The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Lesson (Morning), March 18, 2024.
Part 2: Baal HaSulam, Introduction From The Mouth Of A Sage, Now We Shall Come To The Scrutiny.
Reader: We're reading in The Writings of Baal HaSulam, in Hebrew, page 808. We're reading from the Introduction From The Mouth Of A Sage, starting with, Now We Shall Come To The Scrutiny. So again, reading from Baal HaSulam Introduction From The Mouth Of A Sage, starting with, Now We Shall Come To The Scrutiny.
Reading: (00:30) Now we shall come to the scrutiny, that it is known that the meaning of the souls of the children of Israel is that they are a part of God above. The soul cascaded by way of cause and consequence and descended degree by degree until it was suitable to come into this world and clothe the filthy corporeal body.
It ascends degree by degree until its stature is completed by keeping the Torah and observing its Mitzvot. Finally, it is worthy of receiving its complete reward, which has been prepared for it in advance, meaning attaining the holy Torah as the names of the Creator, which are the 613 Pekudin.
Now you can see with your mind’s eye that “The Torah and Israel are one.” The whole difference between the Torah and the soul is due to the disparity of form in the soul, which has been reduced to a very, very small light, and the Torah is simple light that expands from His essence, whose sublimity is endless, for “The Torah and the Creator are one.”
However, when the soul is complete in its full stature and receives the Torah in the form of His names, namely attains all the light deposited in the Torah and Mitzvot, you find that the light of the soul is equal to the light of the Torah, since it has already attained all the light in the Torah.
It is considered incomplete as long as there is some deficit in attaining a small and subtle part of the general light of the Torah. This is because the entire light was prepared for the souls, as I have explained above, “Everything that we do not attain, we do not define by a name.”
Since the light has been prepared for the attainment of the soul, and the soul did not attain all of it, it is therefore deemed incomplete. It is as it is written, “I shall keep the whole Torah except for one thing. Certainly, he is a complete evil.”
However, such as that you can declare in the keeping of the Torah and Mitzvot in attaining the 613 commandments. It is incomplete when lacking even one thing, great or small.
Hence, in the end—for it will finally come to complete perfection, namely attain the entire light of the Torah—there will be no disparity of form between the light of the soul and the light of Torah. Thus, you tastefully find that the Torah and Israel are literally one.
They are one because there really is no difference and disparity of form between them. Since we have already proven that “The Creator and the Torah are one,” and now we have proven that “The Torah and Israel are one,” it is therefore evident that “The Torah and the Creator and Israel are one.”
M. Laitman: Clear, so far? Clear.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (05:27) The order of the work is that first we need to make the Torah and Israel be one, and then we have to...
M. Laitman: No, no, he doesn't mention that. No.
Student: This is what he wrote in the beginning of the excerpt.
M. Laitman: That the Torah and Israel are one.
Student: That the Torah, or the light, and Israel are one, and there is no disparity of form or difference between them. Then he writes, as I understand it, after we reach that the Torah and Israel are truly one, then he sees there is no difference, no disparity of form.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Then he adds, we have already proven above that the Creator and the Torah are one, and here we prove that the Torah and Israel are one, these are two different things. Maybe I don't understand two different scrutinies?
M. Laitman: Two different scrutinies but ,afterwards, they all become equivalent in one concept, one carrier.
Student: So, first it's a scrutiny of the Torah and Israel.
M. Laitman: Yes, yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (06:51) He writes here that it's a very subtle scrutiny, it sounds also very high. How is it possible, or how should we understand it?
M. Laitman: We see it from experience, that's how it's done.
Student: What for us should it be, adhesion with the Torah and the Creator, and uniting all of these three things? Or to long for the light, all of the light? What does it mean?
M. Laitman: You yearn for one of them and for that, you have to excel in the two others.
Student: It means that we have to acquire their qualities, that there's the law of equivalence of form.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: How do we acquire the quality of the Torah or the Creator?
M. Laitman: You see, he starts with Israel. Israel, the Torah, the light, and the Creator; if you follow that order, it will always be clear to you how things work. You start with the person, with the individual, and to the extent that he is considered to be Israel, then he attains the Orayta, the light. Then, as in an instrument in his hands, the Orayta, he reaches the Creator.
Student: We say that first we have to connect between us so we can build a Kli to feel all that light and the Creator.
