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

Daily Lesson (Morning), July 11, 2024. 

Part 2: Rabash Letter 77

Reader: We’re reading in The Writings Of Rabash, Letter 77. You can find the study material at kabbalah.info. and the Arvut system; you can also send questions there. Anyone asking questions here in the study hall is asked to stand up, hold the mic close to his mouth and speak loudly and clearly. Letter 77

Reader: (00:25) To my friend,

I received your letter together with 18, etc., and concerning the group, it is known that “As water face to the face,” etc., meaning that when a person feels his lowliness, it is because he feels His greatness. That is, normally, when we give to another, if he is of inferior degree, his giving is also very small.

Therefore, usually, when we collect donations, we search for influential and respectable people because according to the importance of the receiver, so is the measure of the donations. Therefore, when one wants to bestow upon the Creator, the evil inclination comes and depicts the Shechina [Divinity] in the dust. That is, whatever we give is enough and we need not give more.

But for one who wishes to receive reward for his work it is to the contrary. He appreciates the giver and says to himself that He must be benevolent and merciful. He mentions all the virtues of the giver because he wants Him to give him abundance.

Therefore, all those whose work is based on reward for the work, regardless of whether the reward is corporeal or spiritual—what one imagines to be spiritual, as long as it is a reward for one’s work—then through a little bit of thought and effort he can appreciate and cherish the giver.

But in the way of Baal HaSulam, where the whole foundation is that one should ask that all of one’s thoughts and desires will be only to benefit the Creator, a depiction of lowliness, called Shechina in the dust, immediately appears. Hence, we must not be impressed by the descent, since many pennies join into a great amount.

This is as we learned, “there is no absence in spirituality,” rather that it has temporarily departed in order to have room for work to advance. This is so because every moment that we scrutinize into holiness enters the domain of holiness, and a person descends only in order to sort out more sparks of holiness.

However, there is an advice that one should not wait until his degree is lowered for him, and when he feels his lowliness he goes up again, and that ascent is regarded as sorting a part into holiness. Instead, he himself descends and elevates other sparks, and raises them into the domain of holiness.

It is as our sages said, “Before I lose, I search” (Shabbat, 152), meaning before I lose the situation I am in, I start searching. It is as Baal HaSulam said about King David, who said, “I awaken the dawn.” Our sages said, “I awaken the dawn and the dawn does not awaken me.”

Therefore, the keeping is primarily during the ascent, and not during the descent. During the ascent we need to extend fear, lest we are pushed out, God forbid. But after all these, all we need is to cry out to the King and ask for His mercy on us once and for all.

I will conclude my letter for I am not accustomed to letters.

Baruch Shalom HaLevi

Son of Baal HaSulam

M. Laitman: No questions, right? Yes?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (06:34) We need to hold faith above reason.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: He writes that there's an advice for a person that doesn't wait until he's lowered from his degree, he feels his lowliness and then he comes back up. And this ascent means that he's sorted, apart, into sanctity. The place where a person establishes himself as a result of the light and faith. And the rest of the time, he's not able to make that leap, he lacks that power. Where's that work of rising and ascending, and bringing up the sparks and all that? How do we get there? 

M. Laitman: Through subjugation, through subduing oneself.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:56) What does it mean that a person descends in order to sort sparks of holiness?

M. Laitman: Where he wants to go down from his degree until he arranges those sparks that he feels on his back.

Student: A person himself can enter a descent?

M. Laitman: If it's a descent for the purpose of ascending, then, yes.

Student: And what is that scrutiny that he's doing? What does it mean that he scrutinizes the state?

M. Laitman: He's scrutinizing those small lights which can clothe in him and assist him in reaching the next degree.

Student: It means that in this state he feels that he can enter such states that beforehand he couldn't scrutinize with the friends. But now he has the strength to do it and he can extract more bestowal from them?

M. Laitman: Yes. Yes.

Question (Women PT6 and PT38 and Turkiye 8) (09:46) How can a person awaken the dawn and not that the dawn will awaken him? What kind of action is that?

M. Laitman: It's where a person yearns to reach the next degree, his state on the path; he should be in that. 

Question (Women Turkiye 8): (10:35) It says in the letter while a person wants to bestow to the Creator, then the evil inclination comes and shows him that the Shechina is in the dust, that they shouldn't give more than needed. How can a person deal with that, how can he overcome the evil inclination and only bestow? 

M. Laitman: That's if one connects with his friends, then all of them together, can bring about an ascent.

Question (Volga): (11:31) The first part: How to see the articles of the last generation because I don't exactly know what to do with it. And your explanation can really help for these writings. And a question from the article, itself, what does it mean to use fear during an ascent? 

