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

Daily Morning Lesson: April 29, 2026

Part 1: A lesson based on the articles of Rabash

Rabash. Article No. 36, 1991. What Is, “Peace, Peace, to the Far and to the Near,” in the Work?

Original lesson date: 07/23/2002

Reader: Dear friends, in the first part of the lesson we will enter a lesson with Rav based on the article Peace, Peace to the Far and to the Near in the Work. We'll read the article, first, in the Ten together and we have 34 minutes for that. Tens who finish early can begin a workshop on the main insights from the article. Notice that after this part, we will start a pilot of a new format for studying among friends based on the article and the recorded lesson that we're going to study. We're starting with the Rabash article, "What is Peace, Peace to the Far and to the Near in the Work?" What is Peace, Peace to the Far and to the Near in the Work?

Reading: (01:09) What Is, “Peace, Peace, to the Far and to the Near,” in the Work?

Article No. 36, 1991

The Zohar says (Korah, Items 5-8), “Korah went by way of dispute. What is a dispute? It is distancing and rejection above and below. One who wishes to reject the correction of the world is lost from all the worlds. A dispute is distancing and rejection of the peace. One who disagrees with peace disagrees with His Holy Name, since His Holy Name is called ‘Peace.’ The world stands only on peace. When the Creator created the world, it could not exist until He came and established peace upon them. And what is it? It is the Sabbath. Hence, one who disagrees with peace will be lost from the world. Rabbi Yosi said, ‘It is written, ‘Those who love Your Torah [law] have much peace.’ The Torah is peace, as it is written, ‘And all her ways are peace.’ Korah came to blemish the peace above—the Torah, meaning the middle line, which is called ‘Torah,’ which makes peace between right and left—and below, of Moses. This is why he was punished by upper and lower, by fire and the mouth of the earth.’”

We should understand why he says that the world can exist only on peace because His Holy Name is “Peace.” It follows that the reason that the world cannot exist is that the Creator is called “Peace.”

We should understand the connection to the name of the Creator. In simple terms, everyone understands that if there is a dispute, there cannot be an existence to the world. But how does this concern the name of the Creator? Also, we should understand why he says, “And what is peace?” He says that peace means Shabbat [the Sabbath], and Rabbi Yosi says that peace is called “Torah.” Thus, how is it expressed that the Shabbat and the Torah indicate peace?

First, we must repeat two tenets that we have spoken of many times: 1) the purpose of creation, 2) the correction of creation, meaning what we should do in order to achieve the purpose of creation.

It is known that the purpose of creation is for the created beings to receive delight and pleasure, as he says, “His desire to do good to His creations.” For this purpose, He created in the created beings a desire to receive pleasure. In other words, if there is no yearning for something, we cannot enjoy it. If we sometimes see that wherever one can enjoy something, he cannot stop himself and not want to receive the pleasure. If we sometimes see that a person does relinquish a pleasure, this must be for some special reason for which it is worthwhile for him to relinquish, since one cannot go against the nature of the will to receive. Hence, if there is a good enough reason, a person will give up pleasures that he wants to receive.

This can happen for two reasons: 1) Because of a reward, meaning that if he relinquishes the pleasure that he wants now, he will receive greater pleasure instead. 2) Because of punishment. That is, if he does not relinquish this pleasure, he will suffer great torments for it, and he sees that it is better for him to give up this pleasure in order not to suffer.

It follows that the fact that a person has now relinquished the will to receive pleasure, this concession is not because he does not want to work for his own benefit. Rather, he sees that if he does not concede what he wants now, it will harm his self-benefit, and this is why he gives it up. For this reason, we do not say that by giving up a pleasure, he did something against nature, meaning that he blemished the will to receive. Rather, all he did was according to the method of the will to receive.

In other words, we should not look at what people do, for sometimes they relinquish something, but it is not a sign that this person is working. Rather, we must see the aim, as well.

For example, a person might give up the lust for food. If he knows that someone might see that he is a person who renounces pleasures, it is a sign that he is a servant of the Creator, and there are people who will respect him for this. Then, a person has the power to overcome because he will receive a greater pleasure, which is respect. This is usually the case.

But there are also exceptions. There are those who can degrade themselves, meaning relinquish respect in order to obtain a lust. Also, there are those who do not relinquish lusts, but not because of respect, but on the contrary, meaning that if one works in concealment, he can eat much, for example, and people are bound to see how he is eating and will despise him in their hearts. He relinquishes the respect in order to gain from this the ability to work in concealment, since through this work he can be rewarded with an even greater pleasure, since one who is humble is rewarded with Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator.

This means that he does not want to be satisfied with people respecting him, since there is a rule that when people think that he is above them they respect him, and respect takes over, so one who develops a passion for respect cannot come out of it and must work and toil in order to obtain the respect. Then, he cannot do anything for the sake of the Creator. Therefore, we were given the counsel to do everything in concealment, and thereby not be given respect. By this he can be saved from falling under the governance of respect. At that time, he can accustom himself to work in order to bestow.

Accordingly, we see that one who relinquishes small pleasures and instead receives a big pleasure, it is not that he flawed the will to receive. Sometimes, he receives the big pleasure from satisfying some passion, and sometimes the great pleasure comes through respect, and so forth.

Sometimes, he receives a small pleasure, meaning a small passion, since he knows that by this he is giving up a big pleasure, which is respect. The question is, Why would he want to relinquish a big pleasure? It is because in return for relinquishing a big pleasure, he wants to receive a higher degree. For example, by relinquishing respect, he wants to be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator.

In this manner, we do not say that he received a small pleasure, such as eating, and gave up a big pleasure, which is respect. Rather, we should say that he also does not relinquish the small pleasure, but only in the eyes of people who are looking at him and say that this person is not smart, since he does not want to relinquish a small passion, for if he gave up that passion he could receive a greater pleasure, but he does not even have the power to overcome a small passion. It follows that it is impossible to know the truth about a person whose way is concealment.

