Morning Lesson July 20, 2022, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 2:
Baal HaSulam. Introduction to the Book Panim Meirot uMasbirot
1. R. (00:19) This is a very well-known introduction by Baal HaSulam, he started by writing the interpretation to Etz Chaim by the Ari, Panim Meirot uMasbirot. This is an addendum to the study of The Ten Sefirot. That's why this introduction is very important. We will start to study it and along the way we'll go over some things that you won't find anywhere else.
Reading (01:03) “Introduction to the Book Panim Meirot uMasbirot1 - #1) It is written at the end of the Okatzin”
2. R. (04:31) Here Baal HaSulam brings us several impressions from the general words of Torah, these are such things that we cannot still debate them and understand them it’s not so important we’re far away from them.
Continues… (04:53) “Introduction to the Book Panim Meirot uMasbirot1 - #1) It is written at the end of the Okatzin”
3. R. (07:24) Let's say a few words about what we just heard. First of all, this is a very special introduction as you can see the introduction to the book “Panim Meirot uMasbirot” that's how Baal HaSulam designated it and he opens by addressing people who study all the books of the Torah and the Talmud and they are immersed in it and they never get to the wisdom of Kabbalah and he wishes to awaken them to the study of the wisdom of Kabbalah because that’s his goal and that’s why he writes. He explains here that according to all the sources all the original sources of the wisdom the wisdom of the Torah we cannot understand the Torah if we don't learn the wisdom of Kabbalah at the end of the day does what he says, in order to understand the Torah everybody knows that book is not so big, it talks about all kinds of relationships between different people Abraham Isaac Jacob, all kinds of things that belong to this small nation that was there, it is written in such a way that everyone thinks it's a story and this story you can read the even to children that's how you learn it that's how you read it and humanity has accepted it all kinds of ways and it’s talked about it a lot but the sages say different things about it they said that this story is a code, it’s only a code and there's nothing about it that talks about this world although it seemingly speaks about this world, rather it speaks about the governance of all of reality the entire cosmos all the forces what was and what is and what will be when everyone that we see and can’t see you feel and cannot feel, t is speaks of everything because it talks about the Creator the upper force that’s above our world on all the other worlds that we haven't even discovered and His attitude towards all this creation and how this creation can, and this is the important thing, how can this creation correctly respond to what it feels in its existence. It can change itself in such a way that through all these concealments all the worlds all those distances how it can reach a state where it reveals and discovers the upper force that advances it and shakes it and then people who discover it can then change their reality and this is the true purpose. That's what Kabbalists are telling us it’s in our hands and we simply need to understand what is the Torah, how much of it is a code, we understand better what is a code today like in a computer software in the computer a programming language that with this language we can understand and talk to a computer, similarly by using the Torah which is a code although it’s a book but it's not so simple, if we open up this book correctly if we read it correctly through that we can penetrate the computer of all of reality, we can penetrate it and activate ourselves and all reality using this code. That's why he says that we read but we don't understand anything, and we can’t activate anything, and we can’t influence their destiny and what do they need? We need the wisdom of Kabbalah, that's it.
Reading (13:08) Item #2 “However, accordingly, we need to understand the great concealing applied in the interior of the Torah…”
4. R. (14:04) Meaning you cannot understand what’s written in the books of the Torah unless you receive an explanation from a certified Kabbalist who knows and understands and can prepare them to understand as well.
Continues (14:22) Item #2 “ However, accordingly, we need to understand the great concealing applied in the interior of the Torah…”
5. R. (15:44) What is he saying? He’s saying that in short simple words, we have no choice but to come to a state where we open up the Torah otherwise we suffer and we don't understand what is required what is nature demand of us why do we exist, these degrees of still vegetative and animate they don't have any questions, they live because they live but those who are on the degree of Adam a man who has an inner root to reach the understanding of the Creator, to understand his, everything that caused him to understand his destiny, he is perplexed and he doesn't know why is he suffering what for what is it about his life who governs him what does he depend on and so on so and so forth, so people who develop to such a level begin to have big questions without any answers, and where we will they get their answer?
Reading (17:06) Item #2 continues..” Indeed we find such mysteries…”
6. R. (18:03) Meaning it’s forbidden it’s written in many places it’s forbidden to simply open up the wisdom the wisdom of Kabbalah the true inner wisdom, what we call the wisdom of the entire cosmos that’s written in the book of Torah, rather one who is born on such a degree that does not demand more do not open it for him, but those who truly desire it and are destined to understand it and understand the secret of the universe you should open it up for them.
Reading (18:48) Item #2 “ The secular sages of our time do not do so..”
7. R. (19:28) Yes this is what we see in our days in our time, anyone everyone can come in and study all the wisdoms in the world and there are no limitations, and he explains further…
Reading (19:50) Item #3 “Let me explain the matter. We distinguish four divisions in the speaking species...”
