Introductory Lecture “To Be A Human Being” – 03.22.11
Posted on March 22nd, 2011
All souls are interconnected and distributed into different levels of nature: still (S), vegetative (V), animate (A), human (H), and spiritual (S). The souls that have corrected themselves are on the spiritual level. Those on the human level have a “point in the heart” and aspire to spirituality. All the rest do not.
Possibly, the rest of the souls do not require such advancement. If a point in the heart awakens in a person, he or she ascends upward, but these will be special, exceptional cases. In general, the souls do not undergo such cardinal changes.
It means that we should not demand of humanity to adopt the structure of the developed societies. This is why it’s hard for us to believe Baal HaSulam who writes that all people already became one family and humanity is ready to ascend spiritually. Nevertheless, this is so.
A tiny part of the brain the size of a square millimeter rules over the entire body. Similarly, a small part of humanity has to govern it, connecting it with the Creator. From this part, everyone will receive correction in a passive form which corresponds to their type of souls.
Nothing should be done about it. Don’t equalize everyone according to the democratic model. They will be equal when each will become corrected according to their egoistic potential, their Reshimo (informational gene). Then everybody will become a single “body”; however, 90% of this “body” will be “flesh,” “bones,” “muscles,” “tendons,” and so on.
How many important organs does an organism have? How much is allotted to the brain? What portion of the brain represents a person per se? It’s a tiny part, a “microprocessor,” not more.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/21/2011 on The Principles of Global Education
A spiritual action depends entirely on the preparation. That is because the action itself is already predetermined in advance and has to take place. Nothing can change in the entire program from the beginning until the end of creation. All of these phases are already definitely determined.
Man can intervene in a certain part of this program, but only in order to change its speed. However, there is also a part where he can change the character of the program that unravels within him, meaning to determine how he will experience his development.
Through this part of the program he establishes his independence and has the opportunity to express himself. That is how he ascends as an independent individual who has power, who is integral, and who understands and attains the entire program of creation which was intended only for this purpose.
Therefore, the preparation for a forthcoming action changes its character from the beginning and until the very end. Everything depends on the preparation, which is why we attribute so much significance to it.
Now, in anticipation of the convention that will be held in New Jersey at a time that is so special for the whole world, it is extremely important for our preparation to be correct and later to bring good results from our unification at the convention.
Let powerful waves expand outward from this place near New York, the center of America, like a good tsunami wave that will wash the world with love and the force of bestowal. This will enable people to understand how they should start relating to one another in anticipation of the new world and the changes we will have to go through according to nature’s program.
This will help the world go through these changes gently, quickly, and in a good way, by preparing for them and realizing what is happening, instead of like animals that are being beaten and spurred forward by the whip of history and who don’t understand what to do.
Therefore, everything depends on our preparation for the convention so that by virtue of it we will prepare the world for the changes it will have to go through in any case. By preparing for them well, the world will be able to accept them correctly and to see that they are for the better.
During the next 10 days, in the last hours we have left before the convention, we have to perform great work. We have to see every moment as preparation for an extremely important event and discern how we want to go through these moments in order to obtain the expected result for ourselves and for the whole world.
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/22/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention
We consider only the quantity of desires and pleasures without examining their quality. In a never-ending chase for pleasure, man inevitably begins to face the question: “Why do I need this? What is the meaning of life?”
In the past nobody gave it thought with the exception of a few philosophers, but today a lot of people are asking: “Why am I here ? What is this world for? What’s in it?”
This is a qualitatively different question, an essential question. Today an eternal chase for pleasures makes man ponder over it on a higher level: He wants to know what the meaning of life is.
Failing to keep pleasures and striving to find new ones, I run around like a squirrel in a cage. Pleasures may never run out, yet I nevertheless rise from the animate level to the human one and ask myself: “What for?”
We ourselves do not notice these qualitative transformations in desire. It would seem, how can I feel unhappy if every day gives me more opportunities to enjoy? However, a certain tendency is hidden within, and that is why a new age is called the age of depression.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/21/2011 on The Principles of Global Education
Question: How can one receive from the environment the importance of the intention to bestow?
Answer: Imagine that beside the environment there is nothing. There is no Creator, no property of bestowal, there is nothing but the environment.
We think that there is something else and it appeases us: There is the environment, but there is also the Creator, my own relationship with Him. In truth, there is nothing like that, but only the environment. Either you perceive yourself in yourself, or you can sense yourself inside the environment. It will also be you, but the perfect you that incorporates within of all of your lost pieces.
Beside these two components there is nothing. You are either submersed in your current self or you connect with the environment which you presently imagine as being outside of you: with the group, with the common desire. But that’s you!
In reality, my current perception of myself is conditioned by the fact that my egoism tears me away from my true “self,” and I think that I exist outside of it. It’s totally the opposite! My entire Kli (desire, vessel) of the soul is there, inside my true “self.” It’s just that the concealment acts upon me and I consider it foreign. Subsequently, it will become revealed to me whom I stole from, whom I deceived, or harmed. It was me myself, the people closest and dearest to me!
