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

Daily Morning Lesson: June 23, 2026

Part 1: Rabash. What Is the Importance of the Groom, that His Iniquities Are Forgiven? Article No. 7, (1988).

Reader: Hello, friends, in the first part we will study a lesson by the Rav from February 22, 2002. It is based on Rabash's article, “What is the Importance of the Groom that His Iniquities are Forgiven?” You can find the article in the writings of Rabash, first volume, on page 608 in Hebrew. We will read the article together in the Ten, we have 28 minutes for that. Let's start.

Reading: (00:42) What Is the Importance of the Groom, that His Iniquities Are Forgiven?

Article 7, 1988

Our sages said, “Three are forgiven their iniquities: A gentile who converted, one who becomes great, and one who marries a woman. From this we learn that this is why she is called Mahalat, since his iniquities Nimhalu [have been forgiven]. Conversely, in the portion VaYishlach, she is called Bosmat, daughter of Ishmael” (presented in RASHI, VaYishlach).

This verse requires explanation. Our sages tell us that forgiving the iniquities of the groom on his wedding day comes from Esau, who took the daughter of Ishmael, whose name was Bosmat, daughter of Ishmael. Since it is written in the portion Toldot, “Esau went to Ishmael, and took Mahalat the daughter of Ishmael,” it is an evidence that on his wedding day, the groom is forgiven his iniquities.

It follows that we learn this entire basis from wicked Esau, who took the daughter of wicked Ishmael. This is difficult to understand. After all, what is a wicked one? It is one who says that there are no sins in the world and he can do what his heart desires because a wicked one believes in nothing. Thus, the wicked one says that he never sins. Therefore, why does he need his iniquities forgiven? Is a person given that which he does not want? After all, there is no light without a Kli [vessel], no filling without a lack.

It is even more difficult to understand what is the real reason that he deserves absolution. What is his privilege? Is it because he took a wife that he deserves his iniquities forgiven? It makes sense that one who does a great deed, which we cannot appreciate the importance of the matter, then we understand that he deserves a great reward for this, to the point of absolving his iniquities. But what great thing did he do by taking a wife?

Also, we see that saying a litany is a great thing. There is the matter of thirteen qualities there, as well as kneeling. But if there is a groom in the synagogue, we do not say the litany. We should understand the importance of taking a wife, that all seven days of the “seven blessings,” it has the power to cancel a prayer, which is so important, because he took a woman, who is now called “a bride.”

There are many explanations in the literal, but we should interpret this in the work. What does it come to teach us? The wicked Esau is when a person has realized that the bad thing in the world, which prevents all created beings from achieving the delight and pleasure for which the world was created—which is the meaning of bad—has become in him as Esau, from the word Assiya [doing]. His evil has been completed with clear knowledge that it is the will to receive for himself. At that time comes the order of “turn away from evil,” meaning that before a person knows that the will to receive is called “bad,” it is impossible to turn away from it and not listen to it.

Afterward begins the matter of “and do good.” “Do good” means assuming the burden of the kingdom of heaven. However, a person cannot be rewarded with the quality of “a woman who fears God.” Rather, a person must receive this from above, as it is written, “He who comes to purify is aided.” The Zohar says that he is given a soul, and this is the assistance that the person receives.

It follows that this soul was born by the Creator hearing him when he came to purify. This soul is called a “daughter,” which was born out of the Creator hearing his prayer once a person has come to the recognition of evil, called Esau.

This is the meaning of what is written, “And Esau went and took Mahalat the daughter of Ishmael.” “Went” means to a higher degree, once he has come to the recognition of evil, called Esau, to Yishma-El [Ishmael, meaning “the Lord will hear”]. That is, at that time he engaged in the form of “do good,” praying to the Creator to hear his prayer and give him a soul, as it is said in The Zohar. This is the meaning of “He took Mahalat,” meaning he took the absolution of iniquities by which he was rewarded with a daughter from which the Creator heard his prayer. This is called “the daughter of Yishma-El.”

This follows a certain procession: 1) Exertion to see the truth, as much as he understands that the will to receive for himself is harming him. At that time he can determine once and for all not to use it, and this is called Esau. 2) Afterward, he is rewarded with taking a woman by forgiving the iniquities. At that time it is possible to be rewarded with it.

We can understand the meaning of a woman, which is the soul he is given from above, according to what is explained in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot” (Items 53-55): “Then the Creator helps him and one attains open Providence, meaning the revelation of the face. Then, he is rewarded with complete repentance, meaning he cleaves to the Creator once more with his heart, soul, and might, as though naturally drawn by the attainment of the open Providence. Naturally, one who is imparted this open Providence is certain that he will not sin again, as one is certain that he will not cut in his own flesh and cause himself terrible suffering. In addition, one is certain that he will not neglect a Mitzva [commandment/good deed] without performing it the instant it comes to his hand, as much as one is certain that he will not neglect any worldly pleasure or a great profit that comes into his hand.” This repentance is regarded as his iniquities being forgiven.

According to the rule that all the Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] extend from branch and root—meaning that each Mitzva in corporeality has its root in spirituality—we can say that what extends from this is that in corporeality, too, when a man takes a woman, his iniquities are forgiven, which implies to spirituality.

