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

Daily Morning Lesson: December 20, 2025 

Part 1: Recorded lesson - Dec 23, 2016

Lesson on the topic of “Hanukkah”

Reader: Hello friends, in the first part of the lesson we will connect to a lesson with Rav, from December 23, 2016 about Hanukkah. 

Reader: Hello, we are reading in the writings of Rabash, letters, letter number 26, page 104. 

Reader: (00:44) 1. RABASH, Letter No. 26

I will write you something concerning Hanukah according to what I heard from Baal HaSulam, an explanation about what our sages said, “What is Hanukah? Hanu Ko (parked thus far [here]).” He said about this that there are two degrees: 1) Ko, 2) “This.” Our sages said, “All the prophets prophesied in Ko, and Moses prophesied in “This.” Hanukah is regarded as Ko.

The explanation of the words of Baal HaSulam is with an allegory: When soldiers go to war and fight for some time, afterwards they are given a vacation in a retreat with plenty of good food and drink. The commander’s intention is to replenish their strength so they will not be tired and will be able to fight once more. But one who is unaware will think that they are given a vacation because the war is over. But the truth is that the war is not over, and this vacation is to give them strength and courage to go to the front once more.

So is the matter with Hanukah. This is the meaning of Hanu (parked), where the parking was not because of wholeness, meaning an illuminating mirror. Rather, the parking was Ko (here/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 come to the real completeness. This is the meaning of Hanu-Ko, parking as in Ko, meaning receiving the upper bestowal so they would have more strength to go forward in the war of the inclination.

What extends from this is that when one walks on the path of the Creator, he is given many awakenings from above—in the middle of the prayer or while studying Torah, or while performing a Mitzva (commandment). This awakening enters the heart and he begins to feel that flavor and grace of holiness.

However, one should know that he was given this abundance only so as to gain new strength and be able to grow stronger in the work, that he will engage in the battle of the war of the inclination. Then, each time he is given a temporary rest, meaning upper abundance, for when the awakening from above comes to a person, it seems to him that there is no longer any war, for at that time he begins to feel the beauty and glory of holiness, and the lowliness of corporeal matters, until he resolves to work only for the Creator.

But since a person did not really finish his work, the awakening that he was given is taken away from him, and he soon falls into his previous state, where he feels grace and beauty only in corporeal things, and regards matters of sanctity as redundant. At that time he engages in Torah and Mitzvot only out of compulsion and coercion, and not because of the desire and joy as when he had the awakening.

That awakening is the Hanukah candle. Therefore, if he is smart, he should always exert until he is helped from above to be rewarded with real wholeness.

Let us hope that the Creator will open our eyes and delight our hearts forever. 

M. Laitman: (05:15) We learn that our entire correction is connection. We have to recreate the state that existed before the sin of Adam HaRishon, to bring the broken soul to the whole state. Hanukkah is a part of the corrections, the halfway. We acquire the quality of bestowal, and with that force of bestowal we begin to bring the pieces together. Therefore, the direction towards bestowal must be there first. This is the war. It is comprised of two parts, and the parking in the middle is called Hanukkah. But when we enter the correction of Hafetz Hesed, delighted in mercy, the degree of Bina, light of Hassadim, still this parking state is acquired only by constantly trying to connect. Because only in making an effort to connect, we draw the light that reforms, and it makes the corrections. And then by connection we come to this first stage, Hafetz Hesed. 

