The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.
Daily Morning Lesson: August 24, 2025
Part 1: Recorded lesson - Nov 7, 2021. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 52. A Transgression Does Not Extinguish a Mitzva
Reader: In the first part of the lesson, we will learn from the lesson from November 7th, 2021, Shamati 52, “A Transgression Does Not Quench a Mitzva” [commandment]. You will find it in the writings of Baal HaSulam and in the articles of Shamati.
Reader: We are reading from the writings of Shamati 52, “A Transgression Does Not Quench a Mitzva.” You can find it in the study materials tab in the Arvut system. You can also send questions, relevant questions may be aired during the lesson. Shamati number 52, “A Transgression Does Not Quench a Mitzva.”
M. Laitman: This is a very special article even among Shamati articles, because it explains to us the many problems that we discover as we advance in the work. How to overcome bad states, how to accept correctly and build correctly good states, how do we go into faith above reason, how do we try, mostly how do we try to imagine that we are giving contentment to the Creator. Since what is a Mitzva, a commandment? It's something I do with the intention of giving contentment, generally speaking, until we come to a state where all the opportunities, all the desires, all our thoughts will be only in that direction - when I give contentment to the Creator. Because the Creator is a degree that is concealed from us, a higher degree, unattainable reality for the time being, then we have to do it in the relationships between us, in the friends. We’re here. We were also given our egoistic desire, so we can't come closer to another so easily, and this was done intentionally, so we'll be able to begin to relate to one another in a truthful way, in a good way, only in the condition that we can aim it at the Creator. So, until we come to spirituality, even in corporeality, we don't have relationships that are above our egoistic nature. I'm not talking about a mother and a baby, such things that are on the animate degree; rather on the speaking degree, that is how it's happening. Hence, in order to bring us to a state where we will try with all our actions to think, to aim them, to do good, to delight the Creator, then we have this principle whereby the transgression does not quench the Mitzva, and the Mitzva does not quench the transgression. Let's see what Rabash writes about it from Baal HaSulam. We'll read it first from top to bottom, no rush, slowly, and then we'll try to understand it in depth.
Reading: (04:20) 52. A Transgression Does Not Extinguish a Mitzva
I heard on the eve of Shabbat, May 14, 1943
“A transgression does not extinguish a Mitzva [commandment], and a Mitzva does not extinguish a transgression.” It is the conduct of the work
M. Laitman: The work.
Reading: (04:35) 52. A Transgression Does Not Extinguish a Mitzva
It is the conduct of the work that one must take the good path. But the bad in a person does not let him take the good path.
However, one must know that one does not need to uproot the bad, as this is impossible. Rather, one must only hate the evil, as it is written, “You who love the Lord, hate evil.” Thus, it is only hatred that is needed, since it is the conduct of hate to separate the adhered.
For this reason, evil has no existence on its own. Rather, the existence of evil depends on love for the evil or the hate for the evil. It means that if one has love for evil then one is caught in the authority of the evil. If one hates the evil, he exits their premises and one’s evil has no dominion over that person.
It follows that the primary work is not in the actual evil, but in the measure of love and the measure of hate. For this reason, a transgression induces a transgression. We must ask, “Why does he deserve such a punishment?” When one falls from one’s work, he must be aided to rise from the fall. But here we see that more obstacles are added to him so he would fall lower than the first fall.
But in order to feel hatred for the evil, he is given more evil, so as to feel how the transgression removes him from the work of the Creator. Although he regretted the first transgression, he still did not feel regret enough to bring him hatred for the evil.
Hence, a transgression prompts a transgression, and every time he regrets, and each remorse certainly instigates hatred for the evil until the measure of his hatred for the evil is completed, and then he is separated from the evil, since hatred induces separation.
It therefore follows that if one finds a certain measure of hate at a level that prompts separation, he does not need a correction of “a transgression induces a transgression,” and therefore saves time. When one has been rewarded, he is admitted to the love of the Creator. This is the meaning of “You who love the Lord, hate evil.” They only hate the evil, but the evil itself remains in its place, and it is only hatred to the evil that we need.
This extends from, “Yet You have made him but little lower than God,” and this is the meaning of the serpent’s saying, “and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil.” It means that when one exerts and wants to understand all the conducts of Providence, like the Creator, this is the meaning of “A man’s passion shall bring him low.” It means that one wants to understand everything with the exterior mind, and if he does not understand it, he is in lowliness.
The truth is that if one awakens to know something, it is a sign that he needs to know that thing. When one overcomes one’s own mind, what he wishes to understand, and takes everything with faith above reason, this is called the greatest lowliness in the human attribute. You find that to the extent that one has a demand to know more, yet takes it in faith above reason, you find that he is in greater lowliness.
