Morning Lesson July 16, 2023

Transcription is made from simultaneous translation, which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.

Part 1:
Rabash. Article No. 11 (1991). What It Means that the Good Inclination and the Evil Inclination Guard a Person in the Work

1. Rav’s Introduction: (00:25) Yes, basically we are on the same path of scrutinizing our inner nature. The good inclination, the evil inclination, is what's found at the basis of our nature and we have to see how they guard the person, guide the person, develop the person. Pay attention to both of these inclinations, how they exist reciprocally in the direction of our progress, there is nothing good or bad here. But rather, through both, we ultimately come to the desired end goal.

Rabash. Article No. 11 (1991) What It Means that the Good Inclination and the Evil Inclination.. " (01:33)

2. S. (35:13) We saw a lot of the work of the evil inclination, that it objects but it's actually the deficiency in a person that grows. Where's the work of the good inclination, what is the good inclination? It's not clear, it says because of your true inclination.

R. The work of the evil inclination is truly a clear work. We always feel it working on us and diverting us from side to side, not allowing us to advance. Also, we feel that it exists between us human beings, between us and the Creator. The good inclination is not so much felt. So what's the question?

S. What is the good inclination? Is there such a thing?

R. I understand from what I learned, studied that without the evil inclination we wouldn't feel, we wouldn't discover the good inclination and without the good inclination we wouldn't discover the bad inclination. Ultimately they complement each other. One falls, one rises, that's how it works. Anything that you feel is always one thing against another thing, against something opposite, right? So if you feel the evil inclination then certainly within it, deep in it, there's also a good inclination, otherwise how would you determine that it's bad?

S. The good inclination hides within the evil inclination, that's why we don't feel it?

R. Certainly, yes.

3. S. (37:39) To continue the scrutiny, how do I feel that the good inclination guards me?

R. If you make efforts to develop, then you'll feel that the good inclination is also in your hands and you can use it to advance. For now you don't feel it, for now you don't identify with the good inclination. You still don't have anywhere, anything that you can say I want to bestow, I want to connect, I want to somewhat get closer to the qualities of the Creator.

S. But in the beginning He says that He's giving us the evil inclination all at once but if I don't have all the evil inclination I don't have a complete vessel. Afterwards He says, ‘I give it to you one bit of the time’ so is this the help He gives us by giving it to us one bit at a time?

R. The Creator’s help, we can't yet detect it. But it's still early, we haven't made sufficient efforts in order to identify it.

4. S. (39:23) What in our situation is balanced work?

R. Balanced work, it's also not still in our state but that we want to use the forces of nature, both the good and the bad in order to detect the goal and move towards it.

5. S. (40:00) He writes that a person is to clarify what exactly am I missing at every given moment. So how do I clarify it so I don't ask the Creator not accurately, not precisely?

R. That is by trying to connect to the friends and then opposite that you feel what you lack, yeah. This is the closest, truest form.

6. S. (40:43) Every degree that a person ascends, does he discover a deeper evil inclination?

R. Yes.

S. In order to clarify the deficiency that he needs the help of the Creator right?

R. Yes, let's say so.

S. First of all, what does the person elevate from the previous degree to the next degree, when does he ascend?

R. When he agrees to take upon himself a more difficult work.

S. In the previous degree he made some work, he reached adhesion with the Creator. Did he bestow?

R. I'd say so.

7. S. (41:37) How can we feel that we’ve come to a state called recognition of evil?

R. How can we feel? If we feel then we feel. I don't exactly understand, say the question again.

S. How can we feel that we’ve come to a state called recognition of evil?

R. Is there evil between us that we identify and we know against whom we're working and in what way, what form? Then we probably reach the state where we can recognize the evil.

8. S. (42:29) It is written that the evil inclination guards a person by sending him thoughts against holiness. How do we relate correctly to the revelation of the bad in the ten so that the recognition of evil of a friend does not push him away from the Ten?

R. We have to understand that we can't do without discovering the evil and of course it always seems like a descent and like a regression and going backwards but it's not exactly the case. It's all moving forward to discover both the good inclination and the bad inclination which we read in the beginning of the article that they appear completely and then one indicates the other. One thing and it's opposite because without it we cannot exist as created beings, without having opposite, contrasting things, this is the only way we sense reality. Otherwise we’d be the Creator, as if before creation.

