Morning Lesson August 28, 2021, Transcription
Part 3
Baal HaSulam - The Last Generation (Part One)
Part 1 “The basis of my entire commentary is the will to receive...
1. R. (00:40) Although the will to receive was developed by the upper light, by the Creator, but it was separated from the upper light to the extent that it developed. When the upper light and the will to receive in it are on the level of root, at the beginning of the creation, then the will to receive begins to grow with the influence of the light on it and the light doesn't change. From the beginning creation to the end of creation, in all the states, it is the same upper light. But when it influences the will to receive, it develops it, changes it, increases it, and then the will to receive accordingly responds to the light. It turns out that the will to receive changes from the beginning of creation to the end of creation and it goes through a very big change by the influence of the upper light, that’s it, so much so that the will to receive that develops, even though it develops from the root of its root, it's just a thought that's in the Creator. From there on, it begins to develop until it emerges to the level of the created being, and there it achieves oppositeness next to the Creator and becomes exactly like the Creator but opposite. From this oppositeness, it comes to all the corrections.
Continue reading ‘’It is therefore clear that what the Creator wants from us...
2. S. (04:38) If, as you said, the light is in complete rest then what causes the desire to grow? What is the inner program that makes it grow?
R. The upper light is in complete rest. Meaning its intention to benefit the created being is constant like a mother towards her baby, she always wants to do good to him but each time it's according to his state. He is changing, so she gives and gives to him and through her giving the baby is changing, developing and growing. What she gives to him she has to change it, she has to change what she's giving to him. So only the development of the created being determines what he receives from the Creator. From the Creator comes infinity, meaning a fulfilment that is not determined according to size or essence, only bestowal and the created being is only a force of reception. So according to the force of reception in the created being, the Creator gives it what it wants to receive. Except there is one condition that our created being, who is growing by the influence of the Creator, must grow in a way that it becomes similar to the Creator because this form is complete, whole, correct, and it's the only thing that exists, there is no other way for the created being to grow but only in this direction.
3. S. (06:52) It was said in the excerpt that this is called the revelation of the Messiah, and then they will accept the learning and there will be redemption. And we have it yet, now, the time of the Messiah, now is a special time. How does it belong to us, to the people of Israel or to the whole world?
R. You see, the kind of question is not. Alright, I’ll answer anyway. What we learn, this whole correction needs to happen first in us and then in the whole of humanity. We see that Elokim (God) which is in gematria ‘nature’, the upper force, pushes all of humanity towards correction by necessity. So, it depends on us because we are essentially organized in the process here, we have to aim through our participation in correction, we need to aim all of humanity in the right direction towards correction.
Continue reading “I have already said that there are two ways to complete…”
4. R. (09:55) This is basically the law of nature, that is called the law of bestowal, it is opposite to our will to receive, opposite to our nature, but each one is permitted to receive only what he must have for his existence. And all the rest, whatever strength he's got, he has to bestow to others. In this manner, even though we are a will to receive, we’ll be able to achieve the degree of the Creator.
Continue reading “This law of equivalence of form is the law of the Messiah…’’
5. R. (12:12) This is a very important excerpt. It’s talking about how the whole world must reach correction and we are responsible and pioneers in this correction. It's talking about all the nations of the world, each and every one, all of humanity must achieve it, each one according to their degree, their level of development, their ego, how developed it is ‘’one who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater than himself’’ and so, we will ultimately achieve correction.
6. S. (13:04) Can we understand what is written here as different desires of the friends in the ten?
R. In spirituality there is no difference between nations, nationalities, that or anything. In spirituality, everything is measured by the will to receive. It is said ‘’whoever has a desire in his heart, a concern in his heart, accordingly he is drawn to the work of the Creator, to be similar to the Creator, and ascends spiritually.
7. S. (13:57) There is an explanation here about how we have to lead or at least begin the correction of the whole world, maybe show this correction to the whole world, otherwise we are headed into a third and fourth world war. But in practice we can't even get along among ourselves. We understand what big work there is here and it makes us despaired, so what can we do?
