Part 2:

Baal HaSulam. Introduction to The Book of Zohar. #66

1. Rav Introduction: (01:10) Yes, it’s a very special Introduction, we've read this and learned this a few times but it always adds, and whoever has not heard it yet, so for them it will be a special experience. So let’s read it, ask about it, if the questions are serious I will be happy to help!

Reading item #66 (00:46) “Bear in mind that in everything there is internality and…”

2. R. (02:55) Well, I don’t see questions, actually, here he's giving us this picture, this form, that there is a general of the world and the internality of the world, and in this way, on all degrees; also between people. It does not mean anything, God forbid, that one is better than or worse,  that is how it comes from nature, and afterward, we weigh all the people according to how much they connect to Nature, to the Creator.

3. S. (03:46) Are only those who that engage in the wisdom of Kabbalah called internality of the world?

R. Yes, that is the center of the center because they are engaging in what is in the center of the world. that they affect the central point of the world.

4. S. (04:22) Should we learn to distinguish these things in the world or does it come by itself through the work in the in the ten?

R. We in this way gradually reveal that the world is built according to those parts, those fears, from the most external ones to the most internal, internal, internal one. And it all actually depends on each and every person, each person can determine for themselves where they reach in their development.

5. S. (05:10) What does it mean that I completely devote myself to the Creator?

R. The fact that I ascribe myself to the Creator, meaning that I am willing in my development to reach a state that I will identify with Him. Also in forces, also in mind, also in all his actions, I want to be in the hands of the Maker.

S. How is it expressed externally?

R. That I try to do all those actions that the Creator is demanding of us that will bring the world to the desired correction.

6. S. (06:17) The level of the degree, its quality, on what does it depend?

R. The height of the degree is not constant, we climb, we rise on the degree of the ladder and the height of the degree depends upon which egoistic desire we can overcome, what desire we can overcome so that it will not affect us, that is an ascent on the rungs of the ladder.

7. S. (07:12) Is this talking about the degrees of desire within a person or is it about the outside world or maybe both?

R. The degrees of the desire within man, obviously we are talking only about what is inside man, even though we're talking about how it’s happening in the world. So each person is a small world and it's all taking place inside of them.

S. Because he divides it here, “and likewise in every person in Israel there is internality which is regarded as Israel”, and then he describes it, and before that he said there's the world in general, there are nations of the world, there is Israel, there are servants of the Creator who have internality and externality, so why is there this whole addition?

R. We need to find a connection with all those parts in the world and from all of them, we need to build one desire that will resemble the Creator. 

8. S. (08:20) In the corrected state is there still internality and externality or will all the souls belong to internality?

R. All souls will be part of internality only.

S. And in the personal, individual correction of each soul, is it to unite all the souls with the Creator so that it will all be internality and there will not be externality? 

R. Yes.

9. S. (08:55) What does it mean, what is the meaning of “raising special spirituality over corporeality”?

R. The most important thing for us is the connection with the upper force that we attain in the connection between us compared to all other desires and goals that can arise in our hearts.

10. S. (09:35) You said before that it does not mean anything, that one is better and one is worse, but basically, we are supposed to aspire more towards internally and detect the external parts and go more into the inner parts in us, to the Israel in us, to adhere to it, no?

R. Yes, but what they begin with is what each and everyone was created with, so it does not depend on the person, that is how the Creator created him. So even though we're all different, from one end to the other, but along with that, no one is better or worse from their birth. That is why everything is only weighed according to the efforts that a person needs to do, relative efforts, because for someone who is worse, it's more difficult to do so, if someone is better it's easier to do all kinds of good things. But in the end, everything is measured according to the efforts of a person himself.

S. I mean, not the external division but internal division, the inner work of a person to adhere less to the externality and more to the internality?

R. Yes.

11. S. (11:19) Is there room to even try to identify internally those things that are happening on the outside?

R. Not yet but soon we will feel it and we will also be able to fight them in an internal system; we will not need to go out to physical wars and to relate towards people. But on the contrary, we will be connected to one another in a more internal way and the wars will be more internal, like right now a person is fighting from within himself and sometimes with himself. So in this way, we can put all the corrections and make them more and more internal.

12. S. (12:29) For people with points in the hearts it says that “The nations of the world within him are our proselytes because they adhere to the internality so they are like proselytes from the nations of the world who came to adhere to Israel.” This external part in Israel, are they also corrected by adhering?

R. Of course, yes, of course!

13. S. (13:20) If I want to create a prayer in the ten that the Creator will have to answer. if I want to create a sufficiently strong prayer in the ten that the Creator will answer immediately, what's missing in the place where I am, this being the last prayer that I make?

