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A Speck Of Matter Next To A Spark Of Light

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe are in the world of Ein Sof (Infinity). But in the world of Ein Sof there is a very small Light: Nefesh of Nefesh that created the created being as “something from nothing,” as a tiny grain of the desire to receive. This is the first phase, the “root phase” of the world of Ein Sof. So why is it called infinite?

It is because there is nothing but the tiny spark of Light and the tiny speck of matter. Everything else comes on the account of the greatness of the Light in the feelings of the speck of the created being, by the great respect towards the Light that has created it and which takes care of it. From the recognition of this greatness comes the feeling of the world of Ein Sof.

Then this speck begins to develop and become increasingly more independent, and whole worlds are born in its feelings. First it happens instinctively, under the influence of the Light. But eventually its development reaches the point we are in now. If now, from this state, we rise back by using all the preparations that were made for us, we will reach the true recognition of the Light.

But we can call it real only conditionally since it is impossible to attain the Creator’s real essence and height with regard to the created being. But when we rise again, we discover the Light of NRNHY, the extent to which the Creator allows us to attain Him called “adhesion.” To that extent, according to His will, we have to be like Him.

It says, “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust” (Psalm 113). But we don’t demand that He should raise us from the dust in order to be rich, but rather, we want to rise only so that we will respect and praise the Creator. This is the only reason that we ask Him to raise us from the dust: in order to attain His greatness and not in order to improve our own condition.

This ascent is in order to understand who created us and who has taken care of us. The matter itself can remain in absolute poverty since what is important for us is to join the upper Light, the attribute of bestowal, not for our own sake but in order to bring the Creator contentment. This is our only hope. Thus we bring ourselves to perfectly match the picture, the image, that is in the world of Ein Sof: a speck of matter next to the spark of Light, and everything else is the infinite greatness of the Creator.
[102097]
From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/7/13

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A Field Glowing In The Light

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe main thing is to correct our attitude to reality and to understand that all of reality is the Shechina, the revelation of the Creator. Now, however, it is revealed to me as still nature, the vegetative and the animate levels, as human beings, and the whole world that surrounds me that I believe to be external to me. In fact, all this is the revelation of the Creator who, in the meantime, is concealed in the opposite form of what we should see.

This whole opposite picture is explained only by the oppositeness of our attributes. It is possible to correct it only if we try hard to see this reality through the teacher, the group, the books, and dissemination by trying to perceive it as the whole reality, to look for what we lack in order to attain such an attitude and to be strengthened by the environment. Then gradually, by the efforts that we make, as “many pennies add up to a big account,” we begin to feel that we only need to correct ourselves and that everything which is external to us is the Holy Shechina or the soul.

Every moment we have an opportunity to work on our evil thoughts and on our criticism of reality, of the upper Providence, and even of myself, of my attributes, of the inner incompleteness or the external incompleteness, in order to clarify them, to overcome the criticism, and to judge everything to the scale of merit. Then the true, whole reality will be revealed.

Then we will see that all the deviations from wholeness—all the deficiencies that we constantly feel, the self-corruption and the corruption of the external world—were merely forces that were meant to strengthen and increase a person’s connection with the Creator. Reality is now revealed to us as an illuminated field glowing in the Light of many rays, in different discernments of wholeness. Thus a person meets the goal of creation.
[102091]
From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/6/13

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What Holds Me Back?

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam “Introduction to the Book of Zohar,” Item 10: It is so because He has no interest in reception, only in bestowal, whereas the Klipot want nothing of bestowal, but only to receive for themselves, for their own delight, and there is no greater oppositeness than that.

Question: What is a Klipa?

Answer: The Klipa is something that prevents me from getting closer to the Creator. I recognize it as the force that puts obstacles in front of me.

Actually, what can prevent me?

I want to enjoy, and this means that all kinds of pleasures prevent me; they distract me, take me away from the likeness to the Creator, and keep me from advancing towards unity and bestowal. These are the pleasures that are called “filth.”

So, the Klipa is something extremely pleasant. Let’s say, I like to relax at home more than to participate in the gathering of friends. It is more pleasant for me not to think about the world and correction but about what will happen to me personally. It is dearer to me to take care of my own children, not the neighbors’.

But the real Klipa is when I feel that I advance towards the Creator along a certain path and thus can bring Him pleasure but suddenly I find out that it is more pleasant and comfortable to deviate somewhere, become distracted by something. This is what the Klipa is: It seems to cling to my clothing and pull me back.