So, if the direction is set, and we also feel that there are states that are more and less pleasant to our will to receive, we always have to try to interpret the circumstance, the state, and weigh it not with regards to our sense of pleasantness, rather with regards to connection. And in this manner we won't go wrong and realize that basically there are no parking states. It's all one big preparation, and we always have to be drawn to connection. And so the problem is not with the light that reforms. It is with how much we can detect and how much we can describe to ourselves the correct state of connection. And that means that we describe it somehow according to what we learn, and we ask the light that reforms to teach us, to organize us one way or another in connection between us. And then we begin to notice all the differences, even the littlest, in favor and against our connection in order to learn or study the actions of the light. Because there's no action that happens by us. We have to be more alert here. What is the Creator doing with us? In order to not be blocked to His actions and also try better and better to sort of listen carefully, attentively to what feelings, what discernments we go through towards connection. Then we'll start understanding the language by which the Creator speaks to us. An emotional language. With respect to the friends, the teacher, the study, the Creator, this entire design, how it comes together in a clearer and clearer manner, and then more and less each time in different ways. And we need to accept both resistance and proximity as stages that we learn from more and more. If I feel resistance it means that the Creator opens a bigger space between me and the friends, a bigger extent of it. And so that makes my measurement more precise. It's like you get new measurements. First I felt like there's a meter separating me and my friends. Now I came closer, let's say half a meter, but the Creator extends this half a meter so it's like it's five meters. Why? To make me more precise and more knowledgeable about the discernments of connection between us. And so the space seems bigger to me. But I have moved to a different measurement, to a more precise kind of range. And so that's how we advance. And if we pay attention to all our work being about connection, then our effort towards Hanukkah will be a correct effort. And thus we will advance till we come to that state of Hanukkah, which Kaf Vav refers to Hassadim, and then it's these states that become clear when we attain them within. But it all happens by the light that reforms. If you have questions, go ahead. No questions,  okay, that's what I thought. Let's continue.

Reading: (13:37) 2. RABASH, Article No. 77, "Greeks Have Gathered Around Me"

“Greeks have gathered around me, then in the days of the Hasmoneans.”

The Greeks are the Klipa [shell/peel] opposite from the Kedusha [holiness]. Kedusha is the quality of faith above reason, and the Greeks go explicitly within reason. The Greeks come specifically in the days of the Hasmoneans, meaning right when one wants to walk on the path of Kedusha. Before this, there is no room for the Greeks because “God has made them one opposite the other.” This is the meaning of “Anyone who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater than him” (Sukkah 52).

This is as it is written, “He who comes to purify is aided” (Shabbat 104a). Why is one not assisted from above before he comes? The answer is that before he comes to purify himself of his vessels of reception, although he believes that the Creator helps, as our sages said, “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day, and unless the Creator helps him, he cannot overcome it” (Kidushin 30b), and one must believe that this is so, but within reason, he sees that man does everything anyhow.

But one who comes to purify himself of vessels of reception sees that it is not within man’s power. Rather, there needs to be a miracle from above, and if this miracle does not happen, he is lost. He sees this within reason—that he needs assistance from above—and within reason, there is no way that he will emerge from the control of the will to receive.

It follows that when one wants to walk on the path of Kedusha [holiness], the Greeks come and ask as it is written, “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” At that time, it is forbidden to answer within reason, but rather above reason, meaning that only the Creator, who is above our reason, for He created our reason, He can answer all the “Where?” questions that they ask.

We see that on Shabbat [Sabbath], in the Kedusha of Keter [part of a prayer], the ARI says there that in the word “Where?” shines the light of Shabbat, which is called Mochin de Haya, for precisely over the above reason over the Greeks, when we hear the “Where?” comes the answer of the light of Shabbat, which shines and cancels all the judgments, as it is written, “And the Judgments are removed from her.”

It follows that through Greece, meaning the Klipa [shell/peel] of Greece, who go according to reason, we descend into the abyss and it is impossible to rise, as it is written, “I have drowned in the abyss of Greece” (Psalms 69), and only from above is it possible to lift up. 

M. Laitman: (16:58) We can discuss our work, we can discuss our progress, either on behalf of the person who is advancing, or from the side. We can discuss the whole of creation, and human development from a scientific perspective, so we should clarify the states we go through in both ways. When we go along the path, we think we each time bump into something, that we fall, that we decline, that we ascend. There are good times and bad times in our feeling, times of confusion or inspiration, or the other way around. And it's difficult for the person because he is an emotional being, he is the will to receive pleasure and delight, that's his nature. And so he obviously, while he feels something, can't be above that feeling. Very difficult. It all depends on the balance between the mind and the heart. Therefore, we have to balance ourselves with the environment. 

