Part 3:

Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)/Articles - The Last Generation

1. Rav intro: Baal HaSulam is actually the first Kabbalist who writes to us about the state of affairs of our generation and the last generation. In that he's very unique because he really wants to know what's going on with us and where are we headed, where are we developing towards. The force of development is pushing us from behind and where it is pushing us we don't exactly know. If we look from one day to the next, we might seem to ourselves as if we're doomed. Therefore we have to understand what's going on in the system that we're in, What does it say there? What does he write?

Reading Building The Future Society (02:22) - The Writings of the Last Generation

2. S. (12:30) The wisdom of Kabbalah that engages in revealing godliness what can it offer Humanity in man that is entirely only interested in filling his will to receive?

R. That he will never receive that but from generation to the next it is going to get worse and if he wants things to be better, for now and for the next generations, then he has to think about how to correct the generation. What can you do? The wisdom of Kabbalah does not offer you instantly to fulfill your will to receive. Rather, it explains to you that if you replace your will to receive in order to bestow, then you can have all the goodness in the world.

S. So for now, how can I give advice to organize society in courtrooms and education? What is the connection between Kabbalah and all of this?

R. This work tells you that if you correct yourself then your relationship with the global system of the world and then you feel that you are in a corrected and good system.

S. There is an expression in our world in the systems of life?

R. There will be, of course there will be. Even in our world, we will have a good life.

S. And what is the order of correction first to organize things according to what we understand and according to our mind and the books of the Kabbalists or first correct ourselves in the mind to make the right orders?
R. We first have to correct ourselves and gradually to the extent that we correct, we feel. And by that, we enter a better world and increasingly better and better gradually.

S. So still when he writes this now, that we read about how the courtroom has to be and how to divide things correctly. We can't do that before we correct ourselves?

R. Correct, but from that, we should see that the plan is ahead of us.

S. What does it mean to see the plan?The plan is that we have to correct ourselves first?
R. Yes.

S. Supposedly it just confuses me that I read that this is how to do it even though in my brain I know how to do it and I might try and organize my life according to the advice of the kabbalists before I correct it myself?

R. It's not going to work for you. You will feel that you can't.

S. Is there a mutuality between the two? In parallel, to organize myself in society? Or first focus and correct myself and then focus on organizing society?
R. From myself to society.

S. Before that try not to order?
R. How will you organize society if you yourself are broken?

3. S. (16:17) Baal HaSulam writes at the end here that he is sure that if he blows a horn the shofar so all of the people that are ready come to correct ourselves. Who are those people?

R. Probably those who can already see and feel and be in the corrected system more or less.

4. S. (16:56) What does it mean that the incomplete comes out of the complete? What does it mean that the incomplete extends gradually from the complete?

R. Because to begin with, we discover a world that is incomplete and so, we receive all kinds of insights and prompts to see what it's supposed to be and we approach it and gradually, we build the complete world.

S. Why does the complete feel like the opposite? It's like the complete comes from the incomplete right?

R. Yes.

S. But that means the incomplete comes from the complete. The article says that the imperfect and incomplete comes from perfection. I thought it was the other way around. Perhaps I will read the quote, “ since from perfection comes the imperfection and there is no absence in the spiritual.”

R. The Creator created from the complete imperfect world and we are at its center the incomplete in it and we have to correct ourselves and through ourselves correct the entire world to its complete form.

5. S. (19:28) He blew the horn for all of those who are hungry. So who are those that are hungry? Hungry for what?

R. For life, a normal good life. To a life where they will be satisfied and happy from the upper Force dwelling upon them.

S. Everyone needs to feel that they're hungry?

R. Everyone needs to not feel, not good.

6. S. (20:20) It says that the wisdom of Kabbalah is how the world descended from its lofty place to its lowly place. Can we explain what that means?

R. It's the way the world has expanded in the sefirot and the Partzuf to the world of Ein Sof.

7. S. (20:48 ) How important is it to get the new generation accustomed to the Kabbalah text?

R. I think that we will see that we have nothing in our hands, no advice that can explain where we exist, why we are suffering, how to come out of the suffering, and what form to come to. We do not have all of these things except for the wisdom of Kabbalah who can supply us this knowledge.

