Morning Lesson December 18, 2021, Transcription
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
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Part 1:
A Dispute for the Sake of the Creator - Selected Excerpts from the Sources
1. Rav’s Introduction: We think that if there is resistance, collision, opposite things, that this is wrong, that we have to settle it so there won't be a feeling of a gap between one another, between two views. The truth is, this is incorrect because if we will want to distinguish, to understand, to see and feel everything we understand, we feel in our senses, everything comes from dispute. Meaning, from at least from two things that are somehow different from one another, and in the difference between them we feel our reality, that we cannot see anything neither light nor in darkness, but there is a boundary, a difference between light and darkness. That is how it is in each of our senses because, we the created beings, we can’t perceive how it is to be only in a feeling of one reality. That is why we have to understand the more we try to accumulate inside us impressions from all kinds of things and their opposites, out of that we are basically advancing more and more, all in all to understand creation, to understand the Creator, to understand ourselves, and this is why nothing can be revealed if there is no thing and its opposite, a dispute. That is how we exist. If you do not have two things that are somehow different in our feelings, there are two different things, we could not feel ourselves as well. That is why what we say a dispute is, meaning revealing the gap between two phenomena is essential, and that is where we exist. We discover this dispute all the time, all the time, it is impossible for us to reach a state that there is no dispute. If we even feel in the relation between us somehow in states in our life that there is not enough dispute, not enough difference, then we ourselves instinctively evoke a change because otherwise we don’t feel life, that we exist, that we do, what we are there, we feel the environment, ourselves. This is why feeling the dispute is a must because specifically between the two different things we feel our reality, neither in one nor in the other. This is something the Creator can say that I am the maker of light and the Creator of darkness, but we the created beings are between the two, between light and darkness. That is why we exist there. The more impression I have of the light and of the darkness, by that it turns out that we will feel reality and ourselves more and more, and only this way. Now the question is, as we discover, even instinctively, we want to discover the gaps, the difference, and we do that. How can we reach states where we only choose what is good for our spiritual advancement. This is why the dispute we discover, meaning the division, the distance, the oppositeness between phenomena, when we can’t discover any phenomenon on its own if there isn’t its opposite, different from it, to begin with. That is why the Creator is the maker of light and the Creator of darkness but relating correctly to light and darkness this is our work here, where we relate to neither. That is the way we should when for me it is not important if it is light or darkness, but what is important is what I want to attain by relating to them, to the light and darkness, in a purposeful way, in the right way. Relating to them in the right way means to relate to them with faith above reason, meaning that I relate to them only in order to advance towards the goal. When the goal includes both and they stand one before the other, light and darkness, in all their various shapes, and I use the difference, the contradiction, and comparing them, bringing them closer with my emotions, with my intellect, with my relation, in a way that it will only be so I will come closer to their source, to the Creator when both light and darkness come out of Him. It is only the light that comes out of Him, that is Him Himself, that is what I discover. The darkness is the opposite form so that we can learn the advantage of light out of darkness, otherwise we won’t be able to discover neither. That is why the dispute for the sake of the Creator, this means that it comes in order to reveal the Creator. That is in a simple way the dispute for the sake of the Creator. We can say beyond that, that this dispute is evoked by the Creator, and I evoke it in order to give contentment to the Creator, behind this dispute I am looking for Him and to give Him contentment, and more and more. Soon we will see this in the excerpts. What I am trying to say is that our whole existence comes out of the dispute between light and darkness, and in various ways, forms of darkness and light. When you have a question, we will go deeper into it.
Excerpt 1 (08:48)
2. S. (09:59) I heard you say that when there is no dispute, when we don't feel this dispute, we don’t feel life. What do you mean exactly?
R. What I mean is that we cannot feel only one thing, but rather only the difference between two different phenomena, between things. The thing itself, we cannot feel. Imagine to yourself you are going into complete darkness, you can’t feel anything, you can’t even feel the darkness. When you go into the light complete and whole, you cannot feel it. If only light or only darkness appears, you identify neither. You can only identify it if you have one against the other, or at least in your records, in your memory, feelings, understanding, that you have from before, or maybe now it appears in a certain way. But the phenomenon itself is something we are incapable of feeling because this phenomenon comes from the Creator, which is the Maker of light and the Creator of darkness. This is why, when it comes from Him, one of the two is something we cannot identify. Only as the advantage of light from darkness, meaning upon the darkness we can discover the light, and that is how we exist.
3. S. (12:03) When we approach these disputes and arguments between us, the first reaction is that’s it, we are moving away from each other. Why does it happen this way?
R. When we start building a group, the relation between us, it seems to us to begin with that we are coming to something good, nice, and that it is worthwhile, and we will profit by it, we will succeed, and that is only, all-in-all, in order to draw us, to pull us, that is why it is done this way. But when we go deeper into the relations between us, we see how different each and every one is from the other, how much we are incapable of rising above this difference. This is how we advance to a state where, as it is written about the students of Rabbi Shimon that they wrote The Book of Zohar, we have nothing higher than this book, The Zohar, as much as we don’t understand what is in it, but that is how it is. So, what do we see about them? They themselves wrote that during the study, during the years that they were sitting and studying, they came to a state that they hate each other to such an extent that they want to kill each other. These people along with that discovered spirituality and discovered everything that was written in The Book of Zohar and beyond that. We see that the revelation of evil has to be probably just as the revelation of the good is. Only when these two exist, between them, we only need to organize ourselves, and then as the advantage of light out of darkness. If we sustain darkness, it has to be there, we won’t let it go away, rather we hold it and awaken it, because specifically through it we can discover the qualities of the Creator, the qualities of light. That is how we advance, this is why the light is the advantage that comes out of darkness. So, as darkness is being revealed, and on our path, we have to see how every day we discover more and new disturbances, even things that previously I did not pay attention to, maybe previously I did not care about it, now I can’t. I see much more flaws in my friends than I did before, and to me it seems because I know them better. No, it has nothing to do with the corporeal area. It is because we are coming closer to each other, that is why we discover how much we can’t stand each other. That was given to us so that we again will cover all the crimes with love, we will cover these relations with the strength of love, meaning specifically through this force of love we will cover all the crimes, everything that appears, as much as I cannot stand them, all kinds of things we reach specifically because we cover intentionally in our work, in our understanding, that this is the way to break the sandwich when there is hatred and love together. Then, as we aim them together to attain the goal, we don’t annul or cancel the bad compared to the good. It has to be in the foundation of good, then we advance correctly, and that is how we ultimately, if there will be a gap between good and bad sufficiently, we will discover the Creator between them, that let's say we will have a difference of potential of 10V, 20V, 30V, then we will reach a state where our light bulb starts lighting.
