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

Daily Morning Lesson: September 17, 2026

Part 2: Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #4

Reader: Hello, dear friends! What a lesson we went through with the article of Rabash, and what a lesson afterwards of Rav, with discernments we received! That, from all the billions there are out there, there's only a thousand people from whom we can receive the right deficiency, and there's nothing else. And Rav also spoke that if there are two groups, one can help another. And how will we receive this deficiency, now during the lesson? We heard that, if – by the way, we're getting ready now for the regional congresses – how will we fill all of the groups, all of the Tens? For that, I need to start to see because all the time I was in a Ten, I thought that it was necessary, like Rav spoke now. But in order not to be this cancer, so what do we need? We need to start to receive a deficiency from everyone, and what does that mean for us? It means I need to, instead of seeing just a Ten, I need to start seeing all the Tens. And in this way we'll build a deficiency that's much, much greater than what we have. And that's what we need to do right now, we want to be impressed, and inspired, and give the friends inspiration. And it all starts from us, to what extent we will give this to others. As much as we're dependent on each other, that they have the point in the heart, and that they'll be able to form this deficiency and ask the Creator to help.

And now, we will study the Study of the Ten Sefirot, where we exactly need to search for where is that quality of bestowal that we need to acquire so that we will have a desire to come closer and clarify where it is? Whether it's for me or for the Creator, how do I build it for the Creator together with all the friends?

Reader 2: Exactly all those discernments that we need to locate in our relation to the Creator, that's what we're going to learn about now through the circles and the line. And let's exert in that, really our whole effort is to reveal that everything before us is the Creator's attitude to us. And how we will make more and more discernments about that and gather a common need for our relationship with the Creator – that's all we're going to study now. Let's start with a clip from Rav. After that, we'll start watching the lesson, and we are in Volume 1, Part 2. We'll start from Item 4, above the words of the ARI, before that, a clip from Rav.

M. Laitman: (03:31) We are studying the second part, the first volume of the Study of the Ten Sefirot, which is speaking about the circles and lines. What are the circles and the straightness? The circles is the influence of the Creator and the created beings; and the straightness, that's when there already is, when the created beings are already made. And these created beings are in a certain connection with the Creator, when we speak about the circle, that's the bestowal from the Creator, and when we're speaking about the line, that's also bestowal from the Creator but it's already towards a specific created being, which is responding and is in his own desire to receive. That the Creator bestows upon it and takes into account the nature of the created being.

Therefore, now, when we're studying about the circles and the straightness, we're learning in a general way, a very general way, which is, of course, far from reality. These relations between the Creator and the created being, and how the circles bestow to the straightness, and what it can receive from the circles. To change the behavior of the circle sort of, may be, this is the beginning of our study. Meaning we're in that research of our relations between us and the Creator but out of that, afterwards will come a clearer form where we are, where the Creator is, how He bestows to us, to all the created beings, gradually. Through all of the actions that He executes in us in this long process until He brings all of creation in the forms of records and influences from above to a state where this creation will understand Him and get to know Him, and will reach His degree.

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Reader: So, friends, we'll start with a lesson, a full lesson. We need to take all of the deficiencies out of it, so afterwards we'll be able to receive this incorporation from the whole group and the questions that you will ask. And then together we'll be able to work on it, in our common deficiency. Let's hear the lesson, it's full of discernments, so pay attention, and afterwards we'll speak.

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Reader: The Book of the Study of the Ten Sefirot, Volume 1, Part 2, Item 4, the Words of the ARI, with the heading,

Reading: (07:08) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #4

The light of the circles is the light of Nefesh, and the light of straightness is the light of Ruach. The circles were emanated first, and the straightness next.

4. The difference between the circles and the straightness relates to the fact that the ten Sefirot of circles ₍₂₀₎ are regarded as the light of Nefesh. There are inner light and surrounding light in them, internal and external. They consist of ten Sefirot of vessels, and in each vessel, there are internality and externality. There are also ten Sefirot of lights, where in each light there are inner light and surrounding light.

However, the ten Sefirot of straightness are regarded as the light called light of Ruach ₍₃₀₎, which is a higher degree than the degree of Nefesh. They, too, consist of inner light and surrounding light, and have ten Sefirot of vessels, and in each of them there are internality and externality. Obviously, the Nefesh was emanated first, and the Ruach next.

Reader: Item 4. Words of the ARI.

Reading: (08:36) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #4

The light of the circles is the light of Nefesh, and the light of straightness is the light of Ruach. The circles were emanated first, and the straightness next.

4. The difference between the circles and the straightness relates to the fact that the ten Sefirot of circles ₍₂₀₎ are regarded as the light of Nefesh. There are inner light and surrounding light in them, internal and external. They consist of ten Sefirot of vessels, and in each vessel, there are internality and externality. There are also ten Sefirot of lights, where in each light there are inner light and surrounding light.

However, the ten Sefirot of straightness are regarded as the light called light of Ruach ₍₃₀₎, which is a higher degree than the degree of Nefesh. They, too, consist of inner light and surrounding light, and have ten Sefirot of vessels, and in each of them there are internality and externality. Obviously, the Nefesh was emanated first, and the Ruach next.

Reader: Item 5. Inner Light 20, relating to

Reading: (09:48) Inner Light

20. The ten Sefirot of circles are regarded as the light of Nefesh. There are ‎inner light and surrounding light in them, internal and external‎: All the Sefirot that can only receive lights and have no ability to bestow upon others, the light in them is called “light of Nefesh.” It has already been explained that all the light in the circles must be received from the light of the line (Part Two, Chapter One, Item 30). The reason is that the upper light cannot connect to the vessels except by a coupling with the screen that raises reflected light, as that reflected light connects the light with the vessels (Part Two, Chapter One, Item 30).

