Hillel’s Rule
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The sage Hillel formulated this rule for those who wanted to rid themselves of their egoistic intention, to come closer to the spiritual world, and to understand the revelation of the Creator and the benefits it brings.
Man is confused. He does not know how to approach this, and he usually relies on being able to use his current qualities and desires that pertain to our world. After all, he has learned things, received an education, and achieved something in life. He thinks that the ascent to the next degree is realized by following the same canon. And this is the problem.
We have become accustomed to the relationship mechanisms familiar to us from early childhood, their recognized laws and traditions. The body subconsciously directs us and brings us to thoughts, actions, movements, and solutions set by the system. We do not understand that the spiritual world requires absolute reevaluation of all foundations. I do not continue the previous path. Instead, I end it and rise to a new vector, a new dimension that I could not even imagine before. This is not just a turn, it is a leap into the unknown.
Once, there was a person who wished to attain bestowal, to go from an egoistic intention to an altruistic intention, from the corporeal world to the spiritual world. He came to Hillel. The person already understood that he was not able to do it on his own and that he could not advance through his own comprehension. After all, spiritual learning is not a university course. It cannot be mastered through books or self-teaching guides.
Hillel’s guest understood that he needed to listen to the sage’s advice and follow it “with his eyes closed.” He understood that this was the only way he could be successful, being that he was unable to see the path unfolding before him, which cannot be seen with egoistic vision. This is why he went to Hillel with his question.
Hillel personifies the collective body of laws, Halacha, in other words, the rules for completing the path (Alicha) toward the purpose of creation. His response was simple: “There is only the main rule: ‘Do not do unto others what is hateful to you.’”
In order to test whether you are on the right track, you constantly, every single moment, need to test yourself in relation to your friend. Can you think about him as much as you think about yourself? Can you pure-heartedly switch places with him and care for your friend the same way you care for yourself? Can you care for your friend the same way you care for yourself? Even if you are criticizing him on the inside, you must rise above it, be above your negative attitude toward your neighbor in all its manifestations.
This is the first half of the way, when you begin to establish contact with the others. This manifests in your ceasing to be a disturbance. You become ready for a connection, but you are simply not yet able to realize it. This way, you evoke the Light that Reforms, and it advances you.
Clearly, the realization of the principle of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” divides into many stages. Every stage is something different, new, and special. Over and over, you will keep discovering larger fragments of the general picture. Right now, you think that it is enough to just not interact with your neighbor. However, your egoistic desire will constantly touch him. It will touch him a lot. You will want to object to him, contradict, crush, and murder him.
There will be plenty of options. Then, you will begin to attain your inner mechanism in relation to the rule of “love thy neighbor as thyself.” The neighbor is not as much of a problem here as your ascent over your egoism toward the degree of Bina, the state of Hafetz Hesed (delighting in mercy).
Your “neighbor” is your exercise equipment, the sample, the criterion, in relation to which you can control the spiritual approaches, laws, and conditions here in our world. After all, we must reveal the spiritual world specifically in our world, and not far beyond the horizon. Yes, the spiritual dimension will bring new parameters with it, but they will be revealed in the relationships between us, between all the people. This is why it is written: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
This principle is clear to all, and anyone can realize it. It does not have any preliminary requirements for a person. Act as you are. There is a group before you, and you can work on this condition together with your friends. Stop searching for other things. You do not have another method that leads to the revelation of the Creator. Such is the first condition on our path.
There are a total of two conditions, and both are directed toward the “neighbor” before you. The second and last condition is “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/30/2011, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”
Related Material:
Who Is My “Neighbor”?
What Will Make Me Love Others As I Love Myself?
Loving Unconditionally
