Kabbalah Moments: How To Find The Creator

A Time For Studying And A Time For Dancing

Dr. Michael LaitmanA question I received: You say that the Light that Reforms can only be drawn from the lesson. Then what’s the point of singing, dancing, and holding friends’ assemblies at the forthcoming Mega-Congress?

My Answer: All of nature’s systems come from the four phases of the expansion of Direct Light. And what happens there is the combination of just two forces: reception and bestowal, or the Light of Hassadim and the Light of Hochma, respectively.

They work like a piston: one part is filled while the other is emptied, and so on, one after the other. This sequential filling and emptying takes place in phases Aleph (1), Bet (2), Gimel (3), and Dalet (4). All the systems in our world operate according to this principle as well, similar to the pulsation of the heart. There is no movement without alternating filling and emptying.

The same thing happens in our spiritual progress: in one period we study, and in another period we unite, dance, and sing. The two periods have to alternate.

Our world is built in such a way that a person has to work, eat, and raise children. In essence, what are we doing in all of these actions? We are communicating with ourselves and the Creator, and without realizing it we are transferring these two forces, reception and bestowal, from one quality to another. Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut, the Light of Hochma and the Light of Hassadim, one becomes filled while the other is emptied (see Part 5 of Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Mati Ve Lo Mati” – “The Light’s entrance and exit in the soul”).

Therefore, there’s a time for unifying and a time for studying. That is what Kabbalists have ordained. That’s why we hold a friends’ assembly once a week, regional unity events once a month, and a worldwide Congress once every several months.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/11/10, The Zohar

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Reveal The World Of Roots

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe spiritual world is a world of qualities, forces, desires, and intentions. There are just two forces or two desires: reception and bestowal. Everything else comes from their interaction and inclusion inside each other. When the desire to bestow joins the desire to receive pleasure, it evokes the force of opposition in it, a screen, Aviut (thickness, coarseness of desire), Zakut (purity, fineness of desire), and so on.

Yet, there are only two forces operating in the entire universe and they are mutually incorporated inside one another. This is what we learn in the four phases of the expansion of the Direct Light. Nothing else exists. “Existence from existence” (Yesh Mi Yesh) is the force of bestowal, and “existence from absence” (Yesh Mi Ein) is the force of reception that was created inside it.

 

Everything else forms from the opposition between these two forces. It is forbidden for us to imagine anything besides them since we imagine everything else detached from the true sensation. If you desire to return to the true sensation, then you must make efforts to try to return to the authentic picture, as if you are gaining consciousness from an unconscious state.

Therefore, when reading Kabbalistic articles or The Book of Zohar, and even when going about our business in this world, we have to try to reveal the forces that govern us, the roots of what we perceive in this “seeming” world. When reading The Zohar, we must constantly make these efforts. If you are always trying to reveal, using this book’s text, the qualitative picture, the picture of qualities, forces, and desires, then by so doing you evoke upon yourself the force from that state, from two forces, reception and bestowal, and this influences you.

The Zohar speaks about how to find the connection between the two forces. This is all of reality. It doesn’t matter what exactly I am reading: Aba ve Ima, ZON, ascending, descending, the state of adulthood (Gadlut), the state of smallness (Katnut), and so on. In actuality, there are no words in the sensation of the spiritual world. There is just a combination of two forces in all sorts of forms, and that is the true reality, the only one that exists.

One quality belongs to creation and the second one to the Creator. It is impossible to speak about one without the other, but only about the connection between them, ranging from nearly total disconnection to total unity.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/11/10, The Zohar

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Step By Step Toward The Revelation Of The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter “VaYetze (And Jacob Went Out) – Part 2,” Item 381: All the admonition that Jacob had with Laban made Laban repent and thank the Creator, as it is written, “See, God is witness between you and me,” that he mentioned the name “God.” It is written, “The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor … judge between us,” meaning that that wicked returned to his bad ways. When he said “The God of Abraham,” who is holy, he mentioned the god of Nahor again, who is idolatry.

