Morning Lesson April 18, 2021 Transcription
1. Rav’s Introduction: Amalek is the closest thing to us although it seems that something is evil, something that is opposite to us, something to erase that we have to erase the memory of Amalek, but we have to understand that the Creator didn't create anything redundant. Rather only for the sake of our progress development and Amalek is the quality that helps us grow properly, constantly protecting as we are moving on a path and we may fall or make a mistake there are thorns and warning signs, for making a security to not do something. Similarly, Amalek is directing us in the right direction we have to pay attention what we want or do not want all those disturbances come from Amalek those examinations come from him it is an acronym from Al Menat LaKabel, in order to receive, it is the evil inclination. As it is written that I have created the evil inclination and created the Torah as a spice and the evil information was created exactly corresponding to the Torah, the upper light and both to help us work on the middle line. So consequently, we have to understand it and respect it, not to love it but respect it.
It is the quality according to which we can't separate ourselves from the Creator and we would never be able to be created beings. Specifically, thanks to the evil inclination pulling as every from the Creator can wake up in us with a rejection, repulsion and by this we can identify that there is indeed such a thing in reality. Therefore, this helps against, as it is written about it, it helps us by being against the Creator it helps us to locate the Creator, what are those qualities how we can acquire them, the qualities of the Creator on top of the qualities of Amalek. Meaning on top of the qualities of in order to receive which is the intention that is born in us. Hence, we need to acquire this opposing quality to go against spiritual work because the Creator is good and correct qualities and so it goes against those correct qualities there is no good or evil, everything is coming from the upper force. We need to use bless over the good and the evil qualities, the evil even more than the good because we have to bless over the good as over the evil and in truth more than the good because he bless is over the good by the ego but when we are blessing for the evil as for the good this is the result of the work coming closer to understanding and feeling the righteousness of the way. We have to appreciate everything our desire to receive is doing to us, this Amalek and much as we can see its work, as much as we can take an example from it to learn from its cunning ways, how it shows us where we are nevertheless thinking of ourselves. How can we take an example from him how to be against it, this is why it is called help against which is the evil inclination. This evil inclination, Amalek is helping us to see the craftsmanship in this work then we know how to work with this, how to correctly exploit it, how to work with it because it specifically if it helps us to become similar to the Creator.
There is a lot written about Amalek and it is true that this is the matter of creation since the beginning with the intention to receive and it says that the Creator created the whale in order to play with it. We have to learn how do we learn from the Creator who created this game to play with this whale, which is Amalek, which is Al Menat LaKabel, in order to receive and to play with it and turn it into a craft, turn this game into a source of joy and progress accordingly. We need to find joy in this work play with gladness, like in every game, since we enjoy what the Creator created this quality of in order to receive, to see this equality as a foreign to us and that we need to change it this whale which the Creator created to play with. The Creator is giving us all the conditions to play with it and using these games as with children as well as we see with children as well how they grow up, if they stop playing then they stop growing. This is how the game works and helps progress so we need to try to constantly be like children playing because the children are those who can develop. We should not think about ourselves as someone doesn't need to grow up and we develop daily and the sign of development that we are in joy. When we play with all those different states in our lives and we are happy about the opportunities and we blessed the Creator in each and every moment for giving us the opportunity to play with our evil inclination in order to resemble the Creator.
If we accept this and take it such then we truly move towards the Creator because we are happy and we bless him and we will see ongoing development and see ourselves developing. Therefore, the sign we see in our lives as ongoing development and then our whole life is a joy, and this is the work of the Creator is joy, for the Creator in gladness. This is how we need to arrange our lives, our work, our attitude in the group, everything has to be in joy, gladness and then we are playing and then we can be certain that we will then be developed properly, and everything will be before us the most pleasant way possible. You should not forget that the Creator is bringing us these examinations and these settings which we find before us all those states in the form of Amalek and we are playing this game. This game, even if I hate those things before me in this game nevertheless, I love the process, I love the game, as I wants to be like at least sports people racing or preparing against time, speed, rate against something and together with it they have happiness because they are progressing and they are trying to reach something.
We have to bless the evil that is clarified between us and we need to see in our attitude towards it not exactly a form of struggle but a kind of game and then it will be easier for us to bless the Creator for all the states we go through. Because from those good and evil states is the game made, so let's go forward and we will scene but most importantly we have to have a good beautiful attitude towards everything if we need to overcome and resist Amalek, the intention to in order to receive, because this is what the Creator is arranging for us, he is a Amalek himself he is also the loyal servant of the Creator, Amalek that he is in the Creator's hands and we need to relate to him accordingly.
2. S. (12:15) It is urgent because we read a little bit about what we were going to read during the lesson, and it says that we can take advantage of Amalek how to do this
R. In order to come closer to the Creator, there are obstacles ahead of us. These obstacles specifically are aiming us in those directions where we change and resemble the Creator. Without Amalek we couldn't arrange ourselves, format ourselves and come to equivalence of form.
S. Yes, we are going to read it now, but it appears that Amalek is really taking total control.
R. Of course. We begin from that. We do not have anything. We’re not suitable, we do not fit the Creator at all. In everything we try to do, pay attention to our qualities, intentions -- of course we see that everywhere we find in order to receive, which is our intention -- this is what is in control. When we see that Amalek is in control, it is written we come out of Egypt, when we wish to rise above the will to receive and to come to bestowal, then we come to discover Amalek on the way out from Egypt, in the desert, those states specifically. Those states and specifically those people who go towards the Creator, growing stronger, Israel, Yashar Kel, they grow stronger and against that Amalek also grows stronger. Then they wage war
S. So it’s best to prepare ourselves? Because it seems that he is worse than the Pharaoh
R. Amalek is more cunning. Pharaoh is simply the will to receive but Amalek wishes to come to the Creator and to bestow in order to arrange bestowal in the correct way. The Creator arranged such desires and intentions to receive where we can see where is the point that we can invert them and resemble the Creator. Amalek is much more cunning, ideological, his intentions and his actions, all sort of such things. Also, much more difficult states, let’s say. In the desert there is nothing to hold onto, we cannot strengthen ourselves. We will learn.
