Morning Lesson January 17, 2022, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 1:
Faith Above Reason - Selected Excerpts from the Sources. #11
1.Rav’s Introduction: Yes, we are continuing in the same primary topic in the wisdom of Kabbalah: how to obtain the spiritual force? The force of bestowal that towards us relative to our nature it is the force of love of others, bestowal to the Creator, bestowing to everything that it exists outside of man, and towards that we want to more and more, and more each and every day to take a step forward, and to make such actions that they can awaken the upper force, the force of Bestowing, so that it will influence us, and that we will truly begin to feel that it is possible to be outside of ourselves. Outside of our will to receive and to think about what is above men.
Excerpt 11: Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 14. “What Is the Exaltedness of the Creator?” (01:48)
2. S. (04:01) What does it mean that the Creator will answer him?
R. I want that, what I do, it will be managed by the force of bestowal. This is what I asked the Creator for. It cannot be that I will receive the force of bestowal from above from the Creator if I do not ask for it because that will be called coercion, but rather it has to be according to the desire, according to the yearning of a person. This is how he accordingly received help from the Creator and if he asks for an egoistic force the force of reception then he will receive the force of reception, and he will see how this eventually brings him only bad not immediately but he will learn more and more how much he truly wants the force of reception, he wants the force of reception, and then he gets from above the support for that until he sees that is not to his benefit. This is how we learn, the whole of humanity learns in this way, even though it has not yet reached the result, the correct summary, the bottom line, and so what we have to demand from the Creator is the force of bestowal. How can we? Only in a form that we connect between us, and we begin to raise from us from our connection, a deficiency. We want to be connected within our inner dispositions into one great disposition and that this position, we want to serve it to the Creator that we want to get from Him the force of bestowal. So that force of bestowal will dwell among us, and it is not to our benefit that we need it, but rather that we will build it in such a way that with great comment force of bestowing so it will all be corrected back to the Creator then it will be called I to my beloved, and my beloved to me. This is how we will advance.
S (06:35) Does that mean if we direct ourselves in this way to the Creator, through the connection between us, by this we seemingly bestow on Him, and at the same time we are under the influence of His power?
R. We cannot give anything to the Creator, but the fact that we want to receive from Him the force of bestowal, by that we give Him contentment. All of His pleasure is in that He bestows. Therefore, we need to try to establish within us a yearning for the force of bestowal, then to connect, to join all of our individual desires to bestow together, in the ten through each one should help his friend. This is how we achieve and present to Him our deficiency for bestowal. What is our deficiency for the bestowing? That if we ask from the Creator the force of bestowal in order to connect together, we by that, want to give him a place to in which to bestow to us, and there is no greater pleasure that we can give Him. If we want to be equipped with the force of bestowal, which is called the force of Bina, or the force of Bina the Light of Mercy, this is called to bestow in order to bestow, or an incomplete righteous or an intermediate, then later on we even want to reach the quality of receiving in order to bestow, where we want to receive from the Creator all the bounty and abundance everything he wants to give us and everything he has, so that we gradually build in us the deficiencies to receive it in order to bestow, by that we give contentment, true contentment to the Creator. As it said that “more than the calf wants to suckle the cow wants to feed.” This is how we advance and also come closer to “I to my beloved and my beloved to me.” Until we give the Creator the deficiency, and He gives us fulfillment, and by that we begin to truly be in adhesion with each other. Our deficiency is to receive from Him in order to give Him contentment and His filling is that he fills us. That is it.
3. S. (10:04) What is reason?
R. Reason is, let us say the will to receive.
S. What is it, my recognition, my perception, my thoughts, what is it?
R. What I want, and I want to receive it from the Creator that He gives, and I receive, and I have no one else from which to receive it, that is called Daat, reason for the time being.
S. When he writes that he wants the Creator to grant his wishes. What does that mean?
R. That what he is asking for, what am I asking for? I am asking that I will have the force of bestowal so I will be able to represent my vessels that I want to bestow to the Creator. That I have no greater pleasure because I am already working above reason, right? I have no greater pleasure than feeling that I am bestowing to the Creator by that giving, I am giving Him contentment.
