https://kabbalahmedia.info/en/lessons/cu/vB851eop

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

Daily Lesson (Afternoon) October 8, 2024

Part 1: Rabash. Record 5-7. What Is Joy?

Reader: Hello, we're studying from the writings of Rabash, the article 507, What is Joy? You can also find this article on our website, Sviva Tova and our Arvut system. 

What Is Joy?

Reading Article: (00:34) It is known that joy is not an entity but an offshoot and a result of something. If one has some pleasure, that pleasure yields excitement that is called “joy.” Accordingly, we understand that one who has no pleasure in his life is unable to have joy because he lacks the cause and the reason that will engender this offshoot called “joy.”

We see that little children are always happy. The reason is that because of the smallness of their minds, they can enjoy anything. They do not evaluate or calculate, and find delight and pleasure in every little thing, which gives them a reason to be happy.

But when a person grows up he becomes limited in receiving pleasure according to the measure of his maturity, since his maturity prevents him from being excited over everything. Naturally, he cannot enjoy just anything.

This is the meaning of “Adding knowledge, adding pain,” for one who is knowledgeable is spoiled and not every food you give him can delight him. This is so on purpose, so that man will see that of all the pleasures in this world, nothing gives him pleasure or can delight him in a way that he can be happy with it, since these pleasures are suitable only for those with small minds.

Therefore, this gives a person the ability to emerge from the lusts of this world and begin to derive pleasure only from things that are more important than corporeality, so he can derive delight and pleasure from spiritual things and enjoy only this, and only such pleasures will bring him joy.

It follows that one who sees he has no joy the way other people have, it is because he is at a higher degree. Therefore, he should know that the Creator is giving him a chance to begin to engage in Torah and work, and this will bring him the real joy called “the joy of Mitzva [commandment].”

Question (Women MAK): (04:45) What is that vessel of joy? 

M. Laitman: The vessel of joy is the desire that is getting filled from the fact that I connect with my students, friends, and these desires of mine are filled.

Student: How do we develop this Kli of joy?

M. Laitman: As any other desire when we think more about it, use it more, by this you develop it.

Student: Our Kli of joy is in the friends. How do we correctly accept their vessels in order to fill them up with this joy? 

M. Laitman: If you wish to be in joy with them together, then you will naturally connect with them and bring pleasure to your friend. 

Question (Women Moscow): (06:10) When a person develops spiritually, how does this happen? Does he, in this hybrid way, begin to receive joy from the spiritual and from the corporeal? Or before the entrance into spirituality, then he shouldn't have any joy at all, and then right away turns into spiritual joy? 

M. Laitman: No, he can be in joy from all kinds of small achievements of his, or realizations, whatever he feels on his way towards the full development of his desires. He can be happy from this. 

Student: I simply noticed that from the friend's words, that there is a certain fear of having joy from our connection. Is there room for such things, where there is joy from connecting and feeling some ascent? 

M. Laitman: Of course. It's wrong that you cannot be in joy. No way. You import the Creator by this.

Question (Women MAK 70): (07:42) A question from the second to the last paragraph. Whoever has the point in the heart, he's allowed to know that he can receive pleasure from spiritual things which is why we look at those that are getting pleasure from corporeal things as a little boy. What do we do with this type of attitude? 

M. Laitman: There's nothing you can do. You just have to understand what I derive pleasure from, and what I strive towards. And then everything will fall into place.

Student: Another question. In the last paragraph, after we recognize this, since we didn't learn how to properly and fully receive pleasure from the spiritual work, Rabash writes that he has no joy yet from spiritual pleasure, and he sees people enjoying corporeal things, but he himself does not yet have that pleasure from the spiritual work. Rabash writes that the reason for this is that he's at a higher degree. So, I'm reading from a great Kabbalist, and I realize I have no joy because I'm at a higher degree. And this can bring me to even higher pride. What do we do? 

