Good Environment – 12.05.10

My Good Environment – Questions of the Day

Kabbalah Moments: Earth Does Not Exist

Inner And Outer Israel

Dr. Michael LaitmanThere is Israel in the inner sense (Isra-El, Yashar Kel, straight to the Creator), which is a person with a point in the heart or one who aspires to spirituality. Besides, there is an external meaning to the nation of Israel. However, they also aren’t just people, but souls who were chosen in Ancient Babylon by the force called Abraham (the force of Hesed, bestowal) out of the general breakage called “the Babylonian confusion.”

Back then this confusion took place on the first degree of desire and it was from there (from Babylon) that Abraham chose these desires, which desired to correct themselves. Later they attained the level of Mochin de Haya – the First Temple, meaning that they already ascended to the level of AB and SAG, and then broke.

Now these Kelim are included in the general desire and it’s clear that compared to others, they contain a preliminary preparation, which helps them begin to ascend. These Kelim are called Israel in our world.

That is why there is a difference between a person who was born a Jew and one who was not born a Jew but who belongs to Israel by virtue of his point in the heart. A person who was born part of Israel probably has an inclination to ascend inherent from the previous breakage.

However, if a person does not belong to the nation of Israel by birth, it is unknown who he is because we do not know where the ten lost tribes of Israel are located, as they were dispersed after the breaking of the First Temple. They did not take part in building the Second Temple and therefore did not reach “unfounded hatred,” which was the reason for its destruction. They only went through the first breakage, not being able to “receive for the sake of bestowal.” However, it’s as if they kept the degree of “bestowal for the sake of bestowal” in an unbroken state!

That is to say, now as we ascend from below upwards and attain the level of “bestowal for the sake of bestowal” in the general mass, we will reveal the ten lost tribes! We will attain equivalence of form with them and then they will be found.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/5/10, Introduction to the Book of Zohar

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Introductory Lecture “Catastrophe In Northern Israel” – 12.05.10

Kabbalah for the Nation Introductory Lecture Series, “Catastrophe in Northern Israel”
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

Please Pass My Plea To Infinity!

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: It is said in The Study of the Ten Sefirot (Part 8, Item 4, “Inner Reflection”) that the lower one raises MAN, a plea for correction, only to its upper one (Elyon), and from there, to the degree higher than the upper one (Ali Elyon). So it follows that there is a leap of two degrees?

Answer: No, you can never rise to the degree higher than the upper one. The text discusses three degrees to prevent you from thinking that the action is completed in your upper one. The upper one raises your MAN to the degree higher than the upper one.

And although the action does not end even at the degree higher than the upper one, we only consider three degrees in the World of Atzilut. However, it does not mean that everything ends at them.

Not a single degree can correct anything for the lower degree without taking part of the Light of Infinity. It must raise the desire, the need of the lower one into the World of Infinity since such a desire is completely new: It is a desire to unite Malchut with Bina that has never existed, does not exist, and it’s not to be found even in Infinity.

This desire has to ascend to the World of Infinity where Malchut of the World of Infinity enters a union (Zivug De Hakaa) with the Light of Infinity and passes the special Light intended specifically to that MAN of the lower one.

However, in order to discuss this entire chain we consider only three degrees: the lower one, the upper one, and higher than the upper one.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/5/10, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How does Bina, who did not want to receive, suddenly discover that she must receive “in order to bestow?”

Answer: At the level of “to bestow in order to bestow” (GAR de-Bina), when Bina becomes similar to the Creator in that she does not receive, she discovers that the Creator is also a giver. Hence, she realizes that she has to give. But what can she give?

The Creator gives to her and she feels His love in this. Therefore, she understands that if she no longer refuses to receive and begins receiving from Him, this will give Him enormous delight, causing her to use the desire to receive, but in order to bestow to Him (ZAT de Bina).
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/2/10, “Mighty Rock of My Salvation”

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“The Place” To Build Your House

Dr. Michael LaitmanIf we used even one percent of the environment’s influence, we would be in spirituality by now! In all, this is called entering the Upper World, the transition from my individual desire into the desire of the environment.

Where else can I experience it? The deeper I delve into the desires of the environment, the higher I ascend in the Worlds of Assiya, Yetzira, Beria, and Atzilut. The instant I cross the barrier where the environment is more important to me than myself marks the passing of the Machsom (the barrier separating us from spirituality).

Right now everyone is preoccupied with their own desire. The environment affects a person, but only in the degree that he nullifies himself before it. The environment isn’t at fault for what is happening with a person; it depends only on him!

As for the environment, it is completely corrected; it cannot be uncorrected since it is arranged by the Creator! It is He who brought you here and said: “If you wish to have contact with Me, you have to include yourself into that environment, like an embryo in the mother’s womb. Enter this environment, and if you succeed, you will find Me.”

When you nullify yourself in the smallest degree, you will ascend to the first spiritual degree. This is a crucial step, “bestowal in order to bestow,” like an embryo inside the mother. It doesn’t seem to exist on its own, and that is why the mother provides all the necessary nourishment.