Question cont.: Under what condition can I receive the importance of bestowal from the environment?
Question: By faith above reason! You are looking for a rational confirmation, for a certain logic which would explain that you appeal to the group and receive support from it. Such logic does not exist. Indeed, if you were able to substantiate this logically, it would be advantageous for you to be in this team from the egoistic point of view, for instance, like in a football team. Here, however, you have no rational support!
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/21/2011, The Book of Zohar
The first revelation of the Creator is the discovery of the pure property of bestowal, the exit from oneself to the “outside.” Undoubtedly, it seems irrational to us: Why would I think about the others?
If I, being an egoist, think about someone else, I feel emptiness and expect compensation. I haven’t yet transcended the egoistic calculation and don’t realize that by rising above my ego, I receive a new calculation that is presently unknown to me.
I can understand that similarity to the Creator is probably beneficial. Drawing closer to Him is such an obvious gain that I’m ready to pay for it. If it requires me to exit myself, I’m ready! They also promise me the entire spiritual world, so I’m willing to work for it.
In other words, for as long as I envision a certain profit, fulfillment for myself, I naturally have the strength and readiness to connect to the environment, unite for this goal. However, the instant we start feeling that the property of bestowal won’t bring any benefit for our egoistic desires, the problem arises.
We should understand that we are about to reveal a new reality, a different dimension that has nothing in common with this world. The gap and the opposition between the two worlds is so immense that we can’t picture it beforehand. We don’t have any example that would allow us to somehow, directly or indirectly, understand, sense, or imagine anything relating to the spiritual life.
A person transitions from one world to the other, which is called “crossing the Final Sea (Yam Suf),” without knowing where he is going or what awaits him there. The Creator and the creature are two absolute opposites. And until a person moves from one to the other, it’s impossible to comprehend what their opposition means.
Hence, to demand certain understanding, attainment, or support from one’s egoistic heart and mind is to shoot oneself in the foot and halt one’s progress. How can you demand something now, if you yourself block the wheel in the carriage that carries you forward.
It’s forbidden to awaken egoistic desires! Meanwhile, we don’t only awaken them, but also embitter them by our screams: “Let me see and feel something! I want to receive some proof so as to rid myself of any doubt!” It’s as though we are making an ultimatum: “If I don’t receive, I won’t move.” We even think that this stubbornness acts to our advantage….
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbaalah Lesson 3/21/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention
Every person has to feel the influence of the environment on him every day, rather than just at one evening at the convention when you are so inspired that you seem to rise above yourself, to come out of yourself outwards and be included in the common mood, forgetting about your ego. We have to give the whole world this sensation of confidence, inspiration, ascent, and aspiration to the goal. Otherwise how can we advise the world to “join the good”?
Yet I hear from many people that they are experiencing descent and disappointment. That means we expect to receive something for our actions, but we don’t receive it and then our mood is ruined. However, a person who desires bestowal (Hafetz Hesed) is happy with his lot. What does he have? Nothing! He doesn’t even have a shirt on his back, like in the parable about a righteous man who lived in the forest. This means there is no clothing on the Light of Hochma.
He does not have the Light of Hochma or another fulfillment, yet he is still happy because he has ascended above his ego. This is the correction we have to acquire first of all. Obviously, the Creator will never give in to our stubborn persistence and He won’t become revealed. His revelation means our correction. If we attain correction which is called “reception for the sake of bestowal,” then we will begin to reveal Him.
I am the Creator’s actions. And if I receive for the sake of bestowal, then this action I make is called the Creator— the force of the Leading One that operates inside the one who’s being led. That is how we must work time after time, detaching from our egoistic desire more and more, from the calculation of: How much did I earn?
Then only the society can hold me back so I would always soar up in the sky and not fall. Only it can give me the force and the stability to justify the path, even despite the fact that I do not receive anything. I will feel proud because I don’t have anything but I still go on. I can be happy precisely because I don’t receive anything for myself and am aimed at bestowal! I check all of this and evaluate it in relation to the environment. Therefore, we have to build this environment so we would constantly, ceaselessly feel the same inspiration just like at the most exciting evening of the convention, and even more so time after time.
On one hand, we have to hold conventions and get together. But on the other hand, we have to aspire for this inspired state to remain in us constantly instead of rising and falling. It is written about the Sabbath day that completes the week that the goal is to attain the state where every day will be like the Sabbath day, meaning that there will not be any descents any longer, but there will be one non-stop ascent, the end of correction (Gmar Tikkun).
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbaalah Lesson 3/21/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention
Lesson on Topic “Preparation for the WE Convention,” Lesson 2
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “Yitro (Jethro),” “On Eagles’ Wings,” Item 314, Lesson 6
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Talmud Eser Sefirot 3, Part 9, Item 17, Lesson 12
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Topic: The Principles of Global Education, Lesson 5
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