News Story: Cultural Tolerance for Divorce Grows to 70%

The Gallup service published the results of a traditional survey where Americans were asked to evaluate the moral acceptability of various actions. The survey results show that U.S. residents regard divorce as the most morally acceptable act from the list, while adultery receives the most disapproval.

My Comment: Why is it considered “moral” to break up a family and separate its children in order to satisfy people’s individuality, their egoism? It’s because the society that judges such values as morally acceptable is the same society that places most of its value on the individual. Simply put, divorce and destroying the family is much easier than building the family and developing it, so people view divorce as being something normal.

On the other hand, animalistic affairs, relationships without any deep feelings that are forgotten about as soon as they’re over with, and that take place much more often than divorce, are for some reason looked upon as being the most morally unacceptable acts.

Is this a high level of morality? Is it self deception? Or is it a special institution in a deceitful society? It’s quite possible that any kind of a moral evaluation of behavior has been replaced by whatever people find most convenient. In this same manner, all the “honest” men and their “faithful” wives together scoffed at Clinton! Could it be that people really can’t judge themselves properly? People’s egoism blinds them.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: The Avalanche of Divorces Can Only be Stopped by the Ultimate Reward
Kabbalah Today Article: Man, Woman and the Snake Between Them

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Two questions I received on Kabbalah and religion:

Question: I converted to Judaism five years ago, after an entire lifetime of studying and searching. Over the past several years I have been very devoted to Torah and its pardes. Now I have a dangerous question as a consequence of your lessons. When Bore Olam says: “my thoughts are not your thoughts,” and a sage says that the Torah is Bore Olam’s wisdom (that is His thoughts), does it mean that those Jews who observed Judaism over the last several thousand years understood everything incorrectly, and in reality, my search brought me to the wrong place?

My Answer: Without a doubt, you’re not in a perfect situation, and your place, just like everyone else’s place, is in the union with the Creator. If you search for this place, you’ll find Him.

Question: Were such great Kabbalists as Rav Baruch Ashlag, Moshe Cordovero, and others religious? And why do you wear a skullcap?

My Answer: It is not a question of faith. When Kabbalah refers to faith, it speaks of the perception of the Creator, the property of Bina, bestowal, which becomes revealed in us through the study of Kabbalah. I respect religious observances because they are my people’s cultural traditions. I understand that by observing them, I am not correcting my soul in any way, and that I observe only the framework within which my people lived over the entire course of history. Religious observances are not required in the study of Kabbalah.

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: You Can’t Step into the Same River Twice
Laitman.com Post: What Is Religion?
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Article: The Difference Between Kabbalah and Religion
Lesson: The Difference Between Kabbalah and Religion [01:51:45]
Lesson: The Difference Between Kabbalah and Religion [01:51:45]
Lesson: The Difference Between Kabbalah and Religion (Transcript)

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Question: What are the 613 desires?

My Answer: They are desires not for pleasures in our world, but are egoistically directed toward the Creator, and for this reason they are called “impure,” “Pharaoh,” and so on. In order to discover these desires within oneself, one needs to study Kabbalah and do a great deal of work upon oneself. While these desires are being discovered, the shame that Adam had discovered also begins to be felt, and begins to become corrected. As such, only through the study of Kabbalah can a person come to spiritual work, and the attain the goal of creation.

A dialog with a user called Caligula (from my Russian blog):

Caligula’s Comment: “Spirituality is above time, motion, and space; that is to say, when these parameters change in our world, they never influence a person’s spiritual state!” – that’s a quote. In other words, no matter what we do, study, and aspire to – it is all in vain and unnecessary.

My Response: That’s wrong! We cannot influence the Upper Light directly, but we can evoke it indirectly, by making efforts in the group and proper study. Read the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot,” item 155.

Caligula: Yes, but there’s more to it… If we follow Rav Laitman’s assertion in this case, we can reach an absurd conclusion – I don’t know what this is about, but you are demonstrating such great confidence in understanding what I said that it’s worthy of envy.

