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

Daily Lesson (Morning) July 3, 2024

Part 2: Rabash. Letter 61

Reader: We are studying Letter # 61 by The Rabash. You can find it on our website, the Arvut system. 

Reader: Rabash. Letter #61. Twice

To my friend,

I was belated replying to the letters I received from the friends since the mail I receive is not working properly because I move from place to place, so by the time the letters reach me I am already elsewhere, in another country. I received your letter only last week. Because it was before the festival of Shavuot I had no time to reply. I also received a letter from… last week, and I replied to him very briefly.

Regarding your request for an explanation about the article, “Anyone who is happier with his Daat [knowledge] than with his Hochma [wisdom], it is a good sign for him,” we need to understand the meaning of the signs. It is known that one should always know and test whether he is going on the path of truth, which is the direct way to the goal for which man was created. Therefore, we were given signs to as to know the truth.

In Kabbalah, Daat [knowledge] is the middle line, but now I do not wish to interpret this. In ethics, Daat means faith in the Creator. This is so because Daat is referred to in all the books as “Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator,” and Dvekut is specifically through faith.

This is the meaning of “Anyone who is happier with his Daat than with his Hochma.” This means that the Hochma he has obtained does not diminish his faith. This is called being happy with his Daat. But if the Hochma one has obtained cancels the faith, meaning the Daat, then he is not happier with his Daat than with his Hochma because his Hochma wants to cancel his Daat, and this is a good sign that he is walking on the path of truth.

We should also understand what our sages said, “One who settles with his wine has of his master’s Daat [knowledge],” “enters wine, out comes secret.”

The holy Zohar interprets the verse, “Eat friends, drink and be drunken, O beloved.” It interprets that the drinking refers to Hochma. Accordingly, we should say “One who settles with his wine,” meaning through the Hochma that he has obtained he remains settled with faith and has of the Daat of his master. This shows that he has Dvekut with the Creator, regarded as having of his master’s Daat.

In this way we should interpret, “Anyone who is happier with his Daat [knowledge] than with his inclination, it is a good sign for him. And one who is not happier with his Daat than with his inclination, it is a bad sign for him.” Since it is the inclination’s way to interfere, a man is not satisfied with the inclination. Rather, specifically when the inclination is exhausted, then one is happy. It follows that he can advance in the work of the Creator precisely when he does not feel such great pleasures in corporeal things.

That is, one can engage in Torah and Mitzvot precisely where he cannot gain great pleasures. At that time, he is willing to dedicate his time and effort for high needs. But when the inclination lets him understand that he will receive great pleasures in corporeality, one cannot subdue one’s inclination because one can work where there are great profits, and small profits are rejected before great profits. It follows that the work is like trading.

All this is so if a person has taken upon himself the work for a reward. At that time, the inclination may argue that it can profit more in corporeality. It follows that he is displeased because the inclination is in control. This is a bad sign for him, meaning it is a sign that he is not walking on the path of truth.

But if the reason for his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot is to be “as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load,” meaning established on faith above reason, and because of “He said, and His will was done” (I am not elaborating on this because I have spoken many times about this), the inclination has no basis to argue that he should stop his work. He answers everything that the inclination argues with “Now you have given me room to work above mind and reason.” That is, had the inclination not argued with intellectual arguments, he would have had nothing with which to go against his intellect. It follows that he is happier with his Daat than with his inclination, and this is a good sign for him, a sign he is walking on the path of truth.

May the Creator help us walk on the path of truth.

Baruch Shalom HaLevi,

Son of Baal HaSulam

Reader: (08:58) We'll read it again. 61.

To my friend,

I was belated replying to the letters I received from the friends since the mail I receive is not working properly because I move from place to place, so by the time the letters reach me I am already elsewhere, in another country. I received your letter only last week. Because it was before the festival of Shavuot I had no time to reply. I also received a letter from… last week, and I replied to him very briefly.

Regarding your request for an explanation about the article, “Anyone who is happier with his Daat [knowledge] than with his Hochma [wisdom], it is a good sign for him,” we need to understand the meaning of the signs. It is known that one should always know and test whether he is going on the path of truth, which is the direct way to the goal for which man was created. Therefore, we were given signs to as to know the truth.

In Kabbalah, Daat [knowledge] is the middle line, but now I do not wish to interpret this. In ethics, Daat means faith in the Creator. This is so because Daat is referred to in all the books as “Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator,” and Dvekut is specifically through faith.

