearing Torah and Mitzvot, meaning that a person should believe that even the smallest thing in Torah and Mitzvot is also very important although he still does not feel its importance.

It follows that faith is in things that man still cannot feel or attain. At that time, he must believe in the sages, what our sages told us to believe that it is so, meaning as our sages told us and not as we feel. It is so because our feelings are still not developed in us so as to feel those feelings that extend when knowing we are speaking to the King. This is simple: If one knows that he is speaking to the King, he does not need to prepare himself to feel the importance of the King for it is a natural thing and he does not need to work on it needlessly.

Accordingly, what is the reason that a person is not excited while saying words of gratitude and words of Torah when he believes it is the Torah of the Creator? The reason is that his faith is still not complete faith, meaning that his faith will be as clear knowledge, but rather that his faith is still deficient.

Instead, he must work on believing that he is speaking to an important King, and feeling is something that comes without work, since feeling is only a result of something new that inspires a person. It follows that the main work is the work on faith, to believe that He is a great King.

This is the matter presented in several places in the holy Zohar, that one should pray over the exile of the Shechina [Divinity], or in other words, the “Shechina in exile” or “Shechina in the dust.” That is, we do not have the importance of the one to whom we pray or speak or thank for both pleasures and Mitzvot. Also, we do not contemplate the value of whose Mitzvot we are keeping. All this is called “Shechina in exile.”

Naturally, we cannot have a feeling for observing Torah and Mitzvot because there is a rule that a person is not inspired by something small, to an extent that some excitement will come to him.

It therefore follows that one should serve the Creator with gladness, meaning that in whatever state he is, even if he is in a lowly state and feels completely lifeless while engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, he should picture to himself that now he is observing the Mitzva [singular of Mitzvot] of faith above reason. That is, although the body shows him his lowliness, he can still strengthen himself and say, “My observing Torah and Mitzvot without any intention is very important” because in fact, he is observing everything in practice, but lacks the aim. That is, if he also had the right intention, the body would be satisfied, and he would feel like a complete human being.

But now the body cannot enjoy Torah and Mitzvot, so all that is missing here is the pleasure of the body. But since he wants to work for the Creator, it follows that specifically now, when the body has no pleasure, he can work more in order to bestow. If he believes above reason that this is so, this overcoming is called “awakening from below.” Afterwards he must receive sustenance because now he really is adhered to the Creator and wants to serve the Creator with nothing in return.

However, if he cannot go above reason then two officers come to him and put him in prison along with all the sinners against the King. Those two officers are “mind” and “heart.” At that time, he is sentenced to however long he is sentenced, and then he is given a short leave to examine his behavior. This continues until he is pitied from above and is freed from the prison.

It follows that we need two things: the first is the depicting force, which is Katnut, and the second is the detaining force to prevent a miscarriage, meaning not to spoil the Ibur. We need the depicting force because there is a rule that there is no light without a Kli, meaning no filling without a lack, so if there is no Katnut, there will never be Gadlut.

However, we need strength to hold on while feeling deficient because deficiency means that it pains him that he is still incomplete. It is known that it is hard to tolerate suffering. If he sees no end to the suffering, he escapes the campaign. It follows that we must give him wholeness so he can hold on and not escape the war of the inclination. However, he must not be given a lie, meaning to deceive himself and say that he is whole, since it is written, “He who speaks falsehood shall not be established before Me.”

Therefore, when we say to a person, “You see that everyone is incarcerated,” as in the above allegory, “and forget that they even have parents and friends,” who are people who engage in Torah and Mitzvot and who are friends with their souls. They forget everything and think that all that there is in the world are incarcerated people and a warden who controls them, meaning that they are under the judgment of the evil inclination, and they consider one who goes against their view as insane, meaning that they leave the corporeal life of enjoying the prison and seeks something above reason, meaning to believe that there is greater pleasure than the joys of corporeal life.

But he calculates to himself that he is very privileged that he has been favored by the Creator and that He has delivered him even momentarily from the corporeal life to breathe some air of Kedusha. He should be so happy when he considers them and himself. Certainly, this wholeness is considered true wholeness because in corporeality we [see] that a temporary leave, from the above allegory of the prison, gives so much joy to a person when he sees that he has been favored by the warden and all the prisoners have not been privileged with it.

Besides this wholeness being true, a person must make great efforts to appreciate it, since this work lifts the importance of the work by appreciating a small service in spirituality. By this we are later rewarded with enhancing the importance to a point where one can say that he has no way to appreciate the importance of serving the King. This is called Ibur.

Ibur means that the awakening comes from the upper one. But during the preparation, which is before one is rewarded admission into the King’s palace, where Ibur is when he is rewarded with NRNHY de Nefesh, there are many ups and down. However, it all enters the Ibur since everything comes from the awakening of the upper one.

