The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Morning Lesson: December 22, 2025
Part 2: LESSONS OF THE RABASH ON TES
Reader: We will study from the “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” with Rabash. We'll read from TES, Volume 1, Part 4, “Inner observation,” chapter 4, Item 64. Before we enter the study, let's hear Rav about the main topic of the lesson.
M. Laitman: (00:34) It seems, in words, this way, that now I begin to receive the pleasures, to feel them, and feel in them also the pleasure that I give to the Creator, in truth. And this is how we depict that state. But to realize the essence of the action, it is better to do the following. Everything comes from the vessel. If I take my desire to enjoy, my ability, and understanding, and everything, and I join it in the same direction outside of me, it is considered that I'm using the reflected light that comes from above downwards. It's just a sign that I'm using my coarseness in order to bestow. So, we say that the light descends into the vessel, into it, into the will to receive. But the intention is, the inclination is in the same direction towards the Creator. Right? It just joins to the same, the coarseness also joins the same direction. Even though we say from the Peh below the light cascades, but the essence of the action is that I also add the coarseness outside of me and bestow towards the Creator. I checked how much I have the true necessity, the willingness to work outside of me towards the Creator. I checked that I have that, that I have a vapor that I truly want to push forward to give Him contentment. I add to it the coarseness accordingly. So, it is true that I receive pleasure in my coarseness. Seemingly, we use the lights and the pleasures from above downwards, but in my intention, my action, I'm actually aiming outside of me, towards Him. I seemingly take my coarseness out, and I turn it into refinement.
Reader: We'll go to the lesson of Rabash.
RABASH: (02:48) You were asking me that the screen, you want to say that it comes from the light. But we don't learn that way. Everything has a reason. So I'm asking, who caused it that we need to make a screen which is considered that it is forbidden to receive? Otherwise, it would be a Klipa, a shell. So, we have to make a screen to aim in order to bestow. Who was the cause? Who was the cause? The light? We saw that the light was shining in the world of Ein Sof. Everything was just fine. There was Kedusha to such an extent that we consider it as filling the whole of reality. So, it follows that this vessel, following the restriction, when we say that if it wasn't able to aim in order to bestow, it is no longer considered Kedusha. Who did that? Only the departure of the light, only the restriction. This is why we attribute who caused the screen to be there, the departure of the light, not the light. The light, we realize that the light actually was shining from the world of Ein Sof in spirituality, and there was no disparity of form there. There was no discernment of up and down. So, it turns out that what we call the screen, which is considered up and down, who was the cause? Specifically the departure of the light called restriction.
RABASH (Source Text/Commentary): (04:45) What is written in item 64?
The beginning of the forming of the vessel comes from the expansion and departure. Hence, every vessel must first have these two forces.
Item 64.
It is known that all the forces in the upper ones must be present in their lower ones. Hence, since the beginning of the forming of the vessel in Malchut of straightness, which is the Peh of the Rosh of AK, comes because of the expansion of the light and its departure. This is what we learned. From then on, every vessel must first have these two causes, meaning the expansion of the light and its departure. No vessel can be formed in the worlds without them.
What does he add here? We can interpret it simply as he says there, meaning every degree, every Rosh, we learn there that there is a screen and coarseness. It is simple. There are other interpretations. We will see that later.
Item 65.
The substance of the vessel is the coarseness.
This substance, what form should it take?
And the form is the screen.
65. Now we have thoroughly explained the fundamental substance and the form of the vessel, which are the coarseness of phase four,
called the will to receive,
which is the substance and the screen established in her,
which would be to aim in order to bestow.
This is the form. From these two, all the kinds of vessels in general and in particular cascaded in all four worlds, ABYA of Kedusha, where there are these two discernments: the will to receive with the desire to bestow, called the screen. Simply. In our world, anyone who wants to receive something spiritual must also have these two things: the desire to receive spirituality and the desire to receive that will not have on it a form of in order to bestow. Do I have such a vessel? Then I can receive. I don't have such a vessel, how can I receive? There is no light without a vessel. This is why he says that this applies always in all of the degrees, in all of the phases. We've already talked about it many times.