M. Laitman: Don't worry. An opportunity will come. and we will start doing this too.

Question (Moscow 7): (09:37) Also from the last paragraph, which is why he needs to know that the Creator is giving him a chance to begin to engage in Torah and work, and this will bring him real joy called the joy of Mitzvah. What is it, and how do we receive that joy? 

M. Laitman: If you want to become closer to the Creator, and you wish to be special in His eyes, then in front of you an absolutely new relation reveals towards the people, towards yourself, towards the thing in front of you, around you, and this way you can choose. What do you engage in, in order to bring a special attitude, show your special attitude towards the Creator. That's it.

Student: What is the joy from? Is it from the special attitude to people? 

M. Laitman: Joy is from the fact that you perceive the whole world as coming from the Creator, and you choose from it only such actions that will make you closer to the Creator. 

Student: And this is a commandment? 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course. A commandment is any action of yours if it is wished by the Creator.

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Question (Women MAK 53): (11:44) If joy is this illumination from the Creator and fulfillment, can we reverse this judgment on joy, and how do we do so? 

M. Litman: For now, it's enough if you will only determine that you exist in the state of similarity of form to the Creator or against the state, and then all the rest will come. 

Question (Women MAK 42): (12:31) If joy is a result of the inner contact with the Creator, what is the deep root when there is no joy despite a person doing spiritual work, and can it be tied with the level of his intention and its necessary inner emptiness for further advancement? 

M. Laitman: Usually it depends on the Creator. The Creator wishes to bring him up in some way. 

Question (Women Turkiye 7): (13:13) It’s written in the article: Therefore, he needs to know that the Creator is giving him a chance to engage in Torah and work, and this will bring him the real joy called the joy of a Mitzvah. It sounds like the joy from the Mitzvah is something in the future that will come after he exerts in Torah, but how do we feel this joy now in the present? 

M. Laitman: If a person is sure that what he does is necessary in the eyes of the Creator, then from what he does, there is joy. 

Question (Women MAK 104): (14:13) With our prayers we hold on to the Creator, and we feel that we are always growing in our eyes, and this gives us joy. At what point do we need to concentrate all our attention and thoughts? 

M. Laitman: On what I do for the Creator. Whatever is good for me doesn't mean anything. What do I do for Him at this very moment? 

Question (Women MAK 98): (14:53) What does it depend on, that some people suffer from depression from a young age, and their whole life they cannot find something to be joyful about, and for others their whole lives are in joy, and they don't even feel that something is lacking more than what's in life? 

M. Laitman: It depends on the root of their soul. You can only correct it by the systematic effort of working on yourself. Try to do so, and you will eventually succeed. 

Student: I'm speaking about myself. Before I started studying Kabbalah, I was in depression my whole life, and now it's a lot better. It seems that this is the correct path. It's good that we're studying together.

M. Laitman: Congratulations! 

Question (KabU 14): (16:00) Can a person be a little child in the spiritual work, when we ‘wow’ and love and enjoy everything? 

M. Laitman: If a person can be in spiritual work like a small child? Of course, yes.

Student: How can a person mature in this work, to be more serious and not enjoying everything, but developing that he will grow up? 

M. Laitman: Let him work according to what he reads, what he understands and speaks about, and then gradually he will come closer to the topic that he studies. 

Question (Women Italy): (17:24) Joy is in everything that is in front of me, seeing that He animates my being. How can I be enthusiastic like a child?

M. Laitman: Apparently, it is possible. I remember Rabash. When in any case he received an opportunity to speak to the Creator, he was excited, and he doesn't want to exit this state. 

Question (Women Ukraine 2): (18:39) When a person already doesn't feel joy, fulfillment in this world, from some corporeal things, they don't bring him joy. Do we need to awaken ourselves somehow, or what do we need to do? Or make some efforts, or does the Creator give that joy? It's like a certain period when you're stuck, and nothing brings you joy.

M. Laitman: You have to, with all your might, incite joy inside of yourself. Rabash usually would close the door, and being alone in the room, he would dance and sing and jump, and this way, a bad mood would pass, and he would enter a good state. 