R. There are still a lot of corrections lacking in you.

S. Of course, there are a lot of corrections missing in me, but I want to create a place.

R. You want to force the Creator?

S. Yes.

R. Well it's not in your powers yet.

S. You said that if the ten decide and praise the Creator, demands of the Creator, then the Creator has to grant their payer, so I want to do it today, I do not want to wait for anything for any disaster. What between now and this prayer is missing that I have to create and from where do I take it?

R. Lacking adhesion in the Creator.

14. S. (14:48) He writes here something you may be able to collaborate on, “The servants of the Creator in the people of Israel, there is a certain internality among them which are those who understand the internality of the Torah and externality who engage only in the externality of the Torah.” You talk about the connection, you said that if we do not connect we will all be dead. But those that engage in only the externality of the Torah, doesn't that cause all the damages that we see today, all the disasters?

R. Everything depends on the connection between us. If we will connect between us obviously, the world will change.

S. Are those who are engaged in the externality of the Torah causing a lot of the harm that we see today, not necessarily the connection between us?

R. They are not causing damage but when they join us; when we try to perform the internal part and they're doing the external part of the Torah, so together we will have the complete work.

S. Is it possible?

R. At one time it will be possible. For now, each one is doing his part.

S. Because I remember it's written in the book of Zohar, Rabbi Shimon says “That those people who make the Torah dry they are causing a lot of harm,” so maybe you can talk about it. I think it's time to really talk about it.

R. I don't think like you.

S. It is written.

R. There are a lot of things that are written.

S. So?

R. It’s written that you should be righteous but now you're wicked. That’s why it’s written.

S. It has to become inverted. I don’t see that it’s becoming inverted.

R. We need to do what we need to do and that's called to connect everyone, the way people want as much as they want to connect together the Creator will be revealed a bit more important in them. That is what we need, that is what our work is that is it. Now if there are parts that engage in the work of the Creator but in a more external form, all the best let him be. Let them be many of those, we need to see in them as our partners for the future. Not in any way to bring them a reason to be an obstacle. As it says don't put up an obstacle before the blind.

S. In other words, externality and internality can bring equality and we can attain the middle line because of them?

R. No, we learn how to reach success through the adhesion between us and adhering to the Creator, and they will join us to the extent that we will come closer to that.

S. With the help of the Creator.

R. So relax and write it down before you, and repeat it a few times, every time you want to criticize everyone.

S. I'm not criticizing I'm just saying that it exists.

R. Okay.

15. S. (19:20) So our senses only sense reality or do they also create reality?

R. They also create a reality.

16. S. (19:48) Should a person see himself as half owing and half deserving, is that also with the Nations of the world?

R. It is in relation to those that are going towards their correction.

17. S. (20:17) We are discovering that we want to get closer we want to be closer, this whole thing is pushing us to have a deeper connection. It's what we speak about, we are eager to see if we will be able to, if you will be able to come to the North American South American Congress. We are very eager for that. It says that in this passage there is internality, being those rewarded with the comprehension of the soul of the internality of the Torah and its secrets and the externality observing the practical part of the Torah. The question is: is the comprehension of the soul of the internality of the Torah and the secrets our connection in the ten, our grasping how important it is, and by doing this we are justifying the Creator in all things, is this our intention and our goal to justify the Creator? He is the ‘Good That Does Good,’ and There's Nothing Else Besides Him. Is that the soul of the internality of the Torah and its secrets?

R. Yes,

18. S. (22:32) What is the definition of internality and externality? Is that important, or bestowing and receiving, or cause and effect? How to understand it?

R. Internality is what pertains to the spiritual work connection with the Creator, and externality is what a person feels in our corporeal world.

19. S. (23:10) In the person is the internality in Israel does it mean the vessels of reception in order to bestow?

R. Also to bestow in order to bestow.

S. That's the Israel, and the externality the nations are the vessels in order to receive, who are the proselytes that he writes of even the Nations are as proselytes?

R. Meaning even those desires which are still egoist but as they shift to in order to bestow they are called proselytes, it's in each and every one of us.

S. So it's like an intermediate stage?

R. Yes.

20. S. (24:13) So we all feel from the states in Israel a great desire to connect in the ten, we feel such an effect, could we call that corporeal desire that leads us to connect is that the mercy of the nations in the world?

R. Yes.

21. S. (24:46) Could there be a conflict between the internality and externality of people because they can't find a result between their thoughts and their deeds and if so what should a person see in order to find this truth?

