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The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.

Daily Lesson (Afternoon) December 8, 2024

Part 1 Rabash. Record 375. Jacob Sent

Hello, we are reading in the writings of Rabash, Volume 3, 1789, Article 375, Jacob Sent. You can find the study materials on our website, Sviva Tova and the Arvut system. You can ask questions there, live.

M. Laitman: (00:23) Yes, it is a very fundamental article. We will read it, maybe even twice, in order to understand correctly how the sages talk about this. 

Reading Article: (00:47) Jacob Sent

Article copied and pasted from the source article. Do not edit.

“Jacob sent.” RASHI interprets, “real angels.”

We should interpret the meaning of “real angels” that Jacob sent to Esau. According to what is interpreted, Jacob is the quality of a person engaged in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], and Esau is the evil inclination. How can it be said that he sent angels to the actual evil inclination?

We should understand this according to what Baal HaSulam said about why it is written about Laban, “And Laban answered and said to Jacob, ‘The girls are my daughters, the boys are my sons, the flock is my flock, and all that you see is for me.’” Concerning Esau, the opposite is written, “And Esau said, ‘I have much, my brother, let what is yours be yours.’” Jacob asked him, “Do take my blessing, which I have brought you… and he entreated him and he took.”

Baal HaSulam explained that “Laban” means before the act, when the evil inclination claims that everything a person does is not for the sake of the Creator, so what value is there in his desire to engage in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]? But a person must overcome and nonetheless do good deeds.

Once the act has been done, “Esau,” who is called the evil inclination, claims that everything that the person did is for the sake of the Creator and wants to instill in him the quality of greatness so he will settle for his work.

With this we can interpret the words, “real angels.” This is why it is called “evil inclination,” for it argues that if he wants to engage in Torah and Mitzvot, he must first of all be completely white, without any stains or dirt, meaning that everything will be for the sake of the Creator. If he cannot aim for the sake of the Creator, it is not worthwhile to exert in vain.

Therefore, what will he gain by praying for another half an hour or learning for another half an hour? In any case, his work is worthless, so every bit of effort that he makes in Torah and work is a waste. By this, the evil inclination has the power to divert him from Torah and Mitzvot.

At that time, a person must overcome it through “And his heart was high in the ways of the Lord,” and say “I believe above reason that I am doing everything for the sake of the Creator, and even the Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] that I do is a great thing because from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma [for Her sake]. Thus, by working Lo Lishma, I am still doing a Mitzva [commandment] and observing the words of the sages, who said, ‘One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma, since from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma,’ for the light in it reforms him.”

But once he has done all that he could do, meaning the order of his times in Torah and Mitzvot, he must see the truth and criticize his work. Then, a person must say the opposite of what he said to the evil inclination. He should send messengers to the evil inclination, meaning tell the evil inclination that in his work, a person should be just like angels, meaning a Kli [vessel] for the sake of the Creator. 

But since his work is not clean and compete, he says to the evil inclination that all his work was for him, for the evil inclination, and not for the sake of the Creator. This is regarded as a person sending all his work to the evil inclination.

At that time, the evil inclination says, “I have much, among other people who work for me. But you, my brother, let what is yours be yours, for it was all for the sake of your soul, and you do not need to be more complete in your work. Rather, continue with the same intention you have had thus far, until after great efforts “he entreated him and he took.”

At that time, the evil inclination will agree to accept the work for itself. That is, he is convinced, and the evil inclination will not be able to send him thoughts that he is fine. Rather, he remains with the truth that they must be real angels, meaning completely for the sake of the Creator. And then his work begins anew in order to walk on the path of truth.

Question( Women MAK): (08:13) What is the balance between reception and bestowing forces in the Ten? And how do we come to the correct use of them? 

M. Laitman: This is not done straight away; this is done gradually. A man needs to check all of his actions in the good inclination, in the ego and in the evil inclination, in bestowal, and when he does all this, he can be sure that he correctly differentiates between them. Then he acts with the good desires for the Creator. And with the bad desires, if they are still there, for Sitra Achra. 