Consequently, the upper light does not connect with the vessels that do not have that screen, so they cannot bestow upon others from above downward. Instead, they can only receive light from the previous degree, from below upward, for their own sustenance. This light is called “light of Nefesh.” Thus, because there is no screen in the above-mentioned vessels of circles, the upper light does not connect to them, and they must receive light from the line, but even that is only for their own sustenance, and not to bestow. For this reason, the light in the circles is called “light of Nefesh.”

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:29) How in the circle can there be both surrounding and inner?

M. Laitman: I don't know, we'll see, I don't know both surrounding and inner? You're saying that in the line you can have surrounding and inner light because the line divides the light that comes with an intention to bestow, as much as it can, as much as it cannot, that's what happens there. So how can it happen in the circles, though they don't have the inner screen? Perhaps this is the line, I don't know, I am like you, perhaps the line that fills the circle, because there is inner and surrounding light in the circle, inner and outer vessel, inner light, surrounding light. So as the line affects the circle, it also divides the circles to inner and outer, inner and surrounding. If someone is influenced by me, yes, let's say I gained somehow, let's say $1,000. And I'm owed $2,000 more, so what I gained, $1,000, that's called inner light, and what I'm owed, the extra $2,000, that's called surrounding light. I come home, my home receives from me what I bring with me. That's what they receive. So for them, too, their reception divides according to what I brought. So I brought $1,000 cash, and I'm saying $2,000 we’ll get in the future, surrounding, you understand from this example? That the pipeline divides the circles, too, according to how it's fulfilled. Let's see how Baal HaSulam explains this next; in the meantime, why is that not clear, why are you not satisfied by that?

This is exactly the way, the relationship between line and circles, such a simple example from life. That, the circles are incapable of anything, it's the light of Nefesh, Nefesh means Nefisha, which means no relation from themselves, what they have is what they receive. The line is the light of Ruach, which means that it's not that its level is Ruach, it just works actively, that's why we call it, Ruach. Meaning, it's more than Nefisha, that passivity or passiveness of the circles. And what it brings with the vessels and the lights and all kinds of discernments, that's what it brings to the circles and influences the circles with that. So, the circles are influenced by the line, with everything that happens in the line; the line divided itself to inner and surrounding in the lights – inner and outer in the vessels – that's how it influences the circles, and the circles just accept its authority, and that's it. If I bring the light in an organized way between inner and surrounding light, even though the circles have no screen, they receive it according to the form they receive from the line. So, however the line fills them, that's what they will be. They can't respond, they can't do anything, they can't change anything, everything is open for them. It's the vessel of Ein Sof, it has no limitation, no change, it's not that they themselves later change the lights, their order or anything, nothing.

What does he want to explain to us? That the Ein Sof, infinity, for now, is the vessels of circles which we need to fulfill, only when you fill them, that will be the Ein Sof. That will be your form of bestowal upon the Creator. And for you, now, it's a vessel of Ein Sof. It will receive from you the way you fill it. And let's see.

Reader: Inner Light 30,

Reading: (15:51) 30. Ruach, which is a higher degree than the degree of Nefesh‎: The ten Sefirot of Ruach are regarded as bestowing. For this reason, the light of Ruach is called “male light,” meaning it bestows. However, the ten Sefirot of Nefesh are called “female light,” meaning that they receive and cannot bestow. For this reason, the ten Sefirot of the light of the line are called “ten Sefirot of Ruach,” indicating that they are regarded as male light, bestowing, as we have explained above. Therefore, the Ruach is higher than the degree of Nefesh because it bestows upon the Nefesh.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (16:51) What is he trying to emphasize at the end when he says that, The emanation of Nefesh was made before Ruach? It doesn't quite connect for me with what he spoke about?

M. Laitman: The aspect of Nefesh comes first, and then Ruach, that's according to the vessels. First, there are vessels of circles, and then vessels of line; the vessels of circles are vessels of Ein Sof. In Ein Sof, there was a decision, restriction, and a decision to work according to the line, according to an allotment. So, the initial vessels are the vessels of circles, and the light that comes now and rules them are lights of Yosher, of line.

Reader: From the words of the ARI.

Reading: (17:40) Arich Anpin of the circles shines for Abba and Ima of the circles in the state of windows, from the three lines: right, left, and middle in him. The light is extended from them to all the circles, in a way that all the elements that exist is in the straightness, also exist in the circles.

M. Laitman: I'm just asking not to imagine to ourselves, now, three kinds of pipelines, right, left, and middle, that fill up some tank. Rather, it's the same one line, our attitude to the fulfillment of the Creator that takes into account how much are we capable of receiving from Him the quality of bestowal and joining it to our quality of reception. And ultimately expressing through that the relative form of relation between vessels of bestowal and reception – what happens in us in each and every level. This shared form is what we call the middle line, meaning it's the same line as it was before, except in its calculation, before it operates, there are these convergences. This conjoining of the qualities of the Creator and the created being, and how much the created being can optimally, maximally express itself in equivalence with the Creator, that's the middle line. But it's the same one pipeline, it's not three.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:27) So now, I thought and I understood that the middle line just goes from below, upwards?

M. Laitman: From above downwards, correct? No, from above downwards you have two lines, from below upwards you have the middle line.

Student: Are we learning now how everything progresses from above downwards?

