The Lessons Of Natural Disasters

Dr. Michael LaitmanLooking at natural disasters, we do not see their real reason. We understand the geological and ecological factors and the phenomena of the inanimate world. But who governs the inanimate world? "The laws of nature," we say. But that’s not an answer.

So, nonetheless, why it is happening? They tell us about the cyclical nature of processes as if it really explains something. In truth, we are steering away from the answer by shielding ourselves with soothing arguments.

However, they don’t appease a person because the problem persists and can resurface the very next moment. Moreover, even if it doesn’t, it remains uncorrected and threatens to turn into a different type of disaster.

It’s not the matter of what will explode or sweep over or where it will happen. The entire world is constantly shaken, and the amplitude of the disasters is growing day by day. We witness the speed and the magnitude of these shocks which assert themselves increasingly sharply and suddenly.

We ought to understand that there is a reason to it: our imbalance with nature. We exist in a global, holistic, and whole system. Everything is united there, and hence we don’t have any other way out: We have to consider ourselves as being absolutely interconnected. The law of a global, integral system is that everybody influences everybody else.

This should be the basis upon which we establish the rules of conduct on Earth. We cannot change human nature, but let’s do whatever is in our power to do. We need to establish the laws of cooperation, mutuality, and reciprocal concessions between the countries, nations, and various organizations. Without these laws, the system will be defunct.

The first step toward observing such laws was formulated by Hillel the Elder: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow." First of all, beware of harming the other. Enjoy what you have, and do not encroach upon the property, freedom, or life of others. Do not look at the others, and be happy with what you have. This is the first condition. This is not unification yet, but by this you stop infringing or harming others. Even if you haven’t yet activated the system for goodness, you stopped using it for evil.

True, today a person is incapable of this. And hence we have to engage in the general education of all humanity. Everyone should feel that he or she lives in a global, integral world and explain to themselves what it means. And it means that I simply can’t count on receiving a personal benefit at the expense of somebody else. It’s unreal, unfeasible.

We have to oblige each country, each nation to renounce forceful measures, up to the elimination of borders and any control over and exploitation of each other. This is a program minimum: There is no need for favors, but everyone should at least understand that if he harms the other, the harm returns to him in a boomerang-like manner, and ultimately he harms himself.

These norms have to be introduced into the legislature, along with the explanatory work and education. Baal HaSulam writes about this in The Writings of The Last Generation. This should be on the agenda of the world government, and not the UN which has no real power.

Here we need specifically a collective government with a real power. If someone does not collaborate with it, sanctions are applied: "You don’t want to carry out the law of cooperation? Then we will disconnect you from the system. Let’s see how you feel yourself in a global world with the pipes blocked." Indeed, not a single country or nation will be able to exist in isolation from the others.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/14/2011 on An Integral World

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Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If a person is not used to the scientific approach, will it be difficult for him to study the science of Kabbalah and The Book of Zohar?

Answer: This makes no difference! Kabbalah is a means every person can use. Any housewife living anywhere at the end of the world will also have to use this science to some extent in order to reveal the root of her soul.

After all, today she also uses this world in some way in order to provide the necessities of existence for herself, to raise her children, and to live. Even for regular family life she needs some kind of connection with the world, and therefore, she has to know how the world is built at least on the simplest level.

In the same way, she will have to reveal the spiritual life. She has no other choice! She will have to cancel herself in some respect in order to acquire this life. She will have to receive the Light of correction and enter the study system. Not one person will be able to avoid this.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/15/11, The Zohar

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620 Bridges From Me To You

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe entire freedom of choice that each of us has, with each of us being a piece of the multi-dimensional “Lego” of creation, lies in revealing our total connection with everyone else to the extent we can tolerate it. Each person connects with all the others with his upper part (Galgalta Eynaim) and his lower part (AHP), and only a point remains of himself in which he wishes to realize his loyalty to those who are above or below him.

