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

Daily Lesson (Morning) February 1, 2025.

Part 1: Lesson on the Topic of “Connecting to Lishma”

Reader: Hello, we are beginning today to read selected excerpts from the sources from the document for preparation for the “Connecting to Lishma” Congress, the worldwide Kabbalah Congress that will take place 20 days from today. You can find the study materials in Sviva Tova and in the Arvut system. You can also send questions there. In preparation for the Congress “Connecting to Lishma”, selected excerpts from the sources, we will start with excerpt number one. 

1. Baal HaSulam, "Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot", Item 11

Reading: (00:32) We find and see in the words of the sages of the Talmud that they have made the path of Torah easier for us than the sages of the Mishnah. This is because they said, “One should always practice the Torah and Mitzvot, even Lo Lishma, and from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma, since the light in it reforms him.”

Thus, they have provided us with a new means instead of the penance presented in the above- mentioned Mishnah, Avot: the “light in the Torah.” It bears sufficient power to reform one and bring him to practice Torah and Mitzvot Lishma.

They did not mention penance here, but only that engagement in Torah and Mitzvot alone provides one with that light that reforms, so one may engage in Torah and Mitzvot in order to bring contentment to his Maker and not at all for his own pleasure. And this is called Lishma.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (02:25) The topic of the upcoming Congress is “Entering Lishma”. And in the recent time we talked a lot about implementing the Arvut between us. To me, these two things seem very different. Two different degrees. Can you connect one with the other, so that we will see how we can combine the two? 

M. Laitman: By supporting, helping, holding each other in the society, by that we can advance until we come to Lishma. This is basically the means and the goal. Therefore, the more we get closer to each other, and the more we are concerned for each other, and so on, we will advance to such a connection called “Lishma”.

Student: And what should we focus on now, in the Congress, on the Arvut between us, or on entering Lishma?

M. Laitman: I think that the Arvut between us is more understandable and closer to us from reaching Lishma. Lishma seems farther away, but we'll advance both to this and that. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (05:28) It says here about the force of the light that is in the engagement in Torah and Mitzvot, what is this force of the light? How do we measure it, whether I receive less or more of it, what is this force? 

M. Laitman: The force of light that shines on the person advances the person to his purpose, so much so that that's the only thing we hinge our hopes on. So, let's think about the light that reforms, the upper light, and by that the Creator will ultimately organize us in a correct connection.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (06:49) Nevertheless, about Lishma, actually, between the friends, which is also Lishma, as we read in the preparation, that if he gives a gift to a friend, this is called Lishma. The act itself is called Lishma, but the intention is not yet Lishma. So, how should we be more precise in the actions between us, in the relations between us, so that we can touch this a little bit, this concept of Lishma? 

M. Laitman: Lishma is very lofty and great, and it's what we're facing, in terms of doing it and living in it, and also that all the actions between us, relations between us, that it will all be on the level of Lishma. Let's hope that this will happen. 

Student: It's a gift, completely, right, from above? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (08:20) I want to continue the friend's question, and I think the other friend's also. It sounds as though the Arvut is between us, and Lishma is between the person and the Creator. Is it so, or is that only seemingly so? 

M. Laitman: Lishma is towards the Creator, yes, even though we really want to get there, being close to the Creator, but that the relationship between us will be similar to the action of the Creator.

Student: And the Arvut is not towards the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Arvut is a lower degree to Lishma. 

Student: What is it less than Lishma, if we actually have to ask the Creator for Arvut?

M. Laitman: Right, also Lishma, we can't, we don't have any strength to make such an action of bestowal, but Lishma is for the sake of the Torah, and our Arvut is the reciprocal connection between us and the Creator. 

Student: So, can we say that Arvut prepares us for Lishma? 

M. Laitman: That's what I think, what it seems.

Student: So, should we now focus on Arvut, or should we focus on reaching Lishma, and for that purpose we need Arvut? 

M. Laitman: I think Lishma is the general goal that we need to achieve Lishma. 

Student: And what about Arvut? 

M. Laitman: And Arvut becomes included in that. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:13) When the light shines on us, it shows us also the place of the Lo Lishma [not for her sake]? 

M. Laitman: No, the light that shines to us, comes to us from our goal, that we need to achieve. And when we achieve this goal, we become, we go on the track to Lishma. 

Student: And on the way there, there's also Lo Lishma. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And a person discerns the Lo Lishma also without the light? 

M. Laitman: You could say that, almost not. 

Student: So, the direction is always through Lo Lishma? 

M. Laitman: Correct. 

Student: On the same degree? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (12:32) Can we say that Arvut is the means for Lishma, and Lishma is the goal? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: The word “Lishma”, it's a very high state. It doesn't awaken any natural emotion. 

M. Laitman: Correct. 

Student: So, what should we depict to ourselves? 

M. Laitman: Depict to ourselves that we wish to adhere to the Torah. So that through this inclination, we'll get to the Giver of the Torah, the Creator. 

Student: Those are other missing elements. What does it mean to be adhered to the Torah? 

M. Laitman: To adhere to the Torah means that we want to reach the influence of the upper light upon us, the reforming light. And by that, we want to be connected between us and aimed at Lishma. 