Now we return to what we discussed concerning the correction of creation, that one should come to do everything in order to bestow. Since man was created with a nature of receiving only for his own benefit, how can he be told to go against nature, since the body asks, “What will I get out of this?” Certainly, we should tell it, “You will get out of this, that if you work in order to bestow, you will be rewarded with the delight and pleasure that are found in the purpose of creation.”

Thus, the answer is that the will to receive will obtain a greater pleasure than he can receive now, in the will to receive without the aim to bestow. At that time, the body claims, “So you are saying that then I will benefit, as well. That is, I see that if I work in order to bestow, I will get self-benefit from this.” In that case, a person says that he does not see anything that one can do without yielding some benefit for himself from it.

The answer is that with the intellect, it is impossible to understand how one can do something against nature. Therefore, a person is told, “What you are saying is correct; by nature, it is impossible for man to understand what is in order to bestow.” Therefore, our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake].” Then, when he learns Lo Lishma, “the light in it reforms him,” as it says in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] (Beresheet Bet, Item 103), “If one engages in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] even for his own pleasure, through the light in it he will still feel the lowliness and the terrible corruptness in the nature of receiving for oneself. At that time, he will resolve to retire from that nature of reception and will completely devote himself to working only in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker. Then the Creator will open his eyes to see before him a world filled with utter perfection without any deficiencies whatsoever.”

According to the above, we see that man cannot understand what it means to work in order to bestow and not for his own sake. We can begin to understand it specifically by engaging in Torah and Mitzvot even Lo Lishma. Nevertheless, the light in it can make him see that there is the matter that it is worthwhile to work only for the sake of the Creator and not for one’s own sake.

But without the remedy in Torah and Mitzvot, man’s intellect cannot understand that it is possible to do something unless it yields pleasure with which one can please his will to receive. Hence, when a person is told to do everything for the sake of the Creator, and he sees that he cannot understand such a thing, the answer is that it is true that it is impossible to understand it with the external mind that was given to man, but he is told, “You must know that you are wasting your time waiting and saying that if he learns it, he will understand how to engage in it in order to attain the desire to bestow, and in the meantime he will wait with praying for the Creator to give him that desire. Before he understands that he needs this thing, how can he pray to the Creator to give him something if he does not know he needs it? He can say that he wants the desire to bestow, but how can he pray from the bottom of the heart that this is what he needs?

There is no way to understand this with the external mind, but one who wants to walk on the path toward achieving the goal for which he was created must believe in the sages, who said that one should do everything in order to bestow and not for his own sake. That is, the fact that he must walk on a path where all his actions are in order to bestow, a person cannot take this desire. Only the Creator can give him that second nature, as well as the belief that he will receive the need for this from observing Torah and Mitzvot even Lo Lishma, because “the light in it reforms him.”

Hence, we see here two things that the Creator gives: 1) The need for one to understand that he needs the desire to bestow, and he receives this through the light in the Torah. Later, he also receives the light, which is the power to do everything in order to bestow.

Accordingly, we should interpret what we asked, What is the reason that the world stands only on peace, since the name of the Creator is “Peace”? We asked, What is the connection between them?

The answer is that since it is impossible to make peace where there is no dispute, for only where there is a dispute, there can be peace, for this reason, first we must know what is the dispute that there is in the world, for which we must make peace, since the Creator is called “Peace,” and only then the world exists.

It is known that the Creator’s desire is to do good to His creations. Hence, all creations feel that they should receive delight and pleasure from the Creator. It follows that when they are not receiving delight and pleasure, they are disputed with the Creator over why is He not giving them delight and pleasure. Since there was a correction that in order to prevent the shame, everything must be done in order to bestow, the Creator is in dispute with the created beings over why they are unwilling to work in order to bestow.

It therefore follows that there are two opposite opinions here: 1) The created beings say to the Creator, “Let us enjoy; satisfy our desires, meaning our will to receive, with abundance, so we can say, ‘Blessed is He who said, ‘Let there be the world,’’ since we feel the abundance that we have and we enjoy it.” 2) The Creator said, “I, too, want to enjoy the world that I created, and all My joy is that you are enjoying, as this was My purpose in creation, as it is written, ‘His desire to do good to His creations.’ However, I want your pleasure to be complete, without any unpleasantness, called ‘shame.’”

For this reason, once the created beings feel the dispute, they want to make peace with the Creator, since otherwise the world cannot exist. That is, the world must exist only for the purpose for which it was created. If the goal cannot be achieved, then why do they need the world, for the world was not created so that the created beings would suffer torments?

Hence, the name of the Creator is “Peace” because it is impossible to reveal the name of the Creator, as His general name is The Good Who Does Good, but how can the name The Good Who Does Good be revealed when there is a dispute between the Creator and the created beings?

We therefore see that precisely by peace, the world can exist. Peace means that through peace, it is possible to feel that the Creator is good and does good, since they are receiving the delight and pleasure from the Creator, once peace has been established, meaning when the created beings accept the desire of the Creator, who wants the created beings to do everything for the sake of the Creator.

This is called “resembling the desire of the Creator,” whose desire is only to bestow upon the created beings. Likewise, now the created beings become similar to the desire of the Creator in that they, too, want only to bestow upon the Creator. Then, through equivalence of form, it is possible to reveal the delight and pleasure that exist in the thought of creation, and then it becomes revealed that the name of the Creator is The Good Who Does Good.

By this we will understand what we asked about peace being specifically where there is a dispute, so why did the Creator create the world with a dispute to begin with? The answer is that a dispute exists wherever there are opposite things. Since the world was created with a Kli [vessel] of a desire to receive, since otherwise, if there is no desire to receive something, it is impossible to enjoy it; therefore, creation emerged with a nature of wanting to receive for oneself. Afterward, in order to correct it so there will not be the matter of shame in it, the created beings must acquire a second nature, meaning acquire the desire of the Creator, whose desire is to bestow. For this reason, a dispute emerged from this.