R. It shouldn't stop us that we haven't yet achieved correction between us. Specifically, by inducing the external correction, those external circles will pressure us and force us to be more engaged in correction and then, once again, we will influence them and they will influence us. You can see that very clearly in the connection between parents and children. To the extent that parents have to educate their children and correct them so to speak, accordingly we see the children to influence the parents. So, it all depends on how we will go out to bestow to all nations and explain to them first what the reason for all the troubles is that humanity is just now starting, it hasn’t even started to get into. It's not the thing that we’re seeing now, beginning to see in nature, we’re talking about much more where what nature is doing here and there, we can still kind of escape it and exit. But when we’re going to see how, we all, how everyone is taking out atomic bombs out of their pockets, that's going to be much bigger problems. So, we must advertise this in the world as much as possible and even just by the advertising itself, we prepare the connection between all people of the world to Baal HaSulam and the upper force, and there is already some contact for them with the upper light.
8. S. (17:03) I don't want to cause any confusion but are three world wars like four phases of development we have to go through?
R. But you read with us what he writes, we don't have to reach that. You say, if there are four levels then there have to be four world wars. I don’t think that’s the case because it all depends on recognition of evil. We’re not in the four phases of direct light, we’re not in the development of the light that makes the Kli (vessel), we are in the recognition of the Kli (vessel) for it’s the light, we are on the way back. So here, we can shorten the times, what is called ‘’sanctifying the times’’, and instead of four world wars, two can be enough. And even those two could have been redundant if we were to heed what Kabbalists have been saying. And then too, they were saying what might happen and we didn't listen.
S. But now, so much money is wasted on an arms race and there is the pandemic.
R. Of course, it doesn't have to happen through atomic bombs. It could be biological warfare, from nature towards us, or between people towards other people, which is basically the same. We will, one way or another, feel the harm and the damage, and the blows, and that will speed us up to connect to the Creator for a lack of choice.
9. S. (19:09) I feel like what Baal HaSulam talked about is really near, these world wars, this chaos, and our solution is to bestow. So, what does it mean to bestow?
R. This, Sir, you’re going to have to learn what we’ve already reviewed. This means to advertise what the wisdom of Kabbalah says in the correct and accessible way to people, in their level, their style, their language. We have a lot of materials that are ready for that. You can take part and help us advertise them and by that you can assist the correction of the world, as well as your own.
10. S. (20:05) What are the signs that a ten is walking on the path of Torah?
R. Level of connection, measure of connection, between the friends and how much they feel themselves connecting, praying to the Creator from a single heart.
11. S. (20:30) What is the state called ‘Messiah in Jerusalem’?
R. ‘Jerusalem’ means the center of the world, that’s what it’s called, and ‘Messiah in Jerusalem’, meaning the desire to connect to the Creator from the center of the world. It’s not geography.
12. S. (20:59) Why is the path of suffering more sensed so we can check and measure it, and the path of Torah is kind of concealed and there are discernments in it?
R. Because the path of Torah is the path of bestowal and love, and these things are not visible to the eye.
13. S. (21:30) Performing a restriction in every situation, is this the way where we first connect with others?
R. Sure, because without restricting myself, whatever connection I have to anything is only egoistic, I only bring harm. About this, it says ‘’sit idle and do nothing is better’’.
14. S. (22:01) It seems like today many people feel the general ruin that’s approaching. What’s not clear is the connection between this and that there will be no other choice to take upon themselves this work, and not work for themselves but for others. It seems completely disconnected in the mind and in the heart. From where will this understanding come?
R. So you're saying this according to the blows we received. We feel that we’ve suffered blows but according to these blows, we still don’t feel the source of the blows and the goal of these blows. So, the blows need to increase. Alright?
S. That’s not clear.
R. I promise you that after the next set of blows, you’ll start discovering this without my explanation because my explanation doesn’t influence you.
S. I am not asking about man, but about all the people.
R. Yes, but you are an example because you, even studying with us, are not convinced.
S. Maybe I should rephrase. The only way to understand that there is a connection between things is to really feel the system, to study it for a few years etc.