9. S. (43:54) How does the Ten operate, work correctly with the recognition of evil of each of its friends?

R. The Ten has to be patient on the one hand; on the other hand see how it can help everyone, each and everyone with the revelations that they have.

10. S. (44:22) How do we understand that is it is the evil inclination that is governing me now?

R. Look at yourself and see. Try to see how you think of others, how you wish to move closer to others in heart and soul, how you advance yourself towards them and then you'll see that how you mostly advance is by the evil force. But it's natural, that's how it should be for now.

11. S. (45:05) What does it mean when a person comes to the world the evil inclination immediately comes with him?

R. When a person comes to the world meaning when he begins to discover his world then before him there is both the good inclination and the bad inclination. As written in the Mishna the good inclination and bad inclination fight over the person. Each one says this is mine and so forth and they share it. That’s how we begin to scrutinize the forces that govern us.

12. S. (46:03) Why do we have to scrutinize over and over again what is bad?

R. Because in every degree there is a different style and intensity and therefore we have to clarify it, join it and add it to our work each time. That’s how we advance, without the evil inclination we cannot advance.

13. S. (46:40) What does it mean to advance in the good inclination? What is the work with the good inclination?

R. With the good inclination we can't really advance because it only helps us in depicting the evil inclination and correcting it, pushing it forward and warming it up more, increasing the evil inclination. Meaning we have to see that most of our work is through the ego, through the evil inclination and that’s what we're going through. So don't treat the evil inclination with disregard. It’s an angel, it’s a negative force of nature, seemingly negative which adheres in nature in order to draw a picture of the Creator. Without it, without the evil inclination being opposite to the Creator, we wouldn’t identify the Creator because we are created beings, we can only discover one thing opposite the other, black opposite white. We have to respect the evil inclination, too, opposite the good inclination, when they're always one opposite the other because on these two legs, these opposite discernments we arrive at the final correction.

14. S. (48:34) What preparation is required in order to reveal clearly what we're lacking in the prayer?

R. Mostly go forward and through this attraction we discover within us the two opposite forces that arise and with these two opposite forces we build the middle line.

15. S. (49:23) When do I realize my evil inclination? Should I feel my evil inclination constantly because I start to lose my sensation of my evil inclination over time?

R. No, not necessarily depending on your efforts, your qualities, the path you're going through, whatever you feel is what you feel. What’s important is to always raise the sensitivity to the evil inclination and that’s how you will detect it each time it wants to become revealed.

16. S. (50:16) How can we check that we are constantly feeling both the evil inclination and the good inclination as we're building the prayer or planning to build the prayer? How do we incorporate both the evil and good inclinations?

R. It comes to the person. You can’t say that there’s a lot of artificial work here, that I build the evil inclination, the good inclination, discover them, position them one opposite the other and thus keep going with both. Rather the connection in the group, in pushing forward towards the final correction, that’s what builds within us all these discernments and thus we discover it. Don't worry, it will become revealed.

17. S. (51:24) What does it exactly mean to have a complete deficiency?

R. Complete deficiency, that it's one. That I want to see myself, the group and the Creator as one, as a result of my efforts.

S. How do I know that it's complete, Rav?

R. I don't want anything besides that, to connect in a single point me, the group and the Creator.

18. S. (52:19) It is written in the article that when the evil inclination depicts to person depictions about the work of bestowal, about bringing contentment to the Creator, thanks to this a person regrets what was done before. The question is, what does it mean that in the work in the Ten I suddenly begin to regret what happened in the past?

R. I can't say. This needs to become revealed in each and everyone according to his nature, what he did and how he advanced. We’ll wait for that to be revealed, not necessarily but if it will, it will, depending on to what extent.

S. But are we talking about something specific? If we did something in the Ten regarding connection and then we suddenly regret it?

R. I don't know. I'm not familiar enough with something like this from my own experience. No, I don't think that typically you can receive a negative response from the Ten. Surely these things can happen, theoretically you can say that but it's not actually what’s happening.

19. S. (54:19) I know that I am small and tiny but sometimes the situation is so difficult that I don't understand. It's not some illness in my muscles or tendons and the friends help me, they are generous, they try to do it. It’s has been going on for a week already. Rav, I don't know what to do, please give me an advice?

R. He should write down clearly and completely what he’s going through and how we can help him in his view and we’ll try.

