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

Daily Lesson (Morning), May 30, 2024.

Part 2: Baal HaSulam. Preface to the Sulam Commentary.

Reader: We're reading from the writings of Baal HaSulam, the “Preface to the Sulam Commentary,” starting with item 13. 

Reading Item 13: (00:25) 

Now you can see why we say that through Malchut’s ascent to Bina, the degree ends under the Hochma. And for this reason, only two Sefirot remained in the degree—Keter and Hochma—while Bina and TM of the degree were canceled and descended from the degree (as written below, Item 17). Yet, this relates only to the vessels. It is the opposite in the lights: The lights Nefesh-Ruach remained in the degree, and the lights Neshama, Haya, and Yechida were canceled from the degree. Yet this relates only to the vessels. It is the opposite in the lights. The lights Nefesh Ruach remained in the degree, and the lights Neshama, Haya, and Yechida were canceled from the degree.

M. Laitman: (01:24) Is that clear? Are there any questions?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (01:33) Can you explain how, when Malchut rises to Bina, vessels are canceled? Why are vessels canceled, the vessels below Hochma, when Malchut ascends to Bina?

M. Laitman: What do you mean, Malchut ascending?

Student: It means that up to that point, the vessel is ready to receive, something like that.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: Perhaps because of that, it cannot feel the vessels under it. Is that the intention? This action, I'll ask differently, perhaps a more basic way: When Malchut rises to Bina, what is the meaning of that, in terms of the vessel, what's happening there, in terms of the vessels?

M. Laitman: That Malchut ascends to Bina, well, so that means that wherever she goes, she limits the degree, and, well, and? 

Student: We've always learned that the screen, the Masach, is what limits the lights, and where they get to.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Here, it's an action that's unrelated to the Masach, it's a total thing that happens. You have only the two upper vessels, Keter and Hochma, and only there you can work.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: That's what I can't grasp, what is that action? It's not the Masach, what is it, it's the cancellation, a moment of these vessels, the restriction, another restriction? What does it mean that Malchut rose there, to Bina? I'm trying to find some, at least, intellectual grip on this, I can't grasp it emotionally. For me, it's very technical, Malchut rose to Bina, vessels remained above, the large vessels remained, and the small lights. Okay, intellectually you can understand it but I'm trying to understand it a bit deeper. What does it mean, this action?

M. Laitman: So, what does it mean that Malchut rises to Bina?

Student: Yes, that's what I'm asking because a few letters, a few items before, he said that the whole matter of Adam and the development happened because Malchut rose to Bina. It's not just a technical operation where Malchut rose to Bina. I'm trying to understand what's so special about Malchut rising to Bina. Okay, so Malchut rose to Bina, fine, these vessels are canceled, those lights enter. But I'm trying to find a deeper grasp on it, but I can't, I'm failing.

M. Laitman: In spirituality, who determines the changes?

Student: That’s ultimately, well, ultimately the light. But we say that the light corresponds to the vessel. There's no light without a vessel, we say. So, alterations, changes in the vessel cause the light to enter or not enter, it adapts.

M. Laitman: Yes, and, well, keep going, you're starting something here.

Student: So, something's happening to the vessel here, the vessel is transforming.

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Student: The essence of this transformation, I don't grasp it. Technically, we used to draw the drawings, schematics. Malchut rises to Bina, you can somehow see it but there's something fundamental changing the vessel. It's not just a technical, it's like, it's as though the vessel is deciding, all the vessels are deciding. Well, the vessel decides that there's, there are Sefirot that it just doesn't engage with anymore. It says, I don't want to engage with those, I want to engage only with GE; Keter, Hochma.

M. Laitman: Well?

Student: What does it mean? Emotionally or?

M. Laitman: But you know all these vessels, so say something, what do you think?

Student: It means that the vessel is engaged only in bestowal and not in reception, no longer? Because we said that Keter and Hochma are vessels of bestowal and under that, let's call them vessels of reception. So, what does it mean, the vessel is now deciding that with the vessels of reception, it cannot and doesn't want to engage. But only to engage with the vessels of bestowal, and that's the essence of Malchut rising to Bina?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Now it sounds like another restriction, maybe that's why it's called the second restriction?

M. Laitman: Well, let's say so.

Student: In the first restriction, in the first stage, Malchut also decided that it cannot receive unless it's going to bestow. Here there's another step, here the restriction seems to be on the vessels and not the lights. I'm saying something I'm not confident in, if it's actually true.

M. Laitman: Okay, it doesn't matter. Well, so what's your question?

Student: When we say that Malchut rose to Bina, what is the deeper meaning of that? What happened, there, to the vessel making this such a meaningful, profound action that, afterwards, the whole of reality changes. The world of Atzilut comes about, all sorts of things happen as a result of this action. It's not a simple thing and I'm trying to grasp exactly what happened there.

