Afternoon Lesson November 01, 2023, Transcription

Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio.

Part One:

Lesson on the topic of Shamati, 67. “Depart from Evil”

Reading: (00:27) Baal HaSulam. Shamati, 67. Depart from Evil

1. Rav’s Intro: (07:49) Let’s hear what the friends want to ask, and then maybe read this article again.

2. S. (08:05) It's written here that there are four covenants that are connected to departing from evil, the first one is the covenant of the eyes, which is cautious from looking at women, and this also this 100-year-old man what is the Covenant of the eyes in this prohibition at looking at women and how does it help us from departing from evil?

R. That it's forbidden to look at women, the meaning of this is that eventually, this can bring him thoughts that are not in the direction of adhesion with the Creator, this is called a transgression or breaking the law. 

3. S. (08:55) It's not clear. What is the connection between not looking at women and adhering to the Creator?

R. Because if you look at a woman, that attracts you. You're already in a different direction with regards to being in adhesion with him.

S. He writes that if one is not cautious, he can come to look at the holy Divinity. What is the problem with that?

R. This I cannot even explain to you. This drags you and attracts you to the biggest pleasure that can be.

S. Can it be for reception? We cannot simultaneously be in parallel in adhesion with the Creator’s pleasure of this world?

R. No. You cannot get pleasure from several things at the same time. You know it on yourself, if you think, if you're thinking about something you think only about this and nothing else, so that's what he explains to you.

4. S. (10:50) What will help me see that I am not really telling myself the truth?

R. When you are fooling yourself this brings you not directly towards the Creator but pushes you away to a different path. We want to achieve a state where I precisely want to feel where my heart and my eyes are leading me, and only this is what I need, and this is the only thing I need.

5. S. (11:58) This prohibition at looking at women, is it talking about not entering into a desire of the nations of the world?

R. This is much smaller, this is much smaller. I don't know what you mean.

S. All the things that can divert us from the path.

R. If we want to unite with the Creator, if this is our goal we have to imagine always before ourselves. This is our most desirable goal and I'm only focused on that.

6. S. (13:03) How should we act when saying the truth from our point of view saddens the friend? How can we be sure that our opinion is truly true and not just our ego?

R. This is an entirely different problem. How much can I reveal the truth that pushes him away?

7. S. (14:07) Why are these actions important against the evil inclination inside of us?

R. The main thing is not to reveal externally what is in your heart and in your soul because if you guard this inside then you gradually can fight with this. If you talk about this externally then this comes out of your control and this won't come back, and you let it fly away into the air, so to speak.

S. This can influence those around you and cause harm?

R. Yes of course.

8. S. (15:09) Why does the Creator give us pleasures of this world if they divert us from him? If it diverts us from the Creator. 

R. This is on purpose so that we clarify precisely what we have to come to and thanks to what we can come to this adhesion with the Creator, and how we strengthen ourselves on the path.

S. How does it strengthen us?

R. Despite all the obstacles in every case, as we get closer to Him, we want to convince ourselves to be in the same goals as the Creator.

S. What are the differences between the pleasures of this world and the sufferings in advancement? What is the difference if I receive pleasure in this world or suffering in this world and my closeness to the Creator?

R. The answer is simple, who do you want to get pleasure from the connection with the Creator or some other things?

9. S. (17:20) Can you clarify? It’s not clear. What is the difference between the revelation of the Creator to a person when we see the Creator behind everyone and looking at the holy divinity?

R.  The difference is if we desire to get closer to the Creator to his qualities, his quality of bestowal, and the quality of connection and love, we are not allowed to think about anything else. We have to put everything on these tracks apart from the necessities of looking after children and so on, but the main thing that is in our soul has to be directed at the Creator and connected to him.

S. What is the difference between being directed to the Creator or seeing the Shechina?

R. Directing oneself toward the Creator is on the way to this, and to see the Shechina, connect to Shechina, to the Divinity is to reach full connection with the Creator.

S. The connection of the souls of Israel that is the Shechina, that’s what we want to unite and want to see the Shechina between us?

R. Yes of course, but this is the goal, this is not the place, this is not the desire we are in.

S. What desire needs to be, even further where we need to connect to the Divinity and reveal it for the Creator. But where is the Creator, He is between us, yes?  I'm confused here.

R. The Creator is attained by the connection between us when we prefer to be connected with him and with nobody else, nothing else, this is the way to the Creator and then connection with him and adhesion with him is attained.

