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

Daily Lesson (Morning) June 24, 2024. 

Part 2: Rabash. Letter 38-2.

Reader: We are reading from the writings of Rabash, Volume 2, Letter 38-2 (B).

Reading Letter 38 - 2. (B) (00:15)

Who is the self that we say is the servant of the Creator, and who is the recipient of the reward that was promised, where by good deeds he will be rewarded with the good future?

All those things were said only about man, the apex of creation, as it is written, “And God created the man in His own image.” Creation means something new, which is existence from absence. This is the desire to receive pleasure, meaning the creation of a deficiency that always craves to satisfy the lack with pleasure.

In order for the sensation of pleasure to be utterly complete, he was given work in Torah and Mitzvot (commandments), by which he is to be perfected and become fit to receive the pleasure without any deficiency. That is, one who receives pleasure from another feels torment along with the reception of the pleasure due to the shame, called “bread of shame.” By being perfected with virtues he will have the ability to receive pleasure without the feeling of shame.

It follows that man is called “desire to receive pleasure,” and the desire to receive pleasure was given hands and legs to serve it, as well as the most esteemed servant, called “intellect.” All those servants bring him pleasure, and if one of the servants is missing, the pleasure associated with that servant is missing.

If he is lacking the most esteemed servant, meaning the intellect, he still feels pleasure and pain, except that he might swap, and instead of receiving great pleasure, he might receive minute pleasures. That is, he cannot judge with his intellect which is more worthwhile in terms of quantity and quality, and might therefore cause harm and break tools.

Even an insane person intends to receive pleasure through his actions, or he would not do this bad thing, but there is a reason that causes him to do this foul thing. Everything that he thinks might bring him pleasure, he does immediately, and does not have the mental capacity to weigh with his intellect if this is a real reason or an imaginary one.

And do not wonder how one can derive pleasure from breaking or spoiling. It is said about the philosopher, Aristotle, that he burned a big and expensive house because he wanted to commemorate his name, meaning that his name would remain forever because everyone would remember his name through this act. That is, everyone would remember that Aristotle burned the big mansion.

It follows that although he did a bad thing, he had a reason. That is, he felt pleasure in doing the bad thing that he did by commemorating his name. Likewise, anyone who is insane lacks the power of critique, but the essence of man still exists.

Also, there is pleasure in avoiding pain, since this is already a calculation for the future, meaning that he is acting now in order to avoid suffering later. This already belongs to the intellect, meaning that the intellect reminds him that this is something bad. And since his intellect is already flawed, he cannot put thoughts together and therefore feels only the present and not the past or the future. It turns out that the mind is only man’s servant, like the rest of the servants, but the essence of man is the lack that craves to receive pleasure, meaning that he feels complete wholeness in the pleasure.

The will to receive exists in all the animals, but only man was given the ability to feel another. That is, he can share with his friend and sympathize with his friend, meaning derive pleasure from his friend’s pleasure, as well as suffer when his friend suffers.

It follows that man was given an additional place to receive pleasure—outside his own body. Animals are impressed only by themselves, and not by others, but the speaking has been given the ability to feel another, too (with the exception of certain animals that were given this sensation by nature, but they feel it specifically toward the same species).

In addition to the speaking, a person from Israel was given a power—the sensation of Godliness. It is in this respect that it was said, “You are called man.” It is an additional power to the speaking, meaning that he can regret the exile of the Shechina (Divinity) and rejoice with the glory of heaven that appears in the world. It therefore follows that a person from Israel was given another place to receive pleasure, additional to the speaking. This is the main pleasure for which the world was created—to receive the pleasure of the sensation of Godliness.

All the pleasures that exist in the world come from the Creator, since the Creator illuminates in all those things, but why are these pleasures called “corporeal pleasures”? It is because a person can enjoy them without having to include the Creator in them. That is, even if one does not feel Godliness, when he does not believe in the Creator, he can still enjoy all those things.

But tasting the flavor of Torah and Mitzvot is impossible without assuming the burden of faith. To the extent that the light of faith shines for him, to that extent the pleasure in Torah and Mitzvot grows for him. This is why we call the pleasure in Torah and Mitzvot “spiritual pleasure.”

One can feel corporeal pleasure even when one has no relation to Torah and Mitzvot, since a person cannot live without vitality, for every person must taste the taste of pleasure, since the nature of creation is a desire to receive pleasure, for the thought of creation, called “His desire to do good to His creations,” imprinted in the creatures the need to enjoy. When one sees no pleasure in the present or in the future, he must commit suicide because his coming into this world was only in order to receive pleasure.