R. Only to be connected to the ten and in the ten and from within the ten to attain the internality of the Torah, the internality of the reality.

22. S. (25:33) The question about internality and externality now we are sitting here in Ashkelon we feel the war and the missiles above us the bombings that external. The internal war between us in the time with the thoughts against the friends, against the connection between us right that is the inner war?

R. Yes.

S. It really focused at this time on who the true enemy is inside and I pay attention that it's very hard to fight the campaign against them. It's almost never successful there are bad depictions of the way the friends seem but I don't agree with this. How do I manage their campaign, how do I win this thing? I don't think those thoughts against the friends should exist but I can't defeat them.

R. Grow stronger and connect with the friends, only by this you will win, not alone.

S. We throughout the day the friends are coming to strengthen us so we can strengthen and defeat them, it’s just all the resistance against the friends blows up even stronger, it just increases and instead of strengthening and leaving a meeting connected I leave in an opposite state, and I'm not agreeing to it, I want to correct it.

R. Pray, ask, speak to the friends, and do everything you possibly can. This is your problem until you come out of it you will not advance.

23. S. (28:12) Is this internality something that we should be seeking through prayer or is it internality always there within us?

R. No, we have to find internality through prayer it is hidden but with our relation when we try to reach it by this we locate it.

24. S. (29:10) In the introduction to the Book of Zohar it says it's a strong book. I wanted to ask if we have an opportunity to study maybe throughout the day at this time it could be good for us. Thank you.

R. Speak to the friend after the lesson and agree you decided between you. Maybe now a lot of people are not working so maybe they can help or in general set up various lessons during the day with our friends. I can speak that much besides this I have my programs my video programs and talks, but you should organize additional studies during the day, and even if it's only a few people you can circulate it through our Network and then see if I'm sure there will be more people who are at home and can listen. Both men and women can all participate and the women if they can appear, they can show up. 

S. The friends who are asking about reading the Book of Zohar can it help us? Should we put it in the studying?

R. Yes, yes we have it in the archive.

Reading Item # 67 (31:46) “When a person from Israel enhances and dignifies…” (Twice)

25. R. (34:33) Which is directed toward the Creator, Yashar Kel, straight to the Creator.

Reading continues: (34:40) “Over externality…” 

26. R. (35:42) In other words all this depends on if we're talking about internality or externality that we speak of here, but if not.

Reading continues: (35:58) “And if God forbid it is to the contrary…” 

27. S. (37:08) It is written about the proselytes within you. If it arises above your internality we said that the proselytes are the part that joins the internality. What does it mean that the proselytes suddenly rise upon the internality?

R. Every person has all the parts still, vegetated, animate, and speaking which are part Israel, part of the nations of the world, part of the proselytes, and so on and here it's talking about how a person doesn't immerse himself enough in spiritual work meaning in connection with others and in adhesion with him and toward the Creator, and therefore, this is what happens and then the whole part within him which is called the proselytes rises in him and begins to determine his thoughts, desires, and actions.

S. What changes if the proselytes join, so what changes in him? And can it be inverted upon the internality?

R. It all depends on how a person manages the parts within him, which part he strengthens through the study in the ten, and which parts he slides he doesn't give them the required treatment.

28. S. (39:15) I wanted to ask about the externality overcoming internality. I saw yesterday on TV they interrogated one of the captured terrorists that what made them plan everything was seeing the demonstrations in Israel. So how does it work, the mechanism that the fact that we have problems in the Nations that increase the hatred and our external enemies, or they just see that we are weak and separated and they always help us and find the opportunity to attack when we are arguing between us, or it increases hatred in them and that's what makes them want to harm us?

R. Our separation as being distant from one other is the prominent constant reason in Israel because, to begin with, we come from different origins we're not a nation we are a collection of people that Abraham collected in Babylon and brought them to the land of Canaan and then they went down to Egypt. So in other words according to our spiritual root, we're not one nation and therefore we must unite as one man in one heart and then we must set an example to all the people in the world that they too can connect like us, like as we will connect, and in this way we will achieve the complete correction.

29. S. (41:21) If we are planning to go out with an explanation in Israel on the war what's the important message that we need to give?

R. That we have to build out of ourselves one nation.

S. And?

R. And out of this as a result we will come to such a connection between us that no enemy will come up against us and will not even want to go against us.

S. Do we need to speak about the Creator when we explain or only unity in the nation?

R. Even only the level of the unity of the people.

S. Where's the Creator?

R. Behind the scenes as always.

S. We don't have to mention him right now?

R. The question is toward whom you're explaining because most of the nation may not accept the Creator's governance over everyone.

