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

Daily Morning Lesson: July 4, 2025

Part 3: To be as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load – Selected excerpts from the sources

Reader: Shalom, friends, the subject of today's lesson is, that's a new one: it's To Be As An Ox To The Burden And As A Donkey To The Load. So, To be as an Ox to the Burden and as a Donkey to the Load.

M. Laitman: So, let's begin. This is related to what we want to scrutinize.

Rav reads: Our sages said that Malchut of heaven needs to be as an ox to the burden and a donkey to the load. He says, my father Baal HaSulam says, the ox to the burden means the burden of faith, that we have to be like, like a burden is given to the ox to plow through the field. Without any consideration of its will, if it agrees with it, instead we place the yoke on it against its will. Likewise, a man must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven, since an ox means knowing. As it is written, the ox knows its master. For this reason, faith is regarded as a burden to one who needs knowledge.

And we, it seems, needs to go with this burden, meaning that it's a must for us to attain the faith. Okay, we'll see. Let's read again.

Reader: So again, Excerpt Number One, Rabash writes,

Reading: (03:03) 1. RABASH, Article No. 6 (1988), "What Is the Difference between a Field and a Man of the Field, in the Work?"

Our sages said, that Malchut [kingdom] of heaven must be as an ox to the burden and as an ass to the load.” Baal HaSulam said that “an ox to the burden” means that the burden of faith must be as one places the yoke on the ox so as to plow the field, without any consideration of its will, if it agrees with it. Instead, we place the yoke on it against its will. Likewise, man must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven, since an ox means knowing, as it is written, “The ox knows its master.” For this reason, faith is regarded as a burden to one who needs knowledge.

M. Laitman: Meaning, if a person is drawn to reason, then he feels the work of attaining faith as a burden. So, we always have to think about how do we attain faith.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (04:44) I wanted to ask regarding our contact with that light. Because we try to, oh that, not light, that burden, because we try to evade the burden, but when you take on the burden, it becomes less of a burden.

M. Laitman: This is true, to the extent that we are under the burden, we get ourselves accustomed to being under it and attaining it.

Student: And in the opposite situation, we sometimes try to evade it and say, let's wait. Time will do its thing. But the burden then keeps growing, and ultimately you have to lift a greater burden.

M. Laitman: That we'll see, I don't want to give an answer, but we'll see.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (05:48) So, the knowledge should not be annulled, otherwise there won't be light.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, what is the knowledge that's required here? The knowledge of what, the knowledge of the Creator? Our desire to know and to feel and receive from the Creator? That's what we mustn't annul?

M. Laitman: All in all, what we get in our work is knowledge; the ox knows its master.

Student: So, we need to want to know.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: What does it mean to know?

M. Laitman: To know – as far as we've learned so far – seems to be the true knowledge.

Student: Okay, so it's important not to acknowledge because otherwise there won't be a burden, right? We need to take it as faith, it's on the basis of knowledge, right? Which I mustn't annul because otherwise I won't have a burden. Faith is attained only if there is a desire for knowledge at its foundation?

M. Laitman: A desire for knowledge, yeah.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:15) I don't understand what this knowledge is. It's written that the ox knows its master, knows the Lord, your G-d. We want to come to know G-d.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So, what is the burden here?

M. Laitman: To accept it as a burden; meaning, even though I would not yearn for it, but in order to attain the Creator's work, I have to accept it this way.

Student: If a person is attracted to that knowledge?

M. Laitman: If he's attracted to it, then it's probably okay, but if not, then he has to come to this knowledge as a burden.

Student: What is the burden of faith?

M. Laitman: The burden of faith is that we don't have faith. And we begin to connect with it, to this concept of faith towards the Creator.

Student: What is the burden, here, the burden of faith? What is felt to be a burden?

M. Laitman: My connection with the Creator.

Student: And what? When it's difficult for me to accept Him, to believe in Him, or what?

M. Laitman: Yes, yes.

Student: And I need to accept, to assume that burden, or do I need to overcome that burden, it's unclear?

M. Laitman: I think it's actually clear.

Rav reads: Our sages said that the Malchut of heaven must be as an ox to the burden and as an ass to the load. Baal HaSulam said that an ox to the burden means that the burden of faith must be as one places the yoke on the ox so as to plow the field without any consideration of its will, of the ass, if it agrees with it, instead we place the yoke on it against its will. Likewise, man must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven since an ox means knowing. As it is written, the ox knows its master. For this reason, faith is regarded as a burden to one who needs knowledge.