And since man was given the work of choice, to reject the bad and choose Torah and Mitzvot—for only at the time of choice is it possible to nurture good qualities that can receive the true good—there was given a time of concealment during the work. That is, one does not feel the taste of pleasure in Torah and Mitzvot, since only during concealment is there choice.

In the meantime, until one is rewarded with the flavor of vitality of spirituality, he takes all his vitality only from corporeal things, whose pleasure is limited. But this is only a transition until he comes to taste spiritual flavor, so he must feel only the flavor of corporeal things. But even in those corporeal things it is possible to accustom oneself to receive pleasure for the Creator.

The will to receive is called “man’s body.” This is why it does not undergo any changes, but rather remains in that state of always wanting to receive pleasure.

Clothing: Anything that undergoes change is not the essence of the object, for an object does not undergo any change. Hence, all those things from which one derives pleasure are regarded as garments. For example, today he is wearing this garment and tomorrow another garment. There are clothes with which one works in the kitchen, and there are clothes with which one serves the king.

Any pleasure is regarded as light, and there is no light without a Kli (vessel), which is a spiritual thing, and any spiritual thing must be clothed in some corporeal clothing, but only through clothing can one receive the pleasure that is found within it. Therefore, we were given many garments in which there are pleasures, such as eating, drinking, royal apparel or simply respect that one is given, or delight from intellectual things or from Torah and Mitzvot. Every person has different attires, and no person is like another. However, there is one thing where all are the same—everyone wants pleasure.

Changing attires: The changes in a person—who sometimes wants to enjoy honor, and sometimes only lust, and sometimes Torah and Mitzvot—come from many reasons. Sometimes it is hereditary, meaning that the forefathers had chosen to enjoy certain pleasures, and it passes from generation to generation. This is the meaning of ancestry, where the good qualities pass from the father of the family to the following generations.

Also, we undergo changes through books and authors—where a person is impressed by the environment. As the tree sucks from what is around it, which is why the thorns and other bad things around the tree are always cut off, man, too, is the tree of the field—sucking from its environment. This is why he is impressed by authors. That is, he has good friends and he accustoms himself to enjoy the things that the friends say are good or are bad. Or, there is the environment of books, meaning what he learns and reads in books, and the books state which is a good thing and which is a bad thing, and then the person follows their advice.

M. Laitman: We need to understand that this is from his handwriting of Baal HaSulam. That's why it might not be in an order or a division in the text and anything, but still we got an impression. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (18:01) He writes here that there are levels of pleasures of still, vegetative, animal, and speaking. Animal doesn't feel the other's, speaking already, enjoy and delight others, and in addition there's Israel that can delight the Creator or the Shechina.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: What's the difference between delighting others and delighting the upper force? 

M. Laitman: The ability to give pleasure to the upper force could be a huge difference. That bringing joy to the higher force is a pleasure that is unlimited because it's in according to the goal.

Student: But we say that also from bestowal there is unlimited pleasure, if I can bestow, I can eternally enjoy from it. 

M. Laitman: The question is if the one receiving from you isn't blocking you. How much can you give to your kid? There's a difference.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:25) He's talking about two pleasures, corporeal and spiritual, and he's talking about the spiritual where you share the Creator in it. What is a pleasure with sharing the Creator in it? 

M. Laitman: It's really, I guess, a spiritual pleasure that is unlimited, that we need to see as our goal. 

Student: But with that he says that there are people that have the feeling of godliness, but still, it's not the pleasure that is spiritual, it's still corporeal. So, what's the difference actually? 

M. Laitman: I can't say exactly. 

Student: Because he's talking about some Israeli force that has this feeling of godliness, but still the pleasures that it takes to itself, there's no Creator in there. It's still pleasures that are all for himself. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: My question is whether there's a matter of the intention where eventually spiritual pleasure is where I'm aiming to bring contentment to the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Is that actually a spiritual pleasure, or is there beyond that something else? 

M. Laitman: No, I think that that is. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (20:53) He says that a spiritual pleasure must clothe in a corporeal attire. So you can't enjoy without the pleasure entering a clothing, let's say food, family, knowledge, all those things that we know. There's no direct pleasure from the Creator? 

M. Laitman: No.

Student: That would be a light without a Kli? 

M. Laitman: Right.

Student: So a Kabbalist enjoys from all the pleasures, meaning that's for him the clothing in which he needs to feel the spiritual pleasure?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So what makes it, what's the difference between a person who enjoys food and a Kabbalist who enjoys food? What does he enjoy in addition? 

M. Laitman: NRNHY.

Student: But the food has to be there, there has to be that clothing for him to be able to feel it. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: What is NRNHY? 