S. Did these people need to engage in the writing themselves or do we need to make them accessible?

R. No, they don't need to, whoever is drawn to the actual studies doesn't need it. They just need to yearn as much as they understand  that they're good future realizes the wisdom of Kabbalah in their life.

8. S. (21:55) If the state of the world is in today, it's clear that the world needs the light of the Creator more than ever. How can we include humanity in the common prayer so we can bring them to correction as quickly as possible?

R. In a mutual prayer that is not a problem and we have to truly truly draw all of humanity to the general correction so that it will come gradually and not only upon us but also with the Creator from above. Let's hope it will happen. The plan of creation still has to be clear to us and it has to be accepted by everyone who can understand it and gradually until it spreads to everybody. Okay?

9. S. (22:54) He writes here that the book is in the closet, when did he write the writings of the last generation? What book is he talking about?

R. He's speaking about the book of the Zohar with the ladder and the ten Sefirot…

10. S. (23:28) I have many questions but I will ask this one. Many years ago people joined us . What are the writings of the last generation, when was it written and so forth?

R. The writings of the last generation, I think we wrote it in some newspaper didn't we? It is the writings of Baal HaSulam that he wrote for our generation, the last generation, because he saw we are truly in the darkness. That is why we at least dealt with it back then and we printed about a million newspapers and we talked about it a lot. Baal Hasulam was very concerned about our generation knowing they are the last generation and he writes about it that's why we say we are in it. And that we must behave in that way and draw all of humanity after us.

S. What was his name that he gave it? The last generation?

R. Yes.

S. I understand he didn't want to publish it. I understand he wrote it himself?

R. I don't know that for sure, I get confused.

S. Are there other manuscripts that we have not published that are in the archive?
R. In my archive I have some but I don't think it's what we're lacking. They don't add so much, it's actually more the same.

11. S. ( 25:34) What does it mean to realize or implement the wisdom of Kabbalah in practice?

R. To implement it and to realize it means that from ourselves we built the society that from the last generation is writing about that has to rise and in it Implement all of the laws and relationships that are suitable for the last generation. And then the upper light can bestow upon us from above.

S. When Baal HaSulam saw that from his position and wrote the writings of the last generation, what did he expect? What did he expect to happen and humanity?

R. What did he expect? He expected that Humanity will come to a state to know the laws of the last generation because these laws already have to be closed in this generation and practice.

S. We learned that time basically has come. Why do I feel like everyone is coming and searching for it?

R. We are the first of this line entering that degree called the last generation.

12. S. (27:10) What is our goal with respect to the war?

R. Which war?

S. War in general, what is happening, what is in the world, hatred?

R. We want to bring Humanity to a state that everyone incorporates in the general force of love which is called the creator.

S. Our work is a bit different. Is there a difference between our work and the public's work?

R. Correct.

S. Our work in respect to war well it's clear that war in the world comes from me.The correction is in my attitude towards war? Or that I went to eliminate war?
R. I want to stop all wars that will be between people and that everyone will understand except for that only in the heartfelt connection between us, is where the correct system is that  connects us correctly and there is an end to all wars.

S. Hate and love have to exist simultaneously, or first comes hate and then we bring love?

R. We can't discover anything but only from its opposite form. That's why I first we have to discover how great the force of hatred is between us and from it, we gradually will reach the force of love.

S. Hate plus love equals whole?
R. Yes.

S. First there is hate and then there is love? Or do we have to work with both of them once?

R. We have to work in both simultaneously. First, have connection, gradually, in a gradual way, bestowing in order to bestow then receiving in order to bestow and in this way we will rise to a higher degree.

S. How do you translate it to the public?
R. The public? We can translate it when we explain that in only this way that we will feel good. Otherwise there is no other way and we will enter a state of a total war.

