Daily Morning Lesson. January 12, 2026

The Felons of Israel (1985)

Part 1: Writings of  Rabash 

Reader: Dear friends, in the first part of the lesson, we will watch a recorded lesson from the 27th of February, 2003. This will be on Rabash's article 33, “The Felons of Israel,” which we will now read together in the Tens. Tens, who have finished reading early, are welcome to start the workshop, summarizing the main points of the article. 

Reading in Tens: (1:00) The Felons of Israel

Article No. 33, 1985

“Rish Lakish said, ‘The felons of Israel, the light of Hell does not govern them, much less from the altar of gold, etc. The felons of Israel are full of Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] like a pomegranate, as it is written, ‘Your Temple is like a slice of a pomegranate.’ Do not pronounce it Rakatech [your Temple], but Reikanin [empty] in you are full of Mitzvot like a pomegranate, all the more so” (end of Hagigah [Masechet]).

Concerning the felons of Israel, we should understand with respect to whom they are called the “felons of Israel”: 1) Is it with respect to the Torah, 2) or with respect to the whole of Israel that they are regarded as the felons of Israel, 3) or with respect to the individual himself? That is, he sees and feels about himself that he is the felons of Israel. Superficially, it is difficult to see how one can be full of Mitzvot like a pomegranate, yet be regarded as the felons of Israel.

If we interpret this with respect to the person himself, we can say and interpret, “Although they are full of Mitzvot like a pomegranate,” he sees that he is still the felons of Israel. We should interpret Rimon [pomegranate] from the word Rama’ut [deceit]. That is, he sees that he is deceiving himself, meaning that although he is full of Mitzvot, namely sees that he has nothing more to add in quantity, and according to his efforts, he should certainly have been Israel by now, meaning Yashar-El [straight to the Creator], where everything is for the Creator. Yet, after his self-scrutiny, he sees that he is deceiving himself, that the main reason he engages in Torah and Mitzvot is self-love, and not in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker, which is called Yashar-El, meaning that all his work goes straight to the Creator.

Since he saw that all his work was only in order to receive, he saw that he was a felon with regard to Israel. That is, he does not want his work to be for above, called “in order to bestow upon the Creator.” Rather, all his work is on the basis of keeping everything below, which is regarded as a receiver because the receiver is regarded as being of inferior importance, and the giver is of superior importance.

This extends from the root. Since the Creator is the giver, He is regarded as “above.” The creature, who receives from the Creator, is regarded as being of inferior importance. Hence, if his work is in order to receive, he is regarded as wanting his work in Torah and Mitzvot to remain below, meaning in reception.

This is called “transgressing in the aspect of Israel,” for instead of serving the Creator, where he wants to work to bestow upon the Creator, he does the opposite—wanting the Creator to serve man. And since they said that nothing is given for free, but the reward is given according to the labor, as is done in the physical world, this is how he wants to labor. He works for the Creator on condition that the Creator will pay for his labor. Otherwise he will have no strength to make any move without reward.

However, how can one come to see the truth, that he is deceiving himself concerning the quality of the goal, and cannot do the holy work in truth? Our sages said in that regard that one cannot see the truth before one has light. That is, one sees that he is doing many Mitzvot, meaning that he is full of deeds and sees no place where he can do more deeds that will help him become “Israel,” meaning only to bestow, without any need for self-love. He does not see that he will ever achieve this by himself unless he has help from above, and it is impossible that man will be able to do this.

It follows that the Mitzvot he has done caused him to see the truth, that thus far he was fooling himself thinking that a person can obtain the force that changes to the intention to bestow by himself. Now he has come to realize that this is not the case.

Now we can interpret, “even the empty ones among you are full of Mitzvot like a pomegranate.” It means that even though they are full of Mitzvot, they feel that they are empty because they see that they are like a pomegranate, from the words, “I called to my lovers; they deceived me” (Lamentations, 1), meaning deceit, whose work in Torah and Mitzvot was only for their own benefit and not to benefit the Creator.

But who caused him to know this? It is precisely that he is full of Mitzvot. This caused him to see that he should not fool himself into thinking that he can become “Israel.” Instead, now he sees that he is the “felons of Israel.”

It turns out that it is impossible to obtain real knowledge of one’s degree in spirituality, unless he is full of Mitzvot. At that time he sees his state, that until now he was in deceit, and now he is in the degree of the “felons of Israel.” But without Mitzvot is regarded as being without light, and then one cannot see the truth, that he needs the Creator to help him become “Israel.”

However, we should know that saying that if he is full of Mitzvot then he sees that he is as a pomegranate comes with a stipulation: It is said specifically when he is a person who is seeking the truth. At that time it is said that one who seeks the truth still cannot see the truth before he is full of Mitzvot, but not before.