Student: So, if we're preparing for a Congress on the topic of “Entering Lishma”, in order to bring this state closer to ourselves and prepare ourselves for it, what should we depict? What is the more complete picture that we want to hold on to? 

M. Laitman: Complete picture that he expects us to, here, Baal Hasulam, that most importantly we have to be connected and connected in a way that we don't forget about the connection and just want the goal, rather the goal is achieved in connection. 

Student: And the goal is? 

M. Laitman: The goal is to reach Lishma. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (15:13) How from the Arvut, connection between us, which is work between the friends, we reach Lishma, which is work between man and the Creator? 

M. Laitman: We want to be connected in a group, in a Ten, and not let go of the friends on the path, not to lose them, and then the light that we attract, it reforms us, meaning it gives us such a connection, that in that we, basically, complete our whole obligation.

Student: When we try to connect and draw the light, what should we aim for, that the light will perform in us what? 

M. Laitman: That we will connect through the action of the Creator upon us, that we will connect between us in reaching Lishma. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (17:20) I would like to try to tie these actions, bestowal and connection between us and mutual responsibility, Arvut. First there has to be a heartfelt connection between the friends, so that I can feel the desire of the friend for bestowal, and at that moment I feel my own similar desire. So, I need to perform a restriction on my desire and take the friend's desire, tie it with the Creator, and I am simply a passageway. This is already called Arvut in practice. So, from that, that I already have Arvut in practice, I give contentment to the Creator in Lishma, right? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (18:54) In this stage of advancement on our path, many times we miss out. We don't take advantage of every opportunity. But there is something that hurts us, then we claw at it and we do all kinds of things. So, now I wrote down the question, in what and how does the Creator complete the friends on our path? How does He help us?

M. Laitman: We don't exactly know what the path is and how to, and not every moment we can realize it. So, the Creator ultimately closes all the gaps between us, and that's how we advance. 

Student: But nevertheless, we must not rely on that the Creator will complete everything. Nevertheless, we need to... 

M. Laitman: We have to make connection between us, be in the movement to get closer, and the closer we are to each other and concerned for each other to achieve the Arvut, the general Arvut, accordingly, we also become owners of the inner power of Arvut, Lishma. 

Student: Another small point about the covenant, we know that we belong to this spiritual root. We have the covenant, the covenant of the forefathers, we learn about that, the covenant between Abram and the Creator, this also pushes us, there is this Reshimo, this record, right? But Arvut is a more stage … 

M. Laitman: Arvut is a more active stage, therefore, first it's the simple connection between us. 

Student: How can we have this covenant obligate us? Sometimes we miss out on it, it's a spiritual root, it's a child, it's a child. I knew that I'm a Jew, and there is something above me pushing me, and I was pushed all the time also. How will we keep this covenant? We speak about Arvut, but we miss out on the conditions, even on the covenant between us. How can we keep it so that I know that... 

M. Laitman: We advance in studies, in our studies, in our connection, and that's how we'll advance. Everything will happen on the way. 

Chapter number 2, from the book of Zohar.

2. Zohar for All, Introduction of The Book of Zohar, "Rejoicing in Holidays and Not Giving to the Poor", Item 175

Reading: (22:27) One should always engage in Torah and commandments, even not for Her sake because from not for Her sake he comes to for Her sake. This is so because for man’s lowness, he cannot engage in commandments in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker right from the start. Rather, by his nature he can make any movement only if it is for his own benefit. For this reason, first he must engage in commandments not for Her sake, out of his own benefit. And yet, during the carrying out of commandments, he extends abundance of Kedusha [holiness/sanctity], and through the abundance that he extends, he will eventually come to engage in commandments for Her sake, in order to bring contentment to his Maker.

M. Laitman: Meaning, we, surely, have to inspect what our goal is when we carry out commandments, will it be Lishma or Lo Lishma? And that we won't lie to ourselves that we're already in Lishma. Rather, that we will, as much as possible, make this intention clean.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:50) To continue the scrutiny about the Arvut, what is the difference between us being some heartfelt connection in the Ten in a very gentle form versus the Arvut. We nevertheless do work on love of friends all the time, so it sounds like there is a great gap between the ordinary love of friends and Arvut, what is required of us to be guarantors. 

M. Laitman: To be guarantors means to be committed, obligated, each one to his Ten. That what he is doing and how he is doing it is all for the sake of their inner connection. And it doesn't matter to him in what way he sometimes receives all kinds of thoughts, desires, which, seemingly, make him veer off the path. He still stands and comes back and keeps going. 

Student: Now, how does the reforming light operate here between the ordinary connection and in order to make this leap to Arvut? How can we awaken the reforming light, so it will help us to enter Arvut? 

M. Laitman: That we know that in our actions we do want to help our friends and all of us to rise from Lo Lishma to Lishma. And that each and every one of us will participate, full force, in coming to Lishma in a complete manner. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:28) How does the degree of Arvut, in what way does the degree of Arvut, when we actually implement it, how does it support Lishma? It seems that one is very close to the other. So, how does one support the other, the connection between us, bring us closer? 

