Audio Version Of The Blog – 08.26.12

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The Prayer Of Many – A Single Demand

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is the prayer of many? Is it when we have one need or when I don’t have a single thought about myself, but only the desire of the group, of the world?

Answer: The prayer of many is when you can unite all the desires of all creatures in your request to raise them to the Creator, to give Him an opportunity to be revealed because this is His joy.

Question: How can I achieve this?

Answer: You are trying to sense them, to get out of yourself, and to begin to feel them, thus you inject their desires into yourself. In fact, you don’t need to cover the whole world and feel absolutely everyone. That will come later because you will perceive this single desire in this way. The Light will affect you and show you all this, evoking your feelings. But until then, you make such attempts as much as you can.

This is a time-consuming work because the process of preparation is the longest, most difficult period since we are operating in the dark. But then, each degree will have its own specific entrances and exits, internal process, analysis and synthesis of all that I do, manifest, and feel from others.

This inclusion of all desires into myself is what is called bestowal: when I start to feel the desires of others as my own. The desires mean aspirations for the Creator. And if there are none, it does not matter. When I start to connect with other people, first in the group, I begin to feel within the group that they strive for the Creator, even if they do not understand and do not know. I start to see and feel this desire everywhere: in people, animals, and plants. After all, the desire for life is also the yearning for the Creator, for the Light.
[86437]
From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/18/12, Lesson 5

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Difficulties At The Beginning Of The Path

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Is my work only to ask the Creator to change my attitude when I feel bad? What if I don’t feel that everything comes from the Creator?

Answer: Indeed while a person is only starting and does not perceive, see, or any inner feeling, then it is difficult. He has just started on the path and is far from his goal, from the city, and he does not see it.

But in order to take the right direction towards this city, he must imagine that he goes in the direction of the city. In any condition, from the start, he should try to imagine the city lights ahead. We are given a group, books, and all kinds of tools for that until the work becomes clearer, and he will see more and more signs of his progress.

He will begin to distinguish between them because his desire will become more clarified, precise. He will accumulate experience: various impressions, signs from which the picture will begin to emerge.

But while he does not have that, he needs to work with what he has, and most importantly the work in the group. If I don’t see the Creator, the city, or the light in front of me, and I am in total darkness, in the middle of a dark field, not knowing where to go, then I imagine the group, its center. This center becomes the Creator for me, the goal on which I focus.

If I give myself to the group, this means that I give myself to the Creator, from the center of the group directly to him. I use all the forces available in the group to be together with them in adhesion, in unity, in bestowal to the group, and thus direct myself at the Creator. He has not been revealed yet, and I have to work with the group in this form.
[86450]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/24/12, Writings of Rabash 

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“A Man Of Light”

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In The Study of the Ten Sefirot it says that a person who corrects himself begins to “illuminate,” what is this action?

Answer: A person begins to “illuminate” when his vessels begin to bestow. This illumination is already a self-movement that only a human being can perform. No other creature on the levels of the still, vegetative, and animate nature can illuminate, since it doesn’t connect with the Creator in any way; it doesn’t perform independent actions of bestowal like the Light.

The simple Light fills all of creation and thus illuminates. A “human being,” however, is a person who spurs himself towards the Light, and the Light illuminates because it has more intensity than the natural intensity it has when it arrives. A person becomes an amplifier for the Light: He illuminates by himself thanks to the Light that fills him.

There is an addition to the Light created by the person! It is because he has overcome his desire to receive by turning all his desire to receive into fuel, into a combustible material. When the Light comes, this material begins to burn like a candle! So it says that a person illuminates.

He is called “a man of the Light.” Can he radiate the Light? He has prepared his desire to receive in such a way that it is equivalent to the Light. Now when the Light goes through his desire it is illuminated by it like a fluorescent lamp that is filled with a special gas or with phosphorus that begins to shine under the influence of the Light.

When the Light comes, the desire is impressed and begins to illuminate from inside. This is what happens to a person who identifies with the Light. It is because he doesn’t swallow the Light inside him egoistically, but wants to carry on its action. You should know that in order for you desire to begin to illuminate, you have to restrict it and to place it under the Masach (screen) so that you will not want to swallow the Light for itself, but rather will want to connect with the actions of the Light in bestowal and to draw this Light for everyone else. Then you will illuminate and be called “a man of Light”!

How intensely you illuminate is determined by your spiritual level.
[86386]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/23/12, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

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Time Of Ripening

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam: “Time to Act”: For a long time now, my conscience has burdened me with a demand to come out and create a fundamental composition regarding the essence of Judaism, religion, and the wisdom of Kabbalah, and spread it among the nation, so people will come to know and properly understand these exalted matters in their true meaning.

We have to understand how difficult it is for a Kabbalist to act outside his framework. After all, there are significant restrictions on the revelations of the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Even now, when not much has been revealed yet, we see that humanity has acquired from the wisdom of Kabbalah the foundations of the animate level of existence in many aspects. It has enriched the world by different methods throughout history: by the Greek philosophers and by different students who leaked the wisdom. The religions were born as a result: first Judaism, then Christianity, and then Islam. Different beliefs stemmed from this in the days of Abraham among the people of the East.