We have to go through this realization of our state gradually, by degrees of the desire that awakens in us until experiencing its entire depth (Aviut) in all of its forms. Thus, we continuously reveal the opportunity of a new, more multi-faceted connection with the upper ones and the lower ones.

The empty space that continuously becomes revealed to us in the connection with the upper or the lower ones is the desire that we have to correct. The desire always consists of 620 parts, and therefore, their correction is called “carrying out 620 commandments” with the help of the Light that reforms, which is called Torah.

That is why it is written that every day a person must carry out “620 commandments” by virtue of studying the “Torah.” That means he studies how to use these 620 desires for the sake of bestowal in order to unite entirely with all the parts of creation that are higher or lower in relation to him.

That is how we attain our state: We are in it from the beginning, but we reveal it for ourselves gradually. We receive the force to do this from the environment, meaning from those “Lego pieces” with which we are connected —from the upper parts of our soul, whose AHPs connect with our Galgalta Eynaims, or from the lower parts, with whose Galgalta Eynaims we connect through our AHP.

The Creator always gives us the opportunity to find the forces to advance in this “multi-dimensional” unity. It is always possible to find an empty space in which the Torah will be revealed, the Light and 620 desires that we can correct, and through them, connect with one another. That is how this entire system is arranged.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/15/11, Writings of Rabash

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Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter “Yitro (Jethro),” Item 190: This is an angry man, but not quickly. He detains his state of rest, pretends to be wise when he is not, and always raises his head to look. Outside, he is quarrelsome, but in his home, he is not. He does not regard the Torah, to observe it. People’s words are a burden to him and he responds to them vigorously.

The Zohar talks about the person in us, who is constantly being revealed. There are 125 layers inside of our common desire to enjoy, and each of them contains its own inner layers or states. And each time, inside the new desire a new layer of qualities becomes revealed—a new image of a person in me, the image of my equivalence to the Creator, the image of the Creator inside of me, the image of my similarity and oppositeness to the Creator.

The entire combination of the inner and outer qualities that are present in the Rosh (head), Toch (body), Sof (the endings of the Partzuf of the soul), Kelim (desires) which can be used, and desires which cannot be used for now since there is no screen over them, as well as desires that cannot be used until the full correction, called “Lev HaEven” (the Stony Heart)—the entire aggregate of these desires is called the human in us.

Each and every time, at every moment of my path as I advance toward the state of the perfect human, I reveal the image of the human in me. How can I recognize what kind of person has become revealed in me now and who am I at this moment according to the inner the outer signs that I discover within myself?

By all the various special characteristics that I reveal in the Sefirot of Rosh, Toch, and Sof of the Partzuf of my soul, I can tell which image is now inherent in me. It’s as if I read about myself in my identity card that has a detailed description of my features.

From here I understand who I am and what I am. I get to know myself, meaning my qualities, which of them work for the sake of bestowal, which work against it, which are still egoistic, how much I have restricted them, how much are they in Klipa, and to what extent they are subject to corrections.

All of this is the image of a person and there is nothing besides him. This image incorporates everything.

Therefore, while reading this chapter in The Book of Zohar, we must constantly think about our spiritual states as if stills of a film strip are unraveling before me, continuously revealing a new image of the person in me until all of these images gather together and I attain a single state. However, all of the previous images are also saved. Then, based on all the sins and transgressions, I attain the true, perfect image—the Human who is similar to the Creator.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/16/11, The Zohar

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The Multifaceted Light

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can I control a prayer in the heart when the heart is not corrected?

Answer: If the heart is corrected, there is no prayer! A prayer is an appeal for correction if I feel that I am corrupt, or if I do not feel my own corruptness, then I ask the Light to discern my desires (Kelim) for me, to show me my shortcomings.

Suddenly strangers start telling me that I probably need glasses that I don’t see well. However, I haven’t noticed this before because I didn’t have anything to compare this with.