M. Laitman: Yes, yes.
Student: What is that Israel, here, between us?
M. Laitman: That exerts.
Student: The person who exerts?
M. Laitman: Yes, the person who is exerting.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (09:10) Why is there an emphasis on the light? How to depict the light of the Creator? Because we yearn for a connection with Him, for adhesion with Him. So, what is His light for us?
M. Laitman: It's the light that connects us between the souls and the Creator, it's called Orayta.
Student: For us it's hard to make that distinction, how to relate to the light from the Creator? There's the Creator, and when we yearn, we yearn to Him, we don't know what His light is. What's the light?
M. Laitman: The bestowal of the Creator upon people is called, the light of the Creator.
Student: How to relate to the light?
M. Laitman: As it comes from the Creator; and in it, there's the same nature of the Creator.
Student: It's like we use it for something, we get help from it?
M. Laitman: Yes, of course, it's in order to connect us. Alright, so there are no more questions, let's continue.
Reading: (10:31) From all the above you find that there are two parts in the Torah and Mitzvot. The first is Torah and Mitzvot as they appear to all, being the keeping of Mitzvot and the learning of Torah in the form of 613 Eitin. These have the power to purify and cleanse the body, and enhance the merit of the soul to be worthy and fit to receive the light of the King of life as was the soul in its root before it diminished and came to this lowly body in the lowly world. The second part is observing the Mitzvot and learning the Torah in the form of 613 Pekudin, namely the matter of attaining His names and the full reward of the souls.
The merit of the latter part over the former is as the merit of Heaven over Earth. This is because the first part is merely the preparation, and the second part is the actual completeness and the purpose of creation.
This explains our above question about the words of our sages, that even if a person excels in the Torah and good deeds more than all his contemporaries, if he has not learned the secrets of Torah and the wisdom of truth, he must reincarnate in the world.
We asked: What is the difference between this subject in the wisdom of truth and other subjects in the Torah? We found nowhere that one is compelled to engage in all the topics in the Torah. On the contrary, we have found opposition to that in many places, such as, “One does much, and another does little, as long as they aim their hearts to Heaven,” and also, “It is not the study that is of importance, but the act.”
M. Laitman: This is clear what the Midrash is telling us, yes? Next?
Reading: (13:29) Now it becomes utterly clear: The entire part of the revealed Torah is but a preparation to become worthy and merit attaining the concealed part. It is the concealed part that is the very wholeness and the purpose for which man is created.
Hence, clearly, if a part of the concealed part is missing, although one may keep the Torah and observe its Mitzvot in the revealed part, he will still have to come to this world again to receive what he should receive, namely the concealed part in the form of the 613 Pekudin. Only in this is the soul completed, as the Creator had predetermined for it.
You can therefore see the utter necessity for anyone from Israel, whomever he may be, to engage in the internality of the Torah and its secrets. Without it, the intention of creation will not be completed in man.
This is the reason that we reincarnate, generation after generation, to our current generation, which is the residue of the souls upon which the intention of creation has not been completed, as they did not attain the secrets of the Torah in past generations.
This is why it was said in The Zohar: “The secrets of Torah are destined to be revealed at the time of the Messiah.” It is clear to anyone who understands since they will be completing the intention of creation, and therefore merit the coming of the Messiah. Hence, inevitably, the secrets of the Torah will be revealed among them openly since if the correction is prevented, they will be compelled to reincarnate.
Reader: (16:23) He's speaking about the internality and externality of the Torah.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: That if a person keeps all the externality but didn't do any of the internality, he'll come back for an incarnation.
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: Does the internality cover the externality?
M. Laitman: Seemingly, yes. Yes, meaning, if a person attains the internality of the Torah, then, I don't know in what way he needs to complete his externality. It could be that, nevertheless, somewhat. Because he's in this world, in his body, yes? And sustains a life, family, children, etc., meaning, he has a certain obligation to perform corporeal actions. But in actuality, what's written is correct, it's all, it all is attributed to spirituality.
Student: So, a Kabbalist who attained the internality of the Torah, he doesn't have to go back and keep the Torah, externally?
M. Laitman: If he attained, then no, he doesn't need but actually, I don't think he can attain without observing the externality, as well.
Student: Without keeping the externality, he can't attain the internality?