Question (Women Moscow 6): (20:01) What should we be joyful about in these days of judgment? 

M. Laitman: The judgment day is basically one day. What should we be in joy for? We should be joyful for the fact that we were trying through this year, just like the last years, previous years, and maybe even better, to elevate ourselves to the level of the upper judgment.

Question (Women MAK 113): (20:57) Does the work make us special in the Creator's eyes? Doing the commandments brings us joy? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (English 1): (21:18) How do we act more joyously and be more pure-hearted to the friends? 

M. Laitman: We should think about it more. Then the light from above will come and will help you clear yourself, and to be closer to the friends.

Question (MAK 39): (22:10) He says the level of the upper judgment is at the spiritual level. How do we understand this? 

M. Laitman: It's a very high level. Yes, yes. Very high.

Question (Women MAK 36): (22:30) Can we say that joy depends on the level of the revelation of evil in a person? 

M. Laitman: Yes, and from this too.

Student: How do we talk about this in the group when usually the group limits this? 

M. Laitman: No need to talk about it. It's enough if you understand it on your own. 

Student: There's a problem here, Rav, because it's a type of separation. Sometimes in the group there's a certain judgment that you cannot be in joy on the same level of the group, or there needs to be some artificial game or we need to be silent. 

M. Laitman: There are no artificial games. You just have to be happy with what the group is happy about.

Student: So, I nullify towards them, and I'm in joy? 

M. Laitman: There you go.

Question (Women MAK 62): (23:50) How do we make it so that my materialistic foundation will not distract me from the spiritual work? Lately the materialistic part of my life does not bring joy at all. And I don't know if this is correct or not, but the world is already heading in such a direction in which joy is not felt at all, just to chase after some materialistic pleasures. So, you use all those things like a tool to support you to go towards the spiritual goal and the spiritual work. How do we guard that balance? What do we do for this materialistic foundation? How do we do that? 

M. Laitman: Ask. Ask for your spiritual achievements to be more known to you than your material, corporeal ones. And you will see that the Creator can do that. 

Question (Women MAK 43): (25:31) Can we say that joy is connected to the intention, and when the intention goes deeper and changes, then joy can disappear, since a person needs to rise to deeper spiritual work? 

M. Laitman: Yes, but it doesn't have to disappear.

Student: So, it always remains, and we just need to search for it? 

M. Laitman: No need to search for anything. If you engage in deeper spiritual work, then you will feel more deeply the result of it.

Student: So, it exists because I have room for work, and that is my joy? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Hebrew 2): (26:21) Previously you said that Rabash was happy from every opportunity to speak with the Creator. So, what are those opportunities to speak with the Creator? 

M. Laitman: All the possibilities that you have. What do I know? Everyone who is engaged in advancing himself towards the Creator has a lot of questions. How can this be achieved? How can you help the friends, etc.? There is a myriad of things inside of this, and if a person does not accept these things seriously for correction, then he has a problem. 

Student: So, taking these things seriously is what gives the person the joy that he has this opportunity to advance? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Women Ukraine 2): (27:56) Can we in this life, in our body, here and now, come to a constant spiritual joy, like that little child who enjoys every moment from recognizing the greatness of the Creator in everything? 

M. Laitman: Why does this feeling have to be constant? 

Student: Because without that I feel suffering. I don't feel good. I don't feel this correspondence matches with something higher. 

M. Laitman: Then ask. 

Student: Is this gradual to the extent of the correction, to the extent there is more joy? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And this constant joy can only be in full correction? 

M. Laitman: No, no, not necessarily. 

Student: What are those good deeds which evoke that joy practically in the Ten? 

M. Laitman: The actions of bestowal, of love, by which the Ten is fulfilled. 

Question (Women Almaty): (29:24) As I understand, the true joy comes from our feeling the Creator and doing the Torah and Mitzvot, but if we feel that, then we fall into a shell.

Then how do we truly rejoice in the Creator's work? Do we need to remember these things, or how do we feel true joy? 