Thus, I have to ask the Light to show me my corruptness. When I sense it, I will ask the Light to correct me. When I am corrected, I will ask the Light to fill me. The same Light, the Creator, performs all these actions within me. However, He is manifested through different actions in accordance with my appeal.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/13/2011, The Book of Zohar

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A Person Riding A Donkey

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: I understand what you say in my mind, but in my heart I feel that I am completely not ready to cancel myself in order to unite with others. How can I desire this?

Answer: We will never desire to advance to higher spiritual states. And it’s good that we realize this ourselves! A person understands that he does not desire true spirituality on any condition, as opposed to some kind of fairy-tale world he invented where he will fly with angels and do anything he wants, where he will receive total power and see all the worlds from one end to the other.

If we begin to understand the meaning of real spiritual reality, which is above any egoistic benefit, we can only imagine, then obviously we do not want it. We have to understand that all the changes in us are made only by the upper Light that reforms. It has to elevate us and give us new qualities. Only by way of realizing these qualities, by understanding, feeling, and controlling them, will we be able to look at the world through them. That is how I will gradually become a new person.

I will begin to feel that above the animate body with which I identify myself today, a certain equivalence with the Upper One becomes built inside me —a new form or Kli called “the human” in me, meaning “one who is similar to the Creator.” ("Adam," "man," comes from the word "Domeh," "similar"). This person will be riding on top of my “donkey” ("donkey," "Hamor," comes from the word "Homer," "matter"), on top of my previous desires. Thus, a person who has straddled a donkey understands and feels the Creator. But the donkey doesn’t!

This formation of the human in us takes place by virtue of the Light that reforms. It’s not that we desire this on our own, of course not! Our donkey (meaning we today) does not want the human to come! After all, the human will begin to rule over the donkey.

Meanwhile, the donkey wants to receive what it wants. That is why, naturally, today we do not desire the true spiritual state. The more we advance, the more we gradually begin to understand that the spiritual world is completely not what we expected and we no longer want it.

Further advancement is possible only by virtue of the influence of the group, which will imbue us with the importance of spiritual attainment. Only to this degree will we be able to advance, but we will not find the forces to do this in ourselves.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/16/11, Writings of Rabash

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The Tabernacle Is The Place Of Our Spiritual Life

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe weekly Torah portion “Pekudei (Accounts)”describes who takes part in erecting the Tabernacle (Ithamar son of Aaron, Bezalel son of Hur, Aholiav son of Achisamach), as well as the structure of the Tabernacle, the materials used to furnish it, the specifics of how all its accessories and sacred coverings…. After the work on constructing the Tabernacle is completed, they bring it to Moses, and Moses blesses it….

The Tabernacle is our soul. There is nothing more important than its construction since all our work lies in constructing the integral soul, the oneness of all of us. Each of us is a part of the collective soul that is regarded as “Adam” (man or human), and when we build a correct connection between us, it means that we build the Tabernacle.

Kabbalists pass to us the knowledge and the program we must accomplish in the language of branches. When they tell us about trees and rocks, what textiles and metals we must use, and who specifically must do this work or the other, they speak about the four levels of our desire (the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking) and how these desires have to inter-connect. By unifying, we gradually construct the integral soul where we find the presence of the Creator, the upper Light. Thereby, the Tabernacle becomes the place of our spiritual life.

It is written:“I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as a spice.” This means that first, we get to know how much we hate each other. Then, we reform this hate and turn it into love and oneness.

Granted, it is a long path that cannot be described in a few words, but when we achieve interconnection and discover that it is actually the vessel, the receptacle of the Upper Light and spiritual life, we begin to realize what a difficult, delicate work it is. We must, with great accuracy, with a pair of tweezers, assemble this vessel by connecting all people in the world with one another.

We will have to do this, and this work has already started in our generation. We have reached the point when global egoism unfolded in us. Therefore, the method of its correction, the wisdom of Kabbalah, is being revealed as well.

