Bold and in quotes: Original text of Baal HaSulam
Regular: Commentaries of Rav Laitman
lowercase italics: emphasized words
Capitalized italics: transliteration from Hebrew
Now we can interpret what is written, “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! Wherefore would ye have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light.” The thing is that those who await the day of the Lord; it means that they wait to be imparted faith above reason, [Meaning they interpret the meaning of day correctly. It’s not a day when they feel good according to their corporeality. But according to spiritual terms, day is called Light of Faith, Light of Bestowal, the attribute of bestowal.] that faith will be as strong as if they see with their eyes, with certain knowledge that it is so, meaning that the Creator guides the world in benevolence. In other words, they dot not want to see how the Creator leads the world in benevolence.
This is because seeing corresponds to faith. In other words, faith is precisely where it is against the reason; this is called faith above reason.
It means that we have to transcend our ordinary mind and heart, and acquire a new Kli, andin it feel these discernments of day and night, the revelation of the Creator. Withdrawing further away from the corporeal Kli, where one had felt corporeal pleasures and from the corporeal intellect, is not called becoming insensitive to good or to bad, or becoming mindless. On the contrary, instead the corporeal Kli, one acquires a spiritual one, and this is called “going above reason.”
We shouldn’t think that those who relinquish their intellect and sensations are progressing, they’re not. Normally it’s the opposite. What ordinary people respect is those who go below reason, who are fanatic. But we want to reach the Godly mind and heart. This is what we call above our reason, “faith above reason.”
Question: How can we not want the disclosure of the benevolence within reason?
It is to want the attributes. For us to want the disclosure is to want fulfillment. But for us not to err, it would be more correct to interpret “we want revelation|” as “we want the attribute of bestowal” to be dressed in a person.
Question: But according to nature, wanting revelation means wanting fulfillment?
No, as a result of the effort, one comes to a state where he respects the attribute of bestowal. He identifies with the Upper Force more than with a corporeal sensation and begins to acquire this kind of attitude to the attribute of bestowal, just as a result of the Surrounding Light that works on him, that operates on him, and that’s what he gets. This is called beginning to love the Creator, wanting to love Him, when he wants to connect to Him.
As Baal HaSulam says in the letter on page 70, in Pri Hacham (Fruit of Wisdom), it is like a guy who wants to connect to a girl. That connection is such that he wants the attribute of bestowal; he wants to be in it. He already interprets what it means being connected to the Creator correctly and what it means being in Dvekut (adhesion) with Him.
Of course, if he progressed without the correct study of Kabbalah, he would constantly want fulfillments. Because he studies and during the study invites the Surrounding Light, the Light affects him in such a way that he begins to want the filling, then suddenly within the filling he begins to discover that he wants the attribute of the filling.
It’s like the Light that influences Behina Aleph of Dalet Behinot de Ohr Yashar and then suddenly discovers Behina Bet, whereby filling the Kli by satisfying it in some way; the Kli suddenly wants to resemble the source of the Light, the attribute of the Light. It’s the same with the Light that influences us, we don’t feel it but it affects us during the study. With the right intention and with the right effort, it affects us more. Then it brings us this change where instead of wanting to be filled by the Light, by all kinds of corporeal desires we have of honor, knowledge and of dominion—a person begins to respect the attribute of bestowal, to see how much he is not in it, how lofty it is, and how special and disconnected from this world.
When a person begins to relate to it this way, he begins to yearn for the Creator. This yearning is called the readiness, “the right yearning.” A person reaches a state where he somehow truly wants the attribute of bestowal, even though inside it’s still egoistic. The Light hasn’t yet corrected him totally, but if he makes every effort he can, in studying, in circulation, being in the group, etc and wants the Light to influence him sufficiently so that he, as much as he can, as much as he is allowed, will want bestowal even if egoistically, this is called “giving his share: “I labored and found.”
Then the influence of the Light comes to such a Kli, that the Light opens itself and a person changes—he crosses the Machsom. The attribute of bestowal really begins to dominate his Kelim. It’s only because of the Light that Reforms. There’s no other way.