From the perspective of the preparation, Yenika means that he awakens by himself and wants to suckle something from Kedusha through authors and books, so he can revive the spirit with spiritual life. For this reason, when he engages in Torah and Mitzvot he craves to elicit from them the light of Torah that reforms him, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.”

However, in order to elicit the light of Torah we must have faith, as it is written in the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar.” The reason is that he believes in the Creator and in His Torah and wants to adhere to Him but sees that he cannot due to the evil in him, which is the will to receive, and this form causes him to be removed from the Creator. For this reason, his faith is also inconsistent, as it is written in the Sulam [commentary on The Zohar], that faith cannot be in a person permanently because as long as one does not have fear—which is regarded as constantly fearing that he might not be able to aim to bestow but will crave to receive in order to receive, which is disparity of form—the light of faith cannot be in him permanently.

It therefore follows that there cannot be permanent faith if he has no Dvekut [adhesion], called “equivalence of form.” But how does one take this force so he can overcome his nature, which is only in oppositeness of form? It was said about this, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], and from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma [for Her sake] because the light in it reforms him” (Pesachim, 50). It follows that the light in the Torah is what reforms him, but this was said specifically when he wants the light in the Torah in order to reform him, meaning to aim all his actions to bestow upon his Maker.

Then, by reforming him, which means that he has Dvekut, then he will be rewarded with permanent faith. But a person who is not concerned with having only partial faith and learns Torah only where he can derive pleasure that will enter the vessels of reception, and is not concerned with vessels of bestowal, he has no need for the light of Torah to give him the remedy of reforming him. That is, to give him the strength to correct his works so they are only to bestow contentment upon his Maker, which is called Dvekut, and by which he will be rewarded with permanent faith.

This is not so if he does not need permanent faith and does not need Dvekut, and he expects the light because the light in the Torah comes from the upper one and there is delight and pleasure in this light. It follows that he craves the light not in order to help him turn his vessels of reception into vessels of bestowal. Rather, he wants the light to do the opposite of what it is meant to do.

The purpose of the light is to reform him. “Good” is as it is written, “My heart overflows with a good thing; I say, ‘My work is for the King’” (Psalms, 45). That is, “good” means that which awards man with vessels of bestowal. But he wants the light in order to enjoy it, meaning that this light will increase his vessels of reception. This is the exact opposite of what the light should give. He wants to receive from it, and therefore the light will not come to him.

In the “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot” (item 15), he writes that one should not expect the engagement in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma to bring him to Lishma, unless he knows in his heart that he has been rewarded with faith in the Creator and His Torah properly, for then the light in it reforms him and he will be rewarded with the day of the Lord, which is all light, since the Kedusha of faith purifies man’s eyes so they enjoy His light until the light in the Torah reforms him. Likewise, the eyes of the faithless are blinded toward the light of the Creator.

We should interpret what he says, that the light of faith appears to those who have faith. According to what we explained, those who have been rewarded with permanent faith already have abundance. However, it is as Baal HaSulam said about what is written, “Will bring wisdom to the wise.” People ask, “It should have said, ‘Will bring wisdom to the fools.’” And he said that since there is no light without a Kli [vessel], wisdom cannot be given to the fools, since they have no need. Accordingly, what does “Will give wisdom to the wise” mean? It is for one who has a desire to be wise, who has a Kli. He can receive the filling, since there is no filling without a lack.

We should therefore interpret in this way regarding matters of faith, as well. That is, one who has a need for faith because he sees that he has only partial faith, as said above (In the “Introduction,” item 14)—and craves to have complete faith—is called “faithful.” It means that he has a desire and need for the light of faith. Those people who seek faith, to them the light of Torah appears. This is why it is written that the Kedusha of faith purifies man’s eyes, so they enjoy His light until the light in the Torah reforms him.

It therefore follows that Ibur means the awakening from above that a person receives. As the corporeal Ibur depends on the parents, here, too, it is upon the calling that comes from above, when one is called upon to repent, and he begins to think other thoughts. Then, all the desires he had prior to the herald he had received from above are burned and do not merit a name.

Conversely, Yenika means that he begins to search by himself which Yenika [nursing] he will receive from books or authors. He wants to suckle the light of Torah from them in order to have the ability to cling to the Creator and be rewarded with complete faith.

M. Laitman: Thank you very much to the reader. Questions, think, in general, it's a pretty clear article. It sorts many things in place.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:24:05) One paragraph before last, he says, it, therefore, follows that Ibur means the awakening from above that a person receives as the calling that he reforms. How to make sure that you will be called on?

M. Laitman: Desire. Each and every person needs to make sure, we call it raising MAN, a desire. Even though I don't have it yet, I want to have it. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:24:59) How can a person hear that he's being called? 

