Morning Lesson October 08, 2021, Transcription
Part 1:
Baal HaSulam -What Is Other Gods in the Work?
1.Rav’s Introduction: Yes, this is also a special article, I really like all the Shamati articles. It explains to us how much we can measure ourselves, to somehow denote to ourselves in what state we are in, in our work. By what we can weigh how much we are making efforts, how much we are advancing and how much we are not. Because there is a reason why the Creator says that I created the evil inclination. His intention is not that we remain in this inclination but that through this inclination that resists our work, we get a feeling, an understanding, where we are in respect to Him, in order to reach Him, to identify with Him, to reach His place, His degree. Therefore, how can we weigh it, how can we measure this? How can we measure our advancement each time, how we are advancing more, or are we regressing? This article explains this to us, so let's read, we will talk about it later.
Reading Shamati 15 (01:53) “It is written you shall make no god over Me”
2. R. (02:06) That is, on one hand there is a possibility to do that. That there is something that is opposite to the Creator and opposite to the Creator is only the evil intonation, hindering us in all different places. So ‘you should make no other gods over me’ means that there is the Creator, the quality of bestowal and love that comes above one’s ego, the person’s ego. Then there is the opposite state. There is no more either you belong to the Creator or you belong to the opposite thing, to the will to receive.
Reader continues: (02:49) “The holy Zohar interprets that there should be stones to weigh with.”
3. R. (02:56) Stone comes from the world understanding, so how with understanding, with the attainment, with the feeling, at first, we feel and later on we can give our feeling all kinds of degrees. So how can we weigh it?
Reader continues: (03:20) “He asked about this, how is the work weighted with stones”
4. R. (04:27) That is, a person thinks that indeed he has two forces before him. And if he somehow wants to somehow advance, to reach Lishma, for her sake, to reach in order to bestow, to reach connection with others, well he does not quite like that. But he sees that he has to do it, because by this he will advance to the purpose of creation. However, for him to have another force that obstructs him from advancing in this way, that he was not thinking. When he discovers that there is a force that truly stops him, blocks him, pulls him backward. Then what happens?
Reader continues: (05:14) “It says that if, at that time, one say that they come.”
5. R. (05:27) That is, that we must not say that the forces that are obstructing us from reaching Lishma, in order to bestow, connection, something spiritual, that these forces come not from the side of the Creator. But these forces also come from the side of the Creator. They come in order to obstruct us, however this is called ‘help made against him.’ This is what Kabbalists call our will to receive, our evil inclination. Even though it seems to us as opposite, however it actually gives us discernment, degrees and the understanding how to advance correctly. That is even though it is the opposite, it is also help and this is something we have to understand.
Reader continues: (06:32) “The reason is that one should believe that it comes to him.”
6. R. (07:25) This means that these things come to the person specifically in order to aim him more correctly in a way that he's more directed to the purpose of creation. Even though it seems to him that it is hindering him, stopping him, confusing him. The person gets weaker and he does not see the help from above but actually it seems to be an obstruction.
Reader continues: (07:56) “It is like an allegory about a friend.”
7. R. (11:33) This is how he should weigh it. What he feels, receives and what he is sent each time. In his mind and heart, new emotions and thoughts.
Reader continues: (11:45) “At that time begins a bitter argument, since one sees.”
8. R. (11:55) One time he is pulled ahead, another time he's pushed back. As if there is another force besides the Creator doing the opposite work…
Reader continues: (12:15) “Do not say that another god gave.”
9. R. (12:49) Only in that he sees how much he has within him for him for and against forces that are helping his advancement and against his advancement. How he has to arrange himself to be between these two forces and then he can see his true state and can measure how much he is drawn to in order to bestow, to the purpose of creation.
Reader continues: (13:19) “The main heaviness in the work is primarily…’’
10. R. (13:53) That’s, on the one hand, he has to see that actually this is how he should be directed, to that extend, towards adhesion according to equivalence of his relationship with the
Creator.
Reader continues: (14:04) “On the other hand, we see that this is not the primary…’’
11. R. (16:58) This article is not simple, there is a lot of material here. Let us try to scrutinize it a little bit, as much as we can.
