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

Daily Lesson (Morning) June 3, 2024

Part 3: Baal HaSulam. Matan Torah [The Giving of the Torah], Item 12.

Reader: Hello, we're reading from the writings of Baal HaSulam, the article Matan Torah, the Giving of the Torah. We're continuing from item 12.

Reading Item 12: (00:15)

12) These were the words of our sages (Beresheet Rabbah 44) when they asked, “Why should the Creator mind whether one slaughters at the throat or at the back of the neck? After all, the Mitzvot were given only to cleanse people.” That cleansing means the cleansing of the turbid body, which is the purpose that emerges from the observation of all the Torah and Mitzvot, for “A wild ass will be turned into man,” since when one emerges out of the bosom of creation, one is in utter filth and lowliness, meaning a multitude of self-love that is imprinted in him, and his every movement revolves solely around himself without a shred of bestowal upon others.

Thus, then one is at the farthest distance from the Root, on the other end, 1) since the root is all bestowal without a hint of reception, 2) whereas the newborn is in a state of complete self-reception without a hint of bestowal. Therefore, his situation is regarded as being at the lowest point of lowliness and filth in our human world.

The more he grows, the more he receives from his environment portions of “bestowal upon others,” depending on the values and development in that environment. And then one is initiated into observing Torah and Mitzvot for the purpose of self-love, for reward in this world and in the next world, called Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since one cannot be accustomed any other way.

As one grows, he is told how to observe Mitzvot Lishma [for Her sake], which is with an aim solely to bring contentment to his Maker. As Maimonides said (Hilchot Teshuva, Chapter 10), “Women and children should not be told of observing Torah and Mitzvot Lishma since they will not be able to bear it. But when they grow and acquire knowledge and wisdom, they are taught to work Lishma.” It is as our sages said, “From Lo Lishma, one comes to Lishma,” defined by the aim to bring contentment to one’s Maker and not for any self-love, under any circumstances.

Through the natural remedy of engagement in Torah and Mitzvot Lishma, which the Giver of the Torah knows, as our sages said (Kidushin 30b), “The Creator says, ‘I have created the evil inclination; I have created for it the Torah as a spice.’” Thus, that creature develops and marches upward in degrees of the above-said exaltedness until he loses all remnants of self-love and all the Mitzvot in his body rise, and he performs all his actions only to bestow, so even the necessity that he receives flows in the direction of bestowal, meaning so he can bestow. This is why our sages said, “The Mitzvot were given only to cleanse people.”

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (05:20) There's a sentence we heard many times. The Rambam said that the women and children, you don't tell about working Lishma, because they couldn't bear it. Only when they grow and acquire knowledge and wisdom, then they are taught to work Lishma. What exactly do they acquire, the women and children? What does it mean that they acquire wisdom and knowledge?

M. Laitman: They are qualities, understandings, that are against their nature. This is what they acquire.

Student: How do you acquire that, those qualities, those discernments that are against my mind.

M. Laitman: Those who want to enter, come into the study of what it means, Lishma, for Her sake, and acquire.

Student: Why is it called knowledge and wisdom, and I don't know, not a new desire? It sounds like they acquire knowledge, information.

M. Laitman: Perhaps but that's what it's called.

Student: That's what we're lacking in order to want to go to Lishma? We're lacking knowledge and wisdom?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: What exactly is that knowledge and wisdom that we need to gather, receive, attain?

M. Laitman: We're lacking wisdom and knowledge, understanding and knowledge.

Student: And what will bring us that?

M. Laitman: A desire that we want to have the wisdom and knowledge.

Student: That way in concealment I want knowledge and wisdom to go to Lishma, that's my prayer?

M. Laitman: Yes, we begin with such a desire, a desire that is not a desire.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:58) There's a sentence that I'm going to read: That creature goes, develops, and marches upward in the degrees of the above said exaltedness until he loses all remnants of self-love and all the Mitzvot in his body rise, and he performs all his actions only to bestow. So, what's written here is that we gradually lose self-love. We see what's happening to us or all together that it's exactly the opposite, the ego just grows. So how does this work in us?

M. Laitman: I guess they're not developing or developing incorrectly.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (09:12) How do we direct the necessity to the intention to bestow?

M. Laitman: Why is that an issue?

Student: Because throughout the day we're chasing necessities.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And we forget the purpose, the goal.

M. Laitman: And what would be the right thing to do?

Student: To direct our actions so that if I do something that's not related to the path, it would still be because I need it.

M. Laitman: Yes, you're right. That's a question.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (10:19) It says here, as they said, from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma, which is not for Her sake to for Her sake. She is defined with the intention to bring contentment to his Maker, not for any self-love, whatever happens. Is it possible to feel in Lo Lishma, in not for Her sake that we're bringing contentment to the Creator, or do we feel it only in Lishma, in for Her sake?