M. Laitman: He feels.

Student: Sometimes there are states, you see, with friends that they can't hear. You hear the states are going through, you hear what's going on with them. You see it's a calling from above, somebody is calling them, like it's written here, but they can't hear. How can we help each other?

M. Laitman: Only by the study, hearing, participation in all sorts of actions, that's it. 

Student: There is a state where a person is stuck in a state of Ibur, of impregnation?

M. Laitman: That's barely, never, it's pushed upon him. For him to feel the entire desire.

Student: There's another state, either he's thrown out, or he goes to impregnation, that he follows the sages, as he writes? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:26:32) The whole article, he's speaking about a kind of relationship with the Creator. He is turned to from above, he has to ask. He gets something, he needs to reply. He can always make mistakes, so if he makes a mistake, there's a miscarriage. Then he has to start again, so the question is, it's like an art. He also explains that he can't really explain everything. It's like causes and responses of the Creator, created being. Each one does some kind of response to one another so how can you do it correctly, how can you check? 

M. Laitman: We try to be connected and understand who's the partner. Meaning, the Creator towards the created being, what he demands of the created being, and to fulfill his will. 

Student: If a person succeeds, he remains on track. If he doesn't succeed, he can fall and then until he remembers, again.

M. Laitman: Yes, but that's already a miscarriage, or a faulty birth.

Student: How can we help each other stay on track, on that thin line? 

M. Laitman: In essence, if we observe what we need to do, we, by that, each of us sustains the others.

Student: In what can you touch the friend's work? 

M. Laitman: By me and him being in the same environment, in the same system. And we understand that we're dependent on one another. 

Student: Externally, it's clear, I see if a friend didn't come to the lesson, I wake him up, he wakes me up, that's externally. Or also if someone speaks about the greatness of the Creator and not other things. 

M. Laitman: Well, it's also without speaking.

Student: Exactly, so what can we do, there? 

M. Laitman: Where we understand that we are in one system and that we must hold one another, support one another. 

Student: There's a way to criticize that we're doing this right, that we're not mistaken?

M. Laitman: No, again, we check our desires more by those desires that we want to bring closer. Bring them nearer to one another and then, that's how we come to becoming like one man in one heart, as we call it, to one desire.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:30:00) How do you reach a need for faith? 

M. Laitman: The need for faith stems from the eternality of the heart of a person. Where a person begins to feel that he needs the force of faith. That he wants to be under the influence of that force. 

Student: That means, as much as a person understands, that he will let himself be under the Creator's control. All the efforts he does will be concentrated there because he's on the track. As much as he makes more efforts on his own behalf, he'll feel that need more, the desire more?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:31:31) The need for faith, a person understands that that is the force. That's the fuel to ask and draw the light of the Torah, which also builds faith in a person. He explains in the last paragraphs about the need for faith and drawing the light. He says that there could be a danger that he draws the light from a feeling that there's pleasure in there, pleasure from connection with the Creator. Then the light can work on a person in an opposite way. I wanted to ask about that difference, I see on myself that many times the yearning and the desire is from pleasure, and not from a deficiency for faith. What should I scrutinize, how should I be careful about it?

M. Laitman: You need to scrutinize it even more. What deficiency you have, why you want that specific lack.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:32:42) He gives the example about the person in prison. That he feels happy by an hour a day letting him out. In spirituality, he says there's two reasons to be happy: One, that he's enjoying himself, and the other, is that the others weren't let out. He's comparing himself to others and he sees that they didn't get what he got.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Can you explain the second type because it sounds like being happy for the suffering of others. 

M. Laitman: Well, maybe so.

Student: He says that in impregnation there's two forces, the drawing force, the depicting force, and the delaying force. Can you explain that in the Ten?

M. Laitman: That's something we need to feel and there's no explanation to feeling.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:33:40) We need to depict to ourselves the greatness and importance of the Creator. Let's say, yesterday we were sitting, a few friends in the Ten, and we said what a privilege we have to be next to great friends. The Rabash articles that just cleanse us, being beside you. That it's great gratitude to be on the path and even for a moment we have the ability to connect and ask from the Creator, the heart explodes in gratitude. So, how, that's a certain level that we have of greatness and importance of the Giver. How, now, towards a convention, or towards tomorrow, or the next step from that place we can even imagine increase more importance and greatness. Because there's no measure to the greatness the Creator has and the friends, and the Kabbalists. 

M. Laitman: That's correct but try through the talking between you.

Student: It feels like you reach a certain point that the words are kind of repeating the same things, and we need to create a feeling. 

M. Laitman: So, this will pressure you to find other expressions.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:35:18) It is written in the book, too, that many times we read parts but now we read it all. I see how he mentions Rabash, about the danger of the deficiency. The deficiency could be a place for the Sitra Achra to hold on to you, and we know how important the deficiency is. With no deficiency, we have no life. If we see a friend in a Ten that has a deficiency, and that's our fueling station, to not leave it personal but in the right measure. 

