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

Daily Lesson (Morning) November 30, 2024.

Part 2: Lesson on the Topic “Parashat Toldot”.

Reader: So, we shall be reading a selection of excerpts from the weekly portion, or on the subject of the weekly portion, which is “Toldot”. You can find all of our texts on kabbalahmedia.info as well as through the Avot system. Weekly portion, “Toldot”, excerpts from the sources.

And the Children Struggled Within Her

1. RABASH, Article No. 9 (1985), "And the Children Struggled within Her"

Reader: (00:28) “And the children struggled within her.” According to RASHI’s interpretation, “Our sages explained it as running, when she would pass by the doors of Torah of Shem and Ever, Jacob was running and wiggling to come out. When she passed by doors of idol-worship, Esau was wiggling to come out.”

Baal HaSulam said that this is the order of the work. The beginning of the work is called Ibur [impregnation], when a person begins to work on the path of truth. When he passes by the doors of Torah, the Jacob in a person awakens and wishes to walk on the path of Torah. When he walks by the doors of idol-worship, the Esau in a person awakens to come out.

We should interpret his words. Man consists of vessels of reception by nature, called “self-love,” which is the evil inclination, and also consists of a point in the heart, which is his good inclination. When he begins to work in bestowal, it is regarded as Ibur, from the word, Avra [passed]. This is why he experiences ascents and descents and is unstable. He is influenced by the environment and is unable to overcome.

M. Laitman: Questions?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:54) He writes that one doesn't have the power to overcome. And that's in a state where he's already in Ibur, impregnation? 

M. Laitman: Ibur, impregnation, is the beginning of that path for him. 

Student: So, if, as he begins the path, he has no power to overcome? 

M. Laitman: Like you see in our impregnation, he is under the forces of the Upper One. 

Student: And so, all the more so with a person who is Ibur, before Ibur?

M. Laitman: So, we're not discussing about him, there's no one to talk about. 

Student: So, what are we talking about? When we talk about our own work? 

M. Laitman: Our work or saying how we can be in impregnation from the desires of the Creator, to such an extent that we'll be able to determine our state on our own. 

Student: So, what is the work of choice, or man's actions?

M. Laitman: Then there'll be the place of choice, but before that we just have to see as much as we are under the control of the Upper One. 

Student: So, I hear that we're talking about a process that the person undergoes? 

M. Laitman: Right.

Student: So where here is his own action, an action of his own volition?

M. Laitman: The fact that he feels what he's going through, and he's criticizing those forces that are working on him, and he determines that that's his impregnation, and he has nothing to do but only to subdue himself towards the forces that are working and correcting him for now. 

Student: And these are actions which he makes efforts to perform? 

M. Laitman: He has to make efforts, yes. Still, he has a personality, something that he's doing.

Student: So, subduing himself, determining what will happen to him, that's not yet called overcoming? 

M. Laitman: It's overcoming, but in the form of impregnation. 

Student: So, in the first step, in the first stage, a person just has to subdue himself and to notice what's happening with him, right? What does it mean to subdue himself? What is that act? 

M. Laitman: That he doesn't want to determine anything anymore except for surrendering to the Upper One. 

Student: Which? 

M. Laitman: Which the Upper One will determine what to do. And he's willing to perform the commands of the Upper One.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (06:41) What is the state of the doors of Torah? 

M. Laitman: I guess that he can get forces from there, understanding, forces of development.

Student: He writes that there are doors to idol worship, which he calls EsaV. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So how do we establish a state where we? 

M. Laitman: Well, let's get there first.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:31) The doors of Torah, one of them is coming to the morning lesson. How do we make sure that this will truly be the door for Torah and not elude us? 

M. Laitman: Ask for an explanation from above, where it came to you from. 

Student: How to avoid these doors which are no good, can we identify them? 

M. Laitman: I don't know, ask about that too.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (08:08) He writes that he's influenced by the environment. He has a sense and a sense. He has no stability and is influenced by the environment. What does it mean that he's influenced by the environment? 

M. Laitman: Which side to go towards, what to see is important or not, and so on. 

Student: What are the components of this environment which influences him in this process of development of the Ibur, the embryo? What is the environment then? 

M. Laitman: The environment, when he's in an environment, well, his Ten, let's say.

Student: So, the person is actually completely dependent. This is a question, actually. Is the person absolutely dependent on, influenced by the environment? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And opposite that environment, what exists? 

M. Laitman: On one hand, there's an environment. On the other hand, there's an Upper Force working on him, and then he needs, in according to the influence of the environment and the influence of the Upper Force, to find his next state, to choose his next state. 

