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You Will Not Learn Without Trying

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “The Last Generation”: The adoption of laws altruism, based on love of neighbor, in a literal sense. Equal distribution of profits so that each works according to their abilities and receives according to their needs.

We must realize that Baal HaSulam does not take these principles from Marx. In general, he does not build his approach on the concepts of scientists, such as Marx, Einstein, and Freud. Just looking at the corrected, perfect form of the vessels, souls, he sees what stages we should pass in our world, advancing towards the goal to the end of correction and perfection.

We are not talking about bodies, not about the social formation, not about the relationship between people, nations, parties and political movements. No, we are talking about souls, how they will unite into one soul and come to the goal, to the end of correction in the world of Infinity.

How can we bring about spiritual correction with the help of consecutive material actions in our world? It is said: “From Your actions we will know You.” First, we perform an action and then understand it. So it is in real life. For example, at a new workplace, first I blindly carry out the instructions of the supervisor, learning my duties.

Similarly, a kid copies grownups and due to this instinct later begins to understand what is happening; why it is necessary to act in one way rather than otherwise. A child always begins studying by practice: He repeats a few times the example he saw and only after that we can explain to him the logic of the situation. And then, perhaps he will add something from his understanding and will perform the task even better than we do.

So, everything new begins with the imitation of the old. That is why when studying the works of Baal HaSulam, we must understand what he sees our situation through. His gaze penetrates all the worlds from extremely external forms appearing before us today to the picture he sees at the end of correction. He sees the overall process through which everyone must pass on the way to the goal. And the goal is that we reveal ourselves in the final form, without bodies, without this world, in the world of Infinity.

So, the point is not in Marx, not in someone’s famous quotes and socialistic views. Baal HaSulam simply uses Marx’s theory and other theories, definitions, symbols, and names to explain what states we have to go through and how we should act. He could find other words to describe all that we have to take on the way to the final correction. You should not consider him a socialist or ascribe any political sympathies to him. It is convenient for him to use the existing concepts to show us the right steps of correction.

So, he begins with the love for the other: Initially, we must educate ourselves in this way, knowing that we are talking about the correction of vessels-desires after the breaking. Unification is the only tool that allows us to return to the corrected state. So, at this level, in the context of our understanding, this unification is defined by the principle: “Love your neighbor as yourself” and even more.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Last Generation”

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Bestowal Upon A Friend

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is bestowal upon a friend?

Answer: Bestowal to a friend is to do what he wants. If we are friends and get together in a group in order to achieve the goal, I have to help him in everything possible so that he can achieve it.

He may lack some essential material things, and then I must first of all take care of this. But once he receives the basic necessities, I should help him reach the goal, to achieve it.

He needs me to give him strength, a push forward, inspiration, to go together with him. This is called to help a friend, as it is said: “Each one shall help his neighbor.” So, I tell him what a great goal is ahead of us, that we are together, and together we will reach the goal. I show him how I love him, believe in him, and need him on this path. I awaken him, and through him, I also obtain strength.

Otherwise, we will not reach the goal; one cannot do this. A minimum of ten people is needed.

This is called bestowal to the friends. What else can you give them? If a friend doesn’t have bread, then you will give him half of yours. But everything else, except the basic necessities that you can give, it is only strength along the path, inspiration, and the greatness of the goal. You need to be a real psychologist next to him; thus we work with each other.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/12, The Study of the Ten Sefirot 

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The Prayer Of Many

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe must include all of creation inside us because it is one whole. The still, vegetative, and animate nature and all the humans on earth, all those who lived in the past, the Kabbalists who paved this path for us and who have already fulfilled their correction within the general desire, all this should turn into one whole.

Today we are in a very special situation as the world is demanding this, and so we have been given this special opportunity.

We already know that the Light is the only pre-existing force in the world. The Light created our general desire and can do whatever is necessary with it in order to bring it to the goal.

This immense desire includes billions of stars and other things that fill our universe and everything that is on the face of the earth, the special particle of the universe in which we exist, the unique creatures, and among them even more unique ones, you, those who were given the desire to discover this whole system, this whole greatness, and to rise even higher. It is you who were given the opportunity of freewill.

The Light creates everything; it gives birth and changes things. Everything stems from the Light. All the descents and ascents, everything that we experience, and everything that was and will be is all created by the Light. So, as our teachers tell us, our freewill is to study how to manage with the help of this Light. The Light itself wants it and is ready to fulfill our desires if they are aimed in the right direction.

Thus, of all the options we have, we have to choose only one correct direction. In order for this direction to be true, we were given different conditions that on the whole make up “this world,” a special state in which we can prepare for that, in order to continue changing all of creation with the help of the Light.

A prayer is needed here, a request. It can be a plea of gratitude, a demand, a request, an expression of fear, of respect or of joy; It is important that this plea be correct.

In order for it to be correct, we were given a group: many people who gather together. Why? Because a prayer should be whole, complete, which means to stem from all the different possible feelings, from different relations and attitudes towards the Light, from different states: descents, ascents, detachment, indifference, and an emotional attitude.

It is different for every individual and we all add our states to one another in order to get a whole prayer. Some of the people are above in their feelings and some are below. Some cry, others laugh, and some are indifferent. The prayers can be quite different, of different types, on different levels, and from different people: for themselves, for society, for family, for friends, for the Creator.

