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

Daily Morning Lesson: September 26, 2025 

Part 1: Recorded lesson – Nov 30, 2021

Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

Reader: Hello friends, we continue studying the Shamati Articles, today, Article 99, He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous. Shamati 99, He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous. Let's continue watching Rav's lesson from November 30th, 2021.

Question (ITA 1): (00:37) The dumb becomes smart if he wants to connect to the group to study the wisdom?

M. Laitman: The fool, well, first of all, let's say a person already discovered himself as a fool. And he advances towards the group to become wise; that could happen in a corporeal sense. That he just wants to know what Kabbalah explains, he cares about it with regards to knowledge like, as a scientist. It could be a religious perspective or a psychological perspective. But when he goes deeper into Kabbalah, he sees that it's not about these discernments of science and philosophy and culture and so on. But this is about the correction of the human himself—not what he needs to learn externally and gain more knowledge and wisdom and philosophy and know some smart adages. Rather, he himself needs to change by the group. 

That's the problem, that there's people who come to the group and, from their nature, they want to go into the group and try to change the group. That's natural for each and every person; otherwise, no one would connect with anyone. When a person comes to another person or to the group, everyone just wants to take control. To take control means to impose your way of thinking, your perception over the other. Bit by bit, as we go into the group, through the study and the light that reforms, we begin to internalize that what we need is to become a replica of the group. Meaning I want the group to permeate me and to copy its shape over me, like what we do when we use a template. We take a certain shape which is the right shape we want and then we force it into some piece of metal or tin or something. And we thus shape it in the right way, in an opposite way than what it was originally. If a person is ready to reach the group and be there like this, just piece of metal, and let the group impose its shape on him. That means he's willing to be in adhesion with the friends in the group. That should be the approach to one who goes into the group. Now, of course, we can't just demand it from anyone who goes into the group. But, gradually, over years, possibly, a person understands this, acknowledges that he has no choice but to be a copy of the Ten. And, this way, he'll become an inseparable part of it and thus enter a state of connection with them and the Creator.

Question (Kyiv 2): (05:06) What does it mean, the degree of the speaking? That we already know how to turn to the Creator in each and every state?

M. Laitman: The speaking degree is the human degree; now, even though the human degree is a general degree. Even a baby, as we see in our world, a baby, an infant, but the human, that we refer to as the speaking degree, really are those who have inner discernments and they can also speak their Torah – that's a higher degree.

Question (KabU 5): (06:02) The text says that, the righteous are few, so how do the righteous maintain their righteousness when they're surrounded by the wicked?

M. Laitman: The righteous are righteous because they contain the wicked within them. It's not that they're surrounded by wicked. They themselves consist of their own wicked. But they have the right discernment of what it means to be a righteous above the wicked within them. So, by preferring the degree of the righteous over the degree of the wicked because otherwise there is no righteous degree. It doesn't exist if it's not one on top of the other: Love can only be above the crimes, the wise can only be opposite the fool; the righteous can only be opposite the wicked. And they have to be together, one opposite the other. And so, the righteous know what makes them righteous and what are the wicked in them, because on top of them, they build themselves as righteous. And so, then they have no problem to understand the others both in their wickedness and in their righteousness. That's why it says, there is no righteous in the land who did good without committing a sin, first. Understood?

Question (Heb 10): (07:58) After the Congress we had now, this event, so a new, completely new thing was revealed: Once I thought I knew something, I understand something. Now, I was completely tossed, I feel like a rag, I don't know anything. And there's people who have come to their group and they're only there for a few months and I'm 20 years with you and I feel like I'm nothing, a zero. I don't have the forces to keep doing anything, what should I do with this? 