M. Laitman: The desire of the Creator is for us to be in constant, maximum connection between us, so that from this connection we would achieve Him. Exactly Him. So, we have to prepare these two directions inside of ourselves. We have to strengthen them inside of ourselves, stalwart them.

Student: In the past you would say that there is no Kli in joy, but now you say that there is a vessel in joy. 

M. Laitman: There is a desire to rejoice, of course there is. 

Question (Women MAK 62): (31:15) If we will ask from the Creator as a Ten, that He would advance us to spirituality, so that the material world would harmonize itself towards it. But we don't set such a condition to the Creator. 

M. Laitman: You don't need to set such conditions for Him. If you want spirituality, ask for spirituality. 

Student: How do I ask correctly for the friend that the material world would be balanced and harmonize itself in such a way that the spiritual world will also exist in our world? 

M. Laitman: Ask with your words. 

Question (Novosibirsk): (32:20) On the one hand, we hear that if you think about the friends, this is where joy is. So how important is the preparation, that I tune myself, that I have the opportunity to bestow upon the Creator through the friends, and I think about this, and I analyze the situation, and I analyze myself, and basically those are thoughts about myself? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, it depends on the state when I have to connect it with the goal of my life, and I have to establish what do I go for, or basically I have to focus myself on the friends, and it's the most correct in any state.

M. Laitman: That's correct, in any state. But when you are prepared well, and you want this to be realized, then that's very important. That is very important.

Question (Women Italy): (33:31) How can we find balance between spiritual elevation and the feeling of melancholy that sometimes accompanies our search for joy? 

M. Laitman: We don't need balance. We want a constant maximum to rejoice the Creator, to be happy with the Creator. 

Question (Women MAK 19): (34:29) How can we in the Tens cleanse ourselves from the negative? These states are also sent by the Creator, or is there my choice? 

M. Laitman: In that there is your choice. 

Student: So, I have a Reshimo, and I can use it? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: So, in these situations, do I have to enjoy because of every obstacle of the material world? 

M. Laitman: Why do you need to be happy from obstacles? 

Student: Because the Creator is showing me my incorrectness.

M. Laitman: We can say so, but in general, you need to first think about how to replace your state to one of closeness with the Creator and then to rejoice from every such state. 

Student: Another question. The corporeality of the friend is my spirituality. So, how do I correctly find the corporeal desire of the friend in the Ten? 

M. Laitman: The right materialistic desire of the Ten is to gather together and to celebrate, maybe with some small meal, something like that, everyone together. 

Question (MAK 24): (36:17) Is it right to say that by constantly having an open heart we will always be in joy? 

M. Laitman: I don't guarantee it, but this is how you need to do it.

Student: How can we achieve that, for it to always be open, and are we protected in this moment? 

M. Laitman: No, you're not protected, and you shouldn't do that. 

Question (Nikolaev-Sochi): (36:49) So the advice that you just said about Rabash, who was changing his state in dance, I heard it for a long time, and only once I used it in my life. How did he himself from the side, that my body needs to switch myself into joy? And maybe I have to do it every day?

M. Laitman: Dance every day it's not bad. 

Question (Petah Tikva 20): (37:27) How do we add mind to joy, and do we need to do this? 

M. Laitman: We need to know how to do that.

Student: Can we invoke joy through the mind? Or when a person feels joy, he has to check the reason for the joy with his mind, or for whom he brings contentment when he's in joy?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Kyiv): (37:56) In what Kelim does a Kabbalist feel correct joy and spiritual joy?

In vessels of his own I or in common vessels? 

M. Laitman: In the vessels of bestowal.

Student: What do vessels of bestowal mean for the Kabbalist? He exits his state? 

M. Laitman: When he gives to the other. 

Student: For example, it's written here, as far as I understood, that all our problems are for us to feel the joy of commandment. So, what is it? Do I start to bestow upon the others the intention in the prayer? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: It's not that I enjoy egotistically, that I perform some action, and I feel joy. What does the kabbalist feel? 