Student: On the level of bestowal for bestowal, we don't use the ego, and this is the purification of the Kli in the light of Hassidim. Is that correct? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And in reception for bestowal, we come back to these desires, and through a prayer we can fill them with the light of Hochma for bestowal to the other, and what awakens these desires is the prayer. Is this the same gathering desires, or is this when we come back to correct them with the intention to bestow? 

M. Laitman: We are using the same desires that awaken in us. Therefore, they might not be exactly the same, but that's not what's important. What is important is to sort them according to our ability to use them. 

Student: When this pure action of bestowal happens, we can enjoy this process. After this, should we transfer it to the greatness of the Creator? When I perform an action, I'm not allowed to enjoy the result, but I need to appreciate that the Creator does it, correct? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Women Moscow): (11:35) What does the text hint at when it speaks of Esau? It usually speaks of Jacob. We say there are good and bad intentions. Why does he discuss it with Lavan? Why does he say everything is mine? Esau is the first-born so this is our essence without intention. What is this discussion about? 

M. Laitman: Because Esau cannot stand at the head of the correction.

Student: Usually, he speaks with Jacob as the wicked will prepare, and the righteous will clothe in it. And here it speaks of the Klipah. What does this mean? 

M. Laitman: We will see.

Student: When I want to build an intention, I have a commitment in the Ten. I reveal that I don't want to do this, but I need to do this. I don't have the right intention, but I need to do this. I have to do it. I reveal that it's not the right thing, and I ask the Creator to have the right intention. Is this correct, or can a good thing come out of a person straightaway that's suitable to act in the group? 

M. Laitman: No, that can't be such a thing.

Student: And if it seems to me that it's so? 

M. Laitman: So, we need to check again. 

Student: How do I check it?

M. Laitman: With your efforts. 

Student: So, by the number of efforts I invest, and then I'll see.

M. Laitman: It doesn't matter. Your actions are incorrect. They're egoistic, but nonetheless, they will show you where you are and what you need to do.

Question (Moscow 4): (14:02) This is a discernment about purity of one's effort.

When should one do it? In the lesson, separately, in the group? We don't do this usually. This is an inner action. 

M. Laitman: They are internal actions of yours, from when you read the article, to immediately start differentiating: this belongs to Esau, this to Jacob, this to the Creator, this to the person, and so on.

Student: When I have the desire to receive, and it has criticism, the criticism is always wrong. It has some deficiencies and contains bad thoughts. How to counteract this? 

M. Laitman: Try to differentiate, to see the difference in these four parts, the ego that's in the person, and the altruism that's in the person, and as much as possible, try to merge them, to connect them, and to continue.

Student: How do I differentiate between the good criticism of the evil inclination and the bad criticism? 

M. Laitman: Only by determining it in the group, that I try to implement the correct advice in a way that I start to see where it is in me. That's the best method.

Student: In this criticism, there are such things, that the Ten maybe needs to be reorganized, to add something. There's this subtle thing. Do I need to do something, and there's this subtle thing, when we as a group need to reorganize, where is the good, where is the bad here. 

M. Laitman: Where's the good, where's the bad? I don't even know what to say.

It's only in action, to always check, to manage what's being said inside yourself, that you won't be able to differentiate between what are the actions of Esau and Jacob. 

Question (Lithuania 1): (17:28) The evil inclination says that not everything is good. Can it be that the friend from the Ten showed you this? Or is it that only a friend from the Ten can show you this? 

M. Laitman: Only a friend in the Ten can show you. 

Student: And then the gratitude comes to you for this, and that the desire to turn to the Creator diminished, because if you receive the pleasure, should you wait for the friends to shake you up, or should you act differently? 

M. Laitman: Operate yourself in a way that you are directed toward a goal, that in every moment you will continuously be able to hold on to the goal.

Question (Women MAK 32): (18:40) Jacob needs to cover everything with love in order to beat the evil inclination, or Esau does it? 

