“I Dwell Among My People”

Dr. Michael LaitmanIt is written, “I dwell among My people.” It is impossible for the Creator, the Upper Force or the Light that fills Malchut of Infinity, to relate to one of its parts individually. The system is created as whole and common, and the Light resides only in its totality.

Even in all the degrees of the descent of the worlds, Partzufim, and Sefirot from Above downward, the system remains whole and perfect. Only the extent of the connection among its parts decreases. Therefore, in the descent of the worlds, we are talking about a decrease in the measure of connection among parts in a common system, while the number of parts always remains the same.

As long as a minimal connection, mutual bestowal, remains between them, they still exist in spirituality. However, as soon as mutual bestowal ends and they are no longer connected like one man with one heart (even with the smallest possible heart), this system immediately ends up in this world and the Creator no longer dwells in it. He merely shines from afar with Surrounding Light in order to rouse us to return to unification from this broken state.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/14/10, Article, “A Prayer of Many”

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Weekly Torah Portion Lesson – 07.16.10

The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion “Dvarim,” Selected Excerpts
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The Return Of The Ari

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, Letter #39: Itzhak Cohen, one of the Ari’s students, said that he entered the Ari’s room when he was dying and wept because the students were losing the hope they had during their teacher’s life to see a world full of goodness, wisdom, and the Light of the Creator. The Ari replied, “If there was at least one complete righteous man among you then I would not be taken away from this world before my time.”

The student asked him, “What should we do next?” To which the Ari replied, “Tell the friends on my behalf that from this day on they are not to touch the science I taught you because you did not understand it properly. Therefore, only Chaim Vital will continue to study it quietly and in secret.”

The student exclaimed, “So we don’t have any hope?!” And the Ari replied, “If you merit it, I will come to you and teach you.”

The student objected, “How will you come to teach us if you are already leaving this world?” The Ari replied, “What do you understand of the concealed secrets and paths of my return to you!” With these words, he immediately passed away to enter life in the world to come…

Indeed, this is a sad picture. Everything was arranged from Above so that during the Ari’s death his group of students was not next to him. Just one student was present, Itzhak Cohen. Even Chaim Vital, the leading student of the Ari to whom the Ari transferred the paths of this wisdom, was not present next to his teacher at this time.

Apparently Itzhak Cohen did not possess great attainment at the time since he did not even understand what was happening and asked, “How will you come to teach us!?” This means that he did not yet understand that there is no difference between the worlds, and that the Upper Level is always able to descend and manifest on the lower levels whenever they are ready to accept it!

The Ari tells us, “As soon as you make an effort and are ready, I will make contact with you! As soon as you rise to the spiritual level, we will immediately meet and there you will receive all the fulfillment and help from me!”
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/15/10, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 07.16.10

Shamati #3 The Matter of Spiritual Attainment
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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Lech-Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 28
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Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” Item 68
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Article “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”
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Everything Returns To The Point of Perfection

Dr. Michael LaitmanA collective prayer that does not remain unanswered is a prayer “for the society,” a request to gather all of the souls that yearn for the Creator into one soul of Adam. This prayer is immediately accepted by the Creator (the system of Upper Forces of the World of Infinity, where everything is unchanging and perfect) because it aspires for perfection.

If people all over the world feel the need to know the Upper Force and unite their desires, then they do not feel separated by continents because they are in fact in a common “range” of spirituality. They exist in one spiritual plane without feeling geographical distances in our world but by feeling closeness in spirituality. They do not know and cannot explain how this happens, but their aspirations toward one goal pull and unite them inside a common spiritual field.

In this way, they all enter “Knesset Israel” (unity of those who aspire for the Creator, the quality of bestowal). “Knesset” (assembly, gathering) is the place where we all unite as one man, meaning Malchut of the World of Atzilut. Similarly, “Israel” (Yashar-El – straight to the Creator) signifies the souls who aspire toward one goal. Consequently, they become one assembly called Knesset Israel, the gathering of the souls who desire to attain the Creator.