S. It's like we are kids, thank you.

13. S. (30:45) In reality since Baal HaSulam wrote this it seems like humanity is more prosperous, there is more welfare, abundance, and food. People are healthier and longer. So it seems like things are getting better since Baal Hasulam wrote this?

R. Okay?

S. Where is humanity headed with people still aspiring to corporeality? There is nothing that moves people towards love and so forth.

R. I don't know what to tell you. Along with us becoming more serving complex systems along with that, we are suffering more. None of us ,you can say that they are really enjoying the calmness of life. 

S. That's true but it seems like the world continues as it is?

R. Even if it still is, we need to from each generation to the next as much as we are in a descent.

S. There has to happen something very extreme to really shake and shock everyone?
R. Everyone is saying it.

S. Because on the other hand, when there's challenges in the world like Global warming, disasters, we're talking about how we want to think about the well-being of people. But what is that better well-being that we're asking for people?

R. We can’t ask for better for people because we don't care that it will be better for them. I only care about myself and only me, that is why all of those words,  we will make anything good from that. The next generation will be much worse for them.  even with games and TVs and phones and all kinds of more and more things but all in all, man will be more frustrated.

S. We are lacking some faith that it will happen in this generation and not the next?
R. If we develop more, we will feel all of our flaws now. That's it. But there is no choice, we will have to correct ourselves, we will need to correct ourselves in a way that in nature will be connected and unified.

S. Sometimes I have thoughts like come on sometimes the Creator do something for Humanity and on the other hand?

R. He is doing everything and everything is according to the plan of creation. There are steps before us that we have to go through. If we are ready to move through them then he will move us through them and if we are not ready we stand in one place and wherever we're working right now and even fall backwards.

S. What is our part in hastening time?
R. If you want to advance in a good way, meaning if we understand in our mind and go to a better connection in our hearts and in our mutual help and so on so we understand better where our place is.

14. S. (35:21) He writes calling on the chosen ones to study Kabbalah so he means not everyone has to study, Only the chosen ones?

R. First of all those who only have a tendency for it want to know the meaning of life and so on.

S. Ultimately everyone?

R. I guess we'll reach a state that the whole generation will learn about it, most of them.

15. S. (36:00) We know that there is also the phenomenon of loneliness in the world and it is becoming the number one illness. Does that give it direction, this phenomenon?

R. I don't think that it's such a horrible phenomenon. It pushes a person to change something. People won't be able to suffer this loneliness. It doesn't matter where you are, where you live, it can be in a big city, and a village. It doesn't matter. People won't be able to suffer the feeling of loneliness and that is true that it will be a blow.

16. S. (37:01) He writes that therefore the animal doesn't develop and it stays in the same level that it was created so is he talking about Humanity on the level of development? What is he talking about?

R. Yes, on humanity not about beast.

S. If we're talking about the solution before he writes the solution is to look at the past in order to correct the future, what mechanism is he referring to?

R. He works on it that we all have to connect and see salvation in our connection.

S. What is the past? How do we relate to these words?

S. Also he writes here to study the past history in order to correct the future history?
R.Yes.

S. We use that in our work too, we talk about the work of the future of creation and what we need to do to reach the final goal? That is our method?

R. Yes.

S. Not many people are using this mechanism and we say we had this and we say we had that and before and now we want to do something today based on that.We don't need to use that mechanism?
R. We are not speaking in a way you are presenting because we really don't deal with history but we are dealing with human development, that's it.

S. Also when he talks about the mind, what mind is he talking about that we don't have a way to see the past and therefore correct the future?

R. The general great mind that man can see inside him and all the stages of human development that we don't have for now.

17. S. (39:19) I heard that I cannot correct the public until I myself corrected it so it turns out that we're stopping the correction?

R. Yes, of course, we are stopping correction if each one will think how we can advance, he will see that he can help others and in this way we will all advance.

