Afternoon Lesson September 19, 2023 Transcription

Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio

Part 1: “On Merits of Silence” - Selected Excerpts from the Sources

1. Rav Intro: (00:24) I would start from the first one, and this way go through. Truly these things are very deep and even though it seems to us that this is very easy, if a person goes deep into this action of silence then he understands how much these things are deep and important. Okay.

Reading Excerpt 1. (00:52) Makor Mayim Chaim “About The Baal Shem Tov” – Twice

2. R.(01:23) That means a person needs to try to be more in silence than speaking and to try and find in silence deeper things without the content as compared to speaking.

3 S. (01:40) What does it mean to think of his greatness, and to bond oneself with him?

R. That's instead of speaking, to constantly be in thoughts about the greatness of the Creator and about how much he wants to come closer to him, and to feel him, as if he's truly in a connection with him, the Creator. Therefore the silence is very nice. And not just to be silent, but it means to give the Creator the greatness of the Creator all the desires, all the thoughts, and yearning of the person.

Reading Excerpt 2. (02:43) “Masechet Avot, 1:17”

4. R. (03:04) Yes, because in a state where a person yearns to be in silence, then he has a place in his heart and in his thoughts to, for the Creator to come closer to him, to think about him, and to give room inside the person to reveal the Creator.

5. S. (03:30) Why, why if he yearns to be in silence this place that is cleared up in him is filled with the greatness of the Creator?

R. Because he's not feeling himself with what he has in him, but he expects the Creator to fill all the empty spaces that are in him, in the heart, and the soul, and this way he will come into a bond, a connection with the Creator. The silence is not just a silence, it's an action in which a person is giving room for the Creator to be revealed.

6. S. (04:15) When we speak about silence, we're talking about not speaking, this is the meaning of silence? Yes?

R. Well let's say yes.

S. What to do about the heart: the heart doesn't keep silent, it keeps on talking.

R. No, the silence means that a person is silencing himself instead of speaking, instead of discussing, he wants to be, he wants to be an internal silence because he expects the Creator to be revealed in him and to speak out of his heart.

S. So what does it mean to be in an internal silence?

R. That I do not want to feel the hollow spaces in me, in my heart, and mind, however I want the Creator to be revealed.

S. How do you control the internal, the signs of the heart, the internal science?

R. I am expecting the Creator to be revealed constantly and to talk to me internally in a way that I will feel him, we'll hear him. That he's speaking from inside of me in such a manner we come closer to each other. All in all, what is the silence for? I do not want to feel the empty space in my heart, and in my mind, with my personal things. However, I want the Creator to be filing them and revealing them.

S. What determines what the empty spaces in the heart and the mind will be filled?

R. The Creator. The Creator fills them and he will give me fulfillment for all my desires, and my thoughts, and that I will completely be filled with the Creator.

S. How do you control that specifically these spaces would not be filled with myself, but with the Creator?

R. I expect the Creator to fulfill them, to fill them I want to discover these empty spaces in mind and heart and I yearn to reveal the Creator in them.

S. So these are all expectations?

R. Yes, expectations.

7. S. (07:27) How on the one hand we keep the external silence which is goal-oriented and internally we cry out to the Creator?

R. It is the same thing, when I expect the Creator to be revealed it's a cry out, and when I do it out of my internal efforts then this is silence. I expect the Creator to be revealed in me, and I’ll be in connection with him, that he will explain to me what else I need to do in order for him to be revealed and me more.

S. I hear that I want the Creator to fill me, so what does it matter to him whether I speak or that I'm silent?

R. I do not fill my brain with what I think needs to be answered, to be said. I am simply trying to reveal an empty space within me where the Creator will come in and fill it.

8. S. (08:52) I'm trying to understand Rav, what's being said in the lesson, and also yesterday, in regards to that internal voice within a person that only he hears. Sometimes it feels as if we are speaking and sometimes as if we hear it. For example, in the morning lesson, it's almost as if I don't speak internally, I only hear. So do you relate the silence to when I'm listening inside me, that I await to hear something in me?

R. Yes, silence is when I open spaces inside me and expect the Creator to be revealed there.

9. S. (09:51) In what do we exactly experience the silence? Is there a special vessel to experience this silence?

R. Yes, it's a deficiency that I want to feel the Creator, that he will speak in me, and he will feel my desires, and my longing, and my expectations.