M. Laitman: Two lines called, The quality of the Creator and the quality of the created being come from above. The light and the desire built by the light come from above; and the line that the created being builds in response to that comes from below upwards. I receive from the Creator desire, I receive from the Creator light, understanding, force, overcoming, everything except the desire, right? By these two forces, we call it, Two angels: I build my relation to them, how I wish to connect them, how I wish to realize them, to implement them in my relation, my attitude. The middle line expresses my relation, I have a desire to fill myself up. There's the host, I have the importance of the host, he stands next to the table. How do I equalize these two things together, how do I build from these two my attitude to the host? That's the middle line, so of course, the middle line comes from the created being to the Creator.

Student: Here it's three lines and not two? If from above down come two, he says here, three.

M. Laitman: What's in the headline?

Student: Yes, the headline title.

M. Laitman (Source Text/Commentary): (21:31) We'll see soon what he wants to emphasize.

Arich Anpin of the circles shines to AVI of the circles, that extends to all the circles. And from them, the light extends to all the circles.

So what do you want, from the line, it extends to the circles, it's not from above, downwards. It fills the circles. From above downwards, there cannot be a middle line, that just can't be by definition. The middle line is the relation of the created being to the Creator, built on two lines received from the Creator. Here, what is the line doing? Or two lines that come and build the middle line? The created being that builds the middle line, by that, he fills up the circles, the circles that belong to his degree. Meaning, the circles express the relation of the Creator to me. To what extent I can fill them up now means how much can I be in equivalence of form with Him. The circle is what the Creator created before the first restriction, it's what He created in me.

From His desire to bestow, He created circles in me, He wants my desire to be like that in order to fill it up. Now, as much as I can fill up this desire of mine with an intention to bring Him contentment. How much can I eat from the table in front of me, but with the intention, the middle line, only to bestow contentment to Him, that's the middle line. So, I can fill up these circles only by the line – my relation to Him – I can fill up those circles only partially, I still don't have a screen to go for the whole thing, for my whole desire. And that means that the line fills the circles, and the middle line fills the circles, so we're already talking about the created being after the shattering that operates in order to truly bestow contentment to the Creator.

Student: According to what I thought until now, I thought that TES is divided into two parts: the first part is from below upwards and from above downwards.

M. Laitman: He also tells you in the last part, from above downwards, not necessarily. Kabbalists don't want to tell you exactly how you work from below upwards, you have to discover the world on your own. They give you all sorts of knowledge about the system, and typically, they tell you about how it comes down from above, downwards; and the revelation of the Creator in the created being is already your individual work. When you enter that personal work, you will then read The Study of the Ten Sefirot, and you'll see what's really occurring there. But also, you'll see only according to the screen that you can have, more than that, they don't write, and generally, they don't write in an organized way about from below upwards. They leave to you everything you need to have in order to build yourself. The child cannot grow by being shown everything, you have to hide from him. You have to give him challenges, games, all kinds of things with a question mark. And then, by all kinds of preparations you've made for him, he'll solve the problem and that's how he evolves. He only evolves by linking together the light and the Kli on his own, and that's exactly what they're doing for us.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (25:35) What does Baal HaSulam mean when he says that the root of the three lines is in the three heads? It's there above the two lines. What is it in those concepts that you explained?

M. Laitman: I don't understand your question.

Student: Baal HaSulam says there are places where the middle line truly comes from below, but sometimes it comes from above, as in Atik.

M. Laitman: (26:03) No, even when he talks about Atik, Arich Anpin, it doesn't matter, he wants to say it comes as a result of the work of the created being. Without the created being from below that scrutinizes and searches for the screen, how to resemble the Creator, and does that, there's no middle line. Look, here appears the desire, this is called left, we call this left, the desire; on the other hand appears the light, or bestowal, the level of bestowal, and this is the level of reception. These two come from above, this comes directly from the light, from the Creator. And this comes from the point of existence from absence, both come to us from above.

Below is the human, in which these two things connect together, how do they connect together? They begin to come into some contact between them and the person begins to feel from their relationship, some unpleasantness, some question of what is the point in my life? And then he basically begins to develop the middle line from that. What is the middle line: how can I use in the best possible way these two forces of creation so as to build myself, who is myself? Myself is that vessel, or that resistor, let's call it, the resistor on which the plus and minus will work in full force. The higher I rise, the greater this resistor becomes, and then my strength that will appear in me will be greater. I will be more equal to the Creator because to me, in me, the will to receive, the desire, will be revealed with an intention in order to bestow. That is man's work and this is called, The force of resistance that it makes, or the screen.

So, if there's no human in the middle, then there's no middle line, where will it come from? There has to be someone who decides, who wants, who labors in connecting these two together. And he has doubts, and problems, and worries – he has to find it, it's a very big problem, he has to connect two worlds inside of him. And that never comes from above, none of it, not that because otherwise there's no free choice; otherwise, our life is just, it means everyone is just beasts, and there can't be a human. Because specifically this middle line is called Adam, human, man. This is called Adam, similar to the Creator, in his free choice, coming to the intention in order to bestow. The intention is the man, because the desire comes from above. Our desires are all in the Creator's hands, the light builds the desire, but the intention, you build it from a collision between these two, and not directly.

