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

Daily Morning Lesson: October 19, 2026

Part 1: Rabash. The Reason for Straightening the Legs and Covering the Head During the Prayer. Article No. 32, 1986.

Reader: Hello, friends. In the first part of the lesson, we will learn from a recorded lesson from the 16th of August, 2002, based on the article "The Reason for Straightening the Legs and Covering the Head During the Prayer," from "The Writings of Rabash.” We will read the article together in the Ten. We have 38 minutes for that.

Reading: (00:51) The Reason for Straightening the Legs and Covering the Head During the Prayer

Article No. 32, 1986

It is written in The Zohar (Vaetchanan, item 10): “Come and see, he who stands during the prayer should straighten his legs and cover his head as one who is standing before the King, and he should cover his eyes so as not to look at the Shechina [divinity].” In The Zohar (Vaetchanan, item 11) he asks, “You say, ‘One who is looking at the Shechina while he is praying.’ But how can he look at the Shechina? He replies, ‘It is to verify that the Shechina is standing in front of him during his prayer. This is why he must not open his eyes.’”

We should understand what the matter of straightening the legs implies, for it seems to be a condition in the prayer, meaning it implies an important issue, so what is it? We should also understand why we must cover the head during the prayer. It cannot be said that it means we must cover the head with the Talit [prayer shawl] during the prayer, for this pertains only to the morning prayer. But in the afternoon and evening prayers, which we pray without a Talit, how can we speak of covering the head? So what does it imply?

Also, what does it mean to cover the eyes? We cover our eyes when we read the Shema reading, but here he says that during the prayer we should also cover our eyes, so we should know what these words imply. We should also understand the reply of the holy Zohar to the question, “How can he look at the Shechina?”

He explains that it is to verify that the Shechina is standing in front of him during his prayer. But the answer is unclear: What is the connection between closing the eyes and knowing that the Shechina is standing in front of him? To understand the above we must return to the whole matter of the work of creation—what it is for and what is the degree that Creation should achieve?

It is known that the purpose of creation was to do good to His creations. To this comes the famous question, “Why then are the delight and pleasure not evident to each and every one of the creatures? Rather, we see the opposite: the whole world is suffering and tormented before they obtain some delight and pleasure. For the most part, when a person introspects, he says what our sages said, “It would have been better not to be born than to be born” (Iruvin, 13). In their words, “It would be preferable for man not to be born than to be born.”

It is known that the answer is that in order not to have shame, called “bread of shame,” we were given a correction called “equivalence of form.” This means that every delight and pleasure that one receives should be with the intention to bestow. In order to be able to accustom himself to receive pleasures in order to bestow there had to be a Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment, so we would not see the great pleasures dressed in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] right away.

We can learn the order of the work in order to bestow in corporeal matters, where there are only small pleasures, which the holy Zohar calls “thin light,” meaning “very faint light.” That is, holy sparks fell into the Klipot [shells/peels] so they will exist. On that light, which is found in corporeal pleasures, we can learn how to receive them in order to bestow because on smaller pleasures it is easier to accustom ourselves to receive them only in order to bestow. That is, it is easier to say, “If I cannot aim to bestow I give them up and do not want to receive these pleasures because by them I become separated from the Creator.”

It is known that He works only to bestow, and the lower one wants specifically to receive. Thus, there is no equivalence of form here. For this reason, meaning, since he wants to adhere to the Creator, the act of reception detaches him from feeling the Creator due to the Tzimtzum and concealment that took place so he could accustom himself to be able to do things and direct them to bestow. But if the Providence of the Creator were revealed, the delight and pleasure would be revealed and man would not be able to overcome his vessels of reception.

By this we will understand what our sages said, that during the prayer a man must straighten his legs. Raglaim [legs] comes from the word Meraglim [spies]. That is, the argument of the spies comes to a person. They saw that it was not worthwhile to commence the work to reach the holy land, which is the land of Israel, for two reasons: 1) What would the will to receive gain if he walked on the path that reaches only the King? That is, he would toil with his work that he is doing for the Creator and the will to receive will not benefit, but lose, and the desire to bestow will gain. But what will the will to receive—which is the heart of the created being—have? 2) Even if we say that it is worthwhile to serve the King, that it brings man great pleasure, not every person is fit for this. This must require special stipulations, which are specifically for people born with great talents and courage, who can overcome all the obstacles found when wanting to approach Kedusha [holiness/sanctity].

Rather, it is enough for us to remain on the same level as the whole of Israel. Why should we seek higher degrees than the general public? I don’t need to be an exception and I am content with simply keeping Torah and Mitzvot, without any intentions. This work will certainly be easier because it is closer to our vessels of reception.

Why should I look at a handful of people saying that the most important is to work for the Creator? Surely, the whole public is working for the Creator, so I will be as one of them. This is called “spies.”

It was said that during the prayer he must straighten his legs. This means that he should say that what the spies are showing him, this way—that only a handful of people say that we must walk only in this path—that only this path is the truth, and not the other ways, although they are paths of truth.

This is as our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], and from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake].” What our sages said must be true, but this path of trying to walk on the path that leads directly for the Creator is called “the complete truth.” This means that he should reply to the spies telling him that what he was doing was wrong, “Now I am going to ask the Creator to help me walk on my way, which I have chosen now, and say that only this is an upright way.”

This is the meaning of having to straighten the legs during the prayer. It follows that the prayer that he is going to pray to the Creator is for a deficiency, for if he has no deficiency, he has nothing for which to ask and pray. And what is my deficiency? It is that I see that the spies won’t leave me alone, and I don’t want to walk in their ways. However, I see that all my thoughts and desires are only for my own benefit, and I see that I cannot do anything for the Creator.

Thus, all I need now, and for which I should ask the Creator, is that He will give me a Kli [vessel], called “desire.” That is, I am deficient of deficiency, meaning a desire to want to serve the King, and that this will be my every wish and aspiration, and not to worry about things that do not concern serving the Creator.

However, the real reason why a person does not crave to serve the King is not that he does not want to serve the King. Rather, Baal HaSulam said that the reason is that he does not believe that he is standing before the King. But when he feels that he is standing before the King, his choice becomes annulled and he annuls before the King as a candle before a torch.

It therefore follows that the main thing on which one should work in his labor is to be rewarded with faith, meaning to feel that the Creator exists, as our sages said (Pirkey Avot), “The eye sees and the ear hears,” since there is concealment over us. But before we exit self-love, we are still under the Tzimtzum that was done, so that the place of reception will be dark, without light, which is called “a space vacant of upper light.”

For this reason, he asks the Creator to open his eyes so he will feel that he is standing in front of the Creator. He needs this not because he wants to enjoy standing in front of the Creator. Rather, he wants to bestow upon the Creator and cannot do anything because he still does not feel the importance of the Creator. Instead, to him, the Shechina is in exile. That is, when it occurs to him to do something for the Creator and not think of his own benefit, the world grows dark on him. It seems to him that now he has passed away from the world and died.