So, what does he want to ask?

Student: I wanted to ask, I understand that if the Creator places upon me that burden, not of my own will, I understand that and I feel that to be a burden, but what does it mean that I, the person, that I have to assume the burden of the kingdom of heaven, the burden of faith?

M. Laitman: That you will relate that way to what you need to attain.

Student: And what is that attitude that I need to accept?

M. Laitman: This is called, that the ox knows its master; that this is how we have to attain the Creator.

Student: It's still unclear to me, maybe in simpler words: What do I need to accept?

M. Laitman: You have to aim yourself at knowing the Creator.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:40) I want to understand, I want to work with knowledge, right? The Creator wants me to work with faith, and so I feel faith to be a burden, because I want to know everything. I want to understand everything.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So, because everything goes through faith, then I feel that to be a burden. Is that correct?

M. Laitman: Oh, let's see.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (12:12) So, what is faith?

M. Laitman: Faith is to have faith in the upper force, the Creator, that He's in charge; that He decides in each and every step in your spiritual path.

Student: Suppose that we are in that field of faith, of love and bestowal, why is that a burden?

M. Laitman: Because that's against our nature.

Student: But we're already in a certain relationship with the upper force, and we discover things there which I suppose are different to this world. How does that become a burden, then?

M. Laitman: Acquiring the right, correct, state in spirituality is a burden.

Student: So, as we climb the spiritual degrees, as we ascend, it becomes, it's always against the desire?

M. Laitman: A burden.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:44) What characterizes the difficulty in the work prior to entering spirituality?

M. Laitman: That, you don't get what you want.

Student: It happens all the time.

M. Laitman: That's what happens, yes?

Student: But there is some difficulty, great difficulty, before entering spirituality. Is there anything specific to that?

M. Laitman: The fact that you tie yourself to – say spirituality – it's a result of your efforts.

Student: Shouldn't there be a situation where a person reaches the state that I've described now, and he just, he gives up, in a way, he stops fighting? Something obstructs him?

M. Laitman: We are talking about a person who aims himself to some intention, spiritual intention. And he sees himself that he's probably going in the wrong way, for now.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (15:47) What does it mean that he's plowing the field? What field is he plowing, the ox?

M. Laitman: That he is in the study of the Torah, and he does not see that he finishes the work, but he does something. He reveals time and again the extent to which his work does not bring him to what he wants.

Student: And through this work, he can gain faith? Or does he have to believe while he's doing the work? How does it work or does it matter?

M. Laitman: Let's say.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (17:02) If you can plow the field only with faith, if you can do the work only with the faith, so what's the result we're expecting after the plowing of the field? I always thought that faith is something we have to reach, the force of faith.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But here he says it's just a condition to work?

M. Laitman: There is a condition, where after that condition, you enter into work.

Student: And then what is the result of the work with the faith?

M. Laitman: That then you receive the power of faith.

Student: What's the difference between working with the burden of faith or having the force of faith?

M. Laitman: The light of faith seems that that's what the person wishes to reach. And he sees that that is the main thing in his work and that is all.

Student: What is the spiritual result of a person having the force of faith, what does it enable me?

M. Laitman: It enables you to continue until you receive the force of faith in your hands.

Student: And when I have it in my hands, what do I do with it?

M. Laitman: Then you're not needy of anything.

Student: I can't understand, if the work is to always work in faith, above knowledge, that it's more important?

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: Then if I have this force already, then the work ends? So, do I need to work on growing the force of faith or is it expected to do this some other way?

M. Laitman: You cannot reach the light of faith without you going through that crown on the path.

Student: What do we need to do?

M. Laitman: Yes, we need to reveal our faith, and then we will see what's demanded of us.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:19) When we read the excerpt, there is this feeling that the ox sometimes walks in the field with the burden and sometimes without the burden upon him. And I felt like in the Ten, sometimes there's this feeling that you're there, but you're in the field, but don't work. And there's times where you feel like you're doing the work. And it's about this state that I wanted to talk about. How do you come to a state, here, too. I'm sometimes in the left, and I feel like I'm working on some resistance or giving, like there's something that's working against me; and there's times where I'm just there. So, that's the feeling I received from this excerpt, that there's this state where the ox can walk in the field without the burden, and there's times where you put the burden on him and he's plowing the field, so there's some action at that point. And how do we bring that inwards, if it's correct, how to bring this state where we're there and we're plowing, where there's a reward for, there's a benefit, there's work against the resistance?

