Morning Lesson June 25, 2022, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 2:
Baal HaSulam. The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose
Reading (00:15) “The essence of religion and its purpose. In this article…”
1. R. (03:11) Yes, do we have anything to add or to ask here please?
2. S. (03:24) What nevertheless does Baal HaSulam mean when he says religion?
R. This is what he wants to discover because all in all we have some connection with the source of our lives, the place of our existence, clear, the system or the upper force or the system that governs us, manages us. Our relation from a person or with humanity in general, to the upper force that manages us, without asking our opinion, meaning it doesn't matter what we do, or we don't do but it manages us, so our relationship with it is called religion. That we can or cannot influence it, that we can or cannot understand it, and study, research, how he relates to us, because our whole life depends on it, so the relationship between a person and the upper force, this is called religion. It is a unilateral, one-sided, or bilateral two-sided relationship all this we need to scrutinize to find out, are we under the Providence of nature of the force, call it what you want but there's something about us that resources that we are in some place that influences so what can we do with these forces. Do we relate to them as nature? How do you relate to them as an upper force that has Intelligence, feelings, intentions, purpose? He talks a lot about it in this article and this is what he wants to explain to us here as well. For us it is important because this is not philosophy that we can study and in the meantime we can just live and to the extent that we study and solve this question and approach knowing them it influences our lives, it changes our life, our way of life. How we look at human society, at all of nature, of the upper force and our destiny, our own quality basically determines everything and therefore the questions are very important.
3. S. (06:58) It says here that in our generations we reach conclusions that are completely incorrect with respect to religion, so was there a different time in which there were right conclusions with respect to religion?
R. No, humanity is constantly looking how to relate to these questions of religion, that is one, two we see through history humanity has been developing from the still, vegetative, animate and speaking, The speaking part is the one that changes the most and therefore its relation to itself also changes along according to its environment. Here is the question, where can we go, can we accelerate time to develop for one or more millennia, will our relation to ourselves and nature change, maybe we can look thorough the perspective of the future now, and see how we can look differently at ourselves and the upper nature. It is very interesting what is happening, are we apprehended confined by natural forces and see what we are for the time being and two thousand years we will see it differently. It will change the essence of life, not like we think now, it is unclear what is happening in the connection between man and his environment. With himself, all this brings us to connection and to questions concerning the upper force. The connection, the level of connection, the system of connection, between a person and the upper force which establishes and mages everything above our intellect and minds without asking our opinion. Up until today it has been manipulating humanity in a way that humanity is already only a result like the still, it is under his governance, his control So it is time, Kabbalists say, we can enter this system and scrutinize and know what is our place and to what extent we can influence it as well. The questions that awaken on top of the animal level tell us we have room to scrutinize something above us, the human level the one that is similar to the Creator, so let’s see.
4. S. (11:29) In the last paragraph, Baal HaSulam draws a conclusion, discusses questions, and presents a conclusion that the next generation escapes through our fingers, what is he talking about?
R. The thing is that if previously humanity had been run by its attitude to the upper force and to tie itself to the upper force. Using different philosophies, theories, systems, seemingly, of course it is all false but nevertheless, lately humanity does not even consider its connection with the upper force. Even though they were false, so it left any kind of connection, on the one hand it is good as it is free from different perceptions, from some ideas and that's why they wisdom of Kabbalah is scrutinizing and respects this actually. On the other hand, it gives humanity an opportunity to take some steps in such directions where they don't know what to do themselves, you see what it's going on now. Let's advance in our corporeal development, more cars, more planes, more computers, on the other hand let's go to war, who is going to control whom? It is like little children in the playground and that's what we have, and we see how humanity is getting more and more into those things they generate for themselves of kind of games, all kinds of precious and valuable things, seemingly that's how he passes. In the meantime the blows only goal, only increases and the people are becoming wise, more complex but each generation it's becoming more limited. You can feel that all of us today are like handicapped.
S. I'd like to continue the question, in the last paragraph he says that the next generation is escaping through our hands. What is he talking about?