12. S. (17:28) Usually, throughout the day, I am with thoughts that distance me from the Creator and the friends. It seems to me like these are foreign thoughts, but it is written here that those foreign thoughts that pressure a person, come to a person only in a state in which he is working the Creator's work. What is the difference between those foreign thoughts that he is talking about here Baal HaSulam, and those things that I consider as foreign thoughts?
R. A foreign thought is considered foreign because it wants to pull the person into the line that he is following in his life. If now I am thinking business and suddenly, I get thoughts about some fun time, then the thoughts about the fun time are foreign thoughts in regard to the business, that’s clear. It is the same here, if I am doing spiritual work, as much as I am doing spiritual work, and I feel that now thoughts come to me that do not support the spiritual path, the spiritual advancement, I accept them as foreign thoughts. However, here, he talks not about the fact that foreign thoughts come, of course they come, but rather why they come for, how can we use them in order to invert, transform these foreign thoughts, specifically the ones that are correct and good for advancement. Because the Creator doesn’t create anything redundant in the whole of creation, but rather everything depends on how we use it.
S. I also read in the end, he writes that the danger is the abundance that we receive from the Creator. What is that?
R. Summary?
S. The risk of doing anything that we can do and receive for ourselves.
R. Our whole development is in order to reach complete adhesion to the Creator. The complete adhesion it’s not that we disappear inside the Creator, but rather that we’re receiving in order to bestow. Everything that He bestows, we are capable of receiving it in order to bestow back to Him, that we receive only in order to bestow to Him. By that, we identify with Him in our intention, in our inclination, in our thoughts, that as much as He wants to bestow to us, so we want to bestow to Him. This is actually the summary of our work. To what extent, what do we do, we reach a state where we exist in it like the Creator. His whole pleasure is from bestowing to us and all of our pleasure is from bestowing to Him. Then, we exist in the same state as Him, which is the greatest state, the most important, the most sublime.
13. S. (21:24) What does it mean that all the contradicting thoughts, that all the matters that come to us in the work, are actually the foundation for the work? What does it also mean that there is a situation in which one he receives and a state where he gives? What are those states in the work?
R. Don't mix two questions together. If you have two questions, then ask just one question. So, again, repeat one question.
S. Why are the thoughts and forces, that are contradicted to the work, are revealed in a person? Why are they the basis to the work?
R. Because through them, when we have one thought and opposite it, we have the same thought as in the opposite manner. One kind of work and opposite it, something that hinders it, then we can weigh how much we are advancing, because we cannot measure anything unless we have something that is opposite to it. The created beings exist in a state where they have to always incorporate two opposite forces. They exist in between these two opposite forces, this is how they feel their life, this is how they feel their advancement, in which direction. They can build a thought, a desire to establish themselves, only at the time when they exist in between two forces, two opposite phenomena. Try to think about this, try to see this in our life. If we don't have any resistance, if we don’t have resistance in something, we don’t feel it. A single phenomenon, a single force, we can’t feel it. We can feel it only when there is something opposite to it. As much as there is, in between these two forces, relations of for and against, then we feel in between this and that. If I exist only in darkness or only in light, I cannot detect anything but only when there is a contrast, differences between darkness and light, then I can distinguish between them and out of that, I can perceive a certain form. This is how it is with all of our other senses, the corporeal ones and also in the spiritual ones. This is nature, this is how we are built. Where does it stem from? It stems from our soul, that we have five senses in our soul, root, 1, 2, 3, 4. Then, we have sight, hearing, smelling, taste and touch, five also, and we live in them. We feel in them for and against, good or bad, black and white, bitter and sweet. This is how we exist, in between them. If you will take away all of these differences so we will not have differences in us, in each and every sense, between the plus and minus, let's say, then we lose our sensation and we cannot feel where we are, do we even exist.
S. There is a part in the person that receives and a part that gives, is that correct?
R. No. We don’t have a part that gives. We give, we can give with our hands. But the desire to give, we don’t have that. The desire to give, in general, is only the Creator. The desire to receive, only, is the created being. However, the created being undergoes a correction so that, above the will to receive, he can compose an intention, so that he uses the will to receive for the benefit of others, for the benefit of the Creator. This is what I call to bestow.
14. S. (26:44) What is it that weighs these so-called stones?
R. In truth, what weighs the stones is the middle line. We will reach this soon. Following the text, we will understand where it comes from. Just wait.