Now we can understand what they interpreted about the verse (Numbers 12:3), “And the man Moses was very meek,” humble and patient. It means that he tolerated the lowliness in the highest possible measure.
This is the meaning of Adam HaRishon eating from the tree of life prior to the sin, and that he was in wholeness. Yet, he could not walk more than the degree he stood on, since he did not feel any lack in his state. Hence, he naturally could not discover all the holy Names.
For this reason, “He is terrible in His doing toward the sons of man” made him eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Through this sin, all the lights departed from him; hence, he was compelled to start his work anew.
The writing says about it that he was expelled from the Garden of Eden because if he had eaten from the tree of life he would have lived forever. This is the meaning of the internality of the worlds. If one enters there, one remains there forever. It means that once more he would remain without any lack. And to be able to go and reveal the holy names, which appear by the correction of good and evil, he therefore had to eat from the tree of knowledge.
It is similar to a person who wants to give his friend a big barrel filled with wine, but his friend has only a small cup. What does he do? He pours wine into that cup and takes the cup home and he pours it. Then he begins to go with the cup once more and once more fills it with wine. Then, he goes to his house once more until he receives all the wine barrels.
I heard another parable that he said about two friends, one of whom became a king and the other became very poor, and he had heard that his friend had become a king. So the poor man went to his friend the king and told him of his bad state.
Then the king gave him a letter to the treasury minister that for two hours he would receive as much money as he wanted. The poor man came to the treasury with a small box, went in, and filled that little box with money.
When he came out, the minister kicked the box and all the money fell on the floor. This continued time and time again, and the poor man was crying, “Why are you doing this to me?” Finally, he said, all the money that you took this whole time is yours and you will take it all. You did not have the receptacles to take enough money from the treasury; this is why that trick was played on you.
M. Laitman: Okay, this is the article, the short talk Baal HaSulam gave. And now, let's start reading, and you can ask.
Reader: Shemati 52 A transgression does not quench a Mitzva.
Reading: (14:09) 52. A Transgression Does Not Extinguish a Mitzva
“A transgression does not extinguish a Mitzva [commandment], and a Mitzva does not extinguish a transgression.”
M. Laitman: Meaning, the two are separate, and one does not cover the other. Rather, we need many Mitzvot, many commandments, we need many transgressions. They all accumulate, both the commandments and the transgressions. And why do we need both? In truth, we need transgressions because this is the coarseness of the Partzuf. The more transgression, the bigger the will to receive. With all the snakes in it, let's say. On the other hand, a person makes many commandments, Mitzvot, and each time he wants to ascend, to think about bestowing contentment to the Creator. It turns out that all these transgressions are pushing him to perform the Mitzvot, the commandments, meaning each time to think what I can do from my current state in order to give contentment to the Creator. So, the transgression is separate, and the commandment is separate. And you might say that there's no commandment unless it's preceded by a transgression.
Reading: “A transgression does not extinguish a Mitzva [commandment], and a Mitzva does not extinguish a transgression.” It is the conduct of the work that one must take the good path.
M. Laitman: Meaning, to do the deeds that will give contentment to the Creator, to think of Him, and to add everything to that, and to aim everything for that, each and every moment. However…
Reading: But the bad in a person does not let him take the good path.
M. Laitman: The bad was created in such a way that it incites a person and resists those things, and deviates a person in many directions.
Reading: (16:40) 52. A Transgression Does Not Extinguish a Mitzva
However, one must know that one does not need to uproot the bad, as this is impossible.
M. Laitman: Meaning, we can never rid ourselves of our ego, of the bad by not thinking of ourselves, not thinking of success, of pleasure, all those individual things, never. It will all exist until we have the possibility of adding more and more to add something to the Creator, because we can’t create a good attitude towards the Creator unless we discover our opposite state first.
Reading: However, one must know that one does not need to uproot the bad, as this is impossible. Rather, one must only hate the evil, as it is written, “You who love the Lord, hate evil.” Thus, it is only hatred that is needed, since it is the conduct of hate to separate the adhered.
M. Laitman: Between man and the Creator, between the Creator and man, you find this hate, where a person cannot stand to think of someone or something, and all his thoughts are about himself. He’s not aware of it, he’s not willing to admit it. He cannot avoid doing it each time he has to do the work. Each and every moment he has to direct himself - what am I doing for the benefit of the Creator? What am I doing in order to give Him contentment? It’s not that the Creator needs it, but rather by that a person advances and approaches the Creator.