M. Laitman: The connection between us comes to us in order to help us out of the lack of connection. And it's not just any connection, but rather a connection called Lishma. Meaning, that in connecting between us we determine the goal that the Creator will dwell among us. And that we have to reveal Him. And that's how we advance towards realizing the goal. That's it. 

Question (Holland): (29:08) We were talking about the path from Lo Lishma to Lishma. What makes this approach easier, as it says, let's say, the first article in the Mishnah, compared to the work in the Mishnah, what the sages did? So what is this approach easier than they did then, that time? So, what especially makes it easier? 

M. Laitman: Because of this, they said we can engage in Mitzvot Lo Lishma, because by this action we will achieve Lishma. So, essentially everyone has an opportunity to engage in that, in Torah and Mitzvot, even in Lo Lishma. And so, even if we don't have the knowledge, the tendency, the direction, but to participate in some group that, along with it, I'm aiming to get there as well.

Student: Is our focus not confusing if we focus, let's say, if we work, let's say, in Lo Lishma, shouldn't we move directly to Lishma in the work? Isn't that not, isn't that confusing working through Lo Lishma? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: Why is it, why does it make it so clear if we work Lo Lishma? Why is it more clear, why does it become more clear if we work towards Lishma, and on the way we move towards Lo Lishma? What, what, what is different here? Or what is more clear in this form of work compared to the form of previous work? 

M. Laitman: In Lo Lishma, we establish ourselves in such a way that we try to find direction, similar to the Creator, to be in our attitude to Torah and Mitzvot, to become similar to the Creator. And then, by this work that we scrutinize and we want to do it and get closer, we achieve Lishma.  

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:42) What is the difference between a person asking the Creator to correct his intention, versus when he expects that the connection with the friends will cleanse him of intentions for himself? 

M. Laitman: What's the connection? 

Student: What's the difference? 

M. Laitman: The difference. I think that the truth is there is not that much difference. We're still at the beginning of the road. And so to say that there are big differences between the roads and paths in this Lo Lishma or that Lo Lishma, I don't think so. Most importantly, to keep working.

Student: It's just that I feel that connection is truly an instrument. 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: It's like a crane for the connection of the intention. How do we use it in a more conscious manner to get greater strength? 

M. Laitman: We want to help all our friends be connected together in a small group in the Ten. And... That's it, I don't know what to add. What was the question? 

Student: When a person discovers that he doesn't have forces and his intention is egoistic, he wants to correct himself.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Let's say, he prays to the Creator, he asks for corrections, but when he does it through the connection, when he realizes that this is where he has to act, and this is where he will be cleansed of himself, it's different. His advancement is more... it becomes truly straight to the Creator. How can we use the connection in a stronger way, more direct? That we all go as one body towards the correction.

M. Laitman: We study, and in our studies we have the quotes and the rules, same guidelines, same rules, and if we are aimed, aiming ourselves according to each and every verse, quote, then they stabilize us through the light that reforms, and that's how we advance. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (36:19) Maybe, in order to get a bit closer to the feeling of Arvut, I was thinking of what are the two primary things that hinder a person, or maybe even scare him, from implementing Arvut. And I think that the first one is that he's afraid to understand that he depends on others, and the second is that others depend on him. And I wanted to ask... Actually, it seems to me that others being dependent on me is more scary. And I wanted to ask you for advice. How do we overcome the fear that others depend on you? 

M. Laitman: The overcoming needs to be a practical one, meaning that you feel that in practice all your friends depend on you. And what can you do for them in order to advance them towards a connection between them and the Creator? Therefore, this is the place where we cannot show weakness. Rather, it all depends on us. 

Student: What would you say is the point of fear of a person that others depend on him? 

M. Laitman: He doesn't want to be responsible. That's the main thing. He doesn't want to be responsible. The fear of being responsible, standing in trial, that is a serious fear. 

Student: How a person every moment has calculations about himself. And here, he is told in this calculation, you also have to bring in others. Something else called “others” - the friends, in general, even the Creator. How can I succeed in this calculation about myself? How can you suddenly bring in something that is outside of yourself? 

M. Laitman: This is the issue that there is nothing here that is outside the person. Rather, all of his approach, advancement to the Creator, which is actually the right direction and intention, action and goal in man's action, that is what forces the person to have a tight connection with everyone, with all his friends. 

Student: So, last thing, if to some extent we already want to start to feel the responsibility of each one towards his friends, what do you recommend? How can we jump above this fear? Like you said, fear to take responsibility, because this means to take responsibility that may be huge. 

M. Laitman: Yes. I think that if a person is looking for the right connection with his friends, then, accordingly, he will become ready to go forward to Arvut. That's it.  

Question (Women PT 25): (41:04) What are the signs that a person advances from the stage of Lo Lishma to Lishma? 

M. Laitman: That he searches more and more for … how to capture, how should I say this… How to hold on to Lo Lishma and turn it into Lishma. The difference between them depends entirely on the person. How much is he trying to be connected with them, and how much he wants to connect them together and aim to the Creator. 

Question (MAK 39): (42:35) Why does the Torah appear to the person only from inner Arvut? Who is the guarantor for the person? 

M. Laitman: The Creator.

Question (Women Zichron 1): (42:58) In what way can we increase the influence of the light and the Torah over the person? 