It means that they believe that the guidance of the Creator over the creatures is benevolent. What they do not see with clear knowledge, they do not say to the Creator, “We want to see the benevolence as seeing within reason.” Rather, they want it to remain in them as faith above reason.
Instead, they ask of the Creator to impart them strength “that this faith will be so strong, as if they see it within reason.” [It means that they are afraid to use their corporeal egoistical Kelim, which want to be filled but they want the filling to be from the attribute of bestowal itself. That this will provide him with the sensation of: satiation, peace, rest, that the vessel of reception will calm down by the sensation of the attribute of bestowal in it.] It means that there will not be a difference between faith and knowledge in the mind.
This is what they [say], meaning those who want to cleave to the Creator, refer to as “ the day of the Lord.” In other words, if they feel it as knowledge, then the Light of God, called “The Upper Abundance,” will go to the vessels of reception, called “Separated Vessels.” They do not want it to go to the will to receive, which is the opposite of Kedusha(lit. Sanctity), which is in turn, against the will to receive for self-gratification. Instead, they want to be adhesive with the Creator, and this can only be through equivalence of form. [Again, we should interpret the Creator, spirituality, Dvekut as the attribute of bestowal. It’s the least mistaken, and then a person somehow keeps himself from lying to himself.]
However, in order to reach that, meaning in order for one to have a desire and a craving to cleave to the Creator, since one is born with a nature of a will to receive only for self-gratification, how is it possible to reach something that is completely against nature? For this reason one must exert great labor until he acquires a second nature, which is the will to bestow.
When one is imparted that, he is qualified to receive the Upper Abundance and not blemish, since all the flaws come only through the will to receive for oneself. In other words, even when doing something in order to bestow, deep inside there is a thought that he will receive something for this act of bestowal that he is now performing.
In a word, one is unable to do anything if he does not receive something for the act. One must enjoy, and any pleasure that one receives for oneself, that pleasure must cause him separation from the life of lives, by reason of the separation. It stops one from being adhesive with the Creator.
Since the matter of Dvekut(lit. Adhesion) is measured by equivalence of form, it is thus impossible to have pure bestowal without a mixture of reception from one’s own powers.
Our substance requires fulfillment. It can’t make the smallest act or movement within it, unless it feels an additional fulfillment which it interprets as additional energy. The future additional filling is felt in the substance as a lack, a desire for something; it’s a desire to reach something. That’s why our substance is called animate substance, because it feels only the future pleasure and for that it is willing to go or move toward it. Without it, it can’t.
This law stems from substance built and created by the Light, the Light that works in it. This is why the substance is the posterior of the Light. This is how matter can act. It’s the force that operates in the operated. This is why we don’t talk about matter needing energy, the sensation that it receives is extra filling compared to its present state because it’s a law. The question is how this substance that grows and increases begins to understand what it does it for. Is it only to fill itself without having any purpose in it? Or does it now begin to transcend its own existence and see the purpose which cannot be only the existence itself?
The purpose can only be above the existence. We exist but for what purpose? Or maybe we exist for the purpose for existing? It begins to transcend matter and this is called wanting to reach the intention, something that is outside of us. But outside of us is only the force that begets us. It’s not existence within matter, just living because we live. If we are above it, it is adhesion with the Creator; it can’t be any other way. Either we go with the flow of life or above the currents of life, which is called “together with the Creator.”
Then the substance begins to understand that using itself, all of its inclinations and the pleasures it has the entire time, it can specifically through it come to join the Creator. If man relates to himself as the Creator by using his own nature to be above nature, then it gives him the status of the Creator, he unites with Him. He transcends the currents of life into a state, a dimension where the Upper Force is.
Therefore, it is a second nature that we need in order for one to have the powers of bestowal. Thus, one will have the strength to reach equivalence of form.
In other words, the Creator is the giver and does not receive anything, for He lacks nothing. This means that what He gives is not because of a want, meaning that if He had no one to give; He would feel it as a want
Instead, we must perceive it as a “game.” It means that it is not that when He wants to administer, it is something that He needs, but this is all like a game. It is as our sages said regarding the mistress: She asked, “What does the Creator do after He has created the world?” The answer was, “He sits and plays with a whale ...”