We think that this excerpt speaks of events in the corporeal world. But later, we reveal that it actually speaks only about the connection between the souls and the types of those connections. The Torah speaks exclusively about these connections and the way to strengthen the connections between the souls. Other than this, there’s nothing to reveal to man, nothing to show, and nothing else that he needs to be taught.

After all, the breaking between the souls was in order to separate them from one another. By connecting them and putting them together like Lego bricks, we learn how this system of souls is constructed; we learn the Creator’s action, and reveal the thought and purpose of creation.

This is why The Zohar speaks only about the types of connection between the souls and the ways to keep strengthening them. In other words, all the events described in the Torah only address the way to reach absolute connection.

And for this reason, our intention to connect with one another, as well as reading about an even greater connectivity of souls in the spiritual world, are both directed in the same way. We are trying to realize this connection between us here in this world, the world of our understanding, while The Zohar reveals the higher degrees. We want to attach ourselves to these higher degrees in order to receive strength from them, so they will influence us and connect us with one another.

As soon as we attain the very first, smallest connection with one another, the first spiritual degree, we begin to perceive the spiritual world. We had the same condition at Mount Sinai: "Unite as one man with one heart – and you will receive the Torah, the Light, and reveal spirituality, the Creator."

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/9/10, The Zohar

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Kabbalah: One Simple System Of The Basic Laws Of Nature

Dr. Michael LaitmanA person who doesn’t yet understand the style of Kabbalistic writings experiences difficulties while trying to comprehend them. While reading words such as “Mitzva,” “the Creator,” “to please the Creator,” “fear of sin,” and so on, a modern secular person doesn’t understand where he is and what the text is really about.

In fact, the whole problem is that we don’t know how to read the text correctly. Kabbalists have been using this style of expression from generation to generation since the times of Abraham who was the first to expand the wisdom of Kabbalah (although it was Adam HaRishon who discovered it.)

Those who perceive spirituality comprehend what the books are talking about; they understand that there is a will to receive whose sole aim is to gain for one’s self, and indulging in this desire is called “sin” because this behavior is opposite to the Creator. On the other hand, receiving in order to bestow makes one similar to the Creator, and this is called a “Mitzva.

However, it has nothing to do with physical actions in this world. A Mitzva (spiritual law) doesn’t relate to the physical body. It refers to our inner desires regarding the Upper Light, the Creator, and not the corporeal world.

All of this was evident to the sages who wrote the Torah and lived according to its laws 2000 years ago because they attained, mastered, and perceived spirituality. They understood what was written and did not confuse it with corporeal acts. But after the destruction of the Temple, there was a general decline; man’s sensation of the Creator disappeared.

From then on, people started interpreting the books [of the Torah] from their perception which was solely materialistic and ascribed them to our world. They translated the words and sentences, thinking that they referred to actions and relationships in our world.

This was the period of spiritual exile, but it is now coming to an end. We must return to revealing the Upper Force again, to our connection with it, and to mutual bestowal. Thus, we must understand that there was no other way to write these books.

To follow the laws of the Torah means to use the Upper Light in order to correct my 613 desires, which means to carry out the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah. If a person remembers to translate everything he reads (all the terms heard since childhood – Torah, Mitzvot, sin, etc.), into the spiritual language and spiritual definitions he will have no trouble understanding what Kabbalah is talking about.

The language and its definitions comprise one simple system of the basic laws of nature; after all, the word “Creator” means “nature.” Kabbalah, therefore, is a science that involves the entirety of reality including our world.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/9/10, Shamati #108

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Opening The Zohar – 07.11.10

The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “The First Commandment
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Waking Up To The True Reality

Dr. Michael LaitmanWhen we read The Zohar, we should imagine that we exist in two systems. One system, created by the Creator, is inalterable, and the only one that exists. It is called “the World of Infinity.”

As Baal HaSulam relates in “The Preface To The Book Of Zohar,” this state is constant. Since the Creator created and formed all of creation instantly in its final state with one thought, we exist there in His plan of creation which is “to please the creatures.” Baal HaSulam also explains in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1, Chapter “Inner Reflection,” the Plan of creation is enough for the Creator to create it.

The Creator realizes everything through one action. This reality is perfect and invariable, and there are no steps to achieving the desired state. We exist in this perfect state in all our perfection, the way the Creator initially intended us to be.