M. Laitman: That depends on the Ten, it depends on the lack that's been revealed. I can't say to you, I'll give you a recipe of how to go and get all these components.

Student: It's clear that a recipe isn't possible, and each one does his own personal work. As much as you can give it to the friends in the Ten in order to not bring something wrong. On the other hand, the tendency, natural tendency is that I have a doubt maybe I shouldn't bring it to the friends, and then, like the friends just said, that you're in wholeness, thank God everything's good. Look at the happiness, it's all great, and the work is clear what you need. How still can we in something bring a deficiency, to incorporate in a deficiency? 

M. Laitman: I don't want to give you advices but actually make you search for what you're asking.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:37:21) We can feel how much emotion he builds in us during the reading of the article. The question is it's written that when the embryo, itself, doesn't have vessels to bestow, by annulling to the mother, he can get the greatness of his mother's vessels. We're in a state of impregnation and we don't have our own vessels. By annulling to the mother, we can actually receive these vessels, the screen, such a protection from that deficiency. What is the mother for us? 

M. Laitman: The upper force.

Student: How can we, as a Ten, connect to that upper force?

M. Laitman: If we want to connect between us, and from between us, activate a desire towards her, then we'll reach her, to the connection to the mother, to the Ima.

Student: That's all our work as a Ten? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:38:52) He writes that if a person can't go above reason, two officers come, the mind and the heart and put him in prison. What does that mean?

M. Laitman: Well, for him to feel how limited he is, if he doesn't advance correctly.

Student: Limited in mind and in heart?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: What does that mean?

M. Laitman: Also, in thoughts and also in feelings. 

Student: It's all because he can't work without a reward, without self-benefit? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:39:32) He writes that in the Introduction to Ten Sephirot, he writes that a person cannot expect that engaging in Torah and Mitzvot not for her sake will bring him to for her sake. Only when he knows in his soul that he was rewarded with faith in the Creator for his own benefit. Because then the light in it can reform him, and he will be rewarded with the day of the Lord that is all light. Meaning, until he wasn't rewarded in the faith of the Creator, he won't be rewarded with the light in the Torah. That's what it turns out from this paragraph.

M. Laitman: Again? 

Student: To read it again? 

M. Laitman: No, no. 

Student: If I understood the complaint here, that until a person isn't rewarded in faith of the Creator, he won't be rewarded with the light in the Torah, also, when he's in Lo Lishma. 

M. Laitman: Yes, yes. 

Student: If he only is rewarded with the light after he is rewarded with faith, the question is, I don't know what degree we're in. In the state that the light works on us. How will I know that I'm at that point, or maybe I missed out completely.

M. Laitman: If you don't understand that you have to bring everything to faith, then you are really still in a lack. 

Student: I'll ask in a different way: By what can a person reach faith, if not by the light in the Torah? 

M. Laitman: By the light in the Torah, yes. 

Student: I'm a bit confused, still, he says that if he wasn't rewarded in faith, he's not rewarded with the light. The faith is a precondition to be rewarded with the light so how does he reach faith?

M. Laitman: Well, friend, answer him.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:42:12) I think that the light has two duties: One is to bring us to even one faith; and then, to give us the force of faith. In other articles, he just writes about that.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:42:32) He says that this is called impregnation, that he goes from his own behalf to the authority of the Creator, but it's temporary. Meaning, that he really wants to annul himself forever but can't believe that, now, he will be annulled forever. He also explains in the article that the awakenings a person can get, but he can't sustain them. It doesn't sound like a conception, it sounds like a miscarriage, what is an impregnation or a conception? 

M. Laitman: What's the difference between conception and a miscarriage? 

Student: That's what I'm asking.

M. Laitman: That in the conception, he's under the control of the upper one. And in the miscarriage, he loses that control of the upper one upon him.

Student: If he lost, he's not in impregnation, he left the process.

M. Laitman: He gets miscarried, yes.

Student: How should we look at what we're going through? How can we be an impregnation and feel that we're in a process? If we're destined to fall from impregnation and reach the miscarriage? 

M. Laitman: No, at any given moment of the conception of the Ibur, we have to hold on to that conception. 

Student: We see that we're in constant ascents and descents, we're awakened, then?

M. Laitman: Together with that, yes, together with that we are constantly wanting to be always in conception.

Student: When I lose something I got, how can I hold myself to still be on the process, and impregnation, and that eventually advance?

M. Laitman: I don't know, it depends on what state you're in.

Student: I got something, I got an awakening. I lost it, I fell from it.

