The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Lesson (Morning) December 22, 2024.
Part 2: Lesson on the Topic of Hanukkah
Reader: We will now read selected excerpts From the sources on the topic of Hanukkah So, please.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (00:11) Hello friends, I wanted to say why are we studying about Hanukkah now? For two reasons: first, we are approaching the holiday of Hanukkah that will start towards the end of this week. That's the first reason. And the second is, because next week, exactly a week from today, we will gather here in the Arvut system on the 29th of December. We will be together for Unity Day whose topic is Miracles happen when we connect. This is actually a very important stage, and a practical stage as our preparation for the upcoming Congress in February. The Congress of Lishma. Hanukkah, as we learned, is a pause. It's an opportunity where we all pause and gather in order to recruit forces between us towards the Congress. The Congress in February. So, Rav, if I may ask a question. Can I ask a question?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: I wanted to ask the following question. Next week on Sunday, we will celebrate Hanukkah here in a full day of unity. Really, a Congress of one day. This is a preparation for the Congress of Lishma that will take place in February. And my question is: what is the connection between this state of Hanukkah, this degree of Hanukkah that the Kabbalists described and the entrance to Lishma. Do you see a connection between these two actions or these two states?
M. Laitman: Those are two degrees. Although, they are not directly connected to one another. But we know that in each and every degree in spirituality there is a greater connection, greater reforming light, help from the Creator. And that's why we are approaching that. And we will enter it as much as possible. That's it.
Student: What forces can we accumulate on a unity day as preparation for the Congress of Lishma?
M. Laitman: I have no words how to clarify, elucidate the connection between them. Without Hanukkah, without connection, we won't be able to reach unity, wholeness in order to bestow. So, I see it as one system.
Student: I have the following question. Should everyone reach Lishma?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: And we need to make sure everyone has the conditions in order to reach Lishma?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Or maybe just a part should reach Lishma? And another?
M. Laitman: No.
Student: And each one should have their conditions.
M. Laitman: No. If not in this lifetime, then the next.
Student: But everyone must reach Lishma.
M. Laitman: Yes, it's not that many. Love your friend as yourself. Love the Lord your God. That includes everything. Yes.
Student: There are also many external conditions. Some of them are strict.
M. Laitman: I don't think there are many external things that we need to correct and to observe.
Student: For example, the framework.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: There is a framework.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: And not everyone meets the framework.
M. Laitman: Let's hope that until then, everyone will improve.
Student: Thanks.
M. Laitman: This certainly awakens a few questions, a few problems, a few thoughts, but with mutual help, we can reach a state where we will all understand that everything is indeed in our hands. What else do we need?
Reader: Yes, we can read the excerpts for Hanukkah. Okay, so the matter of Hanukkah, the first excerpt by Rabash.
1. RABASH, Article No. 9 (1986), "Concerning the Hanukkah Candle"
Reading: (05:48) Hanukkah, […] is the work of correction of creation, which is to obtain the vessels of bestowal, with which we can then achieve the purpose of creation. We can call this “spirituality” because we do not want to do anything for ourselves, but only for the Creator.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (06:31) It says here, Hanukkah is the work of the correction of creation which is in order to obtain the vessels of bestowal. So, we correct the vessels of bestowal through work, but in the end, how do we make the inversion from vessels of bestowal, vessels of reception to vessels of bestowal? Does the Creator make this inversion?
M. Laitman: We need to, we want to possess vessels of bestowal, and we will begin to connect between us using these vessels specifically.
Student: Another question. So, to ask for the force of bestowal, to ask for the vessels of bestowal, what is the difference between these two requests? Is there a difference?
M. Laitman: A force is a force, and vessels are vessels. So, these are different requests.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (07:48) In every article by Rabash, almost, he says there is the correction of creation and there is the purpose of creation. In Hanukkah, he says here, it relates to the correction of creation, meaning the first part, when we want to obtain this new vessel, which we call vessels of bestowal.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: How, in the Ten, every friend can experience and learn about the vessel of bestowal through the work with the friends. How, with the friends can we acquire the vessel of bestowal, experience it even though it's not our nature?
M. Laitman: We need to connect, all of us with one another. And we also need to support one another until we raise ourselves to the top. It all depends on us, on our requests.
Student: This mutual support elevates a person up high, because he wants to support others with this inclination.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Why is it called a pause? We learned many times that a Hanukkah means a pause. It actually sounds the opposite, like a springboard.
M. Laitman: On the other hand, it's a springboard, but on the one hand, on the first hand, it's a pause seemingly. It's a rest, it's a stop during the war.
Student: Meaning, it's some kind of a stage where we pause, we accumulate our forces and try to move on to the next stage, to the purpose of creation.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: And I also wanted to ask something else. Before, we talked about how we increase the love between the Tens and to the whole world. So in Hanukkah, we light up candles, and in Hanukkah, my children always get very excited about lighting up the candles. Something magical about it, when the whole family is together, we come here and we light up the candles, the whole society together. Kabbalists write that lighting one candle from another, the flame, I don't remember where it is written, but it's so nice that the flame doesn't go off in the first candle. The first one is not missing, not lacking. We only add in love. Can we resemble it in such a way that if we light up a candle, or a candle of love with a friend in a Ten, like we said before, the love only increases? We want it to increase, we want to acquire vessels of bestowal so that we will have a great force.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: Okay, so may we really succeed, because in a week from now, we truly have, we want the Creator to give us this miracle.
