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

Daily Lesson (Morning), July 5, 2024. 

Part 3 Pirkei Avot, The Chapters Of Our Fathers, Chapter 5, item 12

Reader: (0:02) We are studying Pirkei Avot. the chapters of our fathers, we are in Chapter 5, item 12. You can find our study materials on our sites and ask questions there, as well. Again, Pirkei Avot. Chapter 5, Item 12 

Item 12: (00:23) There are four types of disciples: Quick to comprehend, and quick to forget: his gain disappears in his loss; Slow to comprehend, and slow to forget: his loss disappears in his gain; Quick to comprehend, and slow to forget: he is a wise man; Slow to comprehend, and quick to forget, this is an evil portion.

Reader: Again, Item 12. There are four types of disciples: Quick to comprehend, and quick to forget: his gain disappears in his loss; Slow to comprehend, and slow to forget: his loss disappears in his gain; Quick to comprehend, and slow to forget: he is a wise man; Slow to comprehend, and quick to forget, this is an evil portion.

M. Laitman: It is clear, yes? It’s clear.

Reader: (01:40) What does this depend upon if a person is like, a student is like than, what does it depend upon?

M. Laitman: It’s not written about that; it’s written that from this for conditions how we should relate, to each thing.

Reader: These four measures are in each person, these manners of study?

M. Laitman: It seems not.

Reader: So, it looks like each has.

M. Laitman:  Meaning, also in incorporation with others.

Reader: But a person should try to identify what type of student he is? And to aspire to always be wise; and that he’s quick to comprehend and slow to forget?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: That’s what we should aspire to?

M. Laitman: Yes

Question Petah Tikva Center: (02:41) What is to hear all together first of all?

M. Laitman: To hear

Student: What does that mean, what does he hear?

M. Laitman: To hear what the others say.

Student: So, what is quick to hear? What’s the difference between hearing quick and. I don’t understand what’s written there

M. Laitman: That he grasps, quickly.

Student: If he grasps quickly it makes of him, if he’s quick to comprehend it makes him a better student? Let’s say, I come to the lesson as many times, I come, I hear, I’m impressed. I came uplifted spiritually, in our spirit, but lose everything?

M. Laitman: Well?

Student: What does that mean because they’re things that are a little confusing written here.

M. Laitman: Why? Say in the first one, that he is quick to hear, and he loses quickly.

Student: And his gain disappears, and it gets lost. So that’s not a good thing.

M. Laitman: No.

Student: I’m asking, what, it doesn’t even depend on the person? And I also heard many times that it’s actually good to come to the lesson and not be perplexed that it’s lost. But what you’ve heard it’s not remaining, so why I’m asking, what’s to hear, what’s to lose? Today was very hard for me to hear. So, what, is that bad; and in what is it bad all together?

M. Laitman: If it’s not for you to hear so, depends how you, whether you lose that quickly or not.

Student: If it’s hard for me to hear, then there’s room for effort, then try.

M. Laitman: Yes, and do you try to hold that?

Student: To hold on to the effort?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So again, do I need to come with a reward from the lesson, feel like I’ve profited something?

M. Laitman: Yes, you need to feel that.

Student: In every lesson?

M. Laitman: In every lesson.

Student: And does it matter what kind of profit I came out of from the lesson?

M. Laitman: No, depends on the profit that you came out of the lesson with.

Student: So, depends on the feeling, it’s not that I heard something. That if I made an effort today then it gives me the feeling that I succeeded, it’s a type of reward.

M. Laitman: Well?

Student: So, it’s not necessary that I’m hearing something, what’s this thing that I’m hearing something?

M. Laitman: Other than that, here it speaks, not about. It speaks about absorption, how much you absorbed something from the lesson.

Student: What does it mean to absorb something from the lesson?

M. Laitman: That it penetrates deeper that hearing and impacted already in your inner vessels, more.

Question Petah Tikva Center: (06:35) What does the absorption depend upon?

M. Laitman: The absorption depends on your deficiency. Let’s move on, 13.

Reader: (06:57) 13. There are four types of charity givers. He who wishes to give, but that others should not give: his eye is evil to that which belongs to others; He who wishes that others should give, but that he himself should not give: his eye is evil towards that which is his own; He who desires that he himself should give, and that others should give: he is a pious man; He who desires that he himself should not give and that others too should not give: he is a wicked man.

Reader: Yes, we see that sometimes. 

Again, Item 13. There are four types of charity givers. He who wishes to give, but that others should not give: his eye is evil to that which belongs to others; He who wishes that others should give, but that he himself should not give: his eye is evil towards that which is his own; He who desires that he himself should give, and that others should give: he is a pious man; He who desires that he himself should not give and that others too should not give: he is a wicked man.

M. Laitman: Is that clear? 

Reader: (08:16) The fourth one is not clear. That’s like giving righteous, is he giving charity, and he is a wicked man, why is it called charity?

M. Laitman: He arranges such that a he doesn’t give to anyone but towards him it won’t be bad, seemingly. He does it together with everyone. Moving on.