That is, he begins to feel that his entire existence is annulled and he no longer merits a name. For this reason, right at the beginning of his entrance into that state he wants to escape it because at that time he feels the unpleasantness that this situation is causing him, and he cannot continue walking on this path. He understands that if he begins to walk on the path of “Only for the Creator,” he should feel life and happiness. But suddenly he sees the opposite.

This brings up the question, “Why is this so?” The answer is that in this state, when he feels this way, he can feel the meaning of “Shechina in the dust.” That is, he feels that he has fallen so low that he has really stooped to the ground. Afterwards, when he knows what is “Shechina in the dust,” he can pray to the Creator and do good deeds so the Creator will raise the Shechina from the dust.

That is, where he felt that assuming the burden of the kingdom of heaven—meaning to work only for the Creator and not for himself—tastes like dust, he asks the Creator to remove His concealment from him so he will be rewarded with seeing that the Shechina is called the “land of the living.” That is, precisely by wanting to do everything for the Creator and not for his own benefit, precisely from here one is rewarded with the real life. This is the meaning of the “land of the living,” a land from which life springs to all. Conversely, the land of the Sitra Achra [other side] is called a “land that consumes its dwellers.”

It is known that the matter of reception causes separation from the Kedusha. For this reason, “the wicked in their lives are called ‘dead.’” Bestowal is called Dvekut, as it is written, “And you who cling to the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.” This means that a person wanting the Creator to open his eyes and to be rewarded with faith, meaning to feel His existence, does not mean that he craves the pleasure of feeling that he is standing before the King. Rather, he craves not to be wicked by not wanting to observe the commandment of loving the Creator. And although there cannot be love without pleasure, there is the matter that one wants it directly, and indirectly, something else is drawn.

For example, a person wants to love his children because he wants to enjoy it. Although it cannot be said that he loves the matter and does not feel pleasure about it, for where one feels suffering we cannot speak of love. Only sometimes we say that we are happy about suffering, since by this we might gain something. It is like a person going through surgery in a hospital. He pays the doctor a lot of money, and he does not say that he loves it, but he is happy about it because by this he will gain something important—his life.

Therefore, we cannot say that he wants to love his children and work for them so as to enjoy. Rather, the fact that he wants to love is love that comes naturally and has nothing to do with pleasure. But his love for them gives him joy. It follows that the pleasure derived from love of the children is extended indirectly.

It is the same when a person asks the Creator to bring him closer and give him the light of faith, to feel the existence of the Creator. Naturally, at that time he annuls before the Creator and certainly enjoys. However, this is not what he means. Rather, his intention is that he wants the Creator to bring him closer because he sees that he is wicked and cannot do anything, except for his own benefit. Thus, he truly wants to exit self-love.

It follows that his intention is to exit self-love, and not to receive greater pleasure. That is, since he does not enjoy corporeal pleasures all that much, to give more pleasure to his will to receive, this is his purpose, meaning that he wants his self-love will have more pleasure. Certainly not! On the contrary, he wants to exit self-love altogether.

But the reason that causes him to want to ask the Creator to take him out of self-love and give him the light of faith is only that he is Jewish and must observe Torah and Mitzvot because the Creator has commanded us to observe His will. But he sees that he has nothing to do with bestowing upon the Creator. Rather, all his concerns are as those of the gentiles, only self-love. This motivates him to go and ask for something—to be able to be a Jew and not a gentile who belongs to the nations of the world.

However, we should remember that it is impossible to feel the existence of the Creator without feeling pleasure. And yet, this is so when the pleasure comes to him indirectly, meaning when he does not intend it but that it comes to him by itself because it is natural that when we feel that we are standing before the King we feel the importance of the King, and to that extent we are filled with pleasure.

It therefore follows that it cannot be said that he is standing before the King and feels that he wants to annul before the King, and at the same time feel unpleasantness because he wants to annul. Therefore, when a person sees, if he begins to work in order to bestow and feels that by his annulling before the Creator he feels unpleasantness, he should say that this is not the form of the King, but that such a feeling came to him in order to know the meaning of “Shechina in exile” or “Shechina in the dust.”

Then the time is ripe for praying to the Creator to bring him closer, since otherwise he sees that there is no way that he will be able to enter Kedusha by himself, since he feels that all the body’s organs resist serving the King and annulling his existence, so all his aspirations will be only to serve the King. At that time he is called “deficient,” when there is no one in the world who can help him but the Creator Himself.

However, regarding the deficiency, we should make several discernments in order to be fit for fulfillment when praying to the Creator to help him:

1) He has what he needs, but he does not feel its absence. For example, a man has a family of six, and his friends have a family as big as his and live in three rooms, while he lives in an apartment with two rooms. He is content with little and does not feel deficient of another room. Naturally, when he does not feel deficient he does not make efforts to obtain another room. It follows that with such a deficiency we cannot speak of prayer, therefore granting the prayer is irrelevant because “there is no light without a Kli, since there is no filling without a lack.”

2) He feels its deficiency and begins to try to obtain it. However, after some time of making efforts to satisfy his need he sees that he cannot obtain it so easily and despairs. He begins to tell himself that he does not have to be among the prominent people in the public and can settle for what he has. By man’s nature, the laziness helps him justify his lack of effort to a great extent. Hence, now he is restful and carefree because now he does not want anything.

However, since before he despaired he made great efforts to obtain what he wanted, thoughts of the deficiencies, the filling he had hoped to achieve, keep coming to him. And as much as he had exerted to obtain them, it is as though the filling itself is awakening him now to begin the work anew.

At that time a person comes to a state where he asks the Creator to remove all the thoughts that awaken him to feel deficient and work on them. Instead, he prays that no lack will come into his mind. All he wants now, and if he attains this it will be a state he calls, “good,” is not to feel any lack.

It therefore follows that the filling he hopes for is not to have a sense of deficiency. This is the entire filling for which he hopes. Now he wants to enjoy the absence of feeling deficiencies, and does not expect the filling of the deficiencies. Rather, the whole satisfaction is in the absence of the feeling of lack. This is what he wants now, that this will be the best state in his life.

This means that should his friend come and ask him, “Do you need anything? I will try to grant you your wish,” he will reply to him, “Believe me that now I am in a state where I do not need anything. Now all I want is rest, not to worry about anything. I am embarrassed to tell you since you came to me and you probably came in order to delight me, but to tell you the truth, even you are interrupting my rest by having to try to think what to speak to you about. So I’ll tell you the truth, go in peace and do me a favor, tell all our friends not to come visit me if they see that I am not around you, since the only good I feel in my life is rest from all the troubles.”

Certainly, when a person prays that the Creator will satisfy such a deficiency he cannot receive satisfaction of such a prayer, which is built on the foundation of despair and idleness. He wants the Creator to help him be lazy, and such a deficiency is not about to be filled because such fillings will not build the world. All the prayers must be for construction, and not the other way around. We must pray for the correction of the world, and idleness will not yield any construction.