4. S. (17:34) What characterizes a dispute before entering spirituality?
R. We understand the essence of this dispute that has to be there and we relate to it in a purposeful practical manner.
5. S. (17:57) In the beginning you said that we need from the feeling of the difference between light and darkness…
R. Everything comes from the Creator. The creator has to be revealed between the two, between plus and minus. When I associate both the minus and the plus, the light and the darkness with the same goal, attaining the source, which is the Creator than in the Creator they both connect into one and then I discovered him. I have to think about this and to try out of this example to form such exercises on whatever is being revealed because whatever appears direct me to non-else besides him, and whatever I do I think about it that I also doing it for there is none else besides him and this is how we reach the discovery, the revelation of the Creator.
S. (19:11) The dispute between the light and the darkness, it is me feeling it first in my individual vessels. Should this be a feeling in the vessel of the ten?
R. This is something we have to discover with the Creator. We have to try to come closer to each other but the way it happens is from above. We can’t build these things, only try to be as close as possible to each other.
6. S. (19:52) There is the situation that nobody wants to touch the others, that it is silence. Should we look for ways to wake up the dispute?
R. No, that dispute has to be woken up on its own because we come closer to each other. Otherwise it won't be a dispute for the sake of the Creator but instead when we create, stir up a dispute, it has to be revealed when we discover in a greater precision, when we want to connect between us, that this connection, this coming closer is something we cannot yet be in. It can’t yet be in it but it is not that we do things artificially. The main thing is always to be in this disposition to come closer to each other and at the same time understand that these things will bring us to dispute. This is what is going on today. Look at all the international situations in our times. Each and everybody is going and each and every country is going through disputes not only internally but externally as well with other countries. Where does it come from? Out of us evolving, developing. The more we develop, the more we will certainly have more dispute between us because we are coming out of our boundaries in all kinds of forms of connections, international commerce, international connections, all kinds of things so for sure we are going to have dispute and various aspects between us and this is all natural however if the rulers of the world would know that this is a natural and we just need to keep on going and relate to this in a meaningful practical manner we would feel that this is okay, this is how we can progress but they are like little children, struggling and fighting each other not relating to it in a practical purposeful manner then whatever appears it appears for us so we can relate to it correctly meaning the dispute has to be revealed and it will come to worse and worse situations and this is a sign that we are growing. To begin with we differ from each other and as we grow that gap between us is growing more and more so how can we none-the-less find a point of connection? By each one rising above his nature, understanding that by the fundamental main qualities of ours we can never resemble each other. Everybody is different at its core and the more we evolve, the more we develop more and more, the more we discover the differences but above the difference is that love covers all transgressions. Above the difference we have to learn how we can specifically come closer, despite the differences, connect despite their differences and from the connection above the differences between us this is called love covers all transgressions. We are going to reach a state where we can discover a revelation, a force that created us and develops us, the Creator is revealed. The Creator is revealed when we cover hatred with love and between these two, between the plus and minus the Creator is revealed.
S. (24:58) There are states where disputes become personal, how can we keep it matter of fact?
R. This is like the little children what personal state can there be when we are to begin with, we decide that our goal is spiritual attaining the Creator, that we rise and we want to come out of our own nature so make an effort to keep the dispute on a height that it is above your physical bodies, otherwise why are we doing this?
7. S. (25:50) You touch the dispute which is always between nations and the groups and it is becoming worse now and you are always placed in an external body like Sages were above the dispute and knew how to cover the dispute with love. What is this external force that today we could use?
R. It is the understanding about the reason for the dispute we have to reach a state where the solution for the dispute is with us. It is called the middle line but we do know how to relate to the good and evil and to their origin which is the Creator. He says that I have created the evil inclination and created the Torah as spice meaning that we are capable of maintaining the good as the bad and the bad as the good, and both will eventually connect to each other and bring us the intensity of the attainment of the Creator and this is what we need to teach mankind and explain to everybody why are all the evil and good being revealed in that way and why do we go back to the same states where before like little children we want to struggle with each other and quarrel with each other and this is how we keep on going throughout history like a dog running around his tail, now this is not the way it should be it is the Creator teaching us that we have no choice but instead we certainly have to combine the good and evil together in the right way but one cannot exist without the other only with babies or little children things seem that we try to make it seem to them that it is only good because they do not have the strength to settle these two things together but to the extent that they grow, even a little bit, he already wants to wake them up and start teaching them in different ways of behavior, the two lines so that they draw to do something that they would find something and build something all the time, we all the time want to develop the created being in a way, like children for instance so that they keep combining one and its opposite even when they build with building blocks there too they have the right connection between plus and minus what they want to build by their efforts in between.
S. (29:22) So on the level of mankind what does it mean to cover with love?
R. First of all to understand that way we have to accept the plus and minus in a way that it will never be in peace but instead that we, with our intellect and emotions, can have the right connection between us. Between the seemingly negative and positive phenomena we humans have to combine the two in a way that both have to be in nature and we are in our understanding in our relations we relate both to the minus and the plus, all the phenomena from above in the middle line. Then everything can fall into place.
8. S. (30:26) About the work in the ten with the dispute we have a dispute that is built up in the mind, in our false perception of reality which we can nullify but we also have dispute that is more like an ambush that it comes from the tip of our toes it is like an ambush of darkness which is that dispute so how to relate to it, do we need to relate with differently in the work in the ten?
R. I did not really understand what you were saying.
S. (31:23) We have disputes that are building in our minds we have a certain judgment about a friend and I know I need to nullify myself because it is my flaw but we also go through states when this dispute inside it is like a darkness which I feel and it is really like an ambush it is surprising us completely it is like a heavy material which leads to conflict it is an eruption of the darkness, so do we relate to this differently between us in the ten? Can we work in a specific way especially with this darkness ambushing us?