I am not speaking about regular people, but about those who aspire toward the Creator and study Kabbalah. Actually, I’m not the one saying this, but the Ari in Shaar HaKedusha. There he lists certain age-specific levels in a person’s life. A child is when the vessels of the will to receive haven’t yet developed; age 13 is when a person is already governed by his Yetzer Ra; and age 21 is when a person gains the ability to spiritually ascend

My Response: This is all wrong! Specifically, see the Ari in Etz Chaim or part 12 of Talmud Eser Sefirot. Birth means spiritual birth, regardless of one’s age. All people, except Kabbalists, die physically without even having been born spiritually.

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Two questions I received on a woman’s relationship to a man in spiritual progress:

Question: I may be wrong, but I think that a woman can attain correction on her own, with the help of Rav’s instructions, books, and dissemination, without a man to attract the Light for her.

My Answer: That’s absolutely correct. If you do everything you should, then you will not need the men’s help. Even without knowing who you are, the common men’s world group will do all their work for you to the degree that you do your work, because on the spiritual path, we exchange desires.

Question: On the one hand, my desire is constantly growing and is becoming difficult to bear, and on the other hand, my ability to disseminate and study is limited due to various circumstances (if I am able to do it at all). I think that if I had a stronger sensation of my desire’s influences on my husband or the men’s group, then I would feel useful and blessed. Do you have advice or a solution to this?

My Answer: You should delve deeper into yourself, work through the new sensations you feel, define them, and demand less from others. Everything depends only on you. Besides you, everything is ready and prepared for your correction.

Related Material:
A Talk about Women’s Spiritual Development, #1
A Talk about Women’s Spiritual Development, #2

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A question I received: Did you ever have an experience when young students would express a nice attitude to you in order to please you, but later they would begin perceiving everything that happens to them as your manipulation?

My Answer: You’re right. We are under the constant influence of external factors, but we have no awareness of it. Gradually, during the process of study (which I guide), a student begins to realize how he is being controlled from above (by the Creator), and how he can become freed from such control, have his own say, freely choosing and deciding how to act. Those who don’t study Kabbalah, however, remain controlled in every way.

We are like children in our spiritual development. The difference is that with a child, Nature (the Creator) evokes the aspiration to imitate adults. However, in one’s spiritual development, the person himself needs to develop the desire to become an adult, i.e. become similar to the Creator.

He can receive this aspiration only through upbringing and direction (call it “manipulation” if you will) from the teacher and the group. The student and the group are practically always directed by the teacher. Otherwise, how could they understand how and what they should develop to on their own?

The spiritual world, after all, is hidden from them until they acquire, under the teacher’s direction, the qualities similar to that world. Then, to the degree they are similar to the Upper World, they will feel it and be able to continue progressing on their own. As a result of being guided, the students become independent! This is the difference between spiritual (Kabbalistic) development and any other kind of development.

You have to read Baal HaSulam’s article “The Freedom” and then everything will become clear. [Read more →]

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Two questions I received on what will happen to us at the time of final correction:

Question: After the full correction, will the corporeal world disappear forever? Or will it constantly return depending on our behavior?

My Answer: The full correction means that it’s final, marking the correction of all desires that the Creator created in the World of Infinity. Therefore, there is no longer any “return to the corporeal world,” as you say… by the way, there is no such thing as a return to an older desire that had been corrected and then became corrupted – that’s impossible. A “return to the corporeal world” in the spiritual work means the revelation of a new, uncorrected desire, which was always in you, but hidden from you until it became revealed. Therefore, once all desires become corrected, there is no more revelation of new, uncorrected desires.

Question: After the full correction, will there will be any more “natural disasters”? Do these phenomena happen only because the human race is opposite to the laws of nature, and not due to any other “natural” causes?

My Answer: Only we evoke all the natural phenomena, both good and bad. From the Creator’s side, everything is in balance.