Here, in the middle, you have the choice, the group, the study, all kinds of things that we still have to scrutinize. To what extent these, how to say it, to what extent these actions are ours or not ours. To what extent this whole thing is truly independent, or at the Creator's account, just in a concealed fashion; He works behind the scenes on us. Or am I still doing something here, and if I do, what is it exactly? What is what we call the middle third of Tifferet? But again, two lines come from above downwards, the middle line from below upwards. These two lines are called angels, that's what we say, Come for peace, the angels of peace, the upper angels, two angels, as Baal HaSulam calls it, as if accompany the person to the eve of Shabbat, the eve of Shabbat meaning that he comes to the correction, the middle line.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (31:50) As I saw here and you explained, there's, how do we reach the spiritual father? There's the ego and the desire to receive above it, and to use the intention for the benefit of the other, and then we reach spirituality. So, the key word here is intention, right, intention for the benefit of the other. And the ego you're speaking about, is it an intention or not? And if it is an intention, then supposedly, there are two intentions within a person. But it's strange, what does it mean that I have two intentions? I either intend for something or I don't, there's no such thing as having two intentions. Let's say that there are two, who is it that decides between these two intentions, which will be stronger?

M. Laitman: We are results of the shattering of the vessels. If we just had a desire and the appearance of the light, then you're right and there's nothing there. Our problem is that who we have here, the, I, who receives these two influences from the right and from the left, this, I is a desire from here, yes, you receive in order to receive. That, I am in the opposite intention, in my egoistic desire, this is called the ego. That, I know that I'm using my desire to enjoy and my joy depends on how much I am filled up or how much is lacking for the others, because I always examine myself, my fulfillment, in a relative way towards the others.

So, we begin our work from a will to receive in order to receive; we have to keep the desire quietly, and that intention in order to receive, we have to recognize it as the Klipa, the shell, what's a Klipa? Against the Creator. It's against the Creator on the one hand, on the other hand, it comes from the Creator – it's the opposite part of Him, opposite the Kedusha, the sanctity. So, He deliberately manipulates us, this is why the Klipa is called, That it guards the shell, the fruit, the shell guards the fruit. It brings us all kinds of thoughts, and worries, and problems, and chaos, so that in this opposite way, like Pharaoh pushing the children of Israel to their Father in Heaven. That's how the shell advances us, guarding the fruit, as it's called. So, I have to understand this shell and use it, recognize it and use it, intelligently. Why was this force given to me? Because between this ego, between the Klipa and the Kedusha, which is bestowal. Here, exactly, there's this middle third of Tifferet – not Klipa, not Kedusha. My ability to express myself in between, in the middle, that's this vacant space, vacant of this and that. How do I determine that? I determine the direction by the group, that's it, by the environment. The environment is nothing if I just go to all kinds of directions, bad directions. Or the group is what we refer to as the collection of the souls that respect this progress, this progress towards bestowal. So, what did we want to say, here? That our work happens in both forms of intention, as you said. I have two intentions, yes, you have an intention for yourself, to myself, and an intention for the others – for myself, yes, or for the others. Of course, two forms of intention, either this or that, you can't be in both.

Reader: We're at the heading above Item 5.

M. Laitman: Okay, so read Item 5, and we'll move to the third part.

Reading: (37:29) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #5

5. Even when the ten Sefirot are regarded as circles ₍₄₀₎ one within the other, they already have all the states of reception of the abundance that exist in the ten Sefirot in the line of straightness ₍₅₀₎. It is so because the circle of Keter, called Arich Anpin after the correction ₍₆₀₎, has one hole and window ₍₇₀₎ on the right side of the circle ₍₈₀₎. From there, the light of Arich descends to the circle of Abba and shines to it ₍₉₀₎.

There is another window, on the left side of the circle of Arich, and the light exits until the left side of the circle of Abba, which is within it, punctures it and makes a window in it ₍₁₀₀₎. The light is extended from there to the circle of Ima inside the circle of Abba, and shines in it. It turns out that when the light passes in the left of the circle of Abba, it is not for Abba himself; it passes there only as a passageway ₍₂₀₀₎, but the illumination is primarily for Ima.

It follows that Arich Anpin shines for Abba and Ima together, just as it is in their straightness. Even though they are one circle within the other, they still have straight lines, ₍₃₀₀₎ right, left and middle, in the windows in them. The light is extended from there in ten Sefirot of circles, through completely straight lines, in all the details in the ten Sefirot of the straight line of Ruach.

for Abba and Ima together, just as it is in their straightness, even though they are one circle within the other, they still have straight lines, right, left, and middle, in the windows in them. The light is extended from there in ten Sefirot of circles, through completely straight lines, and all the details in the ten Sefirot of the straight line of Ruach.

Reader: Again, Item 5.

Reading: (39:07) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #5

5. Even when the ten Sefirot are regarded as circles ₍₄₀₎ one within the other, they already have all the states of reception of the abundance that exist in the ten Sefirot in the line of straightness ₍₅₀₎. It is so because the circle of Keter, called Arich Anpin after the correction ₍₆₀₎, has one hole and window ₍₇₀₎ on the right side of the circle ₍₈₀₎. From there, the light of Arich descends to the circle of Abba and shines to it ₍₉₀₎.

There is another window, on the left side of the circle of Arich, and the light exits until the left side of the circle of Abba, which is within it, punctures it and makes a window in it ₍₁₀₀₎. The light is extended from there to the circle of Ima inside the circle of Abba, and shines in it. It turns out that when the light passes in the left of the circle of Abba, it is not for Abba himself; it passes there only as a passageway ₍₂₀₀₎, but the illumination is primarily for Ima.

It follows that Arich Anpin shines for Abba and Ima together, just as it is in their straightness. Even though they are one circle within the other, they still have straight lines, ₍₃₀₀₎ right, left and middle, in the windows in them. The light is extended from there in ten Sefirot of circles, through completely straight lines, in all the details in the ten Sefirot of the straight line of Ruach.

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Reader: Okay, friends, the questions are on our part, the answers come from above. But it's very important to have questions! So, let's feel responsible with our questions, that by this we make room for continuing the lesson that we just saw together.