15. S. (27:19) Will the time come when the work in the ten becomes easier or will it become more difficult as we progress?
R. It will be more difficult, however, they will be able to do it. Our desire to receive will become greater but we will be able to cope with it and add an intention of in order to bestow. Certainly, the advancement is advancement with a greater will to receive, but accordingly, the intention in order to bestow will be greater, but we will have the forces for it. The most important thing is to feel what in order to bestow means, what Lishma, for Her sake, means, and what is faith above reason. This relates to a single quality: that the importance of bestowal for me is greater than the importance of reception.
16. S. (28:39) Why does a person have alien thoughts? Is it necessary to have such thoughts?
R. Whatever the person receives physically, emotionally, with his thoughts, with his desires, in everything that the person has, it all comes from a single root and it is only in order to aim the person more correctly to the goal. There is nothing that is outside of this in each and every person. Everybody will eventually see that there is always one upper force that is pressuring that person and arranging the person in such a way to reach the goal. Only that.
17. S. (30:02) How can we invert these foreign thoughts?
R. We do not need to change or invert any thoughts or desires but rather only to strengthen whatever we have towards the one true goal, to be closer to the Creator. Closer means to be more similar to Him. This is all there is and we don’t need to do anything besides that, and it is impossible for us to do anything besides that.
18. S. (30:47) According to the text we have two stages. What does it mean to first come to adhesion and then later reach the purpose of creation, to receive the upper abundance?
R. To the extent that we reach in order to bestow, we can feel the pleasure we have in our connection, in our relation, with the Creator. There is work in coming closer and as a result of this there is work in enjoying because to enjoy is also in order to bestow. We first have to prepare our vessels to acquire the quality of Bina, to bestow in order to bestow, and later on we reach a state of receiving in order to bestow. ‘To bestow in order to bestow’ means that we elevate ourselves to the degree of Bina; ‘to receive in order to bestow ' means we elevate ourselves from the degree of Bina to the degree of Keter.
S. So what do we receive?
R. We are filled with the light of Hassadim on the degree of Bina, and on the degree of Keter we are filled with the light of Hochma. The first is called ‘VAK;’ the second is called “GAR.’ The light of Hassadim and light of Hochma, Katnut, infancy, and Gadlut, adulthood or greatness, are all-in all-in order to reach the purpose of creation which is divided into two parts. Soon we will go over the Introduction, the Preface to the Study of the Ten Sefirot once again so we can study these two parts along the way to the goal.
19. S. I usually have a single thought either for or against the Creator, either ascent or descent. How do we hold one against the other?
R. This means to be in the middle line. I want to combine what I see with my eyes with what I want to see. This is what we need to do.
S. I am usually in one or the either.
R. This is not enough, this is not good. This is how it is in the beginning. A person is thrown this way or that way. It is not that he himself positions himself in some state, but rather, this is how it is arranged for him from above. The more independent we are in our work, the more we combine the two together and are in the middle. We will talk about it. It is on the way.
20. S. (34:34) If the thoughts and feelings that the person gets are from the Creator, where is the choice?
R. The choice of the person is not in their thoughts that the Creator sends him but rather in how he relates to what the Creator sends him, and to accept with understanding, with love, with joy, that the Creator is tending to him in each and every moment. Indeed, each and every one at any given moment can discover how much he is constantly receiving guidelines from the Creator. Thousands of discernments can pass through him in one second. We do not understand how spirituality is working in such high frequencies. The person will be capable of replying to each and every one and then he will see how much we are rising above time. It will come.
21. S. (35:49) Can we say that attraction towards Him is built by what a person gets?
R. It is not quite like that but for the time you can think of it like that. It says that the left rejects and the right attracts, brings closer. It is the combination between the two of them which is very special.
22. S. (36:26) When do we go above reason and when do we use our understanding?
R. We go with understanding even above reason. This is why it is above reason, not without reason. It is only above reason. Reason helps me to go above the corporeal reason and in that way to build a spiritual reason.
23. S. (37:07) He writes that the foreign thoughts come specifically after above the ordinary work in Torah and the commandments. What is ‘above ordinary’?
R. We are used to a certain level of how we study and relate to what passes through us and we reject anything else that feels heavy to us, in the form of burdening. If nevertheless, a person is willing to accept additional scrutiny in the study, in his connection with the friends, upon all the disturbances, and all kinds of such things, the person is ready to receive additions. This is how one advances.
