Whom We Correct

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam “Peace in the World”: Everything is evaluated not by its appearance at a given moment, but according to its measure of development. Everything in reality, good and bad, and even the most harmful in the world, has a right to exist and should not be eradicated from the world and destroyed. We must only mend and reform it because any observation of the work of Creation is enough to teach us about the greatness and perfection of its operator and Creator.

From here clear and far-reaching conclusions can be made. Everything that happens in the world at every moment comes from the single source, from the Creator. I correct only my own perception, my own vision. Moreover, I correct it in only one direction: to achieve bestowal fully. Thus I discover the world, which is less distorted by my nature, more complete; I see that this is its true, immutable form.

Question: If we correct only our perception of the world, then why do we need to disseminate among other people?

Answer: I want to bring them closer to the goal through dissemination. In fact, they are parts of my soul. The whole world is parts of my soul, and I work with them twofold: on the one hand, I carry the Light to them, and on the other hand, I create the condition for them to get closer to me. The main thing is that thanks to these two actions, directly and “through the back door,” alternating them we unite, and eventually I return all the parts of my soul.

This is the way I have to look at the world, including the still, vegetative, and animate nature. All reality is the essence of my soul, a unified desire. It’s revealed to me now because by definition, I cannot feel anything but it. The desire is my “sensitive material,” and I need only to reveal its reality correctly. I work on that, on correcting my own perception.

How? According to the principle of “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Why? I do so because now parts of my ego, which distort the picture of the world, seem remote to me, often disgusting, opposite, and I have to correct my perception.

Thus, in the end, I correct only myself. That is why Baal HaSulam writes that even bad things should be not destroyed, but corrected. Now they are bad, hateful in my eyes, and when I correct my vision, my attitude, they will become good and useful for me.

It’s impossible to correct anything in the world, but oneself. We already see that this brings only harm. And hence it’s necessary to understand that all the corrections, all the positive changes, are realized precisely in our attitude.

Even if I see the most evil person in front of me, I need to correct myself so that he ceases to do harm. You can destroy someone only if he wants to stop my action of correction, meaning to kill me. Thus, he leaves me no choice, and in this case it will also be a correction. However, while I have a different solution, I must act, work on correction, so that evil is eliminated from the world.

Question: Still, why do we tell people about the integral methodology as if we want to convince them of something?

Answer: Because in this manner we assure the correction of ourselves. To whom do I explain the method? I explain to the parts of my soul. However, I do not correct them, but just give them a tool to correct themselves. And for me, this is self-correction.

We must imagine a system where my parts are outside of me, and that is why I can correct them in this way. I do not destroy or suppress them, but pass the method of correction by gentle explanations. I care about them to the extent of how much they are able to use it, and to the extent of their inability, I create the conditions for them to get closer to me. However, I do not pull them by force, do not demand obedience. After all, we are separated by the evil inclination and I have to correct it. In other words, I do so and they approach me, in spite of mutual rejection. And thus, I return them to the source.

We have to think about this picture. An evil motive penetrated the unified desire, broke it into pieces and scattered them in different directions. Now, when instead of belonging to one whole, we experience oppositeness, hatred; we need to understand how we transform this separation into unity; in the new power of our unity, we need to understand why we start correction in this way, preserving everyone’s uniqueness. I have to protect the egoistic desire. It’s like the “Angel of Death” that will turn into the “Pure Angel.” Without it, the whole creation is worthless.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/9/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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