Morning Lesson December 24, 2023

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

Part 1:

Rabash. Article No. 2, 1985. The Meaning of Branch and Root.

1. Rav intro: Yes, the meaning of branch and root. There's a lot of material about it and we need to learn from the root in order to resemble it, and from that to know how to relate to our branches because root and branch exist everywhere in infinite variations. It is a very important thing so let's see.

Reading Article. (01:12) “The meaning of root and branch. The land of Israel…”

2. S. (25:03) I’ve made a division; I want to see if this is correct. Revealed vessels and branches as opposed to hidden lights and roots. Is this correct to divide it this way?

R. No, there is revealed and concealed in both.

S. What exactly is the externality when we talk about externality?

R. Externality and internality are relative to a person, all these divisions are relative to the person.

S. There is the example of the Minyan, the Ten, that externality comes before internality. What is the meaning of this example, why did he give it?

R. In the corporeal count, you can keep whatever you need to keep in the Ten, and if there will be nine geniuses or righteous people it won't be enough.

3. S. (26:23) I didn’t understand the connection between internality and externality, what comes before what? Does one lead to the other?

R. We have to keep the externality in any case, regardless of the spiritual degree of all of us in the Ten and if we're talking about the keeping of the internality, then the internal existence relates to how much we are drawn to how much we exist in the matter of the internal connection.

S. That means that they stand, kind of on their own; there's no connection between them? Does one not lead to the other?

R. It's possible that there's no connection between them and it is possible that there is a connection between them. I don't quite understand what you're asking.

S. I'm asking does externality lead to internality?

R. Externally does not lead to internality unless we hold the intention. In order to approach internality, to keep the internality our externality is also included in the same prayers.

S. If we work on intentions without externality?

R. What are intentions without externality?

S. We engage in connection.

R. Engage?

S. Engage but only internally, without any external actions, only the work of the heart.

R. Oh, that's the question, yes.

S. Is this enough? I mean can we reach internality without the externality?

R. You can reach internality without externality, but it pulls you in that direction of the complete existence, the complete being both in externality and internality.

S. In other words, externality supports internality?

R. Yes?

S. If I have intentions?

R. Certainly if you have intentions.

S. If I do only externality without internality then externality does not lead to internality?

R. Yes, we see it daily on the streets.

S. If I engage in internality without externality?

R. If you engage in internality without externality then it pulls you to some extent to the external correction.

S. Is this enough?

R. It depends on the society you are in, and how you keep it.

S. Can we take a concrete example from our life?

R. Yes.

S. Let's say we disseminate, and we have a connection in the Ten, there are always questions about what comes before what. Can we say on our level that one is called externality, and the other is internality, can we say this? Can we take this example and clothe the principles we just talked about on them? 

R. Again?

S. Dissemination and work in the Ten.

R. In each one of them, there's internality and externality.

S. What? Can you explain, please?

R. Well, in dissemination it's clear we wish to influence the hearts of the friends in order to connect between us and that is our internal work, and the external work is when we all try to perform some external actions.

S. That's in the Ten?

R. Yes.

S. External actions, meaning meeting, having meals?

R. Yes.

S. Okay, so in the Ten what leads to what, do we need both?

R. Yes.

S. The external actions for example a meal in the Ten together with the intentions?

R. Will be parallel to the intentions.

S. If we engage only in internality, for example, only intentions without meeting for meals in the Ten?

R. Yes.

S. Can we come to internality to be as one man with one heart?

R. Yes.

S. We don't need the externality.

R. It's recommended, desired to keep internality and externality that are equal to one another and then we have the complete effort, whereas if we wish to keep only one without the other the work is not so complete, and we will need to do it eventually. 

4. S. (32:37) The article is called the meaning of root and branch, and he explains here that there's a root to the land of Israel, a root to Syria, a root to Jordan, and that the land of Israel is called the Holy Land. What can we learn from this article with regard to the land of Israel today and the situation in it?

R. That truly we need to relate to this ground we live on called the land of Israel as the place of the branch that extends from the holy root because in spirituality there are forces that divide our world into holy and secular parts. You have in the land of Israel, meaning there are all kinds of divisions between even in the area on the face of the planet, and to the extent that we belong to the internal land of Israel we can belong to the corporeal land of Israel. If not? No.