This is the meaning of “Anyone who is happier with his Daat than with his Hochma.” This means that the Hochma he has obtained does not diminish his faith. This is called being happy with his Daat. But if the Hochma one has obtained cancels the faith, meaning the Daat, then he is not happier with his Daat than with his Hochma because his Hochma wants to cancel his Daat, and this is a good sign that he is walking on the path of truth.

We should also understand what our sages said, “One who settles with his wine has of his master’s Daat [knowledge],” “enters wine, out comes secret.”

The holy Zohar interprets the verse, “Eat friends, drink and be drunken, O beloved.” It interprets that the drinking refers to Hochma. Accordingly, we should say “One who settles with his wine,” meaning through the Hochma that he has obtained he remains settled with faith and has of the Daat of his master. This shows that he has Dvekut with the Creator, regarded as having of his master’s Daat.

In this way we should interpret, “Anyone who is happier with his Daat [knowledge] than with his inclination, it is a good sign for him. And one who is not happier with his Daat than with his inclination, it is a bad sign for him.” Since it is the inclination’s way to interfere, a man is not satisfied with the inclination. Rather, specifically when the inclination is exhausted, then one is happy. It follows that he can advance in the work of the Creator precisely when he does not feel such great pleasures in corporeal things.

That is, one can engage in Torah and Mitzvot precisely where he cannot gain great pleasures. At that time, he is willing to dedicate his time and effort for high needs. But when the inclination lets him understand that he will receive great pleasures in corporeality, one cannot subdue one’s inclination because one can work where there are great profits, and small profits are rejected before great profits. It follows that the work is like trading.

All this is so if a person has taken upon himself the work for a reward. At that time, the inclination may argue that it can profit more in corporeality. It follows that he is displeased because the inclination is in control. This is a bad sign for him, meaning it is a sign that he is not walking on the path of truth.

But if the reason for his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot is to be “as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load,” meaning established on faith above reason, and because of “He said, and His will was done” (I am not elaborating on this because I have spoken many times about this), the inclination has no basis to argue that he should stop his work. He answers everything that the inclination argues with “Now you have given me room to work above mind and reason.” That is, had the inclination not argued with intellectual arguments, he would have had nothing with which to go against his intellect. It follows that he is happier with his Daat than with his inclination, and this is a good sign for him, a sign he is walking on the path of truth.

May the Creator help us walk on the path of truth.

Baruch Shalom HaLevi,

Son of Baal HaSulam

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (17:00) It is not so clear, he says he can go on the path of the Creator when he finds no pleasures in corporeal things. But we say that a person engages in the Torah and Mitzvot for Lo Lishma. So, is there an essential reward that helps you start working? 

M. Laitman: I don't understand your question.

Student: Is this not considered corporeal pleasures?

M. Laitman: Lo Lishma, no. A person who wants to reach Lishma but for now cannot rise above his desire, then he is in the work of Lo Lishma. But you're saying that Lo Lishma is that he can't, he still can't aim for the Creator. 

Student: So, there is a reward, he is working for the reward? 

M. Laitman: How do you reach Lishma?

Student: From Lo Lishma, that's what we learned. On the other hand, he writes that if he works according to a reward, his reason is not good, it's not a good sign?

M. Laitman: That's a Klipa, it's a shell. If he works, maybe I don't understand you. 

Student: What I understand from Rabash is that if he can work not in order to receive a reward, or like he says in the end, that it's like the donkey to the load and ox for the burden. Then it means that he's working correctly? 

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: But against it, there's working lo Lishma because of a reward. 

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So, is that so-called that he's working correctly?

M. Laitman: When he chooses Lishma? 

Student: So, it's a choice, Lishma?

M. Laitman: Then how do we reach Lishma otherwise? Where does he put forth the effort?

Student: Yes, it's effort and prayer and an answer from above. 

M. Laitman: Well? 

Student: So, where's the choice? It's like there's no way to come out of this mechanism because to begin with he's not on the path of truth. It's like a person has to work in Lo Lishma in order to reach Lishma, but he writes that it's not a good sign that he's on the path of truth. So, when does he even get into the path of truth, what lets him? 

M. Laitman: When he receives help from above; and he rises to Lishma.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (20:32) It's written that through the wisdom he attains, it doesn't diminish his faith, that it's a good thing. What is this wisdom? It seems like if I have wisdom or attainment, so I don't need faith, I have attainment of the Creator. It cancels my faith so what is this wisdom that doesn't diminish the faith? 

M. Laitman: That's the whole point, that what he attains in Lishma, that it doesn't cancel the faith. Otherwise, he loses the above reason.

