Prior to the start of the South American Congress on August 28-30, I will hold a public lecture in Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 27 at the USAL University. The lecture will be translated live from Hebrew into Spanish and English.
Preparation
There is no slavery worse than being enslaved to your own egoistic nature.
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Part 1, on Baal HaSulam’s Letter 20
The breaking did not occur to myself, but to my connection with others. Thus, it is the interconnection among the souls that we have to correct.
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Part 2, on Chapter 12 of Talmud Eser Sefirot, Item 203
The Talmud Eser Sefirot describes the unification of the souls, as they overcome the egoism that becomes revealed in them.
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Part 3, on “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot,” Item 137
The only thing that comes from Above is the spark that ignites the fuse. But the flame within the soul continues burning in virtue of the efforts we make during the period of concealment.
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A question I received: I’m studying the videos and texts on the site and I’ve been learning a lot! I’m a teacher of philosophy in Brazil and my focus of study is the thinker Baruch Spinoza, a cherem Jew of the seventeenth century. Spinoza spoke about a God like Nature, a God not external, but internal and equal to Nature (where Nature is not seen only as trees, clouds, and so on, but the superior Nature that includes all of thing and energies). How does Kabbalah see God? And what does Kabbalah think about Spinoza’s philosophy?
My Answer: There is a huge difference between the definition of “God as Nature” in Kabbalah and in Spinoza’s philosophy. For example, there are differences in how they see the Upper Force as having a mind and a will, to make decisions, its goal and program, its separate, superior position over Nature, its causality and primacy, and so on. It would be best for you to sort all of this out for yourself.
To do so, it will suffice to browse through several articles by Baal HaSulam: “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy,” “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Part 1 of “Talmud Eser Sefirot” – Histaklut Pnimit (Inner Reflection).” Once you read them, I will be happy to speak with you on the subject. I will be in Argentina from August 26 until September 2.
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Lesson: “Kabbalah and Philosophy”
In the News: (from America.gov): World Health Statistics 2008, published May 19, presents the most recent health statistics for WHO’s 193 member states on 73 health indicators. Globally, cancer deaths will increase from 7.4 million in 2004 to 11.8 million in 2030, and deaths from cardiovascular diseases will rise from 17.1 million to 23.4 million, the report predicted. The report included road traffic accidents, saying deaths from this source will increase from 1.3 million in 2004 to 2.4 million in 2030.
My Comment: All the diseases come from… egoism.
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Kabbalah Live Video Q&A Celebration
Wednesday, August 26.09 – 8:00pm EST (U.S.)
This coming Wednesday, 26 August, at 8:00pm EST (U.S.), there will be a public live video Q&A celebration, in preparation for the upcoming Learning Center course that starts on September 9, 2009. For more details, go here.
A question I received: You say that if a person willingly and consciously carries out the program of creation, he will attain the Creator’s plan. But when a child is putting together a puzzle, all he wants is to arrange the whole picture, and doesn’t connect to the thought that had created the game, right?
My Answer: The child doesn’t merely put together the contents of the box that contains the pieces of a puzzle. As a result of his actions, he develops toward a state when he discovers an adult’s intelligence within himself, much like the one used by the person who had created the puzzle. He begins to understand the purpose and function of the game’s every element – and therein lies his growth.
Our whole life is a puzzle! But the puzzle contains the thought of the Creator who created it. Therefore, as we put together this puzzle with a conscious desire to attain its creator, we attain Him. From the very start we are created such that by seeking the Creator of the world in our state (and Kabbalah tells us how to seek Him), we reveal Him. The effort of the search is the only thing that is required of us, just as a baby needs only to nurse in order to grow.
Question (con’t:) And what about all these spiritual worlds if we reveal the Creator in our world?
My Answer: This is the inner mechanism – our connection to the Creator across all the worlds. I exist in this world only in my perception, understanding and sensation, while in reality I exist in the world of Infinity, connected inseparably to the Creator. But He wants me to desire this connection on my own volition. That is why I feel distant and separated from Him, so that, gradually, I could come to Him, to the state in which I already exist and in which I have always existed. I need only to add a bit of my own effort in order to reveal this mechanism.
For instance, modern science needs only to look at a drop of semen to determine the future qualities of the person that develops from it. In other words, everything already exists within that drop of semen; all it needs is the force of development. The same is true with our soul – everything is already included within the tiny spark of Light and we need only to apply our own effort to it. We do not create a new creation; we merely reveal an already existing mechanism.
Our connection with the Creator already exists. All we need is to express the desire to reveal it!
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When we come to a real crisis, we will realize that we are entirely controlled. This fact has already started to surface. Science, culture, education, family, and all other aspects of our life will come under serious scrutiny and reassessment.
As a result, we will come to the conclusion that we know nothing about our world, that we don’t have a clue about what’s happening and we are completely controlled. Together with that, we will sense the need to rise above this condition of slavery. That is the exact state that is called the “Egyptian bondage.” It’s indeed slavery, for a person sees that he is a slave to his egoistic nature, which corners him and does what it pleases with him, taking advantage of the fact that a person is obliged to obey his egoism’s every whim.
That’s when he feels the need to come out from under the yoke of his nature, and he then receives a spiritual force to counter the force of the corporeal. And in between the influence of two forces, he finds his free will.
This crisis is a turning point, when we cease being animals and become free. After all, animals are completely governed, so we are still animals, where there’s neither reward nor punishment. All of our development was intended only to lead us to the realization of our own futility, that we are nature’s slaves. When we realize this, we will cry out and come out of slavery to the level of “Human.”
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A question I received from my student: Can the Upper One pass on His desire to the lower one?
My Answer: This is exactly what He does, but only in response to our plea, “Give us the correct desires!” We pray only about our desire, for it to be like His: “Make your desire similar to the Creator’s desire.”
You don’t need anything else from Him, other than a new program for your behavior, for how to act. You have to receive a new mind, power and knowledge from Him, in order to be able to work with your “matter” correctly. More precisely, you have to recognize how flawed your current behavioral program is, because it is opposite to the program He is acting upon. And then, you have to ask Him to replace your program with one similar to His. That is when you will be corrected, made equivalent to the Creator.
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In the News (from CNET): “Kids’ search terms: Sex, games, rock ‘n’ roll” Kids search for the damndest things online. …”I think seeing how dominant the terms ‘sex’ and ‘porn’ are, that they come up well within the top 10, doesn’t surprise us,” said Marian Merritt [Symantec Internet safety advocate].
My Comment: The proper education is not to restrict the kids, but to help them develop and form the right objectives and values, which will direct their natural desires in such a way that they will use them correctly.
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The new Kabbalah Spanish website was recently launched, just in time to support the South American Congress in Argentina taking place August 28-30. Congratulations and many thanks to those who contributed to the great effort required to develop this new site.
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