M. Laitman: It depends to what extent and what measure.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (18:11) He writes that we need to elevate the soul. What's the work a person has to do to elevate a soul?
M. Laitman: What we're learning, the fact that it's written, Return, O, people of Israel, till the Creator your Lord. We're talking about the soul, not about you flying on some airport, airline, and by some other means, transportation.
Student: So, what does he attain? He attains a part of his soul, the general soul. What exactly does he attain?
M. Laitman: We'll get there and we'll see.
Student: What is that concealed part?
M. Laitman: It's concealed.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:11) I'm asking about the transition between Eitin and Pekudin: What's the condition or where do I learn how to receive abundance, and good and to overcome it in a way that I can ascribe it to the Creator because without that condition, I can never receive the light.
M. Laitman: Scrutinize it.
Student: But where do I learn to do it?
M. Laitman: I don't know?
Student: The fact that it's showing me where I suffer, I understand, I don't have a problem where to find it. How do I learn to accept good, and not in order to use myself but to use it for the benefit of the one who brought it for me or for the benefit of my friends. Where do I learn that? How do I learn that, what teaches me that?
M. Laitman: The fact that you are trying to carry out acts of bestowal amongst your friends; by that, you are performing actions by which you come closer to the Creator.
Student: I understand but I'm doing actions over suffering, I don't have abundance. So, the question is, how do I learn not to get burned from the blow? How do I learn to engage with the good?
M. Laitman: You can deal with the good when the Creator gives you the possibility to deal with the good.
Student: What's the condition that the Torah will go from Eitin to Pekudin? What is the condition a person has to stand?
M. Laitman: Exertion and prayer.
Student: Over what, what should I ask for?
M. Laitman: You need to ask for connection with all the friends, and then, to unify all the souls to the Creator.
Student: If it will be even a bit for me, so, it's only outward?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:46) Rabash teaches us about two parts called 613 Eitin and Pekudin. Advice and commands or deposits. I understand it's two parts of the spiritual work.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, Baal HaSulam writes that there are two parts in the Torah and Mitzvot. One is their revealed way to all through the 613 Eitn. Why is it revealed to all?
M. Laitman: Because everyone can see it, you're not hiding it.
Student: Everybody can see the spiritual work as Tariag Eitin?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: How is it revealed, how do you see it?
M. Laitman: What he does, he prays, studies, performs all kinds of actions.
Student: But that's spiritual work?
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: A person who performs these actions, not in our framework. He's doing Tariag Eitin, spiritual actions?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: That's what's confusing, what are they, the 613 Eitin?
M. Laitman: 613 Eitin are the 613 counsels which a person needs to perform, in a general manner, in order to belong to those people who want to come closer to the Creator.
Student: It can be expressed in all kinds of ways, I understand?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: He can engage in all kinds of things but he writes, their remedy is to purify and increase the soul, that it'll be worthy to receive the light as if the soul was at its root. So, not everybody who engages in these actions, or maybe yes, they think and feel that they are working in order to attain this state? That they're doing it as a remedy to attain it?
M. Laitman: Yes, not everyone.
Student: Also these external actions that are revealed to the eye, it has to come on an inner spiritual action?
M. Laitman: Yes, of course.
Reader: (24:33) He says that our generation are the residue of the souls. So, what's the work in our generation? It's different than all other work that were in previous generations?
M. Laitman: No, but, because we finish our development, complete our correction more correctly, that's why we're important.
Student: But we don't have anything to take more seriously or less, it's the same thing.
M. Laitman: It could be that, yes, a little.
Student: What?
M. Laitman: Because what the people of Israel did and the Kabbalists throughout the previous years, we really don't need to do, to execute, it's not on us. But there is on us additional things.
Student: What's the main thing, what's the burden in the work of this generation? What's our part in the development?
M. Laitman: That, this generation is disconnected, it's disconnected from the work, the true spiritual work, it's disconnected from and, that we can somewhat complete it or complement it.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:26) Our group, do we have to search for something to add in the Eitin or in the Pekudin?
M. Laitman: Nothing, only to observe for what comes to us, that's it.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:52) Is there anything we can do that the previous Kabbalists couldn't do?
M. Laitman: To add with our desire the corrections that maybe wouldn't be, that weren't revealed in the previous generations.
Student: What exactly?