This has to do with the question, “Why is there creation?” It is the nature of good to do good and this good feels that it has a lack that he doesn’t have anyone to give to. Like someone who sits in a tower filled with goodness without guests, he suffers that he doesn’t have anyone to give to. These stories are examples. Of course according to our will to receive, our ego is interpreted as if the poor Creator is suffering, He didn’t have a choice, so He created us. If we make of ourselves vessels of reception, we will be giving Him pleasure, by doing Him a big favor like the guest and the host, who is dying to do something for the guest, he loves him so much.
We do not really understand this state. Of course, it is very high, opposite of our mind. We can’t even picture it and our sages wouldn’t interpret it for us at all, because how can you explain to someone who is in this world, what is in Ein Sof.
We who are in this world see the difference between the still, vegetative, animated, and speaking, where even if I want to explain something to an animal, to a dog or a cat, I can’t. I can explain something that has to do with its food, with all kinds of little things, that it can feel in its body, and that in fact is an animal, just like me. I just have a little more intellect than the animal, yet I am still at the animate level. Nonetheless it’s hard for me to explain something at the animate level. But here we are talking about worlds, and the difference between worlds. It’s a huge difference between the degrees.
Why do our sages need to explain to us and to talk about these things? That’s in order to give us the right attitude to the Creator, so we won’t interpret it within our egoistical desire and that we aim ourselves more correctly toward that goal. The more a person strengthens in his reaching towards the goal, and the more one purifies oneself by the influence of the Upper Light, the more he begins to understand these parables and interpretations. They help him aim himself more accurately towards the goal each time. The benefit of these stories is that at every level one can interpret the very same story according to his status and his ability.
This is why Kabbalists give us such a story as if the Creator is miserable, He wanted to give, but there is no one to give to so He created us. We in turn have to satisfy His desires, He is a big egoist. Everyone interprets according to how he understands this process and these relationships, and bit by bit a person interprets more and more accurately. But that’s already according to one’s level of understanding.
Question: What is the will to bestow and is it different from the will to receive in order to bestow?
The will to bestow and the will to receive in order to bestow are two forms of the attribute of bestowal. This is because a person has only the will to receive. If he doesn’t use his will to receive, but wants to be similar to the Bestower, this is called “having a desire to bestow,” because we don’t have a real desire for it, only an intention and how to use our desire. If I do not want to use my desire because I want to be similar to the Bestower, this is called that I am bestowing or bestowing in order to bestow. If I use my own desire to receive, in order to please, to give the Bestower. This is called “receiving in order to bestow.”
In all of our desires, we can work with a part of each desire in a very small measure of it. Where I only stop it from receiving and then I work only with VAK de Retzonot (VAK of the desires). It means working only in the form of bestowal. At a greater depth of working with the rest of the desires, is called “receiving in order to bestow.”
With our 613 desires, we have to first reach the level of bestowing in order to bestow in all 613 desires, and then we have to receive in order to bestow.
...as it is written, “There go the ships of the sea, and Leviathan (the sea monster), which You have formed to sport in it.”
The matter of the Leviathan refers to Dvekutand connection (as it is written, “according to the space of each, with wreaths”). It means that the purpose, which is the connection of the Creator with the creatures, is only in sport, it is not a matter of a desire and a need.
The difference between a game and a desire is that everything that comes in the desire is a necessity. If one does not obtain one’s wish, one is in deficit. However, in sport, even if one does not obtain the thing, it is not considered a lack, as they say, “it is not so bad that I did not obtain what I thought, because it is not so important.” This is so because the desire that one had for it was only playful, not serious.
That’s also not completely clear. We’re talking about the Creator: is He not serious, He’s joking, He’s pretending, and is it okay whether He receives or not? It’s impossible to convey to us, who are 125 degrees away from this status, this impression, this inspiration, which Kabbalists reached and obtained from the true attribute of the Creator. They don’t have the words to convey to us the status where the Creator and the creature are adhered together and the creature discovers why the Creator created it. These are completely different in heart and mind, not just the opposite, you have to invert it. They’re not from our dimension.
That’s why these parables, like the Torah, the books of Kabbalists, are written in such a way that each one, as he improves his attributes according to his level, then begins to understand those words.
Question: For the time being?