M. Laitman: You need to scrutinize: Is this a state of advancement or is this something outside the path? We learned that the more a person advances, he advances between two forces – on two legs, left and right – as much light is revealed, darkness is revealed corresponding to it. And the greater the light that is revealed, the greater the darkness that needs to be revealed. They support each other and all of creation, which is outside of the degree, Baal, it begins from the creation of darkness. Going through these states where we suddenly fall and we feel helpless and we don't know anything, we don't feel anything in different ways. All of it doesn't make us weaker, we know this is how we are building the vessel inside of us and we are inside our vessel, and that's why we have to go through these states. It's possible to connect with society and to grab it like a baby who clings to his mother, who clings to her body. And then everything that happens to you doesn't dissuade you much, doesn't scare you and through adhesion with the group, you're going through these states faster and more comfortably. Do it, go ahead and the fact that this is coming to you after 20 years on the path – very good – it's a sign that these are true states. 

Student: When we speak about the wicked, what is the big sin, the biggest sin the wicked can do against a group? 

M. Laitman: We don't speak of the group, we typically speak relative to a person, himself, and relative to the Creator. A wicked person is one who comes to the group and doesn't let them connect, doesn't give them the possibility to connect, let's just put it simply. It doesn't give them the possibility to connect, he introduces light-headedness into the group, into the Ten, frivolity. And there's no choice for the Ten but to fight with him gently, but possibly even to expel him.

Student: How can you check that? 

M. Laitman: This is not for now. You should check it – it's possible.

Question (Tel Aviv 4): (12:09) You were speaking about the points we go through on the path, so they are the wicked that are being revealed?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: You also said that we discover towards the past, these points. So, what connects between those points?

M. Laitman: I don't quite understand this form you're painting. The line is made of points through which you have to reach the goal.

Student: What is this line made of that connects between them? If I'm in the existing point and I look backward at the point that was there. So, what's the line that connects them all?

M. Laitman: Each and every point has to be opposite compared to the point before it –  I'm not sure how to say it in Hebrew. But if you're learning math, there's a definition of, what is a straight line? That is the sum of points where in each and every point there's an inversion of the differential of the degree. Maybe, someone knows how to express it in Hebrew. Please help me.

Student: In the group, there's like a point of choice to constantly choose a good environment but what actually gives a person that power to choose?

M. Laitman: A good environment is when I have to depict this environment I'm in which the Creator brought me to it and He said, take it, as Rabash says, I work on strengthening, reinforcing it. Therefore, I constantly strengthen myself to be more connected to them, to push them forward as much as I possibly can, correctly.

Student: What gives the person the forces to keep annulling and seeing the greatness in the friends every time you have to?

M. Laitman: We need to scrutinize between us how much advancement is necessary and it's only towards greater connection with the group.

Student: Then what? The more you scrutinize it, it becomes practical? 

M. Laitman: Yes, that's how – of course, that's how we advance.

Question (Tel Aviv 1): (15:29) I am the will to receive we learn, so my question is how can I really define myself as righteous or wicked?

M. Laitman: I don't think we need to think about it, I need to think about how do I add myself, attach myself, glue myself to the group? I can start discussing myself after I'm glued with certainty, adhered to the group. And to think of myself unbelonging, without connection to the group, it's a tower floating in the air. It's a philosophy, it's an incorrect attitude.

Question (PT 31): (16:34) What do we need the sense for, that bring us to complete this connection? Then you can't pray, you can't answer the question of righteous or wicked.

M. Laitman: You would pray correctly, you need to move from state to state through these points of this connection and to maintain the connection. Because you disregarded or looked down at the previous state of connection and you didn't ask for an increase in the previous state of connection, you disconnected completely from it.

Question (PT 35): (17:17) How can we in the work in the Ten constantly check that we're engaging and correcting our soul? What are the criterion?

M. Laitman: As much as you are connected together and in that common point, you wish to aim at the Creator.

Question (W Latin 11): (17:55) Where's our choice between the righteous and the wicked if everything was determined from the Creator?

M. Laitman: This is nonsense, our free choice exists and we need to accept it in this way. That our progress, our advancement is in the longing to resemble the Creator and vice-versa – the more we disregard it, deride it, we are wicked. We can't say, everything is in the hands of heaven except for fear of heaven. The way we can advance ourselves towards the Creator, that's in our hands.

Question (Toronto 1): (18:54) Is it not egoistic to see yourself as righteous? What vessels?