S. So when the Creator fills him when he works with him. What happens to his reason?
R. He works with his reason in the force of bestowal. We can talk about it a lot, but until it settles within us, clothes within us we do not know what it is. Eventually, this is how it happens. But soon, soon, it is coming closer and closer until it will close.
4. S. (12:10) What does it mean to go above reason with the friends?
R. That I do not see them in my eyes, but rather I see them as corrected that the Creator has arranged them for me in order for me to connect with them so that through bestowal to them, I will be able to prepare myself for bestowal to the Creator.
5. S. (12:48) How do we establish our yearning for the force of bestowal among us in the ten?
R. Through exercises, through connection, there is nothing you can do about it, this is how it is, as Rabash writes, we have to connect all of the deficiencies, the yearnings, give examples, as though each one is already in something, in some way. He is good and gives confidence to the others and advance in that way
S. If I get up in the morning and say I believe that we are there, we just do not feel it enough when I asked the Creator that the Creator will let us feel it to increase that feeling in our hearts. Is this a correct request from the Creator?
R. That too, everything is good. We just have to not sit calmly but each time try to renew the deficiencies and raise them from between us to the Creator. The most important thing is from between us.
Excerpt 12. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 16, "What Is the Day of the Lord and the Night of the Lord, in the Work? Twice (14:14) - (16:35)
6. S. (18:51) He writes here, we should ask for a faith to be so strong as if they see it within reason. What is this as if?
R. As though they would see it with their own eyes, but they do not want to see it with their eyes, they want to see it in the light of faith.
S. What does it influence? A person behaves the same way or what?
R. The person who receives the light of faith, he behaves as if though it were within reason as though it is a fact and even more than that, because the facts that he gets on his own egotistically, they may change, but he gets it from above, then he feels that it is truly complete knowledge.
7. S. (19:57) What's the difference between reason and intellect?
R. It depends on which reason. The intellect is what we have in our intellect in our head, in the vessels of reception. The vessels of reception have a brain and a heart, so what one has in his mind that he understands, this is his reason, the person's reason, and above reason means that he gets from above such an understanding, such feeling, in the vessel of the heart the vessel of the brain and that for him is a greater fact.
8. S. (21:01) The more we conceal ourselves, the more our faith above grows or vice versa the more we try to be in faith above reason then we diminish ourselves more?
R. I do not quite understand what you mean by these words, so it is hard for me to answer what does it mean that we concealed ourselves, we conceal our ego?
S. Yes, we are hiding our egos, meaning increasing faith above reason. Does it grow when we hide ourselves?
R. That is true, yes.
Excerpt 13 Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 42, "What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work?" (22:41)
9. S. (24:24) In faith above reason when we say that it is a term of bestowal and reception, do I understand correctly that the intention is not the act or the desire but the intention, meaning who will receive this pleasure?
R. That's right, we need to understand that if we do not receive an illumination from above then we exist inside of our ego because we have over us the influence of the light, and it makes us only receive which is also an influence from the Creator, otherwise we would not exist at all. Rather we exist through a special influence from above that obligates us to be the receivers. That is both the bad and the good, it does not matter what it is, it is all caused from above, that is clear. However we need to ask and to perform all kinds of actions, in order to awaken from above a different kind of influence so that it will elevate us above our ego, above the ordinary influence, which is called creation, Beria, outside of spirituality, so that we will be able to receive a different force, the force of bestowal, the desire to bestow above our will to receive, this is what we want.