RABASH: (08:42) The Zohar gives a rule, the holy Zohar, and my father would quote that. He says, He gives after the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, two general rules, that the three impure shells were made, which was done after the shattering, and there is a fourth shell called the shell of Noga, which is half good and half bad. So, there is a general, and there is a particular, and we get confused about that. So first, we should speak in general. The holy Zohar says the following: the nations of the world and the impure beasts, and animals, and birds, are extended in the three impure shells. And this is impossible to correct. That's one. In the discernment of Israel and the pure beasts, and animals, and birds, they come from the shell of Noga. They are half and half, meaning it's in the middle. There, there is the possibility of choice. If we want, then we can choose to bring all of it to be in Kedusha. That's one. This is in general. But there is a difference, there is a difference. And then there is also the particular. What does it mean, particular? Every individual person incorporates the 70 nations and the discernment of Israel, the quality of Israel.
RABASH: (11:09) So, he says the following: Adam, man - the source of that comes from “The Gates of Kedusha” by Rav Chaim Vital - man comprises three kinds of Nefesh. One is the Nefesh of Kedusha, and the Nefesh of the shell of Noga, and the Nefesh of the three impure shells. The Nefesh of the three impure shells cannot be corrected. And the hint of that is that we have the foreskin and the circumcision, where we cut off the foreskin, which is called the three impure shells. And then we have the Nefesh of Kedusha. If it is holy, then there is no need to correct. All of man’s work is only in the Nefesh of the shell of Noga. There, choice applies; it's half good and half bad. Therefore, there is the world in general, which is considered that in general, the impure shells pertain to the nations of the world. The shell of Noga is considered as the people of Israel, and every person includes all of the 70 nations, he within himself has the three impure shells, and the shell of Noga, and Nefesh of Kedusha. What does a person discover first? Is it every person according to his ability, or does he make a choice? This is why a person is told that if something is impure, you should not eat it. You shouldn't eat it, because you cannot correct it. It will be corrected at the end of correction. So we can understand what is the permission. What is something which is permission? Things that are allowed, with those things that are permitted, there is a choice. Either we can correct them to be in order to bestow, or we don't correct them. And there is also the Nefesh of Kedusha in a person. After the quality of the half of the shell of Noga is revealed, then the Nefesh of Kedusha is revealed in him, which exists in him as a point, a dot. He explains in the introduction that a dot is called a black dot, and in the state of posterior, we cannot see it. Only to the extent that he corrects within himself the shell of Noga, and the state of choice, then the Nefesh of Kedusha begins to shine in him. This is what he says. We talked about that dot regarding that in this world, it's in each and every person, according to his quality.
RABASH: (14:49) So, there's a question. If we say that there was a restriction called the empty or vacant space without any light, without any life in that place, and if we say that after the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, a place was formed where they want only to receive. And all of the created beings following the sin of the Tree of Knowledge were also created from this quality, which he calls Nefesh, that comes from ABYA of the Klipa, ABYA of the shell, in the aspect that this is how they were created back then. Then from where do they have life if it is a vacant space? What does it mean, vacant space? There's no light. So The ARI says that from the shattering and from the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, holy sparks fell into the shells. This is called, in the words of The ARI and in the words of the Zohar, it is called Nahiro Dakik, a very tiny illumination, a very fine light, which revives the shells to the extent of their necessity, so that they can exist since we need them, so that we will be able to correct them. Therefore, all of their livelihood comes from the sparks of Kedusha that fell into them. However, in part 12, we learned that The ARI says there that if people sin, they add, they add additional forces. They draw additional forces, more lights to the shells than what is necessary for them, what they need in order to exist. So, it's luxury. They add additional power to the shells. If they add additional powers to the shells, then they have more power to govern people.
RABASH (Source Text/Commentary): (18:04) Now the second kind, second kind of what? Of vessels. He is the reflected light that rises from the Peh up and clothes the ten Sefirot of direct light.
He explains it in item 66. Item 66.
The second kind of vessels is the reflected light that rises from below upward through the coupling by striking of the upper light with the screen established in the vessel of Malchut, called the first look.
We already talked about what does a look mean? It's the light of Eynaim [eyes], the light of Hochma. The light of AB is considered as looking, the eyes look. To what place does it look? To what place is it imparted? To Malchut, as we learned. Malchut. Malchut doesn't want to receive it. It is considered the screen which is established there.
From the restriction on, the measure of the upper light that the degree receives is dependent on and allotted by the measure of the reflected light that rises because of the coupling by striking in the screen. It is so because this reflected light connects and clothes the ten Sefirot of the direct light.