They feel as one whole connected by one desire, one goal, and one purpose. Thus, there is a return to one body of the collective soul, as it was before the breaking of the Kelim (the vessels, desires) and the emergence of this imaginary corrupted world, perceived as our present reality.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/10, Article, “The Importance of the Prayer of the Many”

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Kabbalah For Beginners “The Ari” – 07.15.10

Kabbalah TV Channel 66’s Kabbalah for Beginners, “The Ari”
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Let’s Do It Willingly

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter “Lech Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 7: The two are crowned and illuminate, meaning they became three—HGT—through the middle line that decided between them. Hence, three enter into one because the middle line, Tifferet, receives and spreads into three other lines by itself—NHY. This is so because the lower one is rewarded with the full measure that it causes in the illumination of the upper one, since it is its cause.

If you cannot awaken the Upper One, to cause the Upper one to bestow upon you, it means that you yourself haven’t accumulated the necessary desire to receive spiritual fulfillment. To the extent that the lower one is able to awaken the Upper One, he is corrected, ready to receive from the Upper One, and therefore receives. In fact, there is no action on the part of the Upper One; it is the lower one who opens the door and receives.

Nonetheless, in the entire process of bringing all of creation to perfection, there is a program called “Beito” (in its time), and accordingly, we must reach the purpose of creation in a certain period of time by uniting in one desire filled with Light as it was in the World of Infinity before the Tzimtzum (restriction). Therefore, there is a sequence of actions we must perform, either willingly or unwillingly.

Moment by moment, there arise our uncorrected Reshimot (informational data) and the force that corrects them. This process of correction leads us from the beginning of creation to the final correction, meaning to total equivalence with the Creator’s properties. For that reason, everything starts when the creature and the Creator are detached and set apart as two opposing poles. The impact of the force on the uncorrected desire (Reshimo) causes them to draw closer through similar properties.

The lower one doesn’t wish for and is unaware of drawing closer to the Creator, and by moving toward something undesirable, the lower one senses it as suffering. Thus, our whole life feels like suffering. We are advancing closer to the Creator, yet we feel that we are approaching evil. In this way, the path Beito (in its time) is a process that leads all of creation to correction automatically, without asking what the lower one wants.

On the other hand, today by studying the wisdom of Kabbalah, we learn the program of our automatic correction called Beito, plug into it, and then correct ourselves willingly. In this way we engage in a process called “Achishena” (hastening our correction time), first out of desperation and then willingly.

The law of equivalence of form between us and the Creator, which is the state of the World of Infinity that we must attain, affects us and draws us into this state with or without our participation. Therefore, it is desirable to learn how to carry out this law. Otherwise, all of the phases we are entering with the lack of our similarity with the Creator, will cause us great suffering.

Now you can understand how much suffering is caused in the world by those who oppose Kabbalah.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/10, The Zohar

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How To Receive The Upper Abundance

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter “Lech Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 6: This is the herald that comes at midnight, at the start of the illumination of the left line from the point of Shuruk for the righteous to raise MAN for extension of the middle line. The herald comes out and calls aloud because it is in the blocking of the Dinim of the point of Shuruk. This is why it is discerned that he comes out with great force and calls upon the righteous to correct him.

Before us is the clarification of the order of extension of the three lines from Bina to ZA, from ZA to Nukva, and from Nukva to the souls of the righteous.

To the extent that the lower one can awaken the Upper One in the middle line by raising MAN (a prayer), the Upper One can fill his desire. We only have to bring our desire to the Upper One, a desire that is similar to His. This means we need to wish to be filled with His fulfillment. Then we will receive it.

There are no special conditions on the part of the Upper One. He is just waiting for our desire to be suitable for His fulfillment according to the law of equivalence of form. This is why all of our prayers and pleas should not be about receiving fulfillment from the Upper One. Rather, they should ask for help to create the correct desire, necessity, and intention, which fit the fulfillment existing in the Upper One.