This is what we want and in this way we should advance. Of course if we will not receive from above the force of bestowing, Bina, the upper light it does not matter how you call it, we cannot yet distinguish all of these things if we do not get it from above, of course we will remain in the initial influence it only awakens it within us the will to receive. Above that it says if the Lord does not build a house, the builders will work in vain, meaning if the Creator doesn't give us the force of bestowal so that in it in that force, we will also be able to want and maybe even later on preformed actions of bestowal, if he doesn't do it then we are doomed, then we remain in our initial nature which is only the will to receive. This is what it is about, so as much as we all understand that here there is some other illumination from above which is called the force of bestowal, the upper light, and this is what we should try to come closer to ask for to receive, then we will change. If we will not get it then we will not change so it is one of two, so what do we have to do in order for us to receive from above that force of bestowal? As much as we do from below whatever is within our power. Within our power is that we can connect between us, let us connect all kinds of different forms. It is possible to study, let us study, it is possible to pray, let us pray, let us ask and so on. Everything that is within our power to do from below let us do it. Kabbalists tell us, those who already received this force of bestowal from above, in addition to the force of reception that we all received, they told us do such and such actions and you will be successful, so we checked it on ourselves, and we succeeded then we are done so let us do it.
10. S. (29:08) How do we shift from lack of disclosure to disclose?
R. It is all through the upper force.
11. S. (29:36) What does it mean that the Creator understands? It is written that in the excerpt that if the Creator understands that it will bring him contentment?
R. This is what the person says, it is not what the Creator says, seemingly it is what the Creator says the person says if he will have more contentment if I work in the posterior then the person says then I agree to work in the form of posterior.
12. S. (30:32) What is the act that contradicts the intellect?
R. These are the actions of bestowal which are contradictory to the actions of reception which are the only ones that can be understood within our intellect within our reason. That is clear?
S. Can there be ‘above reason’ without these feelings?
R. I did not understand what you are saying, what did you just say now?
S. Feelings, these sensations in the feeling that we have to act as if it is in our senses?
R. Yes, this is how we should do it, it is as though we are in the force of bestowal. In the group and also with the friends and in the whole world as much as possible to be in the force of bestowal.
13. S. (32:24) Even though I work in the form of posterior, when is it that I work, what is it that I do in that form of posterior?
R. We need to learn all the time to be in a disposition towards connection, towards mutual bestowal, mutual support and out of that as much as we can gather our desires and thoughts, towards that we need to aim them to the Creator to connection and fulfillment. That is all.
S. That means working in posterior all these acts that you just described?
R. Posterior means actions that I perform at the time that it does not shine for me, when I am in darkness, when I am in the opposite of what I want to do, this is called the state of posterior. When the upper one deliberately is giving me such conditions, in which I will be able to establish myself so as to work above reason. Even though it does not shine for me, even though I do not understand, and I have all kinds of disturbances, in spite of that I try to raise myself above whatever the upper one establishes for me because I understand that by that he is developing me. If I do not understand it and I forget about it then I have a group.
14. S. (35:02) In the excerpt it says, talks about the state of joy that when we feel it in the posterior in the ten, despite it we have to be instead in joy, where do we take from where do we take the joy?
R. We get joy out of the fact that we are working against our ego and coming closer to the Creator. Against our ego we are coming close to the Creator even though our ego wants to distance us from the Creator. This is how we have to establish the correct form of our state with respect to the Creator, but we do want to come closer in what by developing in us the force of bestowing.
15. S. (36:09) The friends are sitting here with me. Each one has his own complaint, and I do not feel like doing things, so what exactly is the Achoraim here and what joy can be in these Achoraim?
R. Achoraim, posterior means that nothing shines to me, and I am happy that nothing shines to me because if it would shine, I would not be able to perform any nearing to the friends, any actions of bestowal, because it would shine, and I would be happy like a drunkard. So that nothing matters, only my individual state. Because the Creator gives me the state of Achoraim, posterior, that does not shine for me, so I feel myself how much I am not in bestowing, I am not close to the Creator, so by that he actually gives me an opportunity to come closer. By not shining to me he does not fill my vessels of reception and then I am not bribed. In this way I can advance correctly.
16. S. (38:04) The concealment of the face is that concealment or is that our present state?
R. Concealment of the face means that he is in concealment that the Creator is present and at the same time he hides himself. It is a kind of revealing that there is concealment. It is a revelation that there is concealment.
17. S. (38:43) Sometimes a little bit of darkness can make a friend run away so how do we develop that ability of seeing the darkness as an opportunity to advance?
