Afternoon Lesson March 21, 2023

Transcription is made from simultaneous translation, which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.

From the Love of Man to the Love of the Creator – selected Excerpts from the Sources.

Rav's intro (00:20): Yes, it's exactly from the love of the created beings to love of the Creator, because without it, we can't reach love of the Creator, to connection with him, to adhesion. And before we reach all that, the created beings. That's why it's so important for us to work in the ten, that way we cannot be separated from this work, and there is nothing else to do. There are billions of people in the world, and Kabbalists understand that you cannot just keep all man, all created beings. And therefore, they give us this principle from the love of the created beings to the love of the Creator.

That's why you cannot reach love of the Creator before you reach love of the created being. And it is a very big obstacle for man, that you can't even talk about it. Even though we talk about it here and there, it's still being modestly talked about. Even though it is written, 'Love Thy Friend as Thyself'. It is a great rule in the Torah. Don't hate the others, so forth and so on. Thousands of other sentences speak about it, but this has been talked about in order to not pressure a man so much. But slowly, to wait until people understand that we don't have a choice. If we need to come to a state that we understand life, understand the Creator, feel the Creator, then we have only one way to that, and that is through the good connection.

All the way until we reach love with all. All humans, all created beings, and even that you don't speak about it too much. It's good that the person has a small society, and he is trying to reach connection even into love, but only in the ten. And then, in the connection with them, a person will understand the Creator's plan for him, and what he should do. So, let's read.

Reading #15 (03:07) "One who thinks…"

1. R. (03:52) That the Creator made this on purpose, in an artificial way.

Continue reading #15 (03:58)

2. R. (04:09) That the Creator is feeling everything as he is around and in everything, as is connected to everything. Whether we want to or not, we are in this force which we call Creator. And if we would like to come to the truth, then we need to come to the love of created beings.

Continue reading #15 (04:32)

3. R. (05:00) Read it again.

Reading #15 again.

4. R. (05:34) Look how far we are from this truth. Yes? That we are willing to deceive in small things, or even larger things. All created beings, all humans, all the world. And it is not towards other humans, but it is truly towards the Creator.

Continue reading #15 (06:00)

5. R. (06:33) That means that what we seem as if we exist in an independent way, which is separate, detached, from each other. We are completely detached, all of us from the Creator. And even spread out like that, it is all what we see, an imaginary thing. And the Creator has created this thought, this illusion in us for us to overcome it, to work against it. And ask Him to reveal our true connection as much as we are connected together, and we are going towards being one man with one heart. And you cannot separate between us, you cannot detach us. So much so in one creation.

Continue reading #15 (07:47)

6. S. (08:22) What does it mean when one is lying to his friend? He is also lying to the Creator, what does lying mean, or saddening mean?

R. Not honest, that he relates to the friend as the same way as he relates to the Creator, and truly there is no difference between the friend and the Creator. However, we need to consider these things and take them into account that there is None Else Besides Him as we say about the Creator. And therefore, simply, whoever I am connecting with or talking to. Whoever I am in an exchange of words with, it’s only with the Creator. And therefore, I have to take this into consideration and to organize all my states, all my relationships, with each and every person in the world. It seems to us as an awful thing, that it's difficult. But no, we only need to ask the Creator to arrange this nature for us, that we can love the other, that we can connect with the other. To be connected with Him, linked with Him. To understand Him more, he will understand us more. And in such a way, we are coming closer to the Creator and coming to a state where we will be connected. Also, between us and between Him. And then we come, all of us, to a state where everything is one. Everything is one.

7. S. (10:44) How do we know when you're lying to a friend? What side of the truth are you? Yourself? How can you be aware of lying?

R. To the extent that I am talking to myself, this is how I need to speak to the friend. This is how I need to speak to the Creator. That it is all one system, that it is all in all, one created being.