S. I hope a little later it'll come back to me.

R.  I understand you.

10. S. (20:47) What does it mean that the Sitra Achra takes away our soul? Does it mean it has the right to do that?

R. It has the right to do it if we pass it on to her.

S. How do we do it? Is it when we take pleasure for ourselves?

R. Yes.

S. Under what conditions can we return the soul?

R. If we only think about bestowal between us and all of us to the Creator.

11. S. (21:24) How do we hold on to only the thoughts about the Creator or just return to that very quickly?

R. This is using the group. It's very difficult to do by yourself, you have to always study, read, and listen, but with the group, it's easier. When you are surrounded by thoughts, and words from the friends, when you always hear them, you are able to hold on to these thoughts to the goal of creation and getting closer to the Creator.

S. How do we determine that right now the things that are necessary in life are truly necessary and not just an obstacle? You understand inside that you could have asked the Creator to remove this, but you don't want to because it is seemingly necessary. How do we make this clarification?

R. Continue and you will succeed, we have to clarify this gradually.

12. S. (22:59) Today you gave us this exercise that when we need to nullify and accept everything is coming from the Creator. Is that the silence when I agree with what was said around me, and I see that the Creator is doing it in the group?

R. Yes this is the way we have to do it.

13. S. (23:26) How can I depict to myself the Creator and yearn to him if I still don't have the senses to sense him?

R. To the extent that you can through the friends, through connection in the group get closer to the Creator, try to always be in this, and then you will start to identify the Creator through the friends.

14. S. (24:12) In a few tens of the world Kli there are friends who are incapable of dealing with addictions to alcohol and drugs. It really disturbed the friends, and we usually pray, but these problems have not been resolved for many years. I'm talking about in the tens. The question is maybe we should create some kind of team for this problem and approach it in a more serious way.

R. I didn't know this was a problem that in my eyes is unsolvable for now, but we have to try to solve it and not allow to let this just happen by itself.

15. S. (25:09) Can we explain this is the prohibition on women not because he can come to a thought but because it comes from a very high root, that if he's not cautious he could come to look at the holy divinity? How does that sin lead to looking at the holy divinity?

R. This means that he'll desire to receive for himself all the pleasures of the world not for bestowal, but for himself.

S. And that means looking at the holy divinity?

R. Yes.

16. S. (25:59) Baal HaSulam wrote that if a person accustoms oneself to saying the truth it will help him toward the Creator.

R. If a person gets used to only being with the Creator for bestowal, then he will merit and be rewarded with the Creator being revealed to him, and he will attract him, and pull him after himself.

17. S. (26:57) What should we talk about and not talk about in the ten?

R. In the ten we have to mainly talk about how we unite between us to be directed toward the Creator, and all the time only think in this direction.

S. Why do we get punished by who punishes us?

R.  Who accuses us? I didn't understand the question.

S. Who slanders us?

R. Who slanders us, our ego, our ego slanders us. 

18. S. (29:07) How can I give confidence to my friends that I am trustworthy? Sometimes friends go through terrible experiences on the path in the world, but they are reluctant to talk or open their hearts about it. 

R. Think about this, pray about this, this is your force, pray to the Creator that you want to help the friends.

S. You are saying I shouldn't try so hard to get that information but to just pray to the Creator and not force the friend to open their heart?

R.  Yes, exactly do this.

19. S. (30:26) How can I direct my actions and thoughts at the ten because I feel that they don't feel my intentions when I want to do something good for them? How to do this, please?

R. Come closer to them you come closer to them try to be together with them in the same feeling and gradually try to push them in your direction.

20. S. (31:25) My question relates to the covenant of the eyes because I don't really understand. Is this a figurative way of saying that all the sensory triggers that promise all this false treasure by delivering all these sensory delights are to be a bit stand on guard against that because they only have the strength in the ego, and we don't want that, we want to stand for the opposing side of this, we want to be on guard to that. Is this what is meant by the covenant?

R. It speaks about how if you want to come closer to the Creator then it's forbidden for you to look at women, that's it.

21. S. (32:33) I came here because there weren't enough people, how can a person increase the lie to such an extent that he will want to leave it behind and come to the truth?

R. To always be drawn to the Creator as much as possible, the main thing is all the time, and then he’ll see to what extent he himself changes.

S. Maybe he wants to get closer to the Creator, maybe he's striving for something that's also a lie.

R. What I said to you is it, that's everything. If you will be wiser you will lose out.

22. S. (33:45) A person wants to swallow the whole world for himself. How eventually can this desire be for the Creator?

R. Gradually little by little until he comes closer to the friends and together with the friends, he starts to turn himself toward the society and together with the entire society, with an effort, they start to turn themselves toward the Creator. This Is how they will do it, each shall help his friend.