It turns out that actually what he calls the second kind, means that after the restriction, the second kind of vessels was formed. Not that they can receive below simply by the longing of the desire alone. This is how it used to be before the restriction. But after the restriction, a second kind of vessels appeared, meaning by the fact that I have a desire and craving to receive, by that I cannot yet receive the upper light. Actually, it's to the opposite. By revealing reflected light, which means that he doesn't want to receive unless he doesn't know by himself that he can aim in order to bestow. In order to bestow is called reflected light. Direct light means how the upper one wants to bestow to the lower one. Reflected light, means the opposite, how the lower one, which is called below, wishes to bestow to the upper one. To the extent that he wants to bestow to the upper one, to this extent he receives, and not more. It turns out that, who links the upper light with the will to receive so that he can receive it, so that he can receive this pleasure? What links them is the reflected light, the intention in order to bestow. If he has such a vessel, he can receive. Meaning, linking between whom? Between the upper light and the will to receive. This means that it's a different vessel than simply the desire to receive pleasure. There is none other, so who links them? The reflected light. This is why he calls it a second kind of vessels.
RABASH (Source Text/Commentary): (22:27) 67. We now learned that the light comes to Malchut of the Rosh, and Malchut of the Rosh repels it. And there is reflected light from Malchut of the Rosh up. So, now he comes and says the reflected light of the Rosh is not an actual vessel, so that with this reflected light you can receive the upper abundance, but rather the reflected light in the Rosh is considered the root of the vessels.
67. You must remember that all that is explained here in “Inner light” regarding this matter of the clothing of reflected light on the ten Sefirot of the Rosh, especially that this is not considered actual clothing. Why? As it ascends from below upward, meaning as resistance to clothing in the coarseness of the vessels. He doesn't want to receive it. Nevertheless, with this rejection, this reflected light expands the vessel of Malchut of the Rosh into ten Sefirot from her, and within her, and they become actual vessels of reception as we have elaborated on it in the “Inner Light.” I think it's clear, we already learned a lot about it following the calculation that Malchut of the Rosh made of how much it can receive in order to bestow. This was in potential. Then he does the same thing in actuality. This is called expansion in actuality. This is why we always learn that the Rosh has ten complete Sefirot, which is not so in the Guf. What is the Guf? It's only an expansion from the Malchut of the Rosh. This is why Malchut of the Rosh is called the Keter of the Guf. Meaning, the entire Guf has no more than Malchut. Malchut that made a calculation. This Malchut is now going to receive. It turns out that who are we talking about? Only about Malchut.
RABASH (Source Text/Commentary): (25:35) The third kind of vessels is the reflected light that is inverted from the Peh downward and clothe the ten Sefirot of the Guf to the Tabur. The third kind of vessels,
68. is the one brought above that the reflected light of the Rosh, which is the above mentioned second kind, though it is not at all clothing in and of itself. It's still not receiving anything. It is nonetheless inverted and becomes an actual vessel of reception. This third kind, which we explain now, is always called the Guf of the Partzuf. And the above-mentioned second kind, a line, is always called the Rosh of the Partzuf.
Let's read onward. The first kind you have to say, before the restriction. The second kind, the Rosh, the degree after the restriction. The third kind is the Guf that extends from the Rosh after the restriction. Let's read your question. What are you asking? Here we learn that the vessel is called reflected light, and we learned the Kli, the vessel - you have the substance and the form. The substance, the matter, is a person who studies, he enjoys more than all the pleasures of this world, and he wishes himself, “I wish I will remain in this exalted state and this feeling all my life, all the days of my life, at least, the very least not less than that.” This is called a vessel. The Guf enjoys. This is the first condition. If he has pleasure, then I wish to aim this pleasure from receiving. It's not what he wants to enjoy, since the Creator wants to do good to the created beings. He wants man to enjoy. That's why I enjoy. In that case, when can we talk about it? If there's the substance of pleasure. Sometimes, there's no substance of pleasure. You can do all those things. This is the substance. What is the form, then? Meaning that the vessel will be fitting, will be able to receive the condition of the will to bestow. I can give you an allegory about this. A poor person, a person goes into a furniture store, and he sees a beautiful closet. He feels like having it. He tells the owner, “I wish to receive this closet.” Why? “I feel like it.” Why do I care? You know, if you will see that I will enjoy it, then I will give it to you. This person, explained to me, what are you enjoying from? In the corporeal allegory, if you will pay me such and such, then it will be worthwhile for me to give it to you. It turns out, when can he actually receive this closet? With the desire and the longing, the owner doesn't want to give it to him. So what is the condition? It is to pay him. Can he receive anything before that if the main vessel is what he will pay? But as a person who is very rich, he works in the furniture store he also likes this closet, the pleasure from the closet. Will he receive it? Even though he has all the conditions he can pay, he also needs the longing, the yearning. That's what he says, that you need two conditions. One, that he should yearn for the pleasure, to feel that he can derive pleasure from it, see pleasure from it. And later he says, that he can also aim the pleasure he wants to receive in order to bestow to the owner, to the host.