We cannot understand all this until we acquire the intention above the desire, until we get out of the desire and begin to act on the basis of intention.

To act on the basis of intention means to apply restriction (Tzimtzum) to the desire to receive. I must be independent of it and be completely free to choose. In other words, independently from the desire, I can decide for myself that I will work with it in order to receive. I have the opportunity to work in order to bestow, but I decide to the contrary. This is what filth is. Conversely, if I have no choice, there is nothing to ask from me. To receive with the egoistic intention is the Klipa that runs through all our ascents until the end of correction. And we are always required to make a difficult decision—how to act, in order to receive or in order to bestow?

We are talking about the work with the Lights and vessels of the egoistic desire, not just about the rejection of the “small” pleasures of our world. I am required to make a decision of a high order when I begin to feel that there is a king, egoistic by nature. This is the flipside of the Creator, and I think that it dominates the world. So it should be, and I decide in these conditions.

Moreover, the decision is possible only if I rise above the restriction, if I am independent. This is when I decide to enjoy for the sake of reception, and turn into a Klipa.

In general, the forces of filth energetically propel a person to the goal. They awaken him in such a way that, like a mountaineer, he must climb above them, overcome them, and ascend to the summit to the King’s palace. And his every move is a rise above filth.

The Klipa is the essence of the material of creation, the desire to receive that took its egoistic form and appears to us in this way. That is why it is impossible to make a step forward without being connected to the Klipa.

But of course, we don’t connect to it ourselves. We always must keep in the right line, and then the forces of filth come at the right time and in the right form.
[102088]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/5/13,”Introduction to The Book of Zohar

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Everything Is Accurately Measured

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can we change our negative attitude to reality if this is how we feel it?

Answer: This negative feeling is given to us on purpose. Everything is measured accurately according to the relations between the Light and the vessels. The Creator measures it according to the created being in the shattered system so that we will exert ourselves in order to correct ourselves and thus attain bestowal. Then we will feel the good correct state.

If we didn’t have negative feelings now, we would never feel the state we are in. Our vessels of perception are vessels of assessment: I feel only what I assess as good or bad.

If I see something, then it is a sign that it is important for me: I am either afraid of it or love it, want to get close to it or draw away from it. I feel only what I care about. The attribute of bestowal doesn’t interest us at all, and so it doesn’t exist in our world, and we are all only in the attribute of receiving.

But if, according to nature’s program, we have to reach the attribute of bestowal, then we are given a chance to bring ourselves to it from the attribute of receiving, meaning from the corrupted attribute opposite to bestowal. This is called the “shattering.” There was a good program that worked well but then it broke down. Now we have to learn how to move from the corrupt state to the corrected state.

Thus we will learn the program itself, so as not to exist in it like angels. When I correct the program myself and see all the evil and the corruptions in it, understanding how good it can be if it operates correctly in the system, in its opposite form, then I discover the actual essence of the program, the program planner, and I get to know His thoughts towards the created beings, which is called the “thought of creation.” I am actively incorporated in this program and I acquire the Creator’s nature that is dressed in me. He begins to operate in me, forcing my muscles, my bones, and my brain to move. At the same time, I feel that it is the Creator who is dressed in me, not some unknown force.

First I was operated by my ego but didn’t realize it. Then there was the inner split when I discovered that the ego operates me, that there are two: I and the ego with disparity between them. Then I wanted the attribute of bestowal to manage me instead of the ego. Then, in the attribute of bestowal, I felt the upper root that created both the ego and the good force, and thus I reach adhesion.
[102084]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/5/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Give The Creator An Opportunity To Work

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If the Creator created a desire for correction to similarity with Him, what is our role? Where is our choice? What is our action? Is this our work or the work of the Creator?

Answer: All our work is to give the Creator an opportunity to work because we cannot do anything ourselves. Although we are a feeling, conscious material—that is, we have the heart and the mind—but it gives us nothing except the opportunity to realize what we would like to change. However, we can change nothing.

That is why all our attempts to change the world lead to nothing. Don’t try to change anything. You need only to try to draw the upper Light that can change everything.

If the desired changes are in accordance with the upper Light, then It will make these changes and we will get what we want. Otherwise, we will remain with our unfulfilled desires.

That is why all our work is to understand what changes are desirable in us, and then the Light will do it.
[102074]
From the Virtual Lesson 3/3/13

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