Connecting All The Worlds

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Is a man’s wife one of the "neighbors" or "friends" who he needs to “love as himself?”

Answer: Our life in this world is arranged so that we have to connect for the sake of the spiritual goal in our families too. This is a consequence of the highest and brightest spiritual root, and it applies to every person in the world.

As a result of the breaking, our souls have separated and become opposite to one another. This applies not only to the “man – Creator” or “group –  Creator,” but also to the “husband – wife” pair. We have come to the stage of the breaking of the family unit, so spouses, too, will have to realize the principle of “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

It works between a husband and wife the same way as towards other people. And when a husband and wife will merit this connection, Shechina, the Creator, will dwell between them. This means that in all their actions from the most material to the most spiritual one, they will strive to remain in one intention: to be connected only through mutual bestowal, the Creator.

Every person can reveal this, and this is precisely why the Creator divided the first man into two parts: Adam and Eve. This opportunity is already preset in every married couple in this world. I am convinced that we must correct this area. After all, until we bring all the corrections to their completion on the lowest degree, the corrections won’t exist Above either.

It is not enough to feel like we are connected. In this world, we have to connect in all our material things in a perfect form, like in the World of Infinity. And then these two vertexes, our world and the World of Infinity, will connect and everything will return to its perfect state. We need to connect these two worlds: the highest one and the lowest one.

For this reason, everything needs to be happening in accordance with the spiritual laws both in family life and in one’s attitude toward children and adults. And of course, when a husband and wife both study Kabbalah and are able to reach this kind of attitude and intention toward one another, this reveals opportunities to do one of a kind work that is possible only with a spouse.
[22129]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/28/10, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”

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The Intention Is The Thread To The Future

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is intention, a thought or a feeling?

Answer: Intention is my connection to the end of the action. I need to stretch the binding thread from me to the end of the action: Now, I intend to disclose the place where I will reveal the Creator by acquiring the equivalence of form.

In other words, right now, I intend to reveal the force of bestowal in myself to the extent that I can, and in this force that I obtain, I will reveal Him. Then, the force of bestowal will emanate from me, and the Creator will be revealed. A connection will arise between us called “mating, coupling” (Zivug), unification, or adhesion.

I imagine this desired state for myself, and this is called my intention. It is what exactly that I intend to achieve, what future state I picture for myself, and wish for it to occur.
[21970]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/10, The Zohar

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Kabbalists On The Language Of Kabbalah, Part 9

Dr. Michael LaitmanDear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Law of Root and Branch

Each of the manifold still, vegetative, animate, and speaking in this world have their corresponding parts in the world Above it, without any difference in their form, but only in their substance [receiving in this world and bestowal in the Upper world]. Thus, an animal or a rock in this world is a corporeal matter, and its corresponding animal or rock in the Higher World is a spiritual matter, occupying no place or time. However, their quality is the same.

And here we should certainly add the matter of relation between matter and form, which is naturally conditioned on the quality of form, too. Similarly, with the majority of the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking in the Upper World, you will find their similitude and likeness in the world Above the Upper [the Highest]. This continues through the first world, where all the elements are completed, as it is written, “And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.”
– Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence
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Preserving The Spirit Of Life

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What are the signs of a good connection between friends?

Answer: The spirit of life between them, elation and inspiration regardless of the current states all point to a good connection between friends. The Light performs various actions on us, disclosing hatred, separation, and the breaking between us. It then corrects us. Then it reveals the breaking again and corrects again, and this continues until we become completely corrected.

We understand that we go through various states on this path; some of them are more pleasant or understandable than others. We always justify them since they come from the One who is good and does good, and there is none else besides Him. We just try to maintain the unity and keep up the general spirit: our spirit of life.

This is, in fact, the desired state. All 125 spiritual degrees are situated precisely here, in maintaining the connection and the spirit of life above the ascents and descents. When separation or unity are revealed between souls, you reveal the whole story of the Torah, which you have to go through yourself.

You reveal the evil inclination there: Egypt, exile, and their cause, the whole depth of the evil that arose from the breaking, and the order of corrections. You reveal the actions that lead to unity there, the “patriarchs” and the “sons.” You discover the souls, meaning our parts which are interconnected to some degree. You reveal the whole history that you read about in the form of processes that you are going through. You identify yourself with every soul and reveal its path of correction.
[21954]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/10, “They Helped Everyone His Friend”

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Spirituality Begins With The Breaking

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: A “blessing” is the force of Bina, which comes from Above and raises the souls. Does the notion of a "blessing" apply to the relationships between friends or souls?