M. Laitman: Okay, let's continue.
2. RABASH, Letter No. 26
Reading: (11:54) Hanu [parked] Koh [here/thus far], meaning that they paused here. This means that Chaf-Hey [Koh/25th] of Kislev [the date when Hanukkah begins] was not the end of the war, but only a pause. It is like an army that wants to start a new, major assault, so it lets the soldiers rest and regain their strength so they can continue the war.
M. Laitman: Clear. This pause is only in order to rest, recuperate, and continue the attack.
Hanukkah excerpt number three.
Rabash, Letter No 26
Reading: (13:03) The matter of Hanukkah, which is the Meaning of Chanur, they paused, where the pause was not because of wholeness, meaning a shining mirror. Rather, the pause was here, or thus far, meaning incomplete, which is a mirror that does not illuminate. In other words, the war of the inclination is still not over, but we have to reach the true wholeness. This is the meaning of Chanur, they paused here, pausing, pause as in here, meaning receiving the upper bestowal so that they would have more strength to go forward in the war of the inclination.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (14:11) Sorry for nagging, but he writes here that they received the upper bestowal, so this is a state of wholeness. But he writes that it's not wholeness. How is it possible that in the state of wholeness, when they receive the upper bestowal, there is lack of wholeness in it?
M. Laitman: Because one comes from above and the other comes from below.
Student: The upper bestowal comes from above, so the lack of wholeness is that the lower one should now also give a strike of connection, of love, seemingly to use the forces of bestowal that he received?
M. Laitman: Yes.
Excerpt number four.
Reading: (15:22) Hanukkah is not yet the completion of the goal, but only the correction of creation. It completes the vessels of bestowal, meaning acts of bestowal. This is why it is forbidden to use the light of Chanukah, since using is an act of reception, and the miracle was only on acts of bestowal, that they can do them and aim to bestow, which is called Lishma.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (16:31) Rav, I heard that we need to obtain, to attain the pause. What does it mean to attain the pause?
M. Laitman: Because it is not like some story that we are reading.Rather, in order to attain the next degree in spirituality, we need to first attain it, and then it comes down onto us. Hence, Hanukkah is a pause in corporeality and a pause in spirituality.
Student: Of course, I understand that all the holidays in spirituality, it is not a matter of a date or time, but it is a matter of attainment of every person individually.
M. Laitman: Yes.
Student: What does it mean to feel that I need to attain this meaning? Like you said, a pause spiritually. What is the meaning of a pause? What should I feel?
M. Laitman: A pause is the certain pause in activities.
Student: A cessation of activities. We are now initiating a unity day next week. So, how should I come? How do I direct myself in this unity day? What does it mean for me to have a pause, to rest?
M. Laitman: As far as you're concerned… Let's read. Read number five.
Excerpt number five.
Reading: (18:59) On Hanukkah, the redemption was only on spirituality, since the decree was only on spirituality. As it is writTen, when the wicked kingdom of Greece arose over your people, Israel, to make them forget your Torah and remove them from the rules of your will, you, with your great mercies, stood by them in their time of trouble, etc. It follows that the redemption was only about spirituality. And in the work, spirituality is called vessels of bestow, or the Hassidim, called light of Hassidim, that dresses in the vessels of bestow.
But here, when we're rewarded only with vessels of bestow, it is only half the work, meaning half a war. That is, the person must be rewarded with the vessels of reception also entering the Kedushah, holiness, meaning to use them with the aim to bestow. Once the vessels of reception have also entered Kedushah, this is considered that he has vessels to receive as well.
At that time, this degree is called the sweetening of the gifts. In other words, before he obtained the vessels of reception, so that they work in order to bestow, he could not use the light that was revealed over the vessels of bestow.
M. Laitman: Okay?
Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:15) What does it mean that light was revealed in the vessels of bestowal, but I can't use them? Only after I made a correction over the vessels of reception. If the light was revealed, then what? I can't use it? So where was it revealed? In what place?
M. Laitman: In the vessels.
Student: So, what does it mean not to use it if it's revealed already?
M. Laitman: This means that a great light was there, as it's written about Hanukkah, and we do not use it.
Student: Yes, I understand that as a verbal meaning, but in terms of the internal practical meaning, if a light is revealed and I don't use it, what happens with this light that is revealed? I mean, it was revealed already.
M. Laitman: The light does not reveal itself. The ability of the light is revealed, and when we use the vessels correctly, we can reveal the light itself.
Student: So it's still in potential but not actual?
M. Laitman: Seemingly, you could say. We have 20 minutes until the end of the lesson. I'm going to go.
Reader: (23:07) So, we will have a quick transition and continue with the study between the friends.