Now we can interpret what our sages said, “How to dance before the bride?” and did not say, “How to dance before the groom?” Conversely, concerning the wedding meal, they said, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal and does not delight him (Berachot, p 6) transgresses in five voices: the voice of merriment and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, ‘Thank!’” They did not say that we must delight the bride, and they did not say that there is a bride’s meal, but only a groom’s meal.

We find that on Jacob’s wedding, Laban made the meal, as it is written, “And Laban assembled all the men of the place and made a feast,” meaning that the meal came from the side of the bride, that the bride’s father made the meal and not Jacob, who was the groom.

According to what Baal HaSulam explained—that “groom” means Torah, and “bride” means faith—we should interpret what we asked. Until a person acquires permanent faith, he has ascents and descents, since a person is born with a vessel of reception, and that vessel wants to engage in things that the mind says are worthwhile to engage in, meaning they will benefit the will to receive for himself. Otherwise, he cannot work.

Also, since faith is above reason, meaning that the reason cannot stand them, there is a matter of ups and downs here. This is called a “dance,” since we see that when dancing, we lift our legs and bring them back down repeatedly. This implies that since Raglaim [legs] comes from the word Meraglim [spying], meaning that when one should take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven and serve Him only Lishma [for Her sake], the person’s intellect immediately comes and makes him see that he should not be rash, but first see if it is worthwhile to serve the Creator not in order to receive reward.

Therefore, when lifting the legs, meaning when we go above our reason and intellect, it is regarded as lifting our legs above the earth. However, a person cannot always overcome and go above reason, and this is considered placing one’s feet on the ground once more. This is the meaning of what he says, “How to dance before the bride?” (Ketubot 16b). “Before the bride” means during the ascent, called Panim [face/anterior]. What should he say about the bride? What is the merit that he has found in faith, meaning what did he see in it that we should say that this is why he took upon himself the burden of faith?

Beit Shammai [House of Shammai] say, “A bride, the way she is,” meaning that according to how he feels her importance, so he takes upon himself the faith. That is, he does not need to find any merit in her. Even if he feels no importance about her, he takes upon himself what we were told to believe, and this is all of our merit—if we can take upon ourselves this work, which we believe is the Creator’s will, and we need not look for any merits, but simply believe and take upon ourselves by coercion, “as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load.”

Beit Hillel [House of Hillel] say, “A bride, fair and pious.” We should interpret that this means that a person should say about what he sees, “They have eyes and do not see.” And considering what he hears, he should say, “They have ears and do not hear.” That is, seeing is not necessarily with the eyes, but there is seeing in the mind. That is, the mind shows him depictions that contradict faith, and he often hears what the mind makes him see—that work for the sake of the Creator is not for him. He should overcome all this and say, “They have eyes and do not see.” That is, what the mind tells him and makes him see is not the truth. This is called “They have eyes and do not see” the truth; “they have ears and do not hear” the truth. Therefore, their thoughts, meaning what the will to receive for himself tells him, is not the truth. Rather, he should tell himself that indeed, she is a fair and pious bride, except he is unfit to see the truth right now.

Yet, the truth is that all the delight and pleasure that the will to receive can receive in his Kelim [vessels] is but a slim light compared to the light that dresses in the vessels of bestowal. This is called “a fair bride.” Yet, a person cannot always overcome his mind and reason. This is why there is the matter of dances in faith, of which our sages said, “How to dance before the bride.” That is, what can we say to the Panim [face/anterior] of the bride, since Panim pertains to “a man’s wisdom illuminates his face.” Thus, he should say what is the praise that there is in the bride, called “faith.” This is the difference between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, whether to say, “a bride, the way she is” or “a bride, fair and pious.”

This is not so with the groom. The Creator is called “Torah,” and Torah is considered a gift. There, there is no dancing because when a person receives a gift, it cannot be said that he has a descent, meaning that he does not want to receive gifts. Only where there is labor and a person must overcome against the reason, it can be said that at times he can overcome and at times he cannot. Conversely, when receiving gifts, how can it be said that he has no need for gifts? This is why they did not say, “How to dance before the groom?” but “How to dance before the bride?”

Conversely, considering a meal, it is written, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal,” and it is not written, “One who enjoys a bride’s meal.” The reason is that a groom is regarded as the Torah, and the Torah is a gift, as our sages said, “From Matanah [gift] to Nahaliel” (Iruvin 54), where it writes, “Why is it written, ‘And from the desert to Matanah, and from Matanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamot, and from Bamot to the valley’? He said to him, ‘If a man makes himself like this desert, which everyone treads, the Torah was given to him as a gift. And since it was given to him as a gift, he inherits God, as was said, ‘From Matanah to Nahaliel [rivers of God].’”

It is known that the Creator has many names, according to what He reveals to the lower ones. That is, it depends on the extent to which He bestows upon the lower ones. That is, according to the merit of the lower ones, He bestows abundance upon them. And since there are many discernments in the receivers, as it is written, “As their faces are not similar to one another, their views are not similar to one another,” and as we learn in the work, that a person himself also undergoes changing states, therefore, the abundance of the Creator changes into many discernments, but the Creator has no name, since “there is no thought or perception in Him whatsoever.” Rather, it is as it is written, “By Your actions we know You.” That is, according to the abundance He bestows, so we name Him.