S. And what do I feel, let's say, in the will to receive, is there silence there too?

R. Yes, I expect that the Creator will start to be revealed in me.

10. S. (10:52) My heart is not in my hands, but in the hands of the Creator, how can I ask to correct my heart in silence?

R. I want to clear out my heart that the Creator will be revealed in it, and then I will feel him, that he feels me, and in such a way he is coming closer to me.

11. S. (11:36) What does it mean that I am silencing all of my thoughts, my desires, my yearnings instead of speaking to the Creator?

R. I don't want my desire and my thoughts that they will fill my heart and my mind. I want the Creator to fill them.

S. What does it mean that the Creator fills them? Let's say for example that there's something that concerns me.

R. The fact that you have some sort of concern that’s something that fills you up, it's not an empty space. An empty space is where you want the Creator to be revealed and fill in all the spaces in the mind and heart, and by that, you want to feel the Creator; that he feels you. I would say in different words even bloating and inflating you.

S. That means the same concerns that I have now I need to transition them to concerns for the Creator?

R. You need to feel the Creator as filling you.

12. S. (13:10) Then how do I clear up that space if my concerns are filling me? How can I clear the space and start being concerned more about the Creator?

R. Try to come closer to the Creator in such a way that you want to feel him and that he is in you. He is filling you and that is the most important thing for you, to feel how he is filling you, fulfilling you.

13. S. (13:52) We have something which is called workshops. And in the workshops, we speak we don't keep silent, and we speak, and we speak. When we want to give a chance, an answer that surrounds the entire universe, how to relate to that in relation to silence and speaking?

R. To the extent that we speak less and give room for the Creator to speak out of our brains, our minds, and hearts then we will succeed more in our internal development.

14. S. (14:48) Is silence sort of annulment?

R. In a way, yes, it's related. The main thing for silence is that I want to hear the Creator. Not just to keep silent, I want to hear him. That he will speak out of my heart and mind, and this is something that advances a person very much to his purpose, because then I begin to understand the purpose of creation; how the Creator is revealed and advancing me.

15. S. (15:48) Is it related to impregnation?

R. No, no no I don't want to relate that now.

16. S. (16:01) When you're inside yourself there's a thought that's noise, but there is also that you can feel there's something behind it, behind every thought. How to truly reveal, or how to truly ask for revelation in that place behind the thought?

R. Together with the thought we need to express our internal desire to come closer to the Creator. And then it works, then it works on you.

17. S. (17:09) Is the thing, the matter, that we're in Bnei Baruch is that a sign that the Creator is fulfilling us, filling us?

R. Yes, but we want more. We want more.

18. S. (17:39) With your permission is silence the broadening of the restriction of the will to receive, by that we restrict the speaking in the mind and the heart as much it depends on us?

R. You said it nicely. Silence is how much we are given the opportunity for the Creator to be revealed.

19. S. (18:17) Inside we have constant and internal conversations, in order to get to an internal silence do we need to stop ourselves, or what do we need to do?

R. You need to come closer to one another and build a desire and need that in it the Creator will be revealed.

20. S. (18:57) Thank you Rav that sounds like a proper job, work what you explain to us just now, do I need to clear out a time during the day and practice internal silence?

R. It is desirable to be constantly in that. Not that I'm keeping my mouth shut, but that I want the Creator to be revealed in me, in my heart, in my mind, and this way I will feel that I am connected with him, and I am with him in a dialogue. ‘I to my beloved and my beloved to me.’

S. How do we take the reins in order to stop this wild horse in us that constantly wants to speak in me and has an opinion about everything? How do you stop it?

R. Firstly, it begins when a person sees that all of his speaking is nonsense; that there's nothing in them. There is not any real thing in them.

S. And if there's something that concerns the person, does he need to express it toward the Creator and say to him this is my concern that I have in my heart, and now you can talk or do you just clear everything from the thought?

R. Firstly, just make room for the Creator.

21. S. (20:50) When we touch the silence, the thing of the greatness of the friends is flooding, and shame of thoughts are revealed. The question is what should I focus on at that moment in order for the light of this knowledge not to scare me?

R. In that, you want to feel, you want to hear the Creator. That he's in, residing in your mind and heart, your yearning to open your internal senses that he will speak and you will hear.