A person, when he is immersed in himself, his mind and emotion are in states where he may have a burdening of the heart, and whatever happens, he won't be able to justify the Creator. And he'll have to realize that this darkness is in order to rise above it, and then be on a higher level. This is, however, very difficult. It's like Rabbi Shimon thought that he's now Shimon from the marketplace, because before he had a very, very big ascent. That's not up to us for now, as we already understand from our states. However, if a person balances himself with the group, just as he’s built with his personal ten Sefirot, the group is also built by its general ten Sefirot, all of it. And a person is a part of the group and therefore can balance himself by the group in a way that he won't feel any states for the better or for worse. It will all be for the better. And if he comes to the group with ascents and descents, and it doesn't matter what calculations, he will always find the right spot to be integrated even though he falls down and is like a dead corpse. It's still an addition to the group. If there were connection between them and there will be connection between them, then even if he's now going up or down, it doesn't matter. He always adds to the group in general. And therefore, this whole war that the Greeks came together against me, it's actually a good state. It has to happen on the way, you can't avoid it. On the contrary, thanks to these Greeks, we rise to higher degrees.

M. Laitman: (21:06) We can connect between us more and more, they induce connection. We can say that precisely thanks to the Greeks, the Maccabees awaken, and then they can further and further hold the people close in some way to love thy friend as thy self. That's how it works, there's no good without bad. And therefore, we have to only understand where is the war. The war is not within the person at all, not at all, ever. The war is about the connection between us in the Ten. Then, when each one falls and immediately receives support and he's included in the group with his decline, then he basically allows the entire group to ascend. And then, it's possible that all the ups and downs in the group, that we begin to study them, and how that needs to happen  in terms of a whole system where there's always life in it, livelihood. And it's just like the waves go through it, like a sine wave, you know, plus and minus these sort of waves. So, of course, there's always different waves in the group, and one rises, the other falls, and that's how it works. And they each time grow stronger and stronger, these waves, until they come to Hanukkah. And then it happens on higher degrees, but it's the same tendencies that happen. It's just only a matter of what lights and vessels we work with, either vessels of infancy and lights of Hassadim or vessels of adulthood in light of Hochma. But we add time and again. So if we want to win the war, then it's only in connection. Within the Ten, Hellenists will always arise. Meaning they draw us to all kinds of directions, desires of this world for knowledge, science, whatnot, all kinds of goals of this world, all sorts of doubts, especially from the mind these disturbances come from. And so we have to respond to that only with war. Meaning try to overcome but not forget that we can only overcome by expecting the light that reforms. And so, in terms of the Maccabees, that's why Yehuda, the Maccabee, called those who want the Creator, come to me. 

Meaning we approach the Creator from the connection between us and then we receive the light that reforms and the connection happens. That's the whole matter of how to win the war. So we have to accept everything that happens that's necessary, whatever happens had to happen. That we need to realize. With everything in our world, everything that happens, with every one of us personally or the Ten and in the world and whatever happens we cannot say anything about the past. This is what needed to happen, but for the future we have free choice.  Therefore, with each and everything from now, we have to try to overcome in order to allow the light to feel us more and rise higher in faith above reason. All right? Questions? 

Question (Petersburg): (26:27) What does it mean to balance myself with the group and what's the result of this balancing? 