M. Laitman: I don't know, whatever is revealed, that's what we have to work on.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:27) Can we say that our generation that came to complete the internality is completely relieved of externality or each one has to?
M. Laitman: No, we don't know precisely what yes and what not and it's hard to implement it. We're truly in the darkness and that's why we need to observe that which we need to in a fundamental way, a basic way.
Student: Each one searches what he can add but it's not one for everybody?
M. Laitman: No, no, I wouldn't say it that way because in corporeality you don't have so much of what to add, rather, somewhat, what is customary in your generation. But in spirituality, you're already going with the environment, with the group.
Student: Because it's written that 613 Eitin is revealed to everybody. So what does that mean?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: It's external action. If I eat, I have to bless on it. So is it enough that I'm with my family that isn't religious? Is it enough for me to do it inside or they have to see me blessing after I ate? Simple example, because I started doing it and they see I'm trying to bless afterwards, so if I'm not creating some kind?
M. Laitman: Don't create anything, just try to be like an average religious person in our times is. Kind of what you understand and all the rest you'll understand with time.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:22) Continuing that scrutiny. He says that the soul goes down into a lowly, dirty, corporeal body and when the 613 Eitin are performed, they can purify the body and elevate the soul. That it'll be worthy in receiving the light. What does that mean, in body and soul? Because we learned that the body is also a desire, the Guf, and also the soul has a desire. How can I understand this text? That all the actions are for increasing and elevating the soul.
M. Laitman: In order for you to understand that the filling of the soul is much more important than the Kli of the soul.
Student: The external actions are made to bring a person to understand that the true work and fulfillment is of the soul and not of the body. That's how we fix the body, what does that mean?
M. Laitman: The joining is its filling, that through the filling by the upper light, it refines him and raises him on the degrees towards the Creator.
Student: When we do a corporeal action?
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: We don't mean this flesh that we're in, or yes?
M. Laitman: No.
Student: So what do we mean, what's our intention on the actions? What body are we fixing?
M. Laitman: Our desires.
Student: Every desire that seems corporeal is actually fundamentally spiritual and we have to feel that it's all spiritual and all correcting the soul.
M. Laitman: Yes. Clear?
Reader: Should I keep reading?
M. Laitman: At some point we will have to stop.
Reader: So now let's keep going.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Reading: (31:52) Introduction to From the Mouth of a Sage.
This will explain to you what we should ask about this interpretation in general, for who am I and who are my fathers that I have been awarded making the interpretation to expand the knowledge of the hidden secrets in The Zohar and the writings of the ARI? Moreover, why have we thus far found no other to interpret this wisdom as openly as I?
Now you can see that because our generation is really the time of the Messiah and we are all standing at the threshold of the complete correction, and the only prevention is the departure from the wisdom of truth that is present in this generation to the very end, because of the difficulty of the languages and the scattered matters, for one’s view … without knowledge.
In addition to all that, there is the smallness of the mind and the many troubles abundant in our generation. Hence, when the Creator wishes to hasten the redemption of our souls, He has passed a privilege through me to disclose the measure that is in this interpretation, and the will of God succeeded in my hand.
I did have another reason that brought me to interpret this disclosure, as it is written in The Zohar: “One must learn a little bit of folly,” as it is written, “As the advantage of the light from within the darkness.” After I completed my time in the city of Warsaw in the country of Poland, confined to my chamber and having nothing to do with the darkness of my surroundings, I have been blessed with settling in the holy City of Jerusalem.
When I walked among the people, I indeed saw the poverty of my people, the poverty of their mind. Their foolish laughter was in my ears as the crackling of thorns under a pot, mocking and trampling the heart and soul of our yearnings, slandering the Creator, His law, and His people in a loud voice, that there is no wisdom, understanding or knowledge in the wisdom of Kabbalah whatsoever. Rather, it is an assortment of words and names, no sense and no moral, only literal words.
It is a privilege to chatter idle words in the written text with complete faith that they are holy words, and that by this, the purpose of creation will be completed upon us. When the number of those who engage in the literal texts with complete faith increases, the Messiah King will come at once, for by that the whole correction will be completed, and nothing more is needed.
Finally, I met with the famous ones among them. These are people who have already worn out their years delving in the writings of the ARI and The Zohar. They have so succeeded, that they have memorized all the writings of the ARI.
