Audio Version Of The Blog – 11.13.13

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Although You Cannot See Anything In Advance …

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, Letter 57: I haven’t revealed this truth to you so you would not weaken and give up on the mercy. And although you don’t see anything, for even when the measure of labor is complete, it is the time of prayer. But until then, believe in our sages: “I did not labor and found, do not believe.”

When the measure is full, your prayer will be complete, and the Creator will grant generously, as our sages instructed us, “I labored and found, believe,” for one is unfit for a prayer prior to it, and the Creator hears a prayer.

Our desire is able to achieve everything it desires. The only question is whether it wants this. This is the state that we should bring it to, having developed it to a complete perfect desire, because only this desire works in spirituality.

In the material world, it is possible to pretend, to play some games as if we want to because this world is false. In this world, everything happens within the desire itself, instead of being clarified in the confrontation between the two desires: the desire to receive and the desire to bestow. And if everything is taking place within the same desire, then we are free to fantasize anything we want. After all, in essence, it does not change anything.

All the creation is evaluated only in the area of the interaction between the two desires: receiving and bestowal, the created being and the Creator. And there, in any moment, in any state, in every part of the desires, only one true desire acts, that is, the desire that has reached its fourth and final stage “Behina Dalet.”

So, if you have not been rewarded the correction of your desire to enjoy bestowal this means that you have not reached the last, fourth stage of the desire and you should work more. It is all determined by whether you ask with the true prayer, that is, have reached the fourth state or not.

And this depends on your efforts; you are obliged to “All that is in your power, that do.” That is why we need to check whether we carry out all the advices of Kabbalists and work according to this. And if not, of course you will get nothing. Strict laws act here. In the spiritual world, there is a full HaVaYaH (complete desire). If you have not reached the full HaVaYaH, the fourth stage of desire, then this trigger does not work; you do not attract the Light that Reforms that will change you from egoism to bestowal. It is possible to rise to the next level and achieve revelation only with the help of the Light.

The revelation of the Creator is the revelation of the desire to enjoy in a person that turns into bestowal. This is what is called the revelation of the Creator, because the Creator is the property of bestowal that is manifested in the person when he wants to bestow.

But do you truly want that? It cannot be that you have made every effort imposed on you and it did not happen. According to the law, it has to happen! Therefore, even if you cry out, you need to check whom you are addressing. It is as if the Creator does not hear your cry because it is a law that cannot be transgressed. All these cries are only to awaken yourself, force you to work, to make efforts, and eventually to complete the measure assigned to you.

Baal HaSulam says that you need to know about it in advance so as not to despair and to not give up. Until the very last moment, even the moment before you complete the entire measure of your efforts, you will not know that you have come to the finish. That is why it is called a find; you will obtain the force of bestowal, which you did not know about. Even then, on each next degree, you find something completely new.

Therefore, it is said, “I labored and found!” But this find is a result of all the labors is revealed according to the strict law, which cannot be transgressed.
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From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/11/13

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Cultivating The Land The Seed Was Planted In

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “The Freedom”: If he were to leave the good environment he had chosen and fall into a harmful environment, in a city where there is no Torah, not only would his former concepts be compromised, but all the other forces hidden in his source, which he had not yet revealed in action, would remain concealed. This is because they would not be subject to the right environment that would be able to activate them.

And as we have clarified above, only in the matter of the choice of environment is man’s reign over himself measured, and for this he should receive either reward or punishment. And so our sages warned, “Make for yourself a Rav, and buy for yourself a friend.

A person has only a Reshimo (spiritual gene), a spiritual seed. But if we don’t plant it in the ground, if we don’t put it in the right environment, it will not develop. So Kabbalists first and foremost always took care of the environment, so that there would be at least two people, as it says, “the minority of many is two,” which means a student and his teacher. If there are several students then a group of friends is formed in which everyone works equally.

So first we should make sure that the environment is right: that everyone is equal, that everyone annuls himself before the others, and that there are no other external goals, only the goal of connection in order for the Creator to be revealed between us. The goal of the wisdom of Kabbalah, the purpose of creation, is the revelation of the Creator to the created beings, as the good and the benevolent, and His desire to delight the created beings.