M. Laitman: A Person can balance himself only by the group because towards himself, within himself there's no way to measure. I can't measure anything if it's interlinked with other nine elements all together. There are Ten elements who are interconnected. So, such a person then has no value in and of himself. And so if I, I can't measure them in and of themselves because - it's like you take a piece of an engine, you know, so it's measured by how it can work with all the other pieces. That's the degree of its damage or quality. It's a part of a system. So when a person receives ascents and descents, it doesn't matter what, what does it mean that he receives it? He deserves being in the group in such a state in order for the group to have more place to work. And if let's say, he suffers a certain blow and he falls down and doesn't feel like coming to the lesson, just, you know, falls into his bed, goes to work, does whatever he does but doesn't participate in the group correctly. And this is the problem, because specifically in those states where he's in a decline, they are the most useful for the group, most useful. That's because an added will to receive is being shown through him. 

It's like the Creator is digging and unearthing more will to receive for them to work on, and he again digs it up and reveals it. How else can we do it? It has to be that way until the entire will to receive unfolds. And so here when a person feels somewhat, even just somewhat less of high spirits or even just his view, his perception, just something which becomes vague, just give that to the group, give it to the group because it doesn't belong to you personally. If you were not in a group, you would not have any new thoughts, discernments, confusions, etc. You'd be an animal in all respects. And so this work that we need to process, these declines in the group, the group has to sort of swallow it in, it has to kind of grind it in and process it. And by that it will make a stronger and stronger connection. Otherwise, what kind of connection will it create, based on what? How will it demand connection and ask for a light that reforms? And so one who falls still remains in the group and that allows the group to draw, to demand the light that reforms. Otherwise why will it demand it? We want to advance, advance where? If you don't have a true lack that the Creator invites to you and already sets up the surrounding light to influence the lack that it has brought about, you just have to ask them to raise MAN, because the lack is awakened by Him, and the light to correct it is already there in advance. And so He awakens the lack that the light will lead to correct. All that is required of you is to make this address through the group to the Creator. And we don't tie these three things together, the light that awakens the desire and shows the desire and the person feels the descent. And the person who comes to the group and is included there with his lack and the group works on that lack together with the person, and demands the light that reforms. It's not that it succeeds in connection. There's no success and you don't need to try. We're not heroes. The heroes are those who don't forget that they depend on this light of the Creator 100 percent. And then we turn to it immediately and then it influences. And so what we were missing all along the way is only that address in the middle that comes from us. Again, the lights awaken the desire, the lights themselves also unfold by the program of development itself, and we feel a burdening of the heart. We ask to be connected above it and that light becomes now the light that reforms, it acts on us and corrects us. Correcting what? Based on all the discernments that he brings. He connects us and there is no disturbance if not for the purpose of connection. Only for connection. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (32:59) What does it mean that the group devourers, chews the Hissaron that you bring, that deficiency you bring? Should it know about this Hissaron? 

M. Laitman: Why not? 

Student: Because normally we say that a person doesn't bring his left line into the Ten or the difficulties. On the contrary, we try to maintain the right line and even if a person feels heaviness…  

M. Laitman: Why should the person bring it in such a way that is negative? The group has to maintain that sort of spirit, that whatever happens to anyone, even in a bad way, seems to be a bad way in his feeling, and he feels that he falls, he actually has to feel it as help made against me. That depends on the spirit of the group, what it provides. Why shouldn't he be happy about it? 

Student: So a person is expected to come with joy to the group and say, today we have room for work.

M. Laitman: How to do it in practice? 

Student: Yes. 

M. Laitman: Well, what do you think? Or don't come to the Ten or just come and sit like, I don't know. Who's a good example of this here. You yourself. 

Student: So? 

M. Laitman: So, you're just crying, is that better? 

Student: No, I'm not crying, I just want to understand. What does it mean that a person brings the Hissaron? 