For this reason, with regard to the Torah, the Creator is called “groom.” When He bestows faith, He is called “bride.” With respect to the purpose of creation, which is His will to do good to His creations, for the whole world to enjoy, meaning enjoy in the way that is called “His desire to do good,” meaning that He sustains the Klipot [shells/peels], as well, or they would not be able to exist in the world. This is as The Zohar says, that they have but a slim light. But in Torah and Mitzvot, the light is clothed there by way of “The whole Torah is the names of the Creator,” whose general name is The Good Who Does Good.

According to the above, the Creator is called “groom” because He is the Giver and bestows upon the lower ones. The creatures’ enjoyment from the joy He gives them, and as was said that what the whole world enjoys comes from Him, all the pleasures are called “meal.” It follows that the whole world is enjoying the King’s meal.

However, there is a difference from the perspective of the lower ones. There are lower ones who believe that this is a meal that comes from the King. And there are secular people, who do not believe that the meal comes from the Creator, who is called “the King.” With regard to his being the Giver, He is called “a groom.” This is as our sages said, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal and does not delight him transgresses in five voices.” That is, although they believe that the meal is a groom’s meal and thank him for their pleasure, there is still a higher level, meaning that by enjoying, they should delight the King.

According to the above, that the Creator is called “groom,” how can we speak of delighting the Creator? It is known that joy comes as a result of something. When a person obtains something new that he yearned for and received, it engenders joy in a person. But what can we say that the Creator is missing that if He receives it He will be happy?

The Zohar says (VaYera, Item 399), “There was no joy before the Creator since the day the world was created like the joy He is destined to have with the righteous in the future.” We should also understand this verse. How can it be said that the Creator receives delight. As we learn, the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. It follows that when the lower ones receive the delight and pleasure that He has prepared for them, He derives pleasure from this, as it is known from the allegory about the king who has a tower filled with abundance but no guests.

Therefore, we attribute the meal to the Creator as a groom, that He is regarded as the Torah, a gift, Nahaliel [rivers of God]. When the creatures receive the delight and pleasure, called “meal,” they must receive everything in order to bestow and not because of self-reception. This is the meaning of what our sages said, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal and does not delight him,” but receives for his own sake, “transgresses in five voices.” The five voices imply the completeness of the degree that must be revealed to the creatures. That is, His will to do good to His creations is revealed in five discernments, called “five parts of the soul,” which are Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, and Yechida.

This is why our sages said, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal and does not delight him,” meaning his intention in enjoying the meal is not to please the Creator, in that the purpose of creation is achieved in its complete correction, but rather his own benefit, then he causes five voices, meaning the NRNHY that should be revealed, to move away from him, since there was a Tzimtzum [restriction] on the vessels of reception for himself. Thus, the light does not extend to that place, and that place requires correction in order to bestow. Yet, he does not regard it, and therefore causes the abundance not to reach the lower ones.

It therefore follows that our sages warn us that we must prepare ourselves with much work and labor to 1) Believe that any pleasure we receive in the world is regarded as the King’s meal. However, we must believe this. And because of it, our sages have set up a specific blessing for each and every pleasure: a blessing for the prayer, a blessing for the Torah, and also for corporeal pleasures. 2) We must try to receive any pleasure that we receive from the King’s meal in order to bestow, and not for our own sake.

Conversely, when the Creator bestows upon the lower ones as a “bride,” which is faith, it is still not regarded as a meal, but rather there are ups and down there. This is why there are dances there. 

Reader: We'll go to a lesson from February 22, 2002. 

M. Laitman: (27:59) We read the article, “The Importance of the Groom,” from the Rungs of the Ladder. It's very difficult to understand why we have to work. Why did the Creator create the world in such a way that there is labor? If He's omnipotent, why did He not create the final state? And if the final state does exist and we're in it, why didn't He create it in such a way that we will feel it? But rather we have to open up our eyes, we have to open up a sense called “screen and reflected light,” and only then we will feel where we are. So they tell us, it's because of shame. Well, why did He create shame for us? So they say, shame is a correction. If we will not correct ourselves, we will not feel the great benefit. We need the greatness and importance of the groom, of the Giver, so that it will be in order to bestow. Because in order to bestow is an eternal vessel; it doesn't disappear, but to the contrary, it always keeps on adding. There are many, many explanations. But all in all, we can truly run around inside of this for a long time until a person reaches the point where he enters the second nature, he will not be able to understand and agree to everything that he's going through, because all of the definitions are opposite definitions. Where he is now versus where he will be later, the matter of the ascents and descents — it's not because I feel bad or I feel good, but rather it's because if I have thoughts about the Creator, and it doesn't matter from which state, from the worst possible state in spirituality, this is considered good. And the descent, means if a person loses, if he has no connection with the Creator — a connection from the worst possible state is preferable to disconnection from the best possible state. From that, we already need a great effort in order to provide the correct definition of what is an ascent and what is a descent: that each time the Creator reminds us about Himself, and it doesn't matter in which way, we should be grateful, even though this could be through blows, such things that, God forbid. And conversely, each time that we lose our connection with the Creator, and pleasures or, conversely, problems hide Him from us, and then we're confused about who does that to us, and we forget altogether — this is called a descent. Meaning, ascents and descents are not according to our sense of bitter and sweet, but according to true and false. 