S. What does that mean?

R. That it's written in many places, and we saw it from our history that to the extent that we are not compatible with the land of Israel, we are also not compatible with the corporeal land of Israel.

S. What does it mean to be compatible with the Holy Land?

R. To be compatible, Eretz land is a desire, and Kodesh holiness is in order to bestow, and when we live in the corporeal land of Israel we must accordingly be in a degree of bestowal, mutual bestowal.

5. S. (35:22) The correction of internality and externality seems clear; it is what we do all the time. Let's say the connection is the most important and it also has to be expressed somehow externally but what he gives here is an example that is completely unclear. Why does it matter if people, if ten people gather and say Kaddish or only nine and say Kaddish, what kind of correction is it? Why if nine people say Kaddish together it doesn't count and ten say it, it does count as something. The order from externality to internality is not clear?

R. We need to adapt ourselves to become suitable to the internal structure of the world which is ten and we exist in this way and keep the commandments according to what exists in the Ten.

S. What correction or lack thereof does it do?

R. We depict the internality and externality of the world.

S. If a person attains the degree of ‘ten’ he also wants to say I need ten bodies to say Kaddish.

R. Yes.

S. If he didn't attain it it doesn't matter. Why does it matter if seven or eight or ten people get together?

R. Well it's good that he knows that this is how it should be and that he is moving closer to it.

S. It's only for knowledge, it's not really a correction or lack of correction?

R. It's also correction.

S. That we know what to aspire for?

R. Yes, it's a correction that's applied externally and finally.

6. S. (37:26) Why is there a need for a system branch and roots? Why does there need to be a branch?

R. Well how will the branch be arranged?

S. Why is there a need for a branch altogether? Why can’t we have only roots?

R. So there will be only the upper world?

S. Yes, why not?

R. Without our world?

S. It could be our world but why does it need to be according to the roots?

R. They need to be compatible so that each branch will resemble its root, that's its correction that's what a branch needs to do.

S. The branch corrects the root?

R. The branch corrects itself to resemble the root.

S. In the development of the branch in the corporeal world it begins in some corrupted way and in the end, it becomes a root similar to the upper root? 

R. Yes.

S. When I look at some branch in our world, let's take the land of Israel for example, what should be my relation to it?

R. As much as you are drawn to the land of Israel according to its qualities you should always be drawn or also be drawn to the corporeal land of Israel. That's how it is. We can't see, we don't know, and certainly, we can't feel every root and branch in these things, but we see it's very important. We see from the Kabbalists from those who feel it who are in root and branch.

S. If there is a root, I haven’t attained I don’t feel the importance, there are many such things, many roots I haven’t. Internally I'm not even close to them so what should be my relation to these branches?

R. You are trying to keep the laws in the branch in order to bring it closer to its root.

S. I still need to respect the branch in this corporeal world even though there are things that I can't even connect to their roots.

R. Well of course.

S. Even though I have no idea what is the spiritual root I still have to give it a certain respect?

R. Yes.

S. There is a fear that engaging in the branches will draw me to the externality and I'll remain in the Branch rather than engage in internality.

R. You also have to be in an environment that will help you keep this balance.

7. S. (40:43) As long as we have not been rewarded with Torah Lishma, for her sake, we cannot aim our external actions to be in order to bestow?

R. Of course not. Torah Lishma means that we keep the laws of Torah, not all of them, maybe some of them as much as possible but in order to bestow, yes. Lishma as we call it for her sake. 

8. S. (41:26) Many times when we hear of places or people in the Torah like Moses and Sinai, we say it is spiritual forces, but also that these people lived physically, and we say that every root has to touch corporeality at least once. Why does every branch have to have a root and have to be materialized at least once into the branches?

R. Because otherwise, you don't keep the connection between root and branch.

S. Who is we? Something happened thousands of years ago, what does it mean that we're observing it?

R. Yes, but we who connect the root and branch in whatever it was given to us, we correct the connection between the root and branch.

S. In relation to the land of Israel, our fathers in Zionism, those who returned to the land of Israel had a special relation to the land of Israel, right? When this came all the settling and Zionism, and they weren't religious people. Is there importance to this? Because today for example this whole topic of settlement, the borders of Israel, it is given importance but today people don't feel it. Is there something important about this matter?

