Two Attempts

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What should we do if a friend is no longer imbued with an aspiration to spirituality? Should we pressure him or should we wait?

Answer: The convention is such a special thing that we must wake the friend up. In other cases it could be possible to wait, but now we have a very special and rare opportunity. Therefore, if we see that a friend doesn’t intend to come to the convention, we must do our best to convince him.

Of course, we do not use force, but persuasion because if we don’t do so, he will miss this great, once in a lifetime opportunity. We should leave him alone only if he finally says: “Leave me alone, I am not going.”

There should be two attempts. Imagine that your friend is leading his donkey along the road (this example is brought in the Babylonian Talmud that was written in exile, at the time between the first and the second Temples). And even if he isn’t your friend but your enemy with whom your relations are bad, if his donkey falls under his load, you must help him.

You take the load off the donkey, put it back on its feet, give it food and water, and then put the load back. If the donkey falls again, you repeat the whole process: You take the load off its back and strengthen the donkey with food and water, meaning with the Light of Hochma (Wisdom) and the Light of Hassadim (Mercy). After all, the “donkey” (“Hamor” in Hebrew) is the human matter (Homer), egoism. And then you put the load back on it. If he falls again, you are allowed not to help him any more.
[61965]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/28/2011, “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose”

Related Material:
I Am Going To The Convention!
“If The Donkey Fell…”
Pull My Hand Toward Happiness

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