M. Laitman: How did you fall from it? 

Student: I didn't have enough importance to sustain it, so I disregarded it. Now, how can I keep myself in impregnation because you say it should be constant. If I lost something, so it's not clear. 

M. Laitman: If you lost it, there's nothing you can do.

Student: What's a person in impregnation that doesn't lose it? If he says that it's part of the process to lose it.

M. Laitman: No, it's part of the process but not the correct process. 

Student: What is the right process? 

M. Laitman: Where he doesn't leave the conception until he reaches birth and suckling.

Student: I'll think about it. 

Question (Belarus): (01:45:46) What preparation should we have to annul correctly to the degree of impregnation? 

M. Laitman: Only annulment, without all sorts of additions of the intellect and feeling. And only what he is to just nullify himself.

Student: What work should we do in order to reach a degree of working for the Creator? 

M. Laitman: The Creator's worker, is the degree of a person who is constantly concerned with being tight, connected tightly with the Creator. 

Student: In what does the force of faith depend on, in a spiritual work? 

M. Laitman: It depends on what degree of desire I need to rise in order to connect to the force that grows me, discloses to me, attracts me, draws me.

Student: What's the purpose of the corporeal body in spiritual work? 

M. Laitman: In order to give us the possibility to live.

Question (Turkiye 7): (01:47:42) What is the greatness and importance of the Creator that whatever I taste is not important to me? 

M. Laitman: I didn't understand. 

Student: What is the greatness and importance of the Creator in a way that whatever I, personally, taste is not important to me? 

M. Laitman: What I taste is not important? Well, it's okay. So, what's the question, what is that degree? 

Student: What is the greatness? 

M. Laitman: The greatness is me taking into consideration only the state and the degree in state which I'm dependent on the Creator and nothing else. 

Question (PT 22): (01:48:37)What does it mean that he knows in his soul that he was rewarded with faith in the Creator and in His Torah? 

M. Laitman: Where he feels, himself, that he is inside or under the control of the Creator. And this control of the Creator spreads in him, fills him, and from it, he receives more and more forces to be more and more adhered to the Creator. It's a good state.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:49:39) We define those three states of suckling, impregnation, and Mochin, greatness. He says that, the first, is that the Creator calls him from above and he erases all his previous thoughts, and the Creator feeds him in such a way. 

M. Laitman: We're not learning that right now.

Student: He writes at the end of the article. Also, man has work on Ibur, right? 

M. Laitman: In every state, man has work. 

Student: In the next degree, in Yenika, suckling, he says that he has to feed or nurse from the books and from the sages. That's also clear what the work is, then there's something called Mochin. That it's not really clear what it is, or if there is work, or what is the work, can you explain that? 

M. Laitman: No, that's already a superior spiritual degree.

Student: He says that these three degrees also come at preparation before a person enters holiness? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Also, there's something called Mochin?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Can you explain that?

M. Laitman: No.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:50:52) He writes that in the woman there should be doors in order to close him and detain the embryo that he won't come out until he is completed being depicted and he also needs a depicting force. The question is, I want to understand better, maybe. What is my duty in the Ten towards the other friends, compared to what should be in the womb. We say that the Ten is the womb for a person so what should I, or we as a Ten, supply to the friends? That I'll fulfill my duty for their development. I guess there's conditions that we have to supply for the friends. Or is it only the work of man as an individual towards the Ten and not other work?

M. Laitman: Yes, there is the individual towards the Ten, and the Ten towards the individual.

Student: I want to understand what is my responsibility, as a Ten, towards the individual so that I will supply the conditions of impregnation for the friends?

M. Laitman: Yes, so? 

Student: What in general do we, as a collective, have to supply for the individual as a Ten so that these conditions for impregnation will happen for each and every one?

M. Laitman: Annulment, to show everyone, each and every one, a form of annulment. 

Student: It comes automatically from the action of the individual towards the Ten? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: There's no some other form of thought here that by trying to be an embryo within the Ten, I'm supplying the same force to the rest of the detail, the individuals, to do this as well? 

M. Laitman: No, it's not just like that, but when you want to supply them with a form of an embryo, by this you help them advance. 

Student: This is enough as far as the responsibility that I have towards the womb, towards the friends? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: We don't need more than that? 

M. Laitman: That's all you need, to hold yourself incorporated in that womb.

Student: Just to refine the question: If each individual in the Ten tries to be like an embryo in the Ten, that's enough for the whole Ten to observe the condition of womb and embryo together? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:54:09) It's written that the role of the light needs to come in order to reform him, and what is good? It's written, my heart yearns for something good. And he says, my deeds to the King, meaning the good is considered that by it, a person merits salvation, vessels of bestowal, and he wants the light to delight from it. Which means that this light will increase his vessel of reception, which is an opposite thing than what the light needs to give, and he wants to receive from it. And that's why the light will not come to him. How do we change the relationship there? The only thing I feel is fear.