M. Laitman: It's the work of Jacob. 

Student: Will it be enough for us if Jacob covers everything with good thoughts? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Women MAK 43): (19:11) If I use the state of Gadlut as a check of my readiness to use this for my further advancement toward bestowal, and I feel that the relation of the light happens not through my efforts, but out of the benevolence of the Creator, can it be that I reveal the state of Katnut from Gadlut?  

M. Laitman: Gadlut, the smallness, right. You can move from one state to another, to the state of Gadlut,to greatness, and maybe you have a Yesod, a foundation for it.

Student: When Esau proposes Gadlut, how can the Ten use this state to strengthen their connection? Can we consider the Gadlut as something that's being revealed in one of the friends in the Ten, in the general state of the Ten, and how to direct it correctly for the revelation of the Creator? 

M. Laitman: We can implement what we feel in the Ten by getting closer to the Creator, if this is correct or incorrect. Try, and then you'll feel if it comes from the Creator, if it gives you the correct field of work, and if in that way you'll be able to advance.

Question (Women MAK 98): (21:13) If Esau symbolizes the state in which the evil inclination convinces a person that his actions are perfect and worthy of greatness, how can a man avoid this trap of pride and continue working on himself and strive for spiritual ascent? 

M. Laitman: He simply needs to move forward, to always check himself, his thoughts, his intentions, and see if with them he can advance. 

Student: Why does the evil inclination in the form of Lavan demand pure intention to renew a person? How do we understand that even imperfect actions have value in spiritual work? 

M. Laitman: The matter is that Lavan is the upper purity, and that’s why we can participate in this quality.

Student: To refine our thoughts so then even small actions are important, even if they’re not complete?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Women MAK 104): (23:07) In the group we learn to direct all our actions and intentions at the good of the Creator, but we don't govern our hearts and our desires. What's the result of one action of bestowal in the group? 

M. Laitman: As much as you'll be tied to each other, connected to each other, that's what's important. I cannot, on my own, bestow to the Creator, but you are not anyone. but the group, as a collective, together, even if it's a weak group, will be able to. 

Question (Women Petah Tikva 23): (24:10) In the morning, a student asked you:  You said a man should invest. After the lesson there was a part... to what extent they give strength, they give the effort. Women get prepared materials for workshops, and they don't need to make efforts in this. What should the women take from the morning lesson? If I clothe my little daughter, if she's big, I harm her spiritual advancement. Should we make this effort for the Ten? 

M. Laitman: I think that women can do great actions, very sublime, elevated, that have the same effort, and the same giving, and the same success in the Torah as the men. There is no inferiority to it. So, we should strengthen men, and strengthen our women, that the women will see in their work that they are totally equal to the men. Truly so. 

Question (Kyiv): (26:31): The article is written at such a high degree. Should I seek in my spiritual work that’s usually all about unity, prayer through all these foundations where this all is, Jacob, Lavan, Esau come back to the evil inclination, what it says here. Should we try to find these elements here? 

M. Laitman: Yes, let's try to find it, and it will help you to find yourselves more correctly in the Torah.

Student: How do I find this? How do I seek this? Take part in a meeting, in a call, on Zoom with the Ten? How do I find these elements? 

M. Laitman: Imagine to yourself that what comes to you now is strengthening Jacob, or Esau, or someone else. What do you need to do then? 

Student: As a result of this work, it says, when you've overcome all the attacks of the evil inclination, then you need to send messengers and say that everything was for you. To work like an angel, it says at the end. What does it mean to send a messenger to the evil inclination? 

M. Laitman: To pay attention to your evil inclination, your egoism, and to measure how much it changes according to such an attitude to it. If it's strengthened, it grew or the opposite. Maybe it completely disappeared.

Question (Women Spain): (29:07) In the article it says everything needs to be white, without any blemish or dirt. Can we achieve such a state on our path? 

M. Laitman: Only in that way, when all of the thoughts and all of the desires and all of the actions of the person will be only in bestowal and getting closer to the Creator. 