M. Laitman: Where does the will to receive awaken in the ten Sefirot?

Student: We learned that the will to receive awakens in Malchut, from Malchut, from the last Sefira in the vessel.

M. Laitman: No, there it's already the will to receive in order to receive.

Student: You're talking about the four phases of direct light?

M. Laitman: From where, from the expansion of the light, when it expands in the desire that it created. So, from which degree, from which state, from which place does the light, when can it not expand anymore?

Student: You mean ZAT of Bina, that? 

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Okay, so from the point where Bina decided that from this point on there are vessels of reception. And it starts working to create Zeir Anpin, from that point, we say that's the source of the vessels of reception, under that, it's all vessels of reception.

M. Laitman: Yes, well?

Student: You asked a question, I answered. I don't know what the next step is that you want to ask.

M. Laitman: How does that expansion keep going onward?

Student: I don't know how to answer that.

M. Laitman: Okay, who can continue?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (10:27) Within the sensation of the Giver, the feeling of the Giver, that expansion. What you asked the friend, the continuation of the expansion is due to feeling the Giver, the Bestower. That's why one has to work with what He gives him, the feeling of His love.

M. Laitman: Well? 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:00) Through Malchut rising to Bina, that's how it continues. Rabash gives the example of, he was forbidden from drinking whiskey, but he's allowed to eat cake. So, he dips the cake in the whiskey and eats the cake, the incorporation of the vessels.

M. Laitman: Okay. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (11:37) There are some corrected desires, and they're in Bina, the uncorrected desires are in Malchut. As the desires undergo correction, it means that they receive light and they rise. Gradually, a greater percentage of the desires rise from Malchut to Bina, that's how I understand it.

M. Laitman: Okay.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (12:15) Can it be said that previously in the vessel, there's an appreciation and the importance of the upper one. And then, through the expansion of the light, Malchut has to rise to Bina in order to not disconnect from the upper one. So, this whole Malchut rising to Bina is born out of the importance of remaining adhered to the upper one.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So, before that, the light does not spread before there's this preparation on the side of the vessel. The action doesn't start with the light, before that, there has to be some preparation, importance, appreciation of the upper one. And then the light begets, initiates, this action, the ascent. Can that be said?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (13:21) There's something unclear, something fundamental that's unclear here in the rise of Malchut to Bina. Malchut rises to Bina but it's her own vessels, she's supposed to bestow to them. It turns out that she receives assistance from them, it seems illogical here. If it's her vessels, then this ascent doesn't seem to serve the purpose. She's supposed to bestow upon these vessels, all the Sefirot.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: And she rises to receive energy, power from them, how does that work?

M. Laitman: She is about to fulfill the purpose of creation.

Student: She's going to receive bestowal?

M. Laitman: Yes, to receive.

Student: So, what does it mean that she bestows? She receives support, help, forces. But she's supposed to supply them, it doesn't work.

M. Laitman: Why not?

Student: So, I don't understand the essence of this ascent from Malchut to Bina. What's the essence of it?

M. Laitman: That she is about to equalize to Bina.

Student: And then what?

M. Laitman: Then she equalizes to her, connects to Bina.

Student: What does it give her, what does she acquire through that? What does it allow her to do?

M. Laitman: That allows her to acquire possibilities like Bina.

Student: With respect to which Sefirot, which vessels? If she neutralized all her vessels of reception?

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: Then who will she bestow upon?

M. Laitman: Where was the second restriction, where did it take place?

Student: In Tifferet.

M. Laitman: So that means that where Malchut can connect with vessels of reception, there, she performs the restriction. And afterwards that's where she performs the correction.

Student: What is the correction there?

M. Laitman: She supplies that point of restriction, the quality of Bina.

Student: How is this manifested if she's now in Tifferet and working only?

M. Laitman: Tifferet is the Bina of the Guf.

Student: But according to what I understand, she's now working towards Keter and Hochma. Her vessels of reception are neutralized, restricted.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: So, what does it mean that she bestows upon them, works with them?

M. Laitman: She bestows upon them by not restricting them but the opposite. She receives in them in order to bestow.

Student: And this is a mechanism that we're going to learn soon.

M. Laitman: Soon. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (17:35) Regarding the descent of Malchut to Bina, the rise, rather, of Malchut to Bina. In letters, in items, we haven't gotten to yet, perhaps I can read a few lines and ask about that. Because the friend asked for an emotional explanation.

M. Laitman: Well, read.

Student: In item 15, he writes about this incorporation: In the beginning, He contemplated creating the world with the quality of judgment, meaning only Malchut, which is the quality of judgment. He saw that the world does not exist, and He preceded the quality of mercy and associated it with the quality of judgment.