M. Laitman: Fear is good. We need connection here, to work together. And that each one will show a good example to the friend, that's it. That's what we're lacking, we're not giving good examples, each one to the friend.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:55:45) What are good examples for each of us to the

others?

M. Laitman: Each one also has to show the form of annulment that he's in. And as much as he appreciates society and the connection between the friends. 

Student: External examples, you mean, in actions?

M. Laitman: Yes, in deeds, yes. 

Student: From that the hearts will follow? There's a big gap between the example that you do in practice and the gap of what's happening within. Is that good, is that in the work, is that on the path? 

M. Laitman: The gap between the friends also helps them help one another. As much as each one is different from the other, and shows the other what he's in, in somewhat as an example, so that's to help each other.

Student: Then there's no critique upon people or friends. It's about what you say to the friends, or what you need to say like that, and what's happening within you. When you make that examination, you say, well, I'm lying all the time, non-stop.

M. Laitman: In that case, just be more silent.

Student: It's best to be quiet and not just say for no reason?

M. Laitman: Of course, it's always like that. Silence is peace.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:57:40) The embryo, is he completely passive, or does he do active actions? 

M. Laitman: He has active actions but that he demands. 

Student: He demands from a lack? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: The problem with the lack is that it can be a lack that is causing it to be without perfection. It can fall from the perfection in contact with the upper one. He gives us two examples, the depicting force and the detaining force.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: It’s the detaining force that I want to understand, for a moment here. 

M. Laitman: That's an external force that holds him that he won't fall. And the depicting force is that builds in him more and more discernments in the embryo.

Student: Those discernments stem from him having a certain force to observe whether he truly has enough faith. It's like he's doing a certain scrutiny, from what I understood in the article. Then he has to go back to wholeness, it's like the left and right lines in the impregnation, it sounds like. Where he looks at his state, he also is reminded by the past, and how many times he left the importance of the Creator and the society. What is that point where he holds on to the wholeness? While the left line that he opened, it wasn't the right line open on its own, it intensifies. How does he hold on to that, being in the womb in wholeness, still?

M. Laitman: Only when he annuls. 

Student: Towards the world outside, he's not annulling. As it's written, in his heart is heightened in the ways of the Lord.

M. Laitman: That's not the upper one, it's not his upper one. His upper one is the womb.

Student: The lack of importance of the greatness of the Creator, which there's danger that he might leave because of, that he has to hold on to the smallest importance that he can possibly have?

M. Laitman: There has to be something in between. If he's going to be completely adhered to the Creator, so he won't be able to grow. But he must in some way to be free from the control of the Creator. Then it turns out that he is constantly between this and that.

Student: Then what is that gripping it where he holds on to and doesn't let go of and begins to build greatness and importance of the Creator to an even higher level than he had before? How does he hold on to that in the Ten and in the work between us? Yesterday was Independence Day, many friends were together, there were friends that were with families. As much as you try to hold on, you see that there's this tendency to run to the external world, and you can kind of forget about the path, forget about the goal. There's also a barbecue with lots of meat and tasty food, you can kind of find yourself leaving. Where's that point that you hold on to in the Ten to that connection which you don't let go, that there's no leaving that? 

M. Laitman: By being connected in our central point between us.

Student: That's the detaining force that helps each and every one to remain adhered at every moment?

M. Laitman: As much as he holds on to it, but we try to constantly be connected in that force. 

Student: The whole process of impregnation is in faith above reason? Is it to come from partial faith to eventually being permanent faith, to complete home faith? 

M. Laitman: Well, complete faith or eternal faith, like you can say, no, not that. But still, to hold on to the force of faith.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:02:47) A little bit of a scrutiny of this state: The observation or this point of critique that the embryo has where he looks at his state and realizes, now he examines himself whether he's in faith, and he does all these calculations. That's from within the “will to receive” of a person? Or is it already from a different place in him? 

M. Laitman: Everything is built on the will to receive. 

Student: How does this miracle happen because we learn in spirituality that these two things cannot be in the same place. Even that there's the will to receive in vessels of bestowal. How does that state take place?

M. Laitman: By the light, the light works there. That's why it gives the vessels the ability to rise. 

Student: Meaning, that point of observation of the embryo which gives him his own vitality, his own existence. It's like from the old vessels of reception of his but to a certain extent not to let him leave outwards so that this critique will not overcome him and take him. Because if he looks and sees himself as an external individual, then he'll come out of the impregnation. How does that measure of how much, yes, needs to be opened up without losing and having a miscarriage? That measure, how can you quantify it? How can you explain it?

M. Laitman: I don't think it's possible. 

Student: Meaning, it's something that a person feels from this accumulative experience of how to do that?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:04:54) What does it depend upon for a person to be to their liking by his imprisoner?