I am not asking the Upper One to fulfill me since as it said, “more than the calf wants to suckle the cow wants to feed it.” My whole request should be: “I want to become ready to receive from the Upper One, to become fitting for Him.” There must be similar and corresponding properties between us. As soon as it appears, the abundance automatically flows from Him into me.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/10, The Zohar

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A Prayer For Society

Dr. Michael LaitmanIt is believed that a collective prayer occurs when a person raises his or her prayer among others who are praying at the same time. Yet, those who are more spiritually aware believe that a collective prayer is a plea for society. Such a prayer is immediately accepted by the Creator, whereas an egoistic prayer (when a person prays for himself ) is not heard.

Nevertheless, even a request to the Creator for society is not perfect. In fact, if the Creator “is good that does good,” my request implies that society is suffering because of the Creator, doesn’t it? It seems like I think that the Creator is mistreating society, and that I should pray for them. However, if the Creator is always benevolent to everybody, for whom am I asking?

It follows that I cannot ask the Creator to change His attitude toward me (a personal prayer) or toward society (a collective prayer). Since the Creator is absolutely and invariably good, I can ask Him only to correct me and all the others in such a way that we will feel that He is only good.

If all who desire to be connected to the Creator in the property of love and bestowal are willing to unite with others in the same property, then through their aspiration, they create a place where the Creator is revealed. That place is our mutual love.

However, such a state can be achieved only through the correction of each individual’s 613 desires, which is called the “fulfillment of 613 commandments.” In the degree of our correction, we draw closer to each other since the correction of desires lies in their unification.

This is why the sages said that “love of others is the greatest law of the Torah,” and all the commandments are necessary only in order to attain the last one, the universal commandment: love. As a result, in these individual and collective corrections, we will feel the power of love and bestowal filling us.

But if we are not corrected and united, and everyone wants to receive for himself, our prayer is solely for material things. (Material is what is received egoistically, whereas spiritual is what is received in order to bestow). In this case, receiving for ourselves, we become “the nations of the world,” and not “Israel” (straight to the Creator).

These terms are not related to some nation or nationality. They describe the states of a person on the spiritual path. According to this, our prayer is either to improve our personal state of existence or to correct our attitude toward the others and the Creator.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/10, Article “The Importance of the Prayer of the Many”

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A Driver’s License For Controlling Life

Dr. Michael LaitmanEvery person is the Creator’s worker although he doesn’t know or feel this. Suppose your “car” has an engine which causes it to move forward. Actually, it is the Creator who moves it by propelling you with suffering from behind and luring you with pleasure ahead. Therefore, your “car” rolls on whether you want it to or not, as it runs away from suffering and in the direction of pleasure.

However, there comes a time when you get a “Jeep” which the Creator does not move. You need to ask Him yourself to start your engine. And when you receive a force from Him, you can move from your spot only to the extent that you ask Him. In other words, you and He work like partners.

Initially you did not know where you were going, why, or for what purpose. You simply rolled forward without thinking about it. You lived many lives in this unconscious manner. You moved forward, but only like an animal that runs away from blows. It is written that such a life is an animal-like existence, meaning that you don’t know where your desires come from and why you act the way you do. All people live this way, for now.

However, then you receive the point in the heart and a connection emerges with the Leader. You begin to consciously ask Him to advance you. You now wish to learn the path and reach the goal instead of just getting rid of suffering and receiving pleasure. It is truth that interests you now. This goal is not connected to pleasure; what matters is that it is the truth. For the time being, you are set into motion by a lie. Therefore, you ask to be given the force of the Light so that you could advance to the truth in spite of your sensations.

A person comes to study, thereby leaving the advancement from “bitter to sweet” and enters the movement from “falsehood to truth.” In spite of his sensations, he moves from the considerations of feelings to considerations of the mind.

However, time is required until he “starts the car and it begins to move.” He also needs to pass the “test” and get a “driver’s license.” This is called “the period of preparation” which lasts until you are finally able to sit in the car and go.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot

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