R. Not that he is talking about Kabbalists but in general if before there were some systems of religion and belief systems then now these systems do not exist, although he seemingly laments it, but he is not really sorry for it, he sees the future as an opportunity for a new development.
5. S. (16:04) We receive from the environment different impressions; how can we detach from these impressions?
R. Where is that from?
S. From the environment.
R. We don’t need to distance ourselves from the environment but rather to see constantly where we are, where’s the environment and how the environment is carried away in different directions, in different forms. Then we see how humanity needs to accept new discernments, new observations, that’s it. Now we are in a state where ahead of us is a problem of food shortage, come winter we will have problems with heating. Meaning the upper force wants to obligate us to get to know that all the bad things can be solved through the connection between us. There's no shortage in the world of fuel, of food for eating, the world is full of abundance. But in the relationships between us we kill and burn and give ourselves problems to such an extent that the world in the near future, the whole world, not merely the place where war is being waged, people will feel problems and a decrease in the quality of life, and everyone will feel it, men, women, children. Why? It is a result of the fact that the world cannot reach a state of calm, that will become clear to everyone, this is the only reason. It’s not like there are developed countries in the world that have a good life and there are countries that are starving, no. We will come to a state where the whole world will feel these states in a mutual way. The starving countries will not let the developed countries continue to live calmly, and all of these things will come together and connect. We will see it soon.
6. S. (19:41) What is better to start of the study with, from the top of the society or youth because I read in your book several times that we should reach the level of the people, and that is very difficult to Keter in terms of knowledge of the Kabbalah. What or how are we going to disseminate to the world in the right words?
R. You need to learn about it slowly, join our people who know how to disseminate and then you will learn it.
S. Yes, we are working on a project where we don't say the word Kabbalah. So is it better to start with younger people?
R. Mister we are not discussing this right now. Why are you bringing these things here? Do you want to stand out like all those colors behind you on the wall? What do you attain by that? I don't understand. It says the words of sages are heard calmly, and you don't just push it, no. We don’t do it like this, just slowly, gently.
7. S. (21:29) He writes in a very sharp sentence he says this is where the problem lies, for this rash conjecture brought with it all the recklessness and wild conclusions. Is this acceptable, and to whom is he directing it? It’s very sharp.
R. He is writing from his perspective and the others are not accepting it from their perspective. That is the schism that exists for now between the wisdom of Kabbalah and the rest of the people. Until they will come to know that it’s not some philosophical idea that someone is pulling from under their hair but rather he is writing it because he knows the depth of nature, and this is how nature is organized. The galaxies, the whole cosmos is rotating according to a special law, and you cannot do anything about this law. This law that makes the whole universe revolve is called the Creator, BoReh, and He has a certain process, a program, and everything works accordingly. He is trying to teach you what this law is called, this law whereby we must bring closer every detail in reality to one another.
S. Can we say that Bnei Baruch is basically the only group in the world disseminating the words of Baal HaSulam?
R. In the world? Yes. I heard that there are a few more who disseminate it by printing books in English and other languages. There is such a thing, but you understand that this is not enough.
8. S. (23:38) Following what you said about what the world is facing, famine and suffering, will religions help as psychological support? Or maybe it will be easier for us to disseminate Kabbalah and the writings of Baal HaSulam and then we’ll have more demand?
R. First of all it’s not me, it’s Baal HaSulam and other Kabbalists writing about the future that will be much bleaker compared to today with respect to all the problems and troubles. The other thing is will people escape to religion? It’s possible that they are looking for a certain niche in all those methods, a hiding place, a place of salvation in all the problems that are coming to them. But what will happen, I don’t know. If I have any thoughts about it I cannot say anything right now, we’ll wait. I can’t say anything more than that. Certain things are taking place below the ground, and I don't wish to awaken them.
9. S. (25:36) I wanted to clarify, what does he mean that at 12 or 13 years of age our children will already understand the laws of nature?