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

Daily Morning Lesson: September 17, 2026

Part 2: Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #4

Reader: Hello, dear friends! What a lesson we went through with the article of Rabash, and what a lesson afterwards of Rav, with discernments we received! That, from all the billions there are out there, there's only a thousand people from whom we can receive the right deficiency, and there's nothing else. And Rav also spoke that if there are two groups, one can help another. And how will we receive this deficiency, now during the lesson? We heard that, if – by the way, we're getting ready now for the regional congresses – how will we fill all of the groups, all of the Tens? For that, I need to start to see because all the time I was in a Ten, I thought that it was necessary, like Rav spoke now. But in order not to be this cancer, so what do we need? We need to start to receive a deficiency from everyone, and what does that mean for us? It means I need to, instead of seeing just a Ten, I need to start seeing all the Tens. And in this way we'll build a deficiency that's much, much greater than what we have. And that's what we need to do right now, we want to be impressed, and inspired, and give the friends inspiration. And it all starts from us, to what extent we will give this to others. As much as we're dependent on each other, that they have the point in the heart, and that they'll be able to form this deficiency and ask the Creator to help.

And now, we will study the Study of the Ten Sefirot, where we exactly need to search for where is that quality of bestowal that we need to acquire so that we will have a desire to come closer and clarify where it is? Whether it's for me or for the Creator, how do I build it for the Creator together with all the friends?

Reader 2: Exactly all those discernments that we need to locate in our relation to the Creator, that's what we're going to learn about now through the circles and the line. And let's exert in that, really our whole effort is to reveal that everything before us is the Creator's attitude to us. And how we will make more and more discernments about that and gather a common need for our relationship with the Creator – that's all we're going to study now. Let's start with a clip from Rav. After that, we'll start watching the lesson, and we are in Volume 1, Part 2. We'll start from Item 4, above the words of the ARI, before that, a clip from Rav.

M. Laitman: (03:31) We are studying the second part, the first volume of the Study of the Ten Sefirot, which is speaking about the circles and lines. What are the circles and the straightness? The circles is the influence of the Creator and the created beings; and the straightness, that's when there already is, when the created beings are already made. And these created beings are in a certain connection with the Creator, when we speak about the circle, that's the bestowal from the Creator, and when we're speaking about the line, that's also bestowal from the Creator but it's already towards a specific created being, which is responding and is in his own desire to receive. That the Creator bestows upon it and takes into account the nature of the created being.

Therefore, now, when we're studying about the circles and the straightness, we're learning in a general way, a very general way, which is, of course, far from reality. These relations between the Creator and the created being, and how the circles bestow to the straightness, and what it can receive from the circles. To change the behavior of the circle sort of, may be, this is the beginning of our study. Meaning we're in that research of our relations between us and the Creator but out of that, afterwards will come a clearer form where we are, where the Creator is, how He bestows to us, to all the created beings, gradually. Through all of the actions that He executes in us in this long process until He brings all of creation in the forms of records and influences from above to a state where this creation will understand Him and get to know Him, and will reach His degree.

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Reader: So, friends, we'll start with a lesson, a full lesson. We need to take all of the deficiencies out of it, so afterwards we'll be able to receive this incorporation from the whole group and the questions that you will ask. And then together we'll be able to work on it, in our common deficiency. Let's hear the lesson, it's full of discernments, so pay attention, and afterwards we'll speak.

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Reader: The Book of the Study of the Ten Sefirot, Volume 1, Part 2, Item 4, the Words of the ARI, with the heading,

Reading: (07:08) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #4

The light of the circles is the light of Nefesh, and the light of straightness is the light of Ruach. The circles were emanated first, and the straightness next.

4. The difference between the circles and the straightness relates to the fact that the ten Sefirot of circles ₍₂₀₎ are regarded as the light of Nefesh. There are inner light and surrounding light in them, internal and external. They consist of ten Sefirot of vessels, and in each vessel, there are internality and externality. There are also ten Sefirot of lights, where in each light there are inner light and surrounding light.

However, the ten Sefirot of straightness are regarded as the light called light of Ruach ₍₃₀₎, which is a higher degree than the degree of Nefesh. They, too, consist of inner light and surrounding light, and have ten Sefirot of vessels, and in each of them there are internality and externality. Obviously, the Nefesh was emanated first, and the Ruach next.

Reader: Item 4. Words of the ARI.

Reading: (08:36) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #4

The light of the circles is the light of Nefesh, and the light of straightness is the light of Ruach. The circles were emanated first, and the straightness next.

4. The difference between the circles and the straightness relates to the fact that the ten Sefirot of circles ₍₂₀₎ are regarded as the light of Nefesh. There are inner light and surrounding light in them, internal and external. They consist of ten Sefirot of vessels, and in each vessel, there are internality and externality. There are also ten Sefirot of lights, where in each light there are inner light and surrounding light.

However, the ten Sefirot of straightness are regarded as the light called light of Ruach ₍₃₀₎, which is a higher degree than the degree of Nefesh. They, too, consist of inner light and surrounding light, and have ten Sefirot of vessels, and in each of them there are internality and externality. Obviously, the Nefesh was emanated first, and the Ruach next.

Reader: Item 5. Inner Light 20, relating to

Reading: (09:48) Inner Light

20. The ten Sefirot of circles are regarded as the light of Nefesh. There are ‎inner light and surrounding light in them, internal and external‎: All the Sefirot that can only receive lights and have no ability to bestow upon others, the light in them is called “light of Nefesh.” It has already been explained that all the light in the circles must be received from the light of the line (Part Two, Chapter One, Item 30). The reason is that the upper light cannot connect to the vessels except by a coupling with the screen that raises reflected light, as that reflected light connects the light with the vessels (Part Two, Chapter One, Item 30).