20. S. (56:19) In the beginning of the article, the person turns to the Creator and says ‘help me’, ‘save me’, and then the article ends with the nations of the world in Israel. What does it mean? Does it mean that in the beginning there is an inclination in a person and then we come to the inclination of the ten, the group? If so, which of these inclinations should we take into consideration in order to advance?

R. All in all there is no more than one man in the world and what we see as many different people, many discernments, distinctions, forces and details and how they are between them in various behaviors and patterns, all of that is in order to teach us how all of that exists within one man. All the billions of people it’s all in all one man but just look at how much there is in each of them and how each one is also comprised of many different views, thoughts, actions, desires and so forth. Meaning all of that tells you what?

That after we learn all of these things more or less and we wish it all to come together, then we end up with the same one man that existed in the beginning of creation created by the Creator. All together what we learn right now is how this creature, this created being, called Adam HaRishon, how complex it is, intricate, and how we can grasp it, digest it. In that way learn what is the work of the Creator, what the Creator has created and bring that one collective man into integral man, to adhesion with the Creator. That is our work, that's how it is.

21. S. (59:19) Can I tell you a little bit about what is happening here? We are here 90 friends. We have students from MAK who are studying in Russian and live here in Italy. About 12 or 13 new students came and also other friends of the Italian group and together with the friends we're going through a very beautiful process. We’re re-examining, renovating all the foundations of our work. We’re absolutely delighted, we’re getting this boost of emotions, we’re getting so much benefit from this meeting and we want to share it with the whole world Kli and we want to thank you for everything you have always given us. L’Chaim friends and thank you.

R. L’Chaim. We're very happy to see such a congress in Italy. Yes, let's hope we’ll also have the opportunity to be together and sit together there with you.

22. S. (01:01:04) What does it mean when he talks about age 13 in the article? What is age 13 in the work?

R. The age of 13 in the work is what we call Bar Mitzvah which means that from that stage onwards one becomes an adult. There's also something called the age of 20 but that’s already Gadlut, adulthood. But 13 is the movement from Katnut to Gadlut, infancy to adulthood. It's like we learn from the Partzufim that until the age of 13 there is still no obligation to work in receiving in order to bestow and from the age of 13 one can already receive in order to bestow and thus advance.

23. S. (01:02:26) A desire to serve the king, is it a desire that stems from the evil inclination or from the good inclination? What is its source?

R. The desire to serve the Creator meaning to properly fulfil or carry out the laws of creation, that desire stems from the good inclination in the person. The good inclination and the bad inclination fight over the person. Each one says this is mine meaning that the man belongs to that inclination and then there’s a struggle between these inclinations until they scrutinize matters. Ultimately the evil inclination surrenders to the good inclination and helps the good inclination achieve the final correction.

24. S. (01:03:52) Although the evil inclination helps some of us connect and advance toward the Creator but some of us it also pushes away from the path. What are those friends whom the evil inclination pushes away lacking?

R. That we have to labor against one's nature. I have to wake up and come to the lesson, connect with the friends even though I don't feel like it and so on. It’s against the egoistic desire, and therefore we surrender to the negative force and leave the path, weaken or take upon ourselves some other form of life. We go to carry out only the customs of a certain religion or just maybe even worse. It’s all because carrying out what the Creator wants takes efforts from us. Each time we have to decide and hold on to our decision and this is called building a human out of ourselves, Adam, similar to the Creator. Certainly for every effort we make we get help from above. We make effort and we receive force that comes so that it will happen, we make another effort and get strength for that. It happens from side to side but still it isn't simple, it’s not simple. However, ultimately there is no choice and everyone will get there.

25. S. (01:06:20) Rabash writes that through these cycles a person begins to understand what is bad in him. So what are these depictions that are revealed to a person and how are they connected to ‘I am the Lord your God and you will have no other God?’

R. We have to learn from the articles we read what actions can push us closer to the Creator and try to realize these actions together.

26. S. (01:07:09) My friend is asking can we try to promise our evil inclination or our ego that we will do what it wants and in this way create some motivation that will help us rise above the attempts of the evil inclination to push us away from the path? If so, are these vessels of reception or is this the beginning of using different vessels?