M. Laitman: Resistance here is what we need to reveal in our work in the field. And in what is the demand of? The demand will be its acquirer or purchaser, we want to reveal, it's that we want to reveal the essence of our work. And to see and feel how we come closer to the Creator in all of our steps in the field.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:30) Many times I feel that I'm lacking faith, meaning that I want it. Otherwise, meaning it's a very great fuel that I know that I come here in order to attain, and I want to attain. And I think this makes the difference, actually, when there's this desire to attain.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But where do you get it from? It's a huge gift; it's a very big gift if you come to the lesson and you want to attain.

M. Laitman: That's a response to your prayer.

Student: That's the prayer before prayer? And that needs to be the request to always attain?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (25:38) What does going in faith contribute, the revelation of the Creator in faith contributes to the working in adhesion?

M. Laitman: What do we attain adhesion through?

Student: When we become similar to Him?

M. Laitman: Well?

Student: Why in reason, if I were to receive those discernments, I won't be similar to Him?

M. Laitman: You cannot receive them in reason.

Student: Despite the fact that I want, I can't?

M. Laitman: It's the opposite of what you want, You will know your Maker.

Student: That the ox discovers his opposite qualities, he discovers within reason that he's opposite, it’s still within reason. What is this faith?

M. Laitman: It's against my natural inclination. I want, I don't want that, according to my nature. So, if I annul my inclination and I want to discover the knowledge like the ox knows its master.

Student: Am I annulling my rejection or my inclination? I have a natural inclination to reject certain things?

M. Laitman: No. You are drawn to reach knowledge, through that in which you go and add, that you go and stabilize in faith. So, by doing so and yearning to be in faith, you, by doing so, receive knowledge. And then you enter, with the force of knowledge that you acquired, you enter into a contact with the Creator.

Student: Or something is kind of intermingling, there?

M. Laitman: Let's say that it's intermingling, it's intermingling.

READER: I don't know if there are other questions in the world Kli as well, but maybe we'll read Excerpt 2 to deepen our scrutiny. It continues there.

M. Laitman: There's excellent excerpts in this document.

Reader: Okay, I'll read, from Rabash, Number 2.

Reading: (29:33) 2. RABASH, Article No. 8 (1990), "What It Means that Esau Was Called 'A Man of the Field,' in the Work"

As the ox works by coercion and must obey what its owner wants, man must not ask the body if it wants to take upon itself the burden of Torah and Mitzvot. Rather, he must force it and believe in the sages that such is the path of truth.

Also, there is the discernment of “and as a donkey to the load,” meaning it is the quality of the heart. In other words, a person must work not in order to receive reward. Therefore, when the body is told to work without any reward, this work is a load to it and the body wants to take off this load, which man wants it to suffer. In other words, the body understands that it can carry a load even for a doubtful reward for this work. But if it is told, “Work and carry loads without any reward,” it wants to get rid of this work immediately, every moment. Then it was said, “as a donkey to the load.” That is, a person must walk in this direction even though the body disagrees.

It follows that the labor is in two manners: 1) as an ox to the burden, 2) as a donkey to the load.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:06) What's the difference between the work of the donkey and the work of the ox?

M. Laitman: What's the difference between the work of the donkey and the ox? It still seems to us as having no difference.

Student: He writes in mind and in heart.

M. Laitman: Where?

Student: I saw it in the excerpt, I'll search exactly. In the second paragraph: And also, there is a donkey to the load, meaning it is the quality of the heart. In other words, a person must work not in order to receive a reward, but also the ox, when he works, if he wants to eventually attain knowledge and receive the quality of bestowal, he needs to work above reason, without some kind of proofs along the way.

He also needs to be in coercion. The simpler question is, what's the difference in the coercion work that a person carries upon himself in order to bestow to friends, to bestow to others, as he wants? He says, the donkey does not want to receive a reward, and what does the ox want? It's not clear, what doesn't the ox want?

