[Chris]

During one of our recent assemblies in our ten, we were scrutinizing a post from the Rav ‘The Machsom is a Psychological Barrier’ link: laitman.com/2012/10/the-machsom-is-a-psychological-barrier/ . And the views differed, one was:

Once we cross the Machsom, we are in spirituality and ‘He will testify you will not return to folly’, so we do not fall below the Machsom.

The other view contrasts with a “one and done” framing. I’m not focused on the Machsom as a single isolated event so much as on the ongoing process that follows: new desires are continually revealed, and the work is to keep raising them toward correction. So the emphasis, for me, is not on a finished crossing but on the continuous spiritual labor that unfolds from there onward.

The point of contention was from the part of the excerpt:
…
The Machsom is a psychological point that I have to cross, and then I will be in spirituality, in the intention to bestow. Afterwards, when I am beyond the Machsom, I have to raise more and more of my desires and intentions over the Machsom.
Or you can also put it this way: Along with the growing ego in me, along with all the growing pleasures, I raise the point of my Machsom higher; while, on the basis of the desire to feel pleasure, it is revealed as the evil inclination, step by step, I raise the point of Machsom up to Ein Sof until all my desires will really be for bestowal.
It is not important how you put it: to raise intentions over the Machsom or to raise the condition of the Machsom until Ein Sof; what matters is that I am working on correcting the intention to use the growing desires, not for myself, but for others/the Creator.
…

Prior to crossing the Machsom, we are in Lo Lishma and after the Machsom we are in Lishma.

So my questions are what does it mean to cross the Machsom? Is it a ‘one and done’, suddenly you are in spiritually and don’t go back, or does it mean we ‘keep crossing the Machsom’ by raising it higher?

Thank you.

[Author]

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