Related Material:
Kabbalah Today Article: Soul Splitting
Kabbalah Today Article: Rabbi Hya’s Vision
Chapter 2.12 from the Book The Path of Kabbalah: The Body at the End of Correction
Rabash Article: To which level does a person have to reach in order that he should not need to be reincarnated a second time?

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A question I received: I have a very important question! Fifteen years ago, I became religious and joined a religious school because the point of my soul awakened in my heart! I wanted Eternity, but did not know how. I found the studies at the religious seminary to be shallow, and anything that reached deeper required me to “break” my personality, making me sad and remorseful (for having a boyfriend). I cried, had conversations with “G-d,” felt hopeless, fearful, envious, and nullified my desires!

I tried to wipe out my personality, and suffered in order to become righteous! But it was all foolish! Little by little I understood that I was doing idolatry, yet I told myself that this was impossible – after all, it was the Torah! And all the rabbis said, “The Torah, the commandments!” For years I knew that this wasn’t it, and I was struggling, yet wasn’t able to explain it! I was studying at a very prestigious religious school in Jerusalem, with the best rabbis, yet I intuitively understood that they were lacking something! I felt depressed, alone, and couldn’t find myself. I argued with them, saying that they were engaging in questions of minor importance! A week ago, I was lucky to turn on the Kabbalah channel, and I said, “This is what I need! This is what I’ve been looking for!” That was after I saw just one TV show.

I got lucky! And this is just the beginning! I pity many rabbis! I got burned, not warmed, by their Torah! Maybe it’s because my father was a righteous man that I merited not to believe their nonsense, their empty words! I’m sorry for saying so, but in my opinion they are all the same – just lecturers!

Finally, here is my question. After being so suppressed, that I can’t even describe it, do I have a chance to be spiritually revived to the state I was born into? By my nature, I was connected to society, and I understood what “Israel” is, but religion spoiled this eternity for me! I apologize for such a long question and the efforts you’re making for me! In the past I thought, “It’s fine to break your character.” That’s what I was taught, and I simply wiped myself out, I fasted and was even happy to suffer spiritually. Later, I began crying because everything was passing me by!

Do I have a chance? If yes, what is it? It’s very important to me! Will I ever regain the strength I once had? I used to feel love for the people, love for deliverance, love for modesty, love for eternity, love for society! And suddenly all of this turned into anger, fear, failure, religious egoism, collecting commandments, and religious idolatry.

My Answer: Everything you studied, and everything that happened to you, was supposed to happen exactly the way it did, and will be of use to you. You shouldn’t accuse anybody, because until this moment in your life, everything took place according to the Creator’s will. From this moment onward, you should continue behaving as usual, but supplement your life with Kabbalah study. Start with the book Shamati (ed. see below), and then continue with the articles of Baal HaSulam. Or it could be better for you to listen and watch our lessons (ed. see below) instead of reading by yourself. Try it. You should only look forward – never backward!

The Book Shamati (I Heard):
Free PDF Download
Read at Kabbalah Library
Purchase Print Version

Lessons by Michael Laitman:
Daily Kabbalah Lessons given by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD are broadcast live on Kabbalah TV: 3:20am until 6:00am Israel (GMT+2) time, Sunday to Friday, [Time Zone Converter], and are archived on the Kabbalah Media Archive.

Related Posts:
Laitman.com Post: Stop Thinking about the Past!
Laitman.com Post: Onwards and Upwards

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Two questions I received on the connection between the corporeal and spiritual worlds:

Question: When a person starts developing spiritually, he loses interest in matters of this world, including university studies. I understand that it’s important to combine both worlds, but I don’t feel the connection between spiritual development and academic development. It’s written that the source of suffering is the lack of connection between the different parts of creation. How can I create this connection within myself, between the spiritual calling I am discovering and my responsibility as a student? How can I relate my academic studies to the goal of creation? Am I supposed to find the answer on my own, and see my confusion as just a part of my development?