Student: So, what is this faith, what revelation of the Creator is it? That I still don't reveal Him, to stay in faith?

M. Laitman: Faith does not cancel the knowledge, faith doesn't cancel knowledge.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:59) He says that if he can subdue his inclination where he has great pleasures in corporeality, so he won't follow the path of truth. And if he engages in the inclination's complaints, he is going the path of truth. So why because it's easier to deal with the brain than with the body?

M. Laitman: That's correct, well? 

Student: So why does he say that one who falls into pleasures doesn't follow the path of truth? Why is it like that because it's really impossible to deal with pleasures of the body, sometimes. 

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So, he wants to, but he can't; why is that not called that he's following the path of truth? 

M. Laitman: But if he's not capable he doesn't go in the path of truth. 

Student: What's the path of truth? 

M. Laitman: The path of truth is where faith is above reason.

Student: He gave advice that his reason is good, compared to the inclination, it's a good sign. What does that mean? 

M. Laitman: That he doesn't need to lower himself below his reason. 

Student: I don't understand?

M. Laitman: What does it mean that his wisdom is greater than his deeds and his actions?

Student: His wisdom greater than his actions? That he's searching for more pleasures than exertion, maybe. Meaning, his inner intention is more towards pleasure and less towards exertion? 

M. Laitman: Yes, does everyone agree with that? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:36) We say we have to reach faith above reason. What I understood from you is that we don't have to go in faith below reason. That if a person sees that he has wisdom of filling, he loses faith. So, if his only way to hold on to faith is to go below reason, it's not a good thing. If he can receive this fulfillment of wisdom and still rise above it and be in faith above reason, that's the right state.

M. Laitman: Yes, nice.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (25:13) It seems that faith above reason inverts the path a person works on. Because, before you're in faith above reason, you'd want the Creator to take away the evil inclination, that you won't have to deal with it, and he says it's a bad sign. Then in faith above reason, it's the opposite, you use the inclination being revealed in order to ascend even higher above reason. Is that right to look at it?

M. Laitman: Yes, yes, because that's the ladder.

Student: That's the ladder. So, the matter of this above reason, it's how to constantly be in it, so it's my choice to be above reason?

M. Laitman: Yes, as you want to rise each time to a higher degree than where you were.

Student: You said once, you explained it to me a few weeks ago. Again, I'm using the example of the envelope with $1,000. So, if a person gets the envelope that has less than $1,000, he asks the Creator, let me see that there is $1,000, to see above reason, that what I got is $1,000 and not that I'm lacking something?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: That's the action of above reason? Or to be in a state that I'm constantly trying to justify the Creator and see that what I got, this is what I have to get. That's above reason? 

M. Laitman: Why do I need to check that? 

Student: Because Rabash explains, that above reason he checked three times, he saw it's lacking but he's still saying there's $1,000 there?

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So Rabash said you have to check, I don't know why you have to check. Because otherwise it's not above reason, if I didn't check, it's below reason. That's the first stage he tells about in that allegory, that a person gets the envelope, and he says, no, my friend is good, I have nothing to check, for sure there's $1,000. But that's below reason.

M. Laitman: Below reason.

Student: But we want to rise above reason, so we have to check? 

M. Laitman: We have to check.

Student: And then we discover that gap, that's the evil inclination?

M. Laitman: Yes? And nevertheless, you agree that there's $1,000 there? 

Student: So that's what I'm asking, it's not to agree, it's to see it's lacking. And ask the Creator, let me see that it's $1,000, I don't see it's $1,000. Maybe the envelope's empty?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But somehow I have to justify the Creator, so that prayer is above reason? What is this above reason, that's what I'm asking about?

M. Laitman: Above reason is where you're looking at the money and you're saying that there's $1,000 there.

Student: I counted, there's nothing there, it's empty.

M. Laitman: It's empty. That's nice, well, and then what? 

Student: Now, I need to say that there's $1,000 there.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: But there's no $1,000.

M. Laitman: Why? 

Student: It's empty, I checked, it's empty. 

M. Laitman: Because they have eyes but see not. 

Student: Right, so, that's what I'm asking, some action has to be done there?

M. Laitman: The action is on your behalf where you're replacing your vessels from reason to above reason.

Student: So, I get zero, but I say that's $1,000, that's what the Creator wanted to give me?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Isn't it running away from the matter a bit?

M. Laitman: No.

Student: It's like telling the Creator, I got nothing but that's what the Creator wants, so.