So our advancement depends on how much we worry about the right and real environment. In a big environment such as ours that manages many different projects, there are several societies and the same people are in different relationships with one another.

We have to make sure that all the forms of external relations are only for external dissemination and external work. The main thing is that in our united inner group everyone is equal, everyone nullifies himself before the others, lowers his head before one goal, and increases its importance. There is nothing more important than this, our general unity and connection as one man in one heart.

This inner connection in a group has to be the most important thing for us. All the other connections, whether according to our professions, to fulfilling different goals, individual jobs or tasks, are arranged according to another principle, like a company. But this external attitude has nothing to do with the group. The group is something that is based on spiritual rules alone, and we need to constantly take care of it.

There is a some external life without which we cannot exist in our corporeal bodies, and there is a sublime goal that is eternal and whole for which our soul exists. We have to worry about the internal group so that it should be clean and accurately built according to the principles Baal HaSulam, Rabash, and all the other Kabbalists through the ages wrote about.

It is very important not to confuse the two. We can stop or change the external engagements in a moment, but the main thing is to keep the inner structure of the environment in which everyone is equal and united. This is how we advance.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/10/13

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The Problems Of A Small Group

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: It is so easy to unite at the conventions and it is so difficult in life. Why is it so much more difficult to unite a small group than a big group?

Answer: A big group holds itself, but in a small group there are too many opposite thoughts and desires that are sharply manifested.

Several people are always in some contradiction with each other: pride, jealousy, envy, etc. Indeed, all this is manifested naturally so that we can grow. But it is really very difficult for a small number of people.

Therefore, it is desirable that a group include at least ten people. It is good when it has many women; they stabilize a group, calm it down, soften it.

The most important thing is that men and women are equal in the group. You cannot push women to the back. If they are equal to you, then they can help maintain the group’s vitality on a good level.
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From the Bulgaria Convention “Dawn Of A New World” Day Two 11/2/13, Lesson 4

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“Children Of Rich Parents Suffering Increased Mental Health Problems”

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from The Telegraph): “The children of rich parents are put under so much pressure to succeed they are at an increased risk of suffering of mental illness, a study has claimed.

“Scientists found that children from homes with an annual income of more than £100,000 ($160,000 US) a year were suffering anxiety and depression at twice the normal rate of their less well-off peers.

“Researchers found issues such as eating disorders, drug abuse, neuroses and self harming were soaring among wealthy teenagers.

“It is thought the relentless pressure being piled on youngsters both at school and in extra-curricular activities is leading to increased feelings of vulnerability.”

My Comment: The reason for this is that they are being pressured by parents and competition among peers; they continue to live in full capitalism, while their poorer peers are in a more sociable environment.
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Looking For A Place In Life

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is your opinion if a person in a Kabbalistic group is engaged in some other ideologies?

Answer: He will confuse himself and the group. I believe that if you engage seriously, you study one thing.

For example, at first I was engaged in bio-cybernetics and with a very serious intention to become the best bio-cybernetisist in the world. Then I realized that this profession did not satisfy me and started seeking something new. I found Kabbalah, and that was it! If you study Kabbalah, then do so with the greatest Kabbalist. I had studied with many teachers until I found Rabash. Then, I completely disconnected from my previous life, moved closer to him, and was with him for 12 years until his death.

I believe that there is no other way. It is impossible to achieve anything if you jump from teaching to teaching, from belief to belief. I do not even want to discuss whether they are good or bad, wise or silly, it does not matter. Simply if you study two methods, it is not good.

How will you be able to understand what is better and what is worse? You know neither Kabbalah nor the other method. What will it give you if you are engaged in both of them? A salad.

Then, I advise you to leave Kabbalah and do only one thing. At least, you will be a specialist in something.
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From the Bulgaria Convention “Dawn Of A New World” Day Two 11/2/13, Lesson 3

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The Goal – Love Of The Other

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: So what is the most important thing that we need to tell people?

Answer: We need to reach people with the fact that without a change in the nature of man from hatred of others to love, we are going against the evolution of nature to an integral form and with this we are summoning greater and greater personal and collective problems.

