The Creator gives a person inspiration thanks to which he comes to our community, sits, listens, burns with enthusiasm inside, and looks at the others: “Why are they sleeping? What kind of group is this?”

Then suddenly, after some time—a month, two, or three—the charge runs out, he is exhausted, and he unexpectedly begins to see himself as flawed, to feel that he is drained of strength and unable to move to such an extent that he lies in bed and cannot even move a finger. He is also unable to think; his head is empty; there is not a single thought in it, not even the smallest one.

In this way, from above, you are shown that all energy, all motivations, literally everything is being taken away from you. And then you are given a place for effort, for persistent work. This means that a person is shown where his own work begins, when he must strengthen himself on the path while making colossal efforts.

We interpret such states incorrectly. The Creator gave you something at the beginning; now you must give something back. Then the question arises: “Is a person able to give back or not?” We are unable to give back. It is known that in a state when something is taken from us from above, we cannot independently attain the light that enlivens us.

A small drop that has come out of us is that same life-giving light, the same light of Hochma, but very weak, just a small glow, a slight illumination called a “thin candle” (Ner Dakik). This is the reason for all the disappointments and depressions that we observe today in many people in the world. We are not the source of light; the source of light is only the Creator.

Therefore, naturally, in a state when He takes even a drop of light from us, and we, theoretically, need to make efforts, we are incapable of making them. However, as a result of this, a Kli (vessel) is formed.

But after we come out of the descent and rise up, possessing the Reshimot left after it, then during the ascent a reckoning is made with us. During the descent, there is no demand on us at all; we are simply shown our gaps, the emptinesses that exist within us. But during the ascent, we must already take care to strengthen ourselves even more on this path, to connect more with the group, to connect with all the things necessary for this.

That is, while preserving the memory of what the state was like during the descent, I am obliged to work during the ascent. And here the test takes place: during the ascent, am I in some kind of nirvana when I feel good, everything is fine, the Creator is Good and doing Good for me, there is nothing to do, and well-being is guaranteed? Or do I relate to these good states as an opportunity given to me for further advancement, and then I truly use the Reshimot from the past, from previous descents effectively and productively, as if attaching them to the AHAP de Aliyah. That is, to the ascent that the Creator is now sending me, to this spirit of life, I must attach, add from myself the previous states.

Such work is done during the ascent, and during the descent, there is nothing for me to do. During the descent, I should place myself under the influence of the group in the simplest possible way in order to pass through this state more quickly. Making efforts, choice, and all work in general takes place during the ascent. Baal HaSulam writes about this in the book Shamati in the article that is called exactly that: “The Time of Ascent.”
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/27/26, Rabash, “Lishma and Lo Lishma”

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