3) He feels his deficiency and all the thoughts of idleness and despair cannot satisfy his lack. For this reason he tries to seek advice on how to obtain what he wants. It follows that he is praying to the Creator for the filling of his deficiency because he wants the construction of the world. He sees that in the state he is in, he is also constructing, but all the buildings he is building are like little children playing and building toy houses then dismantling them, only in order to build once more. It is the building they enjoy.

Likewise, he is looking at the corporeal life. And as the games of the children who are building will not build the world, corporeal pleasures will not be the construction of the world, which must have been created for a purpose and not for little children. So how can he agree to remain among little children?

And although the children laugh at him that he does not want to play with them and do not understand him, thinking that he probably does not have a sense for life and does not know that we can enjoy life, but he is not like everyone else, but seemingly wants to retire from the world and go to the desert to live like the desert animals.

And yet, he cannot give them any answers since he has no common language with them. In any case, he is suffering due to his lack—that he wants to be rewarded with spiritual life. It follows that only in the third discernment of a deficiency can we say that his prayer is called “a prayer,” since he demands filling, so he can correct the world, so as to have the ability to receive the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations. He believes that all the concealment and restriction that exist in the world is because we haven’t the proper tools fit for the abundance of Godliness, which is a vessel of bestowal.

For this reason, he asks the Creator to give him vessels of bestowal. We can obtain this by feeling the greatness and importance of the King. But when the Shechina is in exile and when the work tastes like dust, how can we continue this work? This is why a prayer such as this is accepted.

Now we can interpret the words of the holy Zohar, when we asked about the intention of saying that we must cover the head and close our eyes as though standing before the King. It is known that the head is called “man’s mind.” Likewise, the eyes are regarded as the mind, as it is written, “The eyes of the congregation,” which means the elders of the congregation.

Covering and closing mean not looking at what the mind tells him. This means that when a person stands in the prayer, he must believe that he is standing before the King. Although he does not feel the King, he should pray that the Creator will give him the power of faith to feel that he is standing in front of the King. That is, he wants the power of faith that will be just like knowing, meaning that the body will be impressed by the faith that he believes, as though he is seeing the King and is impressed with the King. This is the faith for which he prays.

This is why he says that it is forbidden to open the eyes during the prayer because it is forbidden to look at the Shechina. The holy Zohar asks, “How can he look at the Shechina?” He replies that it is to verify that the Shechina is standing in front of him during his prayer, which is why he is forbidden to open his eyes.

We asked, “What is the answer?” The thing is that the faith that a person believes should be exactly as if he is seeing the Shechina. Otherwise, if his faith has not reached this level, it is not regarded as real faith. This is the kind of faith for which one should pray, that the faith will work in him as though he is seeing everything with his eyes. 

Reader: We will now continue to the lesson from the 16th of August, 2002.

M. Laitman: (38:42) First of all, what did we hear? We heard an article, "The Reason for Straightening the Legs and Covering the Head During the Prayer." This is from the Zohar, Va Etchanan, item 10. Why these long articles? Rabash wrote them once a week for the assembly of the society, and throughout the week he would write. He had certain times, sometimes he wrote outside those times, but typically in the middle of the day, at noon, when we came back from the beach, he would go to rest and then he would start typing with those old typewriters, no computer. And since he wrote during the week, it was a long article, and thoughts change, and even if he wanted to hold on to it, he would start listening to questions from students, and so everything kind of got longer. So one article could be divided to a few, and it's worthwhile doing. By the way, if he was asked what kind of work to do at home in the free time, he would recommend taking the articles and shortening them, and summarizing them, and breaking them down to pieces, and adding some questions and answers. In short, working on the text to understand it, to research it.

The article is very refined, complex, it includes many things, but the main point of discussion is faith. Also, in the previous article that we read yesterday, we ran into reward and punishment and sin, and we talked about how in spirituality, the definitions are not like in corporeality.

In corporeality, sin means that I've done some act, and so I've sinned, meaning I did it incorrectly, I had wrong intentions, wrong preparation. I simply sinned. In spirituality, sin means a state. It doesn't mean that I went and did something bad, but the fact that something bad has happened is called a sin. Of course, it happens from above. I haven't done it. Who am I to do anything, to begin with? So to start with, we're looking totally differently at the owner of the act than the act itself. We rather determine that the act is called a sin. Of course, you're not guilty, no one's going to punish you, but that's what happened with you. Fine. So that's the matter of sin.

Now, the matter of punishment. A person in our world who suffers all kinds of torments - he perhaps is put into prison, or God forbid, he's sick, or he dies, or it doesn't matter, something happens to him - so we say, this is a truly poor person. Yet, we don't know where it comes from, or let's say the society punishes him, the police. So we say, “oh, he got a punishment.” In spirituality, punishment is, also because it comes from above, it doesn't matter who's doing, who's not doing - the Creator does it with you, so it's not considered punishment. The punishment one sees in his eyes is considered correction in spirituality. Correction, is being corrected, of course, through typically unpleasant things, where he feels he's going through some really bad events, unpleasant, but that's called correction.

M. Laitman: (43:13) And also, regarding reward, what do we call reward? What I gain and feel in my vessels that I've earned and did, in spirituality if we interpret that, typically reward is what in our eyes will be called punishment. It'll be considered punishment, and so on. In short, what we so easily interpret in corporeality, according to how our eyes see, if we follow the inner vision, where all the reasons are related to the upper force, then the interpretation is a little different, every word, definition, action, anything that happens to us.

And here in this article, "The Reason for Straightening the Legs and Covering the Head During the Prayer" Rabash gives a very nice example. He says that, in page 13 in portion Va Etchanan, he says there, it's in bold area, bold letters. It follows that the main thing a person should exert on in his work is only to merit the aspect of faith. What's faith? Meaning that he feels the reality of the Creator.

Also, in this world, we call faith where I go with shut eyes, not knowing anything, maybe even under danger or in darkness. The greater the danger and darkness and uncertainty, the more believer I am. You see, this is totally different. Faith in spirituality means the opposite, that everything opens up, that I feel the Creator is great and all omnipotent, and I then am considered to have faith. That's called having faith? For us, this is called knowing, not believing. So again, we encounter definitions that in Kabbalah, it's not by chance that it's a wisdom that's opposite to our beastly logic. Everything works there according to other definitions. Why? Because we truly don't know what it means to live in revelation of the Creator.

According to what we learned from Pticha, “Preface, to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” we learned that everything is done by the light. The light shines to the vessel, gives birth to the vessel, corrects the vessel, gives the vessel all kinds of qualities, according to how much the vessel has been prepared to swallow, to absorb, to copy the qualities of the light on itself. Thus, it can change, and according to how it changes, it is then more similar to the light, is then more filled with light, and gains wholeness and eternity. Meaning, everything depends on the revelation of the light. There's no matter of faith here, as we think in our world that the light is not there, and then the vessel has the power to do something. Where do we learn such a thing? We learn the opposite: without light, there's no Kli, there's nothing, there's no reality. To the extent of light that fills the Kli, that gives to the Kli some of its qualities, that makes the Kli capable of something. So, here, to our point, faith, means feeling the Creator.