M. Laitman: Only by the person being drawn more to his friends. 

Student: They heard you before saying, we want to be connected together in the group, in the Ten, and not let go of the friends on the path. Not let them go. And then the light that we draw reforms us, meaning it gives us such a connection, that by that we conclude all our obligations. So, the question is, what does it mean to not let go of the friends on the path and not lose them? 

M. Laitman: That we all think each one about the others in the society, and we hold them inside our heart. So that we don't seemingly let them move away, but to the contrary.

Question (Turkiye 5): (44:21) Why is it so important to resemble the Creator? 

M. Laitman: In order to be corrected in the center of the created beings.

Question (Women Turkiye 7): (44:57) You want us to keep trying. The question is: if man, if a person is trying, is doing the best he can, and he still does not succeed, does it mean that he is still in Lo Lishma?

M. Laitman: Yes, certainly.

Student: We do everything to make our intention to get stronger, to get our intentions stronger, but Creator does such things that we don’t have any hope anymore, sometimes. When those things happen how can we continue, how can we find the strength to continue?

M. Laitman: This is because of lack of support from the friends in the group. They need  to give support to a person who feels that he is losing his forces, his connection with his friends.

Question (ITA 1): (47:02) Sometimes, come moments, where I feel like I am in Lishma, in unity with the Creator. Do you think that these are correct states or this is just an illusion? 

M. Laitman: Maybe, it is so. Maybe sometimes he is in Lishma.

Question (Azerbaijan): (47:43) We read about how man has this very lowly nature, so can I still reach a burning desire for bestowal? 

M. Laitman: Certainly, just think about the reforming light that you want to draw in all of your states.

Student: With the Ten we decided to carry out the Shabbat together as a Ten, what can we add to this in terms of group work? 

M. Laitman: We should all be in one point and not come out of it, and then we will succeed in everything, and quickly. 

Question (Women Latin 26): (49:18) What are the concrete steps can I take in my daily life to promise that my devotion to Torah and Mitzvot will be with the intention to bring contentment to the Creator and not to just satisfy my personal interests?

M. Laitman: I want to be connected with the friends more and more and more. And that this connection, this force will grow all the time. And it will connect them together. And then they will feel how they become incorporated in each other. 

Question (Women Moscow 8): (50:29) Can we say that the state of Lishma is a concluding degree of the situation? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Haifa 5): (51:03) How does it not let go of us and doesn't let us advance, sometimes, when we see that all the friends are not all in Arvut? So, the question is, am I supposed to wait for my friends or understand that it's just the ego showing this to me and, actually, everyone else is in Arvut?

M. Laitman: No, they're not all in Arvut and we should try to see it as we see it. And each time to rise another degree regarding our inner connection. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (51:52) Is the realization of Arvut between us and the degree of Lishma, are they different lines of work, different fields of work, or are they really intertwined? How does it work? Should we focus on one and then focus on the other, or what? 

M. Laitman: This is true. This is better.

Student: Could you explain, please, how does the work with the friends, how does the connection between us tie us together to Lishma?

M. Laitman: The connection between us ties us to Lishma because none of us intends to have some personal gain.

Student: And then by tying ourselves to each other in devotion, we can adhere to Lishma and then we move to an intention to Lishma for the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (53:07) Okay. More about the sense of dependence that we talked about. Our dependence on connection is how much we depend on... Our dependence on the Upper One is that only He can connect us. And these two things, we somehow obligate the Upper One? 

M. Laitman: No, we try not to obligate Him. 

Student: So, we just need to feel both of these dependencies together? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Turkiye 1): (54:15) Should we keep the Arvut for the friends or for the Creator? 

M. Laitman: What do we keep the Arvut for? Of course, for the Creator. We want to be connected between us and yearn from our state to reach a state where we are all incorporated in and dependent on the Creator.

Question (H 10): (54:54) What is the action of Arvut? What's the main action? 

M. Laitman:  We connect in a special way between us in order for each one to complete the others.

Student: And what's the addition of Arvut here, specifically? What does the Arvut add to the connection?

M. Laitman: It's that it connects everyone together with complementary, with a very beautiful mutual complementary. 

Question (Moscow): (56:09) What is the difference between two states? One state where I feel like a guarantor to all the Ten and the condition of feeling mutual guarantee. What's the difference between feeling my guarantee to everyone and mutual guarantee? 

M. Laitman: Who is the cause? Either the cause is the work of the whole Ten or the cause is some friends, or even one friend, who invites this act of connection. 

Question (Women Ashkelon): (57:17) You talked about fear, concern, but if we feel this expression of fear that we won't succeed, that you're doing all the efforts to make it succeed, then what do you need to do? Of course, we need to continue and not take a step backwards. What else if you're already doing all of the efforts for connection, what else can you do? 

M. Laitman: You can't do anything else but only operate in this direction. 

Student: You also said that we need to remain in a single point, stay in that point. Well, what is that point? Is it to stay neutral, meaning not to take some anger out of myself, but to stay in a neutral state and to the Creator, is that correct? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Question (Women Turkiye 6): (58:50) Sometimes, friends are ejected from the center of the Ten, whether it's because of inter states or external disturbances. So, what do you do to make the power of the center of the Ten like a magnet that is irresistible? 