Reading again Shamati 15. (Rav reading and interpreting at the same time)
24. R. (39:30) There is a Creator and there is a tendency on the side of man to do something other than what the Creator puts before him, as if there is someone else there, another source that manages man. “The Zohar interprets that there should be stones to weigh with.” It is not clear what this is. A stone is an understanding by which we can learn the Creator and probably from opposite things. The truth is that we can learn what is happening here and so on, as it always comes from a thing and it's opposite. Baal HaSulam asks, “How is the work weighed with stones.” Meaning, through understanding, through differences between the two forces. “By which one knows one’s state in the ways of the Creator?” So that a person will know where he is. From now until the end of all of our work, at the end of correction, we can know where we are by measuring our work correctly. “It replies that it is known that when one begins to work more than one is used to.” The main word here is ‘more’ than one is used to. “...the body begins to kick and object to this work with all its might ...” To the extent that one adds, we feel the resistance. “...since regarding bestowal, it is a load and a burden for the body. It cannot tolerate this work…” Of bestowal since the egoistic will to receive feels that way. “...and the resistance of the body…” of the will to receive. “...appears in a person in the form of foreign thoughts….” Meaning all kinds of thoughts come of how to throw this burden to myself and I feel what can I do? And the body “comes and asks the questions of “who” and “what.” ‘Who” is the Lord that I should listen to Him, and “What is this work for you? We learned that without that one does not leave Egypt, from under the control of the will to receive. “...Through these questions, a person says…” Through the questions of ‘who’ and ‘what.’ “...a person says that all these questions are certainly sent to him by the Sitra Achra…” Not the Creator, but rather it seems to us as if there is some foreign force. Why is it coming to me this way? In order “to obstruct him in the work…”
“...It says that if, at that time, one says that they come from the Sitra Achra, one breaches what is written, “You shall make no other gods over Me.” … Meaning despite the fact that it comes from the Creator, a person thinks that it comes to him from another place, not from the Creator, but from someone bothering him with this. I want to advance to the Creator but there is another, additional force, even in me, that is there and not outside of me, that is contradictory to the Creator. The way it is bothering me, it is truly obstructing me, and I need to dispel it, it is best that it not rise. This is the essential, main mistake a person makes. He thinks that the disturbances that come to him along the way are those that want to deviate him from the path and not specifically advance him. A person doesn't understand that specifically through his overcoming of obstacles he will advance in the right way.
The most important thing to know is that advancement on the path is overcoming obstacles. These disturbances aim him toward the purpose of the path, the purpose of creation. An obstacle is not an obstacle. It helps him understand, feel, and establish himself correctly towards the goal. Therefore, the attitude toward obstructions is that each time a person is not satisfied with them, but that’s why they are called disturbances. Yet each time he needs to establish himself correctly: I am thinking incorrectly or I need to relate to them as a ‘help against’ as they are called.
Baal HaSulam explains onwards. “...The reason is that one should believe that it comes to him from the Shechina.” from the Creator Himself since there is none else besides Him. “...However, the Shechina shows one his true state, how he is walking in the ways of the Creator…” Either right or wrong in order to aim him in a more precise, correct way. The obstacles come his way and he sees them as deviations from the path. We cannot advance if we do not feel we are deviating. Who knows if the line that we seemingly advance from is correct? The path, the systems of navigation, show us each time how much we are deviating from the true line.
Let’s say, how gyros work, how everything encompasses, how each time we are measuring ourselves relative to the true line. We don’t know the true line in spirituality. It is a line of bestowal. If we are advancing on the path, we are shown more and more each time where we are in the line of deviation from bestowal. We need to raise a higher resolution, a higher way. that we can see the intensity, the extent that we are deviating from the line of bestowal. Hence, ‘anyone who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater.’ Bestowal and influences seem greater. It is correct that it needs to be appearing to us; it is a sign of advancement.
It is like from a little baby. We do not see any mistakes in him. Everything is done for him, it is all completed for him in place of him. But the more they grow, we say not this, you have to do that and that and, we do not agree with him. Why all of a sudden, I’m not allowed to do everything for myself. Everything used to be done for me, everything used to be fine. No one said that I did anything incorrectly and now even if I make a little mistake, it seems to me, for a little child, already I am told that I am not good, I am not ok. Meaning each and every time we are increasing scrutiny, increasing critique of the disclosure of our mistakes with higher precision and meticulous engagement. This is how we have to do this because otherwise we cannot reach the exalted goal we have.