8. S. (11:23) What does it mean to be honest with the friend, the same way that you need to be honest with the Creator?

R. To the extent that the person is talking to himself in an honest way, to that extent, you need to, he needs to speak to everyone including the Creator. It cannot be any other judgment between him and a different friend or the rest of the world or the Creator. You have to be very honest.

9. S. (12:10) What does it mean? Because you said that we need to act in front of the friends even if we don't feel any greatness of them. So how does that work out?

R. We need to act before the friends to give you an example or something like that. I'm doing it from the bottom of my heart. it's not that I'm lying to him. I'm giving him an example in order to help him, to straighten him.

10. S. (12:46) So honest means to hand me to the Creator?

R. Yes.

11. S. (12:53) Can we ask another? How does it turn out that you cannot lie to the Creator? The problem is that I didn't just lie to the Creator and the Creator believe me.

R. You lie to yourself. Then it turns out that you sort of say lie to the Creator, but you cannot lie to the Creator.

12. S. (13:28) I can in a knowledgeable way lie or I could do it in unknowledgeable ways. Are we talking about both of them?

R. No, it all depends on the person, how he's aimed. If he thinks he's saying the truth, then it's the truth. If he's lying then he's lying.

13. S. (13:54) We say at the end of correction, we need to come from the state of me to the state of there is None Else Besides Him?

R. Yes.

S. That means that it's not that I will lie or relate. I need to cancel myself completely obvious. So the Creator's acting through me and I shouldn't interrupt him?

R. We need to cancel ourselves, our ego, completely.

14. S. (14:40) I want to help to discern this honesty towards the friend. Does that mean that to the extent that my intention is revealed to me, then I need in the same extent, the same measure, to act towards the friend? Is the honesty in intention or in action?

R. The honesty is in both. Whatever way you relate to your friend.

15. S. (15:17) Before we do some sort of an action in the ten, we learned that we need to build this intention, but alongside with it, there are some intentions that are so hidden, we don't really discern and how real they are. Is that also called a lie? That for now we're working in such a way? That we feel that we're not in?

R. Whatever is required from the person is for him to decide whether he is in a clear manner. Decide whether he's lying or saying the truth. That's it. To the extent that he can discern that.

16. S. (16:11) A little bit to deepen this discern. How to act in a state where you catch yourself lying to yourself? When you don't understand any more what's true and what's not?

R. To try and become honest, to be corrected.

17. S. (16:43) I can somehow control whether I'm saying the truth or lying, but if I feel a lie from the friends towards me, how to relate to that? It's truly killing me, what to do with it?

R. Patience and show example that we need to be corrected.

S. How to show example?

R. That, you already need to find the way. But necessarily, do not cause damage. Doesn't matter if the friend is lying to your face, you need to relate to everyone in patience.

18. S. (17:46) Hello, friends, men and women, the question is: is the lie connected more with the brain or to the point of the heart?

R. The lie is more connected with the sense, the brain than to the point in the heart. Than this, than the feeling. So what? In the same manner you need to correct it.

19. S. (18:29) In the world, the corporeal world material corporeal world in the ten. Should we say the truth? Which truth should we refer to?

R. In the ten, I must speak the truth. Second question?

S. How to understand that I myself am not lying in my work to the Creator?

R. This will come over time.

20. S. (19:16) Why do I need to suffer? To be patient with these betrayals, these lies. How do I need to relate to it in myself?

R. Because this is our nature, this is how we start.

S. Okay. And that's the nature of my friend. That's my nature, I see all this is, that mine is that me?

R. Yes.

S. And when I see this evil, do I need to understand that the minute I will suffer it or tolerate it I will overcome it? The Creator will help me?

R. Yes.

S. In order to overcome myself is everything is for me to overcome myself?

R. Yes.

21. S. (20:20) We receive everything from the creator and love is the only way in reality, so how is that not perfect? Which is not honest in the contributes to the world, to the reality?

R. That, I cannot explain. No I don't know we'll go slowly and we'll understand nature.

22. S. (21:04) Both true and honesty comes to us from the Creator, there is none else besides Him everything comes from Him. So, how do I have free choice here? How is it that my free choice allows me to speak truth to my friend?