Consequently, the upper light does not connect with the vessels that do not have that screen, so they cannot bestow upon others from above downward. Instead, they can only receive light from the previous degree, from below upward, for their own sustenance. This light is called “light of Nefesh.” Thus, because there is no screen in the above-mentioned vessels of circles, the upper light does not connect to them, and they must receive light from the line, but even that is only for their own sustenance, and not to bestow. For this reason, the light in the circles is called “light of Nefesh.”

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:29) How in the circle can there be both surrounding and inner?

M. Laitman: I don't know, we'll see, I don't know both surrounding and inner? You're saying that in the line you can have surrounding and inner light because the line divides the light that comes with an intention to bestow, as much as it can, as much as it cannot, that's what happens there. So how can it happen in the circles, though they don't have the inner screen? Perhaps this is the line, I don't know, I am like you, perhaps the line that fills the circle, because there is inner and surrounding light in the circle, inner and outer vessel, inner light, surrounding light. So as the line affects the circle, it also divides the circles to inner and outer, inner and surrounding. If someone is influenced by me, yes, let's say I gained somehow, let's say $1,000. And I'm owed $2,000 more, so what I gained, $1,000, that's called inner light, and what I'm owed, the extra $2,000, that's called surrounding light. I come home, my home receives from me what I bring with me. That's what they receive. So for them, too, their reception divides according to what I brought. So I brought $1,000 cash, and I'm saying $2,000 we’ll get in the future, surrounding, you understand from this example? That the pipeline divides the circles, too, according to how it's fulfilled. Let's see how Baal HaSulam explains this next; in the meantime, why is that not clear, why are you not satisfied by that?

This is exactly the way, the relationship between line and circles, such a simple example from life. That, the circles are incapable of anything, it's the light of Nefesh, Nefesh means Nefisha, which means no relation from themselves, what they have is what they receive. The line is the light of Ruach, which means that it's not that its level is Ruach, it just works actively, that's why we call it, Ruach. Meaning, it's more than Nefisha, that passivity or passiveness of the circles. And what it brings with the vessels and the lights and all kinds of discernments, that's what it brings to the circles and influences the circles with that. So, the circles are influenced by the line, with everything that happens in the line; the line divided itself to inner and surrounding in the lights – inner and outer in the vessels – that's how it influences the circles, and the circles just accept its authority, and that's it. If I bring the light in an organized way between inner and surrounding light, even though the circles have no screen, they receive it according to the form they receive from the line. So, however the line fills them, that's what they will be. They can't respond, they can't do anything, they can't change anything, everything is open for them. It's the vessel of Ein Sof, it has no limitation, no change, it's not that they themselves later change the lights, their order or anything, nothing.

What does he want to explain to us? That the Ein Sof, infinity, for now, is the vessels of circles which we need to fulfill, only when you fill them, that will be the Ein Sof. That will be your form of bestowal upon the Creator. And for you, now, it's a vessel of Ein Sof. It will receive from you the way you fill it. And let's see.

Reader: Inner Light 30,

Reading: (15:51) 30. Ruach, which is a higher degree than the degree of Nefesh‎: The ten Sefirot of Ruach are regarded as bestowing. For this reason, the light of Ruach is called “male light,” meaning it bestows. However, the ten Sefirot of Nefesh are called “female light,” meaning that they receive and cannot bestow. For this reason, the ten Sefirot of the light of the line are called “ten Sefirot of Ruach,” indicating that they are regarded as male light, bestowing, as we have explained above. Therefore, the Ruach is higher than the degree of Nefesh because it bestows upon the Nefesh.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (16:51) What is he trying to emphasize at the end when he says that, The emanation of Nefesh was made before Ruach? It doesn't quite connect for me with what he spoke about?

M. Laitman: The aspect of Nefesh comes first, and then Ruach, that's according to the vessels. First, there are vessels of circles, and then vessels of line; the vessels of circles are vessels of Ein Sof. In Ein Sof, there was a decision, restriction, and a decision to work according to the line, according to an allotment. So, the initial vessels are the vessels of circles, and the light that comes now and rules them are lights of Yosher, of line.

Reader: From the words of the ARI.

Reading: (17:40) Arich Anpin of the circles shines for Abba and Ima of the circles in the state of windows, from the three lines: right, left, and middle in him. The light is extended from them to all the circles, in a way that all the elements that exist is in the straightness, also exist in the circles.

M. Laitman: I'm just asking not to imagine to ourselves, now, three kinds of pipelines, right, left, and middle, that fill up some tank. Rather, it's the same one line, our attitude to the fulfillment of the Creator that takes into account how much are we capable of receiving from Him the quality of bestowal and joining it to our quality of reception. And ultimately expressing through that the relative form of relation between vessels of bestowal and reception – what happens in us in each and every level. This shared form is what we call the middle line, meaning it's the same line as it was before, except in its calculation, before it operates, there are these convergences. This conjoining of the qualities of the Creator and the created being, and how much the created being can optimally, maximally express itself in equivalence with the Creator, that's the middle line. But it's the same one pipeline, it's not three.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:27) So now, I thought and I understood that the middle line just goes from below, upwards?

M. Laitman: From above downwards, correct? No, from above downwards you have two lines, from below upwards you have the middle line.

Student: Are we learning now how everything progresses from above downwards?