R. No, not necessarily. In order to recognize that our ego ruins our whole life, there is no problem. Instead of good things that we can do with our planet, we’re going to completely ruin it. We cheat in everything we do. We are only doing it to worship some idol of the ego that we bow before and bring more and more sacrifices for. There is nothing for our own good. It deflects us and fools us, manipulates us, and we do everything for it to be happy.
S. Yes, you really feel that the ego is the source of all the problems but what’s not clear is that there is a solution to the ego, that the solution is to work for others, that’s not clear.
R. So, we’ll have to suffer then. As a result, we’ll understand that there’s no other solution. I understand you, but that’s what awaits us. We see that it’s not just the ... that already started and it hasn't ended. The pandemic, we’re already told that it's not going to end, wait for the next blows and we’ll see until we will reach world wars and so on, by suffering. If not by light, the upper light that corrects us, then the recognition of evil will come by suffering and then we'll have to come to the light that reforms, nevertheless. There is a short direct path towards the light that reforms or a long path, a path of suffering. You know, it’s like with children, they suffer blows until they understand. And if they get it quickly, then they don’t need blows.
S. Who are the children here? Humanity who has the choice?
R. Everyone, especially it’s us, we must reveal to humanity everything that’s before it. Baal HaSulam writes about it clearly.
15. S. (26:12) Baal HaSulam writes about the path of suffering. How can we turn to humanity and tell them about the path of Torah in order to interest them and not to scare them with wars, but interest them in a good way?
R. Whatever you think, that's what you should do. Simply do, together with the friends, with the group, with our entire Kli, whatever you can publicize about what awaits humanity but do it wisely, don’t just simply scare people, a certain percentage of revelation of evil that’s before us, but in such a way that a person wants to just throw everything out and give up, and run away to drugs or something but rather to awaken him to incorporate himself with the correction.
16. S. (27:20) How can we understand how nature works, how it operates in a person, how can we work in order to understand that the Creator is good and does the best for us every moment?
R. You need to open your eyes, so it will become clear. For the time being it cannot be to open your eyes. You need to reach the quality of bestowal and accordingly you understand the Creator’s bestowal towards you and not before that. It’s as they say that you need to become a father, a mother, a parent in order to understand how your parents related to you. As a child you are unable to understand it. The more we advance towards acquiring the quality of bestowal, accordingly we’ll be able to understand the world, the Creator, all the corrections. We need to establish the quality of bestowal in the connection between us in the tens.
17. S. (28:57) Today a book fair is beginning in Kiev, after several years where we did not participate. Now, we have a big stand with folks in Russian and Ukraine. What should we convey to people who will take interest, considering the pandemic and the situation in Ukraine, which is not simple, what is the main message we should give?
R. Our main message should be that these books reveal to us our future, where are our good future or the bad future, and they explain how to reach the good future.
18. S. (30:02) Why is the Creator, who’s good that does good, gives us the option for the path of suffering in the first place? It's not only an option, it's our default state, so how do we understand it?
R. How to understand. Simply He wants to give us a choice. Either you follow your ego, remain in your stubborn state, like we see on you all the time, or we change ourselves. We scrutinize the alternative path whereby we can surrender and lower our heads, and advance towards the good life, to receive the method for life, the method of correction from above and not from our bellies.
19. S. (31:15) Why do we need the necessity of this world to begin with, what is the purpose of the corporeal world?
R. Without this world we wouldn't be able to enter spirituality independently, with our own independent discernments and decisions.
20. S. (31:57) The responsibility a Kabbalist takes upon himself is huge. How does a Kabbalist handle the emotional stress that comes with the responsibility?
R. They give him forces. That’s what I saw from Kabbalists as much as I got to know them. I used to know a few of them. Today, I can’t see any of them. I think that there are no more Kabbalists left with the end of the generation. But that’s it, you receive forces from above. The teacher gives everything and there’s only one source, we don't need to look for other sources. It all depends on a person's devotion to the goal and in that vessel of devotion he receives everything. So let us together connect, unite, and succeed. I am certain about it, that it will happen in a very near future.