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Daily
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Lesson:
August
24,
2026
Part 2: Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Chapter Two. Inner Light. #1. Start With: Now you can understand what the ARI
Reader: Hello friends, we are very excited, me and the friend are very happy to be here! What a special lesson we just heard from the Rav, we want to start with a short part we heard in the lesson:
Reading: (00:18) Our work altogether, through all kinds of actions, is to discover the next in-line record. That's it. I realized it. After that I continue, discover the next in-line record, higher, and higher, and higher, and this way I return to that same place from which my soul has descended.
Reader: It really connects to what we are going to read, now, in The Study of the Ten Sefirot. We are in the Study of the Ten Sefirot – we're in Volume 1, Part 1, Chapter 2, we're inside Item 1 of The Words of the ARI. We'll read it now and then we'll move, we'll enter into Item 2, Item 2 of The Inner Light. So, we'll start with Item 1, The Words of the ARI: From Ein Sof, He extended a line into the space, Item 1.
Reading: (01:15) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Chapter Two. Inner Light. #1.
1. After the above restriction, there remained a place of space and vacant, empty air in the very middle of that light of Ein Sof (1). Then there was a place where the emanated beings and the created beings and the formed beings and the made beings could be. Then, He extended one straight line from the light of Ein Sof(2), from His circular light(3) from above downward(4), and it cascades and descends into that space.
Reader: So now, we're going to learn what the line is.
Inner Light: From Ein Sof, one direct line.
So, what we learned in the previous lesson was that Baal HaSulam explains that there are no changes in the light, no changes in the upper one, everything is round, and all the changes are only in the created being. So we'll read two quotes:
Reading: (02:21) You should know that all the innovations and cascading of these degrees are only about the inspiration of the vessel and the way it receives from the upper light, because that is what brings the changes.
Reader: Another small quote about:
Reading: (02:40) The restriction and departure of the Light, only by the inspiration and reception of the vessel,
Meaning the middle point.
Reader 2: Now we'll start studying how in that circle, that everything is equal, and suddenly — well, not suddenly — starts the line. What is the line, what is the circle, and how the line discerns the circle.
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Reader: We are reading from The Study of the Ten Sefirot," Volume 1, the Inner Light, we're starting with the words:
Reading: (03:26) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Chapter Two. Inner Light. #2. Start With: Now you can understand what the ARI
Now you can understand what the ARI meant by the words, “He extended one straight line from the light of Ein Sof.” It means that the place of the space itself, meaning the vessel that had been emptied of the light of Ein Sof, it, itself, caused the extension of the line from Ein Sof, because of the diminution that was innovated in the will to receive in it. The measure of its current reception, after the restriction of its phase four, is called “line,” meaning relating to its previous reception in phase four that filled the entire place. However, now that she does not have that great will to receive, but only the previous three phases of the desire, whose will to receive is weak, it is regarded as that vessel not receiving more of the light of Ein Sof, but only one line of light.
The entire place of the vessel remains empty and vacant from light because that minute light that she receives now is not enough to fill the entire place of the vessel. That happened because of the absence of phase four, which she diminished. We see that the upper light was not at all stopped by the restriction, and did not change at all so as to draw the light as one line. Instead, that whole great change happened because of the vessels of reception that were diminished, and can now receive from the light of Ein Sof only a very small measure, called “line,” according to the measure of her desire. This is because she does not want more than that measure.
M. Laitman: (05:30) Meaning, you see as much as you can be in equivalence of form with the Creator in a mutual relation between them, in love and giving. On behalf of the created being, it's a line, in behalf of the Creator, it's infinite; but on behalf of the created being, it's a thin line in the middle of the space. The space is the Creator's relation towards him, an infinite relation but a created being is only able to absorb that. What does this line symbolize? That actually the created being, in that line, doesn't reveal the right vessel, true deficiency to be equal to the Creator. It's like a baby, he can't reveal as much as the giving is great, that it's infinite, it doesn't mean anything, he's not in it. He must discover the true relation, he must discover a desire on his own behalf; he has to understand and attain that he can't implement it on his own. He has to demand it, to ask for the upper light for it, otherwise, he won't be adhered to the upper light, if it could implement it on its own and to reach that same form, that same intensity, let's say, of giving on his own behalf towards the light. There are actions, essential actions in order to implement the thought of creation, The good to do good to His created being on behalf of the Creator. And the same thought that was formulated in the created being as a cause for the first restriction. That, the created being wanted to reach a state that he is exactly like the Creator. So, to implement that thought, to be as a Creator, you need to work hard in a very long order of actions. The created being, that is Malchut, the middle point that can only restrict itself and with a screen that's revealed to draw a line. And in that line to create all the worlds, that state you can still see, as much as compared to Ei Sof, that infinite circle, that's what we feel in this depiction. So, the created being still doesn't work as a created being. It's all the components there are still from the Creator, why? Because we were saying that phase four felt itself, that it wants to receive, and it restricts itself; that it supposedly distanced itself completely from the light. The light departs from all the phases and then she draws the light already after she's empty, with the screen, she makes a beating upon it, and only afterwards a coupling. So, why do we not say that the created being performs these actions but it still supposedly comes on behalf of the Creator? Because the will to receive of the created being, even though it was emptied, it was emptied because it received these qualities from the Creator, and it is still not the lack of equivalence of form, or in contradiction to the Creator. There was still never such a thing, it was only revealed in the shattering, and after the shattering, that the will to receive completely distanced itself from this world, and from there started growing itself. Also, until you reach a state that we have a choice, meaning the four phases and then the world of Ein Sof, the first restriction, then the screen, and the world of AK and ABYA, and this world. And from it, after our whole history, we start ascending until we reach the world of Atzilut.