R. This is already vessels of bestowal and we are gradually entering them. Soon we will feel how we can as if float in the air in waves of bestowal, vessels of bestowal on top of the vessels of reception so that we use the vessels of reception only according to the need to rise, to ascend.

27. S. (01:08:20) We say that we have to scrutinize what we're missing each time. In these scrutinies we realize that every time what we need, what we're lacking is a desire to bestow, the desire to bestow in its full meaning so we feel it in all the organs. In that state are we lacking faith first?

R. We're lacking connection, we lack connection. Imagine yourself, if there are ten people and each one has a small desire to bestow and they don’t connect. Then they can't use that desire to bestow as a great, positive, useful, practical force. Whereas if they connect in their desire to bestow, that raises each and every one to the height of that desire and that’s what we're lacking. Meaning we don't lack the desire to bestow but rather the connection of these tiny desires to bestow that are in each and everyone. All right?

28. S. (01:09:45) We have a question: is our work to shorten the space between the good and the evil inclination and if yes how do we do that?

R. Well, we have to connect between these two desires, the good inclination and the bad inclination and build from them the middle line that will soon form. That's why I'm beginning to hear in the questions that are asked what’s going to happen forward. What is going to happen is the connection between the two lines to the middle line and with it we’ll go forward.

29. S. (01:10:42) How do we balance the bed inclination and good inclination in order to advance in the work?

R. See the goal before us and how with all our inclinations we’re moving towards the goal. That’s the simplest most accurate calculation to make.

30. S. (01:11:20) We know that when we try to do acts of bestowal the evil inclination grows in us. How do we not become afraid of the revelation of the evil inclination and keep performing acts of bestowal?

R. We have to understand that the revelation of the evil inclination is necessary so we can then rise above it, work on it and rise above it with the good inclination. Otherwise why do we need the good inclination? It’s only in order to transcend and take control of the evil inclination. That’s how we work on these two legs, left and right, left and right, there’s no other way. As created beings we're always on the left, our nature that is and the Creator only helps us partially open up the left so that we can rise above it with the right. That’s our work.

31. S. (01:12:54) How can we protect our friends from the evil inclination that is revealed in the work in the ten?

R. Only by connecting and letting them take that connection and use it to exist in the right way. We don't need to protect them from the evil inclination to touch them. It's like with little kids. What? You’re going to safeguard your kid from trying to connect with other people and play with other kids and so forth and just keep your kid sitting in the corner? No. Just sitting on a few pillows and not touching anything? No, he has to delve into life and experience some unpleasant discernments in order to establish, to erect himself, build himself from opposite, contrasting qualities. That’s how he will advance.

32. S. (01:14:14) When we work more in connection in the group the evil inclination develops more in the corporeal life. How do I protect my relatives from it?

R. No, we need to think only of spiritual ascent and from that, from that we’ll start to work on the corporeal level as well.

33. S. (01:15:02) First of all I want to express my deep gratitude for the greatness that is being revealed, the greatness of the Creator, the greatness of the teacher in these articles. It’s humbling, it makes me feel humbled. I have a request, in the past you said that it's enough for prayer to be phrased in the general way but here in the article he says it's very important to be very precise in the prayer. I don't have a problem with this contradiction but the question is when do we use it in general and when do we use the precise prayer?

R. Each one will act according to how they understand and they feel, I can’t dictate anything to anyone. If you heard, I hope you hear but if you could really hear all the questions from all the groups, from all the individuals, you will see how everyone is very different. We simply have people you cannot connect right away as you would like.

34. S. (01:16:45) It says for a person to reach the degree of bestowing contentment to the Maker constantly this happens to a person after he has revealed all the evil in him than a person gets this strength called the second nature which is the will to bestow the question is what does it mean to reveal all the evil is there some measure of evil?

R. According to how much a person yearns for the good, accordingly certain balance with the good the evil is also revealed to him and here is the question what states the person exist and it can't it can’t have too much evil revealed has to be balanced by the good and the person is between the two.

S. But it's written that in order to receive the second nature he has to reveal all the evil. What does that mean?

R. Meaning he needs to try and reveal all the good that is possible grow that in all that good and because he reached a certain measure that reveals all the evil inside of him and that he reaches a state where he has to correct it but it is all only by doing good the evil will not be revealed in a person that cannot balance it by doing good.

35. S. (01:18:42) Can we say that the evil inclination is what's in me and the good inclination is what I am supposed to reveal in the ten?