My Answer: That’s right. Your confusion is part of your development. My practical advice for you is, in your thoughts, create an empty section in your mind that you will use to think about your academic studies, and with the rest of your mind, think about spirituality. Don’t mix one world with the other, and progress simultaneously in both. Good luck!

Question: How do I separate everyday life from the spiritual life?

My Answer: Other than studying Kabbalah in your free time, you shouldn’t change anything in your life. To avoid confusing Kabbalah, the study about “that” world, with life in “this” world, try thinking about Kabbalah with “one part of your mind,” and about our world with another part. Don’t appear different from other people in any way, or from the way you were in the past, and don’t talk about Kabbalah with anyone other than the people you study with. Study Rabash’s articles on the group (ed. see below) and bring them to realization. The most important thing is to be present (virtually) at least in a part of our daily lessons (see below).

Lessons by Michael Laitman:
Daily Kabbalah Lessons given by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD are broadcast live on Kabbalah TV: 3:20am until 6:00am Israel (GMT+2) time, Sunday to Friday, [Time Zone Converter], and are archived on the Kabbalah Media Archive.

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Two questions I received on dreams:

Question: Do our dreams have a spiritual root?

My Answer: Dreams are all of our daily impressions, which uncontrollably sweep through and fluctuate in our minds while we sleep. This is why they create different connections and scenes.

Question: What happens to a person’s soul in the following states: loss of consciousness, coma, being a “vegetable,” and hallucinations? Does one realize where one is? Is there another reality where a person perceives a reality just like ours while really being unconscious?

My Answer: These states are purely physical, and bear no relation to spiritual states, because one does not perceive them through the Masach (screen), through properties that are similar to the Creator.

Related Material:
Kabbalah Today Article: Dreams
Kabbalah Today Questions and Answers: What Is the Spiritual Meaning of Dreams?
Chapter 7 from the Book The Kabbalah Experience: Beliefs, Mysticism and the Supernatural
Article: Perception of Reality

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Three questions I received on shame and overcoming:

Question: In one of the lessons you teach, you said: “You have to do something that you will be ashamed of. Otherwise you won’t have any impressions (Havchanot).” What is this shame you’re talking about?

My Answer: It’s something you’ll understand in more advanced states. It’s practically impossible to explain, since it is attained from within. But you shouldn’t do anything shameful on purpose. The Creator will “set you up” as to reveal all of your worthless nature to you. Thanks to such a horrible revelation of your nature within you, you will desire to rid yourself of it with all your strength. And this desire – your request for correction – will be realized by the Creator. All the stages of correction will become revealed gradually, one by one, to the extent of your efforts. All you can do is accelerate this development through diligence and patience.

Question: Is shame the sensation of the revelation of evil within me? And in that case is the prayer for help during the lesson, a prayer to rise above yourself, with the purpose of attaining adhesion?

My Answer: That’s right. Shame is a sensation given from above, and as soon as you receive it, a desire appears – not simply a desire to avoid it, since such a desire is egoistic, but a desire to rise above it. Thanks to this, you attain a connection with, and adhesion to, the Creator. Moreover, you feel gratitude to the Creator for everything, including the sensation of shame He evoked within you, and you justify Him for doing this to you.

Question: Abraham endured a physical test. He overcame it, and this gave him the understanding that he fears the Creator. Do we, today, also receive all our tests only physically? That is to say, in order to attain the level of fear, will I also have to go through such a great test, which will show me that I fear the Creator?

My Answer: Just like Abraham, you will also go through these tests, but they will never be physical – only spiritual.

Related Material:
Chapter 23 from the Book Attaining the Worlds Beyond: Spiritual Work
Chapter 1.10 from the Book The Path of Kabbalah: Faith Above Reason
Baal HaSulam Articles on the Inner Work with Corresponding Lessons
eBook: Attaining the Worlds Beyond

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