M. Laitman: (32:01) This is why it's hard for us to get used to such discernments and to measure the states in this way. Then a person begins - if he sees his state in such a way - he begins to see that if I get up in the morning and I go to study feeling good - I feel good, I have curiosity, I'm going to receive something, hear something - and actually no doubts and problems awaken in him that put him into a confused state about his relations with the Creator. Then it could be that this state is not so good, because the Creator doesn't want him to renew his relations with Him- that he will begin in this way, through the scrutinies, to get closer and demand Him. Meaning, a person begins to look at his state only according to: is it beneficial or not, entirely disconnected from his feelings. And then, because he is truly ready for it, he has confusions, once again. Should he turn to the Creator, or should he do something by himself? If I will turn to Him while I'm capable of doing it, it will be an artificial appeal. What does it mean, I'm crying out? Like Rabash gives this example of a child who is crying in the street; they don't pay attention to him so much because he's a child. He's crying out Katnut, out of smallness. But a grown-up who's crying - this is a problem. Like a person who's standing under some load, and it can fall off from him every moment, and he truly loses. So he cries, he demands - immediately, somebody comes and helps him. Whereas if he just stands there, crying out, "help me," but we see it's not real, no one pays attention. There is a person who feels that it's a bit hard for him to work. He says it comes from the Sitra Achra [the other side], it comes and starts to play with the person, that it is worthwhile for him or not worthwhile for him to turn to the Creator. In truth, it is worthwhile to turn to Him in every state, but to turn from every state — if it won't be a true appeal, instead of doing what I need to do, I'm crying out for Him to do it, or instead of truly feeling a drive, an impulse for His help. I don't feel such an impulse for His work, let's say, but I do cry out, please help me, what kind of an appeal is it if it doesn't come from the bottom of the heart? So what do we do? He says, Baal HaSulam, there's no better state in man's life than the moment that he feels as the despair of his own forces, and that nothing can help him, because then he's truly worthy of prayer, praying to the Creator, and such a prayer, meaning that he receives a response for it. So where is this despair of my own forces? Or maybe we need to try all kinds of things for 20 or 30 years, and who knows if it ever ends or not? Or maybe it's not a matter of quantity, according to hours and years, but rather it's a matter of quality, how a person relates to his stature, his status, that it is possible that he can give a correct prayer, which is a true appeal, when he's certain that the Creator can help him, and he cannot do it by himself, and then it's following just even a small effort, it's enough for him, it's sufficient. So how to arrange that state? Is there an answer? I don't know, did you hear any answer from... 

Student: We didn't reach the end.

M. Laitman: (37:28) We didn't reach the end. At the end of the article there is an answer, so we will make an effort and study. He gives an answer, he gives a simple answer, that a person truly needs to see these states one stage deeper, that the Creator gives me this state. By that, one will discover that he must turn to the Creator immediately. If he looks at it superficially - that I have some state, and I need to cope with it, and if I won’t cope with it, then I will turn to Him — this is what is written — and maybe I will also feel despair and helplessness. It is written that the Torah exhausts the power of a person. Fine, so I don't have enough Torah, and I didn't work enough. But if he enters deeper in and tells himself that the Creator gives me all of the difficult states in order for me to turn to Him, then here already, in the same place where he feels the smallest difficulty, where seemingly, now I will do it - he immediately, instead of "I will do it," he does do, but what he does is an appeal to the Creator. This is very important. In such a way he can save a lot, because besides an appeal to the Creator, all the efforts he will do by himself, as great as they might be, and with true devotion, it's all empty. They're not taken into consideration. The person doesn't do any of these things at all, but only to discover that every state that I'm in comes from the Creator, in order for me to turn to Him, that's it. If there is some cessation between me feeling my state and turning from it to the Creator if there is some gap, that's already the Sitra Achra, the other side, it's already something which is confused from my wisdoms, from all of my calculations that I go and I try to somehow do something by myself. However, for a person that point is very important — if I didn't scrutinize it enough, explain it enough, then tell me, and I'll come back to it — but it's also very difficult to have a hold on that point unless there is social pressure, if the whole group, the whole environment will also work, as I now said. Are there any questions? Go ahead.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (41:29) Man has to turn to the Creator in any state, on every difficulty, even the smallest that he encounters. But the states are different. Also the pleas should be different, or should you just say, oh, everything comes from the Creator, and I...

