Afternoon Lesson October 15, 2023, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.
Part 1:
Baal HaSulam. Shamati 46. The Domination of Israel over the Klipot.
1. Rav’s Intro: Yes, first of all, Israel it's not what people call Israel in our world but rather it is each and every person really, from every place from every nation no matter who he is, what he is, if he intends to reach the Creator, he is on the way to that, he is called Israel, from the two words: Yashar-Kel, straight to the Creator, this is called Israel. Therefore, we cannot call Israel what they call in the media, in the newspapers, or in the media, etc. But only those people who have changed themselves through study, and through effort, so they changed themselves so that they want to reach adhesion with the Creator, and we reach adhesion with the Creator according to equivalence of form. This means as it is written, “As He is merciful, so you should be merciful, as He is gracious, so you should be gracious,” and only those people who are in the force of bestowal are called Yashar-Kel, in that they resemble the Creator, they truly resemble the Creator and that they and only they, are only called Israel. And so, we should think only good about it, remember it, and become accustomed to it that this can be any person in the world if he has changed his nature and he intends instead of all of the things that he has in this world, he aims only to the Creator; then he is called Israel.
If you think this way, then it will be clearer to us as it is written in all of the texts of the Kabbalists, and we will understand them. Therefore, the domination of Israel over the Klipot, over the shells, so it's also clear to us that this title, to this short article that Israel are those who can rule over their shells. The shell, Klipa means that it's the will to receive for oneself and Israel are those who are aimed towards reaching the Creator, adhesion with the Creator, and therefore those who come close or want to come close to the Creator, those who are called Yashar-Kel, Israel, certainly they come closer to it to the extent that they rule over the Klipot, over the will to receive for oneself. So far, I think it is clear. We need to repeat that, to go over it again and again, even a few times a day and then we will understand what is happening to us in the world. So please, Shamati 46.
Reading Article: (04:07) Baal HaSulam. Shamati, 46. “The Domination of Israel over the Klipot” [Twice]
2. S (07:54) How do we relate to the physical country of Israel?
R. We relate to it only on the condition that we understand that there are people there that ultimately their goal will be, and maybe they don't understand it, and they don't know about it yet, but that they will have to reach nearing to the Creator. They will have to discover this path just like we try in our organization that you are familiar with us, Bnei Baruch, and later on when they will understand that and they will accept it and agree to it, they too, will disseminate it to the whole world just like we the organization of Bnei Baruch try to do and then people all over the world will now how to get closer to the upper force and what should we do so that He will relate to all of us in the right, good, and nice way.
S. It seems that this holy thing in Israel, of Bnei Baruch in Israel, and out of that there is this other question. Do we need in every community for there to be a place called Israel?
R. Yes, in each and every person who has an inclination to get closer to the Creator he is called, or his qualities called Israel.
S. The goal of our dissemination is basically for everyone to be called Israel?
R. Yes, yes according to intentions, it is going to be exactly this.
3. S. (10:54) Why are we stuck on these very same desires even when we see they cause us harm? Why does this happen? How do we deal with this?
R. It is there in every human being and we cannot do anything with it, it is called evil inclination, our egoistical basis, the foundation that is spinning us like that and makes us act not for the other, for the sake of the others, for the sake of the Creator as if for the sake of ourselves but it is not for our own benefit, it's to our demise. While that's the way we are made, this is our ego that turns us upside down this way.
4. S. (12:15) What does it mean to continue the form of Hochma only as a path to travel through and not more?
R. We need to use the light of Hochma that is filling all of our desires to help us in order to bring contentment upon the Creator, through these and not so that we would do it in order for our own pleasure.
S. If we receive some kind of pleasure right now, let's say the friends give me something and I don't want to receive it for myself. What do I need to do in practice?
R. Same thing that you should be doing back to the friends, basically that's it.
S. How does a person guard oneself from receiving for oneself?
R. All of the time he's thinking about the greatness of the Creator, about the goal of creation, the purpose of creation that we all have to rise and become the same as the Creator to an extent to which it is possible and then this way they strengthen themselves on the step that is called sanctity.
5. S. (13:53) What are the anterior vessels and how do we become worthy of using them?
R. In the Panim, anterior, there are vessels of bestowal, and we have to when we are uniting together between us bestowing upon each other in the ten, and then from the ten to the Creator, this way we prepare these vessels and we feel inside of them how we come closer to the Creator, how we approach Him and we are happy about the fact that we bring the contentment upon Him through this.
S. Are we in such a time where we have the opportunity to enter into such work?
R. Yes, yes absolutely, certainly. We are all in the state where we can through our unity bring the contentment upon the Creator and bring Him joy.
6. S. (14:58) Can you give a full definition of what are these Klipot, the shells? Why does it say that Israel dominates the Klipot?
R. Klipot is the name for our desires, the ones that put us down to the ego. They drag us into ego, and we, in that case, are not able to perform any good action for us, for the Creator, or the others.
7. S. (15:38) Our work is mainly to be in the Kelim of the Panim, the anterior ones, and how to do it?
R. Vessels of bestowal, bestowing desires, and good desires, this is what are called vessels of the anterior, Kelim de Panim.
S. The posterior vessel, Achoraim which he’s talking about, sooner or later we are going to have to use them? Who decides when we are going to activate them or not?
R. We will have Kelim de Panim, desires to bestow, vessels of bestowal. Then eventually, we will be able to partially use the Kelim Achoraim, a receiving Kelim to an extent to which they will be able to work as Kelim, vessels of bestowal.
8. S. (16:48) How do I in my work, can accurately discern that the light turns into the vessels of the anterior ones and not the posterior ones? What are the criteria here?
R. In the Kelim de Panim, you have to be connected with the others, you have to be connected to the friends and help each other and then they will be felt, you will feel that they are inside of you those vessels of the anterior.