R. Of course not.
Reading (25:54) “The Absolute Good…”
10. S. (30:38) He says that the Creator is the absolute good. Is this an axiom that I'm supposed to accept?
R. Yes, the absolute good. In all the actions in all times in everything you want to say. If you don't feel it, it’s a sign that you don't understand His actions because you don't feel them correctly. You are in heaven, in the Garden of Eden or you can use other words. You are completely immersed in good, and if you feel something slightly different than this it’s a sign that you are not reading reality correctly. You are imagining Heaven differently, the complete reality, the Creator, yourself, you have incorrect discernments. But from the beginning and throughout everything you are only in the good state.
S.I don't want to speak in the name of everyone but a person who comes to study the wisdom of Kabbalah typically it is from within the question of what is the point of my life. He looks for something and if he felt good he wouldn't come to search for it.
R. What are we telling him? We can open your eyes and you will see. As your eyes open and it is not like when you are opening your eyes now mechanically, rather you are opening up your senses, your feelings. Together with that you are opening your mind. This new feeling this new mind in which you now discover that you are already in heaven, the Garden of Eden. That's it.
S. I’m saying usually I’m envious of people who feel this way.
R. Those who feel it it's not that they are mentally unstable or crazy. Rather we are talking about a method that corrects the senses of a person. Then he begins to feel that according to the corruption of his senses when he felt himself in hell, gradually he is correcting his senses and he sees that he's truly in heaven. The reality where he feels heaven and previously he felt hell, this is the true reality that he is in. Everything depends on his perception and the correction of his vessel. Therefore the entire wisdom is called the wisdom of Kabbalah, of reception, how to receive, perceive the complete reality of the Creator.
11. S. (34:14) There is such a feeling that this article is very irrelevant for today and in our hands there is some precious tool, means that we are not sure what to do with it. That there is some work here that is above my present state. What can we do with those means?
R. Only to try to gradually correct our senses according to how Kabbalists recommend in order to feel that we are in heaven. For that you are given a group, a teacher, books, the entire system of connection between us, so you will be able to be efficiently, effectively, and quickly correct yourselves and feel that you are in heaven instead of hell, that’s it. Everything depends only on the qualification of your senses and of course along the way to those corrections you will feel different changes, sometimes unpleasant changes. But it is in order for you to discern the states, distinguish between heaven and hell. Then you will begin to notice that all those things depend only on one discernment. It is written in psalms ”even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear any harm because you are with me.” If you are walking with a Creator you are not afraid of anything, you cannot see anything bad. Everything depends on to what extent you reveal the Creator in your perception of reality. The connection with the group and through the group with the Creator covers everything, you do not need anything besides that. If we could right now connect ourselves, tie ourselves correctly to the ten, each one to his ten and through the ten to the Creator that exists in the ten we would feel ourselves to some extent in heaven. Heaven or the Garden of Eden is the degree of the upper Bina to which we need to reach the light of Keter.
12. S. (37:55) There is a problem here in how to perceive the path. There are many people who tell me they already see the Creator as good and perfect, and they say in Psalms it says this and that. I don’t know what they are studying, I study Kabbalah. But some people feel themselves whole and they’re already in heaven and everything’s good, the Creator’s good. Why can’t it be like that, like with other people?
R. Because he is only on the right line, you can’t even say right because there’s no right without left, but that’s how he is. He’s in a state where everything is good, he’s on a trip. These things are typical of religion, not the wisdom of Kabbalah, and that’s the difference between the wisdom of Kabbalah and religion. That’s why religion attracts all kind of people to it because as it is written “it's the opiate for the masses.” It helps a person hide from all their troubles and problems, close their eyes like little kids as if it’s not there. That's our work in Katnut, in smallness. We don’t want to see anything; we just want to stay out of trouble. This is too big for me, it’s hard for me, I can’t do it, I don't have the mind for it, I just want to be small. Because he who grows his knowledge and wisdom he grows his troubles, problems. There are oppositions, contradictions, things you have to open up and balance and correct. If a person diminishes he lives like in our world. It is enough what I’ve got and that's it. That's the known method, the most ancient method. But we have reached a state where nature won’t let us stay in such things but rather it’s pushing us into the last step in our development where we have to be interdependent, all the nations in the world, all of us connected with one another. We’ll need to account for the relationships between everyone around the planet.