3. S. (15:51) How can we arrive upon a compromise or how can we fight with this evil inclination to be able to go over it?
R. It is written that apart from the person, everything else is the Creator. If I see many people in the world the still, vegetative, animate and speaking degrees I see any disturbances and everything else, I have to understand that all those things come to me in order to separate me from the Creator and this way to help me, so I could see what separates me from the Creator. And then everything that is on the path, I can turn it from the force of disturbing to a helping force. Therefore, Amalek is revealed in such a way that the person sees the evil before him, between him and the Creator, between him and the group. This is the quality that does not let the person to connect and become ‘one man with one heart’ for example, we will learn about it.
4. S. (17:55) We know that we have to fight against Pharaoh on every degree, is this the same with Amalek, we have him on every degree?
R. Yes, Amalek is an extension of the Pharaoh. Pharaoh is the evil inclination in general and Amalek is the intention in order to receive that is practically opposing the Creator directly. We can say that this force is a more ideological force against the Creator. Not a general force like a matter in general, but it is in the action that goes against the connection.
S. So on every degree there is first Pharaoh, then Amalek?
R. Yes
Excerpt 1 (19:18 - 20:35)
5. R. Meaning when a person wishes to leave his will to receive in order to bestow change then along the way on the path of correction, everything from here is correction until the end of correction, we are letting go the use of will receive in order to receive and we wish to reach in order to bestow. And the resistance we feel in changing the intention is called Amalek.
6. R. Specifically when it is clear to the person that he wants to come to in order to bestow, to come closer to the Creator, then he begins to see how opposed he is to this. This means that when a person comes out of Egypt and wants to turn his attitude towards bestowal from the will to receive because he cannot do it inside Egypt, only when he wishes to rise above it. When the person tries to restrict the use of the desire to receive and turn it into bestowal in order to bestow, then it turns out that he starts to fight with the intention in order to receive, to turn it into the intention to bestow. This means he is fighting with Amalek.
Excerpt 2 (21:43 - 22:15)
7. R. Meaning the evil inclination has seven names according to the Zot of the Partzuf, the lower 7 of the Partzuf, where you have all the corruptions. We have to work specifically with all these instances of in order to receive, and find out their names, their character and they will become more obvious later. For now, it is evil. It is the evil that goes against us coming closer between us and against coming closer to the Creator, this is where we can identify the evil inclination, locate it. It’s Pharaoh, which is the general form of evil inclination, that is completely opposed to all the changes for the good. Amalek is not in Egypt when we are inside the will to receive. It is when we wish to emerge from the will to receive, to the extent we wish to advance towards bestowal is when we feel him. Then he comes and wages war on us. Therefore, those two states, the biggest states in the will to receive are Pharaoh and Amalek. Pharaoh is the general egoistic will to receive and that in order to receive the intention we discover dwells within us, in each and every action and desire within us, this is Amalek, in order to receive.
Excerpt 3 (24:15 - 24:27)
8. R. We have to understand that it is all how it seems in the eyes of the person. As if there is a quality in nature that is intentionally there to lower the importance of the Creator, which is ‘help against.’ When we begin to see these forces who lower the greatness of the Creator, greatness of the goal, spirituality, as if there are things that are more important like this world, this is all this Klipa, shell and that works against sanctity but not in order to contradict, completely but in order to create this disturbance so we will notice where we are, and where should we associate ourselves -- in order to receive or in order to bestow. We cannot say that there are any forces in reality that are truly evil and oppose the Creator. Rather there are those that help us through their opposition, they stimulate us. Through this opposition, we begin to recognize the good things in us. We may not be aware of how, in our lives, the evil forces are doing their job and helping us. In truth, helping us to arrange ourselves properly. If we would not feel pain, then we would stick our hands into fire and burn.
What are we constantly doing with our kids? We tell them don't do this, don't go there, be frightened from that and so on. Meaning we constantly add warnings and admonitions, and the kid that is growing up gradually understands it and uses these warnings correctly by himself. This work is the work of the evil inclination which is in order to receive. We discover our intentions to receive in every state and every degree, every mode and manner when we are able to work against it and turn it in order to bestow. And after such actions, we begin to discover the Creator. Therefore Amalek, that is standing between us and the Creator seemingly, and he seemingly hides the Creator from us. He does not let us advance towards the Creator, he is actually directing us to the Creator but from the opposite end, and through this opposite form we can feel and locate the Creator, otherwise we would not be able to do it, simply cannot. Pay attention that how do we come to everything? In the beginning, it pulls us and later, we begin to identify this pull and how much we can save ourselves from it and come to the truth, good. Therefore, there is no way to come to the Creator except through, first, recognizing the evil inclination, the Klipa, the shell, come closer to it, enjoy it.
Like with Pharaoh in Egypt, we went through the seven years of satiation and later when we connect to it, we see that these things are good, good only for our belly but not for our soul. We cannot continue this way and come to the truth, good. This Klipa that raised us over seven years of satiation in Egypt has brought us to the state where we can say about it that it is evil, and we don't want it any longer. This is called ‘help against.’ This evil inclination is developing us and through this development, we come to a state where we deride it, we do not want to continue to suffer from it, we begin to hate it. Look at the whole world. The whole world derives pleasure from its egoistic desire, and the more a person has an egoistic desire, the more successful he is considered, typically. What can we do then? They seemingly enjoy life. Until when? Until such a time comes -- and we go through a period like, now, in the last generation -- we go through this period where we begin to see how our development has been an egoistic development so far, and it is now disqualified, it’s passe. We cannot use our ego anymore because it doesn't bring any fruit. We discover that the king is naked, it is not even a king. We come to a state where we wish to replace him, but what can we do?