Through the ascent of Malchut to Bina, Malchut acquires the form of Bina, which is the quality of mercy, and then Malchut leads the world with the quality of mercy. Can you explain what it means, that Malchut leads the world with the quality of mercy?

M. Laitman: Malchut, which is the quality of judgment, ascends to Bina, that's called the second restriction. That it's not in their forces, in her forces to do. And when she receives in those forces, when she receives the light, then she can, from this point and onward, bestow, meaning to behave according to the measure of mercy.

Student: What does that mean?

M. Laitman: It means that Malchut, that first was the quality of judgment, and wherever she was, she controls the vessels in her will to receive. And she couldn't receive in those same vessels, so in those vessels afterwards, she could lower the will to receive of Malchut and use the will to bestow.

Student: When it's written that Malchut leads the world with the quality of mercy, what is the world? 

M. Laitman: What is the world? The world is Malchut that is revealed.

Student: Malchut, after its ascent to Bina, is it still will to receive or is it something else now?

M. Laitman: Malchut still exists in the will to receive.

Student: What changed in it?

M. Laitman: What changed was her connection with Bina that can be above Bina, and in Bina, and below Bina.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:25) It follows that Malchut who rises to Bina, she as though takes, I don't know how to say it. She adopts a quality of Bina, despite being Malchut, right, it remains Malchut. She wants to receive all the light and control everything but she assumes, I suppose because of the greatness of the light, the Creator, and the greatness of bestowal. She takes it upon herself to behave the same as Bina, to be the bestower, not to receive.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: Is that what it means, the matter of the ascent of Malchut to Bina? I have this image in my mind, it's not written here but it's like this lion that wants to devour the whole world. And suddenly it wears the skin of a sheep, and now it behaves like a sheep. It's still a lion, but you know, this image of now acting in bestowal, is that what's happening there when Malchut rises to Bina?

M. Laitman: I don't clothe in that lion of yours so much, but you can say it's like that. Let's say so.

Student: Malchut actually decides that she does not want to be Malchut, it's a bit odd to say. She doesn't want to be that very ruthless desire but she now wants to behave in bestowal. Despite, in essence, remaining Malchut.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: It's like a very big desire of Malchut to resemble bestowal.

M. Laitman: To resemble the Creator because according to her own desire she can be connected to such actions, connected to bestowal.

Student: It's a huge revolution in Malchut, this action?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:48) It’s still unclear, how can it be that Malchut remains in that state? What is in her that wants the state of Bina?

M. Laitman: It's an issue, it's a problem, it's a problem. But, here, there are two forces that play between them, Malchut and Bina. Once, we're talking about Malchut, and once we're talking about Bina, who limits who? So, the fact that Malchut, the fact that Malchut limits Bina, so in Bina, we only remain with vessels of Katnut, smallness, Galgalta ve Eynaim (GE). The fact that Bina supports Malchut, Bina adds from Malchut all the restricted vessels, meaning from Bina up to Malchut. And then it turns out that in the correction of those vessels, from Bina and until Malchut, we actually can restrict them and correct them. It's hard to explain this by heart, right now. 

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (26:43) When Malchut is awarded with being lifted through Zeir Anpin. Then while it's there, does it mean that she can start working with the screens, only when she's there?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Is that what you were talking about before?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:14) In item 12, he explains the inversion between lights and vessels. And he says that the NRNHY is filled with light, and then in item 13, he says that Malchut rises to Bina, he doesn't say why. But, supposedly, Malchut doesn't want to use these lights because she feels that she is receiving, in order to receive. There are vessels of reception, she cannot maintain these lights but she doesn't want to disconnect from the upper light. So she performs a restriction on herself, rising and stopping the lights to the point of Bina. And then he writes that the lights Nefesh, Ruach remain, which are the lights which are received inside Hochma and Bina, those are the only lights left. And Malchut restricted herself through to Bina, with all the vessels below that she does not receive lights, and then only the upper vessels remain with lights.

M. Laitman: The lights of Nefesh, Ruach are accepted in the vessel of Hochma.

Student: Yes, that's what he writes. And later, we know, a new reality comes about of new faces that can receive the light, new Partzufim. There is a process in order to correct the entire vessel and receive all the lights in order to bestow. But for now, this is what he explains to us, that Malchut restricts itself, stops receiving lights. Only the vessels of Hochma and Bina remain and she receives the lights of Nefesh, Ruach. 