23. S. (34:27) If I'm standing before the mountain of hatred I honestly want to rise. Can I tell the friends about the states, about the states in general, and ask them to think about this hatred and ask them to help me deal with this, or is this individual work?

R. You can ask for it.

24. S. (35:10) If you guard this inside you can fight with this, if you let it go this won't come back. The question is what’s the solution or can you come back in some way?

R. To all the time start the connection again with the friends, renew it every moment, every minute as if you're doing it anew.

25. S. (35:52) We studied that we have to be an example for the friends. The article says we have to be modest so that the Sitra Achra won't hold on to this.

R. As much as possible think about the Creator, how we are coming closer to him, how out of the closeness to him we want to pass to him all of our desires, our hearts, just to him and in this way to hold ourselves all together in the direction of the Creator. 

26. S. (36:54) This clarification that we made with regards to pleasures and sufferings of this world. I see that there are two types of work when a person is before the pleasures and suffering of this world and a person is part of a ten in the work between the friends in the ten, that this is not connected to pleasures and suffering in this world. On the other hand, if we look deeper the Creator affects external things and pleasures or sufferings of this world to form me in work with the friends, and this is how I treat this in any action, in any event, I try to connect to the Creator in case of what happens in this world, and yet you're saying not to look at this because this gets in the way of us getting a connection with the Creator, I'm a bit confused.

R. Great we will stop here with you being confused and we will continue a bit later, maybe another time.

27. S. (38:21) It’s written that the Creator sees the heart of the person without connection to whether he feels him, so this prohibition only has to do with talking with other people and not the upper force?

R. Yes.

28. S. (38:57) Baal HaSulam talks about the covenant of the mouth. How do we do this in the tens and in life?

R. That we speak only about the Creator and the tongue of bestowal and just to raise him above everyone.

29. S. (39:45) I think there is a big confusion with regards to the covenant of the eyes when you are looking at a woman you can't come to adhesion with a Creator. What do we do practically, how do we have to act? We are always in contact with women, how to act correctly?

R. We need not to look at a woman like as to a woman. That's it, that's everything.

S. What helps you to really see the inner essence and not get confused?

R.  I in general think to what extent I can use her in order to come closer to the Creator.

30. S. (40:59) I read the writings of the second wife of Rabash, and she said that he didn't look at her at all.

R. Yes.

S. After marriage he did look at her. Can I ask another question?

R. No.

31. S. (41:38) If I heard correctly you said that if a person doesn't have an intention to get closer to the Creator he shouldn't look at women.

R. No, no.

S. You didn't say that? 

R. I didn't. I'm not talking about that at all. I'm talking about a person who wants to reach adhesion with the Creator he should be careful at looking at women as much as possible.

S. Can we say that Kabbalist, a man, and woman in the Shechina between them?

R. It's not toward every woman, it's toward the man's wife.

S. Not every woman, so he must get married. If I'm not married, can I give light to a woman through Zivug or not?

R. You cannot.

S.  After your marriage?

R.  After the wedding he can give light to his woman according to the material corporeal Zivug.

32. S. (43:25) Not to reveal to the Sitra Achra what is in our heart, how do we open our heart in the ten?

R. In the ten it is allowed.

33. S. (43:53) Question about love and a married couple and in... what is the difference?

R. Between a couple and a family there needs to be a connection between a man to his wife in order for there to be a family and in this way to be children for each generation to continue. What is the question here? We are talking about love that can be between spouses, children, and parents. What's called the family within the family, and these are things that we really respect, but without a family connection then we say that these things just draw a person to the side, from the family, and from the purpose of creation.

34. S. (45:27) We can talk about anything in the ten, but still revealing the heart can you give some understanding, some precaution. What's not worth talking about, what should we not speak about? How to be careful in the work and not lose our unity?

R. Read articles and speak about what is written in the articles, that's the best thing you can do. The surest thing you can do between you and by that, come closer to the goal.

35. S. (46:30) If I justify myself in the ten does this mean I am walking in the Sitra Achra? How Can I exit self-justification?

R. As much as possible to be connected with the friends, this will give you the ability to make a correct step forward.

36. S. (47:13) We don't talk about the pain in our heart in the ten, but how do we act in the ten when we are in a big descent?

R. Even if you don't speak it is still felt so don't worry.

S. Efforts you make, and the Creator adds, afterward there are some efforts you make, these efforts and it seems like your forces leave you, even more, what is the difference?