I am going back to this paragraph:
“. and the thing is that the person has to believe that this comes to him from divinity from the side of the Creator since there is none else besides him. However, divinity shows one his true state how he is walking in the ways of the Creator.”
More correct or less correct. “.and by sending him these questions,” All kinds of who and what and where am I what is with me, which are “. called the foreign thoughts...” This is the ‘who and what,’ these two questions. “...meaning that through these foreign thoughts he sees how he answers these questions which are regarded as foreign thought.” Why am I alive, for what am I alive, what for am I alive, what will I get from it, and so on. “. And all of this, one should know that from this he will know his true state in his work and that he will know what to do.” Meaning that without the foreign thoughts, the person loses his direction, he does not know how he is directed where north is, where is that pole toward which we need to measure ourselves as to where we are. I must know relative to holiness, relative to the Creator where I am. Therefore, each time it is like we are flying in an airplane or sailing in the sea or going for a stroll in the forest we need a compass the same way the need on our spiritual path a compass and this comes to us through the feeling of these foreign thoughts, from the correct state. What is the deviation, through those foreign thoughts which we feel. Not to here, and not to the right and not to the left, so we are advancing in the right way.
his is very similar to the allegory. Meaning how to get these alien thoughts? “That one friend wanted to know how much his friend loved him. Certainly, when face to face, he hides himself due to the shame. Therefore, he sends a person to speak badly about his friend…” To slander him, to speak about him not nicely. “.. and then he sees his friend's reaction when he agrees with the person talking badly about him or not, while he is distant from his friend and then he can know the truth, the measure of his friend’s love. The lesson from this is that when the divinity shows her face to the person, which means that the Creator is bestowing vitality and joy to the person, in such a state he is ashamed to say what he thinks about the work of bestowal without receiving anything for himself.” Because the Creator shows him that this is the truth. The person surrenders, seemingly agrees to it.
“...However, when not facing her, meaning when the vitality and gladness cool down, which is considered not facing her, then one can see his true state regarding the aim to bestow…” Whether he is in order to bestow or not. “...If one believes that it is written that there is none else besides Him, and that the Creator sends all the foreign thoughts, meaning that He is the operator, he certainly knows what to do.” Meaning, to adhere to the Creator in all possible means despite what he has to overcome. “...and how to answer all the questions… which all come from the Creator. Therefore, despite all these questions, he needs through them to come once again closer and hold on, to grip, to the Creator. Where it all depends on Him and everything needs to be specifically connected and adhered to Him.
“...This seems as though she…” The Shechina, the Creator. “...she sends him messengers.” Just like a person sends a messenger to someone to know what he really thinks about him. That’s how Divinity sends messengers. “...to see how he slanders it, his kingdom of heaven, and this is how we can interpret the above matter…” As much as he receives His care, that the Creator is ‘Good That Does Good’ no matter what I feel. If, in some way I don't feel good, it is a sign for me that I need to change in some way. Just like in a compass I turn myself until I feel myself in the Good That Does Good. All the states that we feel in life are only in order to give us the right direction towards the Creator. If I turn myself in the thought and understanding that I am in the Good That Does Good and this is the source of my life, and this is how I feel Him despite the fact that I don’t feel it that way, then I need to correct myself and to try in faith above reason to feel that I am in the Good That Does Good and that there is none else besides Him.
All the foreign thoughts which I feel and understand only correctly aim me more toward the Creator. That’s how the Creator creates this path before us and helps us grow this way, to be more and more understanding and feeling Him upon all the obstructions. As much as I specifically aim to Him above these obstacles, I become more adhered to Him and understand and feel this system. I am pacing my egoistic desire and then I join my egoistic desire to the adhesion to the Creator. I build my Partzufim with my Aviut, my coarseness and I resemble the Creator more and more.
