Kabbalah Moments: Spiritual Jeep

The Whole World Is Inside The Reshimo

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe feel reality if two forces come from Above and act upon something common between them. If they can activate a Reshimo (informational record) to reveal it within us, then they enter it. The Reshimo forms a picture of the world, my state, and then I feel it.

On the other hand, if these two forces are unable to reach the Reshimo in order to activate it and they do not bring it into play, I do not feel the reality. It simply does not exist for me. My whole existence, the whole picture of the world, every state in which I feel myself and the world that surrounds me, is a Reshimo that is activated due to these two forces: the right and the left, reception and bestowal. Like a robot, I feel the realization of the Reshimo within me.

If these forces activate a Reshimo on their own, it means that I have no freedom of will and I exist in this world while being controlled like an animal. All of our reincarnations, our whole history, and our entire development in this world occur in this manner. These two forces constantly affect the Reshimot (plural of Reshimo), showing us this movie of life, scene after scene.

However, life gradually becomes more difficult for me. I’m expected to activate the Reshimo on my own with the help of the two forces; I’m expected to become the middle line, adding my attitude to the influence of the two forces on the Reshimo.

Then, how I see my state and the whole world depends on me. And the only change I wish to see in the world is the presence of the Creator, the force of bestowal and love. In this manner, I realize the Reshimo. This time, it is through my own participation and with the revelation of the Creator, which occurs to the extent that I desire to draw Him into my world.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/10, The Zohar

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He Made Heaven From Fire And Water

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter “Lech Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 4: When the Creator created the world, He made the heaven from fire and water, and they were mingled together and did not freeze. Afterward, it froze and stood in the upper Ruach. This is so because in the order of elicitation of the Mochin, first the two lines—right and left—come out. These are the two points—Holam and Shuruk, which are called “water” and “fire.”

The two lines come to us from Above. Indeed, there are only two forces in creation: the Light and the desire to enjoy that it created. It is only when they unite that all of reality is constructed. Hence, the two forces or properties – the Light’s desire to bestow and the vessel’s desire to enjoy – descend to us from Above, from the Creator. Our task is to react to them appropriately through uniting them within us by creating the middle line.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/10, The Zohar

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Introductory Lecture: “Shechina in Exile” – 07.13.10

Kabbalah for the Nation Introductory Lecture Series, “Shechina in Exile”
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The Light Of The Future State

Dr. Michael LaitmanA question I received: If a Reshimo (spiritual informational record, gene) is a new state or desire that is given to us from Above, then how can our intention change this state?

My Answer: While in a present state, I feel that I can change it. This need to change my perception of the world is roused in me by the Reshimo about the future state. It encompasses all the future states, leaving me just an opportunity to realize it in the property of bestowal or that of reception.

Why do I feel that I have an opportunity to reach the next state? It is because I have a Reshimo de Hitlabshut (information about the Light) and Reshimo de Aviut (information about the desire). The Reshimo de Hitlabshut, information about the next state,  is more elevated than the Reshimo de Aviut: 4/3, 3/2, 2/1, 1/0.

A part of the next state is always present in me. Due to this part, I can realize it (pull myself up to it). In this manner, I achieve changes.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/10, The Zohar

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Answers To Your Questions, Part 14

Dr. Michael LaitmanWhy Is The Creator Concealed From Man?
Questions about the post  “Kabbalists on the Purpose of Creation, Part 17

A question I received: Kabbalists affirm that the Creator wanted “…to create creatures so He could be benevolent towards them since if there is no receiver of the goodness, there is no benevolence.” Also, there is no Benefactor.

It looks like all attainments of the Upper Force and Its qualities occur relative to creation, man who attains or senses. How does the entire Thought of Creation look relative to the Creator Who cannot even define Himself without someone sensing Him? Are we (humans) like receptors of Someone who self-attains Himself?

My Answer: It is exactly as you describe it. The rest can be found in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part One, Histaklut Pnimit.

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What Is A True Prayer Of The Society?

Dr. Michael LaitmanA question I received: What can I ask for society?

My Answer: If the question is posed fundamentally, then it is incorrect to even think that there is a society and that I have to ask for something for its sake. The problem is not lack of food or health. The Creator has an abundance of all of these things and everything comes from Him. What we have to correct is the breaking. We have to attain equivalence of form with Him, and then we will have everything! But if we don’t ask for the most important thing, the reason we are here, then we also won’t have the means to sustain our existence.