M. Laitman: In Lo Lishma you can't feel what you're doing for the Creator.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:06) Is it correct to ask for some of the desires that they will not exist, to be removed, altogether? There are desires of self-love that you can feel that you can rise above them, on top of them. For some desires, you just want the Creator to remove them altogether, just cut them off from yourself. Is this correct to ask for such a thing?

M. Laitman: You can ask for everything.

Student: Yes, but I'm asking if it's correct to ask this.

M. Laitman: Why not, ask, ask Him. Is it right what you're asking for, and so on, yes?

Student: There are things that are mainly against others. You want to ask that He will cut it out and burn it so it doesn't exist.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (12:14) He begins with the words of our sages, why does the Creator mind if someone slaughters at the throat or at the back of the neck? Why doesn't the Creator care?

M. Laitman: For the Creator it really doesn't matter what you do with corporeal actions. We're only talking about to resemble the Creator in our desires.

Student: Why did he give us all those actions?

M. Laitman: So through these scrutinies, we can still equalize to Him.

Student: But there are precisions on how to do each act, right?

M. Laitman: Yes, yes, of course.

Student: If there are such things, then why doesn't he care how we do it?

M. Laitman: We can't discuss it yet. We can't but it is worth trying to do what's written.

Student: What's written, as it is written, as it is dictated to a person to do on the physical level.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Although the Creator doesn't care about this actions.

M. Laitman: That's what's written.

Student: Both are written, I'm trying to understand how to work with what is written.

M. Laitman: Keep doing what you're doing now. Afterwards, we'll scrutinize it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (14:14) In this item, he describes a process where the created being is born in complete oppositeness of form, in lowliness and ignobility. And then he's given the Torah and the commandments to refine the body. Then he comes to a sentence that says that as he grows, so he receives from his environment partial measures of bestowal upon others, and this certainly depends on the development that exists in the environment. In the end, he says, so that created being develops onward and rises on the degrees of sublimity until he loses all sparks of self-love and all the commandments in his body rise and he acts only in order to bestow. In a way that even the necessity he receives also flows in the direction of bestowal. In other words, the correction is only with others. All the commandments, all the actions are in an environment where he corrects his relation to others.

M. Laitman: Yes, yes, that's what's written.

Student: So, the giving of the Torah is written for us only so that…

M. Laitman: So you will know how to relate to the others.

Student: Although we know the other side, the oppositeness, the lowliness. The correction is to rise in degrees of relation of recognizing in this annulment.

M. Laitman: Yes. Reader, what's next?

Reader: To continue, item 13.

Reading Item 13: (16:22)

13) If indeed there are two parts in the Torah: 1) Mitzvot between man and the Creator, 2) Mitzvot between man and man, both aim for the same thing—to bring the creature to the final purpose of Dvekut with Him. Furthermore, even the practical side in both of them is really one and the same, for when one performs an act Lishma, without any mixture of self-love, meaning without drawing any benefit for himself, then one does not feel any difference whether one is working to love one’s friend or to love the Creator.

This is so because it is a natural law for any being that anything outside one’s own body is regarded as unreal and empty. And any movement that a person makes to love another is performed with a reflected light and some reward that will eventually return to him and serve him for his own benefit. Thus, such an act cannot be considered “love of others” because it is judged by its end. It is like rent that pays off only in the end. However, the act of renting is not considered love of another.

But making any movement only as a result of love for others, without any spark of reflected light or hope for any kind of reward in return is completely impossible by nature. It is written in The Zohar about this with regard to the nations of the world: “Every Hesed [mercy/grace] that they do, they do for themselves.”

This means that all the good that they do, either toward their friends or toward their God, is not for their love for others but for self-love, since this matter is completely unnatural.

Therefore, only those who observe Torah and Mitzvot are capable of this since by accustoming themselves to observe Torah and the Mitzvot in order to bring contentment to their Maker, they gradually depart from the bosom of the natural creation and acquire a second nature, being the above-mentioned love of others.

This is what brought the sages of The Zohar to exclude the nations of the world from love of others, when they said, “Every Hesed that they do, they do for themselves,” for they are not involved in observing Torah and Mitzvot Lishma, and the only reason they serve their gods is for reward and salvation in this world and in the next. Thus, their worship of their gods is because of self-love, too, and they will never perform an act that is outside the boundaries of their own bodies, for which they will be able to lift themselves even as a hairsbreadth above their basic nature.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:19) I understand that he wrote this article for the general public, or at least wanted to, he wrote several such articles. On the other hand, here, in the article, he says that we don't reveal Lishma, for the little ones. So what does it mean to reveal? He openly says that there is Lishma, where a person has to work, where he doesn't get any benefit for himself, ever. So what is a revelation?