Hence, this requires two things: 1) On the one hand he needs to engage in Torah and Mitzvot as much as he can, without any criticism whether it is on the path of truth or not. Only after the fact can he criticize, but not while engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, for at that time he needs to feel himself in wholeness, as our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], because from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma [for Her sake].” Thus, for now it is unimportant how he is engaging because in any manner of engagement he is keeping the words of our sages. 2) After the fact he must criticize himself to see if his actions were for the Creator, or if something else was involved in it. From the two of them he can come to being “as a pomegranate,” according to what we explained above.

By this we will understand the words of our sages (Avoda Zara, p 17): “Our sages said, ‘When Rabbi Eilezer Ben Parta and Rabbi Hanina Ben Tardion were caught, … ‘Woe unto me for I was caught for one thing and I am not saved. You engaged in Torah and good deeds, and I engaged only in the Torah.’ It is as Rav Huna said, ‘Anyone who engages only in Torah is as one who has no God, as it was said, ‘and many days for Israel without a true God, without a teaching priest, and without Torah.’ What is ‘without a true God’? Rav Huna said, ‘Anyone who engages only in Torah, it is as though he has no God.’’”

We should understand why if he does not engage in good deeds he is as one who has no God. Another perplexity: why specifically the Mitzva [commandment] of good deeds? After all, there are other Mitzvot that need to be observed, so why specifically good deeds is akin to being without a true God? It is as though by good deeds it is possible to tell if the Torah he is learning is without a true God.

According to what we learn, all our work is in order to achieve equivalence of form, regarded as “as He is merciful, so you are merciful.” For this reason, during the study of Torah one must not criticize his Torah, meaning whose Torah he is learning, and then he can learn even Lo Lishma, which is also a Mitzva, as our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake].”

This is so when he tests himself, his situation with regard to equivalence of form, how remote he has become from self-love, and how close he has become to love of others, which is the meaning of “cleaving to His qualities.” This is why he makes the precision that the main thing to know is to test himself through the quality of Hesed [mercy], how much he engages in it, exerting for it, and contemplating various tactics and tricks to achieve equivalence of form, or he will not reach the path of truth.

It follows that at that time he does not have a “true God,” for “true” means as is explained (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 13), “The seventh correction of the thirteen corrections of Dikna is called ‘and truth.’” He interprets there in “Inner Reflection”: “At that time appears the quality of the Creator, who has created the world with the intention to do good to His creations, since at that time appears the Ohr Hochma [Light of Wisdom], which is the light of the purpose of creation, when everyone feels the delight and pleasure. At that time everyone says with clear cognizance that this, meaning the goal, is true.”

It follows that if he does not engage in good deeds, which is the power that can bring to love of others, by which he will acquire vessels of bestowal, as the upper abundance is drawn only into these vessels, and if he has no vessels of bestowal he cannot acquire the delight and pleasure that the Creator created in order to delight His creatures. It follows that in that state a person is regarded as being “without a true God.” That is the reality of His guidance, which is to do good to His creations, is God forbid untrue. This is called “without a true God.”

This can be obtained precisely by engaging in good deeds. However, without Torah, it is impossible to know one’s state, meaning where he is, since without light it is impossible to see anything. Rather, to see that he is a felon of Israel he needs to be full of Mitzvot, meaning both Mitzvot of learning Torah and the rest of the Mitzvot. The test is that after some time of engaging in Torah and Mitzvot he needs to examine, but not during his work.

Reader: We will now begin the lesson with Rav from February 27, 2003. 