The more she gives it, the more it grows and nullifies itself. Hence, it grows inside the mother without disturbing her, seemingly non-existent. And the more it annuls itself, the more she can give. Therefore, she doesn’t view the embryo as a foreign object; on the contrary, it is close and dear.

When it grows to the extent that it is unable to completely nullify itself before Bina, it is born; it exits outside. From now on, it will annul himself in relation to her in a different manner, like a little child in relation to an adult. But nonetheless, it is nullification in order to receive nourishment, and later, education. All levels, through adulthood, receive by way of self-nullification.

The mother is the group, Shechina, the collective assembly of souls. Nullify yourself and you will enter it. And when I become an “adult,” it doesn’t mean that I don’t need them anymore; rather, I am able to take this collective desire and start working with it, drawing fulfillment to it.

I nullified myself in relation to all souls, this entire collective desire, and received this Kli (vessel), all the examples and forces from the mother. Now I can begin revealing this enormous desire, Malchut of the World of Infinity, and work with it by receiving in order to bestow, which is the level of “love” at this point.

All of this work takes place in relation to the environment, the collective soul. Where else is there to work? There is nothing besides it. Everything occurs in the same place, and that is what the Creator is called: “the place.”
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/2/10, “Mighty Rock of My Salvation”

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The General Reason For All The Suffering

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Is it correct to build an intention while studying The Book of Zohar and to think about those who have been hurt by the fires in the north of Israel and those who are fighting the fire?

Answer: This is not a matter of the obvious and latent problems people are facing. By bringing the Light closer to Malchut de Atzilut, we enable Malchut to shine in her nine lower Sefirot, meaning in all of reality that lies beneath her, including our world.

We raise MAN, a plea for correction, to Malchut, which is then transferred higher, all the way until Arich Anpin, the source of abundance. By virtue of this, the abundance starts descending to Malchut and she provides this Light to the lower ones: the Worlds of BYA, our world, all the souls, and the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature.

Of course, we thereby bring life to all the creatures below. This includes the inhabitants of the north of Israel, who are the same as all the people and all the creatures that continue to suffer.

We understand that they are suffering due to a lack of connection with the Upper Force. When we add the right intention to their suffering, we raise their desire upwards together with our intention. Then we receive additional abundance in response, which becomes transferred to the whole world.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/5/10, The Zohar

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I’m Asking For Everyone’s Sake, Including Ourselves

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What should we actually do to counter nature’s blows, such as the fire in the north of Israel that’s happening now?

Answer: The only thing we need is the common intention, the unity of our thoughts. We need our friends all over the world to think about how our unity with one another will help eliminate all the disasters in the world, including the horrible fire that has broken out in Israel.

You have to include your personal plea into the common plea for the whole world and unite with all of the world’s suffering. That is the only way it works: If you think about everyone, then at the end you can also add “us” – but not yourself! This is the only thing that can help.

It is impossible to fight catastrophes or a crisis using the old methods if you find yourself facing the Upper Light that acts against you. We are yet to see how the financial crisis will come back, even though people have tried to extinguish it using all the possible means. In fact, it will explode much more powerfully than before. And the same thing will happen with everything else. We cannot cope with these problems using the usual methods. We can only suppress them temporarily, but later they will break out even stronger.

Correction is possible only through bringing hearts closer, only through unity. The world has to become global. The force operating on us from Above surrounds us, shutting us in from all sides and becoming revealed as one global force. Therefore, we feel how humanity is becoming as one organism where everyone is connected with each other.

We are yet to see that these very catastrophes will force humanity to unite. Now fire-fighters from all over the world will come to Israel to help fight the fire, and tomorrow something else will happen in another place and the whole world will come rushing there, and later it will be a new place. In this way, through disasters, nature will force us to unite and understand that we need each others’ help.

Nature will become so hostile that we won’t have time to think about how to fight with each other. If we don’t agree to it the good way, the Creator will force us to it. The situation will become so serious that not one nation will be able to single-handedly fight the natural catastrophes. Everyone will have to help each other. And suddenly, everyone will understand that they have to be together; otherwise we simply won’t survive,

Everyone will unite in the face of a deadly threat. But why should we wait for it if we can advance by the good path?
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From the lesson on Baal HaSulam’s article “Freedom of Will” on 12/3/10

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The Freedom Of Pure Bestowal

Dr. Michael LaitmanBina represents pure bestowal, Hafetz Hesed. Bina can be situated in the head of the Partzuf and outside of it. Bina is not subject to restriction (Tzimtzum), and yet, she does come out outside because this allows her to endow the lower ones with her own attributes.

While being above the screen, Bina is blocked, locked inside the head. On the other hand, having gotten out, she performs bestowal to the lower ones, and everything they have they receive from her.

However, this “sneaking-out” doesn’t reflect on her in particular. While coming out, she doesn’t seem to have left the head at all and easily maintains communication with the upper Partzufim. Bina is free and may be present as Above, so below. Our salvation is possible thanks to this particular property of Bina.

The Freedom of Pure Bestowal

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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/2/10, The Zohar, Introduction, “The Buds”

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