It follows that the dispute is necessary. That is, if the created beings do not understand the matter of the dispute, they can never achieve the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations, since it is impossible to correct anything if we do not know what is missing. Hence, once we know the dispute between the desires, we can make peace between them.

According to the above, we can interpret what we asked, “What is peace?” He says that peace is Shabbat. Rabbi Yosi says that peace is Torah, meaning that through the Torah, a person comes to feel the dispute, since the Torah, even in Lo Lishma, the light in it makes him see that there is the need to work in order to bestow. It follows that through the Torah, he first comes to the dispute, and then he knows what needs to be corrected. Afterward, by being rewarded with “Torah Lishma,” the Torah makes peace, meaning gives him the power of the desire to bestow, which is the meaning of doing everything for the sake of the Creator. It follows that through the Torah, he achieves two things: the Kli, which is the lack, and the light, which is the power to be able to do everything in order to bestow.

When it says that peace is called Shabbat, it does not dispute the interpretation that peace is called Torah, since our sages said (Avoda Zara 3), “The Creator said to them, ‘He who toiled on the eve of Shabbat will eat on Shabbat. He who did not toil on the eve of Shabbat, from where will he eat on Shabbat?’”

We should understand this saying in the work. It means that since Shabbat is called “peace,” how can one be rewarded with peace if there is no dispute there? And what is the dispute? It is as our sages said, “One should always anger the good inclination over the evil inclination.” RASHI interprets that he should make war with it (Berachot 5). The war means that since the good inclination is to have the same desire as the Creator, namely a desire to bestow, and the evil inclination is called the will to receive, a person should try to make a dispute, meaning that they are two opposing desires. At that time, Shabbat comes and makes peace.

But if there is no dispute, how can we say that Shabbat makes peace? This is why he says, “He who did not toil on the eve of Shabbat, from where will he eat on Shabbat?” It follows that the toil is the dispute, meaning to fight against the evil inclination, which is the will to receive.

However, why is Shabbat called “peace”? It is as The Zohar writes, “What is Shabbat? The name of the Creator” (brought in The Zohar on the Shabbat morning meal). It is known that the name of the Creator is “Torah,” as our sages said, “The whole Torah is the names of the Creator.” It follows that both Shabbat and Torah make peace. This means that through the revelation of the Torah in the manner of the “name of the Creator,” peace is made between the created beings and the Creator, for the created beings enjoy being rewarded with receiving the delight and pleasure, and the Creator enjoys the purpose of creation being achieved. In other words, the desire to do good to His creations is revealed in full.

According to the above, we should interpret the words of The Zohar, which says that Korah “went by way of dispute,” and one who wants to repel the correction of the world will be lost from all the worlds. We should interpret that the correction of the world was for everything to work in order to bestow. Korah went by way of dispute, and had to later achieve peace, which is correction. But Korah wanted to stay in the dispute. It follows that he repelled the correction of the world. This is why it says, “One who disagrees with peace disagrees with His Holy Name, since His Holy Name is called ‘Peace.’”

This means that since His name is “Peace,” meaning that peace was made between the Creator and the created beings, meaning that the name of the Creator, that He is good and does good, becomes revealed. Through the dispute, called “disparity of form,” the good cannot be revealed. It follows that the created beings are in dispute with the Creator. But when peace is made from the perspective of the vessels, meaning from the perspective of the desires, when it becomes that there is one desire in the world, called “desire to bestow,” then all the delight and pleasure in the world become revealed.

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Reader: (35:09) We'll move to the lesson from July 23, 2002.

M. Laitman: We read from the article, What is Peace, Peace to the Far and to the Near in the Work, what does it mean, the near and the far? I depends how you decipher the concept. Anything that is attained is attained only through a collision against something that comes against it. Without limits, the created being cannot work and this boundary has to be clear because he is attaining—what he's attaining is the boundary between him and the Creator. And, by that, he receives a Partzuf, a form, some kind of silhouette, yes? And through that, he has this understanding, perception, discernments, meaning the created being must always work within certain limits. The Creator created a point of darkness, the black point on the white background of the abstract light. And through the collision – the feeling of contrast, disparity between oppositeness, between that point of darkness and the light – the created being brings out all the letters of the work, really black letters on a white background. And gradually connects them together until, as we say, he writes the entirety of the book of Torah. This is through the vessels that he attains and the combinations of these letters that he combines; he then attains all the perfection of the Creator.

These things all come from the dispute and really through collisions, conflicts, two things standing opposite one another: the will to receive and the will to bestow. As we learn, each Sefira has sub-Sefirot, and sub-Sefirot through to infinity, that's how it is. What is each Sefira? It's each desire, each discernment, that's how it is divided. Let's say, from the beginning, what is the use, what is the benefit from this oppositeness? Now, we see that through it, there is a benefit to this oppositeness because without it, we cannot advance. Now, when we begin to advance, there has to be some sort of resistance in various ways; resistance like that of Korach is not good – differently, it is good. Meaning, there are such things that come against the Creator, but they're positive, and there are those who are negative, what does it mean, positive and negative, if it's against the Creator? Because if it's those by which you scrutinize the qualities of the Creator in order to come to resemble Him, then it is a positive; if it is with the purpose of remaining as one is – not to come to resemble Him – then it is negative. With Korach, for example, why is it negative? It's a dispute which has no benefit; it doesn't come to push the person towards the purpose of creation but, rather, to force him to remain in the dispute. The positive dispute, then, it builds, as we say. As we say, The conflict of elders builds. Elders, meaning they have wisdom, they're elderly, elders. Then, even if there's a contradiction between them, by contradicting each other they build more and more something bigger, higher, and that's how we need to understand that these things work. And so, not to shy away from disputes, not to be afraid of conflicts, various such scrutinies. The main thing is, what do you begin with from the onset, what do we do it for, what do we want to achieve, ultimately? If these two points are always in front of our eyes, then whatever takes place in the middle will be beneficial and constructive,