R. You are in your own impression, in your own inspiration and you try to pass it on to us but in the meantime, I do not feel what you are trying to pass on. In order to answer you in a way that it is clear to all the friends in the world I have to get it, so try to establish this picture in a way that you can pass it on from one person to the other you cannot take the emotion without some dressing into a certain case into certain incident that is a clear to everybody you cannot just pass on your emotions. It is like a theater or something when I have a message and I have to write some kind of a scene some kind of scene and action, a play acted out on the stage and in this way, I can pass on my message to the audience but it has to be dressed in in a way that others can understand and we'll be able to crack it like a nut and to bring out the internality that you are trying to pass on to them. Here I cannot feel it, maybe it is my problem but still I cannot answer you.
9. S. (33:55) Can we say that the Creator created the darkness that we should reveal him out of it?
R. Of course the darkness is purposeful, without it we cannot reveal the light, as the advantage of light is out of darkness this is how it is written. This is why only through one thing and it's opposite can we progress and the more we progress towards the revelation of the creator the more and more the darkness is also increasing because without it we would not be able to reveal the creator with a greater intensity.
10. S. (34:46) Is it worthwhile for the ten in between the lessons to do workshops so we can achieve greater connection?
R. Probably yes. You can examine it but if there is some kind of a connection this way it might be good, so examine it. I do not understand that.
11. S. (35:27) The dispute between the desires can be internal in the person and how can the person decide if it is within him or it is outside him?
R. This is a deeper and more complicated question. It is a good question and maybe we will reach it in the coming quotes. How can I accept the dispute and how can I locate it inside me? Because none the less it is me who is perceiving it although I do not know what is going on outside of me, I do know what I feel in my emotions, so how can I divide my impression to something what I have outside of me how do I place these things one against the other? I am sure that we will come to this, we will come to this.
12. S. (36:47) How in advance can we prepare for this dispute in the ten so that we know what we need to do at what the creator has to do?
R. We have to examine our disputes in the ten supposedly we identify there is such a thing we have to see together what the writings say about it but the Sages said about it. Should we do something about it or not and as soon as we discussed it we usually reach some kind of a decision maybe not everybody is happy about it but it is a decision according to what is written, according to what the sages are telling us so that's why there is no dispute here anymore but we have to agree with what we have even though it is not pleasant and it is not possible to carry it out yet generally but this is how we have to go on with it.
13. S. (38:12) Is there a middle line between the dispute or do I build it on the spiritual path?
R. First of all don't play with the microphone as we cannot hear you so repeat the question.
S. Between the disputes, in a state of dispute is there a middle line already or we build it along with understanding the dispute?
R. No, it is not that simple, we reveal the middle line by all kinds of disputes and then we turn to the Creator because the solution is only in him and the solution is in the revelation of the Creator as the middle line between the two lines of dispute.
S. Does it exist or do I build it?
R. We want to try to discover it.
S. It exists?
R. It exists to the extent that I try to discover it.
S. And that happens between the disputes?
R. Yes
14. S. (39:42) If for example there is a dispute between me and a friend, what is the solution that I should let go and then go in his direction?
R. No, you need to scrutinize what you can build out of the dispute meaning by each one wanting to exist with the other and at the same time you do not cancel that dispute but you want to build yourself above it, we will read what is written about it so in this way we are building it and moving forward.
S. So what do we want to scrutinize if each has his own view?
R. We do not want to remain in our own positions, we want to discover the Creator and adhere to him.
S. So we only cover with love or we go into the details and start scrutinizing?
R. This we already need to see what happens along the way but the important thing for us is that nobody keeps himself in his own position like a donkey that does not want to move from its place. Instead we want to relate to every state that it is a state along the way. The next moment I take a step forward, I change my situation, attitude, everything. The most important is to move forward is to discover that my own state is disputed with other states, if we are talking about the connection between us and all the disputes the contradictions that are revealed between us are only in order to rise above them and in this way, we build the middle line you are all so much wanting to talk about.
S. This is the question that is always somebody who stays in his own view and there is always somebody who is willing to move towards the other.
R. There is no such thing as somebody staying in his own position openly and the other try making concessions, we always have to move to a state when we are more connected otherwise there is no forward movement.
15. S. (42:32) Is the common goal not a means to cancel disputes?
R. It is true but what do you get out of it?
S. Do disputes always have to exist even if we have a common goal?
R. Of course, each one thinks that you can progress in different ways, different manners, we can unite in different ways. The dispute with us, the dispute is for the sake of the creator. This is what brings us closer to the Creator
S. The more views we have the better it is?
R. Of course, Baal HaSulam writes about it that to the extent we develop each one certainly has more views, for example going to a village to some small village I don't know somewhere in Australia somewhere. Look at how many views there are, and at the same time go into some place in Israel and you will see how many different views there are, each one wants to be the Prime Minister.
16. S. (44:06) These disputes that come should be related to them only in the tenor also with external people?
R. I do not think we can resolve them in any other way only in the ten, when we discuss in the ten concretely, in a concise manner to the point and when we scrutinize it this way, we build ourselves. This is what is recommended for us, we should be happy when there is a dispute and then we can concisely to the point discuss it and resolve and move on.
17. S. (45:07) In dispute between the two opposites what is the role of peace and love, are they the same?
R. Peace and love are the results of the right resolution of a dispute, peace is the act, it is the implementation and love is what we receive in the complete vessel which consists of both parts. That is the desire to receive and a desire to bestow and the gap between them, the hate between them and above there is the screen and reflected light and then there is connection and the attainment and love.
18. S. (46:08) Where does the tendency to settle the dispute immediately come from instead of letting it grow and develop?
R. I do not understand the question because on one hand it is like a sick person who says I am a little sick so let the sickness develop and then it will be clear what to do with it but if I can cure it now, why not?
S. That moment the dispute appears we immediately jump on it and try to take care of it to correct it.
R. A dispute that is revealed, it is revealed from above so we have to relate to it correctly, build ourselves around the dispute and this way progress so why should we not appreciate the opportunity to progress?