However, besides this perfect state, we, with respect to ourselves, also exist in another reality. We, as though, lost consciousness, no longer realizing that perfect reality in which the Creator created us.

These two states exist parallel to each other. Through our own efforts, we need to enter the sensation of the true reality. We do this by using the environment: the books, the teacher, and the group.

We need to wake up, to enter consciousness, to return to that true state in which we exist but do not feel with our corrupted senses. The science of Kabbalah is given to us so that while we exist in an unconscious state called “this world,” we can learn about that perfect reality. By trying to become similar to it through our mutual efforts, we can rouse a force from it, which is able to return us there.

This force is the Light that Reforms. This force will heal us and correct our egoism. Gradually, as though from non-existence, we will begin to feel true life. We will discover that we were “like in a dream.”

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/7/10, The Zohar

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If You Leave Me For A Day…

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe are completely under the authority of nature. We are controlled in all of our actions, those of the body as well as those of the soul. Yet, Kabbalists say that we have freedom of choice. There would have been no point to create this whole creation if the Upper Force unambiguously determined everything that happens to us beforehand.

However, the freedom of will exists only above our present life, only there, in a higher dimension where we wish to rise above our egoistic nature, in the quality of bestowal. Only on that ascent from one degree to another will we able to choose whether to ascend by receiving blows from nature. If we do not use our freedom of will, do not exert our own effort, do not strive to develop ourselves on our own in the same direction, or see a desired goal in this, nature will push us. But if we search for the forces to help us execute this ascent, this is where we find our freedom of will.

Kabbalists explain that freedom of choice exists only in building a correct environment. Moreover, I don’t just choose the environment; I advance under its influence. I can choose my environment and by that hasten my advancement as well as change the nature of this ascent.

Instead of dashing to and fro under the blows of fate like a beaten animal, I can rise by a wonderful path, according to my own desire, full of feelings, understanding, and by my own strength, as befits a human being. I can do this if I examine the goal, wish to near it, and understand that in order to hasten my development I need to draw more Light than I receive through the natural path. This means is given to me; it is called the Torah, the Upper Light; it pulls me out and returns me to the source.

It is written in regard to this work that if we leave it even for one day, if we don’t realize our freedom of choice, then we halt our development for two days, and are not permitted to advance independently. We begin to be influenced by the natural Upper forces.

After all, it is not enough to only lose to the extent of our not exerting effort; we don’t learn much from this. To teach us to stay on the wonderful path, we receive a “punishment” for straying that is slightly greater than what we did so that the next time an even greater obstacle emerges on the path, we would beware not to stumble on it. The spiritual law states, “If you leave Me for a day, I will leave you for two.”

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/9/10, Shamati #108

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The Secret Of Spiritual Birth

Dr. Michael LaitmanA question I received: In a state of a descent, how can I hold onto the goal so firmly that I can turn the descent into an ascent and fall on my own rather than have the Creator hurl me?

My Answer: I need to control this descent and decide on my own that a downfall is necessary. I have to prepare myself for the descent beforehand like one prepares for a surgical procedure. What will help me not to “lose my head” during a descent and fall under the authority of my desires? A connection to the goal will help me feel the descent and rise instead of losing myself. I am unable to guarantee this for myself and therefore, I require the right environment to support me when I lose control as a consequence of the desires that are too big for me to handle.

When the time comes for a spiritual embryo to be born, to transition to the degree of feeding, it loses its current degree completely by turning over “head down.” So how is it able to connect these two states during the birth? How does it secure itself from becoming a miscarried fetus, and instead, adhere to the Creator on a higher degree in order to be born into a new world? For this we are given different Reshimot (spiritual records, genes): de-Aviut and de-Hitlabshut (from desire and from the Light).

It turns out that I will always be able to connect to two degrees simultaneously! This is what helps me to be born.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/7/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 07.11.10

Rabash, Shlavei HaSulam, “The Agenda of the Assembly
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “VaYetze (And Jacob Went Out), Item 386
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 1
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 2, Part 7, Item 7, Lesson 7
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 14, Lesson 12
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