M. Laitman: Two lines called, The quality of the Creator and the quality of the created being come from above. The light and the desire built by the light come from above; and the line that the created being builds in response to that comes from below upwards. I receive from the Creator desire, I receive from the Creator light, understanding, force, overcoming, everything except the desire, right? By these two forces, we call it, Two angels: I build my relation to them, how I wish to connect them, how I wish to realize them, to implement them in my relation, my attitude. The middle line expresses my relation, I have a desire to fill myself up. There's the host, I have the importance of the host, he stands next to the table. How do I equalize these two things together, how do I build from these two my attitude to the host? That's the middle line, so of course, the middle line comes from the created being to the Creator.

Student: Here it's three lines and not two? If from above down come two, he says here, three.

M. Laitman: What's in the headline?

Student: Yes, the headline title.

M. Laitman (Source Text/Commentary): (21:31) We'll see soon what he wants to emphasize.

Arich Anpin of the circles shines to AVI of the circles, that extends to all the circles. And from them, the light extends to all the circles.

So what do you want, from the line, it extends to the circles, it's not from above, downwards. It fills the circles. From above downwards, there cannot be a middle line, that just can't be by definition. The middle line is the relation of the created being to the Creator, built on two lines received from the Creator. Here, what is the line doing? Or two lines that come and build the middle line? The created being that builds the middle line, by that, he fills up the circles, the circles that belong to his degree. Meaning, the circles express the relation of the Creator to me. To what extent I can fill them up now means how much can I be in equivalence of form with Him. The circle is what the Creator created before the first restriction, it's what He created in me.

From His desire to bestow, He created circles in me, He wants my desire to be like that in order to fill it up. Now, as much as I can fill up this desire of mine with an intention to bring Him contentment. How much can I eat from the table in front of me, but with the intention, the middle line, only to bestow contentment to Him, that's the middle line. So, I can fill up these circles only by the line – my relation to Him – I can fill up those circles only partially, I still don't have a screen to go for the whole thing, for my whole desire. And that means that the line fills the circles, and the middle line fills the circles, so we're already talking about the created being after the shattering that operates in order to truly bestow contentment to the Creator.

Student: According to what I thought until now, I thought that TES is divided into two parts: the first part is from below upwards and from above downwards.

M. Laitman: He also tells you in the last part, from above downwards, not necessarily. Kabbalists don't want to tell you exactly how you work from below upwards, you have to discover the world on your own. They give you all sorts of knowledge about the system, and typically, they tell you about how it comes down from above, downwards; and the revelation of the Creator in the created being is already your individual work. When you enter that personal work, you will then read The Study of the Ten Sefirot, and you'll see what's really occurring there. But also, you'll see only according to the screen that you can have, more than that, they don't write, and generally, they don't write in an organized way about from below upwards. They leave to you everything you need to have in order to build yourself. The child cannot grow by being shown everything, you have to hide from him. You have to give him challenges, games, all kinds of things with a question mark. And then, by all kinds of preparations you've made for him, he'll solve the problem and that's how he evolves. He only evolves by linking together the light and the Kli on his own, and that's exactly what they're doing for us.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (25:35) What does Baal HaSulam mean when he says that the root of the three lines is in the three heads? It's there above the two lines. What is it in those concepts that you explained?

M. Laitman: I don't understand your question.

Student: Baal HaSulam says there are places where the middle line truly comes from below, but sometimes it comes from above, as in Atik.

M. Laitman: (26:03) No, even when he talks about Atik, Arich Anpin, it doesn't matter, he wants to say it comes as a result of the work of the created being. Without the created being from below that scrutinizes and searches for the screen, how to resemble the Creator, and does that, there's no middle line. Look, here appears the desire, this is called left, we call this left, the desire; on the other hand appears the light, or bestowal, the level of bestowal, and this is the level of reception. These two come from above, this comes directly from the light, from the Creator. And this comes from the point of existence from absence, both come to us from above.

Below is the human, in which these two things connect together, how do they connect together? They begin to come into some contact between them and the person begins to feel from their relationship, some unpleasantness, some question of what is the point in my life? And then he basically begins to develop the middle line from that. What is the middle line: how can I use in the best possible way these two forces of creation so as to build myself, who is myself? Myself is that vessel, or that resistor, let's call it, the resistor on which the plus and minus will work in full force. The higher I rise, the greater this resistor becomes, and then my strength that will appear in me will be greater. I will be more equal to the Creator because to me, in me, the will to receive, the desire, will be revealed with an intention in order to bestow. That is man's work and this is called, The force of resistance that it makes, or the screen.

So, if there's no human in the middle, then there's no middle line, where will it come from? There has to be someone who decides, who wants, who labors in connecting these two together. And he has doubts, and problems, and worries – he has to find it, it's a very big problem, he has to connect two worlds inside of him. And that never comes from above, none of it, not that because otherwise there's no free choice; otherwise, our life is just, it means everyone is just beasts, and there can't be a human. Because specifically this middle line is called Adam, human, man. This is called Adam, similar to the Creator, in his free choice, coming to the intention in order to bestow. The intention is the man, because the desire comes from above. Our desires are all in the Creator's hands, the light builds the desire, but the intention, you build it from a collision between these two, and not directly.