Student: And opposite that, what exists there, what opposites exists to the force of the environment and the Upper One? 

M. Laitman: His will to receive.

Student: So, a person has to operate the environment and the Upper Force. I don't know if to operate, but the person has to be influenced by the environment and the Upper Force more than he is influenced by his will to receive?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: How does he establish such a situation where he's more influenced by the environment? 

M. Laitman: In the state of Ibur, he doesn't have the forces to understand or feel, to take those forces apart and then put them together in a different way. That's not in his state yet. 

Student: It sounds like he's completely governed, ruled over?

M. Laitman: Governed by the Upper Force, yes. 

Student: And he needs to agree with that? 

M. Laitman: If he doesn't let him not agree, what will that help? These are forces that are now affecting him.

Student: So again, comes the question, at this stage of Ibur, impregnation, or even before, how can a person influence his developmental process at all? 

M. Laitman: Nothing. Nothing. Only to subdue himself and the flow.

Reader: 2. RABASH, Article 9 (1985), "And the Children Struggled within Her"

Reading: (11:55) As it is known that the creature is the vessel of reception, called Esau. But afterwards comes the second force, called Jacob, which is the desire to bestow. Each wants to rule alone, and this is the struggle between Esau and Jacob.

This is why RASHI interpreted, “When one rises the other falls; Tzor was filled only by the ruin of Jerusalem.” That is, she was told that we must clearly know—either the will to receive governs, or the will to bestow governs. They cannot both exist together. Therefore, we must decide once and for all that it is not worthwhile to dwell in abominable and lowly thoughts and desires.

M. Laitman: Clear. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:19) What is or who is the aspect of Esav? 

M. Laitman: I guess it's the will to receive, which is a very big one. That draws for himself. As much as he develops. 

Student: He and Yaakov are brothers. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: What does it mean that they're brothers? There's closeness between them. They have a common mother? 

M. Laitman: A common mother, a common father. But still, there's something there that separates between them.

Student: So, it could be that the outcome of these father and mother, the outcome can be at one time Yaakov, and another time Esav? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Okay, so what does a person, I learned from the fact that sometimes his work ends up with the aspect of Esav? 

M. Laitman: Don't believe in yourself till the day you die. Who knows what else could jump out at you. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (14:48) The sensation of reality of this world, is that called the will to receive? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Or is it the will to receive for oneself? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Within this thing called the will to receive for oneself, there is no way to feel the upper force, right? 

M. Laitman: No.

Student: So how to make the distinction between this reality and a higher reality? 

M. Laitman: Try to read our sources and try very well, try to feel them. 

Student: And anything that feels unrelated, let's say that it's in the will to receive for oneself or this reality, what should be done with all that? 

M. Laitman: You need to ask for the Creator to fix it. Just like we read every time. 

Student: But he says, he writes now that you shouldn't be there. You should separate yourself from that. So, what does it mean to ask to correct it? 

M. Laitman: But if you bump into your will to receive and it doesn't want to agree to any preparation, towards the will to bestow, so what you're left with is only to agree with what you have, that you subdue yourself, your own will to receive. 

Student: Yes, that's clear because there's no other choice but to subdue oneself. But what is the next action? 

M. Laitman: The next action will come. It could be that it's enough for you and you're already going to have the will to bestow. 

Student: Should it come from me or from the Ten? 

M. Laitman: Yes, yes. 

Student: That's the only place, right? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (17:36) I'd like to continue the friend's question for a moment. You said, or as I understood it, you said that from above the person is made to go through many different states and he has to subdue himself and to flow along.

M. Laitman: Not specifically, there's more states. 

Student: Yes, but with respect to this point of impregnation. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, my question is that a person doesn't determine what his state is going to be, that's determined from above, he just determines how to relate to it. So, what does it mean that he relates to it through submission? What is that? He's not in control of the situation, so what is this submission? 

M. Laitman: No, subjugation is an active action. 

Student: Exactly, so that's what I'm asking. What is the action itself? 

M. Laitman: When he subdues himself towards the force that is controlling him, because he has no choice, he can't bend that force over. And he is willing to subdue himself towards that force. 

Student: And how is that submission towards the upper force expressed? 

M. Laitman: There are a lot of states here, but let's say one of the states is that he doesn't disturb the force to do whatever. He doesn't use a force of resistance. That's one thing. Second, if there's already a resistance, he has a force of resistance, but he starts activating that force, but all of his intention is that this force of resistance this force of resistance, how should I say this? He's in it, but he doesn't use it. And so on. 

Student: The first stage, let's say, you said not to interrupt the Upper Force, which has the person go through different states. So, what does it mean to interrupt? How can a person interrupt? 