R. Maybe let's say it's not always like that but let's say it is like that.

36. S. (01:19:07) It seems to me that Rabash leaves a question in the article, he emphasizes a few times that a person has to scrutinize the exact deficiency the exact desire he has until his scrutinizes it the Creator won't give it to him but we learn that a person cannot do that by himself without the Creator's help a person can't scrutinize anything so what is the solution here?

R. A person has to put in all the efforts so he could scrutinize these states with the help of the Creator. Of course without the help of the Creator nothing will open up to him but he has to make those efforts so that the Creator will open up to him.

S. The solution is in the exertion and the prayer?

R. Yes.

S. But why doesn't Rabash emphasize that here in this article? But the solution is in the exertion and the prayer?

R. He speaks about it constantly.

S. Maybe I missed it, thank you.

37. S. (01:20:30) Is the recognition of evil the awareness of the past and the present state, or the future plans?

R. It does not matter, it does not matter. It is always on the left, he wishes to advance to increase the evil and that is how it is revealed.

38. S. (01:20:59) At the end of the article it says that the nations of the world did not want to receive the Torah because they saw they can't go against nature and the people of Israel said we will do it with coercion it seems that only a small drop of desire distinguishes between us and Israel and the rest of Israel, what should we do?

R. To go against our nature and try to balance it with the good inclination. That is what is left for us or what the alternative is to remain constantly in the evil inclination? It is small, it is only one, he can scrutinize the scope of creation of the world so staying in it let's put it this way from this time onwards in our history we're starting to discover how our nature is not enough to bring us to the purpose we can't recognize reality the purpose of our development our existence the quintessential questions are coming on different person why am I alive why life what for what form should I develop what is that form of development is it correct or not are we developing ourselves or someone else's developing us? So on and so forth.

39. S. (01:23:05) We learn more about the evil inclination and the good inclination. We know it less, we talk about the recognition of the evil. How do we increase the good inclination? What is that?

R. Good inclination is good to the other, okay? Simply, like that.

S. Exactly that's the answer, it’s short, but there are many questions about the evil inclination?

R. Also about the evil inclination there aren't that many questions good to me the evil inclination good to the other is good inclination.

S. Ultimately when we're lacking good inclination we pray? And if there is no balance

in the prayer of the good and the evil inclination the prayer sounds like some complaint or?

R. That's for the time being, it will get better.

S. As we are in this loop where we are supposed to increase the good inclination and we know there is gratitude in the prayer to talk about the greatness of the Creator and knowing that he can do everything?
R. No, I'm not going to receive that knowledge you have to walk here in faith. With your eyes shut.

S. Exactly that's what we're missing? This faith?

R. It exists here 100% as much as you want your one exertion approved.

S. Exactly I'm liking faith that he has a solution?
R. So?

S. How to increase the recognition of good again? It's prayer.

R. You're asking something else. I want to have a fact before me fact and with this place and the fact that I work I'll do something if this and really if he sees a million dollars of shekel then I need a million.

S. I want to advance towards that?

R. That's just words.

S. Exactly we come down to the same things: the evil inclination controls the good one. How can we do the work more clean, better?

R. So they tell you by connecting with the friends by praying to the Creator you can bring about change.

40. S. (01:26:00) There are a few questions a friend sent. He's on duty, he's upstairs on duty. Should we work in the two inclinations in order to work on the path of truth?

R. In order to attain the goal we need two inclinations; the good and the bad inclination.

S. What does it mean that the person should choose and decide?

R. I understand the evil inclination helps me in order to constantly reveal the good inclination in order to grow in me to increase in me the good inclination I need to agree more and more that the evil inclination will grow in me.

S. Should men's prayer be built from the two inclinations or one is built on the other?

R. One is built on top of the other but what difference does it make? One time this is revealed the other time the other is revealed.

S. If I can add my own question about this? So what should my main focus be in the work?

R. That the good inclination will nevertheless cover the bad inclination.

S. This means to increase the good inclination?

R. The good on top of the evil inclination that is constantly growing by itself.

S. Because many times you say annulment, annulment is the evil inclination or connection which means to go on the positive one, the good inclination or so?

R. Yes.

S. What should our main focus be in the work?

R. The main focus in the work is for my good inclination to cover the evil inclination.

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