Afternoon Lesson March 27, 2023
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation, which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.
"Work is the reward" – selected Excerpts from the Sources.
Rav's Intro: We just have to continue what we talked about before and advance accordingly. Please.
Reading Excerpt #8 (00:24) "When one comes…"
1. R. (01:54) That is, all of our work needs to be with the goal in order to reach a state where we are working only for the Creator. And then we will not feel any exertion or toil, but everything will truly be easy, with joy, with uplifted spirits, with love. Therefore, we need to reach this.
2. S. (02:33) So what is a person's exertion? How will it be expressed?
R. Exertion is to achieve love for the Creator, let's say, in general (in a round form, let's call it), and nothing else. And there is no exertion. And then there is no exertion. There is exertion where there is no love.
S. At the moment when a person starts to work for the Creator and get uplifted spirits, there is no more exertion? His work is canceled?
R. Of course. Look at the mother and the child, to the extent that she does not get tired of arranging everything for him, for serving him in anything and everything. Because for her it is pleasure, she is doing it for the baby.
S. And it only happens at the End of the Correction?
R. No, this is all throughout the corrections. The more and more we draw ourselves closer to the Creator, value Him between us as great. Like we're carrying that baggage. Accordingly we don't feel exertion, but it turns into a reward and pleasure.
S. What is the Creator's baggage? What does it mean to carry His baggage where it is not difficult?
R. For every single moment in life, to do it for His sake.
3. S. (04:18) And what is every moment to do it for His sake?
R. I want to do something at every moment in life in order to cause the Creator pleasure from me and lift His spirit. This is what I want.
S. How can I raise His spirit?
R. By me wanting for Him to have this uplifted spirit from me. That I perform such actions that He will get pleasure from me.
S. Is it possible to feel this? His attitude?
R. Of course, we need to reach this when we feel that the Creator enjoys us and He is happy with us. And so we continue to more and more, to engage in what is called Torah and commandments, that I perform all sorts of commands, all sorts of actions that the Creator enjoys from me.
4. S. (05:50) Do we think every single day that we need to work in joy for the Creator? And to perform the tasks that He is giving us right now?
R. Day after day. This is how we need to think. Until we get used to this, until through this, we reach a state where it actually happens for us.
5. S. (06:33) At what level of spiritual attainment does this hard work stop being difficult and become light? Meaning at what point does it become easy to come to the lessons or join zoom meetings and gatherings with friends?
R. When you start to love the Creator even a little. To that extent, it becomes not difficult for you.
Reading Excerpt #9 (07:17) "According to labor…"
6. R. (07:47) Again, this is according to the same example of the mother and the child. I take care of that baby for her, it's general, it's pleasure. She doesn't want someone to pay her for it. But rather the work itself of taking care of the baby, it's the exertion and the reward. And it's the same thing here for us, an example from the Torah that if a person comes closer to the Creator and truly does everything for the sake of the Creator, then he does not need reward in addition to this. But just this opportunity to work for Him, to bestow to Him. This is what we need to see, day after day. Are we capable of coming closer to such states? It's really important because this is very practical, very practical. By doing something for the friends, and doing something for the Creator, do I feel pleasure in this? Do I understand that I am causing pleasure to the Creator by this? And in this way, we can advance and understand where we are.
7. S. (09:25) And if I feel that my exertion is not pleasant, I run away from my ego and make concessions.
R. So continue.
S. I don't understand this reward and this exertion, where is the meeting point?
R. It depends on which exertion and which reward that you are talking about. If I suddenly discover that I am lying on the beach, looking at the waves, drinking something cold and tasty, will this be a reward for me, an exertion? We need to see where we are exerting and where we are getting the reward.
S. How do I find the spiritual reward in the exertion?
R. Spiritual reward is felt in the place itself.
S. And where is the place of exertion?
R. Our exertions are the exertions and toil, where afterwards we are asking for some kind of pleasure.
S. When this happens, what happens to the difficulty when we do this work? Does this difficulty get canceled?
R. Spiritual reward in itself is a reward in which no exertion is felt. The exertion turns into the reward. Once again, like a mother and a baby. Or sometimes, when we do something, something that we love, then the exertion is the reward. Like children who love to play soccer or something like that - is it work or a reward?
S. And if you don't love it, then?
R. This is why we are learning that we need to reach love. And then you won't have any problems. Then you will feel that you have a reward on the spot.
8. S. (12:02) I feel that I am not able to do one corporeal thing for pleasure because I'm constantly thinking even the slightest pleasure is a waste of time. This is so tiring to always calculate and calculate, what to do here?
R. You need to advance and come closer to the love of friends, very simple. And everything will be clearer for you. Come closer to the love of friends. Think about this. Even if it is not pleasant, gradually you will understand and get you to this. Understand that is the same thing and source the Creator to relate to the friends, to relate to the Creator is basically the same thing.