S. If a dispute arises between friends naturally, what we try to do is to connect it immediately not to let it fester.
R. You cannot correct it because it is plus and minus so we have to try to rise above, to leave plus and minus behind as it is, and between them above them build what we later we call faith above reason.
S. Does the Creator wake up the dispute?
R. Of course who else.
S. Does he also settle the dispute?
R. Through our effort, we make the labor and he settles that dispute.
S. At what point at the dispute do we address that Creator, when do we turn to Him?
R. I think it should be from the beginning but in order to have a basis, reason to turn to the Creator, once we understand that we have to turn to him so he would resolve the dispute and elevate us together above it. So we need to scrutinize all of our foundations and turn to him, this is why prayer is the most important because the minute we implement it and rise up then the dispute is revealed again on a higher-level and this is how it always works.
S. And what is left from the view of each person after we settle the dispute and elevate above?
R. The views remain and we do not feel any crime in them so I have my own view, he has his own view and the rise above our views and we are happy that we can rise because previously because then we connect and we unite above our views and we can discover the Creator who is the source of those views.
19. S. (49:47) What enables us to see the advantage of light from darkness?
R. The light and the darkness here with us; it turns out that it is better for us to be in dispute in a way that awakens us above it, raises us above it and we stick with the dispute in order to rise above it and this is why it exists in us. But at the same time it is a state where we rise above it, this is called “love will cover all crimes.” We just need to cover, not that love cancels the crimes, it doesn’t cancel or revoke them, it even brings them out, makes them stand out even and this is how we advance. This is something very interesting and beautiful.
20.S. (51:03) If the disputes are between the desires to receive and to bestow and we do not have a desire to bestow, what does it mean, what does it say about all our disputes, what kind of disputes do we have?
R. Let's begin with what we have now. There is always some disagreements, corporeal. So let's make it so that the states between us, we resolve them only above reason. Above reason meaning even though I think differently, I am willing to cancel myself before the friends. Why? It is worthwhile for me because by this I achieve annulment, I achieve the restriction, and I come closer to the Creator, just like that. So why not? I am even happy that a dispute appeared, I am happy that I can be in contradiction, I'm happy that I do not understand and feel what the other is saying. If I do understand and feel then it is even worse because then it is clear to me that I am in conflict with the other, I am opposite the other. The whole point is when I am opposite to the other, I am happy that this conflict has emerged and I can cancel, annul myself and this way I can approach the Creator.
21. S. (52:56) How to cover with love? What can we do so the love will appear?
R. Love appears not by canceling the dispute but by rising above it, just like with corporeal love. If I love someone then all the corporeal things that are revealed and previously seemed to me as unpleasant, even repulsive, I did not want to be near them or see them, and now I love them. How can that be? Just like a mother treats her baby, she loves everything about it. A stranger would not be able to look at the same baby much less touch it, but the mother is willing to lick it. So we can see that love again covers everything.
22. S. (54:16) Do we need two people to do this work of overcoming and covering hatred with love or is one enough?
R. One needs to give an example to the other. Each one gives an example to the other and when they understand that by this, they come closer to the Creator, then the game between them is not in vain but it will constantly be able to move forward because it does not end it. It is not done so it will end in them but it ends in the Creator, in Him is the end. That is why with this love we can advance to an unbounded love called love of the world or everlasting love.
23. S. (55:17) Usually I avoid saying my own opinion because it might cause a dispute. How do we make the right balance between scrutiny and annulment?
R. If that dispute helps the group progress spiritually in the spiritual structure, then you should not hide it but rather advance, discover and reveal it. Whether you want to or not is not important. It’s just forbidden to keep things inside if they can advance the group, even if they are unpleasant. You can take one friend in the group and consult with her maybe, but basically if there is something I think for now that can help us advance, I have to speak to one or maybe two friends to help me decide if I should or shouldn’t bring it up.
24. S. (56:35) What can help a person who is burning with hatred to rise above the dispute?
R. Hatred comes from the Creator, it’s the evil inclination. So I do not attribute the hatred to myself or to the friend, I attribute the hatred to the Creator. He awakens it in us so we would rise above it. So now I just need to search in what way I can rise above the hatred to love. And then I rise above the hatred in such a way that the previous hatred remains as the basis for love because otherwise love has no basis, has no reason for it. The love is the previous hatred. This is why when the Creator says I created the evil inclination. What did he do? He built a very solid, strong, sound basis, eternal on which we can build eternal everlasting love and both love and hate remain. They are two forces that cannot be separated and one sustains the other and one will never exist without the other, ever. Even in the end of correction too, in all the ways and forms we will still live and advance in both hate and love, and the whole of the wisdom of Kabbalah helps us connect the two together correctly so that one helps the other light up the world even more.
25. S. (58:48) When a dispute appears is it correct to pray to the Creator to help us? And should we organize it between us and say it out loud?
R. Yes, we look at the bad as we look at the good and even more because from the bad, we advance, we overcome. it provokes us, it prompts us to rise, pushes us to rise and change. It is the bad that helps in everything. This is why when the Creator says I have created the evil inclination it’s as if He is happy, He is proud of having done that because by that He allows the created beings to be independent, to understand where they are because of it. They understand and feel themselves and Him, rise in the degrees of attainment, understanding and adhesion until they come to the highest levels. It is all specifically through the evil inclination because without it we would not have any possibility to understand where we are because we cannot feel the light and we cannot feel the darkness. Our feeling exists in the seam in the line between the darkness and the light, this is where we exist. We don’t feel it right now, we are not aware of it but our whole existence is between the light and the darkness.
26. (01:00:44) How do we take decisions in the ten when there are disputes about organizing things in the ten like the contents of our daily meetings? How can we reach agreements in the ten?
R. First of all we have to talk, we have to scrutinize it, see what is written about it in the sources, but it should all be to the point, matter of fact. Afterwards if we still can’t organize things in the group, it doesn't matter what things, then we need to have some place, meaning some committee. The social team, write them. I don't know about these things, I don't receive these things. You need to work it out on your own and with the social team.