M. Laitman: As much as he will want to be in balance, under his control and outside of his control.

Student: I didn't really understand. 

M. Laitman: Your question, is as much as a person can come out of the control of the warden?

Student: No. 

M. Laitman: So, ask?

Student: What does it depend upon for a person to be in the liking of the warden so that he won't take him out of this prison? 

M. Laitman: That depends on the extent that he acquires forces. Acquires forces to be able to hold himself in the way that he's in prison in his own forces, on his own forces.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:06:53) If I understood correctly from the article, it all depends on the force of faith. Or more precisely, on the need for the force of faith. What is the force of faith? 

M. Laitman: The force of faith is as much as a person is devoted to the Creator.

Student: How do you come to the need for the force of faith? 

M. Laitman: That's all of our studies, that's all of our work.

Student: How to depict the force of faith? 

M. Laitman: How to depict it? That is the force that comes to a person and depicts a person's qualities in a way that a person can remain above reason.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:08:15) Maybe on the same point, it says that faith cannot dwell on a person in permanence. Because as long as a person doesn't have fear, it's considered that he's always worried whether he won't have the ability to aim in order to bestow?

M. Laitman: Well? 

Student: Meaning, if there's an awakening from above, it's not enough, a person needs to somehow grow the fear. The first question is what does it mean that we grow this fear so that it will always be fear?

M. Laitman: Without having fear on behalf of the lower one, the lower one won't be able to receive the right influence from above. 

Student: How do you hold on to that thing so that there will be this permanent fear, since without that you won't have faith, either?

M. Laitman: Right. Fear is the main part, you could say, that's the foundation. How to keep it? By a person, through his scrutiny constantly, is concerned that he constantly discovers that he could fall from his degree. Then he understands that he must have a greater and greater force of faith each time. 

Student: It's like there are two advices here that I see. That a person sees that he has an awakening, and that now he needs faith above reason. It's right that he fell many times, but now it will be in a permanent way. The second thing I'm hearing is that he says that you need fear, to develop fear. What's the connection between fear and faith above reason? 

M. Laitman: That he could lose faith above reason, and then he'll lose everything. Because faith above reason is a vessel to receive the connection of adhesion with the Creator.

Student: Then we need to constantly be in this fear, this spiritual fear, that we won't be in faith above reason, that we'll fall from that.

M. Laitman: Until the hug with the Creator, the impregnation with the Creator. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:11:07) In the three or four last articles that we're reading, and also in others, as well as in this article, he talks about the faith in the sages. Now, the faith of the sages is a concept that we relatively know. For us, the sages are the Kabbalists, Baal HaSulam, and Rabash. We have not had the opportunity to meet them, but we read their sources, and our teacher, the Rav, that's one thing. If I understand correctly, the faith in the sages is to accept the words of the Kabbalists, whether we understand them or not. That's the thing that is the truth, exists, and it is, that's for us, the reality, is that correct?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: What's the connection between the faith in the sages and faith above reason?

M. Laitman: Faith above reason is as much as I can perform actions towards the Creator and receive the force of faith back from Him. Now, faith in the sages, is that I can also say it simply. That I acknowledge or read the writings of those sages that the Torah gives me, and I understand them and feel them. Somehow, in my mind, there are such people who are very smart with a mind that is very sharp. That they feel those sages, although they don't have, it doesn't develop in them towards above reason but only in reason. That's what I can say. 

Student: Meaning, the faith in the sages is work towards the Kabbalists? 

M. Laitman: Not specifically, it depends, it depends towards who? 

Student: On our path, I mean.

M. Laitman: On our path, it's towards sages, towards Kabbalists and attainment. 

Student: Our role as a society is to make them greater all the time so that we will want to follow them and to observe their words?

M. Laitman: Correct.

Student: Now, faith above reason is the differentiated work towards the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Is it connected to the faith in the sages? 

M. Laitman: We need to use them.

Student: The sages are like an intermediary degree between us and the Creator, to work before

the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Whoever tells us about the Creator, about adhesion with Him, those are the sages that attained it. And we need to believe in them and to connect ourselves to them. And in this way rise until we enter contact with the Creator. 

Student: Meaning we hold on to the sages, and try to kind of climb to the work before the Creator?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:15:04) I heard earlier that each needs to show the form of annulment he's in and how much he appreciates the society and the connection between the friends. What does it mean to show the form of annulment that you're in? 

M. Laitman: I'm with the friends together, in one process, in one society, in one circle, and as much as each and every one shows the friends as much as he is devoted to the purpose, to the process, to adhesion, to that circle. By this, we connect and reach this reality that is so important for us, that we'll be as one man in one heart.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:16:27) What's the difference between acting these states towards the friends in action, and lying to a friend? Like saying something to him that I don't feel but because I want to bring him closer to the future state. We want to act out some future state that we talked about now, to enter that state, we want to play that state. But I heard you saying earlier not to lie. If I don't feel something inside, don't lie, but can I still act it towards the friends, and act in action without talking about it? 