M. Laitman: No, no, no, no! If the righteous is one defined as loving everyone, helping everyone, I'm adhered to everyone, responsible for everyone. How come this is egoistic? I'm amazed of these questions, who's asking them? I guess people who are completely not with us in the study. 

Question (PT 6): (19:38) What is a generation? Why do we need a righteous in every generation?

M. Laitman: In each generation, each period, there need to be in our world such people who are leading the generation towards connection, towards correction. Because people who are in this world, on the face of this planet require an example of sorts  – a leader, a leading figure. That's why we need teachers in each and every generation; that's how it used to be throughout our history.

Question (MAK 25): (20:29) How can we come out of this confusion and discern between the righteous of the generation or just egoistic, smart people?

M. Laitman: It's very simple, depends on what are we talking about: The righteous speak only of the correction of the soul, correction of men. The connection between us in order to bring ourselves to a higher human degree. They’re not concerned with how smart a person is; rather, how righteous he can be, bestowing close to the other. And smart people, they talk about other discernments. 

Question (MAK 3): (21:16) When I justify the state in every moment, how can I aim it to a higher state?

M. Laitman: A higher state is when I'm adhered more to the group, very simple.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:37) If it's not important if a Creator is a fool or smart, why did the Creator create them like that?

M. Laitman: The Creator created wise people, stupid people, righteous and wicked, many kinds. Each one of us is very diverse, very different as a result of the collection of qualities inside each of us. And we need to look at the difference only relative to being wicked or being righteous. Everything else is joining the discernments of righteous or wicked since it's not enough to simply be righteous or wicked in order to adhere to one another. We have to have additional qualities so we could find, between us, different forms of the correct communication.

Question (Moscow 18): (22:41) Can there be a fool that understands that he's a fool? What should we take from the word, fool, from this article?

M. Laitman: A fool or wise are people who understand, who attain that they are such, and the more he sees himself as a fool, he can become wiser and the other way around. When he reaches the degree of wise, he sees, together with that, how much of a fool he is. Wise and fool, like righteous and wicked, these discernments exist in one person and not in several different people.

Question (Moscow 18): (23:31) We learn that the righteous is the one who justifies the Creator. Is it enough for the wicked to bless his destiny in order to become righteous, or does he still need wisdom?

M. Laitman: Wicked and righteous are discernments that don't depend on the amount of wisdom in a person. Rather, the main thing for us is to reach a state where we rise above the wicked in us and, by that, we reach the righteousness. And in the gap between the wicked and the righteous, we can measure our spiritual degree. All other degrees are only there in order to help us, assist us, in determining the degrees of the wicked and the righteous but the truth there, is they don't determine anything by themselves: I'm willing to be the greatest fool together with the greatest righteous. Because we're not speaking of foolishness as in the form of lack of intellect. I receive all of my intellect as a result of my adhesion with the Creator, while being righteous. So, I don't require these discernments of a wise person from this world. This is called a smart guy or a wise guy because our world is in darkness.

Student: How can the Arvut in the Ten help us work with the righteous and wicked inside us? 

M. Laitman: Specifically, through the Arvut, mutual guarantee, we come to a state of the connection between us. And from the connection between us, we come to the correct discernments regarding everything we meet in the wisdom of Kabbalah. The main thing is to begin to measure all these discernments – all these states – from within the Arvut, the mutual guarantee.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:28) If the animate degree is perfect, why is it written that if man corrects himself, all degrees of nature will be corrected?

M. Laitman: The animate degree is not perfect or it's not complete or whole. What's perfect is the speaking degree – or maybe I didn't understand the question: If we reach the speaking degree, the speaking degree is the degree of man, Adam, who resembles the Creator. This degree is not carried out in this world, in the living body but you could say, well, you see, look, this is a man according to his head, his inside: Roch, Toch, Sof, his legs, his hands, and this is a horse so there's a difference between a man and a horse. There is no difference between a man and a horse, a horse is a desire and a man is a desire. Rather, inside a man, there is a point that can resemble the Creator and that point, if it develops, it develops, it goes through the same stages as a physical, corporeal embryo inside a womb, inside a spiritual womb, and then he is born in spirituality and he grows up in spirituality – becomes a man, a spiritual man. We cannot see a spiritual man with our own eyes.