M. Laitman: (16:15) So, “The Felons of Israel.” Who are the felons of Israel? With respect to the Torah, or with respect to the whole of Israel, or is it with respect to the individual? It all depends on how we look at creation and at the person. We speak about how a person relates to the Creator. As we learn, there's nothing more in reality except for the Creator and the created being, and everything else that exists, that we see in front of our eyes, those are things that happen only in this world, the imaginary world. So, if we relate to it according to the true picture, meaning that in front of me stands only the Creator, and with Him I need to correct my connection, my relationship, my adhesion, my compatibility with Him, then, of course, it is only towards that that I measure myself as the created being. And only by that can I see myself as either a felon or the opposite, one who merits good deeds. And when, then, do I determine that I'm a felon? When I'm in connection with the Creator and I see that all of my actions, well, at least in part, are not aimed towards Him, but rather towards myself, because there's no one else except for Him and I. And we see how in this world people say, I'm a good person, I work for the nation, for the homeland, for the society, for the family, meaning towards various goals. This is what he sees with his corporeal eyes. Of course, all these things are false, because if one does not work for the Creator, one works for himself. And if he wants to work for the Creator, then first he directs himself towards the Creator, and then he turns to all the various means at his disposal, using them also to reinforce that connection, his connection to the Creator, seeing in all these things, even in disruptions, means by which to strengthen his connection with the Creator. As it is written, everything follows the intention, everything is drawn after the intention. And so one who positions himself in a straight line towards the Creator, opposite Him, and who wants to see his state, then, of course, he needs to examine how he relates to the Creator, in every which way. And accordingly, he determines who he is. And if he attests, if he says about himself that he's a felon, because other than the person who can say? These things are given to the heart only; no one outside can see it. If a person determines that he's an actual felon, and a felon of Israel, meaning not Yashar El, but the opposite, it's an indication that he truly delved into the depths of his qualities and intentions. And from that, he can determine. Meaning, this is already a very, very significant degree. And from here, that is a springboard to the corrections. And of course, before he is a felon, he can never be righteous. As it is written, one does not stand on the matter of a commandment unless he first failed in it, meaning that in each and everything, first comes the revelation of evil, the recognition of evil, and later, doing good. As it is written, “Stray from evil and do good and seek peace,” meaning that he unites the right line and the left line together and pursue it, meaning walking only according to the middle line. That's it. Any questions? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (22:06) If a person is called the felon of Israel, meaning he reached this degree? 

M. Laitman: The felon of Israel means that he's exactly in a state where he can see himself, to see if he's a felon, if he transgresses against Yashar El, specifically. Meaning, when the light comes and the person tries to be Israel, and with the light that comes to him, he can see that he is the opposite. When is this apparent? It's exactly if you try to be, as much as possible, Yashar El. Then you see, only in that way. If you focus your line of intention directly towards the Creator and not a little bit to the left or right, then exactly with that line behind, you see that you're not facing the Creator, but the opposite way. Not Yashar El, but the opposite - you are facing yourself. As he says here, we have this point here. That's the Creator. And this here is the person. Yes? And this is the shell. So if a person aligns himself not directly towards the Creator, he also misses the shell from various states, directions. But if he aims straight towards the Creator, then he sees the shell. And if it's not towards the Creator, then he has various disruptions. But these disruptions serve only to return him to the line that goes straight towards the Creator. Therefore, until he is aiming himself straight towards the Creator, Yashar El, he cannot see himself as a felon who is aiming exactly backwards, but the opposite. The shell exists, there's a shell opposite the right line, a shell opposite the left line, and also a shell that corresponds to the middle line. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (25:08) What is correct criticism during our state? 

M. Laitman: Correct criticism in our situation, in our state, you ask? Maybe you simply, maybe you want to say that in our situation, how can we conduct proper criticism if we're incapable of establishing ourselves, situating ourselves exactly opposite the Creator? The truth is, it's not, it's incorrect, that we can't. You know, it's like on every degree, in each and every degree, every profession, every age, there are things which if you do them, you're told, oh, what a great kid, what a good student, and later they say, oh, what a great expert, what a clever professor, unique, special. Each one is examined according to his degree. There's this tolerance, how to say, 

Student: Difference, attitude… 

M. Laitman: Deviation, the ability to deviate from the true accurate line, according to the degree he's in. If I'm on degree ten out of a hundred, then I can deviate left or right, let's say five millimeters, but it doesn't count, because I don't see. My vessels of perception are still very crude, so if I'm within this tolerance, where I don't feel the difference, then it's fine, we say it's fine. If I'm on a higher degree, well, you know, the Creator, as it is written, judges the righteous according to a hair's breadth. So if I'm in a state where we don't see, we barely feel, even our efforts, even when we can't measure ourselves, examine ourselves, just the attempt, the effort, is considered already 100% accurate, where I'm accurate, where I shoot straight, when I hit the mark. Even if I don't know if I hit it or not, and if I even aimed at the target or not, just the effort, because I'm not being criticized here. If I'm not given light, if I don't see the target, if I don't feel it in any of my senses, then just the effort, my maximum effort, whatever I can do in this situation I'm in, that's already sufficient. 

Student: So only the work itself? 