R. Yes, but it comes in periods. We don't understand quite why but there are times where it's more important, times where it's less important.

S. I'm asking about the importance of the land of Israel that for example, the religious people have importance for it and other sects of Judaism less so. Is there importance to it?

R. I think that yes, because it's nevertheless a root and a branch, and when we engage in keeping Torah and Mitzvot corporeally we also wish to continue keeping it spiritually.

S. In this education like learning our history, there's importance even if we don’t understand as if we don’t know how to learn it and how to teach it?

R. Yes, yes, we don't know how to learn it and how to teach it but there is connection and we have to know about it.

9. S. (43:57) What is the difference between inner work abroad and inner work in the land of Israel? It's true that the majority of great Kabbalists came from overseas and their inner work was greater there. What is the difference? Because he says that here, I can basically do whatever I want, I can be a criminal. What is the difference between inner work overseas and that can be greater work there?

R. The thing is that they used to live in a time when you were not able to return to the land of Israel and keep the Torah and Mitzvot here. We are able to return to the land of Israel and to keep the Torah and Mitzvot, and here's the question seemingly, what's more important to be in the land of Israel and keep, or be in the land of Israel and not keep, compared to being abroad and keeping or not keeping there? This is the problem, this is the question, we still cannot see these results in our corporeal world.

S. Yes, because it says that there is no connection between inner work and external work so there is no necessary condition connection between them.

R. Yes.

S. When do we feel our obligation to this special place?

R. When we come to the feeling of the root to a small extent from its externality to its internality more and more, we would want, we would feel, and also the projection it will be like a copy of it in corporeality and in this way, we will keep it, let's hope in our time.

10. S. (46:39) Even before we feel the root of the connection between externality and internality, what external activities, even commandments, should a friend do even on the minimum level to advance in spirituality?

R. First of all, according to what he belongs to in his corporeal life, if there's a root and branch and a certain connection although we don't know what is the connection between the spiritual root and the corporeal branch so we must try to keep the laws of the root according to the behavior of the branch.

S. Even if I don't feel the connection?

R. In truth, yes.

S. What?

R. Well we have to scrutinize it because there's many things that were added and accumulated during our long and confused history in each and every one so we do need to think how to match the root to the branch.

S. I'm not sure it's the time and setting but because of our confused history and all the people around us, what are the actions that will advance us to spirituality directly?

R. Directly? The connection between the branch and the root.

S. Yes, external physical actions that will advance us to spirituality even if I don't feel the connection if I have no desire for it.

R. We need to keep what's possible to keep in externality and pray that it will open up for us the connection between branch and root in internality. That's what Rabash said more than once.

11. S. (49:27) We are in a state of root and branch and also the correction and during the time of the ARI and his students, they didn't have to physically go to Jerusalem they were required…

R. I don't want to get into it. We don't understand about this. No, no, no, no, we won't be able to interpret it, we won't be able to take it as a foundation. It's just a shame. We don't want to go for these things where we don't know exactly and also in our time and in relation to our matter where we don't know the root and branch. Let's not take it as an example.

S. What was missed there?

R. This too I cannot interpret, explain. 

12. S. (50:41) Can I ask about the land of Israel?

R. Yes.

S. It says here about the conquering, conquest, conquering of the land, conquering of the holy land will take place when we match with our relationship and our hearts to sanctity as you explained earlier. 

R. Yes.

S. Until we reach such a level that we are spiritual people that live in love and bestowal and there's a holiness that matches the root of the land of Israel. How should our reaction be if the world is asking us to deliver part of the holy land or all of it to other nations? What should be our reaction according to Kabbalah?

R. According to Kabbalah, what we need is not to give it back, that's clear, but as long as we are under the influence of the spiritual root and the corporeal branch we have to decide to what extent we relinquish the holy land of Israel and to what extent we accept the laws of the land of Israel as corporeal laws and geography, zoology, biology, this already depends on entirely on us.

S. I didn't quite understand, you said according to Kabbalah we shouldn't return parts of the land of Israel.

R. Yes.

 S. Even if the whole world will demand it from us, saying leave, get out of here it's not yours, you are conquerors.

R. But why do you want to insist on it?

S. Because in a moment that is a reality the country is going to deal with it but now there's a bit of quiet because we are at war but it's clear that the world is going to demand of us to vacate partially or entirely. In the United States half of the young people 18-24 think that the problem can be solved if we give back the land of Israel, meaning it is clear that the world will stand before the land, the country of Israel, and will ask us to vacate part of it so it's not a spiritual debate. What will the Kabbalist say to such a demand from the country of Israel that will say you are not related to this you are occupiers, get out of here. What does Kabbalah say about it?