S. What wisdom of Kabbalah, us, separated are different from any person who is crying out let us unite, let us unite, this is the time to unite?

R. We’re not so much, but we rely on our ancient sources and we show them the sources where it is written in one way and on what conditions we do succeed and overcome our enemies and under which conditions we don't.

S. How to raise the morals of the nation in such a time when they're all shattered?

R. On some of them, we can certainly influence by revealing something from the wisdom of Kabbalah, but that is a relatively small part of what using history, using what is written, without opening hidden things we can convince the people more and more.

S. What about the role of the nation, should we talk about the role?

R. Yes of course.

S. What he writes at the end of the introduction internality and externality because we are not connected bring the wars upon themselves can we explain about that too?

R. Yes.

30. S. (44:10) We say that disturbances come to man from the Creator, so why suddenly does he write that man has an ability to increase or see the internality more important upon the externality?

R. Because the Creator gives a person the ability to govern reality, not to everyone but to us. If we do bring ourselves closer to the upper force and by that we can, to some extent, turn the world in that direction too.

S. Why is the Creator increasing the disturbances if a person has the ability to choose? I don't know how to ask.

R. The Creator increases the disturbances to the extent that we need to advance. He gives us discernments, He gives us conditions where on top of them we can rise higher and higher and if we don't take them, relate to them correctly, in order to rise above them and grow, then He brings us out of His operations a bad feeling, bad relations, natural forces that intensify and interrupt us, interferes with us, obstructs us, and that forces what is called the repentance.

S. How by overcoming the disturbances, how to see the internality more important?

R. When the obstructions increase it helps you reach the internality because you have to run away from obstructions and then you have no choice but to come to understand that inside there is a special desire, force, so that you would develop correctly.

31. S. (47:03) A few years ago we had the big congress in Israel and Covid broke out and we took this as a great opportunity to disseminate. Now we just had another congress and look what happened, we have a lot of dissemination efforts in place now since Covid, and we have two congresses coming up one in Turkey and hopefully in South, and North America. Should we focus on ways to disseminate now because of what is happening now or should we focus on our unity and prayer and these congresses?

R. First of all, our own connection and prayers according to the present state, present situation, and regarding the upcoming congress that we plan to do in Turkey. I am not sure we will be able to do it at that time. It is possible that we will postpone it to a later date, we will see.

32. S. (49:00) How not to allow the internal parts of Israel to go down below?

R. Raise them higher and higher.

S. In which way?

R. In such a way that we connect between us, the connection between us has to be more and more. That’s it.

33. S. (49:40) What is the connection between what is happening now in Israel to the people of Israel, to this balance of forces of internality and externality?

R. A direct connection. The more we elevate the role of Israel the more we elevate the inner part.

S. What is lacking for the corrections to spill from internality to externality? What is lacking between those parts?

R. Desire. Nothing but the desire in each and every one and more or less in all of us together.

S. When we are engaging in corrections here we have to want our desire to just spill to the whole nation so that will be a strong desire too?

R. Yes.

34. S. (51:15) Is the imbalance between the internal and external parts of the ten, that empty connection that we're talking about, should that get more attention?

R. We will correct it gradually through a gradual correction.

35. S. (52:06) How do I know if I'm justifying the Creator correctly without my ego using it as an excuse in order to not suffer?

R. That is through connection with the friends. There we rise above our ego and can build correctly over the questions that come up.

36. S. (52:55) Among the gifts received is that the American Jews, the heart of the American Jews, seem to be softening a little bit in our direction. There was a gathering of the hundreds of rabbis who previously decided to stop saying prayer for Israel amongst whatever political nonsense and suddenly they are all praying for Israel. I know it's been a while since we really focused on the American Jewish problem but do you think there's an opening?

R. I don't know. I'm not connected to America, I don't live in connection with them, I cannot say. Of course, if Jews in America feel themselves as Jews then they should connect to Israel and do everything to show everyone that we are one nation. Well, let's hope that this is what will happen.

S. Is there something we can do to encourage that?

R. We went through our studies, we do everything, they can watch it too. All of our materials are translated to English and the rest of the languages so what more should we do? If we get some, if they approach us we will reply. I don't have anything else to give them, I'm not so connected to the Jews in North America.

S. Some of us are, and the feeling that I had in the last few days. The feeling and got from my family and friends who are close in that community is that there is a great warming toward Israel. They are ready to be convinced that what we need from them is unconditional support and I just feel that we could inject that into the current climate.

R. Okay.