S. So this opium is no longer going to work for people?
R. No, we see how it's left only in a false manner, it’s not the same religion as it is used to be. People are turning to religion trying to shut themselves in this, to find some modicum of calmness. But it’s only by restricting their mind, limiting their mind and their feeling. It’s like a sedative.
S. How can I as a Kabbalah student guard myself and my ten not to get carried away with feelings of confidence and safety?
R. It’s true the connection with the ten, there's nothing you can do.
S. It’s very attractive because…?
R. There are those who are more attracted to it more and there are those who are not. Typically people come to us without a religious background. We also don't give much respect to religious symbols, so people won’t confuse it and ascribe it to the wisdom of Kabbalah. So you’ll see that with everything that Kabbalists write they don’t mention, they barely mention religion at all, and if they do we need to learn why they are using this language but it's only the language.
13. S. (43:06) He says in the beginning of the article about the attainment of the Creator we block people from an early age. What is the difference between blocking or opening people up for attainment? Where is the line, where is the line drawn?
R. That is the external attitude. How they activate him.
S. Even this article, it looks like you can study it this way or that way.
R. I don’t see it in this way. He’s explaining to us that the Creator is the absolute good and we need to try and get to know Him, and getting to know this absolute good, our future depends on that. There is not much to do here.
S. I'm asking why there’s a kind of study that opens the deficiency and a study that closes it.
R. It's possible, maybe.
14. S. (44:24) My question is how can we avoid using Kabbalah as an opium to calm ourselves as other religions? I see we have this danger to use it to calm ourselves and not to go.
R. No, the wisdom of Kabbalah you can engage in it your entire life and keep going but it won't put you to sleep. It will show you your true state and either you have attained it, or you haven’t. In each and every moment in each and every degree you feel whether or not you are there, you're asleep or you are awake and you're moving forward. These are the discernments the wisdom of Kabbalah has given you. It doesn't give you calmness. You can fall asleep but it's never going to tell you that that is the corrected state. Whereas in religion it’s different. You come to a religious group, you incorporate in it, you do all the actions with the group, and you feel yourself whole, complete. That is what it is called opium for the masses.
15. S. (46:10) Will the wisdom of Kabbalah be able to clean itself from the image of religion in the future?
R. I hope that yes, although there are many other circles that connect the wisdom of Kabbalah with religion. But anyone who begins to study sees that we are talking about a system here, the physics the mechanics, the upper physics, and mechanics and how a person regardless of his gender or nationality can belong to it. We're all in contact with the upper force and that’s it. Just like Abraham assembled his group and called it Israel from all the different small nations that lived in ancient Babylon, we also need to see that we have to bring this wisdom of Kabbalah from this group, which is us to all of humanity.
S. One who studies the wisdom of Kabbalah sees that physics and that beauty but people from outside, the world, they relate it to religion. The question is at what stage will it start getting cleaned? It’s like this religious shell over it. When will it be peeled and only the scientific method will remain?
R. I hope that soon we will be able to show to ourselves, to the people of Israel, to the whole world that this has nothing to do with religion. That it’s enough for us to be in a certain agreement and that bowing down before a religion is not necessary anymore. Although today it’s difficult. You can bring many problems to our organization because we know the power of the religious establishment, but we are following our own path. So although we call ourselves “Kabbalah Lam”, Kabbalah for all, and it’s skewing us toward the religious part but the more we advance the more we will see ourselves that it’s not belonging at all to the religious establishment, and if we want to be similar to them in any way it won’t help us at all. We see that there are circles that study the wisdom of Kabbalah and together with that they want to demonstrate that they are part of religion. This is not the religion of the wisdom of Kabbalah, it is a different religion.