We must speak about this in all channels of communication, that to acquire the characteristic of “love of the other” is the goal of the wisdom of Kabbalah; this is the correct result of the right spiritual work (the work of the Creator).

This is the difference between the wisdom of Kabbalah and religion: Kabbalah accepts the condition that “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” is the great general rule of the Torah, whereas religion supposes that what is essential is carrying out physical requirements. Therefore it abandons correcting human nature, which is what it was specifically designed for.

Kabbalah considers that if the objective is not “Love your neighbor as yourself,” then the entire Torah is not respected because this is the general encompassing rule of the Torah, since specifically this goal brings the person to the characteristic of bestowal, to Lishma, for the sake of the Creator.

If a person doesn’t aspire to rise above his ego, then his actions only increase the ego. And instead of approaching the characteristic of bestowal and love, that is, the revelation of the Creator, then he moves further from the Creator and transforms into the “mixed multitude” who are the “God-fearing servants of Pharaoh,” all of whose actions are for the sake of their ego, for the sake of reward in this world and in the next world.
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A Descent That Is Not The End Of The World

Dr. Michael LaitmanWhen we go through a series of ascents and descents we wonder why we need all this. After all, it is said that we “add in Holiness and don’t subtract.” So actually this is a very logical question.

Our problem is that we don’t understand that evil doesn’t exist. In spirituality we check everything with regard to the Creator. There are 125 levels on our way to Him and the ascent to each of them begins when I receive additional egoism, which is gradually growing.

Suppose I am on level 1 before level 2, accordingly my ego has to grow and the state I am given is called “night.” It says in the Torah “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” So everything begins from the evening.

First I need to get additional Aviut (thickness) and discover a new layer of desire in me. In fact this is precisely the level that I will  ascend to and, which in the meantime, stands before me like a wall. So this new Aviut is called a descent.

But the descent is a decrease in the importance of the spiritual path in my eyes. This is how the Creator “hardens Pharaoh’s heart,” and at the same time says to me “Come to Pharaoh.” I only need to understand that all this is just in order to raise me.

A Descent That Is Not The End Of The World
 

Moreover, I have actually already risen, since “evening” is actually the revelation of the new corrupt vessels that belong to the next level. Now I only lack the correction that begins at “midnight.” Starting from the “evening” until “midnight,” a new desire to receive is revealed in me, then there is the correction of the vessels, and eventually I receive the Light, starting from dawn, the sunrise of a new day. So is this a descent?

Rabash gives us an example: If you are hungry and you are given a sack of wheat grain and you are angry since you cannot eat them, you are right. So use them correctly. Now you have something to prepare food from, a fulfillment.

On the other hand, if you receive ready-made food for your soul, you will not have the feeling, understanding, and adhesion. You will not understand what is essential and will not be able to develop.

So we constantly rise. There are no descents; everything depends only on our attitude towards what is happening. If you see a descent like an old wise man who is looking for new deficiencies on his own, in order to rise higher through them, to acquire wisdom, then “night” doesn’t seem as a descent to you. But in order to do that you need to have a group, a fixed daily schedule, and to use all the necessary means to support you along the way.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/6/13, Shamati #26 “One’s Future Depends and Is Tied to Gratitude for the Past”

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How To Break Into The Upper World

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What are the conditions for passing through the “barrier” into the upper world?

Answer: According to the popular Russian science fiction novel  Monday Begins on Saturday by Strugatzky:

To pass through a wall, it is vital to:

1. See in front of you only the goal.

2. Believe in yourself.

3. Don’t pay attention to obstacles.

According to us:

1. See in front of you only the goal: adherence, equivalence of form with the Creator.

2. Believe in the instructions of the Kabbalists and carry them out (group, learning, and so forth).

3. Use obstacles correctly thereby transforming a descent into an ascent.
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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 11.13.13

Preparation to the Lesson

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Shamati #3The Matter of Spiritual Attainment

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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, Parashat, “Beresheet (Genesis),” Item 280

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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 1, Part 2, Item 4

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Writings of Baal HaSulam,Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 95 

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