M. Laitman: It's not simple. meaning, although you are in ascent, to still keep that reverence, that fear. That requires preparation.

Student: So, it's an inner exercise.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Kyiv 1): (13:00) It's written in the article that every moment you scrutinize and connect to holiness, so you're in holiness. So, what's the right way to scrutinize and connect every moment to holiness?

M. Laitman: For that, we need constant, permanent, prayer and a constant connection with the friends. And to understand that your entire existence comprises those moments, the moments of life. And in that way, you protect yourself against falling.

Student: What does it mean that you need to have a constant prayer, what prayer?

M. Laitman: Grab hold of the friends, be assisted by them, each one helps his friend.

Student: You said that every moment in life are the same states that the friends are going through. How to be sensitive enough and aim myself to what the friends are going through, not what I'm going through?

M. Laitman: You go through what they go through; and you also have your own moments. But in principle, the main thing for you is to be connected to them and go through all these states with them.

Student: But I'm constantly only thinking about myself and my problems. How can I only think of them and their states? 

M. Laitman: I don't know what to tell you, you just need to feel that you depend upon them, you're dependent upon them.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (15:30) When a person wants to bestow to the Creator like he says, with no benefit for himself. That he feels his lowliness and that the Creator is unimportant.

M. Laitman: Again?

Student: When a person wants to bestow and do an action of bestowal, whose lowliness does he feel? His own or is the Creator not important because he's saying something that I didn't expect, “the evil inclination is depicting the Divinity in the dust”.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: I thought he’ll depict the Creator as not important.

M. Laitman: Bestowal upon the Creator for that person, for himself, is in the dust.

Student: If a person performs an action of bestowal and feels that the greatness of the Creator is just, he's losing it. So, what should he do?

M. Laitman: First of all, he has to connect to others, to the friends, who supposedly in all of them, there's a different level of the recognition of the Creator. And then to pray.

Student: Let's say he started an action, he's connected with the friends, that's an action of bestowal. During the action he feels that the greatness of the Creator is fading and fading, he's losing forces.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So, what does he do at that point?

M. Laitman: Everything is attained by the power of prayer.

Student: What can I ask of the Creator if He's already shining? The Creator is already shining on him and he's still losing forces, how can it be?

M. Laitman: Ask the Creator to give him the option, the opportunity, the knowledge. The will to act due to the Creator's illumination.

Student: When he says to raise sparks, what is that action?

M. Laitman: Desires for connection, bestowal, that's the meaning of raising sparks.

Student: Because he has to enter connection with the friends and search for more things?

M. Laitman: Yes, that's the main thing, because he has to turn to the Creator from within their connection, the connection of all the participants and to elevate them.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (18:34) He said thing that the main time to watch guard is during an ascent, that I should push ahead. And on the other hand, he says that you should descend and raise the sparks. So how do I work with both states? On one hand, I have to constantly push ahead and keep the ascent because during the ascent I shouldn't let myself descend. He also told us, more than once, I shouldn't descend, I should constantly be with my head up, push the friends, connect more and ask for the next state.

M. Laitman: So, what's the question?

Student: He says to still descend and bring sparks into holiness. So why descend if I have to keep the ascent all the time?

M. Laitman: But it doesn't depend on me.

Student: So, who?

M. Laitman: There are states in which I descend.

Student: That I initiate the descent?

M. Laitman: It's not that I invoke the descent.

Student: So?

M. Laitman: That's how the upper force operates upon me.

Student: But he says that he himself descends and raises sparks, not that it's the state we get.

M. Laitman: That's a different state already.

Student: That's what I'm asking about.

M. Laitman: Well?

Student: He says, on one hand, I have to keep the ascent all the time and push ahead.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Like he said, to awaken the dawn, and not that the dawn will awaken me.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But then he says that I myself need to descend and raise sparks.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, I'm asking, how do I work with those two states? On one hand, keep the ascent all the time, push ahead. On the other hand, to go down and bring sparks from my own initiative.

M. Laitman: Yes, on the one hand, I elevate my vessels and receive an impression of holiness in them. And on the other hand, later, I awaken my uncorrected desires, scrutinize which of them I can raise to be corrected. Then I raise them to be corrected, and in that way I join them with what I already corrected.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:20) He writes that we have to descend in order to reveal the lowliness, and then he ascends. It’s clear the ascent is for the descent, what helps the ascent afterwards if he discovers his lowliness?

M. Laitman: The very same vessel, which was not in adhesion with the Creator, he discovers it and adds it to his ascent.

Student: The revelation is in the empty vessel, in his own lowliness?