M. Laitman: No, no, no, it's not that the Creator wants. Why are you justifying him in this kind of spin here?

Student: So, how to justify him?

M. Laitman: It's $1,000. Let's say you, I don't know, you fell on the moon, I don't know where, right? And when you receive what's customary there, and the Creator is telling you, this is $1,000. 

Student: So, I got an envelope, I say this is $1,000, even though in my corrupted eyes there's zero?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: What's my next step?

M. Laitman: Nothing, you accept it as $1,000.

Student: And then I live in a world that's all good, I got $1,000?

M. Laitman: You live as $1,000 but that's towards you, not towards others.

Student: Yes, it's the inner work of man? 

M. Laitman: Meaning, you see in this $1,000.

Student: It's a great war in a man's brain to see what you just said. I got not what I wanted, that's what my brain is telling me.

M. Laitman: No, you relate to this as $1,000. You have no differentiation between receiving $1,000 in paper form or you received it according to your mind.

Student: So, a person develops a new brain?

M. Laitman: Yes, nice, well?

Student: So, this new brain, how do I receive it? I want this brain.

M. Laitman: Receive? 

Student: How? 

M. Laitman: By saying that there is $1,000, there.

Student: The last thing for this stage: How do I not go under the reason? Everything's okay, everything I got is okay. We see a bunch of people like that on the outside, whatever happens, thank God?

M. Laitman: It's easier for them like that.

Student: So how is that not, thank God everything's okay?

M. Laitman: Because you need to relate to this as if you truly received $1,000.

Student: So, it's not to justify the Creator gave me zero, even though I want it, but to see it as $1,000?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:02) Can he take these $1,000 and go to the store and buy something?

M. Laitman: Whatever he wants.

Student: What about the store owner?

M. Laitman: The shopkeeper has a problem, too. The shopkeeper has a problem as well. If he comes to the shop and says, “I don’t have cash, I don't have small bills, I only have a bill of $1,000. So, he gives it to the shopkeeper and the shopkeeper receives it. And for him, it's $1,000. What are you looking like that, it's $1,000!

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:10) What are the $1,000? It's the feeling of the Creator?

M. Laitman: I don't know, I don't know, It's $1,000. Just like everyone understands what $1,000 is, a bill.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:40) He says that a person's reason has to feel pleasant when he works in the level of faith. And I heard many times that the main work is struggling against the inclination. So, it's like he's speaking on a much higher degree? Or there the struggle is canceled because the inclination just grows every time. Every stage is a stronger struggle that brings a presence of prayer. So, this sign that is a reason is pleasant, it's not clear. Because then, okay, everything's good, the inclination is tired, I don't have to fight it. It's a wonderful state. 

M. Laitman: We still need to see these things. 

Student: How?

M. Laitman: We'll talk more, we will read and the time for it will come.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (34:47) About the wisdom more than the deeds. So that means that, deeds of bestowal, that there's more wisdom than bestowal. Also, wisdom is great, it gives you confidence you know where to invest in the stock market, it gives you many things. But if you use it for yourself, it's a flaw, it's a transgression, that's what he means. That the wisdom is more than the deeds, deeds towards the others.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (35:23) I got an envelope, there's nothing in there, and I say, there's $1,000. There's two types of perception of reality, an old one and a new one. But I can't just toss the old one out, one has to ride upon the other? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (35:51) How can I check that I see it as $1,000, that I really see it. What's my measurement?

M. Laitman: Your measure is that you see that it's $1,000.

Student: In what sense?

M. Laitman: With all your senses.

Student: Does it depend on my attitude towards a friend? 

M. Laitman: No.

Student: So, what, according to the zero or according to the $1,000, what I see? 

M. Laitman: I didn't understand. 

Student: Let's say a friend put $1 in the envelope; so, my attitude towards him should be according to $1 or $1,000?

M. Laitman: $1,000.

Student: According to what he says or according to what I see now?

M. Laitman: According to what he says.

Student: So, there's what I saw when I counted is what he says, he sees and I change my opinion to what he says, no matter what I see?

M. Laitman: Right.

Student: And if I counted $1,000 and he says that he brought $1, I also have to change it to there?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Okay, so to take the opinion of the friend, that's what's important, the reason of the friend?