R. We need to talk about how all the states we go through are all directed towards the purpose of creation. Towards the final point and therefore in all the states we go through there is a need for the upper one, so we have to develop an importance for each and every state.
S. Is it worthwhile to talk about it in the ten, about the states we go through and talk about how they are useful for our advancement?
R. By all means.
18. S. (39:37) It turns out that in the beginning of the path the person for a long time, he is in joy? So that person does not feel the posterior?
R. Yes yes.
19. S. (40:00) As he is merciful so you should be merciful is that also the posterior?
R. No, I cannot say about this, it depends upon what state you are talking about.
20. S. (40:23) It is a little bit confusing for me because the text says that a person should feel joy as though he has already acquired the disclosure of the face, but this is not something we feel during the work?
R. It is not what you feel but what you should feel. So work on what he writes and all those excerpts until you achieve it. So that for you the face or the back and the face will be the same and it will not matter if you have concealment or revelation but rather you want to work only in order to bring contentment to the Creator and that is what fills you and satisfies you.
21. S. (41:20) If we justify everything that the Creator does, isn't that actually within reason, within an hour logic, how does that not contradict the faith above reason?
R. I justify what the Creator does because I believe that it is all in order to develop my vessels of reception. Yes? This is why I experience all these states with the power of faith, but it all comes from the Creator, and it is all in order to develop my vessels of bestowal, not reception but bestowal to bring me closer to vessels of reception, to adhesion with the Creator.
22. S. (42:23) What is the boundary between to see the Creator as doing good and doing good within reason versus the belief, the faith, that he is good and doing good above reason?
R. Asking the Creator to see him within reason is a Klipa, shell and above reason is Kedusha, holiness.
23. S. (42:50) Is the process occurring where faith within reason is replaced by different perception, the way that we perceive it, different from how we perceive the Creator beforehand?
R. Of course, faith within reason there are many, how should I put it? Reasons there to deviate from the path because it is faith in reason, within reason. It is the force of bestowal within the vessel of reception, it is a place for huge confusions. That is where all the faiths and religions come from and all that there is in humanity.
24. S. (43:53) Is it correct to say that I asked for the force of bestowal, and I get it and by that I am in Arvut, mutual responsibility for their friends?
R. Of course, if I receive the force of bestowal and we are in it to that extent I am already in Arvut, mutual responsibility with the friends.
25. S. (44:17) If for example when Kabbalists tell me that now the sun is shining, and I see that it is not, so I have to believe above reason that it is so?
R. Yes, I am not sure exactly what he means by the sun, our world is not in doubt, but with respect to spiritual discernment on our spiritual path, of course I have to accept the view of the society and the upper one.
26. S. (44:56) It says in excerpt 12 that faith should be so strong as though they see with clear vision and knowledge that this is how it is. How can I conduct myself in this way if I do not know what the revelation of the Creator is?
R. We cannot receive the revelation of the Creator unless we receive from above the power of bestowal. This is called “in your light we will see light.” Otherwise we cannot.
27. S. (45:48) It says an excerpt 13 to say that for him and it is as important as the disclosure of the face, meaning he should be as glad, what is that state of joy?
R. Joy is the resolution of doubts. That previously we had doubts and problems and a person rose above it because he received an illumination from above, and this is what makes him happy but now his view is the same as the view of the Creator.
28. S. (46:34) It says an excerpt 12 that seeing contradicts faith, so how can we say about the Creator BoReh, come and see?
R. There is seeing in the light of mercy, seeing the light of wisdom and egoistic seeing, there are all kinds of seeing always to see so we want to see in the light of faith, so in the darkness shines his light.
29. S. (47:10) Why is the day of the Lord darkness and not like?
R. The day of the Lord is darkness and not light because for the Creator the day is a day of bestowal and for us the day is a day of reception. Therefore we are opposite, we have to perform such actions in which we are drawn to a state where the darkness becomes light. So the darkness shines as light. So what seems to us in our vessels of reception which is why it was darkness, we correct those vessels to work in order to bestow and then we can see the light in those vessels.