M. Laitman: Yes, and so the fact that I don't see any feedback from it, that means that I'm under concealment, in concealment. And this is the work that I have to go through, without the ability to measure and to aim in such a way where I see it consciously, being able to measure with various senses and feelings, understanding, being able to weigh these things. I don't have it yet. That is called concealment. So this effort, you know, like a baby, making an effort to do something, nothing more is needed of the baby. That's how we determine it with the person as he grows. And every age has its own demands. And you can then tell if he's healthy, if he's developing properly. It's by age, you can't compare age three and age ten. Sometimes a mother approaches me with two children, one ten years old, but developmentally retarded. Usually, it's a birth accident, lack of oxygen during childbirth, and one who is two years old but healthy. So you look at the two-year-old and the ten-year-old, how the two-year-old is clever, how he acts, how he wants, how his ego is functioning correctly. He has a good connection between desires and ability, to the extent that he has any ability, and the mother says, also, look, he's ten, and that one is two. There are such cases. I see, I see them. So we are the ten-year-olds. That's how it is. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (30:43) I ask because he writes at the end of the article that later he has to make the criticism and not during the work.

M. Laitman: It's about this. It is written, what can you do with children who aged? According to their degree of development, they're at the age where they were taught how to observe the commandments, and at 70 years old, they performed the same commandments without adding anything. This is called a beast. Why? Because a newborn calf is like an ox. It didn't advance. He's the same thing. He just aged. Children who aged, it is called. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (31:32) What does it mean that he writes at the end of the article that he has to do the test, but not during the work? He has to examine it, but not during the work? 

M. Laitman: I don't know what state exactly you're speaking about, but there is a state where a person makes an effort, and it is written not to conduct criticism during the work. Meaning that if I'm doing the work, then I'm now investing all of my energies in this in order to direct myself correctly towards the Creator. And usually, my efforts are my efforts, where I say, if I am not for me, then who is for me? And then I conduct this criticism, checking how to say, to what extent, let's say, to what extent my actions that I wanted to perform only by my own efforts were matching in keeping with my actions that I would have performed through adhesion to the Creator. Meaning, to what extent is my nature corrected according to or in comparison with the Creator? That is the measure of, that is the matter of measuring. I don't know how to say this… We have a generator, and there's electricity that comes to me from the electric company. So, I check, will the generator supply me the exact same degree of electricity as the electric company, electricity company? I check with my devices, and then I can say that the generator is good. He's exactly like the electricity company. I connect my generator to all my devices, I use it, I check it with all my devices. That means a person is working with himself and says, “If I'm not for me, who is for me?” If he sees how his work is progressing, now instead of the generator, he takes the electricity from the electric company. And if he sees that there is no difference in the outcome, meaning that his devices are working the same way, the same accuracy, the same power, then he can say that he truly corrected himself and that he matches the source. We'll find more examples. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (35:04) Here it says that the person has to do the commandments before he reaches the truth. What is it in commandments, right? Because commandments after he reaches the truth, I understand that he's working with screens, so it's commandments. But what is for him a commandment now, before he reaches the truth? 

M. Laitman: How can a person who did not acquire screen, any screen, and all his intentions are, of course, to benefit himself, that's where he aims, then how can a person 

Student: do the commandments before he reaches the truth? 

M. Laitman: How can he observe the commandments before he acquires the screen and reaches the truth? So I said that on each and every degree, our actions can be examined, classified, perhaps, as good deeds, proper deeds, bad deeds, according to degree. Of course, if I see a child, of course, he doesn't do anything that's good and beneficial. Commandment? What commandments? What things? But if, according to his age, he does things which are age-appropriate, then we say that he's trying correctly, making an effort, and observing commandments. And if I see a big adult, then to be a normal adult, healthy and proper, he must perform great, greater corrections, appropriate. With his age, his status, the options he has, everything is measured case by case. So, when we're under concealment and we have no vessels, how can we perform commandments? Commandments, you consider right now various actions that you try to perform in order to reach this compatibility with the Creator, as it seems to you right now. That is called whatever is in your power to do - that do. What do you mean? Whatever comes to me, you don't know what comes and what doesn't come, and how to divide these things into good things, bad, beneficial, harmful. You're just confused. This is called concealment. So if you try, in your situation, with everything that you have, that happens to you on your path, if you try to turn that into a thing which benefits your connection to the Creator, out of darkness, out of confusions, that means that you're observing commandments. Later, you will be performing actions with the screen in order to bestow, when you'll know who the Creator is. Of course, also only to a certain limited degree, but you will know, and you will also know what your powers are, and you'll know all your means that you have available, all the conditions. But for now, you perform whatever actions you're capable of performing, and you don't even know what you're capable of, you don't even know if you're doing them or not, but rather it's an effort, like a baby. We need to take examples from this life, and you'll see then how you'll be able to understand your situation just from studying life. Yesterday, I was with a few of our people at the sauna. One of them was lying on his back, and then he turned on his stomach. Oh, what a great thing. Yesterday, my son sent me a recording of my grandchild, who is a half-year-old, how he turned o from his back to his belly. Oh, look, I was impressed by what he's doing. There is a difference, yes? So this is a degree, and that's a degree. Nothing more is required of you. Just turn around a little bit, from lying on your back to lying on your stomach. No more. It's just like that. Nothing is really required of us. Is there any glory to this? Is it a heroic act of great wisdom? The truth is that the way we regard it is much lower than the example I'm giving even now. 