M. Laitman: Exactly.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (37:26) He says here that we need to understand what these signs are. “It's known that a person always needs to know and check himself whether he's going in the way of truth, which is the direct way to the goal for which a person was created. Therefore, we were given signs for us to be able to stand on the truth”. So maybe we can understand, in truth, what signs there are that a person can check himself throughout the day. Because what I understand here, he gives one sign that whoever's reason is fine with his Maker, which in simplicity, it's like that's it. Whoever is kind of angered by sitting around. So, what's the sign, that every time I jump, he drops me to anger, or I don't know how to use it correctly? Is that what it means?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Are there other signs because, nevertheless, living in a society, in a Ten, is there something that we can do more in that direction?

M. Laitman: No, everything is according to the laws of nature.

Student: What does that mean?

M. Laitman: We need to check ourselves according to the judge has nothing but what his eyes can see.

Student: And what's a good sign?

M. Laitman: A good sign is that we can ascend to in order to bestow.

Student: There are feelings during the day, what's a good sign?

M. Laitman: That I'm constantly going in adhesion with the Creator.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (39:16) Let's go back to the envelope. We need to find a lack for the Creator not the thousand dollars?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: What's better, for a person to look in the envelope and see, wow, I received an opportunity to turn to the Creator to faith and the level of a thousand dollars? Or he sees a thousand dollars there despite the fact that there isn't?

M. Laitman: He need to hear that there's a thousand dollars in the envelope; to receive the envelope; to open the envelope; to see zero. And then say, thank you for getting it. 

Student: But to say, yes thank you for receiving because what did I receive? I received, now, what a person never received, he just wants to receive and yearns for this his whole life. To receive a deficiency for faith at the level of a thousand dollars? 

M. Laitman: So, he got it. 

Student: That's what he wanted?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: And it's a huge difference because if not, he wouldn't have what to work with. If there was nothing to work with, here, there's much more than $1,000, here.

M. Laitman: Well, let's say so. 

Student: Why am I asking? Because the whole article, he's talking about a nice sign and a not nice sign. But it actually doesn't matter if it's a good or bad sign because they're both signs. What are we looking for? We're looking for guidance, for direction so that we will know we're on the path of truth.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So, if the sign is not good, you failed, let's say, you saw the pleasure, it managed to topple you over. But if you manage to raise it to faith, both this and that give you directions. The question is how do you hold on to the anchor strong enough so that we will be able to appreciate both the failure and the success to the same extent?

M. Laitman: I don't know what you're saying.

Student: He says like this: there's a good sign where a person discovers that besides having a pleasure or his wisdom, and his wisdom in faith is more important. What's in hindsight? When he sees that the pleasure drops him, he doesn't succeed. Now, because we're on the path, we're rewarded with signs, and both this is a sign and that is a sign. What anchor do we need in order to appreciate both this and that? Both the failure and the success because they're both signs actually?

M. Laitman: Well, who can answer him? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (42:47) He takes reason in two directions: He says the matter of reason is a secret that he doesn't want to open up, here. And the second thing, he takes the reason through the morals where we can do the work. But it still says that what's happening is happening on other levels, as far as the light that's entering. That's the beginning of the answer for him.

M. Laitman: I didn't understand that.

Student: Reason doesn't work only on one level, on one vector. It works on the middle line where he doesn't open up, yet. But the middle line he says it works on in both directions. And reason works in the way of morals where our work is, that's where our effort is.

M. Laitman: Does anybody understand him? Explain what he said and not what you want to explain.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (44:29) What Rabash wrote is that the morals explain that reason is faith. From this we can see that there are two reasons: The reason of the actions of the Creator, and the reason of receiving in corporeality. The reason of the states and the reason of the filling of the states.

M. Laitman: Well, let's say. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (45:02) About the friend, he's relating to what's written here. “We need to understand the matter of the signs”, and then he says that “the reason is the secret of the middle line, and I don't want to interpret this, meaning there's such a thing, it's just called a middle line, which is reason, and that I don't want to interpret for the moment. But the way of ethics are called the reason of the Creator, because reason in all the books is called adhesion to the Creator and adhesion is through faith”. So, the friend was relating to what the friend asked about those verses that Rabash, on one hand is saying that there's reason, which is the middle line. And he is going to explain here about reason, which is on the ways of ethics or morals; and that's what he's explaining.

M. Laitman: Okay, what else do we have?

Reader: (46:03) We have other parts to the lesson. The next part can be The Preface To The Ladder Commentary or Pirkei Avot. 

M. Laitman: Who wants the Preface To The ladder Commentary, who wants Chapters Of The Fathers? Nice, okay, Chapters of the Fathers.

Reader: We're going to move to the next part of the lesson from Pirkei Avot.