Answer: No, there is only support between friends or souls because I cannot give another person the force of bestowal. I can only help another with my support so that he may acquire this force from Above, the only source of strength and correction.

However, without the help of my friend in creating a common desire (called "MAN") for mutual connection and for revealing the quality of bestowal (the Creator), I cannot appeal to the Creator concerning correction. I myself lack the desire to appeal to Him. This desire needs to come from revealing the lack of connection between my friend and me.

Therefore, we have no choice but to reveal the states between us and raise them toward correction. In order for this to happen, I need to reveal these states as evil, sense the vital need to see them as good, acquire the force of faith, and be confident that I undoubtedly can make an appeal, that I have to Whom to appeal to and the support of the group.

Yet, this is only the case if I appeal with the force received in the group rather than on my own. Only if the group supports me, and we reveal the lack of connection in it, the breaking between us, then I use both its support and its breaking. In other words, I take all of the support towards achieving correction along with everything negative and appeal to the Creator with it.

This means that each of us appeals personally, but each appeal is made with what one took from the revelation of the breaking and with mutual guarantee. And with these two forces, one raises an appeal to the Creator.

Then this appeal is called “MAN” (Mayin Nukvin, the waters of Nukva). It has the power of support and mutual help, which they wish to express to each other, and it has the power of their desire to correct the breaking, purposely prepared for them by the Creator. It turns out they are what connects to spirituality, to the Creator since their mutual support is already a connection to spirituality, and the lack of fulfillment that they reveal is a lack of connection, the breaking.

On one hand, their MAN has the force of mutual bestowal and support, which they are willing to express to each other. However, they are still the Nukva, which is the revelation of the mutual breaking where there is no real power of bestowal. Then this works since they have what is needed to appeal to the Creator.

Nothing material pertains to correction, spirituality, or the breaking. Initially we don’t have anything spiritual that needs to be corrected because without revealing our broken relationships, we have nothing to work with. Spirituality begins with disclosing the breaking.
[21974]
From the 2nd part of the DailyKabbalah Lesson 9/26/10, The Zohar

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My Spiritual Simulator – 09.29.10

Spiritual Simulator: Questions of the Day

Husband And Wife: Where Is The Creator Between Them?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Please elaborate on the type of connection in a family of which it is written: “Husband and wife, and the Creator (Shechina) between them.”

My Answer: This means that I want any connection between the two of us to be actualized through the Upper force, that I wish to regard my spouse as a partner given to me by the Creator. It’s just like Adam asked after his transgression: “Was it not You who had given me this woman?” Therefore, in a man’s attitude toward his wife dwells the Creator, and this is something we will yet reveal.

If a husband and wife are interconnected, this becomes a powerful means for revealing the Creator. It is a great fortune if a person is provided this field of work. And one doesn’t need a lot of time to realize it, only a few minutes a day. The rest of the time he has to devote to the group and the study.

Every connection transpires on its own level, but they are all united in that their sole purpose is to reveal the Creator. With respect to the friends in the group, we want the Creator to dwell among us. Herein lies the purpose in unifying into a group as well as a family. These are the different levels of connection with the same Shechina, and everybody who exists on the other side of Her (my wife, the group, the friends, and the whole world) are, in fact, parts of my own soul.

Regarding a wife, it is written that the Creator took a part of the man’s soul and made a helper against him. Similarly, the entire world is set against me as a result of the breaking as “help against me.” All this is part of my soul as well. Presently, I feel all this as external and separate from me, but thanks to the Shechina and the Creator’s presence, it all merges for me into a single whole. If I draw the Upper Light, the Creator, the middle line, He will unite all of it into one.

If we examine where the deepest and soundest connection is made – between a husband and wife, the friends in the group, all of humanity, or the entire universe – the innermost connection is found between a husband and wife.
[22126]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/28/10, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”

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Were You Awaiting Salvation?