The sensation of all suffering, from the most insignificant to the global, comes to us only in order to bring us to the right request. The reason for all ills is the breaking of the common soul into particular souls that hate each other, and therefore, the true prayer of society lies in desiring to unite with everyone. It is when everyone desires to become as one man with one heart once again in order for the law of mutual guarantee to influence us in complete equality and brotherhood.

This should not happen like the Communists did for the sake of a better life in this world, but for the sake of unity with the Creator above our world. Then the Creator, the Upper Light will correct our egoism and hatred by transforming it to bestowal and love. It will unite us all, the desires of the soul, into one aspiration to become equal to the Creator.

By making this correction we revoke the ego that separates us and become equal to Him and unified like Him. All of us together become a vessel that He fills, just as in the beginning of creation in Malchut of the World of Infinity.

That is the prayer of the society.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, 7/13/10, “The Importance of the Prayer of the Many”

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Kabbalists On The Purpose Of Creation, Part 17

Dr. Michael LaitmanDear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. I promise to answer them. Commentaries in brackets are mine.

Why Is The Creator Concealed From Man?

Had He told them about the wondrous things in the essence of the reward [in merging with Him through our similarity in the property of bestowal and love], they would necessarily use and [unintentionally] assume His work [bestowal with intention] in order to obtain that wonderful reward for themselves. This would be considered working for themselves, for self-love. That, in turn, would falsify the whole purpose [of the Creator to make us similar to Him, eternal, free, independent from Him, and perfect].
– Baal HaSulam, Article The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee), Item 29

The Lord is the [property of] absolute benevolent goal. Accordingly, it is the law of the benevolent to do good, and that is what He desired – to create creatures so He could be benevolent towards them since if there is no receiver of the goodness, there is no benevolence. Indeed, in order for the benevolence to be complete, He knew in His sublime wisdom that it is worthy for the receivers to receive it from their own toil. Only then they would have that goodness, and no shame would remain as they receive the goodness, as would be if he were to receive charity from another.
– Ramchal, Klalei Pitchei Hochma ve Da’at (The Rules of Gates of Wisdom and Knowledge), Item 18

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The Breaking Is Part Of Correction!

Dr. Michael LaitmanI received a letter from someone who is complaining that he doesn’t understand anything in the lesson on the Talmud Eser Sefirot. He is outraged at the fact that we suddenly “skipped over” to the middle of the text, to Part 7 in order to study about the breaking of the Kelim (which is a custom Kabbalists observe before the 9th of Av, the day the Temple was destroyed), instead of talking about correction. And generally speaking, he heard that the Talmud Eser Sefirot is intended for people who already have spiritual attainment and that Kabbalists wrote these texts only for each other.

And indeed, Baal HaSulam does say in Item 154 of Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot that Kabbalists write these texts for those who already have spiritual attainment and who understand what the text talks about. Otherwise you will not understand a word of it. If you do not feel the text inside you and experience it as actions taking place within, you won’t understand a word.

It is only possible to understand it with the heart, the desire in which all of this takes place. But if a person still doesn’t have the desire that is able to perform actions of bestowal, then obviously he does not understand a word of what is written.

Nevertheless, Baal HaSulam created Talmud Eser Sefirot in order for it to work as a remedy, on the condition that we desire to attain the state where we will feel it within us, when “man’s soul will teach him.” It is impossible to study the spiritual world theoretically, with your mind. Kabbalists can only advise us on how to ascend to it. When the student does, he reveals the Upper World for himself, and his soul teaches him. Only when a person attains this level does he begin to feel and understand what is being discussed!

It is impossible to study without feeling because man lives by feeling inside desire. We have to study what happens inside our desire in order to feel it inside. Then we will read the book and it will explain to us what we are feeling. It will also teach us how to discern a multitude of shades of feeling inside us.

The science of Kabbalah is the science of knowing yourself. Therefore, it is natural that at first a person does not understand anything. You have to try to attain the sensation! We do not study in order to memorize the text by heart or to understand it theoretically. Our only goal is to attract the Light that Reforms.

From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/10, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 07.13.10

Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “The Importance of the Prayer of the Many,” Lesson 2
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth), Item 6
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 2, Part 7, Item 13, Lesson 9
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 18, Lesson 14
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