Question (Women Polish): (30:10) How can a person check if the actions are coming from love of others and not from self-love, even if he's trying to go on his path? 

M. Laitman: To the extent that a man lies to himself, when he feels it or doesn't feel it, all this will be revealed later. For now, we have to do everything possible to assess the actions in us, in our life, and try to connect them to the group. 

Student: And if a person discovers that his yearning for the love of others is waiting for a reward, what will be the next step to get closer gradually to the bestowal? 

M. Laitman: He needs to perform actions of bestowal. He needs to help the group to perform such actions and check how this changes the attitude of the Creator to them.

Question (Women MAK 26): (31:58) Do I understand correctly that the right intention comes from the connection between us, and the actions bring us to this connection? The correct intention comes from the connection, and our actions bring us to that connection when we are doing something in Lo Lishma. 

How is there a state that Laban is disabling us? Is that losing the state that we achieved? 

M. Laitman: Yes. Yes. 

Student: How do we find the right action without having the intention? 

M. Laitman: Without the right intention, there are no right actions.

Student: So how do we come out of this disability, this shut-down state, where your evil inclination is saying that there isn't anything you can do, that it's not just futile, but it's even harmful? 

M. Laitman: Yes, yes, I understand. In this case, you have to leave your efforts and connect to a group and take part with them in what they choose to do. 

Student: To completely annul?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women MAK 105): (33:48) We are gathered here four Tens, and we would like to draw the Creator's light on the connection between us. Can we participate and connect in a large quantity, and will it help our prayer and help the world Kli? 

M. Laitman: Yes, it can. That's a very good idea. Continue.

Question (Women Baden-W): (34:22) In the article it's written that the evil inclination is not sending him thoughts. Is that a balanced state from which you need to start everything from the beginning?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Hebrew 2): (34:42) What criticism does a person need to do toward his own work in the Ten? 

M. Laitman: As much as it's possible, so that it's full. 

Student: So, for both sides to see where it is, an evil inclination and a good inclination? 

M. Laitman: Yes, let it be like this.

Student: So then starts his work anew to go on the path of truth. What does it mean to start his work anew to go on the path of truth? 

M. Laitman: He needs to do what it says there. Then he enters the discernments, the qualities of desires, and he sorts them like this until he sees to what extent he succeeds.

Student: So, it's a scrutiny that can happen multiple times a day? 

M. Laitman: Of course, yes, yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva 6): (36:19) When friends gather and raise the greatness of the goal and the importance, and they eat and sing, what is the peak moment that we need to get to in the meal? 

M. Laitman: Unity with all the friends. When you're in holy work and you bless the wine, the bread, all kinds of things, and when you're sure that from the meal from your gathering there will be good results. 

Student: Do we need a few minutes, a little bit of time dedicated to enter into this with the meal, or will the whole meal be with intention? 

M. Laitman: It's best if the whole meal from the beginning to the end is in the same intention. 

Question (Hadera 1): (37:40) When a person does something supposedly good and he awakens the left line and sees that, nevertheless, it's all for self-benefit, what is the point that he convinces the evil inclination to receive what he did? Is it before the conclusion that he did everything himself? 

M. Laitman: No. 

Student: It's not clear, what is he trying to convince the evil inclination to accept this? 

M. Laitman: He checks himself every time, again and again, can he really convince the evil inclination? I don't think that he will stay with the same intention.

Student: When does he discover that he defeated the evil inclination and got this quality? 

M. Laitman: When he really has done it, then it can be that he truly sees that his action was correct. 

Student: S,o his attempt to convince the evil inclination is to check if it's done in this way?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Lithuania 5): (39:23) In the first sentence, we should interpret the meaning of the angels that Jacob sent to Esau. In our group we are doing this exercise that you proposed, that we are all praying for one friend one day. Is it right to think that this sentence, this aspiration from this article is very similar to the action that we are performing in our group? Or is it too high?  Is it too high of an aspiration for us even to think that way. 