M. Laitman: For the time being, yes.

Student: And that helps him, afterwards?

M. Laitman: That helps him, afterwards, to work with that vessel, to correct it, to receive light into it, and so to gain the next degree.

Student: But for now, I guess he feels his lowliness, his lack of ability?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But he says that he has to ascend.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And ascending usually means to adhere to the friends?

M. Laitman: In that manner, yes.

Student: So, when he reveals his lowliness, he needs to adhere to the friends in a form of bestowal, but he doesn't have this.

M. Laitman: No, no, he annuls himself and he's included amongst the friends, so to speak

Student: Isn’t it dangerous that he completes with this state?

M. Laitman: No, no, he annulled himself. He annulled himself and he's under the control of the friends.

Student: What is he annulling in that moment?

M. Laitman: All of his desires to receive.

Student: That awaken in him?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Against the unpleasant feeling of lowliness of himself?

M. Laitman: Of course, yes.

Student: So, annulment?

M. Laitman: Annulment of the self.

Student: And in that annulment prayer, awakens?

M. Laitman: Only through wanting to be annulled.

Student: So, the prayer has given me an ability to annul this moment when I feel my own lowliness?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:06) Why do you need first to be man, and only then, be wise?

M. Laitman: If he's not a person, how can he be wise?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:29) He wrote that those that work for the sake of something, whether it's corporeality or spirituality, what a person imagines that is spirituality but he's searching for a reward from his work. So then by a bit of thought and exertion, he can give importance to the Giver. What's the direction of this thought that makes you get importance of the Creator? How do you do it in that state?

M. Laitman: I don't know how to say, what kind of thoughts should exist which helps me get to know the Giver?

Student: He says with a bit of thought and exertion, he can give importance to the Giver. And he emphasizes that. He said that the main part of this thought and exertion, so again, he says what a person, the work, that while he wants a reward, whether it's corporeality or spirituality. So, it's when he wants a reward, then he has to do the action of seeing, cherishing the Giver.

M. Laitman: Look, we can talk about it a lot but let's ask the audience. Tell them, tell them the question, again.

Student: He wrote in the end that when a person wants a reward, whether in corporeality or spirituality. The main thing is that there's a reward for the work, then with a bit of thought, he can see importance and cherish the Giver. So, what is that bit of thought and exertion that you have to give in order to cherish the giver, that he wants a reward?

M. Laitman: Well, go ahead. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:56) I understood it, otherwise; that he writes that if a person works for a reward that it isn't the right path. So, then it's easy, you check what you got; and according to that, you can appreciate your Giver. But on the spiritual path, what he writes that, “the foundation is that a person has to ask everything to be for the benefit of the Creator”. And that's difficult because you're trying to hold the greatness of the Creator and the evil inclination comes and lowers that greatness, that's why the work is harder.

M. Laitman: Is he right or wrong? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:39) According to what I read, it doesn't matter if it's corporeality or spirituality. Meaning to start in Lo Lishma, start working and thinking  who let you come to this lesson, who made you think of None Else Besides Him? Then  you can start giving gratitude and not see the, then he goes even beyond that.

M. Laitman: Nice. More?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (28:18) About the greatness of the Creator, the importance of the Creator.

M. Laitman: Alright.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (28:29) It doesn't matter what you have, think that the friends will have it. That's the addition, there's always something to add in that direction.

M. Laitman: Correct, it’s stronger.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (28:47) What I understood is that he's speaking about the work, and there's no contradiction. He says that the work is on the foundation of getting a reward for the work, meaning, he has the ability to work. Then he says, whatever a person thinks spirituality is, that should be his reward for his work. Like you teach us in other places, the work is the reward

M. Laitman: That's a matter of degrees, yes. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:47) You said that I always have to have the importance of the Creator in my eyes, whatever I do here is for the Creator. That all my intention should be to give Him contentment, everything we're building here, the whole system is for the Creator. And I have to see that in front of my eyes all the time, what I’m doing for His benefit. What will really, that every little action will be for the benefit of the Creator and that should be in front of my eyes, all the time. You also told this to me this week, that the right balance in the work and the true determination in any scrutiny is to see the Creator in our eyes, what will, really, give Him contentment.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Reader: (30:45) We have either the Study of the Ten Sefirot we can read. Or selected excerpts about Equal As One, There's No Strong Friend, There's A Strong Society?

M. Laitman: Where does that appear? I have it, Equals As One, There's No Strong Friend, There's A Strong Society. And we haven't started that yet?

Reader:  We started.

M. Laitman: Started where?

Reader: We’re in quote #6.

M. Laitman: Yes, that's right.

Reader: So, transition and we'll go to the next part.