Stem Cells Of The Soul

Dr. Michael LaitmanNothing disappears in spirituality. On the contrary, the differences between the souls become even more vivid. Every particular soul possesses special qualities that create the entire wealth of perceiving the Creator. This happens precisely by virtue of connecting with the opposite qualities of other souls. That is how the mutual perception of the Creator becomes 620 times greater than the perception of a separate soul.

The size of our spiritual vessel (Kli) is not defined by its quality, but quantity. That is why every soul is revealed more powerfully and uniquely. This is similar to stem cells which are universal and can be used like building blocks to build everything else. The heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs can all be built out of this basis called the stem cell.

The same thing is true in spirituality. For now each of us lives inside the “stem cell” of his own soul. Later we will begin connecting to the general system, the group, or the system of souls that we reveal in the group, and by attaching them to us, we will then connect to the Creator who becomes revealed in the system of souls. That is when we will also begin to attain ourselves: Who we are, what we belong to, what our soul is, what my mission is, and what my main quality is out of the entire sum of qualities accompanying it.

Therefore, when we advance in spirituality, every person becomes more and more connected with everything, but at the same time he stands out more and more, becomes more unique because by connecting with others, he increases his own “stem cell.” That is why Baal HaSulam writes in the article “The Freedom” that every person must develop, rather than suppress, his unique qualities. By virtue of every person’s uniqueness, we will attain a huge, perfect vessel of the soul in which we will be able to perceive the entire spiritual world and the Creator 620 times greater than at the beginning of creation.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/1/10, The Zohar

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Through The Virtual Reality To The Upper Reality

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What does this system called “the spiritual stimulator” give to a person? Why does it attract people so much that it turns into a “Tamagotchi”?

Answer: This system gives a person the future and sustains him in the present. It gives him a sensation of rising up above death. You start to feel that you care for the system that holds you and “nourishes” you, and that it is your eternal “infusion.”

You really feel that you exist in a different reality. You start to experience this reality as being higher and more powerful than our own, and not in spite of our reality, but thanks to it.

You perceive our reality as the means by which the Upper Reality exists. You experience such a combination of the two worlds that you have a crystal clear understanding of how much you should use this world in order to strengthen the world to come in you.

This is not a virtual society that we created, but the reality in which the Upper Force exists and depicts this life, our world or reality, for you, and it now helps you to enter the Upper Reality.

We have to go through all these changes in order to reprogram ourselves to feel the higher realm through this world. The gradual development of our “stimulator” will enable us to actualize this. That’s because all of our natural development takes place through playing. That is how we rise to the next level. We don’t understand how it happens, but we ascend and develop.

That is why the “spiritual stimulator” will become an enticing game for everyone.

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My Spiritual Simulator – 09.01.10

Spiritual Simulator: Questions of the Day

Kabbalah For Beginners “Spiritual Level” – 09.01.10

Kabbalah TV Channel 66’s Kabbalah for Beginners, “Spiritual Level”
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

The Shooting Of "The Zohar" Movie Has Begun!

Dr. Michael LaitmanBnei Baruch started shooting "The Zohar," a full-length, historic film based on the script written by Semion Vinokur. Months of preparation went into this event: a group of decorators led by Gia Basilaia made costumes that live up to the standards of the world’s best movie studios; all the attributes of the Roman army were recreated thoroughly; an ancient stone road was found. The scene was filmed with participation of the Bnei Baruch Israel students.

An in-depth study of The Book of Zohar strenghthens the desire to spread the knowledge about the Book and tells the story of its creation and unprecedented importance for humanity. This movie is a unique opportunity to achieve this goal. Let’s think together about the success of this project!

The Battle And Unification Of Opposites

Dr. Michael LaitmanState 1 (our present state) is “bestowal” to oneself, which is comprised of our pleasure and the desired fulfillment. State 2 (the state we wish to achieve) is bestowal to the Creator, which will constitute pleasure for us. And herein lies the contradiction.

In “bestowal” to oneself, the action itself, the work, and the reward are all in one direction, in one line. Therefore, it is called the Direct Light, and everything is clear to us here. The beginning, the end, and the achievement of this final goal are directed in one direction: toward me.

But if I wish to delight in bestowal to the Creator, then the problem of opposite intention and result emerges. I need to correct the intention, and it’s against my desire! Bestowal to the Creator should turn into reception of pleasure for me. And I must enjoy since that is the plan of creation. Yet the enjoyment should come from bestowal, and this is completely opposite to me!

The purpose of creation is pleasure, and the correction of creation is bestowal. However, these two conditions contradict each other. This is the main obstacle and difficulty of our perception, which constantly blocks our path, depriving us of an opportunity to realize what was planned.

We have to exert great effort and perform enormous work on the one hand, and yet on the other, its outcome does not depend on us; it is given from Above. Meanwhile we only reveal our desire through our work. We don’t acquire the goal, but rather, obtain the Kli, the vessel that can hold it.

Therefore, these two opposites (bestowal to the Creator and the pleasure derived from it) will unite only from adhesion with Him. And only the Upper Light, which changes our nature, can bring us to this adhesion.

We need to change from the state in which the heart controls the person (and for this reason Kabbalah considers such a person “wicked”) to a state where a human being in us governs over the heart and thus a person is called “righteous.” And there is only one solution for achieving this: the Kabbalistic group, which is a model, an example, and the framework in which we can check ourselves and see to what extent we correspond to this goal or not.