We cannot exist without enjoying life. If we cannot continue as it was at the beginning of the 20th century and through the whole 20th century, like getting pleasures from food, sex, family, money, fame, power, and knowledge, all those things that would inflate our ego, give us pleasure. If we cannot derive anymore pleasure from it, then he is not a king. And this is the time we’re in right now, this is where ‘the children of Israel sighed from the work.’ We don't want to be under the domination of the will to receive, king of Egypt, Pharaoh. We see to what an extent it is opposite to what we want, he is doing evil to us, he awakens us toward these dealings, these great attainments, the kind we used to be attracted to, but we see that nothing will come out of it. Now with the pandemic and with all those states we go through we see that this pursuit of goals is all a falsehood and eventually it has no staying power. Even when we build pyramids, we see later that we have no hope to receive fulfillment from them. Everything we build is simply a house for the dead.
9. S. (33:39) Where is the force to overcome the Klipa of Amalek?
R. Good question. The force to overcome the Klipa of Amalek is in the Creator. The Creator is the source for both the good and evil inclination, as it is written, ‘I created the evil inclination, I created the Torah as a spice because the light in it reforms,’ reforms the evil inclination. This is why the Creator is the higher force above everything, as the upper point of the middle line, and from it emerge two lines, the good and the evil forces. A person is made of both forces so you would have free choice and be able to grow up, and advance.
10. S. (34:53) So Amalek means not to engage in spirituality at all or in order to receive?
R. It’s neither. Amalek is a force that is seemingly rejecting you from spirituality on the condition that you want to reach spirituality, he is, then, seemingly rejecting, repelling you from it, so you would find a yearning for it and the effort toward it, you will find ways to grow stronger and connected to the Creator so He will give you the good force against Amalek. Using this good force, you will be able to fight Amalek and overtake it and do anything that you have to do to reach the Creator. Amalek is a helping force. It is called help against. In order to find the way to the Creator, Amalek is standing on the way saying, ‘I will not let you come to the Creator.’ Without Amalek -- we would not know how to make it and, specifically in this path you can reach the Creator -- you won’t be able to see it. Amalek comes and says, ‘I won't let you approach Him.’ By this, he is showing you the way and saying this is the way you need to follow, and I will not let you. What does it mean that I will not let you? He is showing you that you are still weak. You need to know, organize, summon these forces to grow stronger with the Creator and society, and this way get the strength to take a step forward and fight with Amalek. What is he doing? He is showing you the path to the Creator.
S. In what way does he show the way?
R. He is showing the way by showing you that you are weak, and you cannot do it, you are unable to do it. Try to take a true step towards the friends in the group, and you will see you cannot do it and you will see something is before you that is stopping you, that you cannot break through this wall, so what to do? You have no choice but to turn to the Creator. What did Amalek do? He is bringing you closer to the Creator, you are seeing through him that you cannot do it by your own strength.
S. What is the difference between him and Pharaoh?
R. By coming out of order to receive, coming out of Pharaoh, and reaching the Creator, Amalek is in a state where he is fighting our intention to bestow. Pharaoh is a general force.
S. Will we ever get rid of Amalek or he will always be there?
R. It is a very important force without which we cannot reach anything and only at the end of correction will you finish the work with it. You enter the land of Israel and there are forces there but it is until the end of correction, this is why it is called ‘the end of correction,’ when you have completed correcting all your intentions over all your desires that appear and establish over them the intention to bestow and not before that. How can you imagine anything to correct completely before that? If all those forces, all the evil forces, would disappear then you would be like humanity who doesn’t know where to turn. Each time you enter such dealings that simply drop it down more and more into crisis until we say, ‘when will it stop’ and then say, ‘enough, we don’t want to try anything.’ Just imagine how much we will have to do, how many exercises we will have to go through, through the pandemics, wars, all those things we are going through until we say that we have had enough. It’s enough for us to fight and let's have a truce and nicely? You can’t. Because other than egoistic will to receive, there is nothing. ‘I have created the evil inclination and if you want to come out of it, you must have the Torah as a spice. We will talk about how humanity is coming out of those things.
S. You said turn to the friends and see that you are powerless, and then Amalek appears, and you turn to the Creator. This is the actual workflow, so how does the Creator help, He gives us the strength?
R. All the forces are under the control of the Creator. If you turn to the Creator, you get the strength, the forces to fight against Amalek. Why does this Creator awaken Amalek? You would turn to Him and ask for the strength to fight Amalek. The Creator is playing on both sides, here.
11. R. (41:53) Look, the Klipa of Amalek is a primary against the greatness of the Creator, and I would add, in the eyes of a person. Meaning, why is Amalek, a will to receive, growing? Against it we will grow the greatness of the Creator. Then we will be able to deal with the will to receive with the intention to receive. Only the Creator, if He is greater in our eyes, can help us in this, if he is greater in our eyes, He will help us fight against this Klipa. Meaning either the greatness of the Creator or the greatness of the Amalek, the will to receive, it is either one of the two. It is recommended that we should always be between the two and advance.
Excerpt 4 (42:50 - 43:08)
12. R. Meaning when you come out of Egypt, when we wish to come out of the general will to receive just simply move away from it, a bit. You enter the study of the wisdom of Kabbalah and try to implement it, then the person starts to feel that it is not so simple. And he feels that he is cooling along the way, that has cooled and chilled you. You are tired and weary, and the Creator is not in you. The attitude towards the Creator is that you do not feel the Creator because all those things that you used to feel as important, like the Creator, spirituality, the wisdom of Kabbalah.
Reader continues. Except 4 (44:11 - 44:52)
Excerpt 5 (45:05 - 46:37)
13. R. This means that the Klipa that does not let us advance is working by lowering the greatness of the Creator in our eyes, this is its primary work. And usually, we have to fight against it and demand the greatness of the Creator since without it we cannot continue. Each and every step you take forward, we need fuel for it, we need to awaken the force that will bring us closer to the Creator. How can we do this? Only by growing the Creator in our eyes more and more. We typically have to look for Him, who is He? What is He? How great is He? And accordingly, we will have the opportunity to take a step forward. Our work is mostly about this. When we need to ask for and reveal the greatness of the Creator in our eyes. That He will be greater than all other disturbances and from this, we understand that all the disturbances are revealed in order to raise the Creator above all of them.