R. Kabbalah says that such a thing can happen, and it is our fault, that situation is our fault, yes, there's nothing you can do but to leave the land of Israel, yes. If it is a demand from the whole world and we are not permitted to exist we won't be able to, and we cannot insist on our conditions, we'll have to leave and get out of here because basically you caused it.  

13. S. (54:41) He writes that Malchut is the root for the land of Israel, and he says that the special root of Syria, Jordan, and Babylon, what is the root there? What is so special about those places? What is the root of those places?

R. There are several parts of land around the will to receive that are close to the land of Israel, they don't belong to it but are close to it like Babylon, Syria, and Lebanon.

S. Well there's Malchut. I understand there are other Sefirot. If Malchut is the will to receive which is the root for the land of Israel, the land of Israel is a branch and there's Jordan that's also a Branch, so what is the root of Jordan or Babylon? Which Sefira? I don't know if it's Malchut, he doesn't write about it, he says it's a special root.

R. There are special roots to each and every one, therefore we need to keep every branch and root, and by this we maintain the world correctly.

S. Again, what is the root of Babylon?

R. Babylon, Syria, and the land of Israel are those parts of Malchut which are divided in this way.

S. They're also rooted in Malchut?

R. Yes. Even, he says that there was a man who was chasing his donkey or his mare so in the evening he came to Babylon from the land of Israel, by evening.

S. Malchut is the root for the land of Israel, Jordan, and Syria?

R. But in Malchut you have…

S. Another question about the externalities. Is it correct to think that there were times when they kept certain things in externality and then they disappeared, and they see that the Patriarchs kept the entire Torah?

R. These are a matter of time.

S. Internality in a man's heart, the work is set. It's the same a thousand years ago, three thousand years ago but in externality, things change sometimes there's a temple, sometimes there's the land of Israel, sometimes there isn't. These are periods, accordingly, we need to, as the friend asked, what is important to keep in this period for our spiritual development?

R. In our time for our spiritual development and spiritual advancement, we have to start implementing the laws of connection as it is in the end of correction.

S. What does it mean externally?

R. Externally we have to unite together and learn what it means to be in complete connection, bonding.

S. Is it an external action, connection?

R. It is an act that is external and internal, yes.

S. We're talking about those customs that we understand as branches from the roots.

R. We need to observe all those laws in the roots and then also some of them in the branches to the extent that we learn from the root what belongs to the branch.

S. I understand that we have to reach Lishma and then we'll understand which things we’ll need to keep in the externality.

R. This is for sure. 

S. This is the order of the work?

R. Yes

14. S. (59:15) What are the things that you can only do in the land of Israel?

R. In the spiritual land of Israel you mean or corporeal?

S. Corporeal?

R. Corporeal today you can do whatever you want.

15. S. (59:39) What does it mean that we need to aspire to a physical land of Israel? I'm not Jewish, I've never even had the urge to visit the land of Israel.

R. We want to build within us a model of the spiritual land of Israel in the heart of each and every one and to come closer and closer to that model.

16. S. (01:00:30) Can a person feel that he's drawn to the corporeal land of Israel and still remains abroad?

R. For the time being it is not revealed that there is a connection between the root and the branch to such an extent that a person might ask himself why am I staying abroad?

17. S. (01:00:50) How important is the Hebrew language in the connection of the root and branch and the keeping of the land of Israel?

R. It’s important because nevertheless, we understand from the language many details about the qualities of the land of Israel.

18. S. (01:01:16) What is a root?

R. A root is a spiritual force that is at the center of nature and surrounds everything. The root is basically the Creator.

19. S. (01:01:40) What is Torah and Mitzvot? 

R. Torah and Mitzvot, commandments, the commandments are actions that the nation that belongs to the definition of the branch has to observe in order to be similar to the root.