The group is capable of convincing me that I don’t have anything more valuable than bestowal to the Creator! On the other hand, however, I reach the conclusion that I am incapable of anything, and only the Creator can help me. In this manner I reach the needed desire, a prayer.

However, right now we lack these two polar opposites: Keter and Malchut, the Direct Light and the Reflected Light, the reverse correspondence to the Light and the desire. All of this is contained only in the corrected Kli that has an intention against the desire.

We need to build this model of the first 10 Sefirot within ourselves for the first time. Then we will have the inner structure, like a first cell of a new organism, from which the embryo of the soul will develop.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/31/10, “What Are the Two Actions During the Time of Descent?”

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He Is The Beginning And The End, But I Am In The Middle

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Who is to blame for my downfalls in the final analysis: me or the Creator? Are they a result of my effort or lack thereof?

Answer: It is said about the Creator, “I am the beginning and the end.” “I am the beginning” means that each initial state is not up to a person. Usually, it doesn’t have anything to do with whatever took place previously.

I am not talking about regular folks in whom the “genes” (Reshimot, orders from Above) unwind mechanically and sequentially, and the questions of the purpose of life and attaining free will don’t arise. Rather, I refer to a person who has already received the void to fill and senses it through the surfaced question of the purpose of life. Such a person can fulfill himself by entering the group (the collective system of souls) and analyzing his ascents and descents since this state initiates his spiritual journey.

Everything is evaluated in relation to freedom of choice, not to the state itself. My condition itself doesn’t matter; it can be good or bad. What matters is how I am employing it right now. In other words, only the “derivative” is evaluated.

I don’t change the world, nor do I correct it. I correct my participation in it.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/31/10, The Zohar

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A Guide To The Book Of Zohar: A Lego Toy For All Humanity

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

The connection between us can be likened to a picture that has not only been torn or broken into little pieces, but then incorrectly reassembled. If there were no connection between us at all, that wouldn’t be so bad, but the breaking has created a negative, egoistic connection. What is the reason for this? This negative connection between all parts of nature is “help against us” as it enables us to discover the Creator’s nature from outside of Him.

Without this negative connection between us, we would not be able to discover that the type of connection between us determines everything, and that it is the cause of all good and evil in the world. If this connection were good, we would not be able to attain the Creator for we would be inside of Him. And if there were no connection between us at all, we would not be able to reveal the reason for the evil in our lives.

By revealing that the connection between us is evil and is the cause of our suffering, we can transform it into good. So much so that, with the help of suffering that pushes us forward, we reach the Creator. Then we realize that otherwise we could not have reached Him.

Similar things sometimes take place in our life: There arises a situation which brings us closer with others. Before, there was no close bond between us; we were distant to one another although considerate and respectful. However, for some reason, we suddenly ended up together, bound by a common cause or problem.

We were brought close together, and now we begin to discover how different we are and how we clash with one another. That is when the evil becomes revealed between us. The evil has always existed, but wasn’t revealed until now.

When we discover that the connection between us is evil, we typically try to distance from one another. However, if external conditions don’t allow for this, then we have no choice but to correct the relationships between us.

Is this not reminiscent of the state of humanity in our days? In the past, the connections between the nations were weak, and every nation was connected to only a small number of other nations. There was no real connection between us, and that is why the evil was not revealed.

However, with time, human society has become global, and everybody has been bound to and is affecting everybody else. We have nowhere to run from each other, so the hatred between us is being revealed. Yet, the same hatred will force us to correct the relationships between us.

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Which Way To Go?

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe egoistic desire constantly chases delight and knows no boundaries, thus leading itself to death. There is no way for it to survive. Even within the complete righteous, the still, vegetative, and animate degrees strive towards and approach death.

This is our whole life: From the very moment of birth we begin to move towards death. The egoistic desire is unable to exist in any other form since it nourishes itself from death rather than life.

However, we can acquire the desire to bestow. It is completely separated from our egoistic desire to receive and represents the soul that exists apart from the body, regardless of whether the body is dead, alive, or born again. All of these states occur solely at the level of this world, while the soul lives in the spiritual, Upper World.

In other words, we are now transitioning  to an entirely new type of existence, which is not associated whatsoever with our previous ways of life. We will not be able to continue based on previous education, culture, or values unless they are directly necessary for our essential bodily needs. So-called “human” values will simply cease to exist because we will no longer find fulfillment in them. And on the animate level we will exist as all animals do, consuming no more than is necessary for life.

Thus, the whole life of humanity will change radically, and no one will force us to it. Rather, all these fulfillments – be it fashion, movies, or mass media – won’t give us the sensation of life. It will be reduced to the necessary existence of the body, and for everything else people will search only on the truly human level. It is a qualitative change that has never previously taken place.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/30/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot

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Kabbalists On Kabbalists, Part 14

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

Following the Paths of Kabbalists

As far as spiritual life is concerned, there is no natural obligation on the individual to abide by the society in any way. On the contrary, here applies a natural law over the collective, to subjugate itself to the [spiritual] individual [in order to thereby reach the goal themselves].”
– Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom

While most of humanity is undeveloped, and the developed ones are always a small minority, if you always determine according to the will of the collective, which are the undeveloped, and the reckless ones, the views and desires of the wise and the developed in society, which are always the minority, will never be heard and will not be taken into consideration. Thus, you seal off humanity’s fate to regression, for it will not be able to make even a single step forward [toward the mandatory goal of their creation].
– Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”

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