“...One can understand this, that everything comes from the Creator, for it is known that the beatings that the body beats a person with its foreign thoughts…” The ‘body’ means the will to receive. “...since they do not come to a person when he does not engage in the work, but these beatings that come to a person in a complete sensation, to the point that these thoughts smash his mind, they come specifically after preceding Torah and work more than the usual…” Meaning, to the extent that the more a person adds to his work the more he feels these disturbances. He needs to understand that these disturbances come in order to aim himself more precisely toward the Creator. This is how our advancement is.
Write down questions and later we will check, otherwise each with his question deviates everyone from the line we are going. We receive this guidance to aim us along the way in our lives from all kinds of reforms, from all kinds of corners in life, with our family, work, and in the street. The main thing is from our own heads and hearts. Our desire to receive is called ‘help against’ and despite the fact that we can say that it hates us, it loves us. It helps us come closer to the Creator and specifically guides us directly to Him. “...This is called stones to weigh with. It means that these stones fall in one’s mind when one wants to understand these questions…” By which we can weigh and discern our path exactly. Meaning that these stones are understandings and thoughts that a person wants to understand these questions which come to him and fall upon his mind when “one comes to weigh the purpose of one’s work…” with these foreign thoughts that bother him. “...if it is truly worthwhile to work in order to bestow…” Or if I am not willing and it is best for me to leave this path. A person needs to understand that all of these disturbances come to him specifically for him to advance. As much as we advance, we will have greater disturbances in order to guide us more precisely to the goal. “...if it is truly worthwhile to work in order to bestow…” He has that same question each time.
“...to work with all his might and soul…” With all his mind and heart. “...and that all his aspirations will be only to hope that what there is to acquire in this world.” That is how he feels. “...is only in the purpose of his work to bring contentment to his Maker, and not in any corporeal matter…” He feels what is constantly deviating him from the path, what kinds of little pleasures, thoughts, and confusions. He is willing to the extent that he pays attention, and is capable of keeping himself to the group, to the prayer to the Creator; to the extent that he is not, he is not ready. Nevertheless, he is shown where he is and to what extent he has deviated and how much of this deviation he can join to the path, to the goal, and how much he cannot cover these disturbances to join them in order to bestow. Such thoughts and desires come his way.
Here is the work of man. He needs to close the gap when there is a deviation from the path. This is how we begin to understand, as Baal HaSulam writes, that without the influence of the environment we are not capable of joining thoughts and desires that are foreign to our path. We ourselves are not capable of a thing. “...At that time begins a bitter argument, since one sees that there are arguments both ways…” Meaning, which way will I go? “...The writings warn about this, “You shall make no other gods over Me.” The Creator says you should not have anyone greater than me that will define for you this path, this life. “...Do not say that another god gave you the stones with which to weigh your work, but “over Me.”
“...Instead, one should know that this is considered “over Me.” This is so that one will see the true form of the basis and the foundation upon which the structure of the work is built…” That everything comes from the Creator only, there is none else besides Him and that is how I need to relate to all the disturbances and to understand that it all comes from the same source. That you have no other god, no other sources for your life. This is how you will take them to your work and you will advance specifically through these deviations. You will be able to aim yourself more precisely toward the goal through these disturbances.
“...The heaviness in the work is primarily because they are two texts that deny one another…”
Meaning that there's always a thing and it's opposite, two things that are in contradiction between them. What are they? "... On one hand, one should try that all his work will be to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, that all his desire will be only to bestow contentment upon his Maker, and not at all for himself. On the other hand, we see that this is not the primary goal…” That a person needs to bestow upon the Creator. “... since the purpose of creation was not for the creatures to bestow upon the Creator since He has no need for the creatures to give Him something. On the contrary, the purpose of creation was due to His desire to do good to His creations.” That the Creator wants to give to the creation and not that the creations will give to Him. That’s why it does not belong to His desire for us to give to Him, to fill Him. “...meaning for the creatures to receive delight and pleasure from Him…” That’s the purpose of creation, for the creatures to be able to receive and be filled with all the abundance the Creator wants to give.
“These two matters contradict one another from one end to the other, for on one hand, one should bestow…”
To be similar to the Creator. “And on the other hand, one should receive.”