Student: The demand from us. 

M. Laitman: The demand made of us is according to our situation, according to our capability. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (40:19) If there's a desire in me that obligates me, can I actually judge and measure what's more beneficial to the Creator? You say I have to consider it according to what's beneficial toward the connection with the Creator. Except for unifying the state to Him, can I measure anything? Can I weigh anything? 

M. Laitman: You are correct. Meaning, can I measure the vessels with which I can unite with the Creator? No, I truly can't. That's why it's written, everything within your power to do - that you should do. And certainly, I don't know what's more beneficial, what's less. Whatever comes to me, it's a sign that I'm being sent that thing. Usually, with various disruptions, through the disruptions, I need to find a connection to the Creator. 

Student: Meaning, when you say, sit and don't do, it's better. There are states that only throw you off the path, meaning it's better not to do anything than to deviate from the path. How can I evaluate it? How can I evaluate what I'm doing now? The will to receive can spin it in such ways that now it's somehow beneficial to connect to the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Sit and do nothing is better. That is in relation only to an act that you don't have any scrutiny for, no intention, an effort to scrutinize it as something that benefits your connection to the Creator. That's why it's called sit and don't do, is better. You want to say, if I don't see the Creator, I can't aim myself towards Him, direct myself towards Him, that me, my heart, my actions, and the Creator will follow the same line. Then sit and don't act is better. That won't be sit and don't do is better, rather, you won't do what's upon you to do. Here in this very letter, it tells you need to aim yourself towards the Creator in whatever way you can. Me, and my direction, and the Creator, and my whole path, and the Creator should be in the same line. How do I know? The line, the Creator?  It's to the extent that I can scrutinize these three points: me, my path, and the Creator, to the extent I can. But if I don't do it, that is called sit and don't act is better. If I do it with my maximum efforts, my best effort, then it means that I'm acting.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:21) How can I determine where the line passes between necessity and things that I do for the will to receive? How can I know? I can sit at home and it'll be easier to connect to the Creator. How can I know? On the one hand, I can sit at home, and it'll be easier for me to connect to the Creator. And let's say, I can earn money some way, I'm told I need to work. According to what do I choose? 

M. Laitman: You're asking me how in each and every state I can figure out the most beneficial action? How in each and every state I divide my possibilities between what's necessary and what's luxury? Certainly, here, too, our criticism, our own criticism is enough. But the question is as following: in the criticism that I'm doing, am I using all the information that is in my possession, or am I closing my eyes and I don't want to use some of them in order to make it easier on me and not to put in the real effort? If I use the society and Rav, and the books, so that these three external factors will tell me precisely what I have to do compared to what my belly wants to do, then I will truly, when I evaluate myself, when I judge myself, I will stand in the middle. Neutral, on the right - Rav, society, books; on the left - my ego, my laziness, my pride, and all those beastly qualities of mine. And if I will stand in the middle as a true judge, then certainly, you need nothing more. I have everything. The question is, am I certainly arranging this opportunity, this occasion, objectively, independently, as much as possible? Again, I'm saying, in each degree, it will look different, it will appear differently, but independent of me, am I not lying to myself in arranging my decision in this way? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (46:46) If I know in that situation that I cannot emerge from myself, I can't accept these three things and I demand power, do I receive power? 

M. Laitman: If you are unable to make a decision according to what your neutral judge is telling you, and you deviate, meaning to the left side, into your belly, then you determine that you are a felon of Israel. 

Student: And from where should I get the power to change this? How can I change it? 

M. Laitman: If you are standing and you determine, the one who's in the middle, you determine that you lean to the left and you're just about to fall over in that direction, then you have an opportunity to grow stronger by increasing the right side: Rav, society, books - you can turn to the Creator. 

Student: If I try all those and it doesn't help? 

M. Laitman: With these four factors, if you're not able to recruit them to help you, then I guess, you're falling and you learn from the fall how bad it is, how despicable, disgusting, how much it is opposite to godliness, how despicable according to the lusts that you're going to use in order to fulfill yourself. And then your study is through suffering.

Student: It's sweet to me. How can I see that it's bad?

M. Laitman: It's sweet. It's sweet, you're right. But what the mind doesn't do, time does. They teach a person from above. You're not alone in this picture. There's another factor above you that arranges everything even before you make every action and every thought and every deed. 