For the time being if you tell someone on the street, they’ll tell you it’s your Creator who didn’t have anything to do so He created you to play with you so and you suffer from this game. Is this your Benevolent Creator? Anyone who faults, faults his own faults. And he’ll be right. There is nothing you can do. You can’t explain to him: “No, you have to believe that the Creator is Benevolent. He’s okay.” ” What do you mean okay? I feel bad. “A judge has only what his eyes can see” and that’s it. Leave me alone.” You can’t do anything.
But if a person has a point in the heart, from that point he nonetheless begins to feel a certain attitude toward the Creator because it’s a part of God above, a spark. And according to the spark he feels some connection. In this connection, although it is hidden from a person, it is latent within a person, yet it is still a connection. It’s like having a bad boy in a family. He is a criminal, something terrible. It is as though there is nothing that can be done but he is still a son and whether you like it or not, he is still connected to you. You agree with the whole world who curses him and want to eliminate him, but on the other hand he is connected to you.
It’s the same here, even though the point in the heart is opposite and it shows itself in an egoistic desire, but if a person has it, if it’s awakened in the person, he feels a connection with the Creator. He begins to interpret this form because he’s got a connection to it. He can cry out, feel bad, etc, but there’s a connection. It doesn’t allow a person to detach and cut it off. These people slowly open up the right channel of connection and begin to understand through this point the meaning of “benevolence.”
It is only in this connection from the Creator toward that point that it is possible to understand why He created it and His creating of the will to receive. That point is eternal and through the will to receive, when I inflate that point I reach Him. So now I begin to justify the creation of the will to receive which is the bad in me but that bad gives me free choice, gives me the possibility to increase the point and through it be attached to eternity.
Without the point in the heart it’s impossible to explain to a person this whole situation. He doesn’t have the sense. With the point, if he has got some of it, slowly as he begins to increase it bit-by-bit, he begins to somehow interpret more correctly. But again it’s from within the point where he watches his own ego, his will to receive and begins to understand that this is the only means, the correct means, by which it is possible to reach the human degree from zero.
Otherwise there is no justification for the whole creation. Only when he identifies with the point and watches his own will to receive as a means when he begins to feel the relation between things and how one is arranged through the other. A soul, this point, can grow only by receiving Aviut from the will to receive.
That’s why we can’t just go out to the world and start explaining to them about the whole creation from beginning to end, including those things he explains here—playing with the whale. They won’t understand it. They won’t understand, that’s why they go to their own solutions. They just accept it as is without any criticism. For a person without a point in the heart, to go below reason in the corporeality without criticism, is the only way. How else will he go? Either he is one of the folk, religious or he’s already studying Kabbalah if he’s got a point in the heart. These are the two options we have.
Question: You said Kabbalists write it so that we too will be able to learn from it?
Why else would they write? They don’t need it for themselves.
Question (cont’d): So what can we learn from this attitude? How do we relate to the process?
I said that if you have a point in the heart and you increase it through the right study, with a desirable intention, then the Light that Reforms during the study when it shines on you will increase your point in the heart. Then you will identify with it and you will look at your will to receive, your body, as an animal that helps you go from degree to degree. Then you will begin to understand why the Creator created your will to receive, specifically like that, and gave it to you in this negative form. From within that point in the heart you can work with this will to receive.
The stories that were written from the highest level from Ein Sof will be interpreted in you in a closer form to the truth, to some right status between the point in the heart and the heart. The point in the heart is the Creator in you, the spark of Him in you, and the will to receive is that Leviathan, the whale to play with.
What does it mean to play with? With respect to the whale it’s not considered serious. So the benefit from it all is to take out of the whole Creation the Aviut and relate it to Zakut (purity). Take all the desires from in order to receive, bring them into the point in the heart to be in order to bestow. That’s the game. Why is it called “the game?” With respect to the will to receive it’s called “the game” because it’s not serious. It doesn’t have a purpose. Its purpose is to turn its form to be in order to bestow. That’s why on the one hand it’s a game; on the other hand it’s a serious thing.
That’s how they thought it proper to convey to us this great message. They probably understood that it was not possible to do it in any other way. Perhaps we’ll be able to simplify it and interpret it more plainly, because these pictures are thousands of years old.