30. S. (48:20) Does the Creator make us work in the posterior in order to make us work in bestowal, does it increase the faith above reason that we have?
R. We do not limit ourselves, on the contrary, we constantly expand our vessels, we are not going against reason. I only broaden my vessels, what do we see from our entire reality, a very tiny reality where we are impressed in our very narrow limited vessels of reception, and we have nothing else. We do not know what happens before we were born after we die and reality itself where we are. Who is managing us, what are we doing, what are the results, the consequences of our actions? We do not see any of it, so it turns out that we are like tiny creatures, critters that have no eyes and we do not know how to work. This is why we first of all have to receive from the Creator the powers to see. Vision means the power of bestowal then we will know what world we are in. Then we will not exist only because we are afraid of death, and of pain, we will rise above all those discernments. These bad discernments, this is what we need to rise above our will to receive which limits us from one end to the other.
S. So why does the Creator make us work in the posterior if we do not see all of these things?
R. To want to work in the face.
31. S. (50:46) Why, everything we read now is so unclear, there is nothing you can hold onto to grasp to start to feel and internalize these things?
R. I understand you it is really not clear, understood and it will not be clear or understood but you will receive from above the power of bestowing when we receive the power from above of bestowal we will immediately begin to feel and understand and position correctly all of reality. But if we do not receive the power of bestowing, we will remain in the dark.
32. S. (51:33) It says in Excerpt 12 that the person does something that contradicts the intellect, this is called against one reason, this is called faith above reason, what does it mean to go against one's intellect?
R. It is written they have eyes but do not see. Meaning I do not follow my ego which manages me, rather I follow the advice of Kabbalists, they tell me you night among you, and I unite. They say you can see reality not in your own eyes, but through the eyes of the group. So I try to connect among us, among the friends in such a way that I will see reality through the ten, through the group, through the center of our connection. Then in this way I can come to see with the light of faith, the light of bestowal.
Excerpt 14. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 42, “What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work?” (52:59) Twice
33. S. (55:09) In that state of Keter can we reach it only even without having any hold, with any grasp?
R. But it is natural but if you raised yourself from below upward then when you come through all of your Sefirot from Malchut to Keter then above your Keter you have a higher Partzuf and what is it there, in its Malchut of the upper one is above the Keter of the lower one. Then you enter Malchut of the upper one. Malchut of the upper one is black; it has no light in it. Then you work with your Partzuf, you are being the lower one, you work with your Partzuf, and your first action is to accept and receive Malchut of the upper one as your Keter. There is actually plenty of light there otherwise you would not have a Partzuf in the first place but for you it is darkness because you are still not in the qualities. In such qualities, that you can feel and distinguish to see that the upper one is filled with light except for you it is darkness. Because you are not in the qualities of bestowal, you are still not in them and therefore it seems to you like all of the operations it performs and all of the filling that is in it, it is darkness. You do not want it, you are not set up for it but if you raise yourself up above yourself, it is called acquiring the force of bestowal above your reason, above your egoistic desire. Then you begin to equalize yourself with the upper one and you begin to see that the upper one is filled with light and shines, and you receive from it the feeling, the understanding, everything on condition that you make some efforts, a little bit of effort to be similar to the upper one. That is it, this is how we rise from one state to the next from one degree to the next, from the lower Partzuf to the higher Partzuf, from Keter of the lower one to Malchut of the upper one.
S. It is just that here from this excerpt, this impression, we get this impression that we need to start to work by the Creator placing us in darkness?
R. It is true the work begins with the person feeling that he is in the dark. Because that is the first condition. For him to be able to do the work, he is required to do the work, but if he does not feel that he is in the darkness then what can he do, he did not receive conditions to work on what will you work?
S. This condition when one gets this darkness it is a call for upliftment?
R. Yes, yes, good, correct, this is why Kabbalists are happy when the darkness shines for them because it is an invitation to ascend.
34. S. (59:32) This process where we receive the Malchut of the upper one above our Keter and then where Kabbalists are happy about it, is this process something we are going through daily in our work, is it our work but does it only happen later?