M. Laitman: The states that the Creator sends to the person are all different states, they are very simple. Look, all in all, the simple light that fills all of reality creates all of these states. The fact that these states seem to you as different, it's because the light creates a vessel that includes many discernments. Then it seems to you, with the simple pressure from that simple light towards a simple goal, all kinds of states that are good or bad, in all kinds of different manners, seemingly contradicting each other, opposite to each other, but that is incorrect. All in all, it comes from a single thought, to do good to His creations, on one intention - to push you to the source. And the fact that you interpret it in all kinds of different forms, and you truly cannot tie between them, between these pressures in these cases, it's because you haven't yet reached some click, where you will see that there is only one thing in it. So, a person shouldn't interpret these things so much. It's the opposite, if you start to get into them, and elaborate them, and how they come, and what are they doing by that - by this, you actually move away from the correct action. The correct action is to see that the Creator, who is reminding you that here from this place, what is called, "I will come to you and bless you," immediately go to Him. Don't even get into this state more than that you discover that it comes from the Creator. You have this revelation, we're done. Don't start to get deeper into it, because then you enter the substance, the matter, more. If you have the contact with Him, whether it's negative or positive, it doesn't matter which one, it's already enough, you know, to attribute this state to Him, and by that you're done with it. It's possible a person thinks that this is where, you know, if you start cooking it more already, or making up all kinds of things from your finger that are really useless, the next state that will come will be deeper anyway. And then from it also, the moment you make that click and you attribute it to the Creator and you ask Him for unity also from that state, which is already on a deeper degree, this means that you can delve into the states only according to how He shines to you, and He gives you the new state. But it's not that you by yourself, "now I'm going to go deeper in, inside, into the left line, and there I will..." — this simply means that you will disconnect from the correct contact with the Creator. This is already a shell that says, no, you have to eat yourself up. You need to really enter into the substance and see how bad you are.” And how come I need this bad — only, you know, to turn to Him. I have an opportunity to do it right now - we're done. I don't need to start to make out of this bad such a bubble where this bad can only bury me beneath it, right? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (45:46) So what does it mean to make the right scrutiny? 

M. Laitman: To do the right scrutiny is to see that this state was given to me by the Creator, and this upper force wants me to return to Him, that I will attribute it to Him, at least like that, that I will attribute it to Him. If you can continue further, in order for me to be in unity with Him, so that I will understand the reasons, the reasons for it. Why is He doing it to me? For what purpose is He doing it to me? Through the adhesion, right?

Student: If you reach the state that's somehow good, so should you do something in that state, or is it enough to just see it?

M. Laitman: We're not talking about the state right now, whether it's bad or good. We're talking about a state in which a person discovers the reason. There is nothing more natural for a person, in truth, than reaching the reason for each and every state. There are many jokes about children asking mom or dad, “where did I come from, where do I come from?” So we think that they're asking about how did you make me, or how do you make children? No, of course a child doesn't have such a thing in his head. This is truly a very deep and natural question in a person, “where do I come from?” This is actually a question about the root, about the Creator. It's a question of why does humanity always want to know what happened in some period of time, a million years ago, or a few million years ago? What did the ancient Egyptians know, or these Greeks, or all kinds? We are looking for the source. We think that from that we will know why we exist. From where did this whole thing start? Where, apparently, there's also the answer of what for, and what will happen at the end? It's the same with children, truly. Who, besides a child, asks, why? And this is the most natural question, searching for the root. This is why science, why this wisdom, is the closest wisdom or science to the inner nature, truly, to our substance. And the fact that a person, if he finds that point of the Creator, who arranged for him the state, that He arranges it for him every moment, and he immediately attributes it to the Creator, he ties Him to the reason and also to the end. What is it for? We're done. He already took advantage. He used that state. He's done with it. He corrected it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (49:20) What is a state that you are talking about? I'm eating soup right now, and ten minutes from now I will eat meat. These are two states, or these states are changes in my relations with the Creator?

M. Laitman: I'm not talking about a state where my body is now sitting, and later it is lying down. I'm talking about a state where I feel myself good or bad. It doesn't matter from what, it really doesn't matter. What do I care from what? I care not about the reason. I care not about feeling good or bad. I care about the reason for which I feel good or bad, meaning what is the reason, who arranged this feeling for me. This is called the reason, the cause. The reason, or the cause, means a purposeful cause.

Student: You said that this process is also something we have to do in the group. How do we do it, ascribing each and every state to the Creator? How do we do it seemingly together?

M. Laitman: We need a group for several reasons — it's actually one reason, but because we're still not in revelation, then the matter of the group spreads across seemingly several types of relationship toward me. For the time being, in the beginning, I feel the group as those who remind me about the work of the Creator. I look at them, I go back within the lines, to the correct gear, and so on and so forth. Without them I'm getting lost, I'm losing my bearings — that's in the beginning. Later a person begins to see the group as a part of his soul, truly in such a form where each and every one of the people in the world, each one has a part from my soul, and I must be connected with him, eventually. I don't know how, but somehow. They explain to us, according to the pyramid, that I have to be connected with them. However, there are those with whom I need to be connected on the level of inanimate, others on the level of vegetative, animate, speaking — with each and every one on a different measure, possibly. But ultimately there need to be a few next to me, that we will work together as one vessel, me and them, like organs of a single body — hands, or feet, or head, or stomach, I don't know — that's how we need to work. We see that bodies that are beneficial are connected in this way. And a person cannot do it by himself. meaning, he can somehow reach, over thousands of years, reach a state where he's unable to do it, and one who runs away from this is hopeless.

Student: I still didn't understand, what are two states? Someone slaps me and because of that I feel bad, or someone told me a joke and I'm happy because of it — these are two states?

M. Laitman: I don't get it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (54:06) What are two states? You said that from each and every state I have to relate to the Creator, or attribute to the Creator. 