Student: It's not clear to me why I was created.

M. Laitman: I'll tell you. I'll tell you. But if you're asking, but if that's the case, then why am I here? And so on and so forth. There's a multifaceted calculation here.

You are a part of the body of Adam HaRishon, and you must advance. You have incarnated into our time, and you are in a certain system in human society. You do certain actions that throw you into a specific society that advances in general. You are in it, and if the society advances, according to how much you invest, even in your ego, you invest in the society, you acquire spiritual force from the society. Also relative to the books, you have already some support; they offer you some support where in each and every state you invest in them, and they invest back into you. You cannot see every state as being completely disconnected. You alone individually are standing on a tip, on the tip of the needle, and your decision is pure, neutral, devoid of all factors. There are so many factors around you, and like it or not, they influence you. To your own good, I speak. To your detriment - it was also like that before. So even when you fall and there's no way on your part to rise, nevertheless, it says one shall not fight forever. So they raise you. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (51:09) I want to focus the question. What is the point of a state where you see that you're in a train that's driving straight off a cliff, and you can't do anything? The more you try to use the means, you can't receive any power. 

M. Laitman: The fact that they show you how in those special states, you're going on to the wrong side, off to the wrong side, you're unable to stop yourself. By that, they wish to teach you about your nature, how weak you are, how dirty, how out of control, and you have nothing, and if you don't receive from above or from the society a certain support, then by yourself, you're a stinking drop, as we call it. It has no form, and it stinks. This is man at the beginning of his path. Everything outside of this drop, it's already inner work. 

Student: But if this judge sits there understanding intellectually that this is a bad situation, there's no benefit to it, let's change it, and there's no real will to affect change, then you're stuck. Intellectually, you understand that you're driving off a cliff, but in terms of your desires, you just flow along. There's no real will to change it. And this continues over time. How do you not give up in such a situation?

M. Laitman: It'll be okay. I can say the same about all the questions. Not that I have no answer, you can’t hear it, I answered already, and again, and again. Baal HaSulam, in all of his letters, he writes for our time, for our state, when the path is not yet showing us how to do. So he writes, do what you are capable of doing, try, and the society must help you, and you will invest in it, and try each time to aim yourself at the Creator, and don't despair from placing you in all those bad instances. That's the process. I see truth in all those states in the path. You'll see it later. Let's put it this way: each and every state you're going through, in double concealment and single concealment, you'll see how the states are completely calculated with utmost precision because they correspond to the end of correction. Each and every state that you must be in, you simply, you can't overtake anyone or change anyone. Everything you feel and the depth of the feeling, this is simply the structure of your soul. You discover more and more sides, seemingly, in this structure. Walls, I don't know, partitions in this vessel. So you're complaining right now, I get you. It's like someone who put in a labyrinth, how do you call it? 

Student: A maze. 

M. Laitman: And you're walking around, you're running into walls and dead ends, and you constantly observe all those blows, each and everything that you run against. And you don't know how to advance, and you're making movements in the dark - all those things, they're down to the last level are completely calculated. How do you do it? You say, well, I'm being thrown around, but I'm doing. Well, how come you're doing it? And how are you being thrown around? You do those things out of the will to receive of yours that's revealed. So it's also working precisely, but seemingly opposite. We think that if I'm trying to work toward the Creator, that I'm working precisely like this, or I tried really hard and my side is precisely aimed, and it is the other side, the opposite side, where we fall and we go into all kinds of lusts and things, is not calculated. It's also precisely calculated, not less than what's up ahead. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (56:56) It says that charity, good deeds are necessary to reach love of others. What is that? What are those good deeds? 

M. Laitman: Is that a question? Oh, you got an answer. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (57:25) Why do humiliation, shame, assist in the correction of the will to receive? 