We're speaking of that man, that man, each and every one of us needs to grow, needs to give birth to, from within. And the animal, the beast, the animate degree, it lives, this is my body. As you see me now, I'm alive, I'm on the animate degree; if you wish to see me on the speaking degree, you need to use spiritual eyesight to see into me and see whether or not I have a spiritual image in me, person in me. I invite you, I'm open, that's how it is: There's no difference between the corporeality of a person and his internality, his spirituality. There's no, I'm sorry, there's no accordance, one could be between these qualities. One can be ugly on the outside, but very pretty on his internality, his spirituality.

Question (Latin 3 and Utine 13): (29:18) It says that, he shouldn't do more than what he needs for his soul. How can a person determine that the needs of the body don't overcome the needs of the soul?

M. Laitman: I don't think this is quite relevant for us, but in general, this is determined by the goal. If my goal is a spiritual goal, then certainly in order to attain it, I give all my forces to it, all my powers and this is the main thing for me. 

Question (Latin 20): (30:07) The forty-two paths or the ups and downs in the path of the Creator, what does that mean?

M. Laitman: We need to advance in stages as we advance towards the Creator. And these steps, these degrees of approaching the Creator are predefined. Because this is the will to receive that we have to process it towards in order to bestow and that's how we come closer to the Creator. That's what's written about in the Torah, this is the path, the journey we have to go through. 

Read again, this article, maybe we should, let's do that. After the scrutiny we just did, it will be clearer to us what he's saying. Go ahead.

Reading: (31:21) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

I heard on Iyar 21, Jerusalem

“Rabbi Hanina Bar Papa said, ‘That angel, appointed on conception, its name is Laila [night]. It takes a drop and places it before the Creator and says to Him: ‘Master of the world, this drop, what shall become of it, a hero or a weakling, a wise or a fool, a wealthy or an indigent?’ But he did not say ‘a wicked or a righteous’” (Nida 16b).

We should interpret according to the rule that a fool cannot be righteous, as our sages said, “One does not sin unless a spirit of folly has entered him.” It is even more so with one who is a fool his whole life. Hence, one who is born a fool has no choice since he has been sentenced to be a fool. Therefore, saying, “He did not say ‘a wicked or a righteous’” is so that he would have a choice. But what is the benefit if he did not say “a righteous or a fool”? After all, if he is sentenced to be a fool, it is the same as being sentenced to become a wicked!

We should also understand the words of our sages:

M. Laitman: Can we change our fate if it is written to me: If it is pre-written that I will be a fool or a wise or a righteous or a wicked, can I change myself or this is how I was born, this is how it is inscribed for me, I was sentenced in this birth certificate?

Reader: Birth certificate. 

M. Laitman: Yes, the birth certificate, that Michael Laitman will be fool, wicked, lazy, and other such things and spending all his money. Can I control those things or not? You can't control anything except for one thing, to be righteous or wicked. All other things, they are sentenced in advance, they are predetermined. As a result, you shouldn't think about how to change all those different inclinations and dispositions you have; only one thing: Wicked or righteous. If you want to take care of that, you will be able to succeed in all other qualities and, in general, succeed in life.

Reading: (34:32) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

We should also understand the words of our sages: “Rabbi Yochanan said, ‘The Creator saw that the righteous are few, He stood and planted them in each generation, as was said, ‘For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them.’’” RASHI interprets “‘He has set the world upon them’—He dispersed them in all the generations to be an infrastructure and sustenance and foundation to sustain the world” (Yoma 38b).

“They are few” means that they are growing fewer. Hence, what did he do to multiply them? “He stood and planted them in each generation.” We should ask, “What is the benefit in planting them in each generation, by which they multiply?” We must understand the difference between all the righteous being in a single generation or being dispersed through all the generations, as RASHI interprets. Does being in many generations multiply the righteous? 