M. Laitman: This is similar to when you act. It's similar. 

Question (Women Turkiye 10): (40:51) I got the impression from the article that an effort that is not for the sake of the Creator has no meaning. But we work in the ego, and we don't know if our effort is really for the sake of the Creator. If the effort does not bring us to the degree of for the sake of the Creator, what should we do so that every action can be for His sake? 

M. Laitman: To perform actions with the right intention. There's nothing else to suggest here. 

Question ((Women Spain): (41:38) The evil inclination appears so that we will correct it through to Ten, or that the Creator will correct it. 

M. Laitman: According to our request, the Creator will correct.

Question (Women French): (42:10) We have what you made for us with a senior student a series on the holy books of Moses, and I listen to it every Saturday, and at the same time I don't have an emotional impression toward the characters in the books. How do I feel them? What do I need to do so that all of this will start to be felt inside? I can imagine Jacob or someone els.e but I feel like I can be mistaken here. 

M. Laitman: It's not important whether you can be mistaken; it's important for you to be engaged in this. 

Student: But maybe I should write a note for myself that this is and this character is that? 

M. Laitman: Yes, you can do it. Yes, of course. 

Question (Moscow 4): (43:31) Can the Ten affect the precision of the intention of a friend in the work? 

M. Laitman: Of course, this depends on the whole Ten.

Student: Let's say I want to change my intention. What does the result depend on, the strength of the effort on the friends or on the Creator? 

M. Laitman: This depends on many parameters.

Student: How does the Ten change the intention of a friend? Is it through prayer or something else? 

M. Laitman: No, not just the prayer. It can change the intention of the friends in any way it can.

Question (MAK 11): (44:43) How can it be that the ego disappears? What is the state if the ego is the fuel? 

M. Laitman: The Creator can neutralize the go in part or fully because it created it for his goals. That's why if he wants, he elevates, if he doesn't, he removes.

Question (Women Kavkaz 1): (45:29) From the article it turns out that perfectionism in the spiritual world can also be from the evil inclination. When the evil inclination tells you that if you don't do everything for the sake of the Creator, then there's no point in even starting. But if you do everything, would it be that the next step is to scrutinize whether I'm doing everything for the sake of the Creator, or if I can do a small part for the sake of the Creator, do I need to then increase it? 

M. Laitman: Why are you so concerned about this? 

Student: It seems to me that we’re striving for wholeness, and I want to do everything for the sake of the Creator, and I see that I can't, but I'm striving for it. So, on one hand you said that it's the upper whiteness, and what I feel in the article, it's written that it's the evil inclination that is hiding there, that that's the place where I need to invert myself inside.

M. Laitman: We'll wait a little bit. Your opinion might change. 

Question (Women MAK 26): (47:20) When I'm satisfied with myself, is it always the evil inclination, and when the Ten is satisfied with me, it's the result of working with the right intention? 

M. Laitman: Usually, it's like this. 

Question (Women MAK 97): (47:43) In the article it's written that only after a person recognizes his evil and says that everything that was done until now was for self-benefit, then the evil inclination agrees to it and then to work for the sake of the Creator. Is it possible to say that when we invert the evil inclination into our partner, we acquire a new Kelim for drawing the light of Hochma? 

M. Laitman: This is a questionable statement, but it's best to check it in many different cases. 

Question (Women MAK 25): (48:38) If the evil inclination is revealed in a higher and higher level and the pressure is increased, how do we then add love into such states? 

M. Laitman: Usually it's not straight away, but bit by bit, in fragments. 

Student: We can ask the Creator to correct these parts, these bits? 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course. 

Question (MAK 24): (49:25) When all of the group gets to the state of absolute, complete bestowal, will we get light from Him? Will it be in order to bestow to the Creator? 

M. Laitman: This will be the end of correction.

Student: When we talk about the general correction with the friends who are advancing faster, how can we effectively give an example? 