22. S. (21:57) Mostly in the lessons we are silent, clothing events different events of Bnei Baruch. There are places where friends go to all sorts of places, for example going out for a smoke. Is there room when we do that, is there room for silence? In general, the Kabbalists, when they met in their everyday life, were they mostly in silence or did they speak about mundane things? How do we solve it?

R. Better to be silent, better to be silent. Because each one is thinking about how to connect with the friends, how to connect with the Creator, how does he expect the Creator will be revealed in the connection between him and the friends, and in such a way each and everyone is coming in further into the connection.

S. If I can make it clearer, do you think that we are ready for that? The ones that used to do meals in Rabash style and now we don't do it anymore. Do you think that we could do it so that now we can go out and just have a smoke?

R. This is very important, this is very important.

23. S. (23:43) Out of what you've answered the friend, how does the silence, the empty space that I'm trying to reveal in me for the Creator, coincide with me wanting to feel the friends in my heart? How does that work out?

R. That needs to be together. Together, the combination with the friends and the combination with the Creator needs to be in you together. You need to do exercises for that.

24. S. (24:30) A person that speaks is an action, and Rav said that silence is also an action, is it true to say that a person who writes in silence is an even more exalted action?

R. Yes.

25. S. (25:01) Out of the excerpt I understand that in the place where I need to be silent, the Creator is saying something to me. Is that a sign that I came to a new degree?

R. Yes.

26. S. (25:32) How to reach a state of silence while speaking?

R. That, I don't know. Be silent.

27. S. (25:54) If I want to hear the Creator, but I'm afraid I might hear myself because our heart is egoistic, how can I hear him?

R. Be silent, be silent, and begin to aim yourself toward the Creator.

S. But is the Creator in our heart?

R. Yes.

28. S. (26:26) I understand that during silence we progress more. Silence does not lead us to greater knowledge, but leads us to a greater presence of the Creator. Is this right?

R. The silence brings us to wisdom, think about it and you will see how it works.

29. S. (27:39) Is it correct that we need to adhere silently to the one intention which is to answer to the Creator, would that be his vessel?

R. Yes, that is very correct.

30. S. (28:06) There are those who it is naturally easy for them to be silent. What is the difference between those who naturally can be silent and those who struggle with it?

R. A person needs to try constantly to talk to the Creator from the bottom of his heart. That's what we're talking about, in that he doesn't need to restrict himself. It's to constantly try and yearn to talk to the Creator from the heart, not verbally, but specifically from the heart.

31. S. (29:05) I can actually only be silent in my mind and in my thoughts if I fully trust the Creator, and simply leave everything to him. I think that silence is only possible if I trust the Creator 100%, is that so?

R. You shall start doing such actions and in such a manner and then you will see how it works.

32. S. (30:02) I take great inspiration from nature and my special time that I have when I walk silently, but I always feel that I want for myself, that I will only ever pollute the water with my own selfishness, and soil the ground, and take possession for me from everything. The only thing that I have pure is a desire, a profound desire to be together with the blessed and beloved Creator, does that sound about right to you, this approach?

R. Yes, yes, continue in such a manner and speak inside your heart, silently with the Creator.

33. S. (31:16) These thoughts, this dialect that you have constantly in your head is that a conversation with the Creator?

R. If this is how you aim yourself, then it's a conversation with the Creator, a dialogue with the Creator.

34. S. (31:45) During the silence what intention should we have?

R. Silence is that I am calming my heart and my mind in order to hear the Creator, that's what we call silence. Not simply to stop myself. However, I want to give the Creator a space in my heart and in my mind that he will fill it. Silence is called when I'm making room, making it empty space, creating an empty space for the Creator.

35. S. (32:48) As I understand, you are describing a reality where I created a world Kli, a Rav,, and communicate to silence me and this is how we need to be and that silence is inviting the Creator?

R. Yes.

36. S. (33:20) If we are talking about a state where the light is filling the Kli, then there is no need for words, so we need to ascribe to such a state we need to come?

R. Yes.

37. S. (33:55) Is it beneficial in the ten, to do once a week, for example, a meeting in silence?

R. We had such a gathering in the group where a lot of people gathered, let's say, a few dozens, 70 maybe, 80, up to 100, and Rabash would say today will be silent, and we were silent. We sat and kept quiet. It's very serious work. Of a person with himself and in such a way, the silence continues for an hour an hour and a half, it's not simple at all. You need to constantly be in internal control, and self-control upon yourself, and Rabash used to do such things, not very often, but once every couple of months.