M. Laitman: Here, the question is complex: Either we need to make corrections in each and every generation and if we could concentrate, let's say, all the corrections in one generation and we would correct it, maybe perhaps all other generations after it would be corrected. What's better to do here? He says, no, the Creator did it in this way. We need to learn from it. In each generation, in each and every state, it needs to be righteous and wicked and you need to let a person – the way they are revealed in each generation, they are born and developed – you should have both and you should have free choice and each generation needs to have it.

Reading: (36:42) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous        

To understand the above, we must expand and interpret our sages’ words, that the Creator sentences the drop to be a wise or a fool, meaning that one who is born weak, without the strength to overcome his inclination, and is born with a weak desire and without talents, since during the preparation, when beginning in the work of the Creator, he must be fit to receive the Torah and the wisdom, as it is written, “will give wisdom to the wise,” he asked, “If they are already smart, why do they still need wisdom? It should have been ‘will give wisdom to the fools.’”

He explains that “wise” means one who craves wisdom although he still has no wisdom. But because he has a desire, and a desire is called a Kli [vessel], it follows that one who has a desire and craving for wisdom is the Kli in which wisdom shines. It therefore follows that a fool means one without yearning for wisdom, whose yearning is only for his own needs. In terms of bestowal, a fool is completely incapable of achieving any bestowal whatsoever.

Therefore, one who is born with such qualities, how can he achieve the degree of a righteous? It follows that he does not have a choice. Therefore, what is the benefit from saying, “he did not say, ‘a righteous or a wicked’?” So, he would have a choice. After all, since he was born unwise and weak, he is no longer capable of having a choice, 

M. Laitman: He might not have any good, strong, special tendencies but because he used, correctly, the righteous and wicked qualities, he will reach the purpose of life. Meaning, imagine a person who has a weak character, a weak desire, is not of great intellect and he receives such education at home that he was spoiled his entire life. And he's confused, he's predisposed to play and do all kinds of nonsense – it doesn't matter, it's not important. As long as he has a feeling – or I would say – a scrutiny, a certain sensitivity for what it means to be righteous or wicked. Then it's possible to develop in him this sensitivity more and more until he corrects all his discernments, all his qualities. And they will remain down below because all those crimes that he has, he will manage them according to his disposition towards the truth, towards being righteous.

Reading: (40:29) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

[...] since he is completely incapable of any overcoming and craving for His wisdom.

To understand this, that even a fool can have a choice, the Creator made a correction, which our sages call, “the Creator saw that the righteous were few; He stood and planted them in each generation.” We asked, “What is the benefit of this?” 

M. Laitman: Meaning, how the Creator solves this problem of having a choice, nevertheless, for a person, a free choice. Even though he's entirely made up of his terrible qualities – his weak character, confused and all these various dispositions. Nevertheless, among all his negative discernments that are completely opposite to the goal, he's got one discernment, which is righteous or wicked. He has that discernment and he holds on to that, he cannot let go of it. And that comes from, that's from his nature and thanks to that, he gradually picks himself up out of this sewage, all these terrible desires and these horrible tendencies and inclinations. And he comes out of them towards adhesion with the Creator, only this one thing, he cannot tolerate, cannot stand to be a wicked, to be dishonest. It appears in him in such a way that I don't care about anything, I can agree with all those things, I can chase all those things. But only one thing I cannot let go of, the truth, the truth. I can close my eyes about it at times and maybe be confused but it will be revealed in him again and again—that's how he was created and it will bring him to correction; it won't let him calm down.

Reading: (43:36) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

Now we will understand this matter. It is known that as it is forbidden to bond with the wicked even when one does not do as they do, as it is written, “nor sat in the seat of the scornful.” This means that the sin is primarily because he sits among the scornful, even though he sits and learns Torah and keeps Mitzvot. Otherwise, the prohibition would be due to the cancellation of Torah and Mitzvot. But rather, the sitting itself is forbidden, since man takes the thoughts and desires of those he likes.