RABASH (Source Text/Commentary): (31:00) We need to start the item.
The fourth kind is the vessels from the Tabur down
69. regarded as the ten Sefirot of reflected light. The reflected light that he's talking about has no definition. That's why we learn, how many types of reflected light we have? We learned already. We learned about reflected light or not? It's 12 kinds of reflected light we learned about. Here, what are we talking about? Typically, reflected light means, just like direct light, it comes from above down. And the screen gives, it doesn't want to receive, and it reflects the light. This is the source of the reflected light. It turns out that direct light, means the light that it drew, and the reflected light means what it rejects. Until we can say that, there is a reflected light that clothes, that receives it. Accordingly, why do we use reflected light? Because it's named after the vessel. When it has that reflected light, it can receive. Now, he says the following, item 69. The fourth kind is the vessels below the Tabur, regarded as ten Sefirot of reflected light that have no direct light. Who am I speaking of? The light or the vessels? I speak of the light. Meaning, the vessels don't have direct light. But what light do they have? Look inside. Regarded as ten Sefirot of reflected light that have no direct light. Who doesn't have it? The vessels. The issue of the above-mentioned third kind applies only through the Tabur, the place of the first nine Sefirot of the Guf. However, from the Tabur down, which is the place of Malchut of the Guf, they are not regarded as vessels of reception. What is he saying here? What is he speaking of? Either of the light or the vessel. We understand from here that what he means, vessel is called a vessel when it receives direct light. What does it mean that a vessel is called a vessel that receives the direct light? A vessel is called a vessel, meaning I wish to bestow. I'm sorry, I wish to receive the abundance. Why? Because I wish to bestow. Meaning, what is a vessel? It says, I wish to receive. I wish to use my will to receive. I wish to enjoy. How? We learned. He can say that his intention is in order to bestow. And this is what he calls the third type of vessel. What is the second type of vessel? The same thing in the Rosh. Malchut of Rosh that drew the light, and made a screen, and made a calculation how much it can receive. Then also how much abundance it can receive.
RABASH: (36:07) We see what is below the Tabur. When it was in the Rosh of the degree, called the second type of vessel. Again, what is the first type of vessel? Before the restriction, it received from the vessel called receiving in order to receive. After the restriction, it receives from the vessels which are in order to bestow. This is in the Rosh of the degree. What did Malchut of Rosh say? We learned a rule. If we learn that there's a screen, phase four, or on phase three, meaning, the degree divides into two parts. One part is called inner light, and one part is called surrounding light. If the coarseness of the screen is phase four, we say that a part of the Keter is received in its internality, and a part of the Keter, it receives in internality. Why? We learned that Malchut of the Rosh says, “What I can aim in order to bestow, this I will receive. What I cannot aim in order to bestow, this I will not receive. I will not receive.” You find that what we had in the Rosh, in potential, expands later in practice, in actuality. It turns out that, as if we say that the third types of vessels is the part of the inner light, meaning vessels where it says, “I wish to receive internality.” This is created as the light coming into the vessels. This is called the Toch, and this is called the vessel. Why? They receive the light. What is below the Tabur? What did she say? “The part I cannot receive in order to bestow, I do not wish to receive.” It turns out that Malchut of Tabur says what? “I don't want it.” So what is below the Tabur? “I do not wish to receive the abundance.” They say, these vessels, we say that they don't, not want, not wish to bestow, not wish to receive the abundance because it desires equivalence of form, it wants Hassidim. Then the illumination of Hochma also shines in them. So, the main foundation, what is it? It does not want to receive, that's what these vessels are called
RABASH (Source Text/Commentary): (39:19) how does it say in it, in the text again?
69, the fourth kind is the vessels below the Tabur, regarded as ten Sefirot of reflected light. Each and every vessel says, “I do not wish to receive.” So, as it says that it doesn't want, it is considered reflected light. It reflects the light. By that it receives the abundance. And this abundance is not called direct light that comes directly - I want, but actually the opposite - I do not want. That's what it says. The above-mentioned third kind, where it says,” I wish to receive in order to bestow,” applies only through the Tabur, the place of the first nine Sefirot of the Guf, called Toch, inner lights.