18. S. (39:56) We see that humanity doesn't learn from history, Wars happen, mistakes happen.

R. correct.

S. Can we even learn anything from history?

R. No we don't have to learn anything from history we need to learn from what the Kabalists write to us.

S. But what does the Kabbalist write about the future of the past?

R. How history goes from past to future and how we can aid ourselves.

S. The Kabbalists learn from this?

R. Yes, they learn about forces that draw him towards the future.

18. S. (40:54) He writes in the end that there are chosen ones that will sentence themselves to the world on the side of merit. Do they go into this world?

R. I don't know if it can happen an hour times but for sure they will all influence the world either through the upper system or through the corporeal system.

S. Because before that, he writes that from studying the upper system we can also arrange the conducts of this world. What is the connection between those who study to correct to shift themselves for the world to the scare of merits of this world. How does it coincide?

R. I suppose it does, we have to try to adapt ourselves to the higher system and how through that upper system we can correct ourselves.

S. But it will also manifest in those studying to correct themselves and shifting the world to the scale of merit? They will be able to take it down to the conduct of this world? Or will it ome from some other place?

R. I don't understand what you mean.

S. He writes that the chosen ones who are written in the books shifted themselves to the scale of merit. I understand that it's a spiritual work and it's not of this world?
R. It's spiritual work for a few people.

S. How can they arrange the context of this world or it's not them?

R. No, that's through spirituality and the spiritual world not that themselves.

19. S. (42:54) Does the end of correction also include between spiritual traditions around the world?

R. No, I don't think so. It could be that a bit for sure we will feel a connection between everybody and as much as all of those methods are pushing people to develop towards the interconnection but not that they will all connect and complete each other. No, because there are such things that aren't even built according to spirituality.

20. S. (43:55) Is Kabbalah the only way towards the Creator and the purpose of creation?

R. I think it's the only one because it works according to one principle of love between everybody. And it doesn't have any other principles to it but only that.

S. To continue then what is the advantage of hastening time in due time?

R. The advantage of..  is that we ourselves attain the end of corrections and not through sufferings. That is why we are drawn to the Creator and want to connect to him.

21. S. (44:48) We understand that the dream of Baal HaSulam is a new society. Can this be achieved without eliminating what existed before? Without a total change?

R. To the extent that we accept the law of love for your friend as yourself, we built a new society, a new system and we all connect together.

22. S. (45:25) I heard that we need to correct and connect with others because we ourselves are broken. But is our correction happening through us teaching others?

R. With our studies, yes, the others there's also something in that. But the main thing is that and the connection between us.

S. The thirsty friends in the desert are all those who didn't come to the wisdom of kabbalah?

R. Yes.

23. S. (46:10) When we work in the Ten, is it okay to include all of humanity in our common prayer?

R. For sure we need to.

24. S. (46:20) How should we relate to historical events?

R. All of history develops according to our nature and as we come closer to the Creator that is why we have to see in it only stages of development and as much as people can discover these stages of development, and move towards them, to advance in them.

25. S. (47:31) We have learned that with regards to the development of Kabbalah in the '50s of the previous century, when will there be a new stage of attitude towards the wisdom of Kabbalah about 30 years old as a group so what is the stage in our life in the last generation?

R. I don't know. I'm doing what I'm supposed to do if you ask me what I would do on my own, on my own, I would go, I don't know, I'd go to the desert or something somewhere. But I have no choice, I have to keep doing this and that's why everyday I wake up and force myself to come again to the lesson and keep doing it. I also thought that we  would come to this quicker already a few years ago but I'm not the one writing history. What can I do? That's why we keep going and the Creator will do what's right in his eyes.

26. S. (49:16) Our feeling, we study what he writes here for decades and the feeling that we have from this morning is like everything that he wrote than decades ago is taking place now. And so he writes here that the people don't have the mirror to see how to correct themselves and develop as a human. He wrote this as kind of a prophecy and he also prophesies what happened in the Holocaust and the theory is that what he wrote everything gradually is happening, so how can we correct it if we're moving towards the calamity of the entire world how can we correct it?

R. We are advancing towards the point where it's not going to be a disaster but the entire correction of the world, that's what I understand.