And vice versa: If one does not have any desire or craving for spirituality, if he is among people who have a desire and craving for spirituality, if he likes these people, he, too, will take their strength to prevail, and their desires and aspirations, although by his own quality, he does not have these desires and cravings and the power to overcome. But according to the grace and the importance he ascribes to these people, he will receive new powers. 

M. Laitman: These things are known even in this world, that’s how it’s set up.

Reading: (45:19) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

Now we can understand the above words: “The Creator saw that the righteous were few,” meaning that not any person can become a righteous, for lack of qualities for it, as it was written, that he is born a fool or a weakling; he, too, has a choice and his own qualities are no excuse. This is because the Creator planted the righteous in every generation.

Hence, a person has the choice of going to a place where there are righteous. One can accept their authority, and then he will receive all the powers that he lacks by the nature of his own qualities. He will receive it from the righteous. This is the benefit in “planted them in each generation,” so that each generation would have someone to turn to, adhere to, and from whom to receive the strength required to rise to the degree of a righteous. Thus, they, too, subsequently become righteous.

It follows that “he did not say ‘a wicked or a righteous’” means that he does have a choice: He can go and adhere to the righteous for guidance, and through them receive strength, by which they, too, can later become righteous.

However, if all the righteous were in the same generation, the fools and the weak would have no hope of approaching the Creator. Thus, they would not have a choice. But by dispersing the righteous in each generation, each person has the power of choice to approach and draw near to the righteous that exist in every generation. Otherwise, one’s Torah must be a potion of death.

We can understand this from a corporeal example. When two people stand one opposite the other, the right hand of one is opposite the left hand of the other, and the left hand of one is opposite one’s friend’s right hand. There are two ways: the right—the way of the righteous, which is only to bestow, and the path of the left—who want only to receive for themselves, by which they are separated from the Creator, who is only to bestow. Thus, they are naturally separated from the Life of Lives.

This is why the wicked in their lives are called “dead.” It therefore follows that as long as one has not been awarded Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, they are two. Then, when one learns Torah, which is called right, but is to the left of the Creator, meaning he is learning Torah to receive for himself, it separates him from Him, and his Torah becomes a potion of death to him since he remains separated, as he wants his Torah to clothe his body. This means that he wants the Torah to increase his body, and by this his Torah becomes a potion of death to him.

However, when a person becomes adhered to Him, a single authority is made, and that person unites in His uniqueness. Then, the right side of the person is the right side of the Creator, and then the body becomes a clothing for one’s soul.

The way to know if one is marching on the path of truth is that when one engages in bodily needs, one should see that he does not engage in them more than is necessary for the needs of his soul. When one thinks that one has more than he needs to clothe the needs of one’s soul, it is like a clothing that a person puts over his body. At that time, he is meticulous about keeping the garment not too long or too wide, but clothing his body accurately. Similarly, when engaging in one’s bodily needs, he should be meticulous not to have more than he needs for his soul, meaning to clothe his soul.

To come to Dvekut with the Creator, not all who wish to take the Lord may come and take, since it is against man’s nature, who was created with a will to receive, which is self-love. This is why we need the righteous of the generation.

When a person adheres to a real Rav, whose only wish is to do good deeds, but one feels that he cannot do good deeds, that the aim will be to bestow contentment upon the Creator, by adhering to a real Rav and wanting the Rav’s fondness, he does things that his Rav likes, and hates the things his Rav hates. Then he can have Dvekut with his Rav and receive his Rav’s powers, even that which he does not have from birth. This is the meaning of planting the righteous in each generation.

M. Laitman: But here, we have to be careful that we don't go into Hassidut, Hassidism; that if the important person likes to eat, so I have to love to eat, if he likes to dress this way, so I also have to dress that way, and so on, no. Here, we need one thing similar. As much as I can understand his attitude towards life, spirituality, his attitude. So, the same way I need to see whether it can be my clothing too or not. Okay? 