So, Hello, Peace, Peace to the far and near, there are several different states, close and far, as if for or against – that's how they appear in any case. If they all come to peace then it is actual peace, peace to the close, to the near and the far. Then, they act positively; they have a positive effect, and even more so than things that seem, even more so with the things that seem distant and opposite and contrary. From them, actually, we get the biggest, best discernments, really, those special discernments that clarify the state and are close to the goal. That is what I think is the message of this whole article. These disputes exist within a person, between a person and his friends, between a person and a more external environment or between a person and a hostile environment. We must always look to see if this is beneficial in terms of the goal; which is to say, is there an opening of the eyes in this, in the Torah? There's always this revelation of Divinity, or as with Korach, where the dispute was in order to just contradict the whole thing, and to deviate away from advancing towards the purpose of creation. We have within us such qualities, too, and around us, well, there's no lack of such descendants of Korach of all kinds who also want to contradict simply in order to obfuscate, to confuse, and not to allow us to advance towards the goal. Sometimes, we can actually see that there is some group of people who don't have eyesight and they're shouting at others, You mustn't open your eyes, right, that's exactly what it looks like; and whoever opens his eyes, he's at fault. Why, why is he wrong? They don't feel a lack in this, so you also mustn't open your eyes, be like everyone. You can understand them—that they're poor, they don't have this feeling that they're lacking this sense, but how can you listen to them and remain blind? If it is known, if there is already some feeling of lack, where blindness is complete darkness for you – without entering a dispute, without intervening, mixing with those who have no interest, no sense, no discernment regarding what it means to see, what it even means to have a lack for vision. Just to do what nature demands – as their nature demands – to remain within their blind nature, our nature demands the opening of this additional sense of vision.

It's really like a big mass of the blind shouting, You mustn't open your eyes. It's forbidden. That is a kind of dispute that is not worthwhile getting into, and it is not for the sake of the heavens because the heavens, the purpose of creation, is to reach the opening of the eyes. That is, in essence, what Korach wanted, what does it mean, he wanted? When we enter the Divine system and we see how everything is built – and, of course, Korach is an angel but in the work of the angels there are various roles – the role of Korach is that of showing a dead end in a certain kind of attitude towards development. There are other forces, as well, which bring a person towards advancement but, of course, without entering the state of Korach, without scrutinizing it and seeing that this state is not beneficial, that it goes against the purpose of creation. I mean, it's not that it's negative to begin with, no, of course not. Without scrutinizing it, it is impossible to progress; it is, as we learn, there are twenty-two letters and the Mantzepach, five additional letters which correspond to the boundaries of man, the five limitations, the Malchuyot. Without these Mantzepach, it is impossible to advance without these main boundaries. And therefore, in each and every state, we must quickly discern these boundaries, and in them, each and every one will scrutinize the Korach within him – and the sons of Korach. Only by recognizing the boundaries, can we advance, can we progress; the person is always thrown as a stone from a sling between these boundaries, from wall to wall. Without feeling some kind of limitation, he cannot grasp; he cannot find north, as we say, where to advance towards, how to advance.

We are speaking about these very positive things as one – they're all, everything in the Torah and in these articles, it's all angels, forces that the Creator presents to us where each and every force, we must actually come to know, to recognize, diagnose. To see the good things in it, the bad so to speak, yes? They are regarded as one and the same; there is no inferiority in any force in nature. We must use each and every one of them for its purpose; and then we say, Peace, Peace to the far and to the near, as each and every one of them brings the person to faith; that's it. Any questions about the article itself, yes?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (48:11) How to run the dispute?

M. Laitman: I told you how to manage the dispute, the dispute you manage by not leaving the two points, the beginning and end. Where, if I enter the dispute, then, it's clear to me that I enter it because I want to scrutinize, There's None Else Besides Him. To scrutinize that There's None Else Besides Him, I need the powers of, If there's no one for me – or rather, If I'm not for me, who is for me? Me, myself, and I go and scrutinize it, I go with the Creator as the Creator says, Come to Pharaoh. Meaning each and every force I approach, even the good or the worst, it doesn't matter how it appears to me. I need to approach it with the Creator, together; what does it mean together with the Creator? In adhesion to Him as much as possible and then it is certain that I, if I'm always walking with the Creator into that dispute and also within the dispute, within the battle, yes? I also hold, maintain within me this connection to the Creator and all through the dispute. And also, when I exit it, when I emerge from it, it's a sign that I passed through the state by the shortest path. And if somewhere in the middle, I lose the Creator – I get lost – then time lengthens. It doesn't matter if the time lengthens, or is shorter, but if in the beginning and in the end, I felt the Creator – I was with Him as one and also in the middle, here and there or all the time, yes? Then it's an indication that I added this dispute, joined it towards a greater greatness of the Creator in connection with Him. Then, before the dispute and after the dispute, there is a difference in how I connect to Him, I gained a greater connection. That's it; that's the end of the process and the benefit from the dispute. We say, A husband and wife, the more they fight, the more they love each other, yes? There is something to that, I don't know if it's 100% true in our lives, but there is something to it. They scrutinize various things, and they see that above them they later reach peace, peace at home. From that, they learn how to be together, to live together with all the issues, with all the issues, yes, in each one of them. They take into account the lacks and they add together the lacks, they add them to their connection. It's beneficial, it's worthwhile but if to begin with, they make it; they do it in order to renew the connection, to make it stronger, that's something else. Usually, we don't do that in our usual, regular life, in the work of the Lord, that's how it should be, in the beginning and in the end and also in the middle. The goal must always come first with each action, each thought. And then, of course, what happens after the action and the thought, meaning in the midst of it, in its depth, that is of course beneficial. It strengthens the connection more, brings better understanding, preparation, yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (51:57) Maybe it's also good to awaken dispute within the group in order to achieve peace.