Feeling, just as we feel through our five senses in this world, which is mostly interpreted through the mind and heart. We could say, to make it clearer, that it'll simply be a feeling through seeing and hearing, and all the senses, but mostly seeing and hearing. Seeing is the most important, the highest. Just like to us, that's the greatest sense, more than 90% of the information, the knowledge of life, we get through vision, through the sense of sight.

M. Laitman: (48:20) If so, all of the stages that we go through during the preparation is to acquire faith, to have a desire for the revelation of the Creator. We don't have such a desire. We want all kinds of other things, to reveal the Creator - we don't. Why? Revelation of the Creator brings us correction. It brings us something that's not good for our nature. It transforms it to in order to bestow. So, the will to receive, our nature, resists it. Not that the Creator is hidden, rather, our nature hides the Creator. And so, in order for man to then nevertheless want revelation of the Creator, we need time of preparation, which takes years. Man acquires all sorts of impressions from lack of revelation of the Creator. This is called the time of preparation, double concealment and single concealment, and not just double and single concealment, rather we feel to what extent we are in concealment and how burdening this is to us. From that, bit by bit, we get to the formation of the desire. Can we call it formation? A strong desire is born in us that we don't lack anything besides revelation of the Creator. This is called "I am lovesick," meaning that I don't want anything but that, I do not need anything. I'm certain this is the key to solve all my problems, all the solutions are there, everything is only there. The Creator will be revealed, I'll be good. If He won't be revealed, I can't bear it.

And if a person comes to this kind of big desire for revelation of the Creator, egoistically, for his own needs, but only that is what he wants, nothing but that, that means he has a Kli, a vessel for revelation, and then the Creator is revealed. And the revelation of the Creator, as we learn from all our study in the Preface and the “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” the revelation of the Creator, the revelation of light, already corrects the Kli. Before the light appears in the Kli, the Kli cannot be corrected. So we could even, I don't know, you can cry, it's not going to help, even want the correction, we can't. Wanting change within us, we can't. We can only want to fulfill our desires, meaning the revelation of the Creator becomes the reason for all the later corrections and fulfillments, the whole promise that we're going on the right track. Then the qualities of the light become revealed, we can perceive these qualities that are correct, and not what we can now imagine. If we even think about it, what do we care about that now? All is a result of the revelation of this one ruling great force, and then we truly surrender and become included in it.

Another special definition the Rav gave us here in the article with regards to Gentile and Jew. There is a general, Gentile in general, the nations of the world, and there is what's called Jewish. These terms, Gentile and Jewish, nations of the world and Israel, exist in spirituality and in corporeality. He says this: because we have in our state an incorporation between Jews and Gentiles, because we're all a result from the shattering of Adam HaRishon, and we haven't corrected the shattering yet, so we're in mixture between these qualities. That's what we know from our study. And as a result of the mixture, the people of Israel are in exile in the nations of the world, meaning within the people of Israel, there are desires of the nations and they rule over Israel.

M. Laitman: (53:31) The people of Israel exist under the Gentiles. This is called exile, not being above the nations, but below the nations. And what we bit by bit discover within each of us, that our ego, the will to receive, rules and truly governs all of the sparks of bestowal, even the little sparks that we have. This is called “exile.” So, he says that because we are a result of the shattering of Adam HaRishon, in exile, and our Gentile rules our Jew, what happens is that, what does our Gentile does to our Jew? It tells the Jew that the Jew needs to carry out Torah and Mitzvot only because the Creator commanded to. Meaning, you don't need to reveal the greatness of the Creator, you don't need to long for the revelation of the Creator, you just need to simply work as the Creator commanded to do. Do it, and that's it. Meaning, he doesn't tell him, “Don't engage in any of it.” He says, “No, engage in it, but do just what is up to you to do. Don't get closer to becoming a son, right? "You are sons to the Lord your God." No, remain as you are, as a slave. He said, and you do.

What is the inferiority of this degree? The inferiority of it is that a person does not want to feel his sovereign, right, the Creator. He doesn't want to feel, he doesn't want to work due to the recognition, feeling, revelation, adhesion, equivalence of form, and then how does he remain? He remains in this, in nature.

We know that nature in Gematria is Elokim, God, and all of nature, we are within it. We cannot emerge from our skin, from our body either. So of course, all of nature keeps the commands of the Creator without any doubts. That is clear. All the rules that we discover in the world, the laws of physics, chemistry, psychology, biology, it doesn't matter which, right, all these laws and rules are particular rules within the general rule, which is called nature or God. So what is the Gentile within us telling the Jew within us? He says, keep the laws of nature. God commanded it, so keep them, meaning remain within nature, like the rest of nature. Why is he called a Gentile for this? Because he does not say that you need to unite with the Creator to be Yehudi, the Jew, meaning you don't need to be special more than the rest of nature by rising into equivalence of form with the Creator. No, he leaves you like that, yes? Not "You are called men," as it is written, "You are called “man” and the nations of the world are not called “man." “You are men,” and so on. Yes, no. So you just stay as is in your beastly degree.

And Jewish, Rabash says here, is one who performs his actions due to the greatness of the Creator. Due to the greatness of the Creator, he comes to not only keeping the commands of the Creator, which in Gematria is Elokim, God, nature. He begins to be a servant of the Creator due to His greatness. Due to the greatness, meaning he begins to grow the man, the human in him, which is similar to the Creator. To the extent that he feels that greatness, to that extent, the matter of Adam, human, is born in him, Adam from "Adame la Boreh," “I will resemble the Creator.”

And again, this relates to what we talked about, the revelation of faith, the revelation of divinity, because without the revelation of the Creator, certainly the light, well, a vessel without light cannot change, cannot correct itself to take on the form of the light. Meaning, to be Jewish, a person can only be that after having been awarded with the revelation of the Creator. And so the wisdom of Kabbalah, by definition, is the revelation of His godliness to His created beings in this world. It's simply a method for how not to remain within nature, but rather to reach the purpose of creation, to adhere unto Him. And to do that by the path of faith. Faith is the revelation of godliness. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (59:05) You said that the spiritual reward comes as a punishment. Is that because...

M. Laitman: I said that? The spiritual reward comes as a punishment? I said? God forbid. I said, what appears to us as reward is usually punishment. Usually. Why? Because you, excuse me for saying so, are still in egoistic desires, right?

Student: Yes.

M. Laitman: All right. So, according to your egoistic desire what you will now receive, let's say, today, what is the lottery? I think it's every day now, right? I heard that three times a day, something like that, chance, you all know. So, today, even Friday, and you make... Well, what do you want to get? Some nice private... What do you want? Tell me. He doesn't know anymore. It's like a child, you know, you take him to a store, and he goes nuts. All right, fine. You want it. And then what? If you won it today, will you come on Sunday to study Kabbalah? What for? What for? I will understand you, also. I truly would understand you. If I now got what I wanted, would I come to study? I wouldn't have come, for certain. I come because I want something. Or maybe you just come because, you know, you kind of want to study. Maybe you like us, I don't know. What did you come here for? 

Student: I want spirituality. 