Eventually everything stems from crumbs of the wisdom of Kabbalah, which speaks about the forces that operate in the world and which bring a person to the predetermined correction.

On this basis people have established philosophical approaches, metaphysical studies, different theological doctrines, etc. Later these patterns became a great obstacle on the way to the truth. People were confused since they took separate systematic descriptions from the wisdom of Kabbalah and they created different systems and concepts from them as they saw fit. Thus, they tried to confirm their own claim to truth and power, denying the accuracy of Kabbalah. We should learn from these examples: People have a systematic perspective from the wisdom of Kabbalah and turn it into something that is beneficial to them.

Because of this there was a ban on revealing the wisdom of Kabbalah. After all, if the Light is poured into an unprepared vessel, it is called “immature fruit,” and it is an obstacle in receiving the truth; it evokes hatred towards Israel and distances people from correction.

As a result the sages were very careful and didn’t reveal the wisdom of Kabbalah. Even if a person had heard about it he couldn’t get any information about it. Only in the last thirty years did Kabbalah books begin to appear in stores although not everywhere. Before, it was simply impossible to find them.

Moreover, Kabbalists set serious limitations regarding potential student and even spread negative rumors to keep the Jewish people from approaching the wisdom of Kabbalah. If a person is not intended for it, if doesn’t have a true burning desire, he shouldn’t deal with this wisdom. First he has to go through certain phases of development, since we are all parts of the general desire that ripens gradually.

Only today has the time come when there is nothing to fear anymore. On the contrary, we have to spread the wisdom of Kabbalah, which means to act in opposite ways.

On the whole, Baal HaSulam was the first Kabbalist to reveal this wisdom to the masses. He wrote a lot for the general public, including the newspaper The Nation and other articles. Who knows what thoughts, concern and efforts it cost him since he was in Warsaw at the beginning of the last century when he decided that there was no choice and that we have to turn to everyone.
[86303]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/23/12, “Time to Act”

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The Economic Cost Of Global Warming: It Hurts Poor Countries And Works For The Rich

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from MIT News): “Even temporary rises in local temperatures significantly damage long-term economic growth in the world’s developing nations, according to a new study co-authored by an MIT economist.

“Looking at weather data over the last half-century, the study finds that every 1-degree-Celsius increase in a poor country, over the course of a given year, reduces its economic growth by about 1.3 percentage points. However, this only applies to the world’s developing nations; wealthier countries do not appear to be affected by the variations in temperature.

“‘Higher temperatures lead to substantially lower economic growth in poor countries,’ says Ben Olken, a professor of economics at MIT, who helped conduct the research. And while it’s relatively straightforward to see how droughts and hot weather might hurt agriculture, the study indicates that hot spells have much wider economic effects.

“‘What we’re suggesting is that it’s much broader than [agriculture],” Olken adds. “It affects investment, political stability and industrial output.’”

My Comment: Nature (the upper force, which is the same thing) is a single system, and therefore manifests itself in its impact on humanity in many ways, sometimes contradictory, and which to us seem, at least, unrelated.
[86212]

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Discern The Goal Through Disturbances

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Before coming to the convention, we had many negative obstacles on our path. How should we accept and overcome them?

Answer: All the problems that arise along the way are not accidental; it is necessary to feel help in them. Under no circumstances should this postpone or annul your goal.

You need to re-evaluate the goal itself again and aim yourself even more sharply towards it. And then you pass and see that the last time, your intentions were imprecisely coordinated towards the goal: You forgot something, somehow weren’t yet focused on it, while now, thanks to the disturbances, you determined it accurately, compressed a little more compactly in your intention, and therefore you dive towards the goal.

So all the disturbances are to your advantage: They either stop you because you aren’t yet worthy to attain the goal, or conversely, they force you to compress so that you are able and worthy, and you proceed towards the goal.

We are inside a force field where there are no accidents, no exceptions, and no special treatments. This is how it works.
[86284]
From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/18/12, Lesson 4

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Don’t Hover In The Clouds

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Lately you have been directing the men not only to work in the group, but also to work with their wives. Is there a difference from the spiritual viewpoint between a man’s work with a man, a man with a woman, the male part with the female part, or my work with the external world?

Answer: In the meantime yes. All of them are on different levels and I exist in different relationships with them. Nevertheless, we begin from the corporeal, mutual relationships. We are still not disconnected from each other so that I would see only the soul in you. You are a woman. You constitute a part of some group. You have a name of your own, your problems, and your activities. This means that one has to take into account, all that surrounds you. It is also the same thing with the friends.

We exist in a certain framework; we can’t hover in the clouds and detach ourselves from the external sheath. Thus it imposes on us certain commitments. This outer sheath speaks about our special and exact things: man and woman. This is a very strict division in nature according to all the natural functions and we must take this into consideration.

Question: This is about the corporeal world. But from the viewpoint of spirituality, there is only reception and bestowal. Is there a difference in the relation to reception and bestowal? With whom do I participate in a mutual way: with a man, with a woman, or with the external world?