20. S. (01:02:09) What are the secrets of Torah that they reveal to a person, and he becomes an ever-flowing spring?

R. They are revealed I can’t say but laws, and connections are revealed that are more and more internal that exist in the branch as opposed to the root and in the branch as opposed to the root and then the branch as opposed to more external branches, and this is how we learn.

21. S. (01:02:45) What is the concealed part of the Torah to a person and what is the revealed part of the Torah to a person?

R. It is individual for each and every person. Some people are at the end of correction and some people are the complete opposite who have no idea, no knowledge, and can't imagine that there is that our world has any connection with the spiritual world.

22. S. (01:03:25) The definition in the article, what is a house without windows?

R. I don't know what it means.

S. We read it in the article the correction for the sun, I don't remember.

R. Okay.

23. S. (01:04:06) I write a lot in the lesson I write what you are saying and then I go over it and then I see almost every day if, up until today, I heard and I understood that as a result of my internal development I will begin to gradually understand the corporal expression from the root I’ll reach the branch and I might have a tendency to keep certain actions. Lately, in the last few weeks, I am hearing that it's possible that if I do certain customs, certain commandments corporally it will develop me also internally. That is what I'm reading and what I'm writing. I want to put this in order because for many years here, we've been here many years, I want to understand, do I need to change something about my daily routine that will advance me spiritually? For the sake of the matter do I have to start keeping the Shabbat? Will that advance me in my internal development?

R. It depends to what extent.

S. It is dramatic what you're saying. How are we as Tens as individuals begin to understand what should we do, and what could help us develop? I don’t know how to ask it but I think it demands a scrutiny in the society.

R. This requires a separate discussion. On the one hand, there is no coercion in spirituality even in corporeality. We need to learn these things so that it doesn't stay hanging in the air.

24. S. (01:06:34) The question about the house without windows it says as the sun shines and the person doesn't need me to make any corrections to make the sun shine, however, one needs to be careful not to put interferences so that the sun will not be able to shine where it should shine, for example, that it will not enter a house with no windows for this interrupts the shining of the sun. The question is what is a house without windows?

R. Go into some basement and you will see what it is like. Okay, it's a house without corrections that no light can come in there.

25. S. (01:07:29) Nevertheless, Kabbalists establish several rules without which a person cannot develop spiritually correctly, a very strong branch here, for example, a person has to have a family, a person has to work, a person has to be connected to the source on a daily basis and it has to happen in a group in a Ten. A person has to pay Maaser for basic things like that. Are those still valid for advancements spiritually?

R. Yes, more or less we are observing it in this entire big group.

26. S. (01:08:48) I have a few questions if I may. Is parenting the child the same root as parenting our Ten and what is the root? Is it a good example of roots and branches?

R. It is a very broad topic but yes, of course, give an example, give an example, and ask.

27. S. (01:09:36) How should the Ten relate to the revealed law, commandments, external commandments?

R. For the time being a Ten can determine whatever it thinks.

28. S. (01:10:05) If every branch in our world has a spiritual root in the upper world, if we accept it that the force that operates, operates from above downward toward the friend, does it mean that we are in the upper world? It continues, if we do exist in the upper world why do we have to strive and work so hard to acquire the soul?

R. We have to strive to acquire forces of bestowal and accordingly we will be compatible with the upper world which works entirely according to the principles of in order to bestow.

29. S. (01:11:10) Lishma, is it an inversion where the light becomes external, and the vessel becomes internal or the other way around?

R. Yes.

30. S. (01:11:44) If the Creator created us in His image, in His shape, His qualities and the Ten was given as the image of the Creator does it mean that in our thoughts, in our intentions, we can construct reality in this world?

R. Yes, correct.

31. S. (01:12:30) How do we as the world Kli could support Israel in these difficult times so that the internality of Israel would be compatible with the laws of the Torah, and we would keep the land of Israel?

R. I didn't really understand the question.

S. How can the world Kli support Israel so we would maintain, keep the country, the land, and the laws and not lose it?

R. As much as possible just belong to the same goal; to what we yearn to achieve.

32. S. (01:14:52) Can we say that the externality is the theory of the study, and the internality is the practical work?

R. Yes, you can say that.

33. S. (01:14:21) Do we have a root in the spiritual world as a Ten or does every person has a root of his own?

R. Also every person has his own root and also each Ten has its own root.

34. S. (01:14:39) It is written that in order to have the ability to build an intention on every thought, deed, and action, so how do you build an intention on every deed and action that it will be in order to bestow?