In every subsequent generation closer to ours, it is possible to explain these things easily. It’s not related to the height of the level of the generation. On the contrary, it’s because there is the decline of the generations. As Baal HaSulam writes, that Rabbi Akiva knew more than Rabbi Shimon but he couldn’t write the Book of Zohar and Rabbi Shimon did but not by himself but through Rabbi Aba. And look at the ARI, he didn’t write anything except through Rav Chaim Vital. So in lower Kelim, it comes this way that there’s always a greater ability to interpret. Perhaps we too will be able to explain these things closer to people today.
It follows, that the whole purpose is that one’s work will be entirely in bestowal, and he will not have a desire and craving to receive pleasure for his work. This is a high degree, as it is implemented in the Creator, and this is called “the day of the Lord.”
The day of the Lord is considered wholeness, as it is written, “Let the stars of the morning thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none.” Light is considered wholeness.
When one acquires the second nature, meaning the will to bestow what the Creator gives one after the first nature, which is the will to receive, now one acquires the will to bestow. At that time one is qualified to serve the Creator in completeness, and this is considered “the day of the Lord.”]
Thus, one who has not acquired the second nature and can serve the Creator in a form of bestowal, and waits to be awarded that, meaning bestowal, meaning when one has already exerted and did what he could do to obtain that force, he is considered to be awaiting the day of the Lord, meaning to have equivalence of form with the Creator.
When the day of the Lord comes, he is elated, he is happy that he has come out of the power of the will to receive for himself that separated him from the Creator. Now one cleaves to the Creator, and considers it as having risen to the top, to the summit.
It means that he interprets correctly: bestowal, the Creator, spirituality, giving, the opposite of the will to receive, his nature and transcends it. For him, spirituality is now not considered outside of him, but using the vessels, the abilities, the desires, the thoughts, and all his sensations only for the purpose of bestowal, for giving. This is called “spirituality.”
He doesn’t interpret it as being out there somewhere behind some stars and as something being outside of him. He begins to discover and feel that spirituality is the same attributes that are in him, but with working toward others outside of himself.
When he begins to feel this it is called “spirituality,” and that that’s the correct interpretation to spirituality. Then he begins to understand that relating to another or relating to the Creator is the same thing. Because what is outside of a person is not felt any more in his will to receive and if he begins to feel it, he then begins to feel it only in the will to bestow. So slowly through the Light that Reforms we get the right interpretation of giving, bestowal.
However, it is the opposite with one whose work is only in self-reception. One is happy as long as one thinks that he will have any reward from his work. When one sees that the will to receive will not receive any reward for its work, one becomes sad and idle. Sometimes one comes to reflect about the beginning, and says, “I did not swear on this.”
Thus, moreover, the day of the Lord is attaining the power to bestow. If one were to be told that this will be his profit from engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, one will say, “I consider it darkness, not light”...
It’s like the example of the bat and the rooster. The rooster knows what bestowal is, what day is, and says “the day is mine. I wait for this day, this bestowal to clothe in me, to acquire this form.” That’s why I’m called the “rooster” which in Hebrew stems from the word “manhood” “overcoming.” And the bat, why do you think it’s for you? If you want to gain, it’ll be the opposite. You only get greater darkness if the form of bestowal comes to you. It’s like forcing you. It’s like the worst thing for your desires. So the day will be darkness.
That’s why you first have to change one’s attitude to the attributes of reception and bestowal, and that he will want the right spirituality, the right interpretation. And then according to his desire, when he wants it as much as he can within his egoistic desire, to make the necessary effort, this will be called Kishui—readiness, tension.
He hasn’t reached Zivug (coupling) unity yet but craves it greatly, as it is written, to the same place, to the same woman to the same times— Olam, Shana Nefesh as Baal HaSulam interprets . All is aimed correctly, but there is still an egoistic element there because he can’t change that. But the interpretation is most correct, of spirituality, as bestowal, as giving. So when he comes to that he crosses the Machsom (barrier).
Question: Baal HaSulam wrote that one must exert greatly. What is this great exertion?
There are three things which we interpret that can help us: work in circulation, being in the group, and in the study. These three things come and are concentrated during the study which incorporates the dissemination and the work in the group.