M. Laitman: My inner state, the way I feel my reality in the world, that state I have to relate to the root from which this state comes down, on the clothes and all kinds of garments. I don't care about the garments, rather through the garments I have to find the connection with the  One who arranged all of this for me, the initiator of this state. So however things cascaded down from Him to me through all the worlds and all the bodies in this world, all the circumstances - all those things I will also relate to Him. And I will not ascribe them to all kinds of forces that are not His. I don't know, you are in a certain state, so you are asking somehow. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (55:29) If a person sees that he can do something, is it a sign that he didn't scrutinize things deeply yet?

M. Laitman: No, a person who thinks that he can now do something means that he didn't do a deep scrutiny, meaning he didn't go a little deeper. Let's say, right now in our country, our state, that's what everyone can see. We are in a dangerous state, total despair, no one has any solutions. Everyone thinks, we don't know what to do, maybe to leave this place and go back to exile, perhaps. But where to go? We have all kinds of thoughts, and what goes on in each person's head is something that I can feel. I think everyone can feel it. Now if you go a little deeper, you will see a totally different picture. What do we need to understand? We need to understand that the state we're in today, we don't belong to this land. We don't belong to it; our place is in exile. We were brought here so we would ascend spiritually to be like the land of Israel, otherwise we're not able to be here. Our place is not here; the land just expels us. Who arranges all this for us? For what? Maybe we should look for a different place — Uganda, Madagascar, you know, Birobidzhan — we'll look for some place. He says no, this is your place, except in a state where we will be Israel. If you will not be Israel, then your place is worse than all the nations of the world. Galgalta ve Eynaim must perform their role relative to all the AHP. If they don't do their role like all the AHP, then we are done, then the AHP controls them. If you go a little further down, deeper from the state to the causes, you can see what it's about, and what you can do. You can see that there's nowhere to run to, simply nowhere. There's only one solution - spiritual ascent. You can simply see it. It's the difference between a superficial perception and a purposeful, causal perception. It's very simple, it will continue until we will get down to this degree, until we see the right reason, the right cause. And you see, history also doesn't teach us anything, meaning a person does not learn from the previous states, unless he related them to the Creator as well, right? Sixty years ago, there was a holocaust. The most modern people, strongest, wisest people - the Germans, they were the biggest, the most advanced, most developed, right? Look what they came to. Why? Because they developed more than everyone, so they saw that the Jews are indeed the reason for all the suffering in the world. They felt it subconsciously, because the general law and reality is doing it, it's showing this to them. Now the whole world is rising to that degree like the Germans back then, the whole world, and they all feel it.

M. Laitman: (01:00:02) You see, even the President of France, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, everybody speaks freely, as Baal HaSulam writes. All the nations of the world feel that Israel is something foreign in reality, has no place to exist. It's very true, because Galgalta ve Eynaim is in the AHP in order to correct them. If not for the sake of correction, there's no need for this nation. You need to go down to the lower level, the cause, and then you'll see solutions, you'll see everything. But if you remain on the level of reality, like that, superficially, you don't see any solution, because you don't know where it comes from. I gave you this example on purpose, this global picture, to allow you the freedom for each and every one of you to see his state. So that's what we need to do in each and every state, to go down into it a tiny bit more. But only a tiny bit, where you find the Creator that arranges the situation. The moment you find the Creator that arranges the situation, you must turn to Him. You must make a connection with Him. Then you're done with the state. You corrected it, you arranged it, you corrected it. And if you go even deeper after finding Him, it's as if you take the work on yourself; this is unnecessary work, because you only need your connection, the connection from your state to the cause, which is Him.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:02:06) When a person begins to scrutinize, he seeks to ask, indeed, who sends it to me? Is there also a reason to ask the question of what for? Because the answer to it is each time a decision, each time it's a stronger demand. Each time He demands from me, and you to renew the connection, to look for His greatness, to unite, to attribute that state to Him. 

M. Laitman: The Creator will always give you the states that He needs, meaning according to the root of your soul. He will reveal the records, will reveal the states that He needs, or more correctly, that you need in order to discover the connection with Him from those states. And now, that we should choose those states and go and pick in those states, and look for something, and from there we'll find somehow a connection that sticks to Him, we adhere to Him, it's not recommended. You only need to grasp Him in each and every state as the reason, as the cause, that's it.

Student: So, this attempt for scrutiny, we should understand it as running away from the desire to unite with Him, meaning this is the boundary of the error: once I see that I should not search there to find some conclusions, that's where the deviation is? 

M. Laitman: It's like what we discussed before I went away; the minute I began to look for the connection with the Creator in each and every state, it could be me or the world, or what we discuss now about every person's feelings relative to the nation, to our general situation with the Arab population. The minute I begin to do it, then I try, yes, no, yes, no, it begins to be renewed and to throw me from state to state. It's like what we discussed, from that state of fear and anxiety that comes to a person, the way he begins to connect it with the Creator and seize in that point of connection with the Creator, and again the Creator disappears, and again he's afraid of this big bad bear that is on the street right again, and again the Creator is revealed, and again He conceals Himself. Whether a person finds the connection with Him or doesn't, it's the same thing always — to find the cause. Meaning to go from seeing things with your eyes to a more internal form of seeing. 