S. This confusion of what to take to my vessel and what to not exist because I am not close to the friends?
R. Yes. Try to address this to the friends, it will be clearer for you. It will be clearer for you.
9. S. (13:46) How is the work always to be in contact with the Creator, how can we invert this work to this instinctual work like a mother and a child?
R. We're always doing and doing, but sometimes we're always lacking. We need to make efforts to depict ourselves that we are working and in contact with the Creator. It doesn't work instinctively like a mother and a baby, it gradually comes closer and we start to feel sparks of love in this as well.
10. S. (14:51) How do we connect in this article with what we say that the children of Israel sighed from the work.
R. I don't want to know how to connect this, you need to study that, this and that and we don't ask questions in such a way.
11. S. (15:14) How to love the Creator and with which vessels. I do this, because I only have egoistic vessels.
R. I need to love the Creator with my desire to receive, and gradually out of this it will turn into a desire to bestow.
Reading Excerpt #10 (15:50) "For the effort…" Twice.
12. S. (17:25) Do I need to form in the ten such a framework and such a system in which we aim all the friends to make spiritual efforts?
R. In the ten? Yes, of course. In the ten we need to form such an atmosphere which we draw towards spirituality, to mutual obligations, etc. This is what we need to do in the ten. Then it will be easier for us to reveal the Creator's attitude towards us. His attitude of love and our attitude toward the Creator is an attitude of love and in general the easier for us in everything.
Reading Excerpt #11 (18:38) "Then shall you…"
13. (22:15) S. What does it mean to believe that we bring contentment to the Creator by work, regardless of our flavor in work?
R. In any case, we bring pleasure to the Creator as much as we are working, even if we are doing it right now in order to receive. Like a baby, he does not know how and what to do, but nevertheless he does something, through it he has a connection with the mother. This is how it is for us. And then, as he describes to us in this excerpt, through the work, we reach a new attitude, relations and perform all our work for the sake of the heavens, and for the sake of the Creator. And then we enjoy that, and not because we simply receive pleasures, but for the reason of who we are pleasing. Clear?
14. S. (23:46) When we come to the revelation that egoism is our greatest friend, and that egoism was created by the Creator with great love for us, is this an indicator of our advancement?
R. Maybe. It could be.
S. Yes. And then we will begin to use this ego with the right intention and we reveal the Creator's quality in our connections?
R. Yes. This is called receiving for the sake of bestowal.
S. And then from the connection we will receive a lot of pleasure?
R. Of course.
S. And we will also please the Creator with this?
R. Of course.
S. Thank you very much.
R. You're welcome.
S. We love you, thank you.
R. Mutual.
15. S. (24:59) Changing our intentions. Do these difficult conditions take the form of light conditions or are they difficult until the end of our correction?
R. The conditions become very easy. If I love - immediately everything becomes great and warm, light and easy.
16. S. (25:38) How is the atmosphere in the ten combined with the exertions of everyone? After all, we are all so different. How do we not cause pressure, how do we form that atmosphere?
R. It all comes during the practical work between you, it is impossible to describe it in words, it will only cause confusion. The answer to your question, it needs to be accepted as a result of your efforts to connect between you.
17. S. (26:36) It is written here that a person needs to believe that the Creator accepts his work. And us pleasing the Creator, is it always only necessary to believe? Or will we know it?
R. We will know it. We will know it, and we will see it, attain it, this will be our mutual work with the Creator.
18. S. (27:13) Why does a person feel pain from being incapable of bestowing to the Creator even for a single moment, or an hour? Why does He do this to us, such a disturbance?
R. So that we can receive pleasure to truly bestow to the Creator.
19. S. (27:53) Who forces a person to love the Creator, to work for Him and why?
R. Creator.
S. Does the Creator coerce a person to work this way?
R. Of course, of course.
S. Why?
R. Because He wants to bring us to wholeness.
S. The wholeness is done through coercion?
R. Why not?
S. Because if I am being coerced, then I do not see any wholeness in this. I feel it as whole when I am doing it with my own desire, through love.
R. Well, love and desire. It's good to talk about it, but in our lives we often feel how difficult our work is, not simple, and the flavors that we feel are also not so sweet. But gradually we get closer and closer, and then we understand why it is so. And then everything bitter turns into sweet.
S. But I want to understand: if I am forced to do something, I have a desire to run away from this. Why would the Creator do this to me?
R. To make you want to run away and feel that you want to run away.
S. This is not so clear. If I want to run away, I will run away.
R. No, you will run away, and if not, then you will not run away. It does not depend on your desire, it depends on what the Creator is doing with you.