M. Laitman: Spiritual pleasures, all kinds. That already depends on his intention, on his connection with the giver. 

Student: What does he identify there in the food? I'm just taking the example of such a corporeal thing that in the food that a regular person doesn't identify. 

M. Laitman: That by discovering pleasure in the food, he can ascribe it to the Creator and raise him to higher degrees.

Student: Meaning he doesn't just enjoy the food itself, but also from who gave him the food? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: What does he feel to such an extent of who prepared it for him? 

M. Laitman: It's not about preparing, it's not a kitchen. But it's a matter of a connection that he has through the food that he receives from the upper one, a connection with the upper one, and through that connection he already attains the NRNHY.

Student: It turns out that really, in reality, a Kabbalist doesn't change at all except for the feeling of who gave the pleasure. But all the reality remains.

M. Laitman: What do you mean, all reality remains? The Kabbalist discovers who he has contact with, who he is receiving from, and who he can pass it on to, to the receiver. 

Student: And you can also enjoy others this way, through others?

M. Laitman: It depends on who, but yes.

Student: And is there a difference, let's say, a Kabbalist enjoys differently from food or from bestowal to others? Is it different? Is it different clothing, according to what he writes? Because the clothing is different, then also the pleasure is different. But the Creator is the same Creator, so does it matter what clothing he's wearing?

M. Laitman: It's not the same Creator. 

Student: Not the same Creator? 

M. Laitman: It's a Creator that every time is revealed through different clothing. 

Student: The Creator that's revealed in the food and eating is different than the Creator that's revealed in, let's say, bestowal to others? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: In what is He different? 

M. Laitman: In His intensity and the flavors.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (20:48) Rabash writes that if the feel, if so you cannot feel the taste in Torah and Mitzvot unless there's the weight of faith. How does faith bring a person closer to the feeling of godliness? What is faith? 

M. Laitman: Faith is an upper connection between man and the Creator.

Student: And how, if a person observes Torah and Mitzvot, how does he feel that he must also receive the burden of faith? And observing is not enough. He must receive the burden of faith. 

M. Laitman: Yes, because the burden of faith connects man with the Creator together.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:12) He says that the intellect is the second to the king and he uses all his senses in order to nourish a person with pleasures. In another place he says that there's a person who feels himself poor all life long. One day he puts his hand into the pocket and discovers a treasure that was always there, and he becomes the richest person around. I'm asking, what is the corruption in our senses, or where is the corruption, until a person puts his hand in this pocket and feels the treasure that he's the richest in the world and it was always there? 

M. Laitman: He didn't use the right vessel. 

Student: This correctly, it's a sense, it's the intellect. Where is it in the chain of the transferring of pleasures in a person?

M. Laitman: On the final degree, in a person's hands.

Student: Where in the hand? In touch?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:21) Is pleasure to the upper force, is it separated to some degree, or is it based on something, based on pleasure or some desire? 

M. Laitman: It all depends on the deficiency. Do you care if you could say that it's as much as the Creator is enjoying you, specifically. 

Student: Okay, but is it clothe something? What does it sit upon? That's the question.

M. Laitman: It sits on your relationship with the Creator.

Student: What desire does it sit here? Food, sex, family, all those desires through which you can add from there, who gave it to me, and to where? But is there something that is pure, that's refined from all those desires, a direct feeling between the person and the Creator? 

M. Laitman: There is no such thing in anywhere. It's always clothed in some extent of a connection.

Student: What's my connection with the Creator? What's it clothed upon, as much as we rise more? 

M. Laitman: As much as you overcome yourself and equalize with the Creator. In that connection between you, there's a clothing of fulfillment.

Student: He writes, the vitality of spirituality takes it all from, only from corporeal things. So it always comes out of something corporeal, something spiritual. There's no spiritual flavor that's a part, there's no stage where he rises above the corporeal, and it's only a spiritual layer. 

M. Laitman: There's nothing towards a person. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:28) Rav, I'm trying to understand more who a person is. Let's say I eat, so I'm actually using the will to receive that the Creator created, and the light that fills it. So, what's my role in this state?

M. Laitman: To make the connection between your vessels to the light that comes from the Upper One.

Student: The light already exists in the food. It exists because the will to receive. I'm like, what do I need to do to increase the pleasure that's in creation beyond my deficiency? 

M. Laitman: Except for your deficiency, there is no light there. 

Student: And what does my deficiency do with the pleasure?

M. Laitman: It reveals the fulfillment.

Student: Does this add something? Does it add something to creation? 

M. Laitman: Without that, there is no creation. There's no connection between the Creator and the created being.

Student: I understood.