They have a reputation as being the holiest people in the land. I asked them if they had studied with a teacher who attained the internality of the matters. They replied, “Heavens, no! There is no internality here at all, but a literally written text, and not more than that, God forbid.”
I asked them if Rav Chaim Vital had attained the internality of the matters. They replied, “He certainly did not attain more than we attain.” I then asked them about the ARI himself. They answered, “He certainly did not know about the internality more than we do, and all that he knew he’d passed on to his disciple Rav Chaim Vital and so they came to our hands.”
I mocked them: “How then were the matters composed in the heart of the ARI without any understanding and knowledge?” They replied, “He received the composition of the matters from Elijah, and he knew the internality since he is an angel.” Here I poured my wrath on them, for my patience to be with them had ended.
When I saw that their folly had been rooted in nearly everyone who engage in this wisdom at that time, woe to the ears that so hear, “Will he even force the queen with me in the house?”
The Zohar has already mourned bitterly the denial of the sins in their souls, saying that there are no internal secrets in the Torah, as it is written in the portion VaYera, “Has the Torah come to show us fables and historic tales? Such stories and fables are found among other nations, too.” Our sages said that they uproot the plantings for they take only Malchut.
What would the authors of The Zohar say when seeing such a sinful culture of people, denying that there is any knowledge or wisdom in the words of The Zohar and the wisdom of truth themselves? They say about the very secrets of the Torah that there is no knowledge and perception revealed in this world, but merely empty words. Thus, they have come to force the Shechina [Divinity] inside the King’s palace. Woe unto them, for they have caused their souls harm.
Our sages said that the Torah mourns before the Creator: “Your sons have made me a song in public-houses.” But they do not even make of the Torah a semblance of a song, only frightening words to any listener that arise contempt and wrath.
Furthermore, they wish to be rewarded like Pinhas, saying that they do this in complete faith. The writing says about them: “Forasmuch as this people draws near, with its mouth and with its lips they honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me,” and this is the reason for the ruin of the First Temple.
The devil still dances among us precisely at the time of the Messiah, the time of the end of the secrets of the Torah. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts came as a fire that will not quench in my bones. Because of it, I have been awakened to disclose the robe to such an extent that they will know that there is wisdom in Israel.
This has been among the primary reasons that made me come to this explanation.
M. Laitman: This is actually everything he wanted to say. Any more questions?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (41:50) He said that this our generation is truly the time of the Messiah, and the only prevention is the leaving of the wisdom of truth.
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: What does it mean that we've left the wisdom of truth?
M. Laitman: That people aren't studying at our times, there aren't great Kabbalists, there aren't great students, and everybody's like?
Student: Because he's describing, truly, even in the next paragraph that this is the intention of creation, where they engage in complete faith, and immediately the King Messiah will come and this will complete all the correction. Is this how we have to understand it, that it's like, if people will study Kabbalah, then, or not, it will?
M. Laitman: Yes, yes, yes, of course.
Student: How should we depict the end of correction?
M. Laitman: I don't know, I haven't gone through it.
Student: No, no, in his description, when a certain quantity of people sit and study Kabbalah, then the end of Correction comes?
M. Laitman: No, it awakens the state of Gmar Tikkun.
Student: What is that critical mass?
M. Laitman: Mister, I don't know, I don't know end of correction. How can you describe that?
Student: I mean, does it depend on us only, or is it a matter of all of humanity?
M. Laitman: It depends on us and all of humanity has to participate in something. A special illumination has to come from above, from above.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (43:41) I don't know if the question is in its place, but what is with Baal Shem Tov and the Ramchal who engaged in the wisdom of Kabbalah so greatly until the period of Baal HaSulam? Where suddenly it was neglected, there were so many books, and they engaged in it.?
M. Laitman: Yes, there was like a cessation there; there are always times when, more worthy or less worthy.
Student: Why did they lower its value of the wisdom of Kabbalah, that it's not needed? Or it needs to be just studied by heart without any depth?
M. Laitman: The Creator bestows upon the world in waves, and people need according to the intensiveness of the wave, the force of the wave. They also need to participate, so it was a bit in the time of the ARI, what was it, it was a small group and then there was a big awakening in Russia, that's where the Judaism was back then, in the west of Russia. Russia, Ukraine, all those places and we see there were a lot of Kabbalists there; then again it was extinguished and after about 150 years, it again started more or less also in that same area. Then, there were already the east and west of Europe, and Africa, and all those connected and learned, together. That was a generation, we come at the end of that generation and, I guess at our times, we're expecting it to awaken again. And we'll see, we'll see how it will happen.