27. S. (01:01:53) Is the middle line in a dispute the center of the ten?
R. The middle line in a dispute is the center of the ten, yes, and the center of the revelation of the Creator.
28. S. (01:02:17) Is the feeling of revealing something from itself, is it unique to man?
R. Only man, and also not every person. There are many people who belong to the right to the left and only a few people have an inclination, a disposition to reveal the Creator the way we have it, all the members of Bnei Baruch. We have a disposition to the middle line and that's why they’re called Yashar El, straight to the Creator.
29. S. (01:03:03) In our world people don’t really know how to go into disputes, they don't really know how to manage it. That's why it leads to falling apart. How can we rise above our ego and not fall apart?
R. First of all we accept the dispute as something that exists and is revealed more and more, it has a place, it is a revelation of creation. The dispute is a revelation, exposure of creation, the exposure of the gap between us and the Creator. And therefore we're happy when things like that appear, a dispute, and we only need to learn how to resolve the disputes each time more and more. You can resolve a dispute by combining these forces of right and left and bringing them to the middle line. First of all when the dispute appears we understand that it appeared from above, there is none else besides Him. The Creator awakens the evil inclination, He created it and He brings us each time a higher level, a greater or worst level of dispute between us. And then we by this want to unite because in the unity, we reveal the Creator. In the dispute it's as if the Creator is hidden and reveals to us the conditions by which to discover Him and then it turns out we are with Him in one spiritual work. He reveals to us the darkness, all kinds of conditions where He hides and while being a god who hides, we try to discover Him, to reveal Him, and we do. That's our work, that's the game between us, between us and the Creator. He hides and we reveal. This is why our whole life if we understand that this is the process, then our whole life becomes a flirt, a game with the Creator. By this we are in a state of joy, connected with Him in both bad and good.
30. S. (01:06:33) How to feel the beauty in the dispute between us?
R. If we, to begin with, understand that all the disputes come in order for us to reveal a more powerful love, and all those disputes give us joy, give us happiness. That's why we're not afraid of these disputes, on the contrary, it's the Creator playing with the whale. It's how He awakens the bad and on top of the bad we reveal more and more how much we can grip Him and actually do this dance with Him.
31. S. (01:07:40) What does it mean to relate from above to the plus and the minus, to be higher than them or to be neutral with respect to them?
R. Don't be neutral. Be like a resistor between the plus and minus, and then on this resistor we reveal love. And how do we reveal it? By understanding that the plus and the minus, light and darkness and all the various states that we receive from above were given to us in order for us to reveal the Creator in ourselves, there with Him in adhesion.
32. S. (01:08:29) Is there a spiritual meaning if the dispute in the ten is revealed between a majority and a minority?
R. I can't say, but it seems to me that we have to come to a state where we are as one man with one heart; where no dispute is left in our hearts and the hearts of the friends and we come to some understanding among us, a common feeling among us.
33. S. (01:09:15) It seems that all the friends are performing internal work, not bringing out the disputes. Must we have disputes coming up in the ten?
R. We don't need to bring up disputes that haven't surfaced. We need to try to always connect among us and not look for crimes just like that, so that love will cover the crimes. I don't look with the flashlight for crimes in some corner, or in a hiding place where there is a dispute or crime. Rather, when we try to connect among us, more than usual, which is called above reason, when we do that, we immediately discover how unconnected we are and how disputed we are and that dispute is revealed according to the order of degrees, that is correct and through it we can take steps forward.
34. S. (01:10:39) Some friends don't have the inclination, the tendency and disposition to let go…
R. Talk about it. The disposition not to make concessions exists in little children, stubborn kids. The more a person advances he incorporates more and different views, so he is more lenient and better able to make concessions. He understands that there are other views and other states and no one has an absolute truth and falsehood and only in the final complete connection among us we come to a state that is true. The truth is the name of the Creator. It contains within it Aleph, Mem, Tav, the word truth in Hebrew. It contains all the qualities of ten Sefirot, and only if all of us connect among us we come to Emet, truth, to the revelation the Creator in all of our qualities.
35. S. (01:12:07) The dispute that appears between two and a couple that is on the path, can it be a platform for spiritual advancement?
R. It doesn't matter if it's between a couple or not – spouses or not – it doesn't matter what type of dispute it is. What matters is how much they want to use the dispute for the purpose of revealing between them something that is above them, above them – which is the Creator. If they relate to the dispute in this way, the dispute actually raises them to a higher level than themselves; and even if they are spouses, they are partners, they are a couple, they can also rise up to spiritual level. It can be done easily on condition that they understand that this is how they have to behave.
36. S. (01:13:23) If we reach a state of one man in one heart, will the disputes between us disappear?
R. No, of course they will not disappear, the disputes will grow even worse – on the contrary – the more complex we become, the smarter we become, the more spiritual we become along with that we become worse and more selfish. Therefore our disputes will be more and more intense and also more to the point, more spiritual and we will not let anyone cancel us. On the contrary, we will be more and more conflicting with each other, contradictory to each other but we will know how to build from between us, from all the conflicts between us, how to build a middle line. That's what it is about: how we approach a state where each one cancelled himself towards the others as Rabash writes in the Social Articles, and we cancel each one yes, as he writes a zero, another zero and another zero until he totally annuls himself before the others but he remains in his own view, he doesn't erase it, delete it and that's how we approach each other until we built the general annulment. Then in our general annulment we rise above our ego when we disagree with others but we are willing to annul ourselves and in this cake that is made of two layers, where the bottom one is the big ego and on top of it you have this cream that covers it because we want to be in love. So in this cake we begin to see all kinds of fruits or something that is the revelation of the Creator, especially by the crimes that we have by the differences that there are between the two layers and the cake.
37. S. (01:16:35) If during a dispute I was able to remember that it comes from the Creator and asked to rise above it but I didn't feel the Creator's revelation, where did I go wrong?
R. It could be that you are not worthy of receiving it yet. You do what you need to do and what the Creator needs to do. He will do, don’t worry about that.
38. S. (01:17:17)Is there a need to tell the friends I have a dispute, or just work quietly on the dispute?
R. It can go both ways, sometimes we don't need to talk about the fact that we don't agree but there are sometimes states in which we do talk about it in a disclose manner about the dispute between us and no states are good and given explanation to each and every one where we are and how each and every one looks at the general state of the ten. This is why it's worthwhile for us to be in this and that but from time to time it's certainly best that we talk about the general state and our impression of it.