R. To the extent that we can come closer to the truth, then there we will find the free choice.

23. S. (21:39) Tell us please, can we live for the good?

R. This is already a separate question. We need to discern this separately.

24. S. (22:05) Is it a true or a lie to say to the friends that I love her even though I have not attained this yet?

R. This is not a lie. This is a state you want to reach.

25. S. (22:28) What is the difference between an action of cheating and doing an action of saddening a friend in spirituality?

R. It's completely opposite, to sadden a person is worse in spirituality.

26. S. (23:17) To lay in a good relationship with the ten is one thing, but what does it mean to play in honesty in the ten?

R. When we reached to this, you understand what we need to yearn to come to the state?

27. S. (23:43) What does it mean that besides a man's body, there's only the Creator?

R. Besides the man's body, that the person receives all sorts of influences besides outside of that is only the Creator. Besides the will to receive.

S. What does it mean that the whole earth is full of his glory?

R. That all in all, all the created beings have been run by one Creator.

S. And he also said that we are inside the Creator. What does that mean that we're inside the Creator?

R. That there is nothing besides the Creator that we are all in Him. Like parts of Him. He is feeling us, he is around us. And he's fulfilling us with everything.

S. Oh, and why don't we feel him?

R. Oh, that's already a different question.

S. I'm sorry.

28. S. (25:02) There were few states where you act, clear heart, but the result is that you receive back from the friends, doesn't happen a lot. They show you some sort of an evil at a certain point of the discernment you understand that it's not in me. However, if I'll dig in it or realize that the Creator is showing me the state. So at this moment, I need to see that the Creator is showing me that the brokenness can be in me and I need to ask for a correction on this?

R. Yes.

29. S. (26:00) You said that we need to speak the truth in the ten. I want to understand through an example to what extent? If a friend for example doesn't have the strength to get up to the lessons, so should I say in a direct way to the ten that I don't have the strength to get up to the lesson? As an example? Or should I give an excuse?

R. Yes, give a report to your ten in such exactly, in such a way that you are not able to get up to the lesson. At least you're not lying to the friends and they know about your state in order to raise the importance of the lessons in front of you, to your eyes, for you. And by that, they will help you.

30. S. (26:55) I wanted to ask, is it important for the sake of the truth to discern between the welcome and reality?

R. We don't speak about this now, we talk about love, how much I need to be honest with the friend.

31. S. (27:35) Is there a difference between tell your friend the truth and love your friend as yourself? Or is that the same thing?

R. Okay in short, there's a lot of degrees in love. As it is written, you need to love your friend as you love yourself and to the same extent and form, we need to love the Creator. That's it, that means I, the friends, all reality in essence, we and the Creator, we have to be as one body, as one heart. Try simply to just accept it the way it is and to do exercises in it. This is how you relate to reality.

32. S. (28:45) We are saying that truth, what we feel in the heart, that it causes sadness in the friends, this truth. What is the choice we need to make?

R. Maybe it's a thing of intention, but we need to check ourselves and to continue to show everyone the love. That's all.

33. S. (29:27) In the excerpt it says a person accustomed himself to say the truth, it will bring him benefit towards the Creator. If one accustoms to say the truth, it will help him with respect to the Creator. What does it mean?

R. That he also would not be able to lie to the Creator, that's all.

Continue reading #16 (30:10) "When is the Creator…"

34. R.(31:20) This means to the extent we love the other, the Creator can show us His love, and then we will feel that we are connected, linked to him, and relate to each other with love.

35. S. (31:45) We connect not only in the tens, but also in our dissemination group. And if my friend is not from my ten, but from the group that we disseminate in, and also there we connect. If we reveal a lie, how do we behave?

R. Nevertheless, show love.

S. Not to say in the face that I know you lie?

R. Whatever you do, don't do this. Where was it said that you need to say such words?

S. I'm sorry.

R. You nevertheless need to show love.

36. S. (32:53) Today in the morning lesson, the Creator has given me a gift to write poetry, and I felt that it is in bestowal, but my ego was waiting for praise. How to work with that?

R. It doesn't matter, let them praise you. You need to work more and more for their benefit.

37. S. (33:36) There are many questions about lying. When I lie, does that mean that the Pharaoh is speaking inside me? When I tell the truth, this is the voice of the Creator that's going through me?

R. That I don't know, this is all philosophy. You simply need to try to depict to yourself what it means to love your group and to relate to them accordingly, that's it. You don't need anything else.

S. How is it possible not to destroy with the truth?

R. I don't know, again I'm saying I don't want any philosophies.

38. S. (34:26) One of our friends has been through tension. She's been through a lot of nervous breakdowns, she's in the hospital, what should we do with her?

R. To reveal towards her as much as possible. Then to ask her to do the same, and you will see how quick she will come out of the toughest situation.

39. S. (35:10) In relation to lies, of course not to lie, can we do it? Like kids? That you tell them the truth according to their level of development or situation?

R. It could be, but nevertheless, it needs to be the truth.

40. S. (35:38) About None Else Besides Him, in 15 we read about two, me and the Creator. In 16 it's three, me, the Creator, and another one. What is the difference in the work?

R. All as one. That's why we need to depict them as one.

S. This relation is correct towards all the states?

R. Towards all the states.

Reading excerpt #17 {Letter to Baal HaSulam, and his answer} (36:15)

41. R. (38:32) A new method that you have invented from your own mind, of course I am only expressing my own opinion. Signed ML from PT.

Continue reading #17 (38:46)

42. R. (40:54) Yes.

43. S. (40:58) What should I do if my friend is constantly making the same offensive statements, and is causing discomfort to the group with it?

R. This is forbidden, to speak like that in a group. And you simply need to make him understand his sin, or you need to take him out of the group. If he is ruining the way, the path, for us, then do not tolerate it. There is no commandment to tolerate people who are trying to disturb us. We need to only speak about connection, love, and coming closer. Only about that.

44. S. (42:10) Can we lie in order to make a friend come to the morning lesson?

R. These are already questions without an end, if it's for the benefit of the friend, and not against our way, then it is for me to. But, then I don't know what you're lying about. What have you've got to tell him, that we're studying something important, we're constantly studying something important. What can you tell him? Give me an example.

S. In order to raise importance of the lesson in the friend, I want to say to him that if you're lacking, you're not in the lesson and we need you to be in lesson.

R. This is okay, this is completely okay. In such a way, you can tell each and every friend that without the friends, that we will be missing in the lesson, of course we are not completed, perfect.

45. S. (44:02) Today you said that there are friends that study 20, 30, even 40 years but do not advance. How to be in the state of each will love his friend?

R. Try and help each other give examples, how to study together, common efforts in love, how we're all in our connection between us. Feel the upper light and be included in it.

46. S. (44:44) In our times that we have drifted apart, so much so from the truth, that it's the entire humanity did that. What is the hope that our truth, the method of Baal HaSulam, would be truly accepted as the wisdom of truth like in the times of the Ari? That they receive him and completely annul, is it possible?

R. I think that specifically in our times that our times are more suitable and we will see this.

47. S. (45:30) The lie that we talk about, there is such a feeling that the lie covers over the shame, and we always try to cover something with the lie. As I feel on myself that this shame that's revealed, it's sometimes revealed in such an extent that it will completely destroy. I don't know how. How from revealing this shame can we come to love?

R. You continue to reveal the shame and you will see what love will flourish from this. Also, don't come into philosophies.

S. It's not simple Rav.

R. Feel less.

48. S. (46:56) I hope not to fall into philosophies, but I would like to know, Kabbalah is teaching us that we live in a different world from reality. In essence, the Creator created a different world. What's the goal of all this?