M. Laitman: In what way do you need to come to the Ten in a way that you hold all of them together, that you awaken all of them to connection by the light that reforms, not just connection. Yes, this is just like in our world, kids talk We, this, that, we're not heroes. We need the light that reforms, we need to feel that it holds us. If it leaves us we fall, if it holds us we're connected. We constantly depend on it, we depend on it. That's the problem with the greatness of the Creator, that we can't yet approach this concept, that we are under a higher rule that holds us. And then I feel a little bit bad, so I have a greater possibility to to relate to Him, and I want to share it with the group, and then we address Him even more. Meaning the bad state so to speak, seemingly bad state, they're actually more effective than the good states And we're happy about the bad as we're happy about the good, because there is nothing bad. How else will we correct ourselves, how will we climb to the king's palace? It's only as a result of each of us, well afterwards we’ll talk about how to awaken the dawn, meaning how to discover the lack before it unfolds from above. Well, maybe maybe sounds to you like some sort of a masochism, but really from your desire to draw closer to the Creator you feel that you’re in need of the lack, that you need the feeling that you're far away. It's like in love,  you want to awaken greater love, so here you're lacking some, there's a certain kind of distance, but it's not felt, and if it will appear then you can add. 

Student: (37:33) The theory is clear and rational, makes sense, but the practice is not as clear. I have two questions about it. What does it mean that I bring my Hissaron? 

M. Laitman: You come to the group practically. I come today like this, you know like a so and so. You understand what kind of state that is, right? Now I come to the group, but the group always works in upliftment And when I come, I'm included in their upliftment. They work on me. Everyone has to look at the others. How much are they in that? Then we have to make sure, you know, I don't ask you what state you come with. I have to make sure that all Your lacks that you have now that the Creator gave each and every one, we now kind of collect all these lacks and work with them. How? Elevating them to the peak of enthusiasm. How? By the light that reforms. Now that we now begin, you know, we'll just dance more and sing more, drink another another cup and it'll be good. That's good too, but we want to make the correction by the light that reforms because what am I lacking here? I'm not lacking better mood, I'm lacking more connection with the friends, without eliminating rather, of going above those descents,  declines, problems, disappointments, anything I'm facing. It doesn't disappear. I go above it. I'm above it. I feel all those problems, and it’s truly an abyss with scorpions and snakes. And I'm above them held by the light that reforms. And I depend on the Creator 100%. And I don't want to give up this chasm, because I'll just then be a little animal or like a little baby.

Student: So what does it mean to turn to the reforming light? How do you turn to the reforming light? 

M. Laitman: All of us together. 

Student: How? Together how? 

M. Laitman: We want the Creator to keep us above all the problems and troubles. Why? Because in this gap specifically we have the need to hold on to Him.

Student: So we just ask Him to hold us? 

M. Laitman: Yes, at least that. 

Student: And then anyone who comes to the Ten asks the same request with everything he brought with him, and this means that the group is swallowing all the deficiencies? 

M. Laitman: Anyone who comes to the Ten has to be included, integrated in the Ten with his baggage. He doesn't come with just an artificial smile on his face, and that's it. He comes with everything he's got, because the light awakens these deficiencies in him. And now they have to bring all these deficiencies together and then turn to the light. They want to be above the deficiencies tied to the light, tied to faith above reason. That it was done by the Creator, He holds us, and we want to be connected in mutual bestowal, in mutual connection above all the disturbances He awakens in us. And these aren't disturbances. They are the revelation of our broken desires. They're deliberately broken. How will I build spirituality without discovering the corruption, the brokenness? Spirituality has no form. We build it.

Student: It's very clear that the deficiencies are the place of work. Do I have to know the deficiencies of my friends in the Ten? Do I have to show them my deficiency? 

M. Laitman: No, no. How does everyone know about these deficiencies? What does he know? What we receive from the spiritual deficiencies is some sort of a corporeal picture. I don't feel like this or that. I'm tired. I don't have an awakening, my mind is abstruse. my heart is empty, I'm beating myself up for the past, I don't care about the future. All sorts of things like that. These aren't discernments. It's, you know, kind of guesstimations, how to say it. Kind of, you know, sensations. This is what we've got, you know. You understand. We don't have clear-cut, measurable discernments here that I can quantify and rank. No, we come with whatever we come. Most important is that we want to rise above that, connect, and draw the light that reforms, that it will connect us. Why? To bring Him contentment. 