14. S. (48:17) In the 10 should we feel when Amalek is strengthening, or Moses strengthens?
R. We have to feel this all the time, we have to constantly feel what is happening with us, with the Creator, with ourselves, with the path, with the group, of course. Because everything depends on the importance. What is important for me right now, today, and each and every moment? According to the importance I direct myself.
S. So when the importance falls, this means that Amalek strengthened, and we have to work on the importance?
R. Yes, correct.
15. S. (49: 46) Everybody has his own Amalek and how does the group help cope with it?
R. Each one has their own personal Amalek because the ego, the will to receive, is personal, individual for each and every one. Also, there is a general desire for the group, and there is a general desire for every organization, and for all of humanity. This is how it works.
16. S. (50:29) When Amalek attacks the 10, we see that the friends cannot hold the importance even if he has a role in the group, they cannot hold the importance. Are we supposed to help him overcome this Amalek, and how?
R. We need to help each other to overcome Amalek by raising the importance of the Creator, the importance of the group, the path, the importance of the connection between us generally in the group. And if we see that a friend is coming down from it, then we raise this importance in our eyes even more. In general, this is called Amalek. The fact that the Creator, Himself, is lowering His own importance in our eyes, it means that the Creator Himself is a lowering His own importance in our eyes, it means that He is raising Amalek, ‘and Amalek grows stronger,’ this is how it is.
17. S. (51:59) We say that Amalek comes exactly when we feel strong connection and satisfaction and joy but in the 10 when something happens, can we connect between Amalek and the spies?
R. There are many forces that operate against sanctity. There are many names, in general, there are seven names for the evil inclination according to the seven Sephirot -- seven Sephirot of sanctity, the seven Sephirot of the Klipot, and we will learn about this. In general, this is all called the evil inclination and the intention to receive that is working especially when the person wishes to come out from under the rule of the evil inclination, this is called Amalek.
18. S. (53:22) The power of Amalek, how is it manifested in our lives, in what way?
R. The force of Amalek is manifested in our lives by dropping the importance of in order to bestow, this is the first step. It complicates the relationship between us in various ways corresponding to the intention to receive.
S. Can it be through emotional states, personal stress of sorts?
R. Of course it can be. Absolutely.
19. S. (54:29) During the day we feel ourselves in our will to receive, thinking about ourselves, so who is the ‘I’ that fights the point in the heart?
R. The point in the heart is the one that has to deal with the disturbances and face Amalek.
20. S. ((55:12) He says, here, ‘if there is labor and hard work then it means this is the Sitra Achra. You also said at the beginning that the sign of correct progress in life is joy, happiness, so what is the game here, what do we work on?
R. We are working on coming closer to each other and the Creator, and all the disturbances appear, we understand that they are disturbances that are aiming us towards the goal. And since the place of labor is where we find the Sitra Achra, the other side, and we need to fight it. Not by myself but by turning to the Creator and He will wage war in our place, but we have to ask Him for it. This is how we approach the goal. If not for the Sitra Achra, if not for such feelings that are against the progress, we would not be able to tell the direction in order to advance.
S. So what is the difference between burden and resistance? Resistance is there, as you said, we fight against distance, or weight, etc., so what are we fighting against, what is the struggle?
R. It is about the importance of which is more important, Pharaoh or the Creator.
Excerpt 6 (56:54 - 59:34) Twice
21. Meaning, we come to a connection with certain nice, good results and then we begin to feel everything is falling apart. Nothing is worthless, we have this chill, we don't know what to do, we don't understand that it is all coming as part of the correct advancement on the path. First you have the left line and then you have the right line, and you have to rise over both in the middle line. It is the point of disappointment, of insufficient effort we have attained nothing. This is a necessary stage after each good side you have to have the feeling of the failed side. Meaning we haven't achieved what we wanted.
Reader continues (01:00:39 -01:01:39)
22. S. If there is a sense of indifference in the ten, in an individual does it mean Amalek is winning?
R. Yes, of course that's it.
23. S. (01:01:59) If we say that Amalek is a force that is focused concretely, who makes the doorstep the Creator and then the Creator it responds or my response and then my desires to connect and there's a specific resistance. Who makes the first step bestowal or Amalek?
R. To the extent a person wishes to reach the bestowal, connection, spirituality to that extent he discovers this disturbance, and he accepts this disturbance according to his degree. That's how he reveals it. Amalek is already in the intention in order to receive. It is not simply the desire for spirituality compared to the desire for corporeality. Rather I discover his opposite force of bestowal, the force of connection, the internality of correction itself. Amalek is a higher form of Klipot compared to Pharaoh who is a general will to receive and Amalek is a particular path. How do we see it? The people of Israel wish to leave Egypt and then Amalek comes to him, meaning in the right direction and the right intention. There you meet the disturbance called Amalek. The name itself Amalek means Al Menat L’Kabel in Hebrew is a phrase - in order to receive. It's not simply to come to no spiritual get rid of the general will to receive, specifically in order to receive when a person yearns to be in bestowal, he needs this help against him - called in order to receive, called Amalek. It's the Klipa that helps to establish sanctity. Klipa protects the Kli, fruit, you see how the shell protects it. During the time of its ripening as it matures. Before it ripens, the Klipot, the peel protects it from harm later on there is no need for it. Klipa itself becomes part of the fruit.
S. So it turns out that its first the intention to bestow is born in me and then comes I'm against it and start starting it until it grows correctly.
R. You can say that. Amalek works on all levels, Shoresh Aleph Bet Gimel Dalet of the will to receive. It protects the Kli, the will to receive. It gives the will to receive the opportunity to properly grow.
S. It turns out that the other option is that first I feel the resistance and then the resistance is the measurement that I have to build, meaning then the resistance comes to me and behind it I have to search for how to build the intention is that right?