To be opposite the Creator. “There is the matter of correction of creation, being to achieve Dvekut, discerned as equivalence of form, being that all his actions will be only to bestow. Afterward, it is possible to achieve the purpose of creation which is to receive delight and pleasure from the Creator…”
Rav. We need to understand two things: we need to correct ourselves but our correction is in order to receive from Him. We are coming into equivalence of form with the Creator where we want to adhere to Him. I can resemble Him only by me doing an opposite action, that I want to bestow to Him and receive from Him. That’s why we need to correct our vessels of reception in order to bestow to Him. I need to be hungry to come to my mother and delight her. That I will eat at her house with a great appetite, with hunger, and with joy, and enjoy all the pleasures. On one hand, I need to correct myself to enjoy and delight my mother and for her to enjoy me; on one hand and on the other hand, I need to be myself and to receive in the big will to receive what she prepared for me in a big will to receive. In those two opposite things, receiving from her to give to her I can really come to her I can really come to her for there to be a connection between us adhesion equivalence and we will fill one another I fill her and with my deficiency and she fills me with her filling but all together we are filling one another without intentions which connect and then between them we can feel the love the complete love. In two directions, bi-directional it’s called I for my beloved and my beloved for me.
Continuing with the text.
” Hence, when one has accustomed oneself to walk in ways of bestowal, one has no vessels of reception anyhow. When one walks in ways of reception, he has no vessels of bestowal.”
Rav: Meaning there's a problem here that our intention needs to be in order to bestow our vessel should be in accordance with vessels of reception. Hence, the stone that we weigh includes both together. Meaning that by receiving a deviation each time and how we have to advance where we are being shown where we are not okay. Through that we acquire the understanding of what the relationship between us needs to be the intention of in order to bestow and the desire to receive. To the extent that we can compose and instill the desire to bestow on the desire to receive. Then we can directly discern and aim ourselves towards that goal. Each time in correcting that deviation each time. There is a lot of work in this even though in advance we look and we want to identify where this deviation is.
Rav read again: Thus, through the “stones to weigh with”
Which we try to see to the extent in which we deviate from the path
one acquires both,
Both the bigger will to receive and the intention in order to bestow.
Since after the negotiation he had during the work, when he overcomes and takes upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven in the form of bestowal in mind and heart, it causes that when he comes to draw the upper abundance, since he already has a solid basis that everything should be in the form of bestowal, hence, even when one receives some illumination, he receives it in order to bestow. This is because the whole basis of his work is built solely on bestowal. This is considered that he “receives in order to bestow.”
Both the bigger will to receive and the intention in order to bestow that is greater, in accordance with it belonging to the will to receive as it covers him fully. After he does the calculations and the efforts that he had during the work and why he'll he resists he receives upon himself the burden of the kingdom in giving up words and this causes in that's when he causes to draw the upper abundance since he already has a solid basis that everything needs to be in the form of in order to bestow.
Hence, even when one receives some illumination, he receives it in order to bestow. This is because the whole basis of his work is built solely on bestowal. This is considered that he receives in order to bestow.”
It is a very high degree. It is a high degree because we are with you rising from here to the Ein Sof in some degrees. We have a state that we make a preparation after the preparation we come to a Tzimtzum restriction. (Rav Drawing) The first restriction, Tzimtzum Aleph, is the first restriction. Then we work in order to reach the quality of Bina. This is our Malchut. This is the matter of Bina to which we come to and this is all the form of bestowing in order to bestow, this whole period of time. To bestow in order to bestow. These are all vessels of bestowal. Meaning they are working in the coarseness of the Avuit of zero, one and two (0,1and 2). We reached the degree of Bina. We will learn this in the 'Introduction to the study of the Ten Sefirot'. We will learn that this is called a righteous that is incomplete where his transgressions become errors and so on. That is the degree of Bina. Then we reach the goal, which is already the Keter. Keter to receive in order to bestow which is already the Avuit the coarseness of 3 + 4 working with the will to receive an order to bestow. In this way we learn to correct ourselves and this is in the Keter, the end of correction.