S. Meaning a person cannot be mistaken if he's working in the ten and coming closer?
R. No, then he's definitely inside the Kelim de Panim, vessels of the anterior.
S. When we do mutual action in the ten, whatever the ten decides, it is surely a mutual action in that direction?
R. Yes, Panim means bestowing, one's desires to bestow. Achoraim are receiving desires.
S. We say bestowing and receiving, it's not about desire, it's about intentions.
R. Intentions, let it be intentions because desires do not mean anything on their own.
S. That's exactly the question: these intentions for bestowal you are constantly clarifying it over in the ten whether it's for the ten or for yourself?
R. Yes, it's our scrutiny exactly, precisely.
9. S. (18:36) How do we speed up our dissemination through Bnei Baruch, how do you see it?
R. We have to be connected with our friends who do dissemination, and they will explain to you how they do it and you'll be able to enter the same team and join the same team.
10. S. (19:18) When we are speaking of the nations of the world and of Israel, we are talking about the qualities that are inside each one of us. Then what does it mean that the nations of the world are causing the other ones to bring light into the anterior vessels and the posterior ones?
R. There are such desires that are called nations of the world in each of us, these are intentions for oneself, and we have to limit them, limit their usage.
S. I just want to understand what it means, that they cause the light to be brought down into the posterior Kelim. Are those desires that are not aimed at the Creator, is that what it means?
R. Yes, yes to our egoistical desires.
11. S. (20:19) The evil inclination is always trying to manipulate us but in what measures do we need to use it correctly so we can say that Israel dominates the Klipot and not the other way around?
R. We are still not able to do it. First, we have to master the bestowing Kelim and then later on we will start to attract and attach to them the desires to receive.
12. S. (21:06) I want you to share with everyone that I'm responsible for the studies in the Russian language and right now thousands of new points in the heart have joined us in the Russian channels. These are from Israel, Ukraine, Belarus, and America, from all over the whole world. The women on the very first Zoom was packed with students, thousands of students, it was a full Zoom. Then these questions that there was a huge team, and even that was not enough of a hundred people, even that was not enough to cover everything. Even though it's through the Creator’s giving us this time, how do we carry this inner responsibility and intention? What do we need to do here?
R. What do we have to do? We have to explain to them that the main thing is the connection between us, the same thing that they explain to the newcomers.
S. Yes, that's clear Rav but we as a team, need to have that inner responsibility for what the Creator gave us and the inner state that we need to hold onto in order to come out to them?
R. Well, I am not familiar with your team and things between you. Is it a huge female or a mixed team? You have to advise with our friends. We have people who have been doing that for years and they will take you there. I am sorry but I don't perform dissemination on my own.
S. I'm not asking about dissemination. We have been doing it for a while, but we are just talking about this inner value for this team that's really approaching this with this great trepidation or maybe making a direction for their work.
R. Direction for work is only a connection between us, from us to the Creator, that's it. You don't need anything else, just connected between us, and between us and the Creator, and with this the whole correction of the world ends on this.
13. S. (24:06) Please help us. There is this general Klipot of everyone, of time, that we delay things. How do we work with it every single minute, every single second?
R. You have not to forget and when you don't forget, constantly turn into a common connection with the friends and the Creator and you will see that soon enough you will start changing, you will start receiving the wider world.
S. How do we not forget? Is it psychological or in the ten?
R. Yes, in the ten you won't be able to perform it alone, only in the ten, and your common efforts will be flowing in between you and you will be feeling that you are staring in the same direction, thoughts, and desires.
S. Until I don't think about the Creator, then my ten is holding the connection?
R. Yes, of course.
14. S. (26:00) Can we say that every second that I see myself as the smallest, it is the opposite every moment that I see myself as the greatest and the friends as smaller than me, then it means that I am in the posterior vessels in the nations of the world?
R. Yes, certainly great.
S. And when we draw the lights downward it means that it's basically the same state as if I see myself as great and the others are small then I am pulling the light down into the posterior vessels?
R. Yes, yes.
15. S. (26:47) In the morning lesson you answered a student that the righteous can cancel a decree. Question: a ten that's not corrected yet, if out of a common prayer from the depths of the heart, from a common outcry, we can also cancel the decree?
R. Yes, of course, of course.
16. S. (27:14) The more I want to get closer to Israel we get more and more obstacles come our way, why?
R. Because to enter, to approach the Creator, to become closer to Him is the most complex and hard thing in the world. Hence, the feeling that you have. But nevertheless, continue and you will succeed.
17. S. (28:04) We don't choose which Klipot to work on whether it's our own, the tens, or with the world, we just need to turn to the Creator?
R. The Creator is choosing, and you have to address everything towards Him.
S. I don't want this Klipot that is not mine, it's all out of the ego.
R. So why is it not yours?
S. You say that if I have such thoughts as a friend just said, then this is the ego that’s working, and we need to work with it?
R. Yes.
18. S. (29:04) We often talk about the Klipot as if it's something bad, but while a person doesn't acquire the vessels of bestowal then they serve a certain role, is that correct?
R. Yes, yes.
Reading Article Again: (29:32) Baal HaSulam. Shamati, 46. “The Domination of Israel over the Klipot”
19. S. (31:24) The anterior Kelim and the vessels of bestowal are the same thing?
R. No, it's the same thing.
S. We in certain stages, say that it's the vessel of reception in order to bestow, we use it in that way?
R. When we attain bestowing vessels, bestowing Kelim, and right after the bestowing Kelim we start attaching the receiving Kelim to them so that they also turn into the Kelim for bestowal.
S. Because of the anterior Kelim?
R. Kelim de Panim are vessels of bestowal, and Kelim de Achoraim are receiving, but we connect them together.