M. Laitman: It's worthwhile to awaken dispute within the group?

Student: Right.

M. Laitman: Then what am I doing? Don't you see that I'm, don't you see what's constantly, I'm constantly, you know, agitating, making waves? But the question is actually to what degree – first of all, I don't see that it makes people very happy! Nobody wants to budge from their seat, right? Very simply, it is necessary. Yesterday, even, I started doing it online in Russian, there's this internet group, this forum of the groups; I also saw that there's a very dormant state, kind of it's just, they're leaving, they're almost not. And so, I wrote a few things there: Where are you? Where are you from? What's happening? – and this and that – they immediately started responding! Within a day, I received fifteen replies, maybe, you understand? That's it, what can you do – there's nothing you can do. But there must be a kind of, this kind of mechanism in the group, where if truly there's no renewal, but not just renewal that comes from nothing, from the air but through searching, right? If there's no renewal, it's a state where—we talked about this, that in spirituality, if there's no acceleration, it's a stop and even decline. In spirituality, it's like according to Einstein, right? You fly in the speed of light; if it's unchanging, it means that you're still in the same place. You know that, right, you heard about it? You're not, you're a musician, not a physician, but that's how it is. It means that everything that's constant is worth zero, very simple; and we need to take that into account, we need to stay with the constant. This is, but this is called inanimate; everything comes from the inanimate – but what's inanimate is inanimate – don't think that there is renewal in it. But for us, in the work of the Lord, inanimate cannot even be just remaining in the same state; if it's inanimate, it keeps getting less and less, growing smaller and smaller.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (55:26) We heard, there were questions about what we've heard that we've heard more than once, that the only thing you can get from the group is a concession from the group. It's inspiration and, lately, I heard all kinds of groups of people.

M. Laitman: You didn't ask anything, I heard all sorts of formulae, what are you listening to?

Student: What can you receive, what's the one thing or most important thing you can receive from the group or give to the group?

M. Laitman: Upliftment, upliftment, levity, upliftment, the greatness of the Creator! That's the only, and most important thing that you can receive from the Creator, meaning if you receive that, you need nothing else. If you don't receive that sufficiently, then you need to be impressed by how they're challenged and how they contend with the force of the shattering, the force of – well, their grip on the goal, the desire to survive in all these states towards the Creator and all sorts of impressions but, ultimately, after everything. The main thing that you should receive from the Creator is the greatness of the Creator.

Student: An inspiration towards the goal?

M. Laitman: I don't know, inspiration towards the goal – these are such abstract things – well, let's say it is like that, let's say it is better to have such confusions.

Student: There are opinions in the groups of people that external inspiration; external expression has no value. And that what a person needs to do is look at the face that's sitting here, even if it's asleep, and come to inspiration from that. Basically, external inspiration is not important at all.

M. Laitman: There is the matter of concealment in the work of the Creator; what does it mean? There is the matter of concealment in the work of the Creator; what is the matter of concealment? Be humble with the Lord your God, meaning that a person hides himself from the external public; then he hides himself from the friends; then he hides himself from himself, and later he even hides himself from the Creator. These are degrees and, in that, there is work and very, very complicated, difficult – we don't even have the words for these things yet so that we can understand each other. I'm not touching upon this at all now. But we need to understand that we are in much simpler work in the group. What does it mean, simpler work in the group? Of course, it would be best if we didn't talk about the work of the Creator at all and would just learn TES or read the articles without saying a single word, each one from himself, you know, without revealing each one's heart. But in that, we would be, each one of us, we would never even look to the others. We would never have been able to connect to the others; we would think, well, the way our eyes see, no one would know the heart of the friend but only know his external form. And so, of course, in that way we would never get stronger; we would never be reinforced by one another. This perhaps gives us work to do opposite one another, to appreciate the friend, to believe above reason that he's great, that he's doing the work, that he's just seated here, even with this kind of face that's as if implies that he doesn't care. That's how the Hassidim would act, this is the whole matter of the Hassidut, the quality of Bina, right? To be humble they would enter the synagogue in Yom Kippur, and they would place like little crumbs of bread on their faces, if they just ate, or various such things. They would have conflicts, and they would remove from themselves various fears that they're working in inner work, opposite some kind of external – it's called the evil eye. The evil eyes against the work of the Creator, against things, against beastly things, well, that we don't talk about, really. But of course, of course, this is a state that it is worthwhile to reach, but if we work in that way, then we will all just sleep until we actually sleep at home and not come here anymore.

So, our custom is to talk about what's written in the articles. We discuss them, all of us, where it's written this, it's written that. And we also show each other not the inner work that each person does, but what each person does for the society so that each one can be impressed by the friend. And who wants to do no less than the friend, and here we can understand those who feel that it's more worthwhile to do internally, and those who understand that without it, it's not possible, but only in externality for the time being. You understand, it's a problem, it is a problem as far as I'm concerned, even a person can even sleep in the middle of the lesson, if he's present. And generally, he studies, and sometimes he just falls and sleeps, falls from physical exhaustion, or falls because of his inner state. Then I, you see, I don't shout at them. Do I shout at you for sleeping all the time? You see?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:02:24) So, there's a problem, there's a problem that people are asleep, might be asleep all the time, sometimes it's temporary.

M. Laitman: You know what, I don't care even if it's all the time, seriously, I'm telling you, I wake them up sometimes, you know. But really, from my inner state, I don't shout at a person about his inner work. I can shout about behavior, also not often, not really, but mostly I shout about one's commitment to the society. This you did, this you didn't do, this you promised, you didn't do, such things, you know, completely external. The work that each one took upon himself and he must do, and there are no compromises here. But more internally than that, how to shout? Really, it's his own business, I'm not going to examine, to weigh how difficult it is for each one to make various spiritual efforts, it's not my business. And so, although we talk about it and think that we should do this or that, for the time being, I don't know. Maybe you can try, each one in his own group, to act in various such ways, not to agree, not to say anything to anyone, or do say. I don't know, this is your business, it doesn't, it's not my issue. As far as I'm concerned, half the people can sleep. Sometimes we want to study something in a certain way, we have, you know, to raise questions and arguments, then you need to awaken everyone, but you can see.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:04:30) When you say it's our business, it's like you don't care about it.