R. We go through it but for us it is still in a way that it is as if the upper one does it instead of the lower one. It is like being filled with the mother's milk where we are being tended to, we are already working but in such a way that we do not really understand what is being done on us and we are not participating in it for real. But we are already in such operations that the Creator does on us, changes, changing states that we go through they are all results of the upper one but of course we always have the possibility to add, to add of our own mainly in connection and in the intention towards the Creator in the connection between us and to direct it towards the Creator.
35. S. (01:01:03) Does the spiritual perception of reality, as a result of working with our imagination?
R. The spiritual reality is not a result of imagination, we need the imagination, you cannot help it because if we have nothing then we have to somehow imagine something. That we have to have some sort of a vision of the future otherwise a person is not a human being at all he becomes flat. He cannot make any movement because in any movement we already imagine the following state. It is a force that sustains the living and also the vegetative, in the still also but we do not see it. The will to receive in order to exist has to feel the future state, that it will obtain otherwise in the present, also it will not be able to exist, all of creation is in motion from beginning of creation to the end of creation.
36. S. (01:02:37) Can we say that the more we advance, the more it becomes dark, and the difficulties will always increase between us?
R. It is true but accordingly we are already equipped with a feeling, with an intellect, with experience from what we have experienced, and we can go above reason above our intellect and imagine more advanced states just as in our lives, we go from one grade to the next.
S. Everything is organized in the way that we will go above?
R. Yes of course, it is not we who do these things, we have to do what Kabbalists tell us because they connect us to the upper force, so what Kabbalists who connect us to the upper force, recommend for us to do and then by this we respond correctly to the upper force which then continues to nurture us, to raise us.
S. There are friends, they are not here with us, and they wanted to be, they wanted to be with us, how can we help these friends? We, from our ten, can we do their work?
R. No, we need to do our work and think only about them that if they want to join, we are willing to accept them either into an additional ten or even within our ten, depending on what friends and what situation, what state they are in. We cannot stop ourselves, our progress, in order to tend to them, no. We need to perform actions in which we bestow more and more upon the Creator and not upon people, to people, we are willing to do everything so they will join us and go with us but not that we tend to them and that this is our main thing in life. No. The purpose of creation is nevertheless to bestow upon the Creator and by this to achieve equivalence with him.
37. S. (01:05:58) What does it build in us, what vessels do we get out of the fact that we have to go through darkness to obtain the light?
R. It is exactly what builds our vessels, it builds the vessels in us because by this we are in vessels of reception that need correction.
S. What does it mean that they undergo correction, what does it build in us as people, as human beings, what does it do?
R. We received from the Creator the power of bestowal only on condition that we want to receive it in some way. To bring us the will to receive to be equipped with the force of bestowal, the Creator takes us through all kinds of states, through suffering, through problems in life, death, look what humanity is going through, all those things join into one great account. That is it, so now we are finally beginning to understand because of all the blows and states were going through, we are beginning to understand that there is a purpose to these states and the purpose is higher. Higher, and higher until we come to a state where the purpose is to rise above our states and into a perception of reality, a relation to reality that is completely different. That the problem is not with reality, and this is what we have to correct but we are the problems, and we are what needs to be corrected. Because we give up on our efforts to correct the world, this is how Kabbalists call those people in the world, yes, world reformers, these are mainly philosophers and thinkers and what not. We do not need to correct the world there is nothing to correct in the world, we need to correct ourselves as we learn in the perception of reality that everything is within us.
Therefore, we need to correct only ourselves and turn our relation to reality, invert our relation to reality, you want to create a different reality, correct yourself but by wanting to correct yourself egotistically you become corrupted in some different way. You become a socialist, a philosopher or a Democrat there are many names to it. By this you also go through all kinds of states until you finally understand that to correct, you need only to correct yourself and not the world and with this relation when you come to bestowal upon everyone and that too is also not good, that it is not enough. It is a Klipa. In order to bring contentment to the Creator then you really come to the form of absolute bestowal. Meaning you have to go through several states here until you finally understand what the real purpose of your development is.