The whole path is each step along the way of us being in a certain state and always we are shown the state of advancement. In an egoistic manner, our ego and the true form of in order to bestow. We need to always close this gap between the ego and the Creator in order to be in order to bestow each time. We need to each time, to locate this deviation and correct it. By what can we see and increase and understand better where we need to work here these things we can locate by the group. By the group. Therefore, each time we can do more. Just like he says here that behind every friend the Creator stands. Here we can aim ourselves to the group and in this way eventually reach the Creator. Here we can also see the extent to which it is important to us in ego. If we're not to appear, if the Creator I have created the evil creation, then I would have no ability to correct ourselves and aim ourselves towards the Creator. Each time we discovered somewhat the extent to which we deviate relative to the Creator because the Creator Himself, we can never see but rather the evil inclination shows us how our state towards the Creator. It doesn't tell us this is the true form of bestowal. No, it shows us how to what extent we are not in true bestowal. This is how through this we can each time correct ourselves. We will work on this. All ahead of us it is not a problem and slowly slowly we are advancing slowly. We should just understand from this the importance of the will to receive and to the extent to which it works in the contradiction to the Creator and that is why it is called help against Him and without it we would not be able to aim ourselves towards the purpose of creation and the Creator which is why we need to see it. As Rabash says “kiss the stick,” this is how we advance. On the way the evil angel becomes the good angel and there is no bad in the world there's only good. All the bad that used to be we know it was created only for us to differentiate between the Creator and something outside the Creator. Then what is outside the Creator gradually disappears and what remains is 'none else beside him'. Only by the deviations and by the disturbances on the path that we have by these stones that we use to weigh in the work but that ultimately, we can come to adhesion.
25. S. (01:20:03) Is not to make another God, does that mean that we choose to serve the Creator, not the evil inclination? Or does it mean that we’re combining those two sources into one on our own?
R. First of all, it's very good to see that we have so many women with us in the lesson. Let's hope that they are following and studying with us, very good, it adds a lot to the force of the men as well. Thank you to the women. The question again?
S. Is ‘’not to make another God,’’ does that mean that we’re choosing to serve the Creator and not the evil inclination? Or does it mean that we’re combining those two sources into one on our own?
R. We have to bring the bad force back to this good source, that it all comes from ‘’none else besides Him,’’ in each and every state we have. Otherwise, we are not relating correctly to the good force as well. If I throw away the bad force and if I relate myself only to the good force, that’s not good either. Each and every state in life, I have to achieve adhesion. The adhesion is in relating all of my foundations, all that I have on the way, to the Creator.
26. S. (01:21:57) When I see that I have those foreign thoughts, should I say the Creator is sending me this? Then, what should my response be?
R. The Creator sends this to me. This is called Sitra Achra (other side), the negative thoughts, foreign thoughts, other gods, there’s 70 names to the will to receive, the egoistic desire. However, but it doesn't matter, we have to ultimately relate everything to the Creator, that it’s all of His doing with us. By that, we begin to relate differently to the evil inclination. If we can detect that it’s ‘’none else besides Him,’’ and we get everything from Him, that makes it easier for us to cope with the disturbances. We’re going to talk about this more.
27. S. (01:23:17) What practical work should we do in the 10 in order to recognize that the disturbances come from the Creator to overcome them?
R. We mustn't forget and always remind to each other that ‘’there is nothing else besides Him’’ in everything in life, anything that happens to a person until he comes to a state, as it is written, ’all my bones shall say,’’ meaning that there is nothing in the human body, or the world, or the spiritual world, doesn't matter who and what, there is only one force that operates, that’s it. This is basically our entire work, to always feel ourselves belonging to one force, and we are doing everything so that not just that we are in it, we rather want to be reciprocally connected to it, meaning that we are in equivalence of form with it. It bestows to us and we want to bestow to it. We want to arrive at such a feeling that what He feels in bestowing to us, we want to achieve the same sensation towards Him. What does it mean to bestow, to bestow full force? What does the Creator feel, what does He think? That’s what I have to discover, that means achieving adhesion with the Creator. Then, we come all the way to His degree. The Creator is not the true upper force, but rather the degree of the upper force that is connected, that is directed at us. There's also degrees above that, above that degree of the Creator, because the Creator is simply the degree of ‘’come and see.’’ That is what we need to achieve, and what is above that, that is already the higher roots of the upper force that, in the meantime, we don’t learn and don't attain. Who knows, maybe after what’s called the ‘’6000 years,’’ after the final correction, we’ll merit the 7th, 8th, and 9th, and 10th millennium and something else. I don't know, there's other things beyond.
First of all, the men just saw how a huge group of women are with us, hundreds of women from around the world, even though it is not necessarily the most convenient time for them, they are still doing great efforts.