M. Laitman: The kabbalist feels joy from acting, from doing for others, for the Creator. 

Student: But what is this joy? Is it the light of the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Yes. This comes from the Creator.

Question (Women Turkiye 7): (39:26) When we are in a condition, it is not easy to feel joy, but something must break it. What brings us to this understanding? 

M. Laitman: From what state to what state do you want to reach? 

Student: I'm receiving a problem right now, and this makes me very angry, and I don't want to be in this condition, and I can't see the joy in this condition, and I want to get out from this condition. 

M. Laitman: So, what's the problem? Cry, cry to the Creator, truly with tears, that you must come out of the state that came to you, because it's not a good state. You're angry at all of reality, at the Creator and all of the forces. You cannot tolerate yourself as well, and you want the Creator to help you come out of this. Here, we need to cry. 

Student: Another question. When I walk on the path, and when I have joy and happiness on the path, how can I give this joy and happiness to my friends? And this is a question from my friend.

M. Laitman: Explain to them, sometimes, from where you have joy? Why are you full of joy? Like that. 

Question (Women Europe 5): (42:46) Can I be sincerely grateful to the Creator if I'm not in joy? 

M. Laitman: I don't know, you need to ask yourself. 

Student: I have to achieve spiritual joy first, and then, from this state, I will have... 

M. Laitman: Of course. 

Student: So, it's the first stage, and we will start our prayer with gratitude. It's just a game, just a tuning. 

M. Laitman: Yes, yes. 

Question (Turkiye 2) (43:27) When I bestow something upon the other, how do I know that by this I bestow upon the Creator? What has to be my intention? 

M. Laitman: Everything depends on your thoughts. It's also written that everything will be clarified in the thought. So, if you want your attitude to the friend to also come out that same attitude from you to the Creator, then that thought, that's what is acting. 

Question (Moscow 1): (44:15) How do I annul myself correctly in order to feel joy that the Creator is also in joy, that brings contentment from the Creator, fulfillment. 

M. Laitman: Only after a few such states can you reach that. First, you need to completely cancel yourself, and then to depict yourself connected to the quality of bestowal with which you connect to the Creator. Then you'll be able to feel that state and to rejoice from it. 

Question (Women MAK 97): (45:14) When a person is in personal management from the Creator, will he always feel joy? 

M. Laitman: Yes, of course, of course. 

Student: Can a person lose joy from spirituality if he's feeling it constantly? 

M. Laitman: No.

Question (Kyiv): (45:48) This formula that first you annul yourself, and then you create this force of bestowal that you include into the Creator. Can you reveal it a little bit? How does it work? 

M. Laitman: We need to find an article from Rabash which talks about it, and we need to read it. And everyone else who is hearing us now should also try to find such an article which exists. 

Question (Women Almaty): (46:37) In the virtual society, I found a method where people gather, and they laugh together. Does this include joy? What do you think? I felt that there's something kabbalistic in it, but they don't speak about Kabbalah. They laugh together for around twenty minutes. Non-stop. I tried with them, and it really elevates a person. What do you think about this method?

M. Laitman: No, it's not a method, and kabbalists don't recommend it, but it's not harmful. It’s even somewhat beneficial.

Question (Women MAK 53): (47:41) How do I help a friend to come out of forgetfulness of none else besides Him, if she's been absorbed by the corporeal world? 

M. Laitman: I can't do anything about it. I just need to pray for her. 

Question (Women MAK 104): (48:09) It's written that joy is a result. Does it mean that I have to create such conditions that a result of which joy will come? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: And is it correct to see it? This is a result of where I exist also as the other side. 

M. Laitman: You can say so, but you start doing it, and then you'll see to what extent it's possible to do it and to return to it, and afterwards we can return to it, but it's not a simple task.

Student: Another question. When it happens, when you receive, a moment comes sometimes that you accept the state of yourself, and it's as if it becomes spoiled, and you start correcting it fast, in this moment.