38. S. (35:37) How to pray if you are silent?

R. Pray silently, ask silently, and say your gratitude silently.

39. S. (36:04) What is the difference between silence and prayer? The feeling is we might be disconnecting something.

R. It depends on what a person fills his mind and heart with.

40. S. (36:31) How will I calm the storm inside of me when I'm in silence?

R. Try to think that this is a very important time, and to the extent that you are closer to the Creator, it is important that you will be alongside with it, calmer.

41. S. (37:22) So there could be a state where I'm talking to a friend, I'm answering his question, and I listen, and at the same time, I'm in silence?

R. Usually, no. We cannot do many actions at the same time.

42. S. (37:49) During the silence we need to want the Creator will be revealed in us. How at that specific moment to hold on to the correct intention and not fall into pride? How to make it so it will be toward a bond with the Creator?

R. It all depends on the thought. Think about it for a long time and then you will see that it becomes easier, more and more.

43. S. (38:36) I don't always feel the greatness of the Creator, and mostly I feel as if I'm pretending in front of the friends, I don't really open my heart toward them. The question is how to make room for the Creator, truly?

R. This is the work in the heart. That is what it’s called, work in the heart. That you are making efforts to clean everything, that it will be empty, and then the desire for the Creator to come in and fill all the empty spaces in the heart. Okay.

44. S. (39:36) Silence and relaxing all the desires is like releasing myself and being open to receive what the Creators giving me. in this silence should I pray or just wait silently?

R. Pray, pray constantly, yearn for the Creator. Constantly yearn to the Creator.

45. S. (40:39) In the past years we have met daily in Zoom, in meetings. Because in these kinds of meetings, we do workshops where we need to speak, and some friends speak for a long time.

I'm asking myself, and I'm asking you what should we do if we want to continue this workshop in order to uphold what you're telling us in the last couple of lessons?

R. Try to make it versatile.

46. S. (41:37) I want to share that yesterday we did the exercise in the ten, the exercise that you gave in the ten, and it was very special also with the friends from France that we met as preparation for the convention, we were in a silent meeting with them and it was a very special, and I wanted to ask what's the difference between being silent alone compared to being silent with the friends, because with the friends it seems more powerful?

R. Correct, because when you are being silent with the friends it's already a spiritual action, it's a very special action that is activating everything that we need in order to connect to the Creator. We can say it this way: to be silent together is much stronger, much stronger than talking.

47. S. (42:57) Is thinking about the ten keeping silent? By opening a conversation with the Creator, and feel that it is filling my heart?

R. Yes. Yes, beautiful.

48. S. (43:25) Our Rav speaks a lot and invests a lot of strength to give us lessons and programs. When Rav speaks, who does he speak to?

R. That's a good question. Usually, I'm talking with my students, those that I turn to, and I'm trying to turn their attention toward the Creator.

S. And the Creator, that you want us to pay attention to, where is he? Is he between us?

R. Yes, he is between us. But we still do not feel, we do not reveal him.

49. S. (44:38) ‘Love Covers all the Crimes,’ is it the same with silence? What is the benefit of coming to the Creator silently covering everything with love?

R. We are inviting the Creator to turn his attention toward us and to speak with us.

50. S. (45:24) Yesterday you said to a friend from Turkey that in the silence I am passing on an internal message. Can it be an internal message directly to the friend, or is it through the Creator?

R. We always, not talking to a friend or anyone else, but always to the Creator.

S. Then how do I connect to the friends in the silence?

R. It doesn't matter whether you're silent or not. It is nevertheless bonding everyone.

51. S. (46:16) The exercise of silence between women could be a very difficult exercise to perform. How should we perform this exercise and how long should we do it for, as a beginning?

R. Before you come into an exercise of silence, talk between you. Talk between you, and then imagine that you are all turning together to the Creator, silently. In silence, and then you will see how much it works. Okay?

Reading Excerpt 3. (47:20) RABASH, Article No. 9, "A Hedge for Wisdom – Silence – 1” - Twice

52. R. (48:24) That means that the silence is a correction that is very deep because the Creator is coming in this action of silence and he corrects our vessels.

53. S. (48:48) You told me that silence leads to wisdom, so is one distracting me by getting closer in order to get closer to Him, is this wisdom? Is the Creator one who leads me in order to come closer to Him, is that wisdom?