R. I don't know, we simply need to be in expectation for that opportunity to make every state into a state of in order to bestow.

S. What does it mean to be in expectation?

R. Expect an opportunity.

S. What needs to happen? Some force has to come to me?

R. You have to constantly be in that expectation for that opportunity to turn to the Creator.

35. S. (01:15:54) We live outside of Israel and when we strive for the inner Israel could we also connect to the outside of the land of Israel?

R. We need each and every group to open for the group what it means to be within her root above and how it reaches that root and is incorporated in it.

S. What does it mean for us in the spiritual work when we live outside of the land of Israel in contrast to when we live in the land of Israel?

R. No, no difference, there is none.

36. S. (01:17:57) Dissemination in Germany, which kind of dissemination do we have to do especially for Germany?

R. I don't think there's some difference between countries. Mainly it is the same method that explains about the nature of the world, its correction, and the connection between branch and root and that's it.

S. What is forbidden for Germany in the dissemination?

R.  No, completely not.

37. S. (01:19:11) How does a person draw the light from the root to the branch?

R. By coming nearer to the friends and through them to the Creator.

38. S. (01:19:38) If we are working in Lo Lishma can we say that we're pointing to the root?

R.  Yes, yes, we usually nevertheless are aiming towards the root.

39. S. (01:20:02) Baal HaSulam says that he who is drawn to the internality of the world is also drawn to the internality of the land of Israel. Is it also an external Mitzvot? Does he also want to be drawn to do the external actions?

R. I don't know, the question is what does he understand in practical Mitzvot because each one can add whatever he feels like in that.

40. S. (01:20:40) If the Ten are external qualities, so is the land the quality of the root? In order to reveal the Creator, we need one desire to love or is it some other form?

R. Yes, yes exactly that way.

41. S. (01:21:15) Is the internal root not the same as what works in the externality? If the internality determines the externality so he who is connected as already in the land of Israel, or does he have to come physically come to Israel?

R. Yes, he doesn't need to physically be in the land of Israel but to be aimed towards the concepts that are called in order to bestow which is called Eretz Israel, the land of Israel. Eretz, land, is called desire, and Israel is direct to the Creator, so if he's aimed with all his actions that way that means he's in the land of Israel, Eretz Israel.

42. S. (01:22:10) The reason for the war in spirituality means that there's more qualities of reception than bestowal? When we're speaking about the land, so it's an allegory, it's actually the quality of bestowal. Today there is a war in Israel, does that mean that the qualities of bestowal, can we explain when we disseminate to people that what we are lacking are the qualities of bestowal and everybody has to aim themselves to it?

R. Yes, you're right.

43. S. (01:23:14) I wanted to ask, it's like a request, I have a feeling that from the whole world Kli and us in Petah Tikva that we are asking for a mutual action to do. Can we ask you or the group around you to organize, like, a prayer that we could learn by heart, one who knows Hebrew or doesn’t know Hebrew, that we will learn it by heart and do it together in specific times in order to try with something we didn't do in the past, something new?

R. Okay, try to do that and of course, it will be accepted if it will be amongst the majority of the friends, men, and women.

44. S. (01:24:12) Ever since I was a child, I have had this desire to come to Jerusalem, I never seemed to understand why, nor did I know how I would come to Jerusalem. Listen to this, what is the root of a person who seems to have this yearning for Jerusalem and doesn't even know what it means?

R. There is a certain connection between branch and root where even if you're not in spiritual attainment and therefore many people who come to Jerusalem experience a special excitement from it, a special impact and what they have from that land, from that place.

S. Does Jerusalem have this spiritual uniqueness? I know it's obviously corporeal, but in Kabbalah what does Jerusalem actually mean?

R. Of course there is. There is a connection of branch and root, it’s just weakened according to the people who engage in it or do not engage in it. In our times it is very weak, and it used to be very important, it was very powerful. We will talk more about it. Branch and root, we will have more and more importance on this.

45. S. (01:26:17) Can the nations of the world do spiritual work that will bring to correction?

R. Only if they join the people of Israel.

46. S. (01:26:43) What does it mean to build the land of Israel in our heart?

R. It means that from all our desires we want to respect and elevate those desires that are related to love.