M. Laitman: What he wrote, he wrote. It's still not clear how they'll understand them, whoever reads it, that's why he wrote something for himself. But to write in a way that everyone can understand what Lishma is, and as much as it's important and serious, and except for that, we don't have anything to really want to reach. So that he doesn't really, he conceals it here and there.

Student: Can we say that there is a filter within a person because in all our books, it is also written, Lishma and the person has to work without any benefit for himself. And I guess a person, if he's small, on a degree of smallness, he doesn't detect it, and it's built that way by nature?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So we shouldn't be afraid, even though it's written. He interprets it the way he wants, so there's no fear.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:23) He writes, that when one accustoms oneself to observe Torah and Mitzvot to bring contentment to his Maker, he gradually retires and exits the bosom of the natural creation and acquires the second nature, which is the above-mentioned love of others. This is what brought the sages of the Zohar to exclude the nations of the world from love of others. As they said, every Hesed they do, they do for themselves. What I want to ask about this is in the first article, too, we saw that Yaakov, Jacob switched hands and wanted that Joseph would first remember the purpose of creation and then would work on the correction of creation. So, when we engage in love of friends in connection between us, he says, here, that if we don't do it for the purpose of, if we don't do it for the Creator, the nations of the world, to build the kind of love of friends that doesn't reach the goal.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: This mistake, where does it come from? What is the purpose we have to look for in the engagement between us so we don't become the nations of the world in the connection between us?

M. Laitman: We need to see that the whole Torah, what we got is in order to raise it in order to give contentment to the Creator, and not for our own benefit in anyway. Then we can reach a degree that we're supposed to reach, to bestow, to bestow to everyone.

Student: How do we keep this nucleus, this kernel in the Ten because there are states that friends go through in the Ten, as we wrote before, that there is a degree of women and children. So how do we guard ourselves so we don't use the Ten for our own benefit, but rather?

M. Laitman: Try as much as you understand, as much as you can. There is nothing you can do here. Give it everything you have right now.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:50) What causes an act that we do to become a mitzvah, a commandment, or a good deed?

M. Laitman: When you truly try to take all the forces of nature that belong to you and establish them in the right way, that they gather and give you a screen, coarseness, reflected light. All these things you're studying about that you can use.

Student: When he talks about Mitzvot in his body, what does it mean that a Mitzvah enters the body or that it becomes a part of the body?

M. Laitman: Guf, the body, means the internality of a person.

Student: How can we guarantee that an act is not empty, but, rather does bring the right order of actions in the mitzvah?

M. Laitman: Try and receive all these things in heart and soul in the most internal way possible.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (28:21) You said before that we have to reach a degree where we have to bestow upon everyone. Bestowing upon everyone means that through the force of connection between us we transfer upper light to everyone?

M. Laitman: We didn't talk about it, what we specifically need to do. We'll talk about it.

Student: That's what I wanted, the force of connection between us, Bnei Baruch, and the world Kli, and in the lessons, all the efforts. Is it enough to bring about the correction of the world?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: What else is missing in it?

M. Laitman: Add our desire to it and exertion.

Student: What additionally must we do for the general public, for those who are not in our circles?

M. Laitman: We need to raise ourselves to a level, a degree, that everything we want to do is to want to bestow contentment to the Creator in our actions.

Student: What other necessary operations should we or must we do for the general public, in Israel and the world, it doesn't matter?

M. Laitman: Only to advertise that the implementation of the wisdom of Kabbalah brings the world to correction, otherwise, death.

Student: This is knowledge, there were times when we saw you coming out, calling out the wisdom of Kabbalah as your solution to anti-Semitism, integral connection, many things that you did. And there were periods where you didn't operate, but on the contrary, so to understand. In periods where the Rav does not operate, should we take an example from you and not operate because now the lessons and the connection between us is enough, or on the contrary? Your stillness should move us, galvanize us into action?

M. Laitman: Yes, you need to see how to extend that same line.

Student: And the line is?

M. Laitman: The line is that the whole world will know what they need to do, and that's it, and what we need to do.

Student: The connection between us, here, is not enough to bring about the correction of the world, we also have to tell people about it.

M. Laitman: Yes, of course. Why do you think Baal HaSulam took so much trouble to write all this? That everybody can know what their good future depends on, good, I mean, to bestow to the Creator.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:25) What I understand, I don't know if it's correct, is that each one, by the nature of creation, is within himself. Even if he does all kinds of acts of grace and charity and wants to connect with others, not in order to bring contentment to the Creator, he's helping himself. He doesn't extend himself. Only if we really try to do it for this sublime goal of bringing contentment to the Creator, then we draw the light that corrects us and lifts us out of ourselves.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: Now there are several questions here. What does it mean that a person exits himself? Because everything is within his own vessel anyway, right? What does it mean that he extends himself, he comes out of himself?