M. Laitman: He doesn't interrupt the Upper Force. Or let it do whatever it's doing. 

Student: He does what he wants to do either way, no? 

M. Laitman: No, there's a difference if I agree to it or not. 

Student: Okay, so that's the question. How to express agreement with the state, with the process he's made to go through? 

M. Laitman: That he wants to go along with the Upper Force against that spiritual ascent. 

Student: Against? 

M. Laitman: Yes, against the spiritual ascent. 

Student: What does it mean against the ascent? 

M. Laitman: Let's say he can ascend, and he doesn't take that possibility.

Student: And that's called agreement? 

M. Laitman: No. 

Student: So, the opposite. So, each time he does try to ascend?

M. Laitman: No. 

Student: No, so what? 

M. Laitman: He doesn't want to disturb the Upper Force to be in control of him. 

Student: So, this governance, a person can feel it as very negative, very positive. Many states come upon him? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: How does he express this agreement? In all those states? 

M. Laitman: By not doing anything.

Student: You said it's an active thing, subjugation? 

M. Laitman: It's an active action. 

Student: So not doing anything is active? 

M. Laitman: He needs to hold himself, he needs to not subtract from the state he had.

Student: So, above these states, he needs to maintain a certain attitude, a certain relation to their source. What does it mean? 

M. Laitman: Yes. We need to go into this, then you'll start feeling all your possibilities that are here.

Student: So, another question. The order of states a person is made to go through, when he begins to feel that he's being made to go through these states, it's written that the light is in absolute rest. But here he feels states.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Are changing. So, who needs to move? What needs to move for these changes to occur? 

M. Laitman: Everything moves. Even when the Upper Light is in complete stillness. It mentions its direction, but not that itself isn't working, or not changing. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:47) The Upper Force sends him both Esav and Yaakov?

M. Laitman: Right. 

Student: So, what does it mean to agree with him when he discovers Esav in him taking over? 

M. Laitman: That's what happens. That he discovers it.

Student: So, there's revelation and there's what he asks for. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: So, what does he ask in that state? There's the revelation and there's the ask, the agreement that, okay, this is the nature that he's showing me now, but agreements, it doesn't mean that a person has to agree with this remaining the case, but rather he has to participate in some way? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, where's the boundary between agreeing and asking for change? 

M. Laitman: It's in a man. Does he want to remain this way, or does he still want to advance? 

Student: So, okay, again, after agreeing with the fact that this is how the Creator is being revealed to him right now, as Esav or Yaakov, he also needs to be a partner in this, to take something upon himself?

M. Laitman: No, he has nothing to be a partner with. He wants it to take place upon him, that the Upper Force comes to him and gives him forces. Gives him force. 

Student: The force to do what? To be in contact with him? 

M. Laitman: First of all, to scrutinize what's reception, what is bestowal, and how he can work with the force of reception in order to bestow, or with the force of bestowal. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (25:56) At the end of the second excerpt, he writes that Yaakov and Esav cannot coexist. They're absolute opposites, and he continues, saying that we have to decide for once and all that it is not worthwhile to dwell in abominable and lowly thoughts and desires. So, it's a command, right? If I think something bad about a friend, I need to fly away from that, not remain in that for even one second, right? It sounds like a mission that we always? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Okay. So, the question is, when should a person accept the fact that this is what he's thinking now, and the Creator is showing him his own negative facets that require correction, and when does he need to overcome? I mean, when to receive, to accept what the Creator gives, and when to want to ask to correct that? 

M. Laitman: That time will come, and he understands that he can't be in this degree anymore. He has to go ahead. Everything comes at the right time. 

Reader: Excerpt number three, Rabash writes, And the older shall serve the younger. 

Reading: (27:22) “And the older shall serve the younger,” comes to tell us. We should interpret that it is not enough that he has been rewarded with the good inclination being the ruler, and the evil inclination being powerless to resist it, which is regarded as being able to serve the Creator only with the good inclination. Rather, one needs to achieve the degree of wholeness, as our sages said, “‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,’ with both your inclinations,” where the evil inclination is also used to serve the Creator.

M. Laitman: Clear. That's what needs to be. Four. 

4. RABASH, Article No. 9 (1985), "And the Children Struggled within Her"

Reading: (28:28) A “hero,” who has surrendered the evil in him, and only the good inclination governs, meaning that he is serving the Creator only with the good inclination.

A “hero of heroes” is regarded as “and the older shall serve the younger.” This means that the “older,” meaning the evil in him, “will serve the younger,” namely serve the desire to bestow. At that time, he will be serving the Creator also with the evil inclination, and then he keeps the verse, “With all your heart,” meaning with both your inclinations.