Student: In our generation, it's kind of like everyone has the wisdom of Kabbalah approachable in all languages, all over the world, whoever wants. What should our approach be towards what the Creator is awakening in the world, right now?
M. Laitman: Our approach should be, first of all, that we're advertising as much as we can, just giving this out. This knowledge of the wisdom of Kabbalah, we let everyone have an ability to connect and come and study. And that's it, that's actually the main part, and more than that, the fact that we're building groups. That they are the ones who want to be in attainment. Let's hope that we are coming closer to that state.
Reader: (47:37) You're saying that our approach, meaning the trend right now, is that we're building groups to be people of attainment.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Could we say that that's our main goal, our main purpose?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: What's the place of dissemination in all of this?
M. Laitman: Also.
Student: But what is the importance of it, it's clear that it's important in the building of a group. But where is it in relation to it?
M. Laitman: First building the group, then dissemination.
Student: Dissemination, how do you see dissemination because you can feel less from you. It's clear to us all how important it is to you. It's your whole life, existence of yours. But we're pushing and working, but now the main focal point is me and my Ten, in the group, I can attain everything, even if I do a little dissemination.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: I'm trying to understand the ratio, the relationship here between attainment in the Ten and dissemination to the broad public?
M. Laitman: That's the Creator's will. As we see, as we study, as we read, then as much as we invest in dissemination, we advance.
Student: Is it enough for just a few people engaged in dissemination, and the rest of the points in the hearts, just focused on the work and the tens?
M. Laitman: Yes and no, we have to say that a person has to divide himself, his time, his forces, to a part that he activates himself for studies and a part that he activates himself for advertising.
Student: What's the percentage between this and that?
M. Laitman: It depends on the person, on his abilities, on his heart, on the tendency of his heart, but each one must.
Student: You said that in the future we would be groups, you talked in plural. Do you see a central group around which everyone concentrates or many groups?
M. Laitman: Yes, a group that in it includes different groups. Groups.
Student: What differentiates between the groups?
M. Laitman: Different languages, different dissemination areas, that's it. But one purpose.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (50:31) When you say to build groups, when we build tens, is that called groups?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: It's the same thing?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Now, what is this thing where you build groups that put a person into spirituality?
M. Laitman: That the purpose of the group is that all the friends that are in it will enter spiritual attainment.
Student: And how? Actually, what do those groups need for them to be able to start putting the friends into spirituality? How do they start acting as a group that births friends into spirituality?
M. Laitman: That's something the study does, that we are passing them the studies, so from the studies they learn what's respected in the eyes of the Creator and what you need to do. What you have to make of yourself in order to reach the purpose of life, yes..
Student: Here in Petah Tikva we have dozens of Tens, in the world clearly several hundreds of Tens. How can these Tens start becoming Tens that bring their friends into spirituality?
M. Laitman: Learn with us, see that it's possible through today's techniques, and we will try in the connection with them to reach states that we will be able to be in a good, nice connection between everyone, as close as possible to one another. To give them all the possibilities for it in all kinds of forms of study and connection. And we can give them a push to put together groups and to put them together, correctly.
Student: When you see all the tens that are sitting before you and all the tens in the world, what's the plus one that you can say that needs to be now in front of each and every Ten?
M. Laitman: I think that every Ten, today, if they want, they have an opportunity to disseminate the wisdom of Kabbalah in their area, in their language. In everything they learned and can learn and that's the main part, that's the main thing. And at times, dissemination is the most precious because that's what the good future of all of humanity depends on.
Student: Clear, we're, also, just before the convention, we're putting an emphasis of strengthening the Ten. So, how does this convention, how can we use this convention correctly so it will truly become a convention that strengthens the Tens and making them into spiritual cells in the system?
M. Laitman: I can't say, I have a very limited measure, I think before the Congress, we have to learn what we're talking about. To check and keep our direction; all the articles and materials that we're about to send to our groups. I really hope that the Congress will be good, that's it.
Student: The convention is an immense opportunity, it's a leap that we can do right now, a true leap on this path. What do we want to come out of the convention with?