R. I can't explain this to you, but you always try to ask sometimes, and you will understand the answer.

37. S. (48:21) Please tell me the more we are in Kabbalah the more we understand that we have to be more quiet, more silent, should we learn to be silent and only speak when we want to unite? Should we learn to be silent?

R. Absolutely correct, that is the best behavior.

38. S. (48:59) A woman is a desire to receive and to satisfy our ego is the Sitra Achra and Shechina?

R. What is the question?

S. Is a woman a desire to receive as Shechina and the Sitra Achra?

R. No, a woman is like each and every person, it represents her desire or his deficiency and not more than that.

39. S. (50:23) As a result of the question that a friend asked about what we can say in the ten during meetings. Should we read articles, open our hearts, and also be cautious that the Sitra Achra doesn't hear what we think? What is the right way to do it?

R. Try to do it together in one heart and see how much you succeed.

40. S. (51:09) In this article it is said that the Creator your shade is your state. Do we feel the Creator when we become partners with him?

R. No even before that.

S. What are the main actions to attain this quicker in the ten?

R. To be closer to each other.

41. S. (51:48) Regarding speaking the truth, if someone in the general society is spreading lies and it causes all kinds of difficulties everywhere in the ten, they are in and in friends from other tens. Am I obligated to open it up in the society to break this illusion of the lie?

R. Yes, yes, yes. It is forbidden to be silent; we need to clarify it first of all in the ten, and if everyone agrees that's how it is. Then we should clarify why, and it could be that we would need to throw such a friend out of the group. Is that clear?

S. How do we do this without causing further damage or even slandering someone?

R. If you're doing it as is needed then by that you will only do good to the group.

S. If it touches the general society and not just the ten, the world Kli, and the members of the world Kli, do we need to reach out to them?

R. I can't say just like that over everyone. I am saying if a person is saying things that bad things come out to the group, we need to clarify it, correct it, and if not, then throw them out of the group.

42. S. (53:37) Modesty appears when we feel the Creator’s greatness the trepidation before him?

R. Yes. 

43. S. (54:02) It is written in the article that we have to walk in modesty so that the Sitra Achra doesn't know about the work, but this isn't clear. How can we conceal from the Sitra Achra our work because everything we have is the Sitra Achra, it's what is inside.

R. So don't speak about it. He writes in a different place if you are silent the Sitra Achra does not hear what's in your heart and therefore, don't speak.

S. If I try to do some work of bestowal and I don't want the Sitra Achra to take it away, how do I conceal it from her? What does it mean not to talk about it?

R. Don't reveal it through the mouth.

S.  Then he won't know that I did it, and this won't just give me a feeling of vanity?

R. No.

S. Won't this disappear by itself?

R. No he writes in the article, “If we don't reveal it with the mouth, then the Sitra Achra will not know about it.”

44. S. (55:35) He writes it in this article.

R. This article, where?

S. The council is to walk in modesty so that the Sitra Achra doesn't know about his work and then the Sitra Achra doesn't know because it only knows what he reveals through words and actions and that's the only thing it can hold on to.

R. Okay so you see what's written. It's one thing what you think inside, it's another thing what you reveal from the mouth outwards.

45. S. (56:23) What is the prohibition to look at women for the women? This isn't only for the men, right?

R. It is written for the men.

46. S. (56:43) This prohibition to speak aloud, what should I speak aloud, if I think there should be some filter on what I say and transform what I'm saying aloud?

R. Well we can't at one time clarify all the questions, but I'm very happy that you have a very serious attitude towards this is forming for you.

47. S. (57:27) Until today as I understand from the study if we learn the wisdom of Kabbalah we gradually change thanks to the light, then it's expressed externally. Now we are studying something important; if we are changing our external behavior, can this change our inner essence?

R. Yes.

S. So, this needs to be from both sides, we change from inside, this changes the external, and the external changes the internal.

R. Yes.

S. Now we're in a generation that's unfortunately when women are not needed there are some perversions and people talk a lot about this on social networks. How can men overcome this?

R. Help them.

S. How can I help them? This is really a question.

R. That I don't know, I don't know.

S. Of course, women have an important role, we have to care about this and help the men, at least.

R. Correct.

S. And if a man can’t overcome these laws and not look at the women then he's not advancing in the spiritual?

R. That depends.

S. So, this is something very important we have to work on.

R. That is correct, so think very well about this article and look between you, how you can help the men, and he writes here to the men, and to the women make a calculation how would you rewrite this in an article for women? Thank you very much, all the best, and see you tomorrow.