It describes in what way we should be interconnected and how to get to know the upper force, the Light that reforms, which will help us to unify since, as we are, there are no grounds for the connection within us. In the degree of our unification, we will begin to comprehend what the Bible describes because it tells about the degrees of our correction, the establishment of the connection between us.

This description is viewed as a manual on building a house with all its accessories and internal furnishings, but it becomes a sanctuary. Sacred (Kadosh) means separated from our egoism which resides above us. When we unite among us in the union of love, it is regarded as holiness. This is the degree of Bina, the level of bestowal that we acquire by love of others when we unite in mutual guarantee as one man with one heart.

When we gradually arrange such a connection, we merge into one soul yet again and find the Light that fills us, the presence of the Creator. By way of the force that is revealed in the unity between people, you can rise to a higher degree.

This is despite the fact that it takes place in the barren “desert,” meaning a person doesn’t have any more strength, has no place to go, and doesn’t know how to move ahead, yet the upper force is revealed which shows us how to rise higher and higher until we reach the land of Israel, the desire totally aimed toward the Creator. Our egoistic desire becomes fully transformed for bestowal, for the good of others, according to the principle of “love your neighbor as yourself.”
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From the Lesson on Weekly Torah Portion 3/3/2011

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The Point In The Heart Is The Trampoline For Leaping To The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanIf I don’t take forces from the group, then I will inevitably reach the state of total emptiness where I won’t have any forces to advance (and in general, I have to reach this state). That is, I won’t want to advance an inch closer to spirituality the way it appears to my egoistic desire.

Then I won’t know what to do. Should I leave everything behind and go home? But what will happen to me next? Thus, I find myself in a position like a car in idle, unable to force myself to move forward. But I also can’t move in reverse or make a turn to the side because no matter where I look, 360 degrees all around, I don’t see any way out.

A person can remain in this state for years! It continues until he finally begins to understand that the group is the only means, the source from which he can receive the force to “endure” spirituality. And when he receives this force from the group to tolerate bestowal, as well as the understanding that it’s important to go out to attack and conquer this spiritual state, then he begins to advance.

From here it becomes clear that only the connection with the environment opens up the opportunity for us to take a step forward. It’s similar to a seed in the soil that has to absorb all the salts and minerals from the soil in order to grow. The growth of the soul in this person later on will take place under the influence of the forces he received from the environment.

By himself, he has only a Reshimo (spiritual gene). He lived like a “donkey,” existing on the animate level, and then he attained the “neutral” state (like idle mode) where he did not want to keep advancing anymore. This means that his material, animate Kli has exhausted itself like a grain that decomposed in the soil, and from then on there was nothing more he could do.

That is when it becomes clear whether or not he had a point in the heart because now it becomes the only point that separated from the entire egoistic desire! Now it remains alone and a person does not want to advance forward with it. However, if he now attaches to this point the desires and impressions from the environment, the inspiration from the greatness of the goal, then he will be able to advance with that point. There is no other means.

That is why our entire soul is outside of us; it is in all the forces, thoughts, and values that we receive from the environment. All that remains of us is a tiny point, the only thing we have. This point is the means of connecting between our “donkey” (egoistic matter, desire) and the human in us. It is called “the point in the heart,” the drop of the spiritual seed.

Just like there are intermediate, transitional levels between all the levels: corals between the still and vegetative, the mythological “Kelev Sadeh” which is half plant and half animal, and the monkey between the animate and human degrees, so the point in the heart is the means or trampoline for jumping upwards, from man to the Creator!
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/15/11, Writings of Rabash

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 03.16.11

Topic: Attaining the Greatness of the Creator Through the Environment
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “Yitro (Jethro),” “You Will Behold the Secret of Secrets,” Item 182, Lesson 2
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Talmud Eser Sefirot 3, Part 9, Item 8, Lesson 7
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Topic: The Principles of Global Education: #1 Nature Is One and We Oppose It, Lesson 1
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