M. Laitman: You can either work on the good side, and you can also work on the bad side in the heart. Okay. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:43) From these texts, I understand that we need to correct the inclination, to ask the creator to correct it. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Now, in this lesson, there was this, we talked about requests and gratitude, or rather, that's what I felt. But if I felt this connection, I asked for a connection, but I never asked for some correction. Did I miss anything here? 

M. Laitman: Not yet. We'll see later. 

Student: But this too has to be in the same? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Okay, I get it. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Reader: We've read number four.

M. Laitman: Read five. 

5. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 33, "The Lots on Yom Kippurim and with Haman"

Reading: (30:28) One must always prevail and emerge from the state of descent. In that state, he must draw upon himself the exaltedness of the Creator. This causes him to extend higher forces from above, or he remains in utter lowliness. It follows that through the Se’arot, one gradually discovers the exaltedness of the Creator until one finds the names of the Creator, called “the thirteen attributes of Mercy.” This is the meaning of “and the elder shall serve the younger”.

M. Laitman: Meaning that he must, every time, awaken the greatness of the Creator, and against that, he'll discover forces that need to be corrected. Yes? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (31:47) What is the difference between wanting to discover the exaltedness of the Creator and not wanting to ascend, which you mentioned before? 

M. Laitman: I want to discover the greatness of the Creator doesn't mean that I want to uplift myself.

Student: So that's the question. What exactly does it mean to feel this exaltedness and not to want to ascend? 

M. Laitman: His exaltedness works on me in a way that I am willing, more and more, to invest in his greatness, that he will be revealed as exalted above the whole world. 

Student: Why isn't that called an ascent? 

M. Laitman: Because I'm not asking about myself. I'm asking about the Creator, that he will be revealed in a way that he is exalted over all.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:14) We, in our great and beautiful Kli, have different degrees of revelation and concealment between us, and sometimes it seems a bit dark, confusing. Sometimes it's not clear where we are, what we're studying, what we're going through. And each time we try to grab hold of something. So, what can a person grab hold of when he goes through these many different states? 

M. Laitman: The greatness of the Creator and the greatness of the friends. That's it. 

Student: So, I depend on the friends? 

M. Laitman: Of course. 

Student: And if I don't feel that I depend on the friends? 

M. Laitman: When you have a problem, you need to cry and ask. To know the greatness of your friends? 

Student: So, my only choice, really, is I remember an example you gave us once, when a person is trying to get a suntan, he decides how to turn around and how to position himself. So, is that the same as one choosing the source text and the friends to influence him? 

M. Laitman: Well, let's say so. 

Student: So, he needs to go to the society, anything that relates to spirituality with the intention for it to influence him?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (34:51) You said previously that you can serve the Creator with both inclinations. What does it mean to serve Him with the evil inclination? 

M. Laitman: Correct, that it will be in order to bestow.

Student: Restricting it means working with the evil inclination? 

M. Laitman: No, restricting it, it's not called to work. That's restricting. But when you also perform actions that you can receive, and also in order to bestow in the good inclination, and also in order to bestow in the bad inclination.

Student: One last question, what is the good inclination and the evil inclination? 

M. Laitman: I can't get into this argument with you now. You can ask your friends, and also read a bit at home.

Reader: Thank you, we will continue to the next part of the lesson, studying together with the friends. 

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Shalom, this is the part of the lesson where we study together with the friends, we'll hold a discussion on the subject of preparing for the lesson. All the study materials have been sent, in the study materials email and so on.

Everything we're going to read now is there. So, studying with friends, a discussion on the subject of preparing for the lesson will be the excerpt number one. In a moment, the team will start guiding us through this process.

So, for now, excerpt number one, Rabash writes in the article, What are Torah and Work in the Way of the Creator? A person must make a great effort before he comes to learn, so that his learning will bear fruit and good results. Meaning, so the learning will bring him the light of Torah. By which, it will be possible to reform him.

Let's read again. A person must make a great effort before he comes to learn, so that his learning will bear fruit and good results. Meaning, so the learning will bring him the light of Torah.

By which, it will be possible to reform him. Dear friends, beloved friends, we are the representatives of the team that prepares the lessons. Prepares the preparation for the lessons.

And we're happy to tell you that now we have a chance to scrutinize how a preparation for the lesson should work. So, we're going to devote the social time we've got today and tomorrow to this important discussion. What we really want is to start by how the preparation for the morning lesson is important for us.

So, we're going to read an excerpt from Abba's words. Student, how should we prepare ourselves correctly for the lesson in order to fill the center of the Ten? We need this evening.