8. R. (24:23) Meaning having all of reality still vegetative animate and speaking, each degree includes all the degrees below it therefore man includes everything and in this way we can continue to discuss the speaking degree because if we correct the speaking degree we correct all of creation, this is what we need to get out of this.
9. S. (25:20) The four degrees of the masses, the rich the strong and the sagacious, you say that mostly we should correct this speaking and everything else will work out, how’s that?
R. Because we include all those degrees inside of us, still vegetative animate and speaking, if we correct the speaking degree we automatically include all the lower degrees in it as well.
10. S. (26:23) What protects us from having the Torah become the potion of death?
R. Anything and everything that we use we can use it with the will to receive and with the will to bestow, if we use it with the will to receive it’s to the detriment of everyone if we use it with the will to bestow it is to the benefit of everyone so it’s not about the wisdom it’s about the usage which depends on the person.
11. S. (26:53) Why is peace the lesson? What is peace?
R. Shalom means……Shlemut…….. wholeness, I complete all the parts of the creation into one root which is the Creator.
12. S. (27:10) What are the tales that are like apples that the inside is eaten, and the outside is thrown out?
R. [missing translation]… legends are like stories but they’re not like the ones, the fairy tales we tell children but it's not about what is written there but it's only an insinuation, so it's hard to understand when they are concealed in such a way by Kabbalists, how Kabbalists conceal their great secrets..
13. S. (27:44) Why did they code the Torah, the sages.
R. In order to allow a person to gradually advance from zero to a hundred percent attainment of the Creator.
Reading (28:05) Item 3 “ This rule applies to the four divisions in the human species…”
14. R. (29:43) Meaning, we have people as a grade mass and each one of them, there are different tendencies out of their ego. Tendencies of envy, lust, and honor. Through those three they can develop. Using these three tendencies envy, lust, and honor, they can become developed humans. We actually don't see envy, lust, and honor as exalted qualities. These are egoistic qualities. Specifically through those qualities, those who have more of them can develop more and reach a state where they can understand that they must correct themselves and reach the degree of Adam, the one who resembles the Creator. It is written, he who is greater than his friend his inclination is greater.
Reading (30:55) Item #3 “The inclination for lust educes the wealthy...”
15. R. (31:42) Meaning, through the tendency of lust from the beast of man begins to develop.
Reading (31:54) “ The inclination for honor educes the famous heroes..."
16. R. (32:54) This is the second degree of the inclination of last and the inclination for honor.
Reading (33:03) Item 4 “The inclination for envy elicits the sages from among them…”
17. R. (34:43) This is the greatest inclination, the inclination for honor so envy, lust, and honor.
Continues (34:54) "Yet, those who remain without any merit, it…”
18. R. (38:15) Meaning, development comes to a state where eventually people want everything for their own good for themselves and consequently they should not open up the secrets for the world. They can be used to the detriment. Imagine that there are forces greater than nuclear bombs. Anyone who wishes can possess. That is why the sages of the Zohar, the Kabbalists concealed the wisdom, and they didn't give any to everyone. Here's the question, how can we do it and he explains it further? Where is he headed? We live in a state where we have discovered everything that needs to be discovered in the corporeal world and if we cannot use it correctly we can destroy the world. If we wish to protect it, we need to open up the wisdom of Kabbalah specifically, so people will understand where they are and how they can manage their world and reach a state where no one interferes with another. Everyone, Each and every one has an entire world, and our ego will receive its fulfillment except with the intention to bestow. That's what he eventually arrives at.
19. S. (40:38) He says very harsh things here Baal HaSulam, but not everyone accepts them. He says that with their externality didn't acquire anything and all the importance is on the internality, the inside. What is internality and externality?
R. Every wisdom has internally and externally just like in the world, just like in everything. So, we need to yearn for the internality of things. That's it.
20. S. (41:17) What does it mean that the majority of the people were left to look up a wall?
R. The Kabbalists closed the wisdom of Kabbalah, and they didn't let the masses engage in it. On the contrary, they tell everyone they should do it, why? Because there was a period that people were going through their corporeal and material development and as long as they were going through the material and corporeal development, they shouldn't be confused.
S. We are in a different period of time actually?
R. Yes.
21. S. (41:13) If the Torah is an inner code language is it important for us to learn the portion of the week with you?
R. No, the weekly portion is the most difficult thing, and you need a great deal of preparation to understand them.
22. S. (42:34) Can we say that the Kibbutz and Communism is a confusion that was created from them trying to use the wisdom incorrectly?
R. Those are good, beautiful tendencies that awaken in a person but without the correction of the ego they become destructive.
23. S. (43:03) What does it mean to be worthy of the wisdom?
R. To be worthy of the wisdom means that we wish to attain the wisdom and use it for the correction of the world.