Morning Lesson January 24, 2021 Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves possibility for differences from audio
Selected Excerpts from the Book “A Bush Burns in Kotzk”
57. R. It is a book written in such a way that you can learn from it in a simple way about the way of Kabbalists. So let us read a little bit, if we read it it will give us an impression of the atmosphere that a group should have in order to advance toward spirituality.
Excerpt 1 Reader (00:43 - 01:07)
58. R. Mendel was the name of the leader of this group of Kabbalists.
Reader continues “with an open book in front of him but his mind was....” (01:16 - 01:48)
Excerpt 2 Reader (01:49 - 02:15)
59. S. We see that this group gave a lot of respect to the matter of being alone, what is our attitude towards this?
R. Who is stopping you from secluding yourself alone to find out who you are or what you are, of course anyone who wants to advance to where the goals to do this.
S. How do we as a group appreciate it?
R. The group should know about this, they can talk about it generally, but what you do alone in your heart is you, you are the owner of your own heart. If you want to open your heart to the group, by all means, towards the Creator, by all means, if you want to close it up by all means, it is your inner work.
60. S. (03:26) It sounds the opposite, he says that the outer revelation that the Mitzva is the vessel in the content?
R. Everything is scrutinized within a person's intention within the intention the Creator clothes and reveals.
S. You said a few lines ago when they asked you what love is, you said it's a feeling and you have to live in the feeling.
R. Yes.
S. So this world disappears, what does that mean?
R. Why are you confusing everyone, there is a limit.
Excerpt 3 Reader (04:12 - 05:29)
Excerpt 4 Reader (05:30 - 06:16)
Excerpt 5 Reader (06:17 - 07:57)
61. R. We need to understand although this book was not written by a Kabbalist, it is a man who was very close to this whole thing, but he himself didn't go through spiritual degrees and therefore he writes in this way, this poetic way. Like a regular book, like a novel.
Excerpt 10 Reader (08:34 - 09:00)
Excerpt 14 Reader (09:08 - 09:50)
Excerpt 23 Reader (10:05 - 10:45)
62. S. Why when a Kabbalist dies it is called that he departed?
R. It depends on who’s perspective and in whose eyes he disappeared, the disciples who were previously tied to the Kabbalists feel the connection with him and even more than before. Those who weren't in spiritual connection feel that he has departed and he is gone; it depends with which vessel one is attached to the Kabbalist. There is no other discernment here.
S. When someone tries to study from a Kabbalist there is a big fear from the state that the teacher will depart. What do you do with that?
R. It is all directed from above and if it needs to be then he departs and it is a sign for the students that they have to continue among themselves with a connection that is increasing as much as possible. Then it is just for them an opportunity to ascend because if they unite among themselves more they feel the higher force which is called a teacher continues to accompany them. Only towards people who have no connection with a teacher in the connection between them, they might be lost. They might waste a lot of time until the Creator another the last forces them to connect to find a way. Then they will understand that it's not about their teacher but it is the Creator who governs them in this way. In the end everything still depends only on the Creator and the teacher, the Rav, these are all messengers, instruments. So a connection between the ten and the Creator is first and foremost, if you have a teacher, a Rav, he stands aside and gives you advice, tips on how to correct among yourselves and between you and the Creator this is called the guide.
63. S. (13:40) What is the greatest precious thing that we can take as an example from the group, what should we be an example of that which we should be jealous of that they have that we don't?
R. We will get closer to each other and to the Creator and then we will understand as every period has its own laws, its own modes of behavior. This book I don't think it's a book from which we can learn much, we need to learn from the articles of Rabash and from there we should determine the relationships between us on how to discover the Creator inside the relationships between us.
64. S. (14:42) What inner effort do we need to make, to accept the teacher not as an image but as an inner force that guides from within?
R. The inner effort is one where behind everything you see, hear, detect, see the Creator as the Creator stands behind every friend, the Creator certainly stands behind the teacher, there is None Else Besides Him and this is the only effort in any effort that you should have. Everything is very simple if we hold on to the principles, to the tenants.
Excerpt 24 Reader (15:52 - 17:00)
65. S. How do I rekindle this fire we all felt at the beginning of the path, because I feel this is part of the reawakening that the Creator puts within us and that we have to work on it with the friends, it is as if it becomes a lot harder?
R. You can read these excerpts, read them, it all depends on the heart of a person, some it influences and some it influences less, all depending on the person comes on the style of his soul. Some are impressed by it and some are less impressed and there is also a time for this and a time for that, for each one as we only need to understand it is a group that lived hundreds of years ago. They were very connected in one place, in one village and they built for themselves a very tight community, very special, very united and that's why they achieve high spiritual degrees, but today it can't happen. We can learn from them something, but we are already in a different time and a general correction of the whole world in the last generation, meaning in a situation that we have, that we were given, we have to build the connection between us according to what is given for us now.
66. S. (19:24) Is there a recipe for not suffering?
R. A recipe for not suffering is if you are constantly connected to the Creator and you're happy you are governed by Him and then all of your thoughts and desires are also aimed towards Him, then you are in love between you and of course there is no source of suffering here.
67. S. (20:05) What are the characteristics, impressions of a teacher inside of us that can connect us forever, beyond our corporeal existence?
R. The teacher should really be like, it's not an image of a person, it is an idea that takes you to the Creator. The thing that pulls you towards the Creator, this is called your guide, the Rav, your teacher.
68. S. (21:27) Can we understand what is the connection between this study material and the preparation for the Congress?
R. We want to come to the Congress directed among us as much as possible, men, women everyone directed toward one desire without any difference between us, not in color, sex, anything. But really it's about connecting together because the connection, the Congress is not a 10, it is one general 10 in which we want to raise the full power of our desire to the Creator in order to bestow upon him and come to a mutual bestowal with him, “I am for my beloved and my beloved is for Me.” This is really the convention, the essence and power of the connection is us towards the Creator and by this we will get his relation towards us, I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me.
69. S. (22:43) What do you feel in the state of love between us?
R. In a state of love between us we feel one force, which is entirely towards the source of the love which is the Creator. That is it. We will try to advance in this state to the convention toward the Creator.