R. That is also true. If we are moving forward, you will see how much direction you keep getting how many clues you get from the Creator relative to your states. After all we need to understand that all those states come to a person in order to help him reach the goal. There is nothing truly evil that is created in the world even when we speak about the evil inclination, it is help against. There is no evil in a person. A person uses the forces that the Creator arranges for him.
24. S. (01:07:48) Do I understand correctly that the force of Amalek comes to me only after I am in the desert?
R. When you wish to come out from under the rule of Pharaoh and advance toward the rule of the Creator and between the two you find Amalek.
25. S. (01:08:21) The fear of disconnecting from the ten and veering off the path can this help us?
R. Yes that is possible. Just like when you scare a child so he will not go into danger. We warned him in advance, beware be careful this can be best that we try to protect them.
26. S. (01:08:57) What kind of spirit should be in the ten, so that when Amalek shows up, we feel happiness?
R. The spirit of work that anything that appears is good. Confidence of the righteous righteousness, of the work it is this. It is the spirit that is holding everyone that surrounds everyone you need to arrange it.
Excerpt 7 (01:09:34 - 01:11:28)
27. S. Normally we would restrict the usage of the will to receive and now it looks like Amalek is helping us to use the will to receive correctly, is this true?
R. All the forces that appear in us appear in us with the help of with the help of Amalek, the evil inclination and all the intentions that we want to arrange in order to bestow appear in us with the help of Amalek. Amalek, the desire and Amalek, the intention, seemingly opposite the attainment of the spiritual goal but in truth they provide us the desire which is Pharaoh and the intention which Amalek they provide that, so we would through our work invert it and come to adhesion with the Creator.
28. S. (01:13:26) Is your intention and prayer the only way to counter the force of Amalek. Is the force of Amalek triggered by intention of prayer? It seems the more we want to progress the more Amalek increases.
R. The more we wish to fight, Pharaoh and Amalek is the only thing that will help us is adhesion in the Creator, through adhesion in the group. We can say that Pharaoh and Amalek are evil forces that are nevertheless loyal to the Creator in order to bring him to bring us to adhesion to Him. They push us towards adhesion with the Creator that's why we can accept them. There is nothing that is created that's evil but all in order to attain the final goal. The fact that we are physically in all these states in our lives we have fears, rejections, collisions, life in short. We can feel these forces in practice in our life as wars, as problems. It's all because we fail to perform the corrections on time. Otherwise, we would discover each and everything and such a thing that you could climb you could climb to the next state before you received blows. Leading us eventually to death. It all depends on us. I cannot say that we could always avoid all the catastrophes but in truth, yes, we could somehow reach a state where those disasters would pass over us more easily and quickly at least.
29. S. (01:16:15) On one hand we want to love our friends and on the other Amalek causes us to hate them. Is that what we're supposed to feel?
R. We need to be like a doctor, a scientist, who looks at a certain phenomenon and sees the picture before him and doesn't try to reduce it to good and evil, rather he sees that all the forces and this way tries to take himself, steer his path with the correct steering wheel. left right center and advancing this way where it is clear to him it cannot be without the good or bad rather, we should always be drawn to the middle line. So that the optimal ways to use both the left and the right lines then we will advance the optimal way towards the goal. We would not deviate from the path. These evil forces also protect us so that we can continue and discover all the good things as well. Is that clear?
S. Is Amalek the last gate before the revelation of the Creator?
R. You can say that yes, it's the correct question. If we will learn how to know, how to move, how to spite Amalek from that, how to fight Amalek from that we come to recognition of the Creator.
30. S. (01:19:01) What is the fear and bravery in carrying out love of the friend as thyself.
R. Fear or bravery and keeping love your friend as yourself, when repulsion, love, desires, such states appear between us that we couldn't imagine they exist between us, that they exist at all. I didn't think that I could suspect the friend so much that he appears to be deceitful, thieving, cunning, manipulative, all those things that are so terrible. That's how it seems to be. Why? It's not my fault. Of course, I'm evil, but the evil inclination the Creator has prepared and he who is greater than his friend and his evil inclination is greater. He can turn into a good, great inclination. It turns out that I suspect the friends, I reject the friends, I hate this friend, I cannot connect to the friend, I can't take a step toward them. They moved a hundred meters ahead and I cannot move. They embrace, they have closeness, and they can be together, but I can't be together with them.
It's also in the will to receive that is working in me and there is a great problem. Why am I so evil compared to them? Why am I not open and friendly like them? When I look at others that's how I see myself. What can I do about it? There is nothing to do about it. Whatever is created was created. I only need to worry about how to correct myself. Of course, you can say the others will advance. Before you it's possible. That everyone is moving ahead faster than me until the end of correction before me. It's possible that that is how I will see them. Rabash writes, I need to see them as corrected. But together with that each one has his own package, his own burden and from my package, I need to take out all my corrupt desires and correct them in order to bestow. On the one hand, I can say yes, he who is greater than his friend his inclination is greater I have a greater will to receive. Later at the end of correction I'll attain more. At the end of correction, I should also say that it's not important. Now I can rejoice about the egoistic. But at the end of correction everyone is equal.
Meaning I need to prepare myself already now to a state where I am willing to work more than anyone else and be a zero compared to them and for them to receive as he writes in the social writings: they will receive all the results from my exertion, and I will be happy about that. I will work all the time and the friends will get all the results from it. Think about it, you have to read it, you have to repeat it, you have to read these verses, you have to grow accustomed to these things. There is such clear discernment compared to spirituality, clear discernment compared to spirituality we're as much as we can hear about it and read about it and repeat it, it works on us. We invoke the reforming light, and it brings us closer. Spirituality is built on the bestowal, love, connection. The opposite of what we have in this world. In this primitive, egoistic, corporeal world.