Reading: (18:40) 52. A Transgression Does Not Extinguish a Mitzva
For this reason, evil has no existence on its own, rather the existence of evil depends on love for the evil or hate for the evil.
M. Laitman: It’s us, with our attitude towards our ego, by thinking about ourselves in different ways, by that we are building it, we are giving it sustenance.
Reading: It means that if one has love for evil then one is caught in the authority of the evil. If one hates the evil, he exits their premises and one’s evil has no dominion over that person.
It follows that the primary work is not in the actual evil, but in the measure of love and the measure of hate. For this reason, a transgression induces a transgression.
M. Laitman: Until a person will feel his evil state, and what is that evil? That constantly thinks of himself, for himself, about himself, around himself, all the time. How is it good? That he constantly thinks of the Creator, in His direction, very simple. But the main thing is to try all the time, all the time, to look up where I am at, where my heart is aimed at?
Question (Kyiv 1): (20:34) How is it possible to hate the evil if the evil is my whole nature?
M. Laitman: Think about it more and more, and you'll see how you're constantly thinking of yourself, thinking that you should feel good. See how you sit, how you walk, how you do something, you turn about yourself, anything you do, in everything you do. Just monitor yourself, and you'll see that it's all the ego guiding you, directing you. That it’s nature; it's not, it's neither good nor bad, rather it begins to be good or bad when you assign a direction to it. When you decide that, if you don't relate to your nature - you're an animal, you simply go according to how nature is leading you. But if you say that if I'm thinking in my direction, it's opposite than the Creator's direction, then by that you decide what is good and what is bad. Then, from this moment on, you need to try and arrange your life in such a way that thoughts and desires for myself are bad, and thoughts and desires for the Creator are good. It's one or the other; there's no more than that. Well, of course, this is through the group, going through the various states in our lives, but this is actually how it is.
Student: So it turns out, that like you say, look at how you behave, and then you recognize that your whole nature is bad, but what should be opposite that, thoughts about the Creator, the friends?
M. Laitman: That above all of your nature, you are trying to think only and to do only in the direction of the Creator. You thought that you will feel good in anything, anywhere you turn to, you think that you'll be good; and in everything, wherever you're turning, think that you're working so it'll be good for the Creator. This is called an intention.
Student: This intention should be separate from my nature, yes?
M. Laitman: It all depends on you. How much you're aiming yourselves, wherever you turn in life. Try, let's say, from the morning, start today. A person constantly relates himself so that anything you do, you wish to give contentment to the Creator. You heard about it a thousand times, not one year, not two years, but now you should start doing it.
Student: These thoughts and actions today exist, from my experience, separately from me. I think of the friends, the Creator, just to work this way, ignoring the will to receive, and so on?
M. Laitman: It's not that you're looking down at or disregarding your egoistic desire, but they help you, these desires and thoughts. They help you so that you will aim yourself through the group to the Creator. This is called, “love covers all transgressions.” It's a crime that you're thinking to your own benefit. It's a lie, it's not your own benefit, it's our evil inclination arranging things for us this way, and we wish to invert it and see it's been inverted to in order to bestow.
Question (Piter 3): (25:11) You mentioned now that this work can be done through the group as well. How to give this inspiration to the friends and receive it back?
M. Laitman: However you feel like doing it. I'm not making that decision. A person needs to decide how convenient it is for him to think in the direction of the Creator, or directly at the Creator, or later you can even realize it in the group. Of course, it's more practical to do it through the group. It's more... This is practically more serious, more spiritual, more truthful, more practical. But at least in thought, you should think, is it me or is it the Creator? So, at least change that direction, change that vector to be aimed at the Creator.
Question (Belarus): (26:28) You said about the commandment that there is no transgression before, it seems it should be the opposite.
M. Laitman: Of course, a transgression does not quench a commandment, and a commandment does not quench a transgression. If you're walking on this path, then one brings about the other; one pulls, attracts the other. That's how it works. It'll become clear to you.
Question (PT 20): (27:05) It turns out, according to the article, that you always have to be like in a theater, where you observe what's happening to the ego. Where is it pulling me? Identify it, and then change the direction of my thoughts. So, the ego and me are always separated, I'm observing what's happening.
M. Laitman: Correct.
Question (Queens): (27:43) It says, “You, who love the Lord, hate evil.” So, the hatred of the evil helps you advance towards the Creator and hasten the times, because Israel is called those who hasten times.
M. Laitman: Correct.
Question (KabU 7): (28:20) How do we express our hatred to towards evil?