Answer: It depends on what level you are on. If you are already above the level of Hafetz Hesed, that is, bestowal for the sake of bestowal, above the attribute of Bina, then there’s no difference. And until that level, there is a difference.
[86270]
From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/18/12, Lesson 4

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After The Convention A New Day Begins

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe know that when we get inspiration by the study, the group, or by certain actions that we perform, meaning when we are influenced by the environment, we immediately change our values and according to this awakening are ready to advance in “faith above reason” and to work in bestowal and love.

When this awakening fades, we return to our ordinary values. The question is what can you do when you descend to the ordinary corporeal values? After all, you still remember how you were impressed previously by the upper values since you were under the influence of the environment and you were several levels higher than you are now. Why were you given this state?

You were not lowered so that you would simply try to return to the state you were in previously, but so that in the current lower state you can appreciate the upper values that impressed you before. You should want to live according to the values that were attained under the influence of the group even when the upper state disappears and does not illuminate on you anymore.

Although the illumination disappears from our corporeal recognition, you can renew it and keep the same upper values by your exertion, by spurring yourself. This is all our work.

This is called keeping the covenant. Although a person is not in the state of ascent he was before, he is still adhered to the same upper values.

It is as if you were raised to a certain level and then brought down again, and now you have to return to the same level by yourself. Then you are brought up again to an even higher level and brought down again and rise by yourself. Although the Light doesn’t illuminate on you anymore, you want to keep all the conditions of that level in “faith above reason.” You want to keep the same dedication for the group and the Creator, although you don’t get any support from them now. This is how you can advance.

This means that you are keeping the conditions of the covenant. Even if you signed this covenant when you were overflowing with evident feelings of love and were greatly impressed, now this attitude is not revealed, but you find the powers inside you to keep the covenant in the current conditions, just like it was before.

Thus a person advances. First he is given an example and the next time he has to perform by himself the same action he was shown. This is what happens time after time. The state a person attains by making efforts to find the powers to rise to the same values in “faith above reason” is called “a day” for him.
[86201]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/21/12, Writings of Rabash

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How To Urge A Donkey: Pull And Push

Dr. Michael LaitmanOn the part of the created beings, meaning all of us, there is only one action that we can perform: to aspire to unity. More or less, we understand the system in which we all exist and realize why we strive to act so.

We don’t unite for the sake of gaining or creating anything, nor do we build a team of people who will accomplish some earthly tasks as we are used to in this world. We unite to attract upon ourselves the upper Light that will truly unite us and manifest itself inside this interconnection.

The fact that we devote that much time to the exploration of various forms of behavior in the group can only be explained by our confusion. In fact, all that is required of us is a single action and nothing else.

The Light will also make a single action that will match our efforts. However, we have to make the utmost exertion. I should always imagine that I am at a certain level and want to rise to the next one. I need to apply effort that corresponds to the difference (∆) between the two levels.


This ladder is discrete. And that’s why my efforts are not enough. I need to be inspired and forced; I need to be obliged, teased, and pushed towards it.

With the help of our environment, we have a tremendous opportunity to generate negative forces that will push us ahead, “prick” us a little, cause some minor pain, and create troubles. On the other hand, they should trigger us and pull us forward by producing a good feeling in us and ascertaining that something huge and wonderful is awaiting us ahead.

These moves should be built on pain and jealousy, on the qualities that are inherent in our nature. I want to elicit these forces to work on me so that they shape me correctly and make negative forces join together behind me and push me forward by stimulating me from behind. A stimulus is a sharp stick with which donkeys are urged to go forward. Accordingly, I want those stimuli to urge my “donkey.”

Besides, I want to be pulled forward. I need my surroundings to permanently remind me of the beautiful goals that are set in front of me, about what can be reached in this life and in this world if we manage to rise above it into the sensation of the infinity of the next level.

So, I want to be pushed and pulled at the same time. If I am in the environment and can awaken myself in relation to it as described above and if the environment is also ready to act similarly in response, meaning that the environment is acting this way relative to me, relative to all others—everybody together relative to each and everyone, then we will be able to elicit sufficient internal tension that will be equal to the delta (∆), to the over-fall between two levels.

Let’s mark our current level a zero (0); the next level will be marked as one (1). Our current state is a preparation period to level one. It’s the hardest and the most unpleasant phase since we all are as blind kittens that feel or know nothing. We have to blindly follow what’s written in the books. We don’t even have to understand what’s written in them. This is how we advance since the correction really starts from zero.


The Light impacts us constantly, and as soon as we hit the threshold level, it starts changing us: It alters our ego into its opposite, into bestowal. Due to the power of bestowal, instead of being repulsed from each other, we begin contacting and uniting with each other, thus creating a system of interconnection.

As soon as we manage to create this kind of system at the very first level of our interconnection, the Light emerges within it and fills the space which was always present among us. The only difference is that previously we used to reject others, and now within this new space we try to make contact with others beyond our egos, and the space is being filled with the Light. This is what we call revelation of the Creator.
[85864]
From Lesson 1, Kharkov Congress, 8/17/2012

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