Rav about women. Thank you very much to the women, they talk from reality. It's a great help, it's a main part which will have all of our advancement. Thanks to righteous women the people of Israel exit Egypt, we will see more and more at the extent to which thanks to you we will all exit to the attainment of the Creator, to the sensation of the spiritual world, eternal life all is ahead of us thanks to you.
Excerpt 2 (01:19:40)
R. (01:20:17) We have an example from history, over 2000 years ago where there was a time that even before the ruin of the Temple, maybe 2,500 years ago in which there were states that existed between the sages between the groups of the Sages. So there was this group that was called Korach and the group that was called the house of Shamai or the house of Hillel and then between them there were disputes. It's not that they were, they all understood creation and the essence of creation and how we reach its purpose but nevertheless from the root of their soul and the final goal they were nevertheless in the state which they are revealed it in a different way as it's written, there that many ways to the place the place is called the Creator the end of correction so there are many such paths and this is how we are built, each according to the root of one’s soul. Therefore a dispute comes as well and upon these disputes it's written a whole lot in Talmud, in the Babylonian Talmud, all kinds of books that are written thousands of years ago and until these days we learn these things because from disputes we just discovered the quarrel and disputes that they had between them and that we learn the kinds of souls that are drawn towards the end of correction and this is what he teaches us how we too need to advance to those states.
40. S. (01:22:25) What to do when a dispute divides the ten into two camps without something that seemingly connects them?
R. We need to try and raise above the dispute to the Creator and He is the one who awakened all of these states and this is how it will work out. There is no answer to this there are many questions here because our entire life is not actually here in the disclosure of disputes but we need to understand that the beginning with the revelation of a dispute is so that we both find a source of the disputes which is the Creator and the correct attitude to the dispute we can always eventually reveal him.
41. S. (01:23:43) Is the middle line the center of the dispute resolution and what we call faith above reason?
R. Yes.
42. S. (01:24:04) When there is a discussion going on, ultimately the final decision is the Creator’s should it be against each and everyone's desire, meaning will there be a place for each one to annul before this decision or it will coincide with the egoism?
R. We don't know exactly what the decision of the Creator is, we only know the extent to which we have to be close to each other because in the connection between each other will find something that is closer to the Creator.
43. S. (01:25:03) How to behave with our differences if we accept the friend's view even if that opinion is incorrect?
R. I don't know what you're doing, don't ask me about that I'm not certain that you are doing that correctly.
44. S. (01:25:33) Many times we have disputes in the ten on a daily basis, what article we should read, what should be the contents of our meetings, etc. Where is the decision here that our disputes for the sake of heaven will ultimately end?
R. I don't know, we have a group that manages, manages the study material and the order that we study, I don't decide, it's decided for me what we will learn tomorrow. For example, today I received an email tomorrow morning this is what we are learning, what we are learning from Shamati, what from some other articles, I get that and usually I have no response to that, I accept it as a command, we're learning it and that's it, what is the problem?
S. I give that as an example but there could be other things their disputes naturally awaken naturally, we can just as in example when we have a dispute in a ten ,where do we determine that it's for the sake of heaven, what's the indication that it's a dispute for heaven?
R. A dispute for the sake of heaven is in order to bring the Creator closer that is something that can only take place from a dispute where we were scrutinizing what are the questions, what are the problems, what are the opinions of each and every one and in the combination and in concession we advance towards the Creator, where the Creator is called everything.
S. Is there a sign that we need to determine before we start a dispute that we want this dispute to be in line with the Creator?
R. There is a middle line here, of course you can concede and accept with friends, with your eyes shut, that's not enough, that's not okay. On the other hand I can’t remain like a donkey, a stubborn mule that doesn't accept, that keeps his own opinions, how do I know my opinion is right. In the connection between us we need to constantly be trying to locate that middle line which is love upon the hatred and in such a manner, we each time we will learn how from this approach we locate the Creator which is the source of both. Both the hatred and love and in the right relationship between hatred and love we want through the concession to combine them better as much as possible together then we come closer to his revelation, that's the work.
45. S. (01:29:04) You say many times that love, the closest love, was the love of a mother to a child. What's the difference?
R. The love of a mother towards a baby is animalistic natural love when there is no calculation in the middle but rather it is the most precious thing to her in her life where even though she has, if necessary, she can even give up her own life just to save her baby. All the rest of the loves are already there above the calculation of natural love which is humane or human love where there are calculations and forces and etcetera. In the love of a mother towards her baby there is no evil inclination, there's just a tendency to keep the connection until it will cover everything.
46. S. (01:30:27) To what extent does the social committee or Arvut team have the right to interfere with the disputes in the ten if they're not judges?
R. I don't know, I don't want to get into all those disputes and arrangements. I'm not in that and I have no matter in that. I don't understand anything in that, that's something you need to build those teams and to know how to sustain them and observe them and all of these according to what Rabash writes and how you understand but again it all needs to be so we will advance and not just like that we just stand on a spot and don’t move forward, I don't know.
47. S. (01:31:47) I pray and I realize the evil in me but I can't receive any answer. Instead things got worse, is it because my prayers are not a complete prayer or he doesn't accept my prayers?
R. The Creator receives all the prayers, but since you don't feel the answer that's a problem that you are not alert enough to receive the answer but the Creator hears everything, absorbs everything, receives it all and gives a response, an answer which is immediate to everything because it's simply the upper light that you in your address to the Creator, stabilize his response to you.
48. S. (01:33:00) Is receiving the right to exist of the other opinion the solution to the dispute?
R. It could be, yes, I don't want to enter into the problems, you need to approach with love proceeding it that it will be right and good.
49. S. (01:33:36) Clearly the scrutiny is good for spiritual development but will it be a right to determine some guidelines for these disputes to not cross the red line and hurt a person and there is also different education some of us have, so should we have some guidelines for that?
R. I think there is a simple condition that all appeals need to be from love from attaining love, which is our ego, and if you don't have relative to their friends, relative to the whole group such a goal, a final goal then you are not allowed to open your mouth.
50. S. (01:34:38) Following friends love my view. I have time to accept it and agree with it as an aspect of truth but connection and love is more important to me, that's why I nullify, is that a good approach?