M. Laitman: It's through the Arvut that there will be such a force in the center of the Ten that pulls all of us.

Question (Woman Moscow 15): (59:37) When some serious shattering happens in the Ten, what's the first action we can do to not disintegrate? What's the first action? 

M. Laitman: You need to feel as a society that you're facing a threat to break apart, to move away from each other, so much so that, afterwards, you won't be able to pull yourselves back together.

Student: What is up to us to do, to pray in order to assemble ourselves into the point of connection? What would be the first thing you would advise us to do? 

M. Laitman: To destroy your ego, to gather all of you together light up a fire in the center of the group, and in it burn all of the egoism. 

Question (French): (01:01:41) How to increase the Arvut between the Tens? 

M. Laitman: Well, I'd like to say that the rules are the same rules, it's just of course, it's much more difficult compared to between individual people. But try to be together. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:02:32) Is the decision about Arvut in the Tens, in the group, accepted by men over 20, of course, in the terms we're talking about? Or the Arvut is something that everyone enters into it, including the weak and the children and so on. 

M. Laitman: No, for us it's only the men.

Student: Inside the Ten, like we discussed today I am committed to the friends that are dependent on me, my children in the Ten as well, or only those who are men with me going forward into the ocean. Or like someone who doesn't pay Maaser, I'm not committed to him? 

M. Laitman: According to your agreement.

Student: We in the Ten can decide that the Arvut is in a group of, let's say, three people in the Ten? 

M. Laitman: No, it's not enough. 

Student: So, let's say half of the Ten? 

M. Laitman: No. 

Student: So, the whole Ten needs to be unanimous, even though it contains children and elderly? 

M. Laitman: Why should it be like that? I don't understand.

Student: The Arvut is accepted by men? 

M. Laitman: The Arvut is accepted by men. 

Student: And if there are still cowards, weak, not those who are the men who can fight, but they support from behind, can they also enter the Arvut? 

M. Laitman: Yes, you can say so. 

Student: Do I need to listen to their opinions, when I accept a new friend into the Ten? Who decides over this or that action? If we do a meal today, if we go out to a war, to attack together, whose view am I taking with me? 

M. Laitman: Those who are going forward. That's it. And if we feel weakness in the connection between us, in our intention towards connection, in entering the depth of the Ten, then we need to complete that, to complete it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:05:23) I just want to go back to the question from our friends from France. We didn't get a clear translation. Tomorrow, the French group is going to the Holland group. They meet together in preparation for the Congress. They're asking, when different groups come together, different Tens come together, how to aim themselves correctly to prepare for the Congress of connecting to Lishma? What do you recommend? 

M. Laitman: Actually, well, not a decision, I recommend to them to, nevertheless, be as connected as possible. 

Student: Maybe a general question. We are 20 days before the Congress. What is the right preparation to really come ready for such a Congress? 

M. Laitman: The correct preparation to reach the Congress in the right way is that we sit before we travel, and we speak in our Ten, and we try to reach a connection that is as strong as possible. That's it. 

3. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 20, "Lishma [for Her sake]"

Reading: (01:07:22) Do not say that if Lishma [for Her sake] is a gift from above, what good is one’s overcoming and efforts, and all the remedies and corrections that he does in order to achieve Lishma, if it depends on the Creator? Our sages said about it, “You are not free to rid yourself of it.” Rather, one must give the awakening from below, and this is considered “prayer.” Yet, there cannot be a real prayer if he does not know first that without prayer it cannot be obtained.

Therefore, the acts and remedies he does in order to obtain Lishma create the corrected Kelim [vessels] in him that want to receive the Lishma. Then, after all the actions and the remedies he can pray in earnest since he saw that all his actions did not help him whatsoever. Only then can he make an honest prayer from the bottom of his heart, and then the Creator hears his prayer and gives him the gift of Lishma.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:09:26) He says that there are new vessels becoming ready to want the Lishma. What are these vessels? 

M. Laitman: Those vessels that he had prepared to receive in them help, a connection to transform them into vessels that will receive the power of Lishma. And he writes, and then, after all the actions and remedies, he can pray in earnest, since he saw that all his actions did not help him whatsoever. Only then can he make an honest prayer from the bottom of his heart. And then the Creator hears his prayer and gives him the gift of Lishma. 

Student: So, I'm only asking about one point in this process. What is it that, from the efforts, the corrected vessels that want to receive Lishma are formed? 

M. Laitman: At first he didn't think that he needs to do something. And following all his efforts, when he does want to reach Lishma, however, he doesn't even, he doesn't know what it is exactly. But through the reforming light, he caused himself that the upper light does influence him and bring him to receive this illumination that brings him Lishma. This is what he writes. Then, after all the actions and remedies, he can pray in earnest. 

Student: So, these vessels are the preparation for the real prayer? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Now, these are vessels of the Ten or the person? 

M. Laitman: How could you call that? Of the individual person, I think. The individual. With the Ten you can say yes or no, but here it's only the individual person.

Student: What's the part of the Ten in creating these vessels that a person will want the right prayer? 

M. Laitman: It's because he's a part of the Ten. Whether he wants to or not, he bends before the Ten. 

Student: How does this bending before the Ten lead to the right prayer, the right request? 