Reading: (53:51) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

However, according to this, it is hard to see why plant the righteous in each generation. We said that it was for the fools and the weak. But he could have solved it otherwise: not to create fools! Who made him say that this drop will be a weakling or a fool? He could have created everyone wise.

The answer is that the fools are also needed since they are the carriers of the will to receive. They see that they have no counsel of their own by which to draw near to the Creator, so they are as those about whom it is written, “And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men… for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” They have become ashes under the feet of the righteous, by which the righteous can acknowledge the good that the Creator did for them by creating them wise and strong, by which He has brought them closer to Him.

Hence, now they can give thanks and praise the Creator since they see the lowly state they are in. This is called “ashes under the feet of the righteous,” meaning that the righteous walk by it and thus thank the Creator.

M. Laitman: Meaning there's a big benefit by the simple, the weak – except for the righteous – all kinds of other discernments. Because specifically through them we have great coarseness, we have such discernments that the righteous can uplift above them. And they both are corrected and do the same spiritual work – the wicked, the weak, all kinds of those that don't have adhesion with the Creator, by the way they support one another, even in a negative way. By this they are helping parts of the souls, called the souls of the righteous, to justify the Creator and all this creation. And then also the rest of the souls, the lower ones especially, they have a role, and they are rewarded with adhesion in the Creator. 

Reading: (56:42) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

But we must know that the lower degrees are also needed. The Katnut [smallness/infancy] of a degree is not considered superfluous, saying that it would be better if the degrees of Katnut were born immediately with the Gadlut [greatness/adulthood].

It is like a physical body. There are certainly important organs, such as the brain and the eyes and so forth, and there are organs that are not as important, such as the stomach, intestines, fingers, and toes. But we cannot say that an organ that performs a not-so-important task is redundant. Rather, everything is important. It is the same in spirituality: We also need the fools and the weak.

Now we can understand what is written, that the Creator said, “Return unto Me, and I will return unto you.” It means that the Creator says, “Return,” and Israel say the opposite: “Bring us back, Lord, and then we shall return.” 

M. Laitman: We want the Creator to pull us, and He is saying, you come to Me. So, who is doing the action? We want the Creator to do the action and He, supposedly, wants us to do the action in coming closer. 

Reading: (58:31) Baal HaSulam. Shamati 99. He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous

The meaning is that during the decline from the work, the Creator says “Return” first. This brings a person an ascent in the work of the Creator, and one begins to cry, “Bring us back.” But during the decline, one does not cry, “Bring us back.” On the contrary, he escapes the work.

Hence, one should know that when he cries, “Bring us back,” it stems from an awakening from above, since the Creator previously said “Return,” by which one has an ascent and he can say “Bring us back.”

This is the meaning of “And it came to pass when the ark journeyed, that Moses said: ‘Rise up, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered.’” “Journeying” means when advancing in servitude of the Creator, which is an ascent. Then Moses said “Rise.” And when they rested, he said “Return, Lord.” And during the rest from the work of the Creator, we need the Creator to say, “Return,” meaning “Return unto Me,” meaning that the Creator gives the awakening. Hence, one should know when to say “Rise” or “Return.”

This is the meaning of what is written in Parashat Akev, “And you shall remember all the way… to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments, or not.” “Would keep His commandments” is discerned as “Return.” “Or not” is discerned as “rise,” and we need both. And the Rav knows when to “rise” and when to “return,” since the forty-two journeys are ascents and descents that unfold in the work of the Creator. 

M. Laitman: Until we reach adhesion, the complete adhesion. 

It's a very special article, I'm happy we even read it twice! And actually, there were questions and they were to the point. And for the first time that we come to know this article, it's good, it's good. All in all, it went in. Obviously, we can't digest it yet, but it went in there. It's a very simple story here, none of us doesn't need to look at any of his qualities completely. He could be a person who's completely stupid with all kinds of horrible qualities. And he wasn't educated, and he never got knowledge, and he doesn't have a profession, and he doesn't know anything. And even on himself, he doesn't understand who he is, or as much as he is in a low state, it doesn't matter at all. If the Creator brought him to a Ten, and he tries to incorporate in them, just like a baby that doesn't understand anything. That is the degree, that is the state, which is the best for spiritual advancement. And the more he advances, he'll see that his annulment towards the Ten, that it helps him advance more than any wisdom and any overcoming. Meaning all the overcoming is only in annulment because the Creator is in the group, and a person in such a way annuls towards the Creator. And in this way, we actually need to enter the quality of bestowal, Hesed, mercy. 

