Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 02.19.10

Preparation To The Lesson
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Shamati #21: When One Feels Oneself in a State of Ascent
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “BeHaalotcha (When You Mount the Candles),” Item 39
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Why Do We Feel So Bad?

каббалист Михаэль Лайтман

We often find ourselves asking, “Why do I feel so bad? I haven’t hurt anyone, so what am I doing wrong?” Like small children, we’re asking what we’ve done wrong and why we’re feeling so bad. Besides this, we seem to be getting worse without any apparent reason. We consider ourselves respectable citizens, innocent of any crime. So what’s going on? Why does evil come to us?

Everything comes from Above. There is nothing in our world that is not planned from Above, according to the calculation of the common system. The Zohar explains that new corruptions are revealed in us at every moment. If we pay attention to them through our inclusion in the common system, which is the group and the studies (at least one to two hours per day), then we’re given the strength and sensitivity to correct them.

It would be impossible for us to distinguish these states without first beginning to recognize them. Moreover, if we don’t recognize the same corruptions (Reshimot – informational genes), as well as opportunities to correct ourselves and advance spiritually, then they are transformed into evil within us. This is the reason for all the illnesses, problems, and crises in our life.

From one generation to another the uncorrected evil gradually builds up, and in our generation it has reached sufficient measures. All of this occurs because we don’t build a desire, which is a vessel (Kli) for the Lights (Ruchot) to clothe within us. Otherwise we would be able to reveal the meaning of our life and change our fate.

Without a Kli, the Lights that should have clothed within remain in the form of a “spirit” (Ruach) without a body, which means they act to our detriment. Thus, we are falling behind in perceiving these Lights within the corrected desires.

The Seven Sciences That Originate From Kabbalah

каббалист Михаэль ЛайтманA question I received: You have mentioned that there are seven sciences that originate from one root, Kabbalah. What are these sciences?

My Answer: Kabbalah is the root of all the sciences because it speaks about the common law of the universe, the law of similarity. This law is also expressed in these sciences.

The sciences that originate from Kabbalah manifest in our matter divided into seven disciplines: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy. All of the other sciences in our world are their derivatives.

“The Zohar Code”

WhatMakesWomenHappy_thumb.gifDan Brown, the author of the bestseller, The Da Vinci Code, is the most popular author of the 21st century. The Da Vinci Code was the bestselling hardcover adult novel of all time with 81 million copies in print worldwide.

He has recently published a new novel, The Lost Symbol. Here are a few excerpts from it:

…human intentions could affect the world … In fact, man’s oldest spiritual quest was to perceive his own entanglement, to sense his own interconnection with all things. He always wanted to become “one” with the universe … to achieve the state of “at-one-ment.”

As she [Katherine] continued reading, she suddenly gasped and recoiled. “My God, it even describes how six of the dimensions are entangled and act as one?!” She took a frightened step backward. “What is this book?!”

“Something I’m hoping you’ll read one day.” …the title page where an ornately printed plate bore three words. The Complete Zohar. Katherine eyed the book. “You’re saying that the early mystics knew their universe had ten dimensions?”

“Absolutely.” He motioned to the page’s illustration of ten intertwined circles called Sephiroth… Katherine didn’t know how to respond. “But… then why don’t more people study this?” Her brother smiled. “They will.”…”we have been born into wonderful times. A change is coming. Human beings are poised on the threshold of a new age when they will begin turning their eyes back to nature and to the old ways…to the ideas in books like the Zohar…”

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The Zohar

Lesson Program For The Second Day Of The Zohar Convention 2010

Fourth Lesson: Advancement in Three Lines (10:00am)

  1. There is nothing bad in the world. Everything is necessary and fits its role. On the evil inclination as a “help against Him.” To the extent of one’s ability to adhere to the right, the force of the left reveals, for the purpose of its correction.
    a. Based on the articles of Baal HaSulam: “There Is None Else Besides Him,” “Thou Hast Hemmed Me In Behind and Before.”b. Every interpretation in “HaSulam (The Ladder)” amounts to work in three lines – about the shattering, and that everything is constructed so that we would be able to connect two forces – “right line” and “left line” – and create the middle line between them. However, the middle line is not only the sum or average between the two lines, but something new: a person equal to the Creator.
  2. Selected quotes from The Zohar on the topic of the three lines.
  3. Questions from the audience.

Fifth Lesson: Israel’s Role in the World – Being a Light of the Nations (16:00pm)

  1. The lesson is based on the article “Introduction to the Book of Zohar,” items 60 to 71.
  2. A collection of quotes about the Israel’s role from the book Lirot Tov (To See Well).
  3. Selected quotes from The Zohar on the topic of Israel’s role.
  4. Questions from the audience.

Sixth Lesson: The Last Generation (21:00pm)

  1. The dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah is the correction.
  2. Quotes from great Kabbalists on the importance of disseminating the wisdom of Kabbalah, and on how we are in the last generation.
  3. Dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah is first and foremost for us to attract the Light of correction.
  4. Dissemination is a means for us to be awarded with correction and the revelation of the Creator.
  5. Selected quotes from The Zohar on the topic of the generation of the Messiah.

Laws Of The Common Organism

critical Most people in the world do not yet feel that we are all one. But since we are all one common organism, then the big and powerful countries will suffer more than the small and weak ones. It’s similar to how when my leg hurts, I feel most of the pain in my head and my entire body loses its capability to operate properly. This means that the big countries will suffer more than the small ones, and the small countries will be able to do anything they want to the big ones until they all come to an agreement, just like the recent situation with the pirates from Somalia and Al-Qaeda.

All of the energy of the superpowers will be wasted on attempting to pacify the small trouble-causing countries, whose behavior will continue to spread around the whole world until it paralyzes it. The behavior of these small countries might seem insignificant, but we will not be able to do anything until we begin to work together.

In the past, when the world was not yet global, this was tolerable, but that’s not the case anymore. Large and powerful nations have their hands up and are unable to do anything. Unless they reach mutual accord, they will simply disappear from the map.

What is the value of having a head when I have a problem with my leg? All I can do is lay sick in bed, unable to move. Not so long ago I had broken my leg, and I clearly recall that my head was the last thing on my mind when all I could think about was finding the best position for my leg so it would hurt less. My entire life revolved only around this.

This is why we need to understand that only by attaining unity can we turn to the Creator, who will influence the Pharaoh (all the evil) and will change and correct it.