Kabbalah Moments: Drilling A Hole

Don’t Wait For The Upper Clock To Strike

Dr. Michael LaitmanFirst of all, let’s thank our ego for bringing up such questions as “Who” and “What.” In fact, they indicate that the Creator, Moshe, and the Pharaoh have met. The Pharaoh dares Moshe: “Who is the Creator for me to listen to His voice?” This is a revelation of the point of “Moshe” in you, the point that comes from the Creator to the “Pharaoh” and evokes these questions in you. Such questions belong on the spiritual dimension, not the corporeal one. Now, you have to move on and cultivate them further.

Do you recall how the Torah describes what happened as a result of these questions? Moshe is scared but has no choice. Time after time, he comes to the Pharaoh with the Creator, and the “Pharaoh” (our egoistic desire) is stricken over and over again. This is how a person evolves.

The Creator admits that He deliberately coarsens Pharaoh’s heart, our ego. Thus, we are suddenly pressed by various egoistic calculations. Our earthly fascinations get renewed, and we feel that this world is full of potential. We think that we can attain great success in it and don’t understand why we had left it behind. Besides, where are recognition, wealth, power, and a chance to establish ourselves in it as the others do?

More such questions will arise, and your advancement will depend solely on the environment. We see that, until all these “Egyptian plagues” have passed, the “nation of Israel” doesn’t become one in us. It takes place only before the very exodus. In the meantime, we must remain strong. We can receive all of the Creator’s Light, the Upper assistance, solely through the environment. It will come from nowhere else.

The Light comes from the Kabbalistic texts. However, if you are not connected with the spiritual environment, they won’t affect you. In order to find the Creator and go to the Pharaoh with Him, you need the environment and the authentic sources.

This is how we should answer these questions even before they surface in us. Don’t wait until the clock strikes and the Egyptian executions begin. Start right now. Plug into the group and build a solid foundation for yourself. If the group gives you the force, you will advance undisturbed by downfalls, and your vehicle will keep leaping forth fueled by this force.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/3/10, Article, “These are the Generations of Noah”

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One Life For All

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is the unity between us that we demand from the Creator when we read The Zohar?

Answer: In truth, we don’t know what unity is. What does it mean to unite? Is it to be friends like in our world, where we connect through common interests, desires, and pursuits, and where we enjoy spending free time together playing soccer, fishing, drinking beer, or working out in the gym? Or, should we be like a solid submarine crew where everyone has gone through hard psychological training and is prepared to die for the others?

Unity in spirituality means something completely different. The spiritual life that you find in such unity is collective. It is similar to that of Siamese twins where, when one dies, so does the other. They can live only as one. There is no division into “mine” and “yours,” or “half for one and half for the other.”

This common life is called spiritual unity since everything that you gain is through the bond with the others. You share one “body.” It is a spiritual vessel called the body of the soul. Inside this spiritual vessel is the Light of the soul; it is one soul. If this oneness disintegrates, the body disappears and the Light with it. As a result, there is no soul or spiritual life.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/4/10, The Zohar

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When Pharaoh’s Questions Overcome Us

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What should we tell ourselves when Pharaoh’s questions overcome us?

Answer: A religious person does not suffer from these questions, he is content by the fact that he receives knowledge by studying the Torah. However, a person who studies Kabbalah constantly checks: Why am I doing this, where am I, and when will I reach the purpose of creation? That is, one exists in a constant state of inner analysis.

The environment that surrounds him also exists within the same circumstances, the same scrutiny, and it influences him. In addition, the environment is not just comprised of people that directly surround him, but of thousands of people all over the world that study Kabbalah and think in one direction. They all move synchronously, as though they are swept up by a powerful wind or by waves of a tsunami that approach one after another.

Therefore, these questions emerge in every person: “Who is this Creator, and why should I listen to His voice? Who am I doing all this for? What does this work give me?” That is, why am I doing all of this? Is it in order to reach bestowal? But what will that do for me?

These questions come from Pharaoh, our ego, and they are very fair and correct. It is written in The Book of Zohar that Pharaoh was smarter than everyone, and the greatest wisdom was accumulated in Egypt. Pharaoh personifies the whole spiritual vessel, the whole desire that was created by the Creator. Therefore, when the Creator wishes to draw the person (Moses and the nation of Israel) closer to Himself, He says: “Let’s go to Pharaoh!” Where else would a person get the desire to reveal who he is? Only from Pharaoh. The Creator says: “I will go with you Myself.”

It is like they have no choice. They need to turn to Pharoah, to get the strength from the egoistic desire since without it advancement is impossible. Where else would they get this wisdom? Only from Pharaoh, from the Light of wisdom, the Light of Hochma that exists in these desires.

Therefore, it is good that Pharaoh’s questions emerge in us. We just need to work with them.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/3/10, Article, “These are the Generations of Noah”

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Kabbalah For Beginners “Love For Israel” – 08.05.10

Kabbalah TV Channel 66’s Kabbalah for Beginners, “Love for Israel”
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Kabbalists On The Essence Of The Science Of Kabbalah, Part 14

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

The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy

Sages of Kabbalah observe philosophic theology and complain that they have stolen the upper shell [external general concepts] of their wisdom, which Plato and his Greek predecessors had acquired [adopted and modified through human egoistic intellect] while [superficially, without delving into the essence] studying with the disciples of the prophets in Israel.

They have stolen basic elements from the wisdom of Israel [as later on other religions have stolen major principles of Kabbalah] and wore a cloak that is not their own [religions dressed their commandments and properties into external prayers, customs, and traditions.]. To this day, philosophic theology sits on the throne of Kabbalah, being hair under her mistress [authentic universal wisdom].…

Kabbalah cannot prove its [superior] nature and truthfulness, and no revelations will suffice for the world to know it before the futility and falsehood of theological philosophy that has taken its throne becomes apparent [to the world]. [Because it is only through clarification of delusions of philosophical theology which are opposite to Kabbalah that humanity will get a chance to attain the essence of Kabbalah].

Therefore, there was no such salvation for Israel [meaning those who aspire to the Creator, Israel = “Isra-El” – straight to the Creator], as when the materialistic psychology [based solely on experience and scientific realistic research rather than conjectures] appeared and struck [with its sensible clarifications and facts] theological philosophy on its [invalid and imaginary] head a lethal blow.
-Baal HaSulam, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy

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The Guide To The Book Of Zohar: Climbing The Steps Of Egoism

Dr. Michael LaitmanExcerpts from my upcoming book, A Guide to The Book of Zohar

Truth be told, we are not very successful at connecting all positive and negative things to the Creator or at understanding that everything comes only from Him and only for the sake of a positive goal. Therefore, our work consists of asking Him for the strength to connect everything to Him as to the only source.

Our ego grows constantly, becoming stronger, worse, and crueler every time. This forces us to turn to the Creator increasingly often to receive continually greater strength from Him to overcome our egoism. This is so that our ego will not confuse us, causing us to think that there is someone else besides Him and that He is not just good and does good.

Thus, due to this growing ego, we ascend higher and higher until the entire egoism that is concealed within us is revealed, and we reach complete adhesion with the Creator by becoming just like Him.

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 08.05.10

Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “The Matter of the Argument Between Yaakov and Lavan”
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth), Item 346
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 15, Item 134, Lesson 8
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 8, Lesson 8
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