Reader: (08:40) 14. There are four types among those who frequent the study-house (bet midrash):He who attends but does not practice: he receives a reward for attendance. He who practices but does not attend he receives a reward for practice. He who attends and practices: he is a pious man; He who neither attends nor practices he is a wicked man.

M. Laitman: Is that clear? Read again.

Reader: Again. Item 14. There are four types among those who frequent the study-house (bet midrash):He who attends but does not practice: he receives a reward for attendance. He who practices but does not attend he receives a reward for practice. He who attends and practices: he is a pious man; He who neither attends nor practices he is a wicked man.

M. Laitman: Yes? 

Question Petah Tikva Center: (09:46) Specifically, in the relationship between 12, 13 and 14, it’s like he’s talking about reward and loss. And it’s like he’s talking about the students are fast to hear and fast to loose, he calls them, and so to loose, he closes his eyes. And the others, he’s reaching a level of pious. Meaning, only he who is this student can reach this degree of wise, all the rest are limited. What’s the matter, here? In 12 he writes, “quick to comprehend and slow to loose is a wise man”; and in 13 and 14, the highest degree he gives to reaching the pious. In 14, he goes, and he does, he’s a pious, they don’t yet reach the wise man. So why is there that difference between the four types of disciples versus the charity givers and the types that frequent the study hall?

M. Laitman: Because there, the actions, itself, he does, and he cleanses himself from the action.

Student: And what is the action of the disciple?

M. Laitman: To study, to incorporate in hearing, comprehending, connecting. And there it is not?

Student: One who goes to the study hall and goes and does is not considered?

M. Laitman: He doesn't participate in externality. Next.

Reader: (11:38) 15. There are four types among those who sit before the sages: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer and a sieve. A sponge, soaks up everything; A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other; A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees; A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour.

Reader: Again. Item 15. There are four types among those who sit before the sages: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer and a sieve. A sponge, soaks up everything; A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other; A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees; A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour.

M. Laitman: Is that clear? 

Question Petah Tikva Center: (12:25) If I can ask about the previous one, about the 4 types that are in the study house?

M. Laitman: No, what we’re now studying and reading. Afterward, ask but not now. You’re going before everyone. 

Student: I’m talking about the one we just read before, item 14. They are 4 types among those who frequent the study. 

M. Laitman: What did we now read?

Student: The last one we read was 15.

M. Laitman: So, why are you asking about 14?

Student: I just didn’t have the time and it was just before.

M. Laitman: You didn’t have time, okay so you can be quiet until we have gone through 15; and then maybe afterwards you have time to get around to asking about item 14.

Reader: (13:30) 15. There are four types among those who sit before the sages: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer and a sieve. A sponge, soaks up everything; A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other; A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees; A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour.

M. Laitman: Are there any questions about that?

Reader: (14:15) How to be a sponge?

M. Laitman: That’s the desire, everything depends on the desire. The sponge is one that absorbs everything.

Reader: Is that a good direction, to be a sponge? 

M. Laitman: It’s a direction for advancement, for development. 

Reader: But a person needs to try to be all those four faces, all those four aspects?

M. Laitman: He has all that, now, he needs to navigate himself. 

Question Petah Tikva Center: (15:06) I find this text very confusing. It’s naturally there’s the tendency for a person

M. Laitman: For all four directions.

Student: In all four directions, and also to find in the text that he’s not in yet. And then you can, say about everything, it’s like this, like that, like that. It comes out of some, something tangible. The question and also yesterday I had this question, and I didn’t have time to ask, how to study, correctly? How to study correctly this text, let’s say specifically. And all together in the Wisdom of Kabbalah, this phenomenon is happening because many times we’re talking about such exalted matters. And a person’s tendency is to, immediately, attribute it to himself and where am I in it. So how to study, correctly, these things?

M. Laitman: Yes, it’s not for now, we’ll speak about it maybe in the next lesson, or in another few lessons. The question is deeper than what it seems to us. 

Question Petah Tikva Center: (16:15) I simply didn’t want to divert the lesson, I have a general question you always spoke about, can I ask?

M. Laitman: Well?

Student: You always spoke about some of our work being to search outside of us in the universe, these black holes, that’s were our work is. And I stumbled upon something interesting, which brings some huge distance from earth. By a telescope they discovered a pillar of light advancing towards the earth. And it reminded me what we are actually studying, a searching for the reforming light, which is what can change us. And it’s advancing towards earth. Is that the way?

M. Laitman: When does he reach it?

Student: I don’t know, it’s far but it’s the Creator, it’s nature. He can change it instead of light speed, He can multiply it, it depend on Him. The nature is changing according of what He decides and the change on us, of course.

M. Laitman: If it’s the light, so the light has constant speed.

Student: What is there, permanent? What, not the light speed or anything else. I have limitations but.

M. Laitman: Okay, well?

Student: So, to see these things as advancements towards our correction, although it’s very far, it’s correct. Should we look at it this way?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question Petah Tikva Center: Announcements

Reader: We will conclude. Thank you and good day.