M. Laitman: It's not that I don't care, how do you know that it doesn't bother me, that I don't care – because this is how I behave – because I don't respond, so I don't care? I care very much, I just know that I don't go into that, that is an inner thing.

Student: It's not yours?

M. Laitman: No, it's not yours, maybe it is, maybe it is yours but it's not my, it's not a matter for me. Again, why? Because in the group, what you can do towards the friend, I cannot do towards you or him. I, towards you and him, I cannot do that – I mustn't do it, it's forbidden – I also can't enter your inner work. What you're touching upon here, this relates to your free choice and your own personal development, inner development. And I assist you in things that you don't even know about that you don't know, and you won't demand. This is simply my thing, as a teacher, as someone accompanying you. But this is it. In other things, I leave you, and I cannot enter into there. And where I can go in, I go, that's it, the rest of the things you do. And you can talk about it in the group: Now we'll do this and that in the group. Decide on some law and act, accordingly, follow it, try; you'll see how it holds, learn from it if it's okay or not, if it's beneficial or not, that's fine. But it's not that I'm going to go and tell you, this is forbidden for me. If I don't do it – and you know my character, I'm ready to do, to make whatever I want, do whatever I want with anyone, right? To decide things and obligate you but this is in the beastly life. But in spiritual life, where one follows the individual, there each one is an individual, and there I cannot enter, so don't demand it of me. And in the group, you can demand your friends whatever you want. If they agree, right, if not, no, they're your equals. You see, the Creator leaves to us some kind of free choice from the upper degree to the lower degree; you can't compel everything. Situations, advice, urges, awakening from within, He does everything from the upper degree except for one thing: in that development, some kind of freedom remains, and that freedom you need to fill up, not me.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:07:14) On the other hand, if people are very obedient, it's very convenient.

M. Laitman: Of course, if everyone gets used to waiting, when will Rav shout again? When will he do it again, yes?

Student: So, if it's comfortable, they say, Oh, you see, Rav said it, that's not a problem, it doesn't, no issue.

M. Laitman: The whole world, the whole world, you tell me, look at the whole world. How many people want to be great managers, how many? 1% maybe of the entire world, and that's also much. But 1% of the whole world have some kind of urge, some desire to be the first in something, to decide on things, determine something, do something, manufacture something. The rest simply agree, Leave me alone – give me, I have a small head, give me some small work. You see construction workers, right? You have here, look at the buildings, you have 30, 40 people simply toiling away, sweating in the sun, that's just awful things, seemingly, right? I look at them and I could never do such a thing, from morning to night. You almost don't see the progress in that work. What do you get from it? There is a building, there's no building, this is a building, it doesn't care, he only wants to receive the paycheck, and that's enough for him, he doesn't demand anything more, he doesn't suffer from not doing something creative. The will to receive is not so developed, and they agree, he doesn't even want to, just give me a command, I'll just do whatever you want, and then I'll have no problems, that's 99% of people. But we need to be each one prominent, you know, special, the work of the Creator is when you have a challenge because you're going to decide something, you're going to become independent and special. You want to resemble the Creator; you understand what we're talking about? It's not coming to resemble some kind of floor manager, right, some kind of professor, some kind of prime minister – just resemble the Creator. So, if you have some inner motivation, inner urge for that, then you really go towards it; and if you don't, then you become Chassid, a devotee. So Chassidut, you have various nice laws and rules, you know, it's tradition, I'm not saying it's bad, it's wrong. It's according to the inner desire within the people. But you can see how many want it; even if they want it, they didn't choose. They have this desire; there's someone pushing them to be these individuals. You have those, From a thousand, it's written, one – from one million, I hope it'll be! So, you cannot in one way demand from each and every one. To awaken in general, yes, but really – if a person still doesn't feel within a drive to be unique like the Creator, then he doesn't. Do you create in him the will to receive, can you awaken in him, can you accelerate the development of that point? Only through external actions like that, general awakening.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:10:10) The problem is that all these, I don't care, except for those people that I don't have any other one, I have nowhere else to go.

M. Laitman: Besides these people, you have nowhere to go; you have no other people. So, try to build from them a society, and as big as possible, because with individuals, there's a very small amount, small number. So, the bigger the society, there will still be a greater force there. The king is glorified in the multitude of people, you need to know the king, so you have to be impressed by the greatness of the king. So, from one or two or three, you cannot, maybe from 20 or 30, you can. That's why even though there are those who are Hassidim here, or half Hassidim. And half are already drawn to be Kabbalists, to receive the degree of the Creator, some are more, some are less, so everyone should have a place. But in a group, you can do more than I can do, I am shouting at you like a manager at work, like a boss at work. I feel I'm entitled to do that; it's like a business, there's an organization here, it's a business. It's a business, we have dissemination: we have entertainment, buying, selling, all kinds of things. It's a company. But with spiritual things, I engage in this in ways you don't know, and what you can, but you yourselves can do anything – we've already talked about it. I'm sorry to see that people, the next day they follow the idea that they have – we talked about groups, about doing this, doing that – a few hours later, the next day, half of the issue falls apart; two days later, 90% fall. I would write it down; I heard from the Rabash while I still thought it was worthwhile. How many things did he say clearly, very few, but I wrote them down, like I always write down, write notes. And then I would take them out: do I still have it in me, I don't; should I renew it or not? Should I ask him about it or not, etc. So, I had this like a bundle of, yes, these notebooks. So, I would go back to the notebook, to a previous date, and I'd see where I am in this. Or I would write it in the books, not letting the matter that is important slip away, forget about it. Because I still don't know its importance, it's not apparent in me, so I have to renew it. As much as we learn, as much as we read, still, the groups, there's no importance for it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:14:49) Despite it being my impression, but the thing is, the most newest thing I heard and saw to do is actually the same with others. Meaning it's a simple thing that people have changed, and it becomes something that was back then. And it's the most, it's the best thing I heard – something worse is like less good, and these people are happy that they return to the groups and are having, and simply like taking the burden upon themselves.