M. Laitman: (10:39) We still don't have freedom of choice, only here is our true freedom of choice. And the created being starts resembling the Creator, being similar to Him in Galgalta ve Eynaim, and then in AHP. When he truly starts working with his own desires, and this whole turnaround, until here, is all preparation. That in the will to receive, still the right discernment wasn't revealed in order for it to work from within itself because here, there are two lines, and only in the middle can he build himself. And here what we learn: the Light of Ein Sof, Tzimtzum Aleph, the screen – even though starts building the line in the world of Adam Kadmon and ABYA – there is still a line that goes with the same good desires that come on behalf of the light.
Reader: Little Item 3
Reading: (12:26) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Chapter Two. Inner Light. #3.
3. From His circular light:
We have already explained the meaning of the image of the circle (Chapter 1, Item 100). He tells us that even after the restriction, the upper light remained in the form of a circle, meaning without discrimination of degrees. Its four phases are of equal merit (Ibid.), and the reason is (in the above item) that the upper light is not subject to innovation and change. These above kinds of innovations are only with respect to the vessels.
Reader: Item Four, Little Item Four, relates to From above downward, and it cascades and descends into that space.
Reading: (13:20) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Chapter Two. Inner Light. #4.
4. From above downward, and it cascades and descends into that space:
Do not forget that we are not discussing corporeal terms whatsoever. Instead, the more refined is called “higher,” and the coarser is called “lower.” Anything that can be perceived as expansion of light from the Emanator and its coming into the state of an emanated being is regarded primarily as innovation of the disparity of form that exists in the emanated being. In other words, it refers to the will to receive that does not exist in the Emanator and was innovated in him. Because of this, the emanated being is regarded as far, coarse, low, and inferior to the Emanator, since the disparity of form from the Emanator does all that and moves him from the phase of the Emanator to the phase of the emanated being. You should also know that that disparity of form, namely the will to receive, is not revealed at once, but forms gradually, over four phases. Its form is completed only in phase four.
It therefore turns out that the more the form of its will to receive is weak, meaning the first phase of the four phases, the closer it is to the Emanator, and it is more important, more refined, and higher, since the disparity of form in her is not as great as in the three subsequent phases. Phase two, whose desire is greater than in phase one, is regarded as farther from the Emanator, coarser, lower, and inferior to the first phase. Finally, phase four is the farthest from the Emanator, lower, coarser, and inferior to all of them.
That is why the ARI writes that the line is extended from above downward, meaning from the first phase to the fourth phase (and not all the way), which is the lowest. The matter of above and below was innovated with the emergence of the line. Before the line shone, meaning during the restriction, there was no discernment of up or down there (see Chapter 1, Item 100). However, after she received the light merely as a line, meaning she did not receive it in all four phases, but only in her first three phases, phase four remained dark, without light. Only now was phase four revealed as low, coarse, and inferior, and that the three preceding phases are set up on it according to their refinement and proximity to the Emanator. However, during the restriction, when the light left all four phases at once, that discernment among the degrees had not yet occurred. For phases, the closer it is to the Emanator, and it is more important, more refined, and higher, since the disparity of form in her is not as great as in the three subsequent phases. Phase 2, whose desire is greater than in Phase 1, is regarded as farther from the Emanator, coarser, lower, and inferior to the first phase. Finally, Phase 4 is the farthest from the Emanator, lower, coarser, and inferior to all of them. That is why the Ari writes that the line is extended from above downward, meaning from the first phase to the fourth phase, which is the lowest. The matter of above and below was innovated with the emergence of the line, because before the line, meaning during the restriction, there was no discernment of up or down there. However, after she received the light merely as a line, meaning she did not receive it in all four phases, but only in her first three phases — Phase 4 remained dark, without light. Only now was Phase 4 revealed as low, coarse, and inferior, and that the three preceding phases are set up on it according to their refinement and proximity to the Emanator. However, during the restriction, when the light left all four phases at once, that discernment among the degrees had not yet occurred.