M. Laitman: This is already pre-arranged in such a way from the beginning of creation that what a person receives through his Ten, he does surrender towards it. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:13:24) After all the actions and remedies, then he can give a true prayer. And also before he writes by the actions and remedies that he does in order to achieve Lishma, the corrected vessels are formed to want to receive Lishma. So, what are the actions and remedies? 

M. Laitman: That we perform all kinds of actions that Kabbalists recommend that we do. And these actions that we carry out, those are Segulot [the special powers] by which we will feel each time a greater force that is pulling us towards a special form of Lishma in our Ten.

Student: And what promises to us that the actions will give us the remedies? 

M. Laitman: This is what Baal HaSulam writes.

Student: Every action that the Kabbalists advise us brings us the remedy? 

M. Laitman: No, but he writes, then after all the actions and remedies, he can pray in earnest, since he saw that all his actions did not help him whatsoever, only then can he pray, can he make an honest prayer from the bottom of his heart, and then the Creator hears his prayer and gives him the gift of Lishma. 

Student: So, what promises that this process will succeed, that the acts and remedies will bring in the vessels? 

M. Laitman: You have no other way. 

Student: That's clear.

M. Laitman: If it's clear, there's no question, then you have to simply insist on that, and that's it. 

Student: The question is not about the path, but it's about the precision of the path. If there are many actions, and it's not clear what are the actual remedies and how to extract the remedies from the actions, and perhaps you do actions, but you know you're not producing the remedies that bring the corrected vessels, and then you're just doing actions, but not really using them in a qualitatively sufficient manner, that's the question.

M. Laitman: Yes, I can't tell you. Let's start to keep them, and then along the way, we will see, maybe we will understand what else we're missing. 

Student: Before, as well, you talked about the Arvut, saying it needs to be practical, needs to be carried out with actions. What does it mean? What is practical Arvut, through actions? 

M. Laitman: That in our actions, we support all the friends, so they will connect and want to wish Lishma. 

Student: But the fact is, the friends don't always feel this support. There was also a question before about friends losing hope, and you said that this is due to a lack of support. So, what guarantees us that we'll take actions which will generate this feeling of Arvut for the friends, in effect, in practice? The question is about the actions, how to perform the right actions, the right deeds. There are many things you can do, but it doesn't always penetrate the heart, give the friends this confidence. So, what actions guarantee that we get the right yield from them, so to speak? 

M. Laitman: Only connection. You hear that? Only connection. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:18:36) I heard you say just now that through our actions, we support all the friends, so they'll race towards Lishma, so there will be a competition to reach Lishma. If we decide that all the friends want to reach Lishma, only to reach Lishma, then the whole matter seems simple. Why? Because I always, I just want to reach Lishma. Because any action that isn't about reaching Lishma, I don't engage with that. We're trapped. We're trapped in this inner need for more action, taking more actions. And then we say, yes, I want to reach Lishma, sure, I want to reach Lishma, but I also want to go on a trip, and I have all my hobbies, and so on. And here we have the problem, how do I maintain the Arvut towards the friends? 

M. Laitman: Relative to the general connection, the mutual connection. 

Student: So, it becomes elastic.

M. Laitman: No, that's what he writes. Again, you want to reach, with all your friends, you want to reach connection where you feel Arvut. 

Student: Towards what? 

M. Laitman: Towards your efforts.

Student: Efforts towards what? 

M. Laitman: To bring you to the point of mutual connection. And that's, actually, your goal. 

Student: How can I clean, purge my will to receive, which is always growing, how can I purge everything where, obviously, if I examine it, if I do some introspection, of course, this is needed, unnecessary, I want this and that. No, I just want to reach the Creator, I want only spirituality. How do I purge everything that's unnecessary, in excess? 

M. Laitman: Try. Try, make all kinds of efforts.

Student: But there I get lost. It is my orientation towards Arvut. All the friends are making great efforts, they really want it, but with respect to utilizing every single moment in order to reach Lishma, there you have other things creeping in, and there we fail. Each one comes with his own complaints, little problems. As the friend said, we have the children, the wife, everything, we're stretched in different directions. And then we don't know what the Arvut is, what exactly it is that I can do for the friend. 

M. Laitman: You're right, but there's nothing to do about it, only to keep going. I understand that there are many excuses, but we can't feel that they're wrong or correct. 

Student: Continuing the questions of all the great friends. I look at myself and I see that I have no lack. I don't have a lack for Arvut or for Lishma. There is none. Where is the place where you can acquire the lack, buy the lack? 

M. Laitman: In the society. 

Student: As a society, not as individuals?

M. Laitman: In the group. 

Student: What is the exact work needed to draw the lack, so it comes out of the innermost part of our heart? 

M. Laitman: To incorporate with the others in order to acquire from them a deficiency for Lishma. 

Student: That's where you can draw the lack? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: This is the work in awakening from below? 

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: The only place? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:24:10) Is there an Arvut between Adam and the Creator? 

M. Laitman: What is a question? 

Student: Yes, it's a question. How do we experience the Avut between Adam and Creator?

M. Laitman: We can feel this in relation to the goal, to the actions of a person in his connection with others and connection with the Creator. 

