A New Fulfillment For A New Need

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe modern person has all the comforts of this world, but we are still unsatisfied – in fact, more so than before. In the past, if a person had a loaf of bread a day, he could not dream of anything more. Compared to that, look at all the things a modern person needs. Yet, is he satisfied? No! And everyone is asking: Why?

Satisfaction is not to be found on the regular, human level, and none of the new toys we get will help. We want to dope ourselves with “stuff,” but the emptiness that surfaces in us comes from a completely different place: our lack of similarity to the Creator. That is why we cannot fulfill it with anything other than the sensation of the Creator!

This emptiness gradually forms inside us and accumulates to a specific measure in order to “explode.” That is when a person comes to understand that he can no longer suppress that emptiness. He has to fulfill it since otherwise his life will seem worse than death. It is impossible to find fulfillment for this desire in this world because it is a need to reveal the Upper World, the Creator!

Yet the body’s protective forces compel us to search for ways to confuse ourselves. People take drugs, alcohol, or fill their lives with empty, fashionable things or trips. Thus, like ostriches, we hide our heads in the sand to escape the problems.

That is how the protective force of our ego operates, wishing to prove to itself that it is fulfilled and to conceal the emptiness that never can be filled. Why think about the things we could never attain anyway and spoil our lives?

But this cannot go on for long! For now we still manage to confuse ourselves on the “animate” level in order to avoid feeling the unfulfilled need on the “human” level. But the cover up will unavoidably blow up.

In different periods throughout history similar states brought about revolutions, wars, and dramatic, tragic solutions. Let us hope that in our case the solution will not be so cruel. In our case, we have to rise from the level of our world, the “animate” degree, to the level of the Upper World, the level of Adam or the Creator. This is not in our power and humanity is starting to go crazy from its own futility.

On our egoistic level it was possible to ascend from one degree to the next by way of revolutions, wars, new regimes or religions, and new technologies such as book printing, the steam engine, the Internet, and so on. All of this provided fulfillment for a certain segment of time, but now egoism has exhausted itself and the need to reveal the Creator demands precisely the spiritual fulfillment. We are revealing a new inner desire: to reveal the One who controls us.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot

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Light Instead Of Medicine

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If everything comes to us through the group, then why is it that when we have material problems, we have to work on them and try to solve them? If you’re sick, then you have to go to a doctor. Why isn’t it enough to simply turn to the group and have it help you on the inner level?

Answer: We are not yet at the level of being able to solve all the problems through the connection with the group. However, in reality it really should work that way. You are asking a very fair question: Why is it impossible to solve all the problems with the help of the Light that Reforms? Why can’t we turn to the group, concentrate a powerful desire there, and let it happen by acting directly upon the Light, the Source of life?

Once, when I had an extremely painful ulcer, Rabash made me sit next to him and study. I could not bear the pain so I was unable to sit there and delve into the text and the intention. I could not overcome the pain and attract the force that would soothe my pain, and perhaps it would have cured it altogether.

Without a doubt, it was my own fault for being so weak. That is why I couldn’t do it and attract the Light when I was right next to my teacher, when we sat and studied together. Since he offered for me to do this, it meant that I was able to! But at that moment I could not.

Returning to your question, once we have a large group, then we will not need any external means or medicines to solve any issues! Medicine acts on the bodily level, whereas we will be able to act directly to fulfill the desire that perceives a lack of fulfillment, experienced as illness or pain. We won’t just be curing the body, but using it as a reason to cure the soul.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot

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My Spiritual Simulator – 09.02.10

Spiritual Simulator: Questions of the Day

There Are Five Worlds Between Us

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What does it mean to reveal The Zohar in our common sensation?

Answer: Nothing is revealed in an individual person, but only in his proper connection with the friends in the group. My first ten Sefirot, the first spiritual vessel (Kli), is my aspiration to come out from myself and unite with others (the group). My spiritual state is determined by how much I will try to create this unification.