31. S. (01:24:39) Will studying TES will help us increase the importance of the Creator?
R. Soon we will come to study TES after we understand clearly what the corrections are about and when we study TES it will be clear to us, we are talking about our desires and how they should accept the corrections and work themselves out in the corrections between them and with the upper light to the extent that the desires and the Partzuf can connect between them. Strongly and tightly, they can raise a reflected light above them, to connect with the Creator then we can receive the bestowal from the Creator and from the connection between them inside the Partzuf to perform, ZA, the coupling and striking, we will learn all about it in the study of TES in the condition we understand the essence of these actions that we are discussing now. That is why I am very cautious about starting to study TES before we are able to approach it truthfully as it should be. When we learn about restriction, it will be clear to us this is a restriction in our desires and it doesn't happen in the spiritual world, there is no spiritual world what's between us is the spiritual world, we can arrange it it's there, if it's not there it's because we can't arrange it. That's what we have to run correctly. For the time being we are not so prepared but let's hope that soon we will be able to come to it correctly.
32. S. (01:27:13) With regard to the example you gave in the beginning of the game that we play with regard to Amalek, so when there is a decent challenge then it is an enjoyable game. But in our case, it seems like the gap between ability and challenge is too far. How can we minimize the gap so we can enjoy the game?
R. You can enjoy the game now not in your egoistic vessels as in a usual game but in the vessels of bestowal in a spiritual game then there is no problem. You may enjoy it. There is no restriction on enjoying bestowal. Meaning you give to others and you derive pleasure from that, but if you wish to play in spirituality, like in corporeality in order to receive this cannot be. But in order to bestow, yes. You need to understand that your investment in others is your profit. Then you will have no problem whatsoever with the game. Let's say that you want to play with your little child, and you are losing, either intentionally or seriously losing, but you are enjoying, you are happy either you played with him and you lost intentionally to show him he can be great, or he won fair and square, and you are happy because your child is now growing up. “My sons have defeated me”.
S. How does the ten recognize Amalek in them and fight him?
R. Each one should in poke within himself, look into himself to what extent his purpose, is the intention is egoistic or not. We even need to talk about it. Don't be afraid to talk about it among yourselves. You are like one person in the ten and you can talk about anything spiritual you want there's nothing to hide. You just need to be careful not to reveal everything toward the friends because by this you could cause the descent, but if it's for development you feel you caused them a drive toward development and speak.
33. S. (01:31:14) You said to relate to reality like a doctor or a scientist, but Amalek works on the feelings so how to work on the feelings like a doctor?
R. Go to a psychologist. You got all of our work which is psychology. It's work inside the desires, let’s work on the feelings, so how to work on the feelings like a doctor?
S. Friends have left the path because something incorporeality became very important so it's because something in life became more important not that the Creator became less important.
R. Incorrect, that's what you think that's not the way it is at all. It's because the Creator and the spiritual path became less important to them than what appeared to them now. Some opportunity to do some business came to them so they went back to Egypt. Don't advocate for them that seems to be more important, serving Pharaoh is more important to them, so what do you want? How do you want to protect? Why do you want to protect them?
S. A person who feels he has to provide for his family. He has to work more, what do you do? It's a feeling?
R. There's nothing you can do in this, you calculate.
S. When we calculate we know usually it's wrong.
R. Of course, we don't normally calculate that way he wants to succeed and gain. Even if he gains and profits corporally, what is he ending his life with.
S. I don't mean people want to get rich, but I mean people who need to take care of something right now and not enough money to break even.
R. I have nothing to answer to this. Only that they have to strengthen themselves with faith and pray to the Creator, pray to the Creator to help them remain on the path, nonetheless. But if they can't then they can't. I'm not responsible for them. I give what I can to each one, those who want to know what the method of correction is according to the wisdom of Kabbalah this is what I explain now.
S. To what extent can the ten help because you tell what's necessary and what is it?
R. You have to read articles about it from the sources and if they will participate it and see what is written in the sources and not what we will tell him. I don't say anything about myself I try to explain the sources that's it. There's nothing more to give. Then you decide what is good for each one. Then you decide what is good for each one and each one accepts it and receives it and some leave, of course some leave. Some will always leave. This is how the souls are arranged till the end of correction some will leave at the end of correction and some will leave today. There's nothing you can do. These are corrections that the souls have to go through in this way each according to his coarseness according to his line toward corrections.
S. That's on behalf of the system, but as friends in the ten don't we have an obligation to try?
R. Read Rabash, you do have a duty. You should see the importance of the goal and importance of society. Support each one with the importance of the goal.
S. In general, it is understood but, in a moment, you discover a friend who has been years on the path who leaves. What do we do?
R. It is permitted to interfere because it is a big blemish and society because he was in society and the society did not see to increase the importance of the goal in him more than the disturbances that come to him from the Creator. The Creator awakens disturbances on the left line it's called this way or Amalek, no matter how you call it, it's still None Else Besides Him it all comes from there in order to promote or demote him and we need to build him the safety-net in society so that the connection between us will hold him. Now you need to know that he is leaving is a problem with the whole group that didn't provide him with a feeling of confidence, a feeling of the correctness of the rightness of the path. The group mustn’t think that it is the friend’s problem, it is the problem of the group and it is a big blemish on the group, and it will suffer in the future because it did not provide this friend with this feeling of connection. That should sustain each of us in the direction of our common goal. This is the spiritual correction. I can't paint these things rosy, like little girls playing the dolls or something. We're speaking seriously. There are serious forces of society and nature with wars and problems and everything that we have. Because it is a condition, I was entering spirituality. It is not a hobby to do in our free time.
34. S. (01:39:06) When Amalek comes to the group and there is a mood that is down. I try to see what Rabash, and Baal HaSulam say about raising the mood in the group. What does the wisdom of Kabbalah say, what do you recommend?
R. Humor if it's on the path is good if it's on the path.
S. So it is not a flaw to use humor?
R. If it works and raises his spirits then it's worthwhile. Rabash liked that.
35. S. (01:40:09) He said that if somebody leaves the group it's a big flaw in the group itself. If other friends, see the situation should they react in some way to support the ten or give them something or is it just a problem of the specific ten?
