What Is Segula

Preparation for the Lesson

Rare excerpts from the lessons of kabbalist Baruch Shalom Ashlag, with commentaries of his student and successor Dr. Michael Laitman

RABASH: We learned that it is written, “Turn away from evil and do good.” What is bad and what is good?

We learned that all our work, for which there was the restriction, and in order to correct this, the Torah was given, Mitzvot, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice,” it is only on one point: Since the will to receive has to be corrected to be in order to bestow, there was a restriction. For this, many phases have emerged. This is why afterwards, there was the second restriction, the association of the quality of mercy with judgment, and this is why we were given the Torah, by which we can be corrected.

It therefore follows, what are all the corrections? Something small, in vessels of reception in order to bestow…

It follows that we begin to work not for Her sake, working roundabout. Our point, what do we need to work on? What is Lishma, again? Our vessels of reception, to turn them to receive, but in order to bestow.

How do we come to this? First we must come, through the second restriction, to working with the vessels of bestowal, to want to be a giver. When one is already rewarded with bestowing in order to bestow, he seemingly begins to see from which of his actions can he say that the Creator enjoys.

Then, he comes and sees the purpose of creation which is “to do good to His creations,” for the created begins to receive delight and pleasure; it is His will.

He wants to delight the Creator so he says, “Give me delight and pleasure since I know and feel that this is Your will.”

Thus, what is his demand? To receive in order to bestow.

Since he wants to bestow, but what can he bestow, give to the Creator? He understands that only when he receives from Him. This is called “receiving in order to bestow.” Therefore, we can never speak of receiving in order to bestow before his degree is bestowing in order to bestow.

But how do we come to bestowing in order to bestow? If he knows that the evil inclination is called “bad,” we can say that he wants to emerge from the bad.

But what is difficult about what he says? Why is it so difficult?

A person is concerned with doing things that will satisfy his self-benefit, as he presents in the introduction: Until he is thirteen, a person increases his will to receive.

Thus, in what does he see his work? How to increase the will to receive. That is, what is our good? If we can satisfy all the demands that the will to receive demands of us to satisfy. If, God forbid, we cannot satisfy it, we are afflicted. If we do satisfy it, we have delight and pleasure.

Afterwards, we come and say, “You already have will to receive to the fullest; start working in order to bestow!”

How to promptly emerge to in order to bestow? It is said that there is a means: We perform acts of bestowal. If we relate to acts of bestowal as a Segula [remedy], they can also give us the intention, which is also in order to bestow.

This is why we begin from Lo Lishma, and this is the springboard if we want to reach Lishma. This is all our work.

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TV Program "A New Life. Excerpts" No 110

TV Program "A New Life. Excerpts" No 110

TV Program "A New Life. Excerpts" No 110

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