Ahead Of Nature
Baal HaSulam, “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”: Thus, that creature develops and marches upward in degrees of the above spoken exaltedness, until he loses all remnants of self-love and all the commandments in his body rise, and he performs all his actions only to bestow, so even the necessity that he receives flows in the direction of bestowal, so he can bestow. This is why our sages said, “The commandments were given only to refine people with.”
Through the principle of “love thy friend as yourself,” we come to the end of the path: to adhesion. Whether we like it or not, we must achieve it. Our free choice is to move quickly, which we can do if we take advantage of the environment. Otherwise, nature will push us until it forces us into it—and we will want to move faster than nature anyway.
How do we advance? We advance due to internal development. How does it happen? It takes place because of “the Torah and commandments,” meaning the method of correction by which we have to refine ourselves. Of course, we are not talking about the external actions of this world. Baal HaSulam mentions an excerpt from the Gemara to make this clear to us: We are required to perform namely the internal correction of our qualities. This means that our interrelationships should be aimed exclusively at bestowal of the same height as that of the Creator.
How can it be achieved? It is done in stages. First, a person knows nothing, like a child who just started to grow. Then, he is gradually given explanations, and he understands more and more. Ultimately, everything depends on the environment, on explanations, on the efforts that are applied during his education, and on his own efforts when he practices the assigned tasks.
In essence, a person is taught to be in the environment and to use it correctly, according to the principle: “I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as a spice.” The evil inclination is revealed namely in the environment; there is no other possibility.
Besides that, it requires the Torah as “a spice,” meaning the Light that Reforms. A person feels evil relative to the Light. The Light exposes my vessels, and I demand for it to correct them. Then, the Light fills them.
Thus, step by step, a person comes to correction.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/27/2011, “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”
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I believe that you mention that step by step a person comes to correction. May I ask with you if you don’t mind, what is the “Torah” can you extend the explanation about this, honestly I don’t know what is this all about. Thank you.
Is this why Judaism says “according to the effort is the reward?” Also, how about when Judaism says “if a person cannot do the correct things with the right intentions, he should try to do it anyway because he will eventually do it for the right intentions later on” can this be applied to anyone studying Kabbalah that they at least try to do the correct things even if their intentions are not entirely pure when they start out? I also have another question about when someone is in fact doing things with the right intention and loving others as themselves, how does one make the distinction of not loving someone in a way that indulges that other person’s egoism? Or do I make the distinction by how my love for someone is going to affect the rest of the world or group down the line, in the future. Or do I ask myself, if I was indulging in egoism and I had someone who was loving me as theirselves, would I think they were really loving me if I was indulging in my egoism. Would I think they truly loved me if they didn’t? Sorry if that isn’t a clear question. Also, it is really hard to look past baseless hatred from another person and love them as yourself. What about hateful, anti-semitic, and abusive people? Because it seems loving them just makes it worse. I want to love everyone as myself and not exclude anyone, but how are we supposed to get past these things? Is it that loving them anyway, at some point their ego exhausts their wanting to fullfill itself and it eventually turns to wanting something more than that and that is how they change?
I believe this article of yours is very interesting and helpful tool in journey of life. God bless you more in your sharing knowledge. Thanks
Thank you..