M. Laitman: You want something. You lack something. So, let's say, if you now received some very nice, very nice present, which would have completely befuddled you to the point where it's just amazing, stunning. What would you do? You would have been bribed by the pleasure of that gift, imprisoned by that pleasure, and you wouldn't come here, let's say. So, the true gift, the true goal, you would not have been able to attain, because you would have been just stuffed with some kind of beastly pleasure. Good pleasure, right, I'm not saying it isn't, but is that called reward or punishment? You understood, right? So, that is called a punishment, although to you it seems like a reward. Meaning, our definitions are definitely... I'm not saying that by force we can change this, because by nature we operate according to these rules, nothing can help that. But it's only just to recognize that it's completely not according to our logic, the way spirituality operates. So, it's worthwhile to discuss.  

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:02:04) Even though the purpose of the preparation time is to reach a desire, a desire out of understanding that revelation of the Creator is the only thing that can help me, right? We say, on the other hand, that in the time of preparation, the will to receive grows, and with it the Klipot and the illusions about corporeal pleasures. Now, let's say, I am now going to attain corporeal pleasures. About what I already attained, I want more. But I know that what I already attained is an illusion. However, the illusions are for things that I haven't attained, that grow. So, how do I come to the understanding that these are actually illusions? How do you feel that?

M. Laitman: So, you're saying that every time I reach some spiritual discernment, or not spiritual, discernment of my state, but I'm saying, spiritual, because it's an outcome of the study of the wisdom of Kabbalah, it's a result of the desire to somehow attain something, to advance somehow. And every time I see that what I attain, and what I understand, and what I... In short, all these things are incorrect in relation to the state that I've attained. And I understand that more than this, that from now on, I can relate to these things in a true way, as they are, and not the delusion I was in before. But this is correct for my current degree. Then I'm given an additional desire, an addition of desire, more confusions, which are greater. And again, I'm in a state where I cannot determine that this is all an illusion, a lie, and so forth. And so that can continue, come again and again, infinite times, right? So, first of all, that is true. You already understood the state correctly. But because each and every soul has its own value, its own properties, this thing is not infinite. "You shall not fight forever," as we say. You will receive maybe a thousand or two thousand more such states, let's say, but that will come to an end, and the Creator will open your eyes. Meaning, you don't need even in spirituality—when you enter spirituality—afterwards, you will see that towards the upper degree, you never understand anything, you don't know anything, you fail again, you are foolish, and just like that. And it cannot be any different if each higher degree is grander, higher in desire, in attainment, qualities, everything, so much so that everything that you have attained today cannot even serve as the foundation for the recognition of a higher degree. Even the foundation, even the basis, as we learn, after Galgalta comes AB. What is there in AB of Galgalta? Just a little bit of an illumination of the fourth degree of clothing, of Hitlabshut. Meaning AB, when it wants to reach Galgalta afterwards, has only a tiny illumination that there is such a thing as Galgalta, but it has nothing in the desire of Galgalta, the fourth degree of coarseness. He doesn't understand what it is, he doesn't understand what it means to be Keter, he knows what it means to be Hochma. These are two adjacent degrees in spirituality, on such high degrees too, and so it is with each and every degree in spirituality. Now we're studying part five, right? When is it? Saturday? Saturday. So, soon we will learn, well, you come once in a while, but maybe you will come at the right time, and you will see that there is such a rapid changing of degrees, so much so that “none” becomes “I,” and “I” becomes “none,” and from a state of “I” nothing remains in order to become “none,” and “none” is the state of Ein Sof, of infinity, in order to reach the higher degree. And so, you're right, you already understand that in every subsequent state, well, it's a state that you don't have any vessels for, and so it needs to be, because otherwise, it's not really considered an ascent.

M. Laitman: (01:06:48) It's not the acquisition of a new state, because a new state is a completely new nature. We don't understand yet. We think spirituality, degrees, each time you become a little bit wiser, a little bit richer in qualities, a little bit better. It is not little; it is not like that. Each time it's the opposite of the previous spiritual degree, so much so that you can't even understand it. It's impossible to attain, to conceive of. The difference is much worse, much bigger than the difference between a person and these fish in the aquarium, or let's say an adult and a baby just born. It's a much bigger difference, and there are many degrees like that. So, all in all, we don't come to rule over these degrees. It can never be, because once you are a master of your degree, you truly acquire it, and you are the actual degree, you truly acquired it, then it's done. You've already exhausted all of your forces there, and you don't have anything more to do in that degree, and immediately you continue to a higher degree. Meaning, we never swallow, acquire these things. It's only in order to elevate us to adhesion to the Creator; not towards mastery over ourselves. We rule over nature because we acquire His nature, and it's not that we begin to be the masters of our nature, let's say, if you could say that. But to answer your question, these are predefined states. At some point, they come to an end. Each one, according to the structure of his soul, each one needs, as Baal HaSulam writes in his letters, needs to complete his full measure; that's his full measure. You know, there's a sack which he has to complete scrutinizing, and then he enters spirituality. And in spirituality too, he has a predefined number of states that he has to go through, and then he reaches the end of correction. 

Student: So, it turns out that every state, it's like a… 

M. Laitman: Of course, this is very simple, primitive way to put it. You shouldn't really fashion this into iron laws.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:09:42) At least from my perception, let's say, of the vessel, it turns out that in every state I just chase my tail, and if I run too quick, so I get bitten from above. Why in the end I can't control it? It's as if something has to come from above, and the difference between corporeality to spirituality is the entrance to spirituality, where there I suffer from this chase, and here I enjoy it. That's to make it simple.

M. Laitman: What you're saying now is like this: the difference between spirituality and corporeality is that here I suffer from running after the goal, there I enjoy running after the goal. That's the difference. Well, look, that too is good. To enjoy or suffer. Yes, let it be so. There's no way to explain what that is. There isn't. We don't understand what is to live in a different dimension. It's not aliens, and it's simply that there are no words. That's it.  

Student: Can I ask something off topic?

M. Laitman: No, no. A question that's not connected? Wait, is it connected?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:11:09) In spirituality, what's the difference between knowing and faith?

M. Laitman: What's the difference in spirituality between knowledge and faith? Faith is the revelation of godliness. And this revelation gives forces to resemble Him. From being like Him, correcting myself and becoming similar to Him, "from Your actions we know You." Out of my corrections, which I corrected myself by His revelation, I now see and know who He is, and the holy names are revealed in me. Who is AB, SAG, Moses, Jacob? It's a created being that has special screens within him. And then he performs an act in order to bestow to the Creator. Out of performing an action of in order to bestow to the Creator, he performs an act of bestowal, and then he says, “oh, now I'm similar to the Creator.” According to that action, it's from that action that he can now say, “I know the Creator. The Creator bestows like me. Maybe a million times more than me, but that too, I already recognize in Him. To that extent, I know Him. No more than that.” That's called "from Your deeds, we know You," “from Your actions, we know You.” And the light which is revealed, the light of Hassadim with the illumination of Hochma or the light of the inner Hochma and the internal that is revealed only in the clothing of Hassadim is called knowledge. The light of adhesion, Dvekut. Meaning faith, let's put it this way: the easiest way for us, for the time being, to define faith is as the force of correction. Knowledge is the result of it when the vessel is already corrected and is performing an action similar to that which the Creator does. And out of that, he has knowledge, knowing. Knowledge is from the words, "And Adam knew his wife Eve." Knowledge is adhesion. Knowledge is connection. From that, you understand that we know that from connection, we know that we need to make a correction. To do a correction comes from faith, from the revelation of godliness. When I discover how great He is, what a giant ruler He is and everything, I grasp from that His forces, I want to be similar to Him, subdue myself, receive the screens from Him, and so on. First faith and then knowledge.  

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:13:57) When he writes in the beginning of the article that “I put the corporeal pleasures in order to bestow because it's easier to learn on smaller pleasures and receive them only in order to bestow.” So it's like he says that the first correction is on corporeal pleasures, if I understood.

M. Laitman: Where did you read this?

Student: Page 11. 

M. Laitman (Source Text/Commentary): (01:14:28) First paragraph on page 11. We were given to study the order of the work in order to bestow in corporeal matters, where there are only small pleasures which are called by the Zohar “a thin light,” meaning a very thin light which could penetrate into our world despite the first restriction. We are all below the decision of Malchut of Ein Sof that you're not allowed to receive any light. Malchut of Ein Sof got rid of all the light and said, “I'm not receiving anything, ever.” And then when this prohibition was breached, and it broke, it shattered; then from that the Klipot, the shells, were made. And in the shells, very small sparks of light entered. And in the Klipot, in the shells they are. That's why the shells are attractive. We are not in spirituality, but in corporeality. You need to describe the situation like this. There is above a state that's called Ein Sof. Below it, under it, is the world of Adam Kadmon, where the world of Adam Kadmon is seemingly the system that translates Ein Sof to five vessels, five lights: Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, Malchut, Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida. After the world of Adam Kadmon, we have the system called the world of Atzilut, which is the system that controls, governs, and manages the whole, everything that's below her. That was what was decided in Ein Sof. And what later is planned in the world of Adam Kadmon, where there has to be a vessel, a created being with five vessels filled with NRNHY, which is the final state by which he will be like the Creator, then the world of Atzilut executes it. And below the world of Atzilut, there is the world of BYA of Kedusha, on the right hand, on the right side, we'll say. And on the left side, you can just describe right and left, not in spiritual terms for the time being, it doesn't matter for the time being. And on the left side, BYA of Tuma, of impurity. Meaning the worlds, the actual worlds, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya of Kedusha, and opposing them, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya of impurity. And between these worlds, holiness and impurity is where the soul of each and every one is. And a person rises to the world of Atzilut from the worlds of BYA, to the extent in which he corrects himself. Below the worlds of BYA, which is called the Machsom, the barrier, the transition, seemingly a wall, between the worlds of BYA and this world is called the Machsom, the barrier, below that is this world. We are in this world under the worlds of BYA of impurity. They nourish us, sustain us, the worlds of BYA of impurity. Meaning, they give us a little illumination in our egoistic vessels. In them, there are great egoistic vessels. And the illumination in them is light. Not real light, but nevertheless some lights. In us, it's even less than that, from the worlds of BYA of impurity. And our vessel is a very small egoistic one, and the light in us is this thin light, this Nehiru Dakik. This is what's given to a person that is allowed to live and exist, and not just for people, but for still, vegetative, animate as well. They're living in this imaginary world. And why is it called that? Because the light is called what revives the vessel. Here, there are no lights but just this very small illumination. That's why it's called the imaginary life, where it's completely not similar to the bestowal upon the true action of the light.

M. Laitman: (01:19:07) So, he says that we were given for the time being in our world, as we are below BYA of impurity, to learn what are the actions of receiving in order to receive, and bestowing in order to receive. Meaning, anything I do, I want to enjoy, which is called in order to receive, but in order to have pleasure, I must sometimes also give something, and as a result of that, enjoy. Usually, I just want to receive and enjoy directly. To bestow, meaning to give in order to receive a reward from it, is not quite understood. We need to learn that that needs to be a person that, well, you know, we learn this from the society. Babies, children don't know this, but a growing man begins to see that in this way he can deceive others, and from this sophistication benefits more. You know, you watch TV, everyone's screaming out loud, "Oh, I'm good, we want for the benefit of the society." You know, it's all a lie. You can't really see this on you, you don't quite see. On others, we do see it. So that's how it is with the whole world. That's why it's called a lie, or falsehood, where a person seemingly says in order to bestow, it's all really in order to receive. But from this, we at least learn that from giving, we can be rewarded, meaning there's a certain sophistication here, a refinement of the situation of an incorporation of Kedusha inside the shell in the desire to receive. If there was no shattering and the vessels of bestowal could not enter the vessels of reception, then the vessels of reception would only be to receive, and that's it. They wouldn't understand that through that we can benefit from the act of giving. And here, you see how many, how much people are being nourished by it or sustained by it. The whole smart thing here is that you go to work, and for your work, that you contribute to your boss, that you love him, you want to do benefits to him truly from love, you receive money from him, and you go back home. Where was this smart sophistication made from for you to receive this force and then enjoy it? This is from the shattering. Beasts, animals, don't have such a thing. And still and vegetative altogether, they don't understand such things. All of nature besides man does not have sparks of bestowal because it does not need to correct itself. That is why, because in our nature it's already rooted, even in this world we can learn from this what is to feel a little. So, what can it be this bestowal that we can benefit greatly from? If it weren't for these sparks in us, we would completely be animals in every way. This is how we become more than the nature of animal. And what's the difference? To the extent in which a person can use this action of bestowal, in order to receive, of course, it doesn't matter. But as much as possible, he becomes greater. He has greater opportunities to benefit. Who's the rich one? One who's rich gives work to a million people and receives from them produce, some kind of product. And who is the limited person? The one that can give a little and receive a little. You know, just a little give, like a laborer in construction. He goes, works his hours, doesn't think about anything. Let me go, let me rest. I have pleasures that are mine, that are small. Accordingly, he earns what he earns for his work. A person who takes many people, and gives out to them a lot, and enjoys a lot from them, that's a great man. That's how it is.

M. Laitman: (01:23:29) Hence, the correct use of the sparks of bestowal in this world develops a person. And that's why, actually in our society, we learn it differently. In our society, we want to study and learn that because I have sparks of bestowal, and by them, I can connect with others, I can through these connections see that if I… that I can gain from spirituality, that I can gain from spirituality this way. You understand? The moment the person starts to use these sparks of bestowal, not like a regular person that benefits more than a beast, by the measure of that degree of an animal, of a beast, to the degree of an Adam in this world, I can be using it purposefully, these sparks of bestowal that have fallen as a result of the shattering of the vessels. And I can use them in correct, in the right way, and reach a state in which I can resemble the Creator. How? I now start to understand that it's possible to gain through these sparks spiritual bestowal and so on. What is spirituality and corporeality? Spirituality and corporeality, the difference is simple. Now that I am in a state where I have sparks of bestowal and reception, and the sparks of reception rule over me, govern me, and even though I have sparks of bestowal, I use them for the benefit of reception. And in spirituality, it's considered that the Creator is revealed and gives me the strength to be governing by these sparks of bestowal over reception. Meaning, the measure seemingly inverts, flips, and I can control specifically by taking the desire for the benefit of the bestower. And now, for me, the bestower is for the benefit of receiving, the desire to receive. But the scale depends on the revelation of godliness, and if I will see that I am in double concealment, or even in regular concealment, this minimal revelation already makes me be able to control things through these sparks of bestowal and reception. It throws me to completely different  calculations, completely different. And I move from one to the other, the world changes, my vision changes, everything changes. Meaning, because the person is a desire, and all the rest around this desire are just aiding systems for the desire. So, if my desire is in vessels of reception, that's truly one nature. And vessels of bestowal are a second nature. And all these systems work in a different way. It's a wonder to what extent this is what everything belongs there, like from the sides of things, towards the desire. Our intellect, our awareness, experience, nothing is worth it, everything changes. All these things immediately start using a new desire. A person is the desire, just like all of nature. That's why, to what degree? To the degree in which he enters the desire to bestow, he's called a beast, like all of nature. From going from the calculation for vessels of reception to the calculation towards vessels of bestowal, from then, he's called Adam. And then he's truly different than what he was before, the true opposite. And no one can understand what happens to him, no one sees or feels. After all, it happens only in him.  

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:27:21) He writes that bestowal is called adhesion. So, I wanted to ask, these words are confusing, the meanings. There's adhesion, there's bestowal, there's faith, there's knowledge, there's attainment.

M. Laitman: So what you're saying is we have too many words in our vocabulary, and then it's a problem to find ourselves, to see where we are in all of this. Because, look, start, not this, like we talked today, you know, there's a dictionary, how to say, it's a word, and then it's explained to you what that word is. What do you call that?

Student: Dictionary.

M. Laitman: No, a dictionary is usually a translation from language to language. Or is that also called a dictionary? A commentary, explanation, I don't know. You know, today we received such a dictionary. Punishment is this, and reward is that. And it's not exactly definitions, maybe. So, it's worthwhile to open up for you. Start writing a booklet for yourself. So, what's the question? How to exit this confusion of many names? 

Student: Maybe it's written somewhere.

M. Laitman: Maybe it's written? No. This is something that each has to write for himself in his heart. It won't help. This also enters into our labor. Write. Did someone want something other than that?  

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:29:11) We're scrutinizing discernments all the time. And actually, we do it in our beastly vessels, our psychology. So, how does that pass on to the soul? How does it go to the main part? Because there's a separation. We separate between the beast and the non-beast, the spiritual.

M. Laitman: What you're saying is, look, we are here now, like I just said, below the left line in this world, yes? Even below the shells, the Klipot. And we are trying to do all kinds of actions. What we don't quite know, what we're doing and what actions we're in. Well, sometimes we even forget about the goal and the intention. And if we don't forget, then what? What really is our goal and intention? How are all our efforts, if they say that truly these are all efforts and deeds, and how they operate, and from our labor our advancement is dependent on, and in our choice, at least in society and all kinds of things. Not in everything, but let's say at least there's an area where it's just defined for us to work in. Let's say, I operate in that field, in that area, and touch it, I operate in it by choosing the society, the books, during the study, I think about the goal I want to reach, meaning I make an effort, let's say, in an effective field, meaning one that is beneficial to advancement in the study. And then it continues, it rises, it cascades to some upper world where we begin to receive it and make calculations upon what I did, how much I labored, and then it descends back to us and defines my next state, my future. That's the question?

There aren't several systems. The structure is one unified one. We're now in Ein Sof as well, and it doesn't matter that right now I'm below all the worlds. Nevertheless, the way I operate, all the rest of the degrees, all the rest of the worlds, all of my states are between me and Ein Sof. Like spheres, one within the other, like the onion layers. So it doesn't matter that I'm working in a distance of place from Ein Sof, but nevertheless, to the extent in which I operate from my heart, it reaches Ein Sof in the end. It comes to the same system like I am now in the spiritual world, to the same system. There isn't another, only that the way I operate now, I'm operating to the extent, to the measure, like a little baby towards the society he's in, in relation to a big person who operates towards the society he's in. There's a difference between what can a baby bestow, and what can a great one, an adult one. But even in the form of just annulling before the society, he obliges everyone to do so as well, and to relate to the Creator this way. Meaning there's no difference whatsoever in where we are, below the barrier, above the barrier, in some spiritual degrees. The act in our heart, even the beastly action, like Baal HaSulam talks about the Kibbutz members in the Negev, who want to have rain, they don't have the Creator in their mind or any godly system, nothing. They simply want rain to raise pigs, let's say, to make a picture that's the most distant whatsoever in what you can. It doesn't matter, it's nevertheless working towards that same system. And we invite from that source also the attitude towards them, and also towards us.

M. Laitman: (01:33:54) I'm now in the desire to receive, I don't want anything but to enjoy. I feel bad in my life, I come here. I think that by being here, it'll be a little bit better. I disregard the whole world and everyone, there's a fear of how to be even saved from this place, from this world and everything. It doesn't matter. These egoistic thoughts are completely that way. Also, with this Klipot, the shells, all these wrappings, after all these spheres that are disconnecting me from Ein Sof, I'm being drawn there, and they come back to me in the same ways, only in great distancing. And nevertheless, you know, just like we cry out like babies, that don't know what the baby is crying out about, only the mother knows, a little child screams, and he's given what's good for him and not necessarily what he thinks is good for him. And that's how it is with us, like in our prayers, I'll show it in a depictive way. We go across the barrier and enter spirituality. Through spirituality, we rise to the world of Atzilut, and from Atzilut to Ein Sof. So our prayers, even if I'm screaming, I'm crying out, "Please let me win the lottery," it returns to me in such a way that maybe I'm given the opposite, just like we talked about what reward is and what punishment is, you understand? Meaning our prayers are received above already in a different way than that which I'm screaming or crying out. Just like a mother knows what's good for the child, and this is what she gives him, and he can open up what he wants. She gives in accordance to his consumption what he needs, not what he wants. That's how we work. So we need to make a calculation that we're in the system, same system and same connection. "I am the Lord who is in their impurity," "I have not changed My essence," it's the same thing, just the differences in the feeling of a person and the correction on behalf of the Creator. It's not that there are many other things, there are many systems here. Very good question, it's worthwhile to take into account. It gives importance to every state a person's in. It also gives importance to the extent to which a person needs an effort to come closer. He certainly bestows in a much better way above. It's like the baby bestows to the society, or an adult does.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:36:55) They say that in spirituality, time unites past, present, future. So, what's that feeling? Can you describe it, please? 

M. Laitman: What words do you want me to invent for you to describe that past, present, and future are in the same moment?

Student: Instances that a person...

M. Laitman: What instance?

Student: What he sees, or what he thinks. He thinks and it happens, or...