During the study, if a person can unite the effort he gave to dissemination to bring the world in general to knowing the Creator, to adhesion with the Creator, by which he wants to express his willingness to bring contentment to the Creator, that’s the most external thing of all. Afterwards, with love of friends, when he understand that it’s the Kli and that from within the Kli he can realize himself as a tiny part, an individual soul from the system of Adam ha Rishon where only according to the condition of the Arvut can he be awarded the revelation of the spirituality in him. When he is equipped with these two exertions, he reaches the main effort during the study.
Why is he coming to the study? Because he wants to. He directed himself correctly toward love of friends, and love of the world to bring this whole Kli to bestow upon it, to help it as much as one can to reach adhesion with the Creator. If he has these inclinations it’s called “praying for his friends,” etc. then his study is correct. When his desire during the study is in equivalence with the Upper Light, which shines from the Holy Books, the true sources, then this Light influences him because he wants this bestowal to be as a change of his attributes toward bestowal. It is effective, it works. This is called “working on the quality of the effort” when he prepared himself correctly to be as close as attuned as he can to the Light that reforms. He now interprets correctly as to what reforming means.
And then it still depends on the quantity of the study, the quantity of dissemination, the quantity of work in the group, and the quantity of the study which is, as Rabash would say, “many pennies make a pound.” There is a question of habit in it too. It’s connected to our time, to the time in this world. It means that this process is a cumulative one, and accumulates in a person until he has sufficient strength to reach the power of the readiness, the power of the thrust, and against his desire, to reach the importance of giving so that he will really want it to dress in him.
Then he will say “this is called darkness in me and not Light since this knowledge brings one to darkness.”
Question: How can one be constantly in an inner split and see which one speaks in him—the point in the heart or the heart—and constantly criticize himself?
We need to understand that there are questions which awaken in everyone. Sometimes I hear a nice answer to this question, sometimes I succeed in giving an answer myself. Perhaps my teacher has sudden insight and somehow gives me an accurate answer. Perhaps he doesn’t find an answer or I don’t find an answer or it doesn’t work on me.
Questions and answers are a changing thing. They’re not important. The truth is, there is a form of study in Kabbalah where there are no questions and no answers, because it’s just to calm the egoistic desire or the conscience of something. Perhaps there is also some kind of temporary satisfaction and that blocks a person and he remains an empty Kli. There are arguments both ways.
With our answers, we try to provide an explanation that will give you a perception of the whole system. That’s what I try to do. I admit that sometimes by doing that, in every situation, a person’s desire is blocked by that and it’s like stealing.
Before we ask a question we have to accept that we will not get an answer or will not understand an answer, or that we’ll not take it seriously at all. Along the way, if there are or aren’t any questions or answers, it doesn’t affect the process. A person doesn’t progress and learn according to this intellectual fulfillment that he receives through his ears from someone else.
I agree to answer the questions because I want to prepare teachers from the audience here. If it hadn’t been for that need to make those sitting here teachers and lecturers, I would not answer the questions. Why all this intellectualizing? So you have a question, so what? You move on with the same lack. What’s so bad about it? You can’t continue? How many questions do we have in our lives and we still continue. We go on living. So that’s one. Two, what was your question? Or maybe it doesn’t matter now?
Question: How can one constantly examine himself of what speaks within him—the point in the heart or the heart?
A person can constantly self-criticize only on condition that he feels the importance in it. Importance can come from either vessels of reception or from a thought. It is possible that in my vessels of reception I don’t feel pleasure from criticism. Let’s say I have high blood pressure and it’s important to me to measure it ten times a day. I have no pleasure from that, but I do have importance, fear and anxiety, I have to know where I am at. Otherwise God forbid, etc. So either the criticism brings pleasure or importance.
We cannot have pleasure in our way, from self criticism, because we criticize our will to receive. We say how bad it is, how obstructive it is to our progress, etc. If it is important to me to reach the goal, bestowal, adhesion with the Creator, etc. then I will certainly criticize myself every time. That is why it’s the work of the society to give me the importance of criticizing the progress. It will put me in the situation where I’ll constantly ask myself what is with me. Otherwise I won’t.