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter VeYechi (And Jacob Lived),” Item 462: Happy are the righteous who are rewarded with that upper light, the illuminating mirror that shines to all sides, to the right and to the left. Each of those righteous receives in his share what he should, meaning receives according to his actions in this world. And there are some who are ashamed by that light of which their friend received more to illuminate.

We want to know all of these details, to understand where they are situated, where the root and the branch of every word and its spiritual quality is. We look for all these gradations of qualities that The Zohar speaks of within ourselves.

Obviously, they are all found only within us, at the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking levels of our desires. We perceive only the reality that exists inside our soul. Even now, we remain inside our soul, inside this Kli (desire); all the phenomena occur in it.

However, alongside this inner search, we must always remain hopeful that the Surrounding Light will influence us and open our eyes. It is not with our reason that we wish to reveal the Upper World, to find all the gradations of its qualities, and to get our bearings in the common soul. Rather, what we want is for the Light of correction to shine upon us. This is referred to as “awaiting salvation.”

It is said that after death the soul “in the heavens” is asked only two questions. “Did you study the Torah (did you draw upon yourself the Light that Reforms)? Were you awaiting salvation (for when this Light will correct you)?” We must always remain in this intention.
[22115]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/27/10, The Zohar

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Sustenance During The Time Of Preparation: Tasteless But Nutritious

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How do I come to a state when I ask and concern myself with one thing only? How do I worry only about finding the place of the Creator’s revelation so as to delight Him and to yearn for it, both in the heart and mind?

Answer: Such a state is superhuman; it is above my nature. I am unable to achieve it, and I want nothing to do with it. I do not foretaste anything I would feel if I were to reveal the Creator. When speaking of preparing a place for Him, of bestowing to Him, I, as if, chase away all possible pleasures, leaving behind only a stale aftertaste.

So how do I change my attitude? After all, the place of the Creator’s revelation needs to exist in my desire. I need to wish for it in my very bones; I need to want to feel the Creator’s delight.

In order to make the object of my concern something opposite to myself, I have to change myself. And the Kabbalists say that there is a force in the world that can do that. But first I must prepare and make the request; I must perform the work that truly depends on me, not something superhuman, but work that is within my reach.

And so I begin the preparation with others like me, via the correct study and environment. Here, every action is within my power. The sensations may not be entirely pleasant, and I may be constantly searching, but I still find the fuel to advance.

I fuel myself with false states, primarily working off envy. When I look at the friends, I get jealous. They are better and smarter than I am. Perhaps some of them are already sensing the spiritual reality. Who knows, I may be sitting next to somebody who’s already there, while I am still mired in ignorance.

If we gather the means that the Kabbalists speak of,  try to apply them to our environment, and rise above reason with the help of envy, then we truly begin to correct the Shechina, the very place in which we will receive the Creator’s revelation for His benefit.

This feat is possible. I must merely carry out as many mechanical, tasteless actions as I can by lowering my head before the environment. In this “submission” to the friends lies the key to success.
[22041]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/27/10, “What in the Work, is Israel Who Exiled Divinity, is with Them”

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Not All Means Are Good

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How do I soften my heart?

My Answer: You can do it by working in the group, through the examples we show one another, and by the Light that we want to draw during the study. There are no other means. Don’t look for means of spiritual advancement where there aren’t any: in psychology, other methods, or sciences. The entire work is done in the group.

There are the friends, and there is the study. The more we realize the advice of the Kabbalists, the more “assets” we will accumulate. There is nowhere to run from the place of the breaking, the place of our interconnection. By locating it, we will reveal the full depth of the spiritual system’s breaking that exists only between us. It is also here, between us, that we must discover unity, the spirit of life, joy, and aspiration toward the goal.

There are no other places to look. The key lies in our mutual aid. I must learn from the examples of others and show them examples in return. We must read about it together. By distracting ourselves in searching for recipes other than what the Kabbalists have left for us, we will only increase our confusion. There are no other means than the books, the teacher, and the friends.

Together, we have to look for the opportunity to reveal our connection or lack thereof, to reveal the need, the mutual guarantee, the energy, mutual support, and the Creator among us. If we focus all our work and fixate ourselves only on this place, we will achieve the result very quickly. Either we surrender and retreat, or we finally make it through this narrow pass and reach the goal.
[21952]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/10, “They Helped Everyone His Friend”

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