Toward Each Other

032.01Question: It happens that you ask for a friend and immediately feel how the Creator helps him. And sometimes it seems that you want to help and ask, but the person cannot accept this help, and you feel that the prayer is not going through. Are there any conditions for a person to be able to accept help?

Answer: If you open your heart, then most likely he will open his own and accept your help. It all depends on you.

The influencer, the giver, must be absolutely selfless, like the Creator. Then he can hope that his action will be correct.
[326511]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/10/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “A Sightly Flaw in You”

Related Material:
The Main Help Is in Prayer
A Prayer Is Work In The Heart
Prayer And Confidence

Record a Good Deed in a Notebook and Burn It

294.4Question: Once upon a time there lived a man who lived very badly and sinned. He decided to come to his senses and began doing good deeds, but he did not notice any significant changes for the better.

One day he was walking down the street and saw that a button from an old woman’s coat had fallen off. He looks at it and thinks: “Should I lift it or not? She has a lot of buttons.” He decided to pick it up anyway. He caught up with the old lady, gave her the button, moved on, and forgot about the matter.

When he passed away, he awaited judgement to hell or to heaven. There were scales: the left side of the scale, Libra, was full; it is the evil side, The right side, the side measuring good, was empty. He thinks he is on his way to hell when an angel arrives, puts a small button on the right scale pan, and it tipped the scale to the side of good.

The man was amazed: “Just one button tipped the scale!” He heard the angel say: “Because you thought that you were doing good deeds, they disappeared. But it was precisely this button that you forgot about that was enough for you to be saved.”

The question is that since it is natural to think you have done good, you find yourself constantly thinking about the good you did each day. But it turns out that this is not really good at all and what you didn’t think about at all, but just forgot about, was some kind of good deed. Why is this so? Why can’t yo count the good deeds in this world?

Answer: This is simply because you should do it based on an inner, pure desire for good. But you do it just to check off that you have done good deeds.

Question: So if I am keeping track in my mind, “I did a good deed,” it is actually not a good deed at all?

Answer: There are many people in the world who wake up in the morning and start counting how many good deeds they have done.

Comment: And by the end of the day, they come with such a righteous feeling.

My Response: Try recording good deeds in a small notebook and keep it with you, at the bus stop, at work, etc.

Comment: When you shake someone’s hand, help an old lady cross the street, and so on, and so on.

My Response: Yes-yes-yes.

Question: And in your opinion, are those not good deeds?

Answer: You are living with the fact that you are accumulating good deeds for the future.

Question: But are they still good deeds?

Answer: No, you are doing it solely for yourself. Remove your own benefit from here, and you will ignore everything and will not do anything.

Question: What is my benefit then? That I feel good, that I am doing good deeds?

Answer: No, it is that you are making the Creator obligated to somehow repay you.

Question: I see. So it is like I am earning my place in heaven, but this cannot be done. So how am I supposed to live? How do I count my steps, based on what? It turns out that my seemingly insignificant acts like picking up a button, catching up with an old lady, and giving it back…

Answer: You cannot! If you do not overcome your egoism and do not act against it; you will not perform a good deed. It will be pre-sold.

Question: So I am bribed all the time?

Answer: Yes, this is what Kabbalah is about.

Comment: That is why this science is not easy. There is always something beyond reason. Always! And I cannot live without reason.

My Response: You have to calculate if it is worth doing something or not, how much do I gain with each action, interaction.

Question: So I live like that? Is that how everyone lives?

Answer: Yes.

Question: But I shouldn’t?

Answer: No, you should not. But how do you do that? That is why it is said that everything must be done in faith above reason.

Question: Can you explain in simple terms what faith above reason means?

Answer: If a person imagines that he is doing very, very good deeds that he will benefit from later, then it is all a failure from the start.

Question: With what intention should I perform deeds then?

Answer: Absolutely selflessly.

Question: So that I get nothing, no benefit?

Answer: Unselfishly. There will be benefit to the world and people, and to me—nothing. As if no one knows about it and will never find out.

Comment: So my name is not anywhere. It is not engraved in stone, not in the credits, my name is nowhere.

My Response: No.

Question: So I do it and that’s it?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: Right, and artists, and not only artists, will faint when they hear this. The whole copyright system is built on the idea that “This is my music, my creation, if you use it, you must pay,” etc. The whole world is built on this! And we are going against the world.

My Response: Yes, you can write in your notebook just for yourself and then burn it. But all the same, even in such actions when a person thinks about what he will get for it, saving up for a rainy day, it is still good to act that way. It does not really give them any real benefit, but it is still good. There will be less evil in the world because of it. And good deeds will start from a higher threshold, from a higher level.

Comment: What about the actions when a person really tells himself: “I did a good deed”? He is not thinking: “Will I get to heaven for this or not, I am just doing a good deed.”

My Response: He elevates himself to a higher level and should start working from there.