M. Laitman: Why humiliation and shame assist the correction of the will to receive? Because to the will to receive, there's nothing worse for it than humiliation and shame. Nothing is worse. This is a direct hit in the will to receive. Why? Because Malchut of Ein Sof that felt itself full of light, full of all the pleasures according to its will to receive, it felt a direct hit on the self corresponding to its point of departure. It felt that it is from zero, from nothing, and compared to it was the Creator, the host that has everything, and he's giving her, but she herself has nothing. This is the worst transgression in what it can be, in pride, in the status, in the I, in the self. It comes from the point of existence out of absence, that I am from absence. I am truly absence, and then you can give me everything in the world, I have nothing. That's why Rav always said about a woman, she has a closet full of clothes ten times the size of yours. And she has said, “I don't have anything, I have nothing to wear.” That's a spiritual root, meaning you have everything. One thing is missing, then I have nothing. That's a true feeling, that's what Malchut of Ein Sof feels, compared to what You created for me, the will to receive. You gave me fulfillments, but this does not fulfill me at all. I feel that I'm not in Your status. That I'm the opposite, existence out of absence. That's what was revealed. And that's what was revealed - the host, compared to the guest that is truly the opposite. And because of all this fulfillment, it's truly a restriction. I don't want it. It's not that it bothers me or doesn't bother me. It's not considered as anything. It's not valued. And I'm adhered or not adhered. I simply have such a deficiency, such a great deficiency, which is enough to do all the corrections. And I don't care, as if Malchut of Ein Sof is the judge. I don't care about where am I going into, what problems. I simply have to reach state, the same state as Yours, as You. No less. That's an example of blowing to the will to receive. Not the will to receive itself, how much fulfillment do I have or not. That's why our world is called a false world. We think that if I will fulfill the will to receive, I will lack nothing. On the contrary, the more I fill it, the more I discover its despicable nature. That he lacks the main filling. From here, we can see that there's no point chasing the fulfillment. You need to chase the status, the stature of the will to receive, its correction, as much as it can resemble, is suitable to the Creator. Because other than that, it's full of Ein Sof. You can't fill it anymore. You don't need to fill it. You lack only one thing. This similarity to the host. All the other things are already there. You feel it, or you don't feel it. But in this, it's certain that we'll receive no fulfillment. Only to truly reach the status of the host, then the fulfillment is concealed. So we will choose. We seemingly wish to have the fulfillment or to have its status. The status of the host is called in order to bestow. So, fulfillment and lack thereof serve as an observation, discernment, a point of analysis. What am I yearning for? Meaning, the first restriction is necessary. If I would not be, or not empty myself of the fulfillment, then I would have nowhere to check if I truly wish to be like the host. Am I doing something like the host? In other words, I have to unload myself of all the pleasures in order to build the reception of pleasures in order to bestow. Because accordingly, I can check and test. Am I giving to Him the way He's giving to me? Meaning, am I resembling Him? If so, I have to perform a restriction. I have to remain empty of fulfillment. But if not, this means that in receiving in order to bestow, I'm giving something, this is the act of bestowal. Then I wouldn't need to become empty, to restrict myself, except there's no other way to be like Him.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:04:33) This point of choice, does it truly exist? Let's say, I was in a state where for half a year my state didn't change because I didn't tie to the Creator. So now I'm supposed to look back and say that there's none else besides Him, right? Now, every single thing that happened to me over this past half year, did it really need to happen, or is it only because I didn't exercise my free choice? 

M. Laitman: Is what's happening to me necessary? Does it have to happen? Or if it didn't happen, did it have to happen? 

Student: But if I related it to the Creator, then it wouldn't have happened.

M. Laitman: Look, if I were like this, and it were like that, and if I would be like this, it would be another way. These are your calculations. The true calculations are, “If I'm not for myself, who is” in the beginning, and “There's none else besides Him” in the end. This is from page 25, I think, in the “Holy Letters.” Read that letter and see how he writes. In the beginning of the work, you must say, “If I'm not for myself, then who is?” Meaning, without any calculation, any consideration of the Creator, the effort is all mine, and the success is in my hand, and I simply, only I decide, and I do, and there's none else besides me. Okay? He doesn't want to say it like that, but so he says, “If I'm not for myself, then who is?” But in the end, you have to say “There's none else besides Him.” It doesn't matter how I was there in the end, calculating the entire process, and the efforts, and all those things. The purpose of creation was that I go through it like this, and I will do that, and I will reach that. And that's what happened. But in advance, the choice is not the choice to exert. The choice is to insert your effort. The profit is not from your effort, not from Him deciding your path. I know that even if I go to lie down all the time, or I will jump in the next moment, that's, I decide, or I don't decide - it's not important. I'm still in this nature. You should try to grasp that point, that factor. What do we add by our thought that we wish to act toward the Creator, and we wish to approach Him, and adapt ourselves to Him? We add here a certain inner effort in the desire, in the thought. This effort, in and of itself builds in us what we call the soul. My will is, my desire is not a soul. The light itself is not the soul. The effort that I put in builds something new in reality. And it's not about whether or not I'll do it one way or another. You don't consider the will to receive and what will happen to it. You consider, they consider only your efforts, anything you might add. Now you can say, but, how to say it… differential in mathematics. There's, let's say, the speed and the acceleration. The acceleration is differentiated, extracted from the speed, right? I am not that great in math. Okay, what am I trying to say? These actions of yours are just velocity, speed. You're just going and doing all kinds of things. But there's also acceleration, and you're adding by yourself a little more. And only in this acceleration, in this differential, in this addition, they consider that, and they gather all those additions, and that is how they make, create the spiritual vessel. Meaning, if you go through this life without adding even the smallest effort in the right direction, this life is nothing. Meaning, it's not like it's nothing, you still suffer and develop. In the still, vegetative, animate there is also a certain process of development. The fact is that after 10,000 years, you suddenly sit here and you want more of beastliness. If you weren't to add this acceleration yourself, you wouldn't be considered something that has changed. It's rather, it's just nature. We could say about a cockroach, that was a million years ago, and they changed today. Did he do something? Certainly, there's a developmental process. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:10:18) Let's say I shorten the time. But if I draw it out? 