R. Yes.
51. S. (01:35:05) When I think differently from the friend, I usually feel hatred towards the friend and that undermines the validity of my view. How do you continue correctly from there?
R. First we need to come to a correct attitude towards the friend that was given to you from the Creator. Where the Creator has established before you this image of a friend and the Creator says take this and work on it in such a way that you will reach connection and in your concession towards the friend and your connection with a friend you will also come to me, the Creator says. This is how you need to accept it without you nullifying and without connecting to the friends you won't be able to come to annulment and connection with the Creator.
52. S. (01:36:12) How to run a dispute for the sake of heaven?
R. In a manner by which everything that comes I want to receive it and build the middle line even with all the bad things and all the good forces and to combine them together in such a way that I discover the Creator as the source of both, as both these sources both the good and the bad are guiding me from the Creator in a good and safe way.
Excerpt 3 (01:37:06)
53. R. (01:41:17) It's a very interesting thing, that from having a dispute from having a dispute and each seemingly shows the other he is not okay from that the other receives the measure to the extent he needs to change the first one and that's how they come closer and that's how they connect together. Meaning I thank the friend that shows me the extent in which I'm not okay because through this I can come closer to him, correct myself and come closer to him and by this he can also do the same thing towards me and then eventually in the connection between us we can resemble the Creator. I can't resemble the Creator and my friend can't resemble the Creator, that when we engage in each other this way in order to each concede himself and give up to his friends, that's what we mean that behind every friend the Creator stands. So by me coming closer to the friends I feel that I'm really changing by that and through that reveal the Creator where is he revealed? In the friend in me and by us connecting together.
54. S. (01:43:04) According to what is written here the dispute, not for the sake of the Creator only when it has the left line?
R. They just use for the sake of the Creator that it's not in the left line.
S. And what's the benefit of this kind of dispute?
R. There is a benefit in everything, that we come closer to the recognition of the evil, there is a closer, shorter or longer way it depends on the root of the soul. It's the result of the shattering.
55. S. (01:43:49) What is the right way to come to a state of perfection in the work?
R. As Rabash writes in the Social Articles, I haven't found a more loyal and simple source.
56. S. (01:44:13) It turns out from the things that we are learning there is no value to solutions. Is that correct?
R. The solution is simple that the Creator gives us each and every moment even we don't really feel it because we are not sensitive but the Creator each and every moment gives us an opportunity to get closer to the friends and build ourselves this way correctly. Then every moment I can use all the states with respect to the friends in the right self- design. Until I find in that design, I begin to reveal the image of the Creator.
S. But the moment we reveal the character of the Creator another dispute will be sent from a higher level, and another one. It's a constant thing that comes, it's not that we attain some goal and then we’re done, we are constantly in some kind of advancement like that?
R. This is the matter of the degrees but there is an end to this.
57. S. (01:45:37) What's the connection between the good, the bad, the light of Hassadim and the light of Hochma, and the two lines?
R. It depends on the amplitude of connection that I am at towards the friends and the Creator either in receiving in order to bestow or bestowing in order to bestow.
S. How can I assure the fact that I'm showing a friend that he deviated from something acceptable without it appearing to come out of my ego?
R. This only comes from experience, it comes gradually and then “there is none as wise as they experienced.”
Excerpt 4 read twice (01:46:48 - 01:49:17)
58. R. (01:49:19) Meaning, if a person sees that he cannot make the decision and he's in between these two forces, and as like it says “without the third that comes he has no solution then comes the third party and decides between them” this means the Creator makes peace between them and the person achieves the states where the vessel is corrected. And that's how he achieved the goal.
59. S. (01:49:57) The moment the creature turns to the Creator and prays, and some disagreement with his will to receive for himself takes place, he wants to change that intention and doesn't agree with that quality that’s in him. Does that dispute between the creative being and the Creator, and how do you settle it if it's considered a dispute?
R. Simply, to continue. I’ll tell you, in most cases we don't understand, we don't know what's happening – like an ox to the burden and a donkey to the load is what I need to do. Meaning I discover another problem, another dispute each time, and I have to accept it above reason and I say it's for my own good and that's how I continue.
S. Since you mentioned it, I want your permission, you said that the questions of the women are more, I personally and also the men are also very impressed with the women's questions. Where does it stem from, from deficiency? Because we’re now talking between two contraindications. Really, the women's questions really evoke an impression, where does that stem from?
R. Women are more realistic, they better understand the situation from within. And certainly they, it says – not for no reason – “listen to what Sarah tells you,” the Creator told Abraham. Meaning to hear it is a problem, to attain what the woman says and she says the correct things, and sometimes after a few years even, we begin to understand that's what she said, she said it by nature – that's what she felt. But until you come to agree with it, you have to do that with your mind; and there’s a difference between the emotion, and the nature, and the mind. The mind comes later on but with the mind you can do more work. So there is a combination here between the male attitudes and the female attitudes, and we need to not disregard it. And to really advance the women and try to combine them in the process of attainment. We will discover this more and more, the more we advance towards the general correction. The world, as we see to begin with even in a corporeal fashion, the world becomes more and more catering towards women. First there was complete disregard and they were not accepted at all as something and gradually we see that humanity is trying and changing and adapting in the attitude of the male parts towards the female parts, and it's improving. And the people of Israel, it was to begin with as it is written, there was a difference but there was already divided in the way that there are some things men can't do and some things that women can’t do, and that gives rights to the women. And as we advance toward spirituality, then of course, there's more and more room for the women and we, too, have to try to give them that place in the spiritual work so they have at least the same space as men have.
S. My understanding is that only the wisdom of Kabbalah appreciates the work of women, and spiritually and also Rabash gave permission for women to study. Does it really stem from the message itself? It really stands out in us, right?
R. Yes, I saw on the Rabash that he felt no inferiority or difference in terms of study for men and women– of course there's a difference in terms of style and the tendency – but there is also women who have a tendency towards revealing the Creator and they have discussed that and attain that. I'm very happy that we are changing in this regard, it’s a sign that we're changing and evolving.