M. Laitman: Only through deficiency. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (30:52) He's describing that there is a man and a beast and a person from Israel, that everything you enjoy and is disconnected from the Creator is corporeal, and then he says that to feel all flavors in Torah and Mitzvot is impossible without receiving the burden of faith to the extent that it shines on him. So he feels the pleasure in the Torah and Mitzvot. That's why we call the feeling in Torah and Mitzvot as spiritual pleasure. Can we explain what it means to receive the burden of faith?

M. Laitman: When you want and are able and are intending to reveal a connection with the Creator only through the quality of faith in a reflected light.

Student: So why is it called receiving the burden? 

M. Laitman: Because it's a commitment to only work in a reflected light.

Student: It's a commitment that it's a difficult thing. Is it something that is like a burden or? 

M. Laitman: Yes, yes.

Student: And that's the condition for a spiritual pleasure, to be connected to spirituality. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:32) There's a paragraph here where he talks about. The force of the Israeli person who has this feeling of godliness and then he says that it's an additional force to the speaking level. What are these two levels? What's the difference between speaking and an Israeli?

M. Laitman: It's a difference. We have the still, vegetative, animal, and speaking, right. What degrees are above the speaking? 

Student: Before the speaking? Still, vegetative, animal? 

M. Laitman: No, beyond that.

Student: He defines it as an Israeli man. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: He has a feeling of godliness, that he is sorry about the exile of divinity, and that's the main thing, the pleasure that was created in order to receive the feeling of godliness. 

M. Laitman: So what are you asking? 

Student: What's this gap? The degree of speaking is the degree we need to aspire towards, to get to.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: And there's development beyond that, called an Israeli man.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: So what's the difference between them? 

M. Laitman: When he writes Israeli man, it's a feeling, or you can say an intention from within man, that is entirely aimed to ascend and adhere to the Creator. 

M. Laitman: Okay, so we finished this document? Good. So, do you want us to move to the next part, or are there more questions? 

Student: There are a few questions, 

M. Laitman: Only two, three. 

Question (Haifa 1): (35:22) Rav, connected to the document, there's an excerpt in “Let There Be Light,” which talks about the topic. Can I read it?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: “One will always be cautious and adhere his heart to the upper faith, so that he'll be whole with his master. To be whole with his master, no harm will come to him from the world.” 

M. Laitman: Strong. 

Question (Zafon 1): (36:00) Rav, we know that all the created beings, as well as us, have the desire to receive pleasures. In the letter we read, Rabash explains that one who has no intellect cannot measure where the real pleasure is, and then he does things that are corrupted and even harmful for himself and to his environment. An ancient philosopher once said that whoever the Creator wants to punish, he takes away his reason. And then a person who is insane without a reason cannot measure where his greatest pleasure is. 

I remember, Rav, that you once explained that people with mental retardation do great corrections for us. And in the Kli there are no redundant parts in the system. If in the world of Bnei Baruch, World Kli are not implementing 100% everything that was given to us from the Creator, by that are we causing harm to the whole godly system? 

M. Laitman: No. Not yet. We're not making damage. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (37:31) Rav, he talks here about how the speaking has the feeling of others relative to animals, who only have the feeling of others towards their own type, their own species. Then he talks about the Israeli man who has a connection to the Creator, the Shechina, to the Sar of Shechina. And my question is about these two parts, the feeling of others and the feeling of the Creator. We also have the matter of Torah and Mitzvot that are concealed, the pleasures that are in concealment. So, what is our work in the feeling of others that is a transition to feeling the Creator? What form of incorporation or in what way do we use this ability, which is relatively exalted higher than the rest of the animals, etc.? 

M. Laitman: We have to develop the feeling of the others in us, that's through working in the group, in the Ten, to such an extent that we can feel in the connection between us also an additional connection with the Creator. That the Creator isn't in my ten friends or my nine friends. Let's say I'm the tenth, but from yearning to be with them in one heart as one man with one heart, I, from this, awaken in me qualities that with them I can feel the Creator that is clothing inside my Ten. And in this way, I reach revelation of the Creator to the created beings.

Student: Rav, in every connection I have with the friends, there are also changes all the time. Suddenly rejection, suddenly a degree of even hatred. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: When I see the greatness of the friends, within reason but above reason also, this system needs to be connected, or I can't be in contact with the Creator without me arranging the connection with the friends before that? Is that the method that's there, where I always need to also arrange my connection with the friends and only through that to the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Yes. Otherwise, you will not have a vessel that you're preparing for a connection with the Creator. How will you adapt yourself to the Creator? What could it be? How can you come closer to Him? How can you turn to Him? How can you connect to Him? It can only be through the friends.

M. Laitman: Okay, what are we doing? 

Reader: We'll move to the next part of the lesson, Pirkei Avot, but before that we'll sing a song.

Song: (41:19)