R. Of course, it's everyone's problem. There is no such thing as a general body having some illness in an organ and the whole body doesn't suffer. But we still have to awaken a general desire by pulling and pushing toward corrections and specifically on that group to strengthen it and make it feel closer to all of us. This is why the departure or exit each friend, we should feel it as a big loss from us, from within us.
36. S. (01:41:41) Is the shell of Amalek an advanced discernment or in our states can we try and recognize it?
R. Yes, the shell of Amalek is an advanced state and is a sign that we are really advancing to great corrections and we all need to know that all the work against Amalek is with importance of the bestowal. Importance of bestowal as much as possible. As much as we can tighten ourselves together and not let Amalek separate us. This is really our work; it is a Klipa and auxiliary force against separation.
S. Can we recognize Amalek for the exodus from Egypt?
R. No, before we leave the will to receive in order to receive in general when we begin to move toward the aim to bestowal, we do not have that shell. We have Pharaoh but we do not have the shell on the left. We do not have the aim to receive. We have not emerged from Pharaoh’s control. We have to feel these stages.
37. S. (01:43:42) How to deal correctly with Amalek in the ten and not remain with those white gloves on?
R. We have to warm each other up against Amalek, because he is our common enemy who prevents us from connecting among us. Pharaoh it's something we can only rise above and that's it, it's enough. But when we begin to connect among us and leave Pharaoh, that's a problem with Amalek. Amalek goes against the quality of the connection and Pharaoh is in general and one’s personal will to receive. When we come out of a state where we're not the mass of the escapees where fugitives from Egypt, Amalek is when we want to connect. When we advance the more sophisticated, the shrewder Amalek becomes. So that through him we will become a more complex, higher connection and until that connection is at the level of the Creator. This is what Amalek helps us to do. This is why he is opposite to the Creator because he pushes us and directs us and turns us one against the other and so on, in all kinds of directions and states, in all kinds of levels with a 7 Sefirot of the evil inclination that become ZAT of the spiritual Partzuf, so he gives us the basis for increasing the quality of the connection to which we discover the quality of the Creator. Amalek builds for us the form, shape of the Creator. God created one opposite the other he built the system, so we have to understand, by building the system we come to that same system that precedes the Creator. That precisely in the opposite of the Creator will be revealed. In the same vessels, in the same intentions, the same desires there is no duplicity, no devils here it's in the same things.
38. S. (01:47:39) Can we see indifference as the force of Amalek?
R. You can put it this way, but normally Amalek, is a lot crueler than indifference.
S. So in relation to Pharaoh is that the force of Amalek stronger or less than Pharaoh?
R. The force of Amalek is much worse because we're on a higher spiritual level wanting to be more connected to reveal the Creator between us. Therefore, the shell that is revealed and shows us where we're not connected where we are still ego is much more and much worse, shrewder. If we rise above it and use it correctly, we discover higher spiritual degrees. The more we advance towards spirituality, the greater the disturbances will have. It's as Kabbalists write, one who takes this stick you have to take a stick, if someone takes a rifle you have to take a rifle, it is one opposite the other.
39. S. (01:49:45) I feel nothing for anything, for spirituality or for friends or establishing connection. Is this an Amalek and how can I overcome it? Is this Amalek?
R. This is not so, this is not Amalek, I don't know what it's called but it's his ego. It is ego in such a way that he doesn't know where he is and how it can rise above it. But it's a sign of a strong and high soul. This is what he needs to learn and actively participate, active participation in the group is what will promote him.
40. S. (01:50:55) How can we not be buried by Amalek and can’t do anything with it, how to see it as a force which helps?
R. It all depends on how I relate to myself in society. I position the society higher than myself like Rav, somebody then even if I am wiser than they are, but if I place them as higher than me like Rabbi Yosi Ben Kisma, by placing them higher than me, by this I overcome Amalek.
41. S. (01:51:49) How can I separate between regular corporeal pleasures and pleasures that separate me from the greatness of the Creator and the friends?
R. I do not understand, you cannot separate between corporeal and spiritual pleasures? Spiritual pleasures are from connection between us as one vessel and yearning for the Creator. This is what we enjoy. Corporeal pleasures are anything else.
S. I mean corporeal pleasures of this world. Corporeal pleasures that separate me from connection with the friends. How can I separate them?
R. I don't understand the question pleasures that separate the friends? You're trying to say this? Pleasures that separate the friends are Klipot, shells, pleasures that don't separate the friends are pleasures of the beast. Is this what you mean?
S. Pleasure of a person on the path that separates them and someone that are not on a path.
R. A pleasure between a beast and a human, which separate people on the way to the goal and the animate are not a Klipa which goes against the goal, here it is on a beastly level it doesn’t grow as a fruit yet.
S. Could it be a person on the path is drawn to pleasures more?
R. Rabash writes states happened when he thinks states aren't affecting him anymore. It's as if he's going back to his previous life.
42. S. (01:54:44) Is the greatness of the Creator above reason?
R. Yes, exactly you are right you said it correctly.
43. S. (01:55:16) Usually we say we speak about the basic importance of putting effort into the path, but sometimes what if a friend takes too many duties and pressures and it can push him away from the path. What do we do in such a case? Do we ask the friend to balance himself without cooling him off?
R. No, we need only to see how we fill up the friend with our love. That's it. But in such a way that he will feel that he is going more and more among us and we envelop him with concern for him and this will compel him to respond accordingly toward us.
S. He's asking about a friend who takes on too many duties. Do we ask him to balance his duties?
R. It's not about asking, it’s about asking another person to take duties from him. You need to actively go to him and take some of his duties and give them to another person. We have many examples of a person getting burdened until he collapses.
44. S. (01:57:26) I want to scrutinize about beastly desires. What's the difference between a person who goes according to his beastly desires and a student who uses his desires that they can’t overcome them?