60. S. (01:55:34) Weather is a little weird, I hope the internet will be okay.
R. Where are you, in Mount Hermon?
S. A big mess let's hope we go through this in peace. It seems that there are two things that dispute one another: the will to receive is the opposite of the desire to bestow – I understand this intellectually and then there's this thing that is not clear – “then the third comes and decide between them, meaning of the Creator comes and makes peace between them.” What does it mean, what is the condition for the third to come, what does it mean that the third all of a sudden comes?
R. That you feel that without the third party that comes you cannot settle the dispute between the other two, it just remains and you're not here or there, and you don't know what to do.
S. What’s the condition for the third to come?
R. That you demand it because otherwise you have no solution.
S. What I demand and he comes?
R. Yes, the third party means the combination between right and left, the will to receive and the will to bestow, that means that the Creator gives birth to the human, He builds this, He design this structure called Adam, which is the will to receive on the inside and outside, it's wrapped as a will to bestow that is called Adam.
S. Can we understand how this is connected to the 10? What this third is that will come to the 10 and help us?
R. To help the 10, each one needs to help his 10 achieve such a desire that is similar to the Creator that you are each and every one, and all of you together are similar to the Creator.
S. What practical action needs to be done so that the third will come?
R. Each one needs to make confession for the others and the desire for love, for the connection so that in bringing all of your forces together, you will come to a complete form of bestowal called the Creator, “Come and See.”
S. What's most important in the 10 for this to take place?
R. That you want to make the Creator, the Creator says, “you have made Me,” that’s what the Creator says. That in the 10 you've reached such a connection, an integration, that it says you have made Me. Before that, I did not exist and now you have made Me.
S. Was it the first condition?
R. Each one gets rid of his ego for the sake of this common goal.
S. To be a zero, first of all, to be a zero
R. That's what Rabash writes.
61. S. (01:58:56) In excerpt number 4 it's written that the Creator gives him a gift, the desire to bestow. Is he talking about the person or the 10?
R. Both this and that. A person from the 10 also receives such a desire to bestow to connect to others but the end of the work is when they're all connecting.
62. S. (01:59:36) With the middle line – in the matter of the middle the line – there's also this point that was just asked. He writes that the middle line is like the desire to bestow. The desire to bestow is supposed to be the right line, reception - bestowal?
R. But in practice, how can you bestow? How can you bestow on the right, the right is Hassidim. To actually bestow in practice can only be done if we join the left with the right. If I don't receive from the Creator, I don't bestow to the Creator.
S. So what's bestowal in order to bestow, what is that degree?
R. It's only the intention, infancy.
S. Isn’t infancy, Katnut, the main thing we should be focused on?
R. No, what do you get from the baby who doesn’t even know he’s in the mother’s hands and brings her pleasure.
S. But if he doesn't know that he's doing the intention in the absolute way?
R. When he already works with vessels of reception.
S. Before working with the vessels of reception, he has to be certain he can work with them?
R. This is by the restriction.
S. So there, you don't have both lines right away merged together from the beginning, you start to work with the intention, so it’s not three lines, just work with the right line. it's only to constantly try to stabilize the right line, all the time, more and more – or not?
R. Well let’s say so. It's not exactly, it's right and the left.
S. Okay, I understand you but what characterizes the middle line that we aim to?
R. The combination between the will to receive and the will to bestow, that I want to work with both of them for the sake of the Creator.
S. But is this a combination that is something new or is it the merging of the two of them or it's something that's completely on you?
R. Again, what do you mean new? What states are you talking about? I first make a restriction, I don't use anything; then I tried to bestow as much as I can, more and more, until I come to a state where I can in my vessels of reception be somewhat in receiving in order to bestow. So then I bestow through my vessels of reception, too, I don’t have more than my vessels on reception so I begin to receive in order to bestow this is called being in Gadlut, adulthood.
S. I'm asking if the middle line – that third line – is something new that’s born or is it simply the merging of those two states? Because we say there are only two forces: reception and bestowal. Where there’s reason, cover it with faith, where there are crimes, cover it with love but you’re not covering with love. It’s like you’re placing the love before the crimes and then the third line comes and decides between them.
R. I don't exactly grasp what you want to ask. I always work from within my will to receive, I get nothing besides that. Now, in my will to receive, if I only work towards annulment, nullification of the will to receive more and more then I’m working on infancy, Katnut, I'm nullifying towards the upper one, this is called Katnut. When I can already nullify towards resembling the upper one, this is called Gadlut, adulthood.
63. S. (02:03:42) If the aim is towards Katnut and he explains it in number three ZA, the middle line, and ZA is the name of Katnut so what's the connection between those two things in this Katnut? Is it a hint toward the extent in which I am smaller and subjugate myself to the society so I can connect it together?
R. It's hard to understand what you're asking. You can say that ZA is a result of the influence of Hochma and Bina. He is comprised of both, and that’s his existence. This sets an example for Malchut that she can also achieve such a state where she resembles ZA and there in Him she builds herself as Bina and Hochma until she arrives at Keter.
64. S. (02:05:04) How can you explain the state of the ten when a dispute does not arise?
R. That means that perhaps you're probably indifferent, you're not sufficiently drawn towards connection, you don't see connection as a result of each and every state. You need to see that you’re coming to a connection now and inside the connection you discover the final correction, nothing less. Try it, and then you will see if you are quiet or not. It's all within your reach.
S. Sometimes Rabash gives advice, do a meeting and see what you’re missing to reach connections and stuff like that. Then the question is asked, can we ask questions in a sharper way because we're afraid that we will pressure the friends or distance them?
R. This I don’t know. This depends on the ten, how ready you are, how much you understand where you are and how much you can conduct such scrutiny. You see that the students of Rabbi Shimon, the author of The Zohar, were willing to kill each other. They had such disputes, and out of that they came to such a connection that they discovered the upper radiance, the final correction, all of the degrees. Out of a final hatred they achieved a final connection.
S. We are really tight with the advice that you give us from Rabash. The question is, according to what we're learning, seemingly disputes should arise not from us but from above, but they're not being awakened?
R. So you don't even feel that there's a dispute among you. That's a sign that you're not getting closer to each other.
S. Is that a sign that we're not working correctly?
R. It's a sign that you're not working, not that you're not working correctly, you’re just not working. The work means that we are working on connection, on getting closer and probably you're not doing that work.