Student: But the reason is always the same reason, right? There's nothing new here. It's only that the states change each time, 

M. Laitman: The states, the clothing in the matter constantly changes. But the reason for these things, the cause is always the same. The reason is the lack of revelation of Godliness in your matter, in your desire. So wherever the Creator wants to be revealed…man is like a big box, right? And this box is divided into thousands of little squares, and in each square, there are many degrees of revelation of the Creator. So, He wants you to reveal Him somewhere, so He creates a certain state, and once you revealed Him, you're done. This state is corrected; now the next state, until in the end you finished the complete portion. From all those states that He gave you, you somehow revealed the connection with Him. Now, all those states in and of themselves, they arrange for you a greater passion, understanding, experience. You are going from the state of double concealment to the regular concealment.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:06:20) The question is, what does it mean to discover Him? It's still…

M. Laitman: To reveal Him means to reveal the reason for my state. This is called our state, this means to reveal Him, 

Student: To remember that He's the cause, or…

M. Laitman: You cannot remember that He is the cause. A person, according to his preparation and the group around him can come to a state where the moment he feels reality somehow, doesn't matter how it's perceived in his senses, he immediately feels the root, the cause, the root cause for this reality. They learn to think and be afraid of, how, all I did against this one, and the judge here, the judge wants to throw me in prison, and he wants to beat me up, and this guy's getting mad at me, and something else. He immediately needs to see the reason for the problem.

Student: How to keep myself from falling to the state of below reason, seemingly, as people on the outside say, everything comes from above? And I know everything comes from above.

M. Laitman: "Everything comes from above" doesn't free you from the problem, from the work. "Everything comes from above" is; everything comes from above- I have to treat it as the reason, the root cause that is coming from Him. But later, He demands from me some inner work and outer work, that's it. The way I relate to these enemies, my inner haters as mine, so should I relate to them externally. Understand? We shouldn't kill them in externality unless we kill them in internality. It has to be complete compatibility. If you would arrange it internally, you will see what will be- what will happen externally. It's this. There's no benefit from you know, you can see it, it's useless so there's no solution, so we discover it slowly. I recently spoke to such high-ranking people, and they are helpless. So, what can you do? A person who doesn't go down to the level of the root cause simply does nothing with his life. He remains a beast, and aside from feeling all the torment and suffering, he's doing nothing. You get it? He may live, or he may be killed; it doesn't matter. The person begins from this point where he connects what's happening to him with the Creator, but he does it in a purposeful manner, and this is our work. From this, you later reveal the necessity for the revelation of Godliness, but that's a lower degree. You don't want Him to be revealed to you as an evildoer, and then you connect with Him. 

Student: That's what I'm emphasizing.

M. Laitman: Rather, a certain demand forms in a person where he wishes to feel the Creator as the good reason for things, not the bad reason for things, not because he feels bad but because he doesn't want to treat the upper force in this way, doesn't want to relate to it in this way. But we begin from this thing. Practically, this is before us.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:10:44) What happens if you fall down from the reason? So, you can't recognize if a state is positive or negative.

M. Laitman: If you can't identify if it's a positive or negative state? You don't need to identify. There is no negative or positive state here. It's simply, in my feelings. I feel positive or negative in my senses, but it's completely not correct. Each and every state is simply meant in order to awaken me to search for a more internal state. Now, why does a negative state come and not a positive, or positive and not negative? This, in truth, a person cannot distinguish. He can't discern this. Because we are in the beginning of the path, and when the more negative state arrives to us, we seek for why is it bad for me, why is it good for me. We only ask this because we're in the desire to receive, we're in this. And if you were to ask, it's because he's already afraid. You know, the experience in life evokes a person to think that you just can't do it any other way. And he has to pay for it, so he's afraid- meaning, to awaken a person only from bad. Can you awaken him from a bad feeling- you can awaken a person. And then you awaken him from a good feeling, that's already the Klipa, the shell. He's given all the good besides that, and that's more difficult; that's ready for advanced people. You should ask what is the meaning of our lives, from all the good there is? Besides the Creator, I have everything. I don't want anything. It's a curse from the other side. It's like the serpent. There's food everywhere, but there's no taste. Well, we need to learn.

Student: What about irregular religious people, and the way they relate to the Creator? What in their connection makes them as if... I hear that they're even causing more damage than secular people, that they have like a distorted connection with the Creator.

M. Laitman: Baal HaSulam writes at the end of the Introduction to the Book of Zohar, the fact that we are like the nation of Israel — the nation of Israel is not- also the Germans said it correctly, that it altogether is not a nation that belongs to this world. That's it. It does not belong to this world. It's not a nationality. It's not a nation, or a group, or... it's something that is irrational. Because, and it's written also in the Torah- the Creator went to all the nations, gave them the Torah He wanted, and they didn't receive. They didn't receive. It's a sin. Through the people of Israel, I will do this. He gave it to us, sent us to them, to exile — the four exiles — for us to intermingle with them. And then we correct ourselves from reaching such exiles and descending all the way to the degree of the nations. Now we need to correct ourselves such that Galgalta ve Eynaim will be corrected, and then to raise the AHP also to the degree of Galgalta ve Eynaim. So, what are you asking about that? 

Student: They're regular religious people.

M. Laitman: (01:15:09) So, Baal HaSulam says there at the end of the Introduction of the Book of Zohar, he says that actually all of the nation of Israel is to blame in that they're not yet serving their role as it should. They're not implementing it. Rather, there are those who are more to blame, and those who are to blame less. He says that those who study Torah and engage in it externally and not internally actually cause the main harm in this whole system; both of the nation of Israel and also in the entire world. That's it.