M. Laitman: Let them strive for this state. Exactly that. 

Question (Women MAK 36): (50:04) Can you please speak about a person needing to get to such work that he's not working on the intention himself, but that the intention will be what's governing the action? I'm always trying to scrutinize this, but maybe I'm mistaken. When we're 100% in the evil inclination, it turns out it's when we're scrutinizing the intention, and we discover how the intention was deceptive, and it was always a deception, there is this impregnation of a new foundation and a gift from the Creator that the intention will be what governs me. Is that right? 

M. Laitman: That's correct. Well done.

Question (Women Petah Tikva 33): (51:08) What does it mean to do a complete criticism? 

M. Laitman: Full analysis means that, just like the bad inclination, the same with the good inclination, and my relationship with the Creator, my attitude to Him and His to me, and our relationships in the group, so that when I can perform discernment, when I can scan, this is what I have to do. 

Women (Women Kyiv 7): (52:05) When does a kabbalist do this canned scrutiny, in the evening or in the morning? 

M. Laitman: Not in the morning, not in the evening, but at the end of a certain amount of work. 

Student: Another question. How do you work with the whiteness in the actions?

M. Laitman: What do I do with the actions? I need to compare them to the good ones and purify them in this way. This includes the correct and incorrect actions. 

Question (Women MAK 62): (53:00) A friend is praying for the whole Ten and the whole Ten is holding her throughout the day. iN this feeling of incorporating in a strong way and connecting and we had good feelings, how do we turn this feeling of pleasure from the connection into bestowal? The feeling is that it's not enough to pray and thank the Creator, and we don't want these good feelings and the pleasure from the connection TO fall to the Klipot, to the shells.

M. Laitman: Keep thinking about this. 

Student: And hold on to the prayer and the exercise? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Women Almaty): (53:59) We at first feel strength, we know that we're in intention, and we're doing everything for the Ten and the Creator. At some point the feeling of despair comes that you can't do anything, and you are adhering to the group and but what after that? Prayer? And again, this process, this path, will repeat itself? We start again?

M. Laitman: It may be, but usually the states change, and you won't be able to recognize fragments from the past states in new states. 

Question (Women MAK 19): (54:54) Could you please explain what happens with this quality of Esau? Why does he not want to receive the blessing from Jacob, and he needs to be convinced? 

M. Laitman: This is opposite to the quality of bestowal, so it's very hard to grasp onto something.

Student: And after he gets it anyway, what happens to that quality? 

M. Laitman: When he accepts this quality then there will be a big correction. 

Question (Women MAK 104): (55:51) I heard that we can change the intention of a friend, to connect them all in me and to raise MAN. Is that the best way? 

M. Laitman: This is the only way to achieve this new quality. 

Question (MAK 39): (56:17) How can we, every day, hold on to the greatness of the goal? All sorts of problems arise in corporeality, and you understand that you can't do the work. So, how do we hold on to this every day? 

M. Laitman: Try to all together hold on to this goal, in this clarification and strengthening of the importance of the goal. 

Student: And you can't do anything individually, only in the group? 

M. Laitman: Yes, the individual work is described in the articles.

Question (Moscow 4): (57:21) How can a Ten change my intention other than prayer? What other actions are there? 

M. Laitman: I don't know. The Ten can show you what intentions they have and you'll see to what extent your intentions don't match theirs. 

Student: I see everything through the ego.

M. Laitman: It doesn't matter. This will pass. Everything will change. You have to continue another year, another two years. You'll see how this blanket or this skin falls off you.  Call it the way you want. 

Question (Asia): (58:19) You mentioned before the scanning and the work with the friends and the calculation that's with the Creator. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Women Hebrew 2): (58:42) It says in this article that in the work of a person on spirituality, you need to learn on one hand there is consistency with the intention, and on the other hand flexibility to go through the states? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: And going from Lo Lishma to Lishma.

M. Laitman: Yes, yes. 

We’ve run out of time. Until tomorrow. Bye-bye.

Announcements: (01:00:22)

Song: (01:02:12)