M. Laitman: From the Congress?
Student: From the convention, to aim there, already. What do we want to come out with?
M. Laitman: We want to enter a connection between everyone, all the participants, in a spiritual way. That in us, the light from above will be revealed, an illumination from above. And that it will fill all the souls.
Student: That's a nice result of the convention that we will fill ourselves as one, with the light of the Creator within us.
Student: Yes.
Student: What is the focus of the group, is the focus of the group in my Ten or in the collective?
M. Laitman: The focus is in my Ten that is part of the collective. And through my Ten, we want to fill all our Kli around the world.
Student: So, I kind of have two intentions, here, the place of my work in the Ten is clear to me. How do I now add the general Ten to this equation? How?
M. Laitman: How? According to your desire, according to your tendency, according to your importance.
Student: Why do I need to put the whole collective into the picture, why don't I just engage with my Ten?
M. Laitman: Because your purpose, like everyone studying the wisdom of Kabbalah, is to correct the world.
Student: Where am I aiming again, towards the collective? I want to come out of the convention with a feeling that we are all as one?
M. Laitman: Not all of us, here, all of us around the world, all our groups, everyone studying with us. That, all of us will be the general of Bnei Baruch and through that, we want to fill all of reality.
Student: The clash I have is between my Ten and the general Ten of the World Kli. Here I have a clash.
M. Laitman: Yes. Why?
Student: Because there's my Ten.
M. Laitman: Why?
Student: And there's the general Ten.
M. Laitman: Your Ten is part of the general Ten.
Student: If I, kind of, restrict my view to my Ten, here I'm expanding my view to everyone.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So, how does this combine itself together?
M. Laitman: Just like you are scattering your forces inside your Ten, with your Ten, you're scattering the forces in the general Ten, which is all of the world Kli.
Student: Where is my attention?
M. Laitman: On the connection of all of us together as one man with one heart.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (58:23) I am in the Arvut team of North America, and we receive all kinds of impressions from the last few lessons as a result of this direction that the convention has taken. I'll reflect a few of the questions that arise: For example, I belong to a certain Ten, which is usually virtual but I want to be in a physical convention, there's a gathering in my region or maybe I decided to travel to Israel. Do we need to travel to Israel or remain with my Ten, my virtual Ten? Or to travel to some mirror convention or remain with my virtual Ten? What's preferred?
M. Laitman: Where do I feel myself more, where I can annul more? Enter inside a connection more, that's a place worth being.
Student: Wherever I feel more of an opportunity to connect, that's where I should go?
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: If I decided to travel to some physical convention, and my virtual Ten remains virtual, and I traveled. When I'm there in that physical convention, do I connect with my phone onto my virtual Ten? Or do I connect to the people that are physically with me in that place?
M. Laitman: The people that you're with, physically.
Student: As far as the people who remain there, those who traveled to a physical convention. By doing so, did he perform some kind of action that's against his Ten?
M. Laitman: You could say yes.
Student: How should they relate to him?
M. Laitman: That he's going, and by that he's weakening his Ten.
Student: How can it be that it's a good thing to do?
M. Laitman: Because there's no choice, it's a desire that a few people will still come here and incorporate with us and then they can go back there and incorporate with them.
Student: So, altogether, in the calculations of gains and losses, if someone can connect more in a physical convention, even though his individual Ten will be weakened, it's still beneficial for him to travel?
M. Laitman: I don't know, it depends on all kinds of conditions that I can't say. There's no clear formula.
Student: No clear formula, okay? When there is a possibility for a person to travel to a Mirror convention or to travel to Israel, where is it preferred to go to?
M. Laitman: Here in Israel, if it's possible.
Student: Okay, that's what I've got so far.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:02:02) I simply want to ask if I understood correctly. So actually, this convention, just as people usually connect in Tens, that's how Tens have to connect between them. And for that they have to strengthen as one man in one heart in order to reach a connection with all the Tens, so it will be one Kli, that's one world Ten.
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: So, if a person travels to Israel and he holds his Ten in his heart, he, kind of, connects also in the convention.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: So he's actually performing this task of the general connection, right?
M. Laitman: Yes. It'll be clarified, it'll get clarified.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:03:05) How to move the despair in order to cause connection? How to transpose the despair into connection?
