Don’t Run Away From Society
The Zohar, Chapter “BeShalach (When Pharaoh Had Let the People Go),” Item 11: And she said, “I dwell within my people.” What does that mean? When judgment is hanging over the world, a person should not separate himself from the public, and he should not be distinguished from Above, and he should not be known separately.
Because when judgment is hanging over the world, those who are known and registered separately, although they are righteous, are caught first. And so a person should never detach himself from the people. Because the Creator’s mercy is always with all of the people together. And because of that she said, “I dwell within my people and I don’t want to separate from them, like I did until this day.”
It relates to both the external, corporeal perception and to the inner, spiritual one. Let’s start with the latter.
A unified soul was divided into many parts. “Within my people” means within the commonality that was created from the combination of the disconnected parts, which correct themselves by connecting with one another. They overcome their individual ego that repels them from one another and form “the Creator’s people.” After all, these parts share the intention of in order to bestow and by that they resemble the Creator. That is why they are called “My people.” It refers to a collection of individual, shattered vessels that gather with the intention of in order to bestow, which the Creator also has.
These parts connect with a mutual intention of in order to bestow in order to become the support, the vessel for the revelation of the Creator as the general attribute of bestowal. And of course, the phenomenon called “Creator” (Bo–Reh), which means “come and see,” is revealed in this assembly. This is the formula for the revelation of the Creator in the corrected vessels: “I dwell within my people.”
On the corporeal plane, it means that the great masses of people are under the general Providence, which sets them in motion.
Later on The Zohar speaks about judgment that “depends on the world.” “The world” means concealment, an egoistic connection, in which the general collective ego is revealed. And “a person should not retreat from the collective.” We may ask why? If the attribute of the ego, “judgment,” is revealed in the people, then why shouldn’t I escape it?
The fact of the matter is that looking through the spiritual prism, I see a totally different picture. I see all my desires that depict the imaginary “external world” for me. If I discover the attribute of judgment in them, I have to correct them by the attribute of bestowal and lead this rule to the attribute of in order to bestow. This is the mission of Israel: Instead of running away from the collective, I should be inside it trying to correct it.
The Zohar continues, “when judgment is hanging over the world, those who are known and registered separately, although they are righteous, are caught first.” Why? Because if a certain attribute of a person is aimed at bestowal, it is “caught first” and begins to operate in order to receive as the source of the Light lies specifically in it.
It is the same in our world, as Baal HaSulam says at the end of “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” that “judgment” strikes the best of us. Therefore people who reach the heights of attainment live in distress.
“The Creator’s mercy is always with all of the people together” because this is where correction is performed. So if we want to be corrected and to advance, we mustn’t detach ourselves from the public. We must do everything possible to be in it, to feel it as much as we can although it isn’t pleasant, and to worry about people, introducing knowledge, sensation, and everything possible to them just to make sure they advance. They are the Creator’s real goal and He is revealed only in our connection with the people, like the spark in the desire to receive.
Therefore it says, “I dwell within my people and I don’t want to be separated from them, as I was until today.”
[75107]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/11/2012, “The Role of Israel and the World”
Related Material:
“I Dwell Within My People”
Test of Loyalty
Servants Of The People
Laitman.com Comments RSS Feed
Having to see slot of different doctors ans other organizations that should have a positive attitude with people in need of medical help, I’ve noticed with out fail that the person who is higher up in the chain of authority and who should be the most professional in the office has become the least professional and very defensive or callous towards the client’s of the doctors. The other staff and the doctor’s seem to be ok with this common occurrence in their office. Is this something that reflects the attitude of our society towards those in need and how do I bestow to someone who becomes more defensive when I try to be even more positive and uplifting in manor and spirit?
It seems to be a “battle of will’s” as in I will be more positive and in turn they will try to have me speak or become more negative in my nature. What do we do with such open and accepted defiance of a positive outlook?