M. Laitman: The ox seemingly agrees to the load, to the burden; and the donkey is the one that is the contrary.

Student: Well, it's just like they say about a donkey, that it's a stubborn kind of animal that doesn't want to go?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, it's in that direction that the donkey in me, the beast in me that is stubborn, doesn't want to bestow, it's like in that? I have to battle, and to constantly be inclined towards bestowal?

M. Laitman: At the end of it all, if you pressure your donkey so it will do whatever it needs. And in a correct way, then you'll know how to use it, and then you understand it, and it understands you, and you, the both of you can progress.

Student: Meaning, if I could ask about the work in plowing: It's like they both work the land, the desire, in order to, what? Invert it from the desire to receive to the desire to bestow? But they're searching of how to work not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others, meaning constantly outwards. Is that the actual work of the field, the plowing of the field?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Thank you very much. We'll continue to scrutinize.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (36:13) What is to convince the body for a response?

M. Laitman: What do you need to say to the body in order for it to agree to work as a donkey, let's say?

Student: Because also in the previous excerpt, there's something that doesn't work out for me: What's bothering me more on the way, the knowledge, or the desire?

M. Laitman: And you have no answer, right?

Student: I think I have an answer, but I want to scrutinize it with you, Rav. Please. On one hand he says that in faith above reason, I raise new reason each time and rise above it, I can overcome my desire to receive. There's a certain no way to relate to the desire. What's this not relating to the desire each time I rise above the reason? He says, I don't relate to my desire.

M. Laitman: In relation to what do you check where you are?

Student: My examination is always towards the friends, where I actually want to be before the friends. With my desire, if it's for the sake of myself or for the friends. Now there's always the reason of the group, of the Ten, where am I more? And the reason of the Ten that I understand that there it's revealed to me what's happening behind each and every friend as a group of the Creator. But on the other hand, where is my desire here? How do I relate to my desire here? Where here is my real work here that I discover that actually on one hand I have a desire, but I don't relate to it. So how do I rise above reason?

M. Laitman: Why does it not relate? Why is disconnection from above reason, why does that not give you the opportunity to progress in the force of faith?

Student: On the contrary, if I take my desire and don't relate to it, here I work above reason. If I come, I have to come with some desire of my own, with my desire, with my resistance, in order to understand where I am at any given moment between the desirable and the existing. But if I don't relate to it, then how do I build above reason each time, what do I actually come with?

M. Laitman: What is your goal?

Student: My goal is to constantly be tight with the Creator and acquire this quality called, love and bestowal from Him. That's what I want between me and my friends but my desire, which is a desire for myself, makes it difficult for me each time. It shows me how opposite I am.

M. Laitman: Well, what?

Student: So, I'm asking if I don't relate to it. How do I come to the Creator and demand from Him, yes, to be there. Yes, to be tight with the friends and to be there like similar to the Creator. There's some struggle here, this hidden struggle, that makes it difficult each time more and more. On one hand, he says, don't relate to your desire, but on the other hand, I must relate to my desire in order to rise above it. So, how do I work with these two states?

M. Laitman: Is there an answer to what he is saying?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (40:58) It’s like stages in which we raise up the faith, we call it deeper raising the Shechina from the dust, and we’re all partners in the upper force. Where when we tie on the qualities in the work, this stubbornness as far as the intellect, on the side of persistence and being relentless, like an ox and a donkey. If we do this correctly, then each time we raise the degree of consciousness of our work, we'll call it, in the Ten, of the knowledge, so he knows who his maker is. And in the way, the faith in the sages will know what the command is, and will strap himself on to this work and know the field of all these scrutinies to the degree of knowledge and higher degrees of connection from the degree of the body or the beast that just receives a command. To what we call more being similar to the Creator, and when man knew Eve, the force of the desire to bestow connects with the deficiency in order to bestow. To the extent in which he has his faith in his sages, and he can truly annul. Then there's a certain innovation, and it's like we call it, raise the heavens, raise spirituality above the knowledge of, like the friend said, to be stuck in the knowledge of the body, seemingly, where the ego is pulling you downwards.