M. Laitman: He tries to overcome above himself.

Student: So he erases his personality, his uniqueness, or not?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: He's willing to totally sacrifice himself, everything?

M. Laitman: Well, as much as possible.

Student: Now if there's a connection that is not for the purpose of this goal, just incorporation. There's incorporation anyway, right? When people connect, right?

M. Laitman: Well?

Student: Does that draw any correction or not?

M. Laitman: No.

Student: So, if we tell people in the world to connect but they connect for other goals, corporeal ones, each one sees some benefit in it. So it doesn't cause any correction. It doesn't draw anything.

M. Laitman: No.

Student: Is it the same in the Ten?

M. Laitman: Yes and no.

Student: In other words, there's still something. Because we're all learning from the same source. So even though the incorporation is corporeal, there is some illumination?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Reader: Are we finishing or continuing?

M. Laitman: You can keep going a bit.

Reading Item 14: (34:44)

14) Thus we can clearly see that toward those who observe Torah and Mitzvot Lishma, there is no difference between the two parts of the Torah, even on the practical side. This is because before one accomplishes it, one is compelled to feel any act of bestowal—either toward another person or toward the Creator—as emptiness beyond conception. But through great effort, one slowly rises and attains a second nature, and then one attains the final goal, which is Dvekut with Him.

Since this is so, it is reasonable to think that the part of the Torah that deals with man’s relationship with his friend is better capable of bringing one to the desired goal since the work in Mitzvot between man and God is fixed and specific, and is not demanding, and one becomes easily accustomed to it, and everything that is done out of habit is no longer useful. But the Mitzvot between man and man are changing and irregular, and demands surround him wherever he turns. Hence, their cure is much more certain and their aim is closer.

M. Laitman: (36:58) I don't have anything to add, we just have to read it a few times. That will give everyone a direction, fuel, everything they need.

Reading Item 15: (37:19)

15) Now we can understand the words of Hillel HaNasi to the proselyte, that the essence of the Torah is “Love your friend as yourself,” and the remaining six hundred and twelve Mitzvot are but an interpretation and preparation for it (see Item 2). And even the Mitzvot between man and the Creator are regarded as a preparation for that Mitzva, which is the final aim emerging from the Torah and Mitzvot, as our sages said, “The Torah and Mitzvot were given only so as to cleanse Israel” (Item 12), which is the cleansing of the body until one acquires a second nature defined as “love for others,” meaning the one Mitzva: “Love your friend as yourself,” which is the final aim of the Torah, after which one immediately obtains Dvekut with Him.

But one must not wonder why it was not defined in the words: “And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” He did this for the above reason that indeed, with respect to a person who is still within the nature of creation, there is no difference between the love of the Creator and the love of his fellow person, for anything that is from another is unreal to him.

And because that proselyte asked of Hillel HaNasi to explain to him the desired outcome of the Torah, so his goal would be near and he would not have to walk a long way, as he said, “Teach me the whole Torah while I am standing on one leg,” he defined it for him as love of his friend since its aim is nearer and is revealed faster (Item 14), since it is mistake-proof and is demanding.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (40:06) It's written here that the leg of the proselyte, one leg, is because he has a will to receive. So he told him at least don't harm others. If you have a will to receive, at least don't do harm. And love of your friend is the next phase. So is it correct that it's two stages?

M. Laitman: At least two.

Student: So, a person who has only the will to receive, how can he do harm? It's the essence of the will to receive, to harm others.

M. Laitman: So?

M. Laitman: Let him close himself, not to come in contact or near the others. That's what we see, that can somehow organize relationships between people.

Student: What can make a person not do harm, from where would you take the motivation, the fuel, the ability to do it?

M. Laitman: That's very hard, it's very hard to think how you could not harm because it's our inner inclination that pushes us to that with no stop.

Student: Not doing harm, is it something a person has to do before the barrier?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, if there is such a demand, then it turns out that it is possible.

M. Laitman: We need to yearn for it and pray to the Creator to help us be in it. These are things that even though they're very close to our feelings and it's supposedly clear to us. But actually, there's a lot of concealed depth in here. Reader, what are we doing? You have five minutes.

Reader: (42:40) So, in those five minutes, let's hear from the friend who is going to host a very special event, An Experience with Meaning for the Festival of Shavuot. It's very important for us, for our dissemination in Israel. It's a correction, because people are gathering in the spirit of Kabbalists, and the friend will share with us. Please?

M. Laitman: Where is this going to be, on TV?

Student: The event will be here, in our hall. We have a series of events called Experience with Meaning. So, this is the event we're holding this Thursday, June 6th, at 6 p.m.

Reader: (44:49) Announcements. And then will end with a song.

Song: (44:58)

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