38. S. (01:10:08) Sometimes we are told that we respond to states that are unpleasant for our ego that it is for the better, it is towards correction, sometimes we are told to tell the ego, suffer, this is the way the Creator created you. When should we answer this way, when should we answer that way, when the ego is suffering?
R. You are right, sometimes as Rabash would say “Let it suffer” when he would talk about his body but this is not really the purpose of creation, the purpose of creation is to enjoy in all of our cells, in all of our inclinations, all of our desires through Infinity from one end to the other but when can we do it? On condition and to the extent that all of our desires are aiming to bestow and then I enjoy in them to the fullest in order to bestow upon the Creator. First, I have to, in my every cell, every desire, I have to aim in order to bestow, meaning to fill up all the cells of my soul, of my desire to fill them with the light of mercy, Hassadim, and on top of the light of Hassadim I am willing to receive the light of Hochma, the light of wisdom, and not otherwise. Therefore I say to my egoistic will to receive, let it suffer. Because it forces me to enjoy where I am and to this I object, I want to come to enjoy giving to the Creator.
39. S. (01:12:24) Can you explain the joy that awakens at the time of darkness?
R. Then it is not darkness anymore it is already called darkness shines as light, darkness is with respect to the will to receive and shines as light means it is with the light of Hassadim, mercy when the light of bestowal is revealed to me. You understand this is what happens.
40. S. (01:13:06) What is the reason the Creator is revealed in the opposite form so that later on we can reveal his face?
R. In order to create in us a very big desire to receive so for this he is revealed in a manner that ‘my beloved is like a gazelle that he runs away from us, but he turns his face backwards. By this he builds in us desires to receive toward him until we turn all of them into in order to bestow.
41. S. (01:14:06) What does it mean to see it through the eyes of the group?
R. To try to clothe in the friends.
42. S. (01:14:25) We read that Malchut has none of her own, anything, how does that come to the expression in the ten?
R. When no one demands for himself but wants to help the friends satisfy their deficiencies, this is called mutual responsibility toward those who are on the same boat.
43. S. (01:) The sensation of darkness, how does it feel, what are these sensations on a human level that we feel?
R. I cannot say, there are things we cannot convey to one another because it depends on one's personal feelings.
44. S. (01:15:21) I heard that the Kabbalists are happy in the darkness because it is a time to ascend, how to receive them, what to think about it?
R. They are happy with the darkness as with a light and even more than with the light because it gives them the opportunity to rise to a higher state and therefore as it says, there is no happier state in a person's world then when he disappears with his own strength which is darkness and only if he now cries out to the Creator, it will elevate him to a higher degree.
45. S. (01:16:25) With each excerpt in each lesson we feel more, more, more distant from the force of life, more in despair and unable to want to advance and when I cannot do anything is it enough to relate all these states and ascribe them to the Creator anew.
R. In the meantime yes, there will be more and other conditions but, in the meantime, yes.
46. S. (01:17:03) How do we direct to bestow to the Creator when there is no connection with him?
R. Instead of him you have a ten which is the same pattern as meeting with the Creator, if you have no ten you have no place to meet the Creator. That is the whole difference between religion when you may pray you cry out and ask and be seemingly in contact with the Creator. In the wisdom of Kabbalah which is a method to reveal the Creator to the created beings in this world and that is how it is written, that is the definition of the wisdom of Kabbalah. What is the difference? The wisdom of Kabbalah reveals the Creator to a person as the Creator's the most important thing, the closest to him. Because the Creator begets his soul and nurtures and develops his soul and fills his soul. It is felt inside a person as the main thing, that the most internal thing that he has whereas belief, faith, religions, philosophies of all sorts, are only logical and intellectual you attain in the intellect that is why it is not considered attainment that is the difference. We must hear the Kabbalists because they open up new vessels all together for us to reveal the Creator.
47. S. (01:19:01) What could the lower one give to himself that the Malchut of the upper because he has nothing of himself, is it only joy
R. The lower one gives the upper one vessels by which the upper one can be revealed. Without the lower one giving him these vessels the upper one is without revelation, he is disconnected from all of the created beings.