There is you and I. Between us, there are five worlds: Assiya, Yetzira, Beria, Atzilut, and Adam Kadmon. When I draw closer to you until the distance between us fades, my state is called the World of Infinity. But not yours. The World of Infinity is when you and I, on my side, become as one whole. Therefore, the extent that I am able to draw closer to you determines the spiritual degree that I am on since all 125 degrees are between us.

We can conquer the distance between us together. This is much more effective because what matters is the unification between us, rather than you or I. I don’t need to accept you, receive pleasure from you, or unite with you. We need to unite together. This unification is in fact the Creator, the third component, as it is written: “Israel, Torah, and the Creator are one.”

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

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Who Is Drilling A Hole In The Boat?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If foreign thoughts come to me while we read The Zohar, does this mean that I am drilling a hole in the boat?

Answer: These foreign thoughts are not yours but “come” to you from somewhere. They don’t depend on you; the Creator sends them. So, relax. You are not drilling a hole in the common boat just with the thoughts that arise in you.

It’s important, however, what you will do with these “foreign” thoughts, meaning, whether you will remain with them and continue to think about them. If so, you will really be making a hole in the boat. Or perhaps you will resist these thoughts and throw them away from you at every given moment while wishing to stay together with your friends who are using all their might to bring this boat to the goal? This depends precisely on you.

This is always the case in Kabbalah: We work on what the Creator sends us, above the circumstances (Reshimot) that emerge. We don’t choose them, and we are not judged according to them. Only our reaction to them depends on us, and we should be judged based on it.

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

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What A Soul Fears

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter “Va Yechi (And Jacob Lived),” Item 152: In the midst of all that, Rabbi Elazar saw that the angel of death departed and said, “No sentence holds where Rabbi Shimon is.” Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar, “Come here and hold Rabbi Yitzhak, for I see that he is afraid.” Rabbi Elazar came in and held him, and Rabbi Shimon turned his face and engaged in Torah.

Question: Why does a soul fear to ascend to its next spiritual degree? If it already sees its corrected state, why does it dread leaving the current one?

Answer: I am not prepared for it, and therefore I fear. The wisdom of Kabbalah often speaks about the awe before the Creator. The state of awe is a spiritual vessel (Kli, desire). It is the same in our case. I am afraid that I am not ready to exist at the level of bestowal in my present state, which I share with the friends and the teacher Rabbi Shimon, who becomes revealed as a mentor and guide on our path.

Suppose a teacher one day tells me that I have to jump from a plane. But I am terrified for I don’t think I can do it. This is an earthly example of how I feel in egoistic properties.

In spirituality, however, we talk about the property of bestowal, where the fear is even greater. I discover that I am not in bestowal and have no strength of my own for it. I am unable to pull myself together (as I would in the material world) and take the next step. It isn’t the same in spirituality, and there is always a question: Will I receive the strength, or, rather, will I be able to ask for it? This fear, the awe, is a very problematic state.

Awe before the Creator is the first commandment. I use it as a foundation on which I build everything else. It’s because I depend on the Creator, the Upper Surrounding Light that I receive. My position at a certain spiritual degree depends on the amount of strength the Light provides for me. And if it doesn’t bring me this strength, I will have none.

How can I participate in this? How close am I able to come with the others? How great is my present capacity to do so? This “death” (for my egoism) must come to me step by step. It has to be accepted by me and turn into life within me, as it is written: “The angel of death becomes the angel of life.”

Spiritual acts (of bestowal) that a person is yet to commit seem an enormous stumbling block. When you think about fulfillment, it is desirable (in our egoism). But when you think about the corrected desire (Kli) where it is revealed, rejection and fear arise: Am I good for it?

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

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Kabbalists On Kabbalists, Part 15

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

Thus you see that in spiritual matters, the authority of the collective [to organize themselves according to their understanding at the earthly level] is overturned [in order to obey the spiritual leader in their mandatory spiritual ascent because they do not and will never have their own understanding of the path to the goal] and [in the mandatory spiritual development of masses] the law of “Taking after the Individual” is applied, that is, the developed individual. For it is plain to see that the developed and the educated in every society are always a small minority. It follows that the success and spiritual well-being of society is bottled and sealed in the hands of the minority [is determined by following the developed individual].