In order to rise to a degree in these, higher in the knowledge of the Creator, know thy Lord and serve Him. From the Good That Does Good, what is your work with the friends in the Ten where you can say that, by this, I'm adhering to even more devotion in the part that I have during the preparation. And as much as we can raise up between us, the Shechina, this quality, this Kli, that eventually can receive light and illuminate the general correction in the world. It's some knowledge that is above everything, and there, there is, we'll call it, faith above reason. I simply just, maybe it's like this, I'm simply starting to see that whoever participates in all this, I'm starting to see the path, so I go. And then I can be as an ox and a donkey, and immediately, until these deficiencies rise to being prayers.

M. Laitman: Okay, we heard.

READER: We also have questions on the screens.

Student: I just wanted to suggest that we read the source again, so it'll bring us back to the main thing.

M. Laitman: Well, read.

Reader: We will read excerpt number two once more. Rabash writes:

Reading: (29:33) 2. RABASH, Article No. 8 (1990), "What It Means that Esau Was Called 'A Man of the Field,' in the Work"

As the ox works by coercion and must obey what its owner wants, man must not ask the body if it wants to take upon itself the burden of Torah and Mitzvot. Rather, he must force it and believe in the sages that such is the path of truth.

Also, there is the discernment of “and as a donkey to the load,” meaning it is the quality of the heart. In other words, a person must work not in order to receive reward. Therefore, when the body is told to work without any reward, this work is a load to it and the body wants to take off this load, which man wants it to suffer. In other words, the body understands that it can carry a load even for a doubtful reward for this work. But if it is told, “Work and carry loads without any reward,” it wants to get rid of this work every moment. Then it was said, “as a donkey to the load.” That is, a person must walk in this direction even though the body disagrees.

It follows that the labor is in two manners: 1) as an ox to the burden, 2) as a donkey to the load.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (47:10) What is the spiritual principle called, to go as an ox to the burden and a donkey to the load, what is it called?

M. Laitman: It is that you hold these two reins, or these two lines, and you then reach the correct truth.

Student: What are those lines?

M. Laitman: These two lines are that until the end, you are not in your home; that you always have this opposition on the other side.

Student: So, the advice I'm being told is go like an ox to the load, to the burden, and a donkey to the load. Beyond that picture, what does it actually mean? What do I need to practically do?

M. Laitman: You need to acquire these two forces of an ox and a donkey, and to be certain that you are acting correctly.

Student: Who is the landlord of the ox and the donkey? The host?

M. Laitman: Seemingly, in nature.

Student: Can I receive the force to manage this ox and this donkey? To put the burden on them, to put the load on them?

M. Laitman: Yes. You need to, otherwise you're not progressing.

Student: What point in me is higher than the donkey and the ox that manages it?

M. Laitman: The point of unity, I would say.

Student: Is it opportune?

M. Laitman: Yes, that's what he writes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (50:27) I understand the purpose of the work of the ox, that he resists, he wants to work in labor, and he needs to work in faith. And this plows the desire to receive, but what's the benefit from the work of the donkey? He needs to work while he knows that he will never receive a reward. What does that build in us?

M. Laitman: For him to make an action, a movement, that is against his mind, then that is okay, he agrees with it.

Student: Is that the ox? Against the reason, the knowledge, the work with knowing and understanding what I'm working with every step along the way, there's that. We don't have that, we have to work with faith and to overcome that. That the ox does, thanks to the work on the will to receive, it plows the desire, and the person from that receives benefit after that; he breaks the reason, rises above it, plows it. The work of the donkey, which works while knowing that he won't receive any reward. What does that build in a person, what does that contribute to a person?

M. Laitman: Because that is the condition by which the person comes to the Creator.

Student: The work of the plowing of the ox wasn't enough? He works above reason; he works now only with faith of the sages. He knows that he will have a reward, maybe, but he works in the faith of sages. Here, he's being told also, not only that, you won't also receive a reward. How does that help, how does this contribute to my development?

M. Laitman: It's because in such a way, you can attain the true outcome. That you will not receive anything from the force of faith, of above reason, but on the contrary, you – well, who will help me?

Answer (Petah Tikva Center): (54:11) It could be that a donkey, who knows that he will never receive from what he does or what he's going through. That part – it's upon this part – that it makes it understood in a pure way, that we're moving to another place, to faith. And a donkey won't be there, and that we need to reveal. That's what I think.

M. Laitman: Yes.

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