M. Laitman: I don't understand you. You're saying I have an opportunity to act and work in a true way, and I can't.

Student: Yes, is it worth acting? Is it worthwhile to act? 

M. Laitman: That's according to what they write. 

Student: I see Rabash writing a lot about this. That we all together, we also see in nature that degrees that are growing to the next state act kind of like the next state. But it's kind of a form of a lie?

M. Laitman: It's a beneficial lie.

Student: The question is if a person doesn't feel something within, shouldn’t he, nevertheless, act also with words? I can talk about some state, some love between us, some annulment, things that maybe were not in it. Where's the place where everyone knows that you're lying but they appreciate it, and they say, wow, we want to be in that state, and what, everyone's lying here all the time?

M. Laitman: No, I'm not going to go and interrogate the friends and say how we're all liars. On the contrary, I want to see them as honest, as being in faith above reason. Out of what they say, I accept it as the truth.

Student: Now, specifically about gratitude, which he talks about here too. I know that if I receive something that I really wanted, and I had a lack for it, I really wanted it, it was really missing for me, I received it. Inside, automatically I feel gratitude towards receiving this thing, also towards the giver of that thing that I wanted. Here he says that you have to increase the gratitude all the time because it brings you closer to the upper one. The question is, again, what, am I acting gratitude? Do I need to act gratitude? 

M. Laitman: You have to invite in you to invite a response. 

Student: My internal response?

M. Laitman: As much as you constantly receive good things from the Creator. 

Student: I need to seek those good things that I'm receiving, and then thank for them?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Meaning, if I don't feel that I receive something, then don't thank? Or, yes, nevertheless, say. 

M. Laitman: There is no such thing that you didn't receive, you're just clogged, but you got.

Student: When we gather together, it's worthwhile to help and find between us those things that?

M. Laitman: Maybe together, maybe to turn to the Creator and ask Him. But by this, you discover more and more your qualities. That in them, you can feel the, you can feel the Creator turning to you. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:20:40) We've been sitting together, we want to connect, and we reached because in the end, that's where everything is built. We can sit and talk about some state that no one's in, at least I feel that I'm not in it. To try to do like everyone and talk, and to be impressed and show myself, maybe, impressed and all those things. On the other hand, inside, there's this very deep and painful matter where you're constantly stepping over it because we have to do it, nicely this way. Now, it could be that this is the way, I don't know.

M. Laitman: No, no, I'm sitting with the friends and we're trying to discuss the states that we have to go through. And then each and every one needs to add as much as he can in the general awakening that we're in.

Student: Altogether, and when is there a place for pain? Or is the pain always internal, and get along with it on your own? Don't ever show it outwards? 

M. Laitman: Why pain? 

Student: Pain, because you're here for 16 years and you see the group of the Ten that you're working with a lot. They're in some one place, and you're in some other place, and not only is the gap great, it's like, you completely don't understand the connection, the yearning was killed for you. It's like, really, you're not connected in any way. 

M. Laitman: That'll happen sometimes, and then? 

Student: If it was just once in a while it would be okay but there's this feeling that there's a demand. We want to connect, we want to understand this matter above reason. We want these strings, something to hold on to. On the other hand, there's this other approach that says, okay, let's act, let's be nice, let's just be in greatness. It's kind of like it kills that inner demand. Maybe it's a mistake, I don't know, but you feel like you have to just lower your head and just continue acting. 

M. Laitman: We are constantly going through states. Now, the question is how do I accept these states that I'm going through? Either I accept them in my simple will to receive. Or I'm constantly thinking that it's coming to me from the Creator and the Creator is constantly digging in me, deeper and deeper. Let's say, sources, and then I feel, somewhat, in what He's digging in me, as much as His digging comes into my soul. And then I'm willing to be in devotion of the soul towards the Creator, and we need to try and reach such states. And be in them as much as possible more and more, and to go through all kinds of states until I'll be able to hold on to it by all my means.

Student: Is there any room to express and share some kind of pain when you're sitting together or not? 

M. Laitman: You won't be able to speak precisely. You can just, either you understand each other through hints, or you won't understand. 

Reader: (02:25:25) We're going to hear PT 27, please?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:25:43) We're PT 27, and number 7 in Moscow, in the World Convention we’re responsible for the preparation for lesson number 4. The topic of the lesson is joy from faith above reason. Together, we did the work every day, we're meeting, reading articles, and building content. We're going to ask now from the friends from Moscow to share about the work we did together.

Reader: (02:33:18) Thank you, friends. We'll conclude with a song.

Song: (02:33:23)