Therefore, the collective is obliged to meticulously guard all the views of the few, so they will not perish from the world. This is because they must know for certain, in complete confidence, that the truer and more developed views are never in the hands of the collective in authority [wealthy and powerful ones, politicians, or external scientists], but rather in the hands of the weakest, that is, in the hands of the indistinguishable minority [the Kabbalists]. This is because every wisdom and everything precious comes into the world in small quantities. Therefore, we are cautioned to preserve the views of all the [spiritually developed] individuals, due to the collective’s inability to tell wrong from right among them.
– Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom

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Concealment For The Sake Of Salvation

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn reality, there is no difference between the Creator and the group; it exists solely in our ego. Only one element is concealed from me: the source of pleasure. That is why I see the group instead of seeing the Creator.

It is, however, done for my own salvation, so that I may develop a selfless relationship with them and not be corrupted by the pleasure they may provide! Hence, pleasure and fulfillment that exist in the group are hidden from me, and I am able to build relationships with them through my free and independent action.

If the Creator revealed Himself and His love to me at once, it would oblige me in everything and annihilate a possibility of my using free will. But in the Creator’s concealment, I remain totally independent: If I feel like being close to the group, I move closer; if I don’t, I move away; I can think whatever I want about them as well. Concealment is a great favor on the Creator’s part; He is doing this for our own good, in order to allow us to construct ourselves.

Concealment lets me remain neutral and assemble my individual character and values. It only seems that I am surrounded by a group of strangers. In fact, it is my own soul, my spiritual Kli!

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/1/10, “What is Day and Night in Work?”

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Choose A Benevolent Future

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: The system of the spiritual stimulator works with people who can realize the principle of “faith above reason.” However, most of humanity cannot act according to this principle, and only very strong blows can force them to do this.

Answer: They still will start participating in it because there is no other choice. We need to somehow rise above ourselves, above our lives, fate, and the forces of nature that compel us to do something with ourselves. We need to act and search for some external, kind governing force which protects and cares about us.

I believe that people will quickly see that there is at least some refuge here. They will sense this with a “sixth sense.” It is written very clearly in Kabbalah that we have no other choice. Either we find a way to unite as one whole and to reach a state of being one society in complete interdependence, mutual help, and, consequently, even mutual love on our own and through the path of the Light, or we will be pushed to do this by the nature around and within us through the path of suffering.

Development of this system and the dissemination of it, its realization for educating children and solving social, family, and other kinds of problems will draw more and more people who now are distant from the goal of Kabbalah. However, both the system and Kabbalah will become meaningful and accepted in the society as a kind and common force for everyone.

It will be a parallel, alternative social system which will not contradict any existing social systems. However, to the extent that humanity begins to understand that this system can be the source of help, support, and a means for a more correct behavior, balance, safety, and so on, people will come here. Gradually, it will become more and more in demand and necessary for humanity.

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Together Through Good Times And Bad

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What should we do if the whole group is in a descent?

Answer: This is wonderful! We need to view it as an opportunity given to us from Above to be “as one man with one heart.” It means we are all together in one desire and one state. This is great because we have succeeded in uniting. Now we can use the force of this unification to change our state.

The Creator gave us the force of unity in the worst possible state where we are most distant from Him. However, His force, the force of unification, is present in this descent. Let us now begin to use this force in order to come out of the descent. We only need to do one thing: Rather than concentrate on the fact that we descended, we should focus on the fact that we are connected as one.

We need to shift our attention from one thing to another, from our temporary state to the system of connection, even if it is an egoistic one. Then we should begin to strengthen the force of unity, even for the sake of egoism. We shouldn’t pay attention to the fact that we are in a state of complete spiritual descent and disappointment. What does it matter that we descended? The most important thing is that we are together since the force of unity belongs to the Creator and comes to us from Above. Unity is His quality.

We have to intensify the inner pressure that unites the friends in the group in the worst possible state. We can be angry toward the state or complain to the Creator, or we can do it without paying attention to the descent at all. As we intensify this pressure more and more, we will suddenly see how the force of unity will begin to raise us up all together.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/1/10, “What is Day and Night in Work?”

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