In the News (from University of Cambridge): The human brain lives “on the edge of chaos,” at a critical transition point between randomness and order. It might be operating in a self-organized critical state – the brain can spontaneously organize itself at a point on the edge of chaos between order and randomness. This point at the edge of chaos allows neurons to jump quickly between different states enabling them to alter behavior as necessary, allowing humans to respond quickly to the environment around them.

Due to these characteristics, self-organized criticality is intuitively attractive as a model for brain functions such as perception and action, because it would allow us to switch quickly between mental states in order to respond to changing environmental conditions.

My Comment: When a person is on the spiritual path, these states are especially vivid: one constantly goes from chaos, confusion, and uncertainty to clarity and confidence.

In Hebrew, the word for evening – Erev, originates from the verb Learvev – to mix. Thus, when one is in the state called, “evening,” the clarity that one felt before turns into uncertainty, confusion and then a total lack of understanding, which is the state called “night.” This is exactly the state when a person is internally preparing for new possibilities and new attainments. It is similar to when our physical bodies rest before a new workday.

In Aramaic, which is opposite to Hebrew, the word for “night” is Orta, which comes from the Hebrew word Ohr – light. This shows that the “night” is also light, but its light is opposite to the Light of day. Therefore, the states of confusion, chaos and uncertainty are necessary in order for one to systemize information and gain deeper awareness of it.

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Shamati #16: “What Is the Day of the Lord and the Night of the Lord in the Work”

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A question I received: When a person is under someone else’s authority, he strives to become free. But when he acquires freedom, he doesn’t know what to do with it. Why does this happen? Where does this come from?

My Answer: This is precisely what happens when we experience hardship and breaks between periods of hardship. In between the difficult periods, everyone gives out a sigh of relief, saying, “Thank God!” It is human nature to feel this way. This is how our ego works, since it needs to understand what is happening, layer by layer.

But a break in between the hardships does not mean that the hardships are over. We have no choice: we have to go through this difficult stage, which is called the Egyptian exile and the ten Egyptian plagues. These changing states will enable humanity to begin to understand that it has to implement a new program if it is to advance. It has to run as fast as it can from the former program – the ego, and completely discard its previous form of existence.

We will then “come out of Egypt,” leaving behind all our previous ways of life, including the systems by which all the banks, industries, and all other systems functioned. We will accept a new program, and we will do so “as one man with one heart.”

This is what the world will be forced to do – to accept the new principle, “love your neighbor as yourself,” to learn it, and to find out how we can all live together by carrying it out.

But how can we do this? After all, we cannot restrain our egos. This is why we require a method, which will allow us to create the proper connections with each other. Otherwise, we will eat each other alive and destroy our entire lives! Hence, we will desire the force that will allow us to unite. And we will then reveal the Light that Reforms – the science of Kabbalah, and this Light will help us to begin to ascend in spirituality.

Related Material:
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When a person approaches midlife, he begins gradually “sliding down” to death. One does not die in an instant just as one does not become an adult immediately. His candle – the egoistic desire that burns in him – fades away gradually.

Until the age of 40-45, one thinks that his whole life is in front of him and that he will be able to fulfill himself. But at the age of 40, one grows disappointed and sees that it’s pointless waiting for big changes to happen in his life. And this is how he begins dwindling.

One’s egoistic desire becomes more and more submissive, accepting of what it has, until the desire to advance disappears completely. Thus, it dies. So it’s not our body that dies, but our desire to go on, which grows weaker.

Is there anything we can do about this? Everyone is looking for ways to live longer. But why do people want this – isn’t there enough suffering for us? Do we want to suffer for 140 years instead of 70? We want this because we are more scared of death than of losing something in this life.

However, if a person is in a society that engages in spiritual development, the society gives him energy and a desire to advance. Thus, he always feels like a child who has many desires. And besides his egoism, he develops a new desire – to bestow. This desire always grows bigger, glows brighter, and never fades.

This growing desire constantly revitalizes a person, so he stays as active and relentless as a child throughout all the years of his life. During the 70 or so years of his life, he will never fade away. And moreover, he will not feel any loss at the death of his physical body, but will see it as a leap to a higher degree with regard to his desires and his soul.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: We Have to Reveal the Magnificence of the System We’re In
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