S. We're coerced to do that?
R. Once is forced until he says “I want”.
20. S. (30:31) Is it a reward to feel that thanks to our friends that we have the strength to work for Him all the time?
R. Yes, yes.
21. S. (31:05) How can we understand that the Creator accepts our work?
R. By us starting to agree with Him, love Him, we want to come closer to Him, we receive Him. These are signs that we are truly working with the Creator together.
22. S. (31:53) You said earlier that if I am going towards connection with my friends, mutual calls, then I started to love the Creator a bit. But if I am in this connection with my friends, with ten for 24 hours, constantly in these thoughts - is this the final correction? Or is it some kind of examination of the Creator?
R. This is not the final correction, and still very far from the whole correction. But you are given the opportunity.
23. S. (32:44) Can it be said that the Creator mainly uses us in order to execute His plan?
R. Yes, of course.
S. What is our role in this plan? How do we bring contentment to the Creator in that case?
R. To reveal the Creator's plan and carry it out.
S. What does it mean to carry it out by me? We say that the Creator does everything.
R. No, the Creator does on the condition that I agree, I want, even if I don't want, but the important thing here is that I am going together with Him.
S. And going together with Him, does it mean to be in joy?
R. Yes, it is a sign.
S. What other signs are there that I'm walking with Him?
R. We will learn about this one the way.
24. S. (34:07) We said we were coerced until he said he wants, is there a situation where we can say yes too early?
R. It is a sign that this is not coercion yet. Because coercion is when he says: despite not wanting, he says I want. It is clear to him that before that he did not want to and maybe even now he does not quite want to, but nevertheless he accepts it through coercion.
25. S. (35:33) On the one hand, we learn that working for the Creator is joyful, pleasant, and easy, and on the other hand, the heaviness in our work appears only when we start working for the Creator. Because when we work for our egoism, we do not feel this heaviness in work.
R. That's correct. So what's not clear?
S. How do we feel the heaviness in the work? It's when we are not yet working for Him?
R. Of course not. If you feel heaviness in your spiritual work: to bestow, love, give, come closer, to hug - if you feel heaviness in this work, it's a sign that you are not in spiritual work.
26. S. (36:42) What does it mean that the Creator accepts the work of the lower ones regardless how much is their form of their work?
R. It is important that we agree with everything that the Creator does to us. That's the main thing.
27. S. (37:24) I hope my question will not make you upset.
R. I'm already upset.
S. I have a great anger and very strong feelings[…] I really believe in our path. Working in the ten gives me a lot of joy, but everything that is happening outside, there is a lot of hatred and anger. What should I do with all these feelings?
R. Go outside and participate there, what do you want from us? We are in a completely different world.
S. I understand, what do I do now? How can I achieve something better? What can I do to help the whole world Kli, to bring this entire thing into something good?
R. I don't have anything to recommend for you. I also agree with you to some extent, but there is no choice, we must continue our work. It will help everyone reach wholeness?
S. After that will it be good here?
R. It will be good if we will be good. This is why I don't get angry with anyone, but only at myself and my students.
28. S. (39:15) Is giving to the Creator only raising the importance of the Creator, His greatness?
R. Yes.
S. Is there anything else?
R. No, no, that's enough. To raise His greatness to the extent that I will truly give to Him at the current moment.
29. S. (39:42) Loving the Creator is always gratitude and love all the time. But how can our love rise above all the sufferings, all separations in order to draw even closer to Him above all obstacles?
R. Only through a prayer to the Creator, only through a request to the Creator, can we reach a state where we receive the answer, receive help. We will understand what we must do in a more precise way. Simply more and more to come closer to the Creator through the friends. To the extent that I come closer to the friends, invest in them, connection between us, to that extent I have more and more hope that I will be able to come closer to the Creator and bestow to Him.
S. So the prayer is to hold on to Him? Should we hold on to the Creator all the time?
R. Yes.
30. S. (41:18) You said at the beginning of the lesson: efforts are there where there is no love. What does it mean to fulfill the measure of exertion?
R. Give everything you possibly can to the Creator.
31. S. (41:54) If we are suffering, in descents, but at the same time we play the game of love, who are we lying to - our ego or friends?
R. We are lying to ourselves.
S. Why are we doing this?
R. To move forward. And then gradually we will see that it's not worth lying, and we will take our work more and more seriously.
S. Is the game of love not a serious work?
R. Well, if this is a game, then it is not serious yet.
32. S. (42:55) Kabbalah teaches us to work in the spiritual worlds. So why when we feel heaviness in the body, it is some kind of indicator of how well we are doing our work? These are two different worlds.
R. Because then we see how much we still insufficiently adhere to the Creator, this gives us a place for work.
33. S. (43:33) It is written: he has accustomed himself to work for the sake of bestowal and wants to see if he has a taste in the work. I do not feel taste in the work, but it follows from logic that I must feel taste. But then, thanks to work, I decide not to examine myself. Or do I need to feel it in order to afterwards reject it?