M. Laitman: Throughout all the Sefirot. 

Student: He doesn't speak about all the Sefirot, I don't know. Apparently, there's no light there. It departs, but they exist but they're not accepting lights.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:20) When Malchut rises to Bina, then all the vessels are canceled, or does Keter, Hochma remain in them? If she takes upon herself, assumes the quality of Bina. Then from Bina and below, there's the quality of Bina. So, why cannot Nefesh, Ruach spread through these vessels as well? Why does he write that these vessels are canceled?

M. Laitman: Okay, that's a question.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (30:01) Does the decision of Malchut to rise to Bina, does that happen through the screen, the Masach?

M. Laitman: How could it be otherwise?

Student: It's not the Malchut’s decision, there’s a Masach in her and in the Masach a decision is reached. That these vessels work according to those qualities, right? Until that point is established where Malchut rises to Bina, only then, actually, it's possible to identify and work with the vessel. Before that it's constantly, it's fleeting?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (30:57) I'm still thinking about the example about the lion in sheep's clothing. It's only through the environment, the society, and the writings of the Kabbalists. That all of a sudden a person, instead of engaging with his natural wants, is engaging with how to come to resemble the quality of bestowal and how to increase the importance of Bina in essence. So, you could say it's the same mechanism that raises a person from Malchut to Bina, right? It's also what he writes that the value of the exaltedness is given only through the environment, and the ability to ascend, only the environment can allow that.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: That's important to mention because, seemingly, we are studying about Partzufim and worlds. But ultimately, the whole ascent comes from the work with the Ten, in the group. It's not somewhere up there, it's in the practical work we do amongst ourselves. 

M. Laitman: Yes, how’s that connected?

Student: How is that connected to the ascent of Malchut to Bina?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: A person does not engage with his will?

M. Laitman: His will to receive.

Student: Yes, he's engaged with the importance of the Creator and how to increase the importance of bestowal in the Ten. How to give an example, how to love the friends. All those are the, that's the advice that.

M. Laitman: The quality of Bina.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (33:07) I'll try to translate it into something practical for our work: You're constantly being asked how to help a friend? So, you say give the friend an example, so the same thing with Bina. She gives an example to Malchut, and then Malchut tries to imitate Bina, and so she learns from her. But, for the friend to take an example from me, or for Malchut to take an example from Bina, she needs to annul herself. She needs to imitate the upper one and that's why this restriction is made, that's how from Malchut to Bina. When I take an example from the upper one, and I try to imitate the upper one by beginning to annul, cancel, the will to receive, the self in order to learn how to bestow. So, can we understand that in that practical sense?

M. Laitman: Yes. 

Reader: We'll again read item 13.

Re-Reading Item 13: (34:24) 

Now you can see why we say that through Malchut’s ascent to Bina, the degree ends under the Hochma. And for this reason, only two Sefirot remained in the degree—Keter and Hochma—while Bina and TM of the degree were canceled and descended from the degree (as written below, Item 17). Yet, this relates only to the vessels. It is the opposite in the lights: The lights Nefesh-Ruach remained in the degree, and the lights Neshama, Haya, and Yechida were canceled from the degree. Yet this relates only to the vessels. It is the opposite in the lights. The lights Nefesh Ruach remained in the degree, and the lights Neshama, Haya, and Yechida were canceled from the degree.

Reading Item 14: (35:29) 

Now you can understand why The Zohar sometimes says that with the ascent of Malchut to Bina, the five letters of the name Elokim were divided in a way that the two letters MI [Mem-Yod] remained in the degree, and the three letters ELEH [Aleph, Lamed, Hey] departed and were canceled in the degree (as written in the “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” p 20 [in Hebrew]).

Sometimes The Zohar says the opposite, that when Malchut rose to Bina, the two letters EL [Aleph, Lamed] remained in the degree, and the three letters HYM [Hey, Yod, Mem] were canceled and descended from the degree (as written in The Zohar, Beresheet 1, Item 59). The thing is that the five letters Elokim are the five Sefirot KHB TM or five lights NRNHY. When Malchut rises to Bina, only the vessels Keter and Hochma, which are the two letters EL, remain in the degree, and the three letters HYM descend from the degree.

In the lights, it is the opposite: The two bottom letters MI, which imply the two lowest lights, Nefesh-Ruach, remained in the degree, and the three higher letters, ELEH, which imply Yechida, Haya, Neshama, departed and were canceled from the degree.

Hence, in the “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” The Zohar speaks of five lights NRNHY, implied in the five letters Elokim. This is why it says that MI remained and ELEH departed the degree. Also, in The Zohar, Beresheet 1, it speaks of five vessels KHB TM, implied in the five letters Elokim.

For this reason, it states the opposite: EL remained in the degree and the three letters HYM departed the degree. We should remember these words and examine every place to see if it speaks of lights or of vessels, and this will resolve many apparent contradictions.

Reader: (38:50) We'll continue to the next part of the lesson.