Don’t Wait Till You Are Forced To Evolve

Dr. Michael LaitmanIf we fail to awaken the world to spiritual evolution, to the Light that shines ahead, it will be pushed from behind by suffering and thereby forced to advance. This path is very long, till torment forces man to contemplate why he suffers and what to do. Imagine how long it will take and how much pain it will bring!

However, if we somewhat assist mankind’s development by disseminating the science of Kabbalah, we quickly instill advancement and avoid all these blows. We know that everything that occurs at the inanimate (still) degree equates to a single act at the vegetative one. Everything that happens on the vegetative level is equal to a single act at the animate one. Just think about the difference between these states.

There have to be wars, torment, and horrific disasters in order to move us one step up, onto the higher degree. Instead, we can draw the Upper Light and avoid all these problems at the level of this world. We can replace a decade of suffering with our one minuscule individual effort toward spiritual advancement with the help of the Light.

This is how great the difference is between the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking levels of nature. Hence, we must take serious responsibility for the opportunities handed down to us.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/4/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot

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Kabbalists On The Essence Of The Wisdom Of Kabbalah, Part 16

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

I am not an enthusiast of formative philosophy, since I dislike theoretically based studies [conjectures of the human mind, not founded on practical studies], and it is well known that most of my contemporaries agree with me for we are too familiar with such foundations [we have suffered throughout our history], which are rickety foundations [not based on practice]; and when the foundation fluctuates, the whole building tumbles [this is why philosophy is constantly changing, thereby exposing its past fallacy].

Therefore, I [as a Kabbalist and not a philosopher] have come here to speak only through critique of empirical reason.
– Baal HaSulam “The Peace

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Sacrifice Is A Way To Approach The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom Rabash’s article “The Matter of Root and Branch”: It is important to separate the internal from external. An external branch has to match its spiritual root, but an internal branch can abide without its external root.

In order for “the Land of Israel,” which originates from its spiritual root “Malchut” (the Creator’s governance), to set in the human heart, it is not necessary to physically be in the Land of Israel. A person may be granted the Creator’s presence (Shechina) and be worthy of great attainment while staying outside Israeli boarders like all great Kabbalists who lived abroad.

“Internal” stands for the work in the heart that has nothing to do with “external.” But at the same time, “external” is also extremely important. For example, there is a law that one should pray in a “Minyan” (ten men), but it is redundant to check on the level of spirituality they have attained; any ten men can pray and read from the Torah. But nine perfect, righteous men are prohibited from praying together.

Material actions (“branches”) shouldn’t be confused with corresponding spiritual actions (“roots”). Earthly actions (traditions of this world) have nothing to do with the spiritual level of a person and by no means can define it. Anybody can bring sacrifices to the Temple, but only a few are able to make “spiritual sacrifice,” meaning the correction of their egoistic desires by the Upper Light.

Any person is able to distinguish between those desires that can be shifted into bestowing ones (“sacred”) and raised to the level of bestowal (“Temple”), meaning to raise Malchut to Bina. Malchut stands for a “house,” Bina for “sanctity.” Malchut rises to Bina, thus creating a “House of Sanctity” (a Temple) in Bina.

All “internal” actions that a person performs within the property of Bina are called “sacrifice.” With the help of the Light, a person manages to transform his “inanimate,” “vegetative,” and “animate” desires into altruistic, “speaking” level desires.

The correction of each desire happens consecutively by undergoing three impacts of the Light: “Kohen,” “Levi,” and “Israel,” thus bringing it to similarity and merging with the Creator. It is called “to sacrifice” (Korban), meaning to become closer (Karov) to the Creator. These steps of correction define the spiritual height of a person.

Physical implementation of actions that are related to spirituality but look irrational in this material world are called “commandments,” that is, traditions or rituals (Minhag). They don’t depend on the fact as to whether a person has attained spirituality or not, or whether he is planning to make corrections in his spiritual roots.

In our world, we can undertake certain material actions that reflect spiritual deeds, but they are in fact just folklore traditions. They do not correct us or our desires and we can determine this by watching people who observe them.

In order to correct our desires, we have to connect with the Upper Light which in turn alters them through the intention to bestow.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/1/10, Article, “The Matter of Root and Branch”

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