Student: In this Parasha [Torah portion] Bo, the Creator tells Moses, Bo [come], come to Pharaoh. It sounds to me like this is an Arvut of the Creator telling, I come with you. How are we able to feel that the Creator is with us and comes with us? 

M. Laitman: We need to try, to try exactly, precisely to reach Lishma from these states, from within these states, and then we will know, we will find out where we are. 

Question (Woman Zichron 1): (01:26:26) It appears from the text that the work of Lishma involves true prayer. What turns a prayer into true prayer? 

M. Laitman: Deficiency. 

Question (Woman PT 6): (01:26:40) If the attainment of Arvut, this relates to what you said before, if the attainment of Arvut takes place between the men, what do the women do? Why do we have women's Tens? 

M. Laitman: No, no, also between the women. Mixed, I'm not sure, but maybe over time we'll see that the deficiency in the men and the deficiency in the women requires a unified form, a homogenous form, something common between them. For the time being, it's not. 

Student: And if it's revealed, then we can reach Arvut together, men and women? 

M. Laitman: Yes, perhaps. 

Question (Merkaz 1): (01:27:29) The attainment of Lishma, is it similar to a person waking up from a dream? 

M. Laitman: I don't know, I don't see dreams.

Question (Asia): (01:27:44) What should I do so that the heart wants connection? 

M. Laitman: What to do so the heart will want connection? For the heart to want Lishma, for the heart to want to come to the feeling of the Creator. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:28:26) So, which actions can support the friends as they enter Lishma? 

M. Laitman: When the friends see examples in their society, how those turn to the Creator, and those turn to actions, and those turn to prayer, and so on and so forth. And ultimately, everybody comes to a deficiency, for the Creator to fill that deficiency. 

Student: And another point, how can a person who's always preoccupied with his own situations, the things the Creator has him go through, he's always in the washing machine, so to speak, how does he support the friends? I hear that support is very important, it's very important to support the friends. So, how do you combine the fact that you're preoccupied with your own concerns, how you come out of yourself and be occupied with their concerns, or rather, that they enter spirituality? 

M. Laitman: I don't have an answer. He needs to ask, turn to the Creator, nevertheless, with his prayer, with his requests. 

Student: The Creator is putting me through different states now. All the time I'm preoccupied with myself and my states, but on the other hand, if we want to enter spirituality, I need to support the friends, be concerned about them, to care for them, pray for them. So how do I combine the two, or how do I leave myself behind entirely and just engage with them? How do I do this? 

M. Laitman: You try to be connected to your friends, and together with them, reach Arvut. 

Student: That's what I'm saying, I feel that I need support, but I'm expected to offer support. So, how to turn this around, or maybe we all need to feel that we're needy? 

M. Laitman: We will all feel needy, because there has to be a disclosure of the deficiency from the Ten, that's the problem, not from just one or two. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:31:44) You mentioned that you need a lack from the Ten, and not from an individual, one or two, this goes back to the friend's question, and also the questions of the friends from abroad, how important is the issue of equivalence of form in the Ten? To what extent do we need to feel as equals? Because there are always those who pull more, who pull less. 

M. Laitman: We can't tell, and we don't measure it.

Student: So, you said that it depends on the importance, that we have the demand of the entire Ten. So, what does it depend on? On us having a few individuals pulling the Ten forward, or the participation of the entire Ten? 

M. Laitman: The entire Ten. 

Student: So, if one in the Ten hasn't attained Lishma, it's because the rest of the Ten didn't reach that yearning? 

M. Laitman: Possible.

Student: If we had to unite the yearning of the Ten, what should the Ten focus on? What thing is most important to focus on? 

M. Laitman: What's most important for the Ten to want to be as one man in one heart, in its center, the center of the Ten, and out of this central point, to raise MAN to the Creator.

Student: When a person starts on the path, he feels suddenly that the Creator is calling to him somewhere. And then he enters the study, he feels that he has a lack, he doesn't even know exactly what to call it, but he's drawn towards that force. And that disappears somewhere along the path. And the friends remain, the call from the Creator seemingly disappears, and the friends enter the fray, the battle. But this yearning for Him, it dissipates. To what extent should the Ten look for that connection with Him, or rather to look for that middle point, as you said, it's difficult to put into words actually, should we look for that initial awakening together? Does it need to be there? Or no, maybe, do we need to look for the center, that one heart, where He will appear in that later? 

M. Laitman: I think the second one is correct. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:34:51) Continuing on the scrutiny of the friend, the threads about the actions and the Segulot, you talked about the need to criticize the intention. You said, of course, we need to criticize the intention of our actions, to see if it's Lishma or not Lishma, so that we don't lie to ourselves, thinking we're in Lishma, but rather so that we can make this intention as pure as possible. How is that done, Rav? How do you conduct such criticism? 

M. Laitman: I don't think we can do it right now. We are not in a state where we choose from Lo Lishma or from Lishma. We don't have such scrutiny yet. 

Student: So, what did you mean? To conduct criticism over the intention, making sure it's pure. What do you need to do? 

M. Laitman: As pure as possible. Not that it will be Lishma already, but it should be organized somehow, according to the purpose of creation. 