16. S. (49:28) When will the people of Israel leave the customs?
R. It depends on the customs. This is the problem, there is still a great deal of confusion. All customs of the nation of Israel, most of the customs they are signs, symbols. We call them religious, but their root is not religious it is rather spiritual.
S. Yes, but the question is when we accepted those customs since the destruction of the temple, when will we start coming back to the root and leave the externality and only carry it out internally?
R. We don't belong to it that much. I was with Rabash about 13 years, the last 13 years of his life and we would go to all kinds of places. We never visited the Western Wall, the Wailing Wall because for him that wall did not exist. The religious concept and what it means to people of Israel, the Western Wall is such a great symbol, it’s a holy symbol. They kiss it, they pray before it, they put inscriptions in it but for him he did not respect that at all, he did not value it at all.
S. Not us, Bnei Baruch, but the people of Israel, the more we delve into internality, the external customs will stop among the people?
R. I think they will assume more internal characteristics. Not that we are against it, God forbid. We are working among ourselves, and we respect the internality of the Torah and not the externality of it, and that really determines our entire agenda, our attitude to everything. We respect the forces that work inside the matter and not the matter itself. If you put ten prayer shawls on you and other kinds of signs and symbols nothing will happen. It works only for people who are drawn to externality, but it does not affect one’s internality whatsoever.
17. S. (52:33) Why does the will to receive have to be nourished by the suffering of others? Why can’t you receive without harming others?
R. We are one system. I don't know exactly what you're referring to but in this one system we all depend on one another. Ultimately I will see that I can’t keep anything, not in order to receive, not in order to bestow or in any way unless I understand the way I’m connected to everyone else. This is why we are discovering now in our world through various providers of oil, gas, water, sources of food, we discover how much we are interconnected and depend on one another. This feeling of the mutual connection around the planet, this is what we have to attain now, how much we depend on everyone.
18. S. (53:43) Humanity began to free itself towards new systems of connection, that's we heard you say. What is the meaning of this? Humanity began to free itself towards new systems of connection between us. What does that mean?
R. I don't know, I don't remember what I was talking about. Of course we're going from the previous connections to the new connections, and we need to discover how connected we are around the planet. That is what Baal HaSulam is writing that humanity will come to a state, he writes about it, like in the last generation and we need to feel it, all of us. More or less the whole world is going to feel how it is all one system and depends on everyone. From that we will learn that there is no choice but to care for everyone.
19. S. (55:01) What gives the person a power to justify the upper one even when he doesn't receive any illumination?
R. I think fear or the support of the environment.
20. S. (55:36) Did the wisdom of Kabbalah allow religions to rise so that the recognition of evil can unfold?
R. The wisdom of Kabbalah was understood as a religion according to the nature of people. That is why they decide on this nature according to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other religions around the planet because it wasn't possible to immediately come and cloth it on each tribe, each nation. But gradually these religions were taken care of, and they served as a transition, and now it is time for everyone to get cancelled from their previous state. It’s a gradual process. It's not we who are doing it but the upper force bringing humanity to such a development that it will feel that it is under the influence of one system, the system of nature. We call it the wisdom of Kabbalah, it doesn't matter, but it’s a system of nature. That’s what has to be revealed, necessarily so.
21. S. (57:09) Religious people carry out external actions and they feel good about it. How will we not become some new sophisticated religion where friends say I go to lessons, I do dissemination, I’m maybe even a manager in dissemination. What promises us that we won't become like a sophisticated kind of religion?
R. Of course this is happening, and it will happen, and it's all depending on the ten a person is in since it constantly raises the importance of spiritual discernments above various corporeal discernments. I'm a manager, I'm a secretary, something else. Of course it is important for a person to somehow keep himself from going through difficult instances, that he sees, he feels that he has something, but together with that we have to gradually come to a state where when a person checks himself, he will see that the only thing that can take him to the next world is good deeds.