Student: So, including my deficiencies in the group means by coming to the lesson, to the meeting with the Ten, with the group, I now let them work on me. Is this including my deficiencies? 

M. Laitman: Together with them. Together with them. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (44:03) What is the uniqueness that each friend brings to the Ten? What does it mean that the friend opens or closes a pipeline? 

M. Laitman: I don't know about closing or opening. Maybe we spoke about it in some other context. But everyone comes with, through changes. You know, we always go through changes. The upper light, in general pushes us all forward, you know, bit by bit by bit by bit, until the final correction. It pushes everyone forward. And it works on everyone. Let's say my Ten. So it works on everyone. And let's say it pushed us some, you know, bit forward. Then we all change. And that's why everyone comes to the Ten in a different state each time. And what do we need to do? On top of that different state, we have to find a new connection. If we engage in that new connection by ourselves, then we're just, you know, taking part in some psychological group that raises your spirits. But if we draw the light that reforms which designed the changes we went through from yesterday until today, and we want to achieve the best possible connection between us, and the connection is essentially above the disturbances that we discover. 

So these disturbances and distance between us will always grow to the point we want to burn each other. And above that, we want to demand connection. And in demanding that connection between us, from the light that actually created the darkness within us, as it says, it creates light and creates darkness, created these disturbances within us, we demand that light to correct them. And when it does, when we can connect above the disturbances, and he also fulfills us and enjoys that.  And that is what we want to happen between us. The actions are clear. It's clear. What to do? 

Student: Today you could really feel, you know, we came, you know, bit by bit, two came, and then another one, and another one. In the charm is that everyone comes with his own kind of package, and there is no connection. 

M. Laitman: No connection.

Student: And so how do you create this calibration? 

M. Laitman: Calibration. 

Student: You know, if we could come like everyone comes, it activates the reforming light? 

M. Laitman: Not everyone. No. No. Each and every one cannot activate the light that reforms. Each and every one is not a Kli. The Ten is a Kli. That's why it says, I came and there is no man. Because a man means Ten, a Minyan. But if you came and sat together and started reading something, discussing something, then you already have to see how do we address the light. The expectation for the light must be, otherwise, what did you come for? To study what's in the book? I can do that at home on my own. I'll study better than how I study here. What did we learn so far? We just read five minutes, and we're talking for 50 minutes. 

Student: (48:25) What we need is the greatness of the Creator, the greatness of the light. Its greatness needs to be in the air.  We lack feeling. 

M. Laitman: It's not going to be in the air, and nothing is going to happen if you don't activate yourself to do it. You wish it doesn't come by itself from above. If the Creator comes without our invitation, better that He doesn't come. The good that comes from above is MAD, and it comes by your invitation, our invitation. If you don't invite it, then when the upper light comes without preparation from below, it's like a knife, it's like a spear.

It's the light of Hochma, it's fire that's very sharp and bad. It brings just darkness, horrible darkness. If it's not clothed with Hassadim, but you have to prepare the Hassadim from below. That's why the demand for connection has to be there first, otherwise it's a path of suffering. 

Student: So, the demand from Him is the demand for connection. Why? 