Question (PT 25): (01:03:43) In the article, it says, it speaks of a rise and return, and the Rav knows when. What does it mean regarding us? 

M. Laitman: Truthfully, you're right, we still have to scrutinize that, but gradually, we will use it more and more to locate the righteous and the wicked inside us, according to our connection with the group; and then we can understand that, too, from our deeds.

Question (PT 19): (01:04:29) What does it mean to scrutinize the truth in the Ten?

M. Laitman: To scrutinize the truth in the Ten, without the Ten, you can't scrutinize the truth, you don't have a vessel for it. Towards whom will you, who's scrutinizing, you? You need to say that I alone, I'm like a horse; The more we connect to the ten, we become man, Adam. If it was possible to describe such a state, that from a horse you become man, right? So, a few horses together, when they annul towards one another and want to connect with one another. So, from that connection and annulment, each one towards the other, upon them the image of man, of Adam, grows. And from that, they can understand the Creator, that the image of man is what they put together. It’s like some kind of external puppet but inside, it's full of the upper light. And by this, they feel the Creator. The external depiction, the external form, resembles the Creator in mutual bestowal, and then the fulfillment inside is actually the essence of the Creator's bestowal towards them. 

Question (Latin 2): (01:06:43) Can a person choose his soul? Or he receives that, and he then can only choose the clothing and use the clothing? 

M. Laitman: A person cannot choose his soul, he doesn't choose anything but one thing, whether he wants to change his destiny, he can change it only by adhering to a group. Through the group, he gets a light that reforms, that organizes him even more with a connection to the group. And by that he can determine his spiritual advancement, and by that he receives the new external clothing, meaning of the soul. And the internality that fills the external clothing, he gets a new image called, a soul; and what he had with the group before, that was corporeal things. That afterwards he sees that what he thought it was, it wasn't, it was just depictions of his internal qualities. That there wasn't anything actual in it, and it even disappears afterwards. That there's no body, there's no world, there's no nothing, there's only a Ten, which gets stronger and stronger. And with that, reveal the Creator, because the Creator you can only reveal in the clothing of the Ten, that's how it happens.

Question (Belarus): (01:08:46) In the beginning of the article, he speaks of a drop of semen, and night, this angel.

M. Laitman: It's different, the discernments we get from above, so they can build in us differences between giving and receiving.

Question (Turkiye 4): (01:09:10) During the lesson you said something very important, which impressed me. You said, I'm willing to be fullest who is near to the greatest sage. So, how can we stay connected to you, together with our Ten inside this path?

M. Laitman: To me? Connected to me is through our lessons; in my lessons with you, I open myself entirely. That by the articles we need to yearn in our adhesion to create such a state, such a connection, such a form that will resemble the Creator as much as possible. And then when we reach such a form, we'll start feeling the Creator in us, it will already be the clothing of the upper light in our spiritual degree. So, all of our tendency is to build such a connection between us that the upper light – even in the smallest measure – will be able to appear in us. 

Student: So, we will be able to learn from you, Masach to Masach?

M. Laitman: And then we'll even learn – not between the Masach, the screens – but from degree to degree, as much as we can resemble our connection to the Creator. From our relationships, they will resemble to the Creator's relation towards us. Obviously through a screen, but the main thing is it's worth thinking of the connection and not the screen or coarseness or collision or restrictions against our will to receive. We should think of the states where we'll be above the will to receive. It'll come, it'll come. The article is very important, I recommend that you read it again, maybe throughout the day, if you have time for it. And every so often we'll come back to it.

Reader: Before the next part, we'll move to a song. 

Song: (01:11:48)