R. Yes, yes, this is how Hochma, wisdom comes to a person.

54. S. (49:38) After such a lesson, I don't feel like talking at all.

R. Excellent, very well, I'm happy.

S. When do I use speech, if at all?

R. If at all, if at all. I'm telling you seriously, to the extent a person is more silent he makes more room in his heart and mind for the wisdom to come in and fill the vessels.

S. I constantly think practically how do I realize what you're saying, what so am I going to come into a workshop and be silent? At the end of the lesson I don't do any summary, I just keep silent? What do I do literally?

R. You are a wise woman, pretty as well. You lack nothing besides how to truly be more organized in the heart and mind. This is all in front of you; You have a beautiful future. Good luck.

55. S. (51:20) During the study we have a lot of questions and in essence the whole lesson we are talking about how to be silent, but how to organize this process so that we will make room for the Creator to come into our hearts and into our mind so that He can correct it?

R. To be silent, and in that silence to ask the Creator to fill your hearts. Simply, just like that, close your eyes, be silent, and ask the Creator to fill the space in the heart and the space in the brain. Try and see how much he is slowly, slowly coming closer and filling up. Okay?

56. S. (52:38) In realizing the silence in the ten we get a lot of requests to prepare together for the convention and we noticed that silence is not something practical when we work on preparations. Is silence to keep the brain or the mind silent and let the heart speak?

R. Yes, you said it nicely.

S. How to do it precisely?

R. You open the heart to the friends. Simply, open your heart to the friends.

57. S. (53:57) We made a deal, a few friends together, that we will come to the convention during Sukkot, when we meet for the convention should I pray for the rest of the friends, or one friend for the other?

R. One prays for the other so we will be together in our meeting in the convention and in such a way the Creator can be revealed in us.

S. That means we can do it silently in order to bring him contentment?

R. Yes, yes.

Reading Excerpt 4. (55:12) RABASH, Article No. 31 (1989), "What Is the Prohibition to Teach Torah to Idol-Worshipers in the Work?"

58. R. (55:46) Yes, this is a very important term. One who restrains himself during a feud because with that you want to come with calmness, and connection, on top of all the anger and feud that is revealed. Okay.

Reading Excerpt #5. (56:38) RABASH, Article No. 292, "One Who Restrains Himself in Strife" - Twice

59. S. (58:40) Correct silence is a result of some sort of prior actions, or a quality we received from the group?

R. Both.

S. That means we need to ask the Creator for this quality?

R. Yes, in general, we need to ask everything from the Creator, we have nothing of the things that we would like to have in us.

S. So if I acquire this quality of silence, then I acquire wisdom?

R. Of course. That's what it says, Hedge for wisdom, silence.

60. S. (59:42) It says here, in the fifth excerpt, that he is restraining himself in strife with his evil inclination, what does that mean?

R. Restraining himself in strife with his evil inclination, by that it means he annuls his evil inclination.

S. How, how?

R. He restrains himself. Restraining.

S. How does he restrain it, with what force, with what strength?

R. He restrains it. He doesn't want to use it.

61. S. (01:00:35) You said that we need to shut our eyes and ask the Creator to fill the cavity of the mind, the cavity of the heart. How can you do that action from the heart, only from the heart and not from the mind? How to disconnect the mind and only operate the heart?

R. If you activate the heart, then after the heart. the mind is drawn.

S. So it's not the mind first?

R. No, no, the heart is stronger. We see it in our lives.

62. S. (01:01:30) Many times there is confusion that if you haven't said anything or haven't done anything it's as if you've stolen something. How do you work around it?

R. You're better off to be silent. You're always better off to be silent. If you're talking, then only about the connection with the friends.

S. From the connection of the friends?

R. Yes, from the connection of the friends.

63. S. (01:02:27) We're ahead of us is the convention and we say that the silence is working on the heart, how can we use the general silence to correct our heart?

R. Specifically, the common heart is activated by the general silence that you want to come closer between us. By that we are opening our vessel, opening it so it will be open. That it will open so that it will open.

R. That's it, friends. We will see you tomorrow, with God's help, and continue. In the meantime, I hope that you begin to organize yourself, and how to come to us during the convention and here we will connect both in heart and in mind and all of us together. We've built new spaces, and a new hall, and we're waiting for you there. So, good luck, we are waiting here. All the best.

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