R. The goal is that we form our attributes from this egoistical world, can specifically come to qualities of love, bestowal, connection, cleanliness. This is how we will discover the Creator and adhere to him.

49. S. (48:02) In this article, it is said that Israel could not deal with the essence of the Torah, what disturbed them from doing so?

R. It was because they didn't want to deal with the love and mutual connection coming closer to each other. And therefore, they left it like that and instead of that, they started dealing with all sorts of actions that are written in the Torah that we need to uphold them in a spiritual manner. They started to uphold them in a corporeal manner.

S. And if they are Israel, they had some sort of enlightenment, the point in the heart to have something to refer to on what the truth is and where it lies.

R. Yes, a little bit illuminating. Some of the them did turn to Kabbalists, but there are few compared to the thousands and millions that illuminate to them. And it's true even today, it is like such. And there's nothing we can do about this. This is how it is.

50. S. (49:49) In relation to what you said that we are inside the Creator from the point of view, that we are inside the Creator. It's possible to understand this, that we're not born in spirituality because we hate and lie to each other? Is that why we're not born in spirituality?

R. Yes, correct. Let's read something else.

Reading excerpt #17. Twice. (51:06)

51. R. (52:44) That means what does he say? That as if, what are you saying? That we need to love each other? It could be that it is also true then and there is such a commandment in the Torah. But other than that, there's 360 commandments. What about them? They all abandon the main issue and dealt with the marginal?. That means they are less important.

S. (53:28) In my own view, all your words in disregards, completely contradicts conventional religion in Israel and as has been the norm among us?

R. This is what we're here for, that the main thing is Torah and the commandments and not love thy friend as thyself. Even though that's the main thing for them as well, you may reach it through corporeal upholding of the commandments of the Torah.

52. (54:13) Rav reading: In my opinion, this required force. It's a new construction, a new opinion that you have formed in your own mind.

53. R. (54:25) We have no questions because our audience is not into it.

Continue reading #17 (54:32)

54. R. (55:46) We love our friend as ourselves. Yes, okay.

55. S. (56:48) We have a lot of chances to talk to Jews, and you talked to them about the matter of unity. They said where was unity? Even when you point out Mount Sinai, they save it for themselves. Even the thing with the calf. How can we talk about something that was only there for a fraction of a second in Israel, and how can we say return to that state? It's so far away from reality.

R. Why do they in essence recommend to do?

S. So it divides into about 2-3 answers. One is that they're saying there's nothing we can do about it, this is our fate to be one against the other. This is the Jews, this is our strength to philosophize and talk about it and fight. We just need to manage it so we won't burst. The other answer was it's too hard to talk about it so they didn't have an answer. And the last person I talked to about it two days ago, he said, maybe we need this upper cause? What is this upper cause? The minute you said God, you lost half of the people. So it's kind of a game where you don't see how to connect all the dots.

R. The state is difficult.

S. Yes, really.

R. Not yet, not yet. Don't say completely. We are not coming to the end of correction that then before it, things will be standing in a very coherent, sharp way. That you will not be able to withstand it, how will the Creator manage it? I don't know. It's completely the combination between complete opposites that are in the corporeal nature, and I'm not talking about these things. That these two forces, the force of hatred and love, they would stand one against the other. I'm scared to think about it. But we need to speak about it because we are and this is how it's written. That we can soften the situation with the help of our prayers. To come to a state that this will be sorted out, that the Creator will make this correction and bring us closer between us.

S. That means that we need to aspire not to connect the two edges?

R. No, of course we need to aspire that, but that we can do it? Of course not.

S. Then, by raising the prayer to unite these two edges? We need to prevent them from exploding for the Creator to come and do his work?

R. We need to go all the way to the edge, we're still far away from the connection, but we need to bring it to that point. And our reward in that is very great. That we, nevertheless, study and learn and want that, and somewhat it will happen.

S. Thank you, we will discern this more.

56. R. (01:01:05) With this, we finish. Let's hope we will come to the morning lesson, and we'll continue. Until the end of correction. Good luck.

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