M. Laitman: A person is impressed by changes, by innovations; he's impressed by changes. The question is, in what does he find innovations? In different people, in the type of work, in a higher goal, in some new discernment. But we have to live by seeing changes, innovations, it's a must to have it in front of our eyes, otherwise, we fall, otherwise, we fall. It's a big problem that a person gets bored and really doesn't know what to do. Why do you think I wrote so many books?

Student: For innovation?

M. Laitman: If I weren't seemingly obligated to publish, what would I do, you understand? What, I would what, go for walks – go, I don't know? Even the simple things that I translate, and scrutinize, and clarify, or organize, it constantly pushes me to see the same things deeper and deeper. So, we search, especially that there's so much time, I seemingly have a lot of free time. Besides the two hours that I work, the rest of the time, more than three hours, what else? If I didn't fill it up in this way, according to the obligations that I really took on myself, then I would, a long time ago, I don't know what I would do, I would hang myself from boredom! So, we need to invent all kinds of opportunities, all kinds of reasons to have innovations, to have changes all the time, you understand? It's a problem, and indeed, there are things that are boring, so I answer emails, the forum in Russian; I'm writing a book; articles for the paper; a book for Makarov toward the lectures. I'm preparing the lectures, at least in America, at least for some time, some material. Here, maybe a magazine or a paper, all kinds of things, you know, so it's all divided – sometimes I cannot deal with it. So, I deal with that, or I cannot do this, or go back to that, or do something else. You have to have several things, so you can always throw yourself into something that doesn't push you, reject you so much that you remain hanging in the air – these things have to be. But in a group, thank God, you have several people. Each one has ideas, and it doesn't matter which idea you follow; it really doesn't matter, as long as you work. There's this law with the dough before you make a matzah on Passover: for 18 minutes, you must not let go of the dough; you have to keep playing with it. Otherwise, the will to receive with the water together, it becomes leavening, you understand? You have to constantly do, it doesn't matter how, however is possible, yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:19:40) There is more, but I simply have this impression after two, three weeks of going around and seeing how they come from all places. People are saying we're a free group, and the most important scrutiny we have is whether to come to the lesson tomorrow or not.

M. Laitman: No, the question of to come or not to come to the lesson, there's no such thing, this is an unbreakable law, it cannot even be a question.

Student: Free?

M. Laitman: No, this cannot be a question. Each one can choose, say for example, if he has a broken leg or not broken, or something like that, so he'd come or doesn't come. That's something else. But if a person is healthy, more or less, even if he has fever or something, you know, medium kind of, a little bit of fever. With Rabash, there was no such question whether to come or not to come, I'm serious. Okay, so really, you're a little sick. So, what if you're sick? You're gonna lie down at home, sleep here? It's a habit that you can stay at home like one day a week, it breaks for you all of the, the whole path it breaks for you, it cannot be. You let go a little bit and you break the boundary, and then I don't know what it can be, you understand? If I cannot come to learn from some place, and I get up and do it at home, this order must continue. We see even old people, if they, when they are retired, when they retire, if they don't do anything, they die. He has to create some order for himself to travel, to work, to do all kinds of things, to be committed. People don't want to retire, why? Because it breaks their life. You see how unhealthy it is to the body, even our body, if it doesn't work. There's no such question as their friend may not come, and you are forbidden to ask him, and he's permitted not to come. It's a question that is less than being in Bnei Baruch, totally serious; it's a law. First of all, everyone's here, that's it. First of all, you're sick, you're healthy, drag yourself over here. And here, when you're sitting, drink a cup of coffee and then decide what you want. But first of all, you're sitting here in a chair, on your chair, that's it; in other words, it cannot be that it's after a thought – it's before any thought. You're seated here, after that, start thinking. You must not ask before you come here whether to come or not, there's no such thing.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:22:54) What is most annoying is that this inability of a person, even in the groups that have been organized for half an hour, an hour, is the inability to decide. Here, I'm close, and I'll sit here, and I won't move from here. There's people just walking around from between the groups.

M. Laitman: If you speak to psychologists, they will also tell you, and we see it here outside how much we don't understand who we are. What is a better way to connect, and by which criterion to connect, and with whom it might be more instrumental, better for me towards the goal. Maybe now I need to connect with those people that I didn't even think about and didn't speak to them ever from all the group of Bnei Baruch, we don't know that. So, try all kinds of possibilities, I said.

Student: We're not trying.

M. Laitman: Yes, you're not trying? So, let's do it this way: up to 1.7 meters tall, one group; from 1.7 meters and above, etc.

Student: He won't enter here!

M. Laitman: The friend is laughing, yes! So, what do you want me to do? I want you to try all the possibilities, by this, you get to know each other. You just find some possibility, in the end, you'll find it, it doesn't matter what, but by this, you get to know each other better. At least you look once at each person, this is very important work. According to what we see in spirituality, maybe we should look at people who are completely, completely not in your field of vision, ever; you simply didn't see them. Maybe them you should actually take into account because if you didn't pay attention to them, and now you will pay attention to them – against your will – then you will extract from them such things that they will be exactly against you. You choose those who are more similar to you, maybe it should be the other way around – you should take someone who's completely not. And he will show you with his qualities, such qualities that are also in you, but are latent. For example, I'll take the friend, our friend, you know, he's like a turtle! What he does, how he speaks, I look at him, I'm just looking at something that you can see on the outside, yes, the difference between us. But if, for example, I were with him and there will be many other such things that are contradictory, contradictory in me as well – except I'm not using them – so it will help me bring out this reservoir in me, that I have in me, and then I will be enriched from within with my own qualities that I never used.