R. In that case, he descends from his spiritual level because he doesn't want to work toward the sources of bestowal and he returns to folly, to his corporeal life. If he goes back to his corporeal life after he was a little bit, even a little bit in the intention to bestow and spirituality it is considered that his life is in a shell. He forgets about his learning to such an extent that he is not even aware that he had some contact with spirituality. Now he reverts to corporeality and can take several years in this state. All of a sudden at some moment, he kind of recovers and wakes up and comes one who wakes up from a dream and comes back to spirituality. It happens. He doesn't know what happened to him. There are such cases. We should try to give a person such a feeling and also give him all kinds of duties in the group that will keep him busy in the group and that will safeguard him. Each one should have a duty that will tie him to the group. If not to the group, then at least to the material that we are learning to process the material is translated, write some articles, circulate the material, disseminate. Each one must have something that will keep him in the society.
45. S. (02:00:33) As far as I understand what happens with Amalek, he lets you have no forces to yearn to want to connect to the friends, to the Creator and he helps you. We said that there are different degrees of Amalek. What is the overcoming?
R. I cannot explain it. We need to advance and move forward and then we will have something to talk about. If you're not sitting in the car then how can you understand what the gear shift is. How the gear shift works, 1st gear, 2nd gear, 3rd these degrees. You don't know. How can you talk about it now? You like you especially you like to jump forward. I'm not saying it's wrong, but it is totally inappropriate. Go ahead and ask.
S. What if we approach it from a different angle. He writes that Amalek reject sus from fear of the Creator. What is the fear in front of the Creator?
R. You are where you are worried about whether or not you can bring to the Creator every single moment you are worried if you can bring contentment to the Creator, every single moment.
46. S. (02:02:20) What does it mean to work in happiness when there is a feeling of descent in the ten?
R. Precisely when there is a descent you need to work on the ascent. What is the problem? If I am in a descent and the friends who are in an ascent. Try to engage in something that is for everyone in descent, then we should find someone who can begin the ascent as where the story about Baal Shem Tov who lost all of his spiritual degrees and he couldn't even read. And only his assistant remembered how to read a little bit. And then Baal Shem Tov told him to read. And then he started reading and, in this way, he gradually started waking up. there are such descents as well.
47. S. (2:03:52) When Amalek settles on a person, he loses importance and his forces, how can I come to the ten and ask for help without giving them my heaviness and lack of importance?
R. You try to be as much as you can like a baby in their arms, and they will understand it. They will see that you can do more and with all your forces, whatever is left in you try to be incorporated in society and that is great help from you in their hands that with zero forces you have you are still among them.
Excerpt 8 (02:05:25) twice
48. R. (02:08:54) I don't see questions, maybe it is clear from what we were speaking about before.
S. It appears from the excerpts that the importance of the goal. So why did you call it a game, that we have to be happy about it?
R. The Creator is playing with a whale and we have to act, for this whole life like a game, meaning that it is not serious but I'm playing towards the Creator that every time He will help me not be serious I mean still above it there is a good force that does good and He put the final goal which is entirely good and we reach it whether we want it or not, and so on and so on, obviously it's a game.
S. But it is a game of life and death?
R. Corporeal life and death. Not that I am lessoning the importance of it but still it is corporeal. It's incarnation in a corporeal manner where you live, and you die.
S. How do we practically come to feel that we are not at war, but it is a game, and we should feel that we are in a war?
R. Try to uplift above your body and maybe you will feel it. That death is just a stop of the corporeal body life, you are so concerned about it and you relate your whole life to that. But relate your life to your soul then the whole matter of death won't seem to you is something that now everything ends. But there's more above this. It's just part of your biological existence so yes time has come, and you have to exchange your clothing.
S. But I didn't understand what makes our work a game rather than war?
R. What is the difference between a game and serious work? In a game, I relate to it like a game, like a child playing with a doll and this little girl, when she grows up, plays with the baby she gave birth to, and there is a difference. If I'm playing with my baby which is entirely, nothing serious about it but it is born in order to die, then I understand how I relate to it and in its whole life I see it as an opportunity to reach true life. It's a different thing if I relate to it as it is, I lower myself to a lower degree, an animate degree and then I live in this beast. That's the whole thing, you can say nice things as in philosophy but actually that's it.
49. S. (02:12:54) The evil inclination isn't opposite the essence of the Creator and contradicts that the Creator is good and does good. It turns out that Amalek is against Pharaoh and not his assistant?
R. Pharaoh works in the direction of the Creator even though it's called help against, but by pulling you to the opposite way he is awakening you to work in the correct way. We just need to learn from our deeds and see it still aims you to the purpose of creation. All of the shells do this. That's what is written about the righteous, they turn the bad into the good, the darkness into the light and in this way advance.
S. Does he diminish the importance of the Creator or against the fact that the Creator is good that does good?
R. Especially work on the greatness of the Creator that's the main thing.
50. S. (02:14:20) How important is it for every friend to have the duty for the 10 so he can overcome Amalek?
R. Very important that each one has a duty and a role in the 10.
51. S. (02:14:51) Why is the work above reason and what is the work?
R. Above ego and Amalek is right. He awakens us and helps us, that we must go above the ego above reason, and this is the help from Amalek. Help against.
52. S. (02:15:34) The phrase that he judges only what his eyes see. How do we work with this?
R. We work with what we see, and along with that, we describe to ourselves what is that correct degree. What is the correct guidance we have to go towards? And then that way we uplift every time above the rational state that is revealed in us. I constantly need to try and raise to a higher degree.
Excerpt 9 (02:16:46) twice
53. R. From generation to generation. Now we are obligated, it is important for us to have a workshop.
WSQ: Now we started studying Amalek and the war of Amalek. How do we relate to it, and what can we say in a summary from this lesson? From our first acquaintance with Amalek. So please workshop. What did we learn about Amalek? When does it start, what happens when we fight against it, and when do we fight against it, what are its qualities, what are its abilities and what do we have to do against it? Please.