Question: You know, we just saved the world. Because the world looked and said, “This is impossible to achieve—faith above reason.” But have you just given a step: Do these things anyway; they will not be good deeds, but they will be a step toward good deeds?

Answer: Yes, and then a person should get used to doing such actions, not for himself, but for the world. And that is when their soul begins to open up toward the world.

Question: What is this space called the soul? What kind of space is it?

Answer: It is an absolutely empty space that a person must fill with his desire.

Question: Toward the world? From him? And nothing for himself?

Answer: Nothing.

Question: Is this the stage that humanity is heading toward?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And can it reach it?

Answer: Of course!
[325478]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 1/8/24

Related Material:
Joy—The Result Of Good Deeds
Why Do You Want To Be Good?
“How Do you Define Good And Bad?” (Quora)

What Does Connection with the Friends Reveal?

962.2Question: If my desire to fulfill another person stems from a desire to do good to them, then to check my attitude toward them I need the evil inclination to check whether I am acting above hatred, separation, or rejection. Is this the flaw?

Answer: The evil inclination is inherent in us from the beginning, so absolutely all of your desires have a flaw.

But you can see how much you are within these flaws only when you start working on connection with your friends.
[326470]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/10/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “A Sightly Flaw in You”

Related Material:
Practical Ascent On The Spiritual Ladder
A Fragment Of An Ideal Dream
A Ladder To A Summit Filled Abundantly

Questions about Spiritual Work—92

549.01Question: All that the Creator performs is His boundless love for us. When in prayer, we reveal His love as knowledge. What does this love do inside us?

Answer: Love reduces the distance between you so much so that you can feel the Creator.

Question: Any connection with the right intention attracts light. Is there a difference between women’s connection and men’s? We have an opinion that only men attract light. Is it so?

Answer: No, women attract light no less than men. In this respect, everyone is equal.

Question: Kabbalah gives us very elevated knowledge, which strengthens faith. Is it possible to say that the transformation of this knowledge into faith occurs when we pass knowledge through the senses?

Answer: I do not think you can do that. These are fantasies.

Question: What is the role of the lower when climbing from below up?

Answer: The role of the lower one is to ask for a screen from the upper one and work with this screen.

Question: We teach that we should be willing to do the work of the Creator without reward. Is knowledge a payment for the desire to receive?

Answer: No, we can receive knowledge and perform any actions that bring us closer to the Creator and bring us closer together. All these actions are desires of the Creator.
[326253]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/4/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Prayer that One Should Always Pray”

Related Material:
Questions about Spiritual Work—91
Questions about Spiritual Work—90
Questions about Spiritual Work—89

Expression of Feelings

600.02Question: Spirituality is an internal feeling of a person. How should we express these relationships between us externally?

Answer: By participating in the internal life of the group, of the ten.

Question: Should we externally express these internal relationships between us?

Answer: Yes, do not hesitate to openly express them.
[326475]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/10/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “A Sightly Flaw in You”

Related Material:
It Won’t Help Us To Play Love
In the Adhesion Between Us
Give Love

Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 3/27/24

Preparation to the Lesson

icon for podpress Video: Play Now | Download icon for podpress Audio: Play Now | Download

1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, “These Are the Generations of Noah”

icon for podpress Video: Play Now | Download icon for podpress Audio: Play Now | Download

2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar

icon for podpress Video: Play Now | Download
icon for podpress Audio: Play Now | Download

Selected Highlights

icon for podpress Video: Play Now | Download icon for podpress Audio: Play Now | Download

The Concept of Miscarriage In Spiritual Work

938.04Question: Is there such a thing as miscarriage in spiritual work? If so, what does it mean?

Answer: Miscarriage in spirituality is the inability of the womb to retain the fetus within itself. This happens because alien forces exert such an influence on the fetus that they eject it from their influence.

Question: Can a woman influence this process or is it solely in the hands of the Creator?

Answer: If a woman strives for the correct spiritual state, she can positively influence her health.
[326481]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/9/24, Writings of Rabash “If a Woman Inseminates”

Related Material:
What Can Lead To Spiritual Miscarriage
Spiritual Miscarriage
A “Miscarriage” Is Going Back

Cultivate Mutual Love

938.01Question: How do we work correctly when revealing differences in impressions and perceptions? Should we leave them as they are, perceive them as a wealth of impressions, or argue and prove to each other what is better and what is right?

Answer: Focus only on the love between you. Will it be such that the Creator appears in it? Between us, we must form a quality similar to the Creator and then He will be revealed in it. The quality revealed between us should be mutual love. Let us try to connect so that the Creator can appear to us.
[326385]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/7/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “World, Year, Soul”

Related Material:
In the Adhesion Between Us
Give Love
Discover Love In Love

Breaking away from the Ground like a Rocket

935Question: When a person wants to become Israel, but realizes that the body does not let them work for bestowal, what do they turn to the Creator with? What do they ask for? Is it to adhere to the friends to receive a new deficiency?