M. Laitman: (16:46) So, what does he want to say? I'll say maybe differently: what does phase four discovers from the four phases of direct light? She discovers herself, only herself. Now, by all the development she has in the worlds, she discovers herself compared to the previous phases. From them, in the previous phases, they are called the first nine Sefirot. From them she receives the desire to bestow, she makes that desire to bestow as her own will to receive. By this, phase four raises itself and becomes like this whole big circle. Then from that, she starts correcting herself. Meaning, phase four, from a point — well, better not like this — she's the center point, phase four, she connects to the first nine Sefirot; then she rises upon them. By the shattering of the vessels, she can acquire from these first nine, she wants to be a bestower like they are. Then she receives from them a desire to receive from them, that is in the shattering, then she becomes bigger, like the light. One against the other is what the Creator created. Big in her corrupted desire, like the light, meaning, she starts, after the shattering, to be big like this whole circle. She includes the first nine Sefirot in her, so then this is called a Klipa, the shell, and then she starts correcting herself. Because when she's so big, when she corrects herself gradually, she brings herself to a state that in this whole area, the light is in control from the control of phase four – from the will to receive, lets the light be in control – or in other words, she receives the qualities of the light, the quality of bestowal, upon the will to receive in her. So, a Klipa and the correction.
Meaning, what I want to say: phase four that we are talking about and all of our expansion, as we said here until the freedom of choice, it's all called that it came from above. It was still not talking about a created being; the created being is a state that starts correcting itself after there are systems of holiness and Klipa, and discovers itself as in control, wants to control this whole circle. If phase four feels itself, only, so there's only Nefesh. When she acquires this whole NRNHY, so she has NRNHY that enters inside in a shattered manner. And then in the correction she reaches, well obviously a different NRNHY because this is NRNHY of Nefesh and here it's NRNHY of NRNHY. Well, there aren't really words for this still, I'm not so concentrated – well, keep going.
Reader: Item 2, the words of the ARI.
Reading: (21:39) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Chapter Two. Little Item 2. Twice
The beginning of the line touches Ein Sof, not its end.
2. The upper beginning of the line(5) is extended from Ein Sof Himself and touches it(6), but the end of that line, down at its end(7), does not touch the light of Ein Sof.
Reader: Again, item 2.
Reader: Little Item 5, Inner Light, relates to
Reading: (22:16) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Chapter Two. Inner Light. #5.
Inner Light
5. The upper beginning of the line is extended from Ein Sof Himself: Meaning the first phase of the four phases (see above item).
Reader: Little Item 6 relates to
Reading: (22:35) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Chapter Two. Inner Light. #6.
6. And touches it: Phase one, being the upper Rosh, is the closest to Ein Sof, meaning to the Emanator. For this reason, it is regarded as touching Him, since the disparity of form in phase one is not apparent enough to separate it from the Emanator.
Reader: Little Item 7.
M. Laitman: (23:02) Because even though she has a desire and the will to receive that she discovered, so it came directly from the light that discovered that she was created in such a way — the light created her as opposite of Him, existence from absence. But even though it's opposite, this oppositeness is still not on its own account, it's not a Klipa, yet, it's not that I am intending and wanting, like we learn in, can intend or not intend, or, can't but intends. Meaning in these forms, the shell, the Klipa can separate from the pleasure but doesn't intend to do that. There still isn't such a form in phase four, even here, what we're speaking about, there still isn't a true Klipa. And that's why, even though it's revealed that it's opposite but because of its own nature, it can't still ascribe it to itself. That's why we say that even though there was a restriction but before the restriction, it discovered that it is opposite. Nothing was harmed by it because the created being who discovered it, suddenly discovers it. From the Creator, there was a perfect state but what is revealed, it's all towards the created being.
And also when the created being discovers it, so right away with that revelation, he performs this action of distance, restriction. That's why there was still, on behalf of the created being, no desire that's against the Creator from his own behalf. That's why it's all holiness, even though the restrictions and distance and the departure of the light, but it's still all in holiness because it was revealed from the wholeness.
Reader: Little Item 7 relates down at its end, does not touch the Light of Ein Sof.
Down at its end implies to phase 4, the farthest and lowest of them all. Now, she does not receive the upper light and is therefore regarded as not touching the Light of Ein Sof, but is separated from it.
M. Laitman: Meaning, it gives us definitions: above, below, it's all according to the line, that if there's a relation from the created being to the Creator, so the created being determines all the definitions now. But in Ein Sof, there are no definitions, because everything's equal.
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Reader: So, we want to immediately go to our lesson here with all the friends from the World Kli. We have a question for the general assembly while the impression still works in us. We heard Rav saying that phase 4 takes the desire to bestow of the first nine and makes it her desire to receive. And by that raises herself and becomes like that whole big circle, and then from that, she begins to correct herself.
We want to ask the friends, also in the World Kli, put your question marks up so that we can get your ability to speak as well. I want to say: why this whole process is only here where she starts correcting herself?
Reader 2: Yes, we're just trying to—we want to try a new form. Each one just raises his hand and says what their answer is. Again, so we heard Rav saying that in phase 4, right here, he drew it, phase 4 take the will to receive of the first nine, right? Then turns it into her own will to receive, and by this, she raises herself and becomes like that big circle, right? You saw it, remember, from that big circle; and then from that, she starts correcting herself. So, why only after she made herself this big circle, she can start correcting herself, only then?