27.S. (50:28) Baal HSulam says that he is not one of the finest human beings but we should advise the state of bringing the world to the state of merit. How can we become one of the finest human beings to achieve this goal?

R. The answer is simple, the answer is simple madam. Only through connection between us. Only. We don't need anything else, just to connect between us.

28. S. (51:22) How can I overcome the weakness that I feel in my relation to all of humanity? I don't feel love towards humanity. How can I overcome this weakness?

R. Think more how we all belong to one soul. That's why we have no other choice, we have to be together.

29. S. (51:33) I heard before that until we are corrected, we cannot correct the public, the world. So what is exactly our role and obligation towards the broad public at the moment?

R. To advertise the future, to correct the future that is standing before us. And the more and more to teach how we can reach it quickly and correctly in a good way.

S. This dissemination is not correct in the world, how would you call it then?

R. Is part of the correction of the world and what we can do.

S. How can we check ourselves that we are truly doing our role in a maximum way and in the most effective way?

R. I don't know what to tell you, simply we have to keep disseminating and the connection between us and to show the whole world as much as dissemination and connection is actually that is the steps that can take us out of here and into the heavens.

S. Do you see that we are doing the maximum in that respect?
R. No, of course not, but it's possible.

30. S. (54:04) We saw yesterday in the lesson how we broke the walls and expanded the hall to convene all the representatives of humanity which are our friends in the upcoming congress. How the coming Congress affects us to bring us closer to that state that Baal Hasulam describes as a good state for humanity?

R. How many people can we have in here after we renovate?

S. Yesterday I heard that they were talking about 2,000 people. 2,000 people comfortably in terms of being in the lesson in the meal and the air condition.

R. What was it until now?

S. 1300.

R. So it's 700 more? That's great, let's expect it to happen.

31. S. (55:15) About what you said that we haven't reached the state you expected, if there are friends who have advanced a lot in the work in the Ten and maybe cross the barrier if it is so, how can they help us?

R. Everyday we have to expect it to come and take place that connection between us to such an extent that the Creator will be revealed in it to all created beings. It's not our calculation, it's not our feeling, whether it's incorrect, correct, it completely doesn't belong to us and we have to yearn for it. And I understand that it can happen, it happens from day to day more and more we understand more and more and we feel more and more and we aim ourselves more and more and in this way it will happen. It will happen. I'm sure that the Creator will in our generation prepare a nice surprise for us. I am hoping for that.

32. S. (57:17) Yesterday the friend sent an excerpt from the noon lesson about opening the hearts and that we really have just one last blow left to agree with the opening and the heart towards the friends and that it all connects, how do we do that?

R. What is written there friend?

S. It's words that you said yesterday that each and every person and it's heart ard to the degree to connect and it's heart to what comes out of the friend's hearts that all of these prayers will come from the heart and rise directly to the Creator together and then the Creator won't be able to refuse and won't be able to wait and immediately respond. I very much expect this to happen, very much.

R. I said that? Wow, I'm a poet. Yep, I'm really expecting it to happen. It will happen, it will happen soon.

33. S. (58:54) How do we open our hearts to each other? How do we open the friend's heart?

R. I think that if each one of us will open his heart it will obligate the others to open their heart we won't and none of us will be able to remain with a close heart it will not depend on him. If a friend will come with a truly open heart, by this, he will open my heart. We are before the opening of our general heart and I have no doubt that we won't have to wait for more generations but in our generation it will happen.

S. The topic of the Congress is 'opening the heart' and we want to open the hearts.

R. You already got the invitations?

S. Meaning? People are already coming and registered. I think over a hundred friends have already registered to come to the Congress but it's going to grow of course for sure.

R. Okay, we just have to remind them not to wait until the last moment. Can we also receive them for the meals and all the lessons? All of our activities to all of our connections to sleep here?

S. Everything,we provide hospitality and that includes sleeping arrangements, everything.

R. When will you send me the plan?

S. It is in the works now, We will send it to you and to everyone.

R. In this plan also our friend from overseas are getting it?

S. Yes, of course in all languages.