M. Laitman: That's like we usually do, that you raise something from the dust, from the lowliness, from the state we're in, from the descent. How we can raise ourselves to an ascent because we can't raise ourselves. But if we raise the upper one that we depend on, so by that we ascend with them.
Student: First of all, I want to thank for this despair but how to move this feeling and to bring benefit in the center of my Ten. And then all the Tens in the study hall, and the whole Kli, and all of the people of Israel, the whole world. But there's, is there a difference in the work in each of those stages?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Okay, first of all, how do I take the despair, from within me, to cause connection in the Ten?
M. Laitman: That you can't reach the goal if you won't be connected.
Student: Then firs, the whole Ten has the same deficiency, how to cause this connection in the world Kli?
M. Laitman: You need to give an example, a positive example. Who are we working before, who are we praying to, where do we get to. And engage in that in positive things, not negative things. Not to cry, on the contrary, to be joyful and sing.
Student: And please, to the Creator, if we come to this collective despair in this convention, how to use that to cause connection even, kind of like, to the whole world?
M. Laitman: We cannot reach the Congress, despaired.
Student: What is the Kli, where does the Kli come from if not from despair?
M. Laitman: From the desire to connect, the desire to attain the Creator and the connection between us.
Student: Despair isn't something sad, it's a magnified desire, it's a very big desire. But we can be in joy, how to use this great big desire to overflow and spill it to the world?
M. Laitman: We must still reach, even in a bit of a feeling of despair. But the main thing is from happiness.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:07:11) I'm sorry, one more question, I think it's a little difficult but these are things that are happening towards this convention, and also happened in previous conventions. There's Tens that are virtual and as we come closer to conventions, there's people that, there's friends that want to come to physical conventions, to gatherings.
M. Laitman: Yes?
Student: There are states where Tens, simply, tell or make a decision: No friend is allowed to come to a mirror convention or to Israel. No friend is allowed to go, they all have to remain virtual in order to not weaken the Ten.
M. Laitman: I understand them, well?
Student: So a friend that wanted to travel, what does he need to do? He has to listen to his Ten or does he need to, can he go to a physical convention, somewhere?
M. Laitman: I'm not pulling anybody to come here.
Student: Or to a Mirror convention, as well.
M. Laitman: A Mirror Congress is in their place.
Student: Yes, but physically, compared to those who, everyone in the Ten remains in their house and are virtual?
M. Laitman: So, gathering physically is good. It's two days, the congress.
Student: Yes, but the Ten told all the friends, there's no such thing as going to a mirror convention. You're all remaining at home and we're in our squares in the Arvut system, that's how we are. What should a friend do with that if he feels that he's more, he wants to receive an impression from the physical connection?
M. Laitman: There's an impression from a physical gathering and it could be that, not. It depends on a group, it depends how much they're together, and so on.
Student: But what does a friend do if he wants to come to a Mirror convention but the Ten doesn't want him to travel to the mirror convention? The Ten wants him to remain at home in a virtual connection.
M. Laitman: He has to calculate as much as he can be at home, connected in heart and soul to us. Because from here, still, all the materials come to him and the songs, and everything we have. The forces come from here.
Student: Is the Ten allowed to decide on such a thing for the friends?
M. Laitman: I don't think so, they have to discuss it very well between the friends. What days are the convention?
Reader: Thursday and Friday. The 12th and the 13th of September, the days of the week of Thursday and Friday.
M. Laitman: So, at least Friday, I don't know. I can’t decide instead of them.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:10:40) Rav, I would offer a solution to this matter, and the approach: A Ten needs to scrutinize what it would attain if as a Ten it would come to a physical integration. Let's say, such a Ten, what would they benefit from if a Ten comes to the conclusion that it could have been a good action for it. And then by having representatives that go and serve the Ten in this action, then I think the Ten won't feel that it's weakening from this. But, rather, strengthening by sending representatives for this positive action that could benefit them.
M. Laitman: Could be.
Student: The thing is that everyone is operating out of the benefit of the Ten, as the Ten scrutinizes what's good for the Ten. And they're all operating for the benefit of the Ten, this, I think, could be helping those groups that are in such a dilemma.
M. Laitman: Thank you. Well, friends, I have nothing else to add. We have time. We have to discuss it, more. To learn a few more sources and eventually it will be clarified more. Okay?
Reader: (01:12:40) We will conclude. Good day.