Yom Kippur And The Atonement In Every Soul

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe purpose of the whole process that we are going through is the revelation of the Creator. We reveal Him by His actions upon us. For this purpose the Creator creates a system, laws according to which it exists and operates, and man in this system.

Then He sets man and the system into motion. A person has to listen to the influence of the Creator, to what is happening inside him and on the outside because it is all the Creator’s motions. As it is said: “There is none else besides Him.”

If a person agrees that everything comes from Above, from the Creator, he becomes sensitive to everything that is happening inside and around him, to the way that it affects him. Thus a person tries to understand what the Creator wants to reveal to him.

By analyzing all sorts of actions: good and bad, those that are close to him and those that are distant, those that he perceives as good or evil, a person begins to decipher the Creator’s plan concerning him. And when he discovers the great abyss between him and the Creator, the oppositeness of their thoughts, he begins to reveal the two opposites, one in contrast to the other.

On one hand, he feels that he wants to act according to his own nature. But since he has already discovered that it is better to follow the opposite nature, he understands that he should act differently. In such a way he discovers the evil inside him, the malicious thoughts.

But he is happy about it! After all, the more sins he discovers inside him, the more efforts he makes to reveal them, the closer he will come to a true prayer, meaning to the request to correct them. The request for correction is called “atonement.”

The malicious thoughts don’t need to go away, but they should be “sweetened.” That is, we have to acquire a new intention over all our egoistic desires that turn into bestowal.

The discovery of the sins and crimes happens with the help of a great Light, the Light of Hochma (Wisdom), that shines to a person and confronts him with the fact of how evil and opposite to the Creator he is. Then according to his exertion, he can approach correction.

All the corrections, just as all our sins, are the work of the Creator. Eventually, all the sins and their correction, all the Light that we draw to clarify the evil and to correct it, the Light of adhesion, is only to bring contentment to the Creator. It turns out that by revealing the sins and their atonement, a person reaches an embrace with the Creator and then adhesion with Him.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/6/11Shamati #177

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Cursory Thoughts On Shamati, “What Is The Difference Between A Shade of Kedusha And A Shade Of Sitra Achra”

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe shadow means that I am in the dark. I feel impotent. I do not feel the flavor in spiritual work. I do not wish to do anything. I feel tired of everything as if my tires have been deflated. So, what do I do?

If I understand that all of this comes to me for the purpose of advancing me forward and to make room for my efforts, I begin to regard the shadow as a flirtation, the Light playing with me. It conceals itself on purpose so that I would reveal it. It turns away from me on purpose so that I would step toward it.

Through these games, I begin to feel that I am interacting with it. Its concealments serve as an invitation to me. Kabbalists compare it to the way a woman behaves in relation to a man. She conceals herself on purpose so that the man would reveal her. This is the entire purpose of clothes, external appearance, make up, and so forth.

When I discover an invitation in the concealment of the Light to make a little more effort and to show my attitude, inclination, and desire, this is referred to as the holy shadow. However, if I am incapable and the concealment does not attract me, then everything is bland and completely tasteless. “Why do I need all this? Leave me alone; I do not need anything.” It is said that the shade of Sitra Achra (the evil inclination) pushes me away.

The way we advance is with the help of the holy shadow, when we are pushed away by the shade of Sitra Achra. Everything depends on one’s preparation. Even before he reveals the shadow, he is already prepared for the descent, the lack of flavor. He knows its purpose is to reveal his desire for the Light, the Creator, or bestowal.

I can reveal it precisely where I do not have any personal, egoistic interest. This is because my ego is not attracted to it, and there, I can show that I really do not desire the Light for myself. This work is above desire.
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From the 6th lesson at the Toronto Convention 9/18/11

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 10.07.11

Shamati #167 The Reason Why It Is Called Shabbat Teshuvah
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Pekudei (Accounts)” “The 1,775” Item 121, Lesson 6
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Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, Item 9, Lesson 4
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Writings of Baal HaSulam One Commandment,” Lesson 5
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