Here, in the middle, you have the choice, the group, the study, all kinds of things that we still have to scrutinize. To what extent these, how to say it, to what extent these actions are ours or not ours. To what extent this whole thing is truly independent, or at the Creator's account, just in a concealed fashion; He works behind the scenes on us. Or am I still doing something here, and if I do, what is it exactly? What is what we call the middle third of Tifferet? But again, two lines come from above downwards, the middle line from below upwards. These two lines are called angels, that's what we say, Come for peace, the angels of peace, the upper angels, two angels, as Baal HaSulam calls it, as if accompany the person to the eve of Shabbat, the eve of Shabbat meaning that he comes to the correction, the middle line.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (31:50) As I saw here and you explained, there's, how do we reach the spiritual father? There's the ego and the desire to receive above it, and to use the intention for the benefit of the other, and then we reach spirituality. So, the key word here is intention, right, intention for the benefit of the other. And the ego you're speaking about, is it an intention or not? And if it is an intention, then supposedly, there are two intentions within a person. But it's strange, what does it mean that I have two intentions? I either intend for something or I don't, there's no such thing as having two intentions. Let's say that there are two, who is it that decides between these two intentions, which will be stronger?

M. Laitman: We are results of the shattering of the vessels. If we just had a desire and the appearance of the light, then you're right and there's nothing there. Our problem is that who we have here, the, I, who receives these two influences from the right and from the left, this, I is a desire from here, yes, to receive in order to receive. That, I am in the opposite intention, in my egoistic desire, this is called the ego. That, I know that I'm using my desire to enjoy and my joy depends on how much I am filled up or how much is lacking for the others, because I always examine myself, my fulfillment, in a relative way towards the others.

So, we begin our work from a will to receive in order to receive; we have to keep the desire quietly, and that intention in order to receive, we have to recognize it as the Klipa, the shell, what's a Klipa? Against the Creator. It's against the Creator on the one hand, on the other hand, it comes from the Creator – it's the opposite part of Him, opposite the Kedusha, the sanctity. So, He deliberately manipulates us, this is why the Klipa is called, That it guards the shell, the fruit, the shell guards the fruit. It brings us all kinds of thoughts, and worries, and problems, and chaos, so that in this opposite way, like Pharaoh pushing the children of Israel to their Father in Heaven. That's how the shell advances us, guarding the fruit, as it's called. So, I have to understand this shell and use it, recognize it and use it intelligently. Why was this force given to me? Because between this ego, between the Klipa and the Kedusha, which is bestowal. Here, exactly, there's this middle third of Tifferet – not Klipa, not Kedusha. My ability to express myself in between, in the middle, that's this vacant space, vacant of this and that. How do I determine that? I determine the direction by the group, that's it, by the environment. The environment is nothing if I just go to all kinds of directions, bad directions. Or the group is what we refer to as the collection of the souls that respect this progress, this progress towards bestowal. So, what did we want to say here? That our work happens in both forms of intention, as you said. I have two intentions, yes, you have an intention for yourself, to myself, and an intention for the others – for myself, yes, or for the others. Of course, two forms of intention, either this or that, you can't be in both.

Reader: We're at the heading above Item 5.

M. Laitman: Okay, so read Item 5, and we'll move to the third part.

Reading: (37:29) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #5

5. Even when the ten Sefirot are regarded as circles ₍₄₀₎ one within the other, they already have all the states of reception of the abundance that exist in the ten Sefirot in the line of straightness ₍₅₀₎. It is so because the circle of Keter, called Arich Anpin after the correction ₍₆₀₎, has one hole and window ₍₇₀₎ on the right side of the circle ₍₈₀₎. From there, the light of Arich descends to the circle of Abba and shines to it ₍₉₀₎.

There is another window, on the left side of the circle of Arich, and the light exits until the left side of the circle of Abba, which is within it, punctures it and makes a window in it ₍₁₀₀₎. The light is extended from there to the circle of Ima inside the circle of Abba, and shines in it. It turns out that when the light passes in the left of the circle of Abba, it is not for Abba himself; it passes there only as a passageway ₍₂₀₀₎, but the illumination is primarily for Ima.

It follows that Arich Anpin shines for Abba and Ima together, just as it is in their straightness. Even though they are one circle within the other, they still have straight lines, ₍₃₀₀₎ right, left and middle, in the windows in them. The light is extended from there in ten Sefirot of circles, through completely straight lines, in all the details in the ten Sefirot of the straight line of Ruach.

for Abba and Ima together, just as it is in their straightness, even though they are one circle within the other, they still have straight lines, right, left, and middle, in the windows in them. The light is extended from there in ten Sefirot of circles, through completely straight lines, and all the details in the ten Sefirot of the straight line of Ruach.

Reader: Again, Item 5.

Reading: (39:07) Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part Two. Chapter 2. #5

5. Even when the ten Sefirot are regarded as circles ₍₄₀₎ one within the other, they already have all the states of reception of the abundance that exist in the ten Sefirot in the line of straightness ₍₅₀₎. It is so because the circle of Keter, called Arich Anpin after the correction ₍₆₀₎, has one hole and window ₍₇₀₎ on the right side of the circle ₍₈₀₎. From there, the light of Arich descends to the circle of Abba and shines to it ₍₉₀₎.

There is another window, on the left side of the circle of Arich, and the light exits until the left side of the circle of Abba, which is within it, punctures it and makes a window in it ₍₁₀₀₎. The light is extended from there to the circle of Ima inside the circle of Abba, and shines in it. It turns out that when the light passes in the left of the circle of Abba, it is not for Abba himself; it passes there only as a passageway ₍₂₀₀₎, but the illumination is primarily for Ima.

It follows that Arich Anpin shines for Abba and Ima together, just as it is in their straightness. Even though they are one circle within the other, they still have straight lines, ₍₃₀₀₎ right, left and middle, in the windows in them. The light is extended from there in ten Sefirot of circles, through completely straight lines, in all the details in the ten Sefirot of the straight line of Ruach.

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Reader: Okay, friends, the questions are on our part, the answers come from above. But it's very important to have questions! So, let's feel responsible with our questions, that by this we make room for continuing the lesson that we just saw together.