M. Laitman: No, there's no such thing that a person thinks, and it happens the moment he thinks. The fact that you're uniting with the Creator, and the Creator is the cause for what you will think, and… Meaning, He is the cause for the MAN that will rise from you, and He is the reason for the MAD descending to you, and He is the reason of what you'll feel at the end of this action to the extent to which you unite with Him, then you're rewarded with the root, and then there's no longer cause and consequence, but together you reach that point. That's called the drop of unification. And then time disappears. What kind of time if everything is cause and consequence? There isn't. You are rewarded with reaching the cause, so you don't have past, present, or future. You could say, so how do I feel that I'm changing? So, I adhere to some state, it's like I stop the movie and I only see one picture? Something like that, and that's it? Or is there some movement? And if there's movement, then what's more, there's, to the extent to which you adhere to Him, to the Creator, you don't have time. To the extent to which you go more to add to the measure of adhesion, you still have cause and consequence and everything. In this point, you haven't reached wholeness. I think it's simple. This is the matter of the degrees. That's why they're called degrees. Measures within which you are in the source. You returned to the root.  

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:39:38) We see that sometimes there are vessels. Let's say people in the world that the darkness, I don't know, a person commits suicide, or falls into drugs, or goes crazy. So, you see that the vessel is completely empty of the light. He feels the darkness. So, what gives him forces? Why doesn't the vessel fall apart? I don't know, that he doesn't lose…

M. Laitman: So, what you're saying is this. A person is all kinds of states even if he doesn't engage in spirituality. Drugs, all kinds of things, the worst possible things, crazy. A person who is in spirituality goes through even much more things. He is completely conscious, and suddenly he sees that he's being thrown from one side to the other. This is called the slingshot. Meaning, when a person passes, they throw his body, the correction of the grave, all this is thrown from one side to the other. There's those who are crazy, and they think that then a person under the ground is rolling over from side to side, or incarnating. I don't know, he was buried in Romania, and now he's cascaded to the land of Israel. Maybe the Romanians do not cascade. I don't know, but it's all kinds of things. This is called the slingshot or the end of the sling, where it's thrown from one end to the other in harsh states. So, you're asking what nevertheless protects a person so he doesn't go mad, or run away, or lose something. Altogether, you see that, and that you think that in these forces, you will control your state, but you still have some kind of delusion that I am somehow strong. Just look at yourself, really, and it's in us. It's in us. I control, and I lose control, you understand? You know, I always give an example of myself. Why? Because I want to teach you how to learn from life. When I had it bad with my lungs, and I was told to do an operation, first of all, I waited for two weeks. Then I rose, I stood up to this surgeon, and he said, just put my anesthesia and start cutting me. And when they started to do, that's it. I give myself and rid myself of this problem, thank God. Meaning, I had no fear that now I will be anesthetized and do anything they want to do with me. Why? Because this thing saves my life. It saves my life. We don't yet have such a feeling. We think that we are the owners of our lives, that if I don't hold on to them, the life will escape. That's the lack of faith that we talked about. The lack of the feeling of the Creator, of the Emanator, the healing. And so, until you feel Him, the main thing is to not lose control. And in these states that you go through, without reason, without knowing your bearings, it will happen in a very difficult way. And then gradually, a few knocks along the way - nothing will help, a few - then you'll start to relate things in understanding, and then in love. Because specifically in these cases, you'll feel that you're under His control, that He's operating on you, He's working on you. And when you start relating to this with love, you'll start to feel how He operates on you. And then you will want, when you start loving this, and feeling Him, and how He works on you, you'll start to learn from this what He's doing upon you. There's a reason why it's called the Creator's work and not a person's work. Kabbalah is the Creator's work, very simply. So, you'll start to learn from Him His actions, then you start doing things in His place. Then you'll truly rule over yourself, and not like you think you are ruling now. Right now, it's a complete, 100% illusion. Later, it won't be. But after you know all the actions the Creator does to you, you take His nature, His mind, His ability, and in Himself, in His place, you rule.

Student: But the feeling remains.

M. Laitman: Let's wait. I'm telling you, you know, the feeling is altogether, boom, and there isn't. There's something else. I'll tell you, I saw you once laughing and once crying, right? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:44:44) We see people that have a connection to the Torah. How can I explain the Kabbalah and the Bible, it's the same thing, without getting confused?

M. Laitman: You teach people who have a religious background, or they studied and repented and joined religion. You're saying, what can I explain to them what Kabbalah is that it's not against, and all that? You can't do that. It's impossible to explain. I'll tell you, maybe with your intellect you'll be able to explain to them. And gradually, throughout the years, this will come eventually. But as we said, if a person doesn't have sparks of holiness from above, which start to talk in him, he can't understand. Altogether, there's someone else that's yearning for spirituality. He'll simply be against. He will simply be against. That's why, also religious, also secular, those who don't yearn for Kabbalah, and those who are satisfied with the question "What's the meaning of my life?” They don't have that. They have a clear answer of what it is, yes? What's the meaning of life? Ah, we need to observe Torah and Mitzvot, like we talked about earlier. That whoever thinks this way is not thinking about things from the perspective of the spark in him. Rabash writes about this. So, it's no point in going through this way. And I'm not going to go explain to myself before an Orthodox group. Why? I don't have anything against them. I understand their state. I love them, and I live amongst them. There's no connection between us. On their behalf, certainly, I really can't do anything, because this is nature. That's why, simply, I don't think anything will come out of this. Only one thing will come out. That they'll throw you out of your job If you are working there, they're paying you a salary, or whatever setting it is. We're not allowed to explain to them what Kabbalah is, because they don't need it. And Kabbalah is only for those who already have a preparation for changing their nature. And this has nothing to do with great Rabbis or small ones, these people or others, also secular people. Also secular people. If he doesn't yet have a true preparation for this, then he's not capable. He's not. It is written that Yosef Karo, who is the composer of the “Shulchan Aruch” [the set table], not the shortened one that we studied, but the “Shulchan Aruch,” which is kind of like laws, judgments. He did this in a special way so that whoever has time to study Kabbalah, he'll be able to do this. And instead of Shas being to take out of all the Gemara, the laws, etc., and that is from its volumes of this Shulchan Aruch, this whole thing. So, he would fall asleep in the ARI’s lessons. He couldn't grasp it. He understood this is very important, but couldn't be, to study in a frequent manner. He would fall asleep. Meaning, there wasn't quite a burning point in him, but maybe there will be, but not yet. So that's already something. But the rest, all these people from Tzfat that were at the time of the ARI came to him to examine how much he knows Gemara. If you don't know the Gemara, well, you're not allowed to study Kabbalah. They did these kinds of exercises with the ARI. So, we need to take into account that, well, between the secular, we have the same thing. You have people who are not capable of grasping this, and they also fall asleep in the same way, like Yosef. In the lessons, in the camp, there's nothing attracting them. There's nothing that requires a response on his behalf. You just have to let it go, and that's it. I'm saying this because otherwise...

I recommend not to talk to anyone about this, but rather only his heart beats in his midst for it.