M. Laitman: By changing direction. Evil is that which aims us at ourselves. It aims seemingly towards our benefit. And it's a great lie, but we accept it. And we wish to turn it around in the direction of the Creator, so everything will be in the direction of the Creator. Then each deed, each thought I'm doing, I have to change the direction of my thought, the direction of my action. Where am I aiming it at? For the benefit of the Creator. Instead of doing it for the benefit, seemingly, for the benefit of myself. There's no such thing as personal benefit. It only appears this way to us. But we simply fill the ego that was created deliberately so we'll be able to do the work and aim ourselves as we as we choose towards the Creator.
Question (MAK 20): (29:48) If I fell into the domain of the evil, and I don't have the hatred towards the evil, what do I do to come out of it?
M. Laitman: You should think about it, think about it. That I'm under the dominion of my ego and it's bad, and how can I begin to come out of it? So, only in this way I come to wholeness, eternity, spirituality. It's only when I forcefully begin to think of the Creator in each and every moment, in every state. We'll read about it some more later in the article.
Question (W Internet): (31:06) It says, if he hates the evil he leaves it, and then the evil has no control over the person. How does my hatred towards the evil cut off its control over me?
M. Laitman: This is the meaning of separating from it. That's how you separate from it. How do we move apart in this world? To the extent that we hate each other, we're moving apart. We might be physically close, but in the spirituality there's no physicality - only the feeling, either hate or love. To this extent, we are either close to each other or distant from one another. That's it.
Question (MAK 36): (31:53) Why did the person, did Adam had to eat from the tree of knowledge?
M. Laitman: Otherwise, he would have no way of determining himself as Adam. Adam before the sin is not called Adam. He doesn't have personality. He's the product of the Creator, an uncorrected person. But only after the sin, when he begins to raise himself in order to bestow, similar to the Creator, then he's called Adam, the one who resembles the Creator, [Domeh].
Question (PT 25): (32:37) The Creator created the evil. How do you hate the evil without hating the Creator and even wanting to bring Him contentment?
M. Laitman: We should actually love the Creator for creating the evil, and through the evil we can aim ourselves at the Creator. Without the evil, we would not be able to come to the Creator; we would have no foundation or reason for making it toward the Creator. So the evil … that's why it says, a person should bless over the bad as over the good. We'll feel it along the way. So, let's come out of this infantile attitude towards our nature.
Question (Latin 13): (33:36) Will we be able to make the Creator happy only through the Ten?
M. Laitman: Can you rejoice the Creator by… You can rejoice the Creator by aiming all your actions, your thoughts, your desires. How will you do it? Only through a certain action. The only spiritual action in our world, in our corporeal world, is when you connect with the friends, with others like you, and you all, with these actions between you, you intend to give contentment to the Creator. Give me another example of what you can do. Any other. There are other such actions you might be thinking about that you are doing and by that you're giving contentment to the Creator, but these actions are devoid of power. By that, you're not changing nature, you're not rising above the ego. The whole point is to aim ourselves at the Creator so we would rise above ourselves, above our nature, and come closer to the Creator according to equivalence of form. How else can you do it?
Question (France 1, PT 6): (35:34) How does a person receive the force to change direction from himself to the Creator?
M. Laitman: Everything comes from the Creator. A person has nothing to do. He receives a small egoistic nature, and he works only from that nature, and that's why in this nature he doesn't go up, he doesn't go down, he does nothing. He lives in it, he exists, but if he wants to begin to change himself and enter spirituality, he has no choice but to be in an environment that runs contrary to him in many things, where he with his ego can't quite get them together and connect to them. And then he works against his desire, so then he has discernments. Look how we do something in this world with wood, with iron, with stones, we constantly work on resistance; pulling force, magnetic force, electrostatic forces, many, many forces that push us, that…they don't let us do anything. And in overcoming them, rising above them, we build our lives. That's why we need oil, gas, electricity, fire, all those things in order to build ourselves correctly, but against these forces of nature. In spirituality, the force of our ego, our natural force is the ego, it's the thoughts of himself. So, as long as a person is in those forces, he is within nature. To rise to the next degree above nature, for that, we need to do something here. And the entire wisdom of Kabbalah is how to receive the upper world, the spiritual world in place of this corporeal world called the imaginary world.
Question (Almaty 1): (38:24) How to convince the Creator that we're ready to escape the evil?
M. Laitman: We need to convince Him, we need to try more and more to do for His sake instead of for our sake. It should be clear to us, in our bones, that we're doing it in order to bring Him contentment, for His sake, in order to bestow, it doesn't matter how you call it. If we aim ourselves in this way, then within a few actions, we'll be able to, we'll begin to feel that we're approaching Him, we're detecting through our actions.
Reader: We'll move to the next part of the lesson, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah.