5 Minutes Of Light From The Daily Kabbalah Lesson: How To Develop Your Soul

What You Have To Know To Be Successful At Everything

A Day for Each YearIn Kabbalah, prayer is called MAN, and it designates a state where a person’s desire is aligned with the Creator’s desire. When this happens, the desire of the lower level becomes incorporated in the desire of the Upper Level, and they are executed as one desire.

If the lower level desires only one thing: to become like the Upper Level, then the Upper Level will immediately respond to the lower one’s plea. The Upper One is always ready for this, and when the lower one produces the right request, it simply opens the door to the current of Light descending from the Upper One. So, reaching the right request constitutes all of our work!

The world does not understand this principle. People think they can do something on their own. The entire world revolves only around the desire to be fulfilled, which is their only desire, the only thing they live for and the only thing they sense. People do not feel the forces that operate them and this is why it appears to them that they can change things on their own, using their egoistic desires. But in fact, people can only change things for the worse because while they are distracting themselves with such attempts, they neglect the corrections they should be making.

It is imperative that we understand that we are the direct outcome of the Light’s actions. Only the Light can change us and the world. So, I don’t have to search for a force within me that will help me to change. I have nothing and no one to turn to but the Light! I have to feel as though I am “stuck” to Him, like a drop of semen in a mother’s womb.

As I rise spiritually, I do not become independent of the Light either. I remain completely stuck to the Light and completely dependent on It. And  I will continue to “stick” to It more and more until I merge with It completely.

Therefore, if I want anything in me to change, be it my thoughts, feelings, or states, then, I have to demand these changes from the Light. The only thing I can do myself is exude my request to the Light.

If a person learns how to always demand changes from the Creator, then he will be successful in everything, and it will take him the shortest time possible. Our biggest problem is that we forget that the only thing that acts is the Light.
(From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson)

The Science Of The New World

newworldThe true reality can only be seen through the quality of bestowal, which contradicts our egoistic knowledge. Our egoistic qualities depict an incorrect picture of the world to us, giving us false goals and facts opposite to the truth. People are yet to reveal how mistaken all the earthly sciences are. They will all end up “hanging in thin air,” having lost their foundation.

Right now people think that science is an indisputable truth that they can rely on. But this is only so as long as they exist inside the world’s egoistic quality.

However, as soon as one begins ascending above this world, one discovers that all the previous laws no longer apply. That’s because everything the human mind has discovered to this day are the laws of the egoistic desire. If one changes one’s desire to a desire for bestowal, then the laws will also change, as will science. One will suddenly see that the laws are no longer working: to his surprise, vinegar will start to burn the same way as alcohol. (This is an allusion to what is written in the Talmud: “He who told the oil to burn will tell the vinegar to burn.)

Of course, these changes won’t be critical, because our world will exist until the End of Correction. It’s just that in addition to this world, we will reveal new, spiritual desires, and inside them we will see new phenomena.

How did people create science? They did it inside their desire, inside themselves. People noticed that one egoistic desire is accompanied by one phenomenon, and another desire – by another. And it’s the same on every level of our world, be it still, vegetative, animate or human.

All of science is founded on such observations. For example, in mechanics I take an egoistic desire on the still level and measure which actions correspond to specific desires. In essence, this is still the Light and Kli interacting with one another.

We perform the same type of research on the still, vegetative and animate levels of nature. This is how all science arises – because man is the one researching it all!

So, as long as we exist inside one, egoistic nature, which is the still (lowest) level of desire, we will keep researching everything inside it. But if we add higher layers to it, those belonging to the desire to bestow, then our perception of the laws of nature will change.

We will reveal new phenomena in nature, and it will appear as if nature has changed. But in fact, the only thing that ever changes is our desire, and when it does, we feel other facts inside it.
(From Part 1 of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson)

What Is The Right Way To Work With Kabbalistic Texts?

Why Does the Creator Give Us So Much Suffering In This World?A question I received: Why do Kabbalists write their books in such a way that we don’t understand anything?

My Answer: It’s not necessary for us to understand these books with our minds. They illustrate spiritual pictures, which you certainly don’t understand, like an animal that is left to admire a painting or a symphony orchestra concert, and it’s unhappy that someone is tearing it away from eating grass. Well, it’s the same with us: nothing more is required of you! If you understand your true state in respect to the spiritual state, and you desire the influence of the Light, then new feelings emerge inside you and an opportunity for a new perception arises. This is how you ascend from the “animate” degree to the “human” degree.

If we were studying a corporeal science, which is meant to be understood, then you would be right to resent the incomprehensibility of Kabbalistic texts. However, the science of Kabbalah does not enter a person through the mind. Rather, it develops a new perception inside you. You should simply desire for your studies to result in a sensation of what is described, rather than understanding. This is the meaning of the verse, “I have labored and found.”

Why Attend A Kabbalah Congress?

what2520is2520mutual2520guarantee2520in2520a2520virtuaWhy do we get together at Congresses and desire to meet each other? It’s so that in addition to seeing the teacher on the computer screen every day, we will get to know one another and unite together even more. This is the practical realization of the science of Kabbalah, and without it, a person will never attain the spiritual world.

It is impossible for people to connect if they have never seen each other and haven’t spent at least a little bit of time together. We have to understand that our world isn’t cut off from the spiritual world. It was not created “just like that,” without a purpose.

Moreover, it wasn’t by chance that people have developed so many powerful, modern means of connecting. This gives us an opportunity and an obligation to meet each other even if we are located very far from each other, in order to establish an inner, spiritual connection.

Even though it may seem to some people that there is no need to meet others and there’s nothing others can do to inspire them, we still receive inspiration from others in this form, for the time being. Therefore, it is our responsibility to attend a Kabbalah Congress if we want to advance spiritually.

Many people study from home on their own, virtually, through the Internet, and they are afraid to come to a Congress because they don’t know anyone. However, if they wish to advance, it is their responsibility to carry out the advice given to them by Kabbalists, those who have already gone through this path. I can guarantee that if a person has an opportunity to come, it means that the proper circumstances are given to him from Above. And if he chooses not to come, then he simply won’t advance.

Sometimes a person really doesn’t have an opportunity to come, like some of our students from Latin America who are dreaming of being at the Congress but cannot attend because they don’t even have the money to get on a bus and leave their village. These circumstances are also contrived for them from Above, and they have to advance in their conditions. However, if you are given an opportunity from Above to come to the Congress, then you have no excuse to refuse it if you wish to advance spiritually.

I am warning you about this so that two years down the line, people won’t complain that they’ve been studying Kabbalah for so long, yet it is still just theory for them without any attainment, perception, and revelation of the spiritual world. After all, these are the things we should expect from our studies.
(From Part 3 of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, on Baal HaSulam’s article, “The Acting Intelligence”)

A Weekend Of Unity At The North American Kabbalah Congress

We have to explain to people that the wisdom of Kabbalah is a method that reveals the Creator to everyone, or in other words, it reveals the system of connections between us. Without knowing this system, we will simply perish.

Let us hope that humanity will understand that there is a solution and there is no need to “bury their heads in the sand.” Let us hope that we will succeed in the dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah and humanity will reveal the Creator, the global, integral system of Nature.
(Rav Michael Laitman – Daily Kabbalah Lesson 09.13.09)

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Come and join your friends in Unity at the North American Kabbalah Congress, taking place in Buffalo, New York, on October 15 – 18.

All the lessons and activities during the Congress (lessons, workshops, meals, songs and cultural evenings) will focus on the subject of the connection between us. We invite you to join us on this groundbreaking journey, as we strive to build a society governed by love and friendship – a model for all the world to follow.

A full children’s program will allow your child the opportunity to experience the joy and love of Congress while making new friends in a safe, supportive and well supervised environment.

Trips to Niagara Falls will be available on Thursday, October 15th.

Build Your Spiritual Intelligence

By Developing One's Desires, Kabbalah Also Develops One's MindOur mind always develops alongside a desire to achieve something. When your desire grows, it produces a mind to procure what you desire. In spirituality, the mind is an acquisition: One has to create it through the force of his unsatisfied desire.

If I really want to achieve the next state, then I carry out various actions which draw the Upper Light. Even a toddler who is trying to put blocks together is affected by the Surrounding Light, which is elicited by his desire. In virtue of this Light, the toddler becomes smarter.

It’s the same with us: the Light, clothed into an aspiration to reach what we desire, brings us greater intelligence. And suddenly, we understand what we have to do.

But at other times, this happens the other way around: we suddenly succeed in doing something, and then we learn from this. These are two types of awakening: from Above and from below.
(From Part 3 of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, on Baal HaSulam’s article, “The Acting Mind”)

How To Acquire Spiritual Vision

visionA question I received: There are three-dimensional images where at first you see the superficial image, but as you defocus your vision, you discover the depth of the image. How do we transfer our focus from this world onto the spiritual world?

My Answer: You have to try to acquire the quality of bestowal instead of the quality of reception. The world is a result of your vision, and is built within you by your qualities. Once you change these qualities, you will discover a different world.

The ascent up the degrees of the spiritual worlds happens by constantly changing your inner qualities.
(Excerpt from the Daily Kabbalah Lesson on Baal HaSulam’s article, “The Acting Mind”)

We Attain The Creator From His Actions

lawHow do I study the Creator’s actions? I repeat them like a baby, while looking at what the Creator is doing. The Upper Level descends to the lower level, which means that the Creator gives me an example to follow and shows me what to do, and I then repeat after Him.

Granted, I do it with His help, by virtue of His force, but I myself try to do the examples He sets before me. Just like we teach babies, that is how we acquire His mind.

The Creator shows me what I need to do, how to do it, and the order in which it has to be done. I receive absolutely everything from Above, because I myself do not know anything. I simply copy these actions and mechanically repeat them, because I do not have a mind yet.

This technique is called, “I attain You from Your actions.” I repeat all of His actions and acquire His Mind at the end.
(Excerpt from the Daily Kabbalah Lesson on Baal HaSulam’s article, “The Acting Mind”)

Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 09.15.09

Preparation to the Lesson
A person’s advancement is concealed from him. While we exist inside our current nature, we cannot correctly assess the next state and the means to attain it.
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Part 1, on Writings of the Rabash
Beauty is the quality of bestowal.
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Part 2, on Item 16 of “Preface to the Sulam Commentary”
One learns to work with his desires of reception and to give them the form of bestowal that the Creator shows him.
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Part 3, on Baal HaSulam’s article, “The Acting Mind”
The Creator speaks to us at every moment, but we let His words pass right beside our ears.
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