Student: What is the purpose of this scrutiny, where a person tries to see if he's lying to himself or not, if he's in fact always living in a lie? 

M. Laitman: To what extent he positions himself correctly toward the purpose of creation. 

Student: But he doesn't really have any indication in this regard, because the lie becomes more devious, more concealed. He finds a serpent at the end of his intention. So, what? 

M. Laitman: I don't know. But I think that in total, generally speaking, the great society, the big society can scrutinize where it's headed, what direction, what point, what goal is it after.

Student: What can help you be honest with yourself, not lie to yourself? 

M. Laitman: I don't think that I am honest and righteous and properly aimed, but... You need to sometimes conduct some criticism. 

Student: I was talking about myself, right? What can help a person create a mechanism of clarity? We said that the more we advance, the cloud becomes thicker, the darkness grows. The more a person advances, the less he understands, seemingly. He has less and less of a grip. So, what should we grab hold of in order to further purify our intentions, our actions, to focus them, to make them more and more beneficial? 

M. Laitman: I don't know.

Student: For example, today we have a meeting in the Ten, so Rabash recommends in this article about gathering of friends, the assembly - after praise, he suggests that we place on the table the known question, to what extent did we succeed in love of friends? Rabash has this advice after praising the Creator, to put on the table the known question of to what extent have we advanced in the love of friends. And so how to hold such scrutiny, such scrutiny? 

M. Laitman: I think that each Ten needs to see itself and figure out, to what extent it's able to make concessions, give up on itself and participate with other Tens. If I understand your question correctly.

Student: Can it be, maybe am I hearing now that the next degree that can help us come out of ourselves individually and as a Ten, is to more as a Ten to... 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: I understand, I understand. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:41:21) There are actions which you don't feel like doing, and then you get this kind of illumination, power, this purity, and then you just perform those actions and it feels right. But then there's this part that wants to steal it from you, the parts that didn't want to perform the actions. So, how to keep that purity of coin by coin? How to maintain this purity, please? 

M. Laitman: I don't know. Between those friends who do such actions. 

Student: Now, this happens to me also, but I see that something steals it, afterwards. The will to receive wants to steal it for itself. He didn't do this. The will to receive didn't perform that action. 

M. Laitman: Follow them and see.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:42:33) Who is the Lishma for? Is it for the person's sake or for the Creator's sake? 

M. Laitman: Of course, it's for the Creator.

Student: For the Creator? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, it's unclear where exactly it is. Because as you said before, we need to get closer to the purpose of creation, which is to do good to his created beings. So, it appears that whatever I do, whether for friends or for the Creator, it will ultimately bring me to that purpose. Because I need to feel the Creator's benevolence. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, it's still not clear. I need to come to feel the goodness of the Creator, the pleasure and abundance. So how do I do this for the Creator and not for myself? 

M. Laitman: According to your request, your prayer. 

Student: If I act, if I do this for the sake of the friends, is it also called Lishma? Because it's written that if we act for the sake of others, it doesn't matter if it's the friends or the Creator. 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But then again, you have the issue of, well, I, the person ultimately needs to feel the purpose of creation, that goodness. And I suppose you get there through Lishma. So, how does a person complete this action, such that it's for the Creator's sake and not his own sake?

M. Laitman: You need to check to check and see from the examples on the ground.

Student: What examples?

M. Laitman: Well Lishma and Lo Lishma, the way we scrutinize it.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:45:18) The awakening from below a person receives that from above as well, right? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, what is actually an awakening from below? How do I awaken from below if I receive everything through the friends and the Creator in any case? 

M. Laitman: You receive it from the Creator. There is none else besides Him.

Student: So, what does it mean from below where I awaken and I want to bring the lack and the desire and everything required to make the Creator act?

M. Laitman: Is there an answer?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:46:17) I think it is through incorporation, or I am incorporated in the lack of friends.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:46:52) First of all, great gratitude to Rav for everything happening here, this lesson, the opening of the heart. It’s really, it really awakens this lack towards spirituality and I feel that the mutual support that’s lacking and I can only attest for myself but I think I feel this from the friends as well. I feel that the support we all need is support in terms of scrutinizing the intention - why it is that we do what we do because everything was clarified for us and we always perform actions for the sake of the society here, all of us, and I feel that what we lack is clarity with respect to the intention. And also, an individual doesn’t really have the strength to scrutinize this very simple thing of why am I doing what I’m doing. I feel I don’t have the power to conduct this scrutiny by myself. Whether during the lesson or when I work here painting this place, or anything that you do. I think it begets the true lack and I had this thought occur to me during the lesson. Perhaps, we need to invest in preparations for all these actions, I don’t even know exactly how, but to scrutinize that point itself and not start taking any action before there’s even some small lack for what it is that we want exactly. Even if it vanishes in a moment but at least to have it there. I feel that in this lesson there’s, well, two hours of focus and incorporation and effort just to feel what I lack and to truly bring a prayer out from the bottom of my heart. Two hours it takes, and how to create a situation where this act accompanies us, always all the time, I don’t know how to formulate the question exactly, but this preparation, perhaps, that’s what we need.

M. Laitman: Summarize the lesson now and we will continue next part.