However, from the Tabur down, which is the place of Malchut of the Guf, what does it say? “I do not want to receive.” They are not regarded as vessels of reception. But does it receive it or not? Yes. If they receive, they are called vessels. Why do you call it as receiving only reflected light? By returning the light, and they say, “We do not wish to receive,” by that, they receive the abundance. Below the Tabur, it's called ten Sefirot of Sium, the ending. What does it say? “I do not wish to receive.” Is that a vessel or not a vessel?
Student: Yes.
RABASH: No, it doesn't want to receive, so it does not receive.
Student: Ah, okay.
RABASH: (41:07) Therefore, there's a vessel that says, “I wish to receive directly, because I wish to receive the abundance.” Whereas below the Tabur, what is it? How does she receive there? By saying she does not want it at all. Why doesn’t it want it? If it wants, it will be in order to receive. There's no choice there. Therefore, specifically, its light is called the reflected light since it does not come directly. It says that she doesn't want it. Whereas above the Tabur, she does want it. Why does she want it? It wants to aim in order to bestow. If I say that below the Tabur, it receives the light of Hassadim with the illumination of Hochma, why is that called light? She receives the reflected light since this light that the vessel receives is not directly. It's not directly. Directly, means that I wish to receive pleasure and enjoyment. This is directly. Why does it want it? It assumes that I wish to bestow. Below the Tabur, we learned, this is the part from the Rosh where I cannot receive. There's no choice. If I will receive, it has to be in order to receive. In that case, what are the ten Sefirot of Sium, or the ending? Each and every Sefira, I do not wish to receive. Why? I know if I will receive, it will be in order to receive. And I desire equivalence of form. I wish to be Hesed. So, the abundance it receives is considered receiving indirectly. So, what is it called? It's called reflected light. It receives the light of Hassadim from the illumination. By what? As long as I say that I do not wish to receive. Whereas above the Tabur, she says, “I do wish to receive directly.” Why? Because she can aim in order to bestow.
RABASH (Source Text/Commentary): (43:38) I'll start item 70. What is the headline of item 70? The rejection and the clothing that the screen caused in the Rosh in potential, manifested in practice in the Guf. The clothing is revealed from the Peh to the Tabur, and the rejection is revealed from the Tabur down. The reason is that the Rosh and the Guf are regarded as the relation of the potential to the actual. For everything that is included in the Rosh as potential, manifests in practice in the Guf. Hence, these two operations that the screen causes in the ten Sefirot of Rosh, namely the detainment of the upper light so it does not expand into phase four which is Malchut, and the clothing it performed by the force of the ascending reflected light, were both only in potential in the Rosh. However, the place of the manifestation of these two operations is in the Guf. Potential clothing that was in the Rosh manifests in practice above the Tabur of the Guf, and the phase of detainment into Malchut manifests in actuality below Tabur of the Guf.
He tells us something we already know, we discussed it many times. What is Malchut of Rosh? After the restriction, the Malchut is called the desire to receive, drew the light back in, but it is forbidden to receive into the Malchut, meaning into the will to receive. Therefore, Malchut made a calculation. What it can receive above its phase, above receiving in order to receive, meaning those parts of Malchut that can receive in order to bestow, she will receive that. And this is called clothing. In spirituality, receiving he calls receiving “clothing.” Then it will be considered clothing. And the rest, with what he cannot aim in order to bestow, this will come to the Malchut, meaning, receiving in order to receive. Then he says, “This, I do not wish to receive.” This was in the Rosh in potential. Then he executes it in practice, the part that can aim in order to bestow is called clothing. This extends from the Peh to the Tabur, and this is called Toch. Meaning, the lights come into the vessels. And this is called inner light, the light clothed in the internality of the vessels. And the part that is in order to receive will come to Malchut, meaning receiving in order to receive. This is called Malchut of Tabur, and she says, “I do not wish to receive.” It turns out that the part of the light that has to come to Malchut, called receiving in order to receive, remains on the outside as surrounding light. Except here, it calls it the ten Sefirot of Sium, of the ending, since each and every phase that it doesn't want to receive. For which reason? The reason is equivalence of form. It desires Hesed. We say, inside this rejection, there is a light shining, meaning the light of Hassadim with the illumination of Hochma. And it calls this light reflected light. What is reflected light? It receives what it wants to return. It doesn't want to receive. Whereas above the Tabur, it's called what it does wish to receive. It says, “I do wish to receive since I wish to bestow.” This is what is scrutinized in item 70.