Student: That's also an innovation.

M. Laitman: It will be an innovation for me, of course, because through education, I was constantly in through advertisement, or I don't know what, all kinds of things that I. So, I developed only one part of my capabilities, and now I will develop something else, so maybe we shouldn't look for someone who is suitable, maybe it's to the contrary.

Student: How is it according to astrology?

M. Laitman: The husband and wife should not be from the same sign, right?

Student: It's undesirable.

M. Laitman: Not desirable that they are from the same sign, why?

Student: Because they have the same qualities, they'll be blows to each other all the time.

M. Laitman: The same qualities, blows all the time, you see? It's conspicuous in you, you see? Yes, you understand about these qualities a lot, and the other one understands these qualities a lot. So, because in him, it's also active, so each one with his own sharpness in all kinds of discernments, and then they are equal.

Student: Or vice versa, if you don't attain each other ever.

M. Laitman: Oh, you see? So, if it's completely opposite, then they just pass by each other. Okay, there, we say that he has peace from quiet, you understand? For us, the goal, you know, not to fight; for us, it doesn't matter, even if I do fight, as long as I have a goal, it's something else. I don't know, but we need to do something. Any other discernments we should see?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:27:55) It's a very powerful matter of being not comfortable. When you say to a person, look who you're with now; you can see that's not your place. And he says, I see, but it's my place, and I, but I can't move, it's unpleasant for everyone from here.

M. Laitman: I will tell you, in our synagogue, in our shul with Rabash, there were people of all kinds: blue collar workers and great accountants, all kinds of accountants. There was, for example, there was an accountant at a company that was bringing to Israel all of the steel and metals, and all kinds of things from Sweden, from the United States. It was really a big shot at that, and there were those who were great contractors; and there was those who were living from charity – that was their profession. Also, in terms of kind of type, meaning I and several others were from Russia. And they come in the last few years, there were a few Sabras, Israelis, a few Americans, that's it. Some Hassidim and people who became religious. I don't know, we saw that, for example, Hassidim and those who became religious – who were born secular and became religious – they don't connect because of education, it's not the same language, internally. For us, too, it's difficult here, between Israelis and Russians in terms of mentality and language. Still, in short, to speak about it a lot between people in communication, and afterwards, I believe it doesn't really interfere. What can I tell you, I don't know? I remember, I was surprised when I came from Rehovot, that the Rabash was going to some wedding, some important wedding, he takes with him people who are completely not simple people. Not these handsome Hassidim to be next to him, like when the Admor, when the great Rav comes. No, he took me; I came with this short suit, this hat! I would walk with these shoes, simple shoes, even without socks – I had a problem with my skin, with my feet. He would take me, he would take Joseph, this Yemenite guy. You know, this great Rabi, Ashkenazi, Polish, takes such a person like me, and some Russian, and a guy who repented and became religious, and goes with them to an important wedding. It's completely not customary, unorthodox, so he would do that. What can I say, I don't know? See with whom to connect.

We need to work on it all the time, but all the time, so nothing, we have more time, it stops us. Well, friend, you have some summary of what's happening in the group, which shows you as to be in charge.

Student: But there's no groups.

M. Laitman: Oh, he's in charge only after there are groups.

Student: The matter that I asked several people is that there is?

M. Laitman: So, what's your general impression?

Student: There are actually already 30 people that connected in the groups.

M. Laitman: According to what did they connect, according to character, according to those who are similar?

Student: According to what we talked on Saturday on Shabbat about what each said, and only several individuals remain.

M. Laitman: Many people are alone, right, and also small groups, three, four?

Student: Yes, there are, but few, and usually it's where there's groups that there are six people or more.

M. Laitman: From six onwards and those who are alone.

Student: They're simply searching, trying, but not connecting.

M. Laitman: Who is still not connected, are there many? I don't see. Oh, one friend, good, who else? Yes? What, they didn't take you, no one's taken you? What's the matter with you?

Student: Me?

M. Laitman: No, you actually.

Student: I'm also searching.

M. Laitman: Searching for what?

Student: I'm searching for what you said, for simple, being suitable to, on a corporeal level. Every group, there are those that I can connect, and there are those that are a little bit of a problem, I assume. I didn't check in depth.

M. Laitman: What do you mean, I didn't check in depth. Then there's nothing to talk about. You already said that a word that, that's it, what do you mean; I didn't check in depth? So, why are you sitting like that? So complacent?

Student: The group that I tried, the guys, they don't have a group yet. I didn't have this ability yet, or this necessity for it. Meaning, I need necessity for it, some kind of drive for it.

M. Laitman: You don't feel the necessity?

Student: Necessity, yes, but this inner drive, there's people that, meaning, to demand from people, it's more than to ask. And if you ask people, they tell you, yes, tomorrow, today. But if you're demanding, then you're really making a different impression, here.

M. Laitman: Did you go to everyone and ask before you demanded?

Student: Then, many people, yes.

M. Laitman: Okay, and what happened to you? Nothing, as usual. You're behind a few years, just like after every action. What can you do? It's nature, I guess it's – well, if it's three or four, that's okay, I thought it was much more.

Okay, let's learn something, I don't want to continue Part 16, because people aren't hearing there – many people are outside.

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A TV Program "A Taste of Light" 47

A TV Program "A Taste of Light" 47

A TV Program "A Taste of Light" 47

Kabbalah MediaCopyright © 2003-2026 Bnei Baruch – Kabbalah L’Am Association, Tutti i diritti riservati

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Copyright © 2003-2026 Bnei Baruch – Kabbalah L’Am Association, Tutti i diritti riservati