M. Laitman: We want to be in connection, nothing besides that. Because by that, we allow the light to work within us, to dress within us, and enjoy that. That's it. And to appear within us and enjoy that, we will learn that. We will learn that after Purim, for Him. Because basically, the Katnut, that's all we need from us, Galgata Eynaim. More than that, we don't want. The AHP, to activate the vessels of reception, so that the Creator will land within us, will appear within us, it's all for His benefit. It's not for us, it's for Him. That's just working with the vessels of reception, just leave that alone for now. We have to work with vessels of bestowal and constantly remain with vessels of bestowal. For 6,000 years, we all together come to the correction of the vessels of bestowal, Galgata Eynaim. I just saw, you know, there's this drawing that I drew, I don't know even when, years ago, posted there on the wall, and it says that there. That when we come to Hanukkah, it's there in the drawing. We come to Hanukkah, through 6,000 years. Meaning, and the correction of the vessels of reception of the AHP happens afterwards. This is already the coming of the Messiah, this is the... So what do I want to stress here? Just feel how the connection in the vessels of bestowal only, above all the discernments, that's our entire correction. Hafetz Hesed, delighted in mercy. Faith, faith above reason. Afterwards, you begin to work with your reason. That's just a completely different work, it's very different. He writes there, Baal HaSulam, that this work, sometimes given to special souls, while they're living in this world, it's - we'll discuss that. These things are, in the meantime, unexplainable, we can't understand this work. It seems to us like it's not a problem. What's the issue, receiving in order to bestow. So, is this okay in the meantime? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (53:32) So, from what you said, it turns out that the calculation is not with the friends at all, it's only with the light. 

M. Laitman: But how will you address the light? Only if you're in a Ten.  

Student: Yes, but I can't come demanding to the friend in the Ten, I need to come demanding the light. 

M. Laitman: No, if you don't have the friend, if you're not connected somehow, if there's no feeling that you lack connection, you feel that you lack connection, still. Discover what's missing - what kind of connection, something. How much you care about that, how much we're already in despair that we lack that, that we still need it, scrutinize that. That will become MAN.  

Student: When a friend is in descent, do we need to come to him with a demand? Or do we come to the light? 

M. Laitman: No, he comes to the Ten with everything he's got, and he has to participate. And if he comes physically, then you have to prepare a place in a way that you don't know. You know, look at this friend for instance. He's smiling, look at his face. But you don't know what he's got inside of him. Today he's in a bad shape, real bad shape. You look at others, and they look like so-and-so. Look at the pilot, you know. Just have mercy. And you can't know, and you don't, and you don't need to. We have to just connect as one heart. Do we have that or not? What prevents us from feeling that? To feel it how? However we can. I don't judge that in any way. I just want to feel one heart.

Student: For example, today it's very different because we had close to an hour to sit with each other in order to soften up to each other and become one heart. 

M. Laitman: Well, true. This is why Kabbalists say that you need to make preparations.

Student: But during the week, that's not the case. It takes a long time before we can even... 

M. Laitman: Three hours is enough for you. No one says that before the lesson you already need to be elevated. But during the lesson, you need to come to the demand to the light that reforms. And that's it. That made the lesson successful.

Student: When we gather, we just have to come. Do we need to express the problem or just come, show up? 

M. Laitman: I didn't understand. I'm looking at the Moscow group now, right? They're sitting like this, like that, you know. Are you awake there or not? The heart is warmed up or not? No. One nods for a no, the other, well. You have to be in that, so I don't know. I can't do this for you.

Student: (57:26) I'm not asking about you doing the work. I'm asking about the work we do. When we come, should I tell them, listen, my heart feels like a stone? 

M. Laitman: No, no, you don't need that. I told you, because you yourself don't know if your heart is a rock or not. You don't know what kind of decline you have, how can you measure it, how meters deep underground are you, what disturbance exactly, maybe the opposite. Maybe you're not underground. I don't know. Look at that friend. Look, he is now highly elevated. You know why? Because he earned something in the lottery, he doesn't want to tell you, a million shekels, it's the end to all his troubles and problems. He can pay back all his debts to the bank, and it's a disturbance. It's a disturbance, right? The Creator is guarding you, don't worry. So, that's it. So what does it mean? The disturbances to connection, positive, negative in our feeling, there's no difference here. Disturbances. You have to take all these things together, create some sort of a mix, some sort of a salad, and by that you want to create MAN. We want to connect with all the problems, with all the troubles, to connect. And the light already, it will do it, it will give you faith above reason. Why? The connection will happen above the disturbances, despite the disturbances. This means you have received faith above reason. You already have a sense of Bina, as opposed to Malchut, and some small gap between Bina and Malchut works in you. Maybe it's still not enough in order to feel something in it. Well, feel yes, but not discern yet, because it's not yet a discernment in a resolution. You understand what I mean, right? In such a level of detail that I can see spirituality, but I already begin to notice that I have this above that. That this means connected and that means disconnected, which is the basis of all discernments in spirituality. 