M. Laitman: What do you mean you're shortening time? In spirituality, time is not taken into consideration whatsoever. It's not in the process whatsoever. Rather, if you are not making an effort, you're in zero, you're dead. It doesn't mean that you're moving forward towards spirituality. You're not advancing. Only your efforts are counted. Your jumps above the line, the developing nature line, that's it. Acceleration is counted and not speed. Deviations from the speed, that is counted. And the speed, it's like according to Einstein. Even if there are millions of light years in a second, it's considered zero if it doesn't change. Correct? It's truly equal to zero, or not zero, say, anything that does not change is simply zero. So, what can you say? Now, make a calculation of how many times you jumped in life, and that's you. According to that, later demand from the Creator, according to one’s-to-one’s sorrow, the effort that you wanted to intend to do something towards Him, that's the sorrow, or the difficulty. It's not that you're just suffering. It's the beast that's suffering. That's not even considered. How many billions of people are suffering? What does Baal HaSulam say? Is there anything to take into consideration here? You can scream and say, “the Creator is not okay.” That is in nature. And there's no calculations with nature. Because all the corrections after the first restriction is not nature. It's the effort on behalf of Malchut to reach an adaptation to the Emanator. 

Student: We live in a reality that has time. 

M. Laitman: No, I don't want to talk in terms of, there is time. That's not spirituality. Go to some professor, I don't know, another kind of professor, and talk to him. 

Student: But from my point of view, there's time, things happen.

M. Laitman: Well, let's say. 

Student: Maybe towards spirituality nothing changes, but... 

M. Laitman: All right, so all kinds of things are happening. Well, what... 

Student: The question is, all these things that are happening, it's necessary that they happen. We have to learn something from them. Because if I wouldn't connect it all, so it would all... How do I say, “There is none else besides Him” on everything? 

M. Laitman: The scrutiny will come, and the question will be more clear.  

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:13:59) So, the acceleration, that should be the constant state? 

M. Laitman: Guys, you're too smart. You're going into scrutinies, that I'm not getting them, okay? So, let's go back to our study. We only have a few questions. I nevertheless have to answer people that are far away. And we truly, they truly deserve our attention. 

Question (Ukraine): (01:14:42) When you see your oppositeness from the Creator, how not to run away?

M. Laitman: How not to run away? We need to connect to the books, and the authors, and to the Rav, and the society. That is the not running away. 

Question (Internet): (01:15:00) Are bodily, natural sufferings like old age connected to the spiritual system? 

M. Laitman: No, that's like a beast. It's a beast. We need to rise above our regular, natural beastliness and then count what we have beyond that. 

Question (Minnesota): (01:15:25) Do we need to correct the egoism in children before the age of thirteen, or it's the opposite?

M. Laitman: We need to develop it. It's written that we need to relate to children according to their ways, meaning that we need to give them all the possibilities for development. A person's development is not in order to limit them, nor to correct them. Rather, it is written… What does he ask? Do we need to correct the ego in children? There's no such thing that I'm correcting someone's ego, God forbid, even if he's a small child; that's even worse. Rather, we're not allowed to do coercion. There is no coercion in spirituality. You cannot coerce anyone. Rather, we need to give example, and according to this example, they need to grow, and then they will decide on their own whether they need corrections, or they just continue according to how they are. 

Question (America): (01:16:43) If I fall and don't suffer from falling, what's this? Meaning, is this fall without suffering for me falling, considered a fall, a descent? And is it considered advancement? 

M. Laitman: There are many such falls that are certainly falls, as you would determine them. So, probably, gradually, all these falls, although for the time being it is below, from our emotional level of being able to determine whether they're not good or not, and all these falls, and sometimes it seems that you even feel pleasures, but gradually, you'll start to discern that they're opposite from the path, from advancement, and then you will define that they are truly falls, and not just, meaning, there will also be a feeling, not just an understanding that it's the opposite of Kedusha.