M. Laitman: It's natural, because it fills up your ego, and the ego corrupts it. 

Student: Is it correct to build the intention fast in time? 

M. Laitman: Of course. 

Question (Women Spain): (49:52) Do we need to count a month of Adar as joy? 

M. Laitman: That's not important. The main thing is what you're feeling and what you want for there to be. It's written that the month of Adar comes, and then we increase joy. That's correct. There are those that do it just because it's written this way, and then there are those because it's, nonetheless, the month of Adar, or there's other circumstances around which they do it. 

Question (Women Kavkaz 1): (50:40) Can I say that when I feel the border of my receiving for the sake of bestowal, further from that, I can feel the lack of the friends inside of myself that I elevate to continue this joy.

M. Laitman: You need to feel the friend's deficiency even before that. 

Student: Can I say that the sparks of holiness that we elevate are the lack of friends? 

M. Laitman: No.

Question (Women MAK 104): (51:29) For me, the biggest joy is to read your books, Rabash and Baal HaSulam. Together with this, I feel how my ego rises. Do I need to pay attention to it? 

M. Laitman: No, no need.

Question (Women Spain): (52:06) Joy is the state of the soul, not the body? 

M. Laitman: Yes. Yes.

Question (Women Moscow 8): (52:5) Is there a possibility to check where I exist right now and how to do it correctly? 

M. Laitman: There is no such thing. A person is found where he thinks he is.

Question (Women MAK): (53:30) In what way do we have to stay active in the material world if the taste of joy comes from this corporeal world towards our spiritual efforts? It feels as if we have to do double the work to save importance. 

M. Laitman: No, no, you'll see the opposite, that the spiritual works must grow even more. 

Student: You say that God has given us tasks through some corporeal things too. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Women Italy): (54:23) You said that on this day the judgment rises to a higher level. Does it mean that we move from the judgment to a greater mercy or not? 

M. Laitman: We're not going through these states for the time being. We're not passing through them. Not judgment, not mercy. 

Question (Women MAK 36): (55:08) You said during the lesson you cannot open your heart because we're still not protected. Under what conditions will this be possible to do it? 

M. Laitman: Not yet. 

Student: We will start feeling it somehow? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Tbilisi): (55:46) My joy is to bring contentment to the friends in order to bring contentment to the Creator. I want to bring contentment to the Creator in order to bring contentment to Rav. It's very important to me for Rav to be happy and to be healthy and I pray for him and for the friends too. What do you say about this? 

M. Laitman: I'll say that these are very nice words. Hold them inside the heart and think about them getting realized. 

Question (Mac 24): (56:40) Regarding joy in spirituality, it's not that you feel joyous, but the connection with the Creator is the most important, and emotions can be all kinds of emotions. 

M. Laitman: Emotions need to be joyous.

Question (Mac 24): (57:00) Sometimes there is a state when you receive revelation. You go with the flow and it's a huge joy, but then a fear comes that I derive pleasure from it, and something goes well. Is it enough to just express gratitude and set a screen to it and bestow it upon him, or to constrict yourself somehow and be in a humble state? 

M. Laitman: You should try this way and that way, and you'll still pass through these things. 

Question (Women MAK): (58:10) About relationships with the Creator in the work. It's as if there is a personal connection with the Creator, and it's in joy. You want to do, and in inner work you strive, you exist in this joy, but when you come to the Ten, and it's not that the Creator brings it down, but I understand that all the work is in this and there has to be this joy that I feel from the personal connection with the Creator. 

I don't say I have this joy but with the Creator it's natural and love is natural, but here in the Ten you face this work again and again. I'm thinking. What do I do wrong and why can't I achieve this natural joy, not constant, but at least something I have achieved and worked on, and I achieve this natural joy. What do I do wrong? 

M. Laitman: You're doing everything correctly, but you shouldn't demand a reward on the spot.

Be well, my dear ones. Until next week and I hope that many more questions will appear in you, and we'll advance further. Hugging everyone very tightly.

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Song: (1:00:27)