Answer: If a person’s deficiency (Hisaron) increases, will they have more opportunities to come to bestowal, to progress? Of course not. They will not be able to progress, even with the lack they currently have.

Therefore, we expect a greater connection between us and an aspiration toward the goal. Then, we can hope that we can cry out to the Creator in such a way as to become capable of rising above our initial state. That is the hardest thing—to break away from the ground like a rocket.

Question: What does the most minimal but common deficiency in the ten mean? How do we come to it?

Answer: By despising your egoism and trying to break away from it by any means.
[326388]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/9/24, Writings of Rabash “If a Woman Inseminates”

Related Material:
A Nip Of Egoism
In The Circle Of Helpers
The Story Of Jacob And Esau Teaches Us How To Trick Our Egoism

Benjamin Franklin’s Two Paths to Happiness

294.4There are two ways of being happy: We may either diminish our wants or augment our means — either will do — the result in the same; and it is for each man to decide for himself, and do that which happens to be the easiest. If you are idle or sick or poor, however hard it may be to diminish your wants, it will be harder to augment your means. If you are active and prosperous or young and in good health, it may be easier for you to augment your means than to diminish your wants. But if you are wise, you will do both at the same time, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well; and if you are very wise you will do both in such a way as to augment the general happiness of society (Benjamin Franklin, “On True Happiness,” 1785).

Question: Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, was a diplomat, philosopher, and writer. He is also attributed with coining the aphorism “Remember time is money.” By the way, he is also featured on the $100 bill.

Do you agree with his path of happiness being simultaneously increasing opportunities and reducing desires? Is this possible?

Answer: Otherwise it won’t work. Reducing your desires is not bad, but it can be an escape from difficulties and life. In general, I’m against it. I am for balancing the desired with the possible and moving forward.

Question: My desires should coincide with my capabilities is the surest way?

Answer: Yes.

Question: One way or another, you always say: “The science of Kabbalah says that desires will grow, and you will not escape it.” Will they grow all the time?

Answer: Certainly.

Question: And what are you doing in parallel? Here, the desire grows.

Answer: You balance these desires with your capabilities. As you get older, you slowly become wiser. So, you don’t come out too wildly with those desires.

Question: In fact, you say this: the desire grows, and you say: “I can’t do this.” Is this my wisdom? That is, I will not master this desire.

Answer: Yes, it gets automatically cut off.

Question: And if I live like this in this state, do I come to some kind of balance?

Answer: Yes, I don’t want more than I need.

Question: Isn’t this called retirement or rest?

Answer: So? There is a place for this.

Comment: There is a place somewhere when you are already old.

My Response: I don’t know. I consider myself elderly, and I feel that the time has come when I need to limit myself somehow.

Question: Is what we discuss suitable for older people, or is it ideal for young people with growing desires?

Answer: Young people simply need to position themselves correctly so that desires and opportunities are on the same level.

Question: On the same level, I can afford this, but I can’t afford the other. Is it?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What if there is no balance if I strive for desire?

Answer: Then a person is always in search, in rising—in falling, in rising—in falling.

Question: Is this bad?

Answer: In this case, he does not achieve a balance between what is desired and what is actual.

Question: Should I achieve it?

Answer: Preferably.

Question: The science of Kabbalah says this: man is a desire. What does this mean?

Answer: Desire is the essence of man. And man exists to fulfill his desires.

Comment: By nature, I only want to receive pleasure. Only!

My Response: Yes.

Question: What does it mean to fulfill my desires? I can’t be filled, and I always want to receive.

Answer: Everything you see around you automatically sort and accept what is essential to you and what is not necessary and put them into practice. And so, you move.

Question: What does Kabbalah say? Does it say this is how you should live?

Answer: Kabbalah says that you must understand what your life consists of and what desires consist of. What should you strive for, and what desires should you realize? Put them in front of you. Choose the most important, the most essential of them. Then, you can calm down because there will be no more choices, and you can only work on the desire you want to reach.

Question: What desire should a person ideally strive for?

Answer: Strive for the greatest: to balance with the Creator, that is, to desire what the Creator desires.

Question: What does the Creator want?

Answer: We need to ask Him.

Question: So a person must ask: What do you want? Should I get an answer?

Answer: I should get an answer! Most certainly! Otherwise what is there to live for?

Question: Can’t he go mindlessly? Assume and go like this?

Answer: No.

Question: Could he be following someone?

Answer: No, that is wrong. It is like a little child following a big one.

Question: The answer I receive, where do I get it? How do I understand that this is the answer and not a hoax?

Answer: This is when you achieve peace.
[324904]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/14/23

Related Material:
How Can You Make Happiness Follow You?
How Can I Get What I Lack?
How to Sculpt Your Happiness