Student: So when we get together we have to come to the point where we come with our disturbances. 

M. Laitman: For sure, even if you don't feel like it's today and you feel like yesterday is like today. It's not. 

Student: So it turns out that we immediately have something to pray for. 

M. Laitman: Sure, the Creator’s prepared it. Do I prepare myself every day? Open your hand and satiate every desire, but you have to be in there with a request. 

Student: The good state is when we remember to ask, that we remember to an extent we want connection. 

M. Laitman: Right, so you have to come here and read what Kabbalists are saying and as a result wake up. Let's say everybody's out. You all won a million dollars or, God forbid, the other way around. You lost. You didn't gain. So either way your head is distracted. So you have a teacher, you have the lesson, you have the set time, you have the material, and then you begin. Do you think that the students of Rabbi Shimon, when they came to a lesson, they immediately wanted to burn one another? They would come like this. You don't know. I saw with Rabash how a person could get up, he's like totally blurred out. There were such states until the end of the way. 

Student: (01:02:19) So there is an ability to make the turning to the light a habit? Can we develop such a thing? 

M. Laitman: Never, never ever. You will never wake up, you know, all excited and stuff. Sometimes it will be given to you, but normally not. When you come to the group, they'll all be awake. Friend where are you? No, it might be the other way around. No one's paying attention, no one notices. It's arranged this way from above. You have to accept it as coming from above. Nothing depends on anyone. It is given from above, whatever. What depends on you is that the Creator brought you and told you, take this good fortune and do it. And likewise, every time in the lesson. 

Student: So, it's okay if it doesn't bring me here with awakening. I'm asking if in any situation you're in, will you always have this inner instinct to turn to the light? 

M. Laitman: No, this won't be given to you. 

Student: Why not? 

M. Laitman: Because you have to make the choice. You have to decide that you want the Creator, you want the light, you want the connection, you want your life's purpose, you want the purpose of creation. You agree with it, justify it. Otherwise He would build you at the end of the way, from the very beginning, and that's it. What are you asking? Our whole work is about choosing to turn to the light. Everything else He does. 

Student: So the free choice is our ability to turn to the light? 

M. Laitman: Our free plea, meaning our free choice is to, through the friends, everyone together, to awaken ourselves to turn to the light. That's it. That's it. Before this, it's you have made me in behind and before. What's up to us is only to connect and ask. Set up the MAN according to the situation He gives us, circumstances He gives us. Look at the Torah. In all the states they went through, we don't understand these states, but look at those exercises.

Student: So our ability to turn to the light, does it have to be expressed externally? Or do I not have to say something to the friends and it can be still a turn to the light? 

M. Laitman: No, you also need to speak and to understand and to feel and to awaken one another. But a little bit, don't overdo it, don't do it artificially. And you need to come to a prayer. Perhaps it's good to put together a few lines that you agree on. Not from the books, or there are prayers of Ramchal, you know, there's a whole book of prayers by Ramchal. No, something from the heart, what you think. There are stories of Hassadim where you whistle instead of praying. That's also a correct response, meaning the response has to be in the heart. If you can express it verbally, do.

Student: Turning to the light, does it depend on mutual dependency? 

M. Laitman: Turning to the light depends on mutual dependency in the group completely, according to their degree, to the extent that you can. If you're not connected, you're not a Ten, you're not one, you have no pillar of prayer. The MAN doesn't go up and doesn't evoke the light. The light is one and you need to be like the light, one. One receives one. 

Reader: Dear friends, we'll now move to a live lesson with Rav, before that we'll sing a song. 

Song: (01:07:16)