Student: What do you mean external?

M. Laitman: External Torah, meaning that they don't engage in the correction of the intention in order to bestow. That's what it is altogether. Meaning, a person performs external actions, and he doesn't do the internal actions. He doesn't work with his desire. He works externally. How to perform external actions? To distinguish from that, external actions are in all religions, in all kinds of methods. I'm saying to distinguish, or to differentiate, because what happens is there's an adaptation between the external actions and Kedusha. All the commandments that people there do, there is a relation with that and Kedusha. But nevertheless, these are external actions that don't perform correction to the world. That's why he writes it like that. That if they were to add to it also the internal correction- of the correction of the desire, from creating an evil nation, of creating the Torah as a spice, and to use the Torah correctly, and not externally but rather internally. Then by that they would be correcting the... Well, first of all, they would have made from all those Jews a nation of Israel. It's not a nation. A nation is considered a group that is connected toward the Creator — Yisrael, Yashar Kel, direct to the Creator. And accordingly, we would be rewarded with settling on the place that is meant for us. Because from above, the forces that come down to this land, if they're not suitable to our state that we're in now, today we're worse than all the nations, according to our behavior. So we need to be amongst them in states that they suppress us, depress us. And here, we truly feel bad, not because of the Arabs. The Arabs are kind of like the external factor through which we feel bad. But we feel bad. And this geographic place does not fit us at the moment. We're not corrected according to the way we need to be in this place. And there's no choice, but rather to correct. It can't be done another way in order to make corrections here. That is- also as a nation we cannot exist, live, organize ourselves as a nation not in this place, not in another place altogether — if we don't correct ourselves. This concept of Galgalta ve Eynaim can be as a unit only in the correction of the intention in order to bestow. AHP can be any state, corrected, corrupted. Galgalta ve Eynaim cannot be corrupted that way. It's not realistic, such a thing.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:19:51) When I search for the cause, let's say I see an article in the newspaper, the news, whatever happens around me from day to day, and I'm searching for a reason. So, because of my knowledge, or my understanding, I'll interpret the reasons incorrectly. Does it matter, or will my experience determine?

M. Laitman: When I hear the news or see all the things that are happening every day, and I'm reminded that the Creator arranged these things, and for what, and so on, and they come to me — and all kinds of thoughts and calculations that He does, and I understand what He's doing — there's nothing to be afraid of in that. 

I'm just saying that it's much deeper than Him doing this. We don't need to go deeper than that or to dig into that, because it'll just bring you to all kinds of calculations of what you're doing with your intellect. And we need to connect all these things to Him, so that later we will obligate Him to be revealed. And in His revelation, we will truly see what's happening with all these so-called disasters that He's sending us. 

Student: So, what's important is the search and not the understanding. 

M. Laitman: We can't attain the understanding anywhere yet, but the understanding of the state we can attain in a higher degree than the state itself, from where the forces descend which establish this state, and the place where this control over the state comes from. Whereas if you want to understand what's happening with you now, you need to rise at least plus one from the state that you're in, and from there, you'll know what's happening with you. Otherwise, from the state that you're in right now, it's impossible. Meaning, from that state to understand the same state is impossible. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:21:57) With all the internal and external mess, how can you do the work in happiness? Meaning, not, you know…

M. Laitman: How is it possible to perform the work in joy with all this horrible state that we have on the outside and what we have within? Joy is a consequence of revelation of Godliness. From Him going and showing us Himself in such a clear manner, it's a sign that He's giving us a possibility to correct this. So, there should be joy. Again, if you don't attribute this state to Him, then you're not happy, because there's nothing to rejoice about. But the moment you ascribe this state to Him, then you have the possibility to be happy, or to trust that, thank God, someone's caring for me, and probably just like that, I'm resting a little bit. So, I kind of spread a little oil on my wounds, and I feel a little bit better that way. It's a little easier. But it's worthwhile that the Creator exists, and thank God. Meaning, this is false joy, where you actually sweetened your desire to receive, and didn't do a thing with this. Another joy is, you're happy from the fact that through these things — although it's through these things — you can discover the connection and correction. I'll tell you the matter here. We're in a state that is either external or internal, which descends upon us from above. It doesn't come down from above. From above, there's a simple upper light illuminating into my vessel. My vessel has a word, psoriasis? It’s like ulcers or pains, holes, meaning my desirous activity has such ulcers, such pus, such things, that the simple light that illuminates upon these things makes within these things — although it's the bestowal of the upper light - but these things come from then me seeing these ulcers of mine only in an external way and not internally. You know, these Arabs, and this disaster that there is, the disease, and injustice, and all kinds of things. I see the upper light operating upon my soul and how it shows me simply how I'm completely rotten, you understand? So, you can relate it to the Creator, but actually you need to see that it's in you. Well, we'll go a little too... 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:25:53) What is it, "if not for me, who is for me?"

M. Laitman: On Shabbat. We need to learn some. I don't have much power right now, I don't know if I'll be able to hold on, I didn't sleep from yesterday. My airplane arrived 40 minutes before the lesson.