R. Don't confuse yourself. Read ten times what is written in our texts, and from this they will influence you. Then you will begin to orient yourself better.
S. There is a feeling that I have to make a decision here, I always make a decision to do something or not to do something. And then suddenly I find myself in a state where I do not feel any flavor in work. I don't even understand how I got there.
R. So, read again what we are studying.
34. S. (44:55) How can we help the ten to delve more into the importance of participating and accelerating our work towards the Creator?
R. Only by going deeper into connection with friends. There we will find a connection with the Creator. From love for created beings to love for the Creator.
Remark: I can clarify. She asks: How can I help the ten go deeper into this work, so that the ten can go more into the inner work?
R. But we study this in all our excerpts, I don't know what to say here. Above all, lead by example. Example.
35. S. (46:22) I want to ask about feeling cared for. How to work with this feeling of care so that it does not seem like an abyss of selfishness at the time of receiving, but so that it becomes spiritual work?
R. I can't hear you well, can you speak closer to the microphone?
S. Do you hear now?
R. Yes.
S. How to work correctly with concern so that it won't come out of the ego, but that it is considered spiritual work?
R. When we come closer to the friends and want to nullify the emotional distance between us, and imagine us being all in one heart, we want to spend more and more time during the day. And then we reach the state of adhesion. Very simple, that's how it works.
36. S. (47:52) During our work, we experience heaviness. How can this be turned into joy? Is this a formula that leads to contact with the Creator? Should we feel joy?
R. Yes. Contact with the Creator always brings joy.
37. S. (48:36) Is it possible to say that our work is the reconstruction, restoration of the good beginning, because nothing has been created except the evil beginning? And this just pleases the Creator that we create Him with the help of the Torah, prayer in ten. Can you say so?
R. You could say. Thanks to the efforts we give the Creator an opportunity to fulfill us, to dwell in us. And in this way, one more positive force appears in our world.
Reading Excerpt #12 (49:18) "Making a covenant…"
38. (52:04) R. Even in Lo Lishma.
39. S. (52:21) When I'm making efforts truly beyond my strength, beyond my ability to love the friends, I cannot feel joy. I'm so confused that I don't even know how to discern if the intention is a good one. Does this mean that my exertions are worthless?
R. It cannot be that exertions are worthless. Each and every amount of exertion gives something, brings us closer between us and to the Creator. Even for a little moment, that I'm working against my ego, nevertheless, I'm doing spiritual work and coming closer to the Creator. Don't disregard it. And anything that is possible, we need to do it in order to come closer to the friends and out of them, to afterwards to the Creator. Gradually, bit by bit - like this. When we want to get to some distant place, we travel, travel, travel until we get there. But we arrive - the same thing here.
S. Yes, there is another question from a friend.
R. Yes, please.
40. S. (54:27) If the Creator accepts all our efforts, and only the intention is important, is there such a state of the lower one when the Creator is not happy with him at all?
R. I don't understand. I didn't understand.
S. I'm trying to understand whether there are states when the lower one does or doesn't do something, which makes it impossible to bring contentment to the Creator?
R. I don't even know what to say. I don't understand.
Reply: (55:41) If the Creator accepts all work, and all efforts, and all prayers, is there a state when He is not happy with what we do?
R. There is no such thing. Between us, I just hope that you will forget this, the Creator is pleased with everything that happens between us. Just like we are towards a baby, it doesn't matter what he's doing. And as the main thing, the Creator enjoys everything that we do. Everything.
S. So the bottom line is that we think we are giving Him contentment is more for us?
R. Yes. We give Him pleasure all the time, but we want to be arranged such that we are together with the pleasure on the same line, but we will talk about this. The main thing is that we are getting closer to Him every day.
41. S. (57:09) Forming a covenant in ten is an internal affair of every person, as described in the excerpt? Or is it some special action of the whole ten, which is expressed externally?
R. One more time.
S. Forming a covenant in ten is an internal affair of every person, as described in the excerpt? Or is it some special action of the whole ten, which is expressed externally?
R. Making a covenant of the ten can be a special state of the ten, when they agree between themselves that they will always check their closeness to each other every time to aspire to being close. This is the main thing. Because only out of the force of their closeness can they influence the Creator.
S. Tell me, are there any conditions? That is, we, in principle, and so, when we come to the ten, we come to unite all the time. Does a covenant mean that we are already setting some conditions or not?
R. We do not form any conditions, just one condition: bring us closer to You. We don't need anything else. And an even better condition "give us the opportunity to please You."
42. S. (59:14) Thank you for the lesson. I wanted to ask in continuation of what you said this morning: if we completely connect with the friends in a complete way, can we feel the Creator in a complete way?
R. Yes.
S. I wanted to ask, what does it mean to “feel the Creator fully”?
R. That He fulfills our heart, our entire heart is fulfilled with the Creator.