But when people yearn to advance, their prayers connect into one whole and then even the requests a person expresses childishly, egoistically, without any understanding also operate. A person cannot perceive himself fully yet: what his request means, for what, for whom, and for what purpose—if he begins to say phrases he learned by heart, it will not be his own plea, but if he speaks from his heart, even if it is an egoistic prayer, but he has suffered until he expresses it, it will work.

So we have to pay attention to our general collective desire that is called a “prayer of many.” It is this prayer that collects all the options and forms of our feelings and attitudes; each of us can be in different states. When everyone comes together, our states connect. We also have to think about nature and all of humanity, and then everything really accumulates inside and concentrates within our group. It is the center of the group that makes the point where all our desires and yearning come together. This point is where the contact with the Creator occurs. From it, everything spreads back to our collective group and then to all of humanity and then to all of nature.

If we thus try to collect all our yearnings for the Creator we receive the right answer from Him.

Yesterday we tried it ourselves and I want to read to you some of these pleas:

  • “Let me feel the fear of a lack of desire to connect in order to feel You.”
  • “Give us the power to reveal the lack of desire to unite for Your sake, that this becomes our greatest sorrow, our desire.”

We said that it is very hard to reach such a desire because it summons suffering, and we escape suffering and automatically, immediately extinguish them.

  • “Give us a desire to connect that is so intense that it will be the same for all.”

Which means that the desire to connect will include everyone.

There are prayers for our construction, our connection, and our yearning. These are preliminary requests, and only then comes the request from the true desire, the one that stabilizes us and directs us towards the Light, so that it can correct us, so that it will reveal itself among us.

  • “Connect us into one whole, so that Your Light will bring everyone to connection and unity through the Light.”
  • “Please help us keep the right intention that behind everything there is the Creator.”
  • “Teach us to pray so that we can see You in others.”
  • “Accept the prayer of my friends and give me the power to pray for them.”
  • “Give us a desire in which we will discover Your love.”
  • “Help us be worthy of discovering You.”
  • “Give us the strength to act as if we already love one another.”
  • “Give me the strength to understand who I am, so that my life will be turned into a relationship with You.”
  • “Allow me to pray for the friends. Everything else we can do.”

These are our prayers.
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From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/18/12, Lesson 5

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Contact Points

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: We have women’s meetings in the group but sometimes it seems that the women are dealing more with questions of their own. The men say openly that they don’t feel a necessity and a need from us. We tried to have meetings together, but they weren’t really successful. On what basis should we gather with the men’s group? How should it be carried out?

Answer: You should gather mainly in order to discuss general matters, like in a family: What should we do with our center, with our lessons, with the kids, etc. We have to discuss that. There have to be joint meetings.

Everything else is internal work. It should be separate for men and for women. Women need to create within themselves a vector, a direction for their aspiration through the men to the Creator. That’s the best way.

Then women will begin to see how the men are changing and are becoming more serious. You have to treat them both as those who are leading and as those who are being led. Just like our kids: On the one hand, they are younger than us, but they draw us forward. It is the same here. The women’s group grows to the extent of its assistance to the men, and through the men, they receive the Light, or to be more accurate, they receive the Light in the connection between the two groups. All the work is generally done internally.
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From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/18/12, Lesson 4

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A Flight To The Next World Without Moving From Your Seat

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe live in a single reality even though we give it the name “different worlds”, thinking that they exist separately from one another, in different places, as if there are places that are called: “this world,” “the world to come,” the worlds of Assyia, Yetzira, Beria, Atzilut, the Garden of Eden, or Hell. It seems to us that the system of the worlds is structured like our universe with many galaxies in different places, distant or close to one another

The spiritual space is called “place,” but a place is a desire to receive pleasure. It changes according to the acquired properties: closer or further from bestowal. However, a desire is the same desire that changes and as a result calls its states the worlds, different places. It is like a person who goes from state to a state can say that he moves from one place to another.

From the very beginning we are given the state that is called “this world.” In this state, in this reality, we have to connect with others who also want to change this reality, meaning to advance their perception. As soon as we change our desires we will feel as though we are moving into different places: directly flying from one space to another inside of our desires, sensations.

Besides this, in reality there are no other changes. Only with the help of the group and the Reforming Light—the Wisdom of Kabbalah, the method of correction—can we correct our perception and sensations without leaving the place where we exist. It means that in the very same desires that will be corrected, we will feel differently, as if in a different world.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/24/12

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Hunger On The Horizon

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from NYDailyNews): “There are thousands of low-wage workers who barely scrape out a living and 1.5 million people — most of them women, children, seniors, the working poor and people with disabilities — forced to rely on soup kitchens and food pantries to put food on the table.

“Since 2003 the number of New Yorkers who have trouble affording food for themselves and their families has increased 60% to a whopping 2.9 million.

“Yet, just last year food pantries and soup kitchens across the five boroughs lost 11 million meals due to federal cuts in the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Purvis said. This means 40% less food available to low-income New Yorkers at a time when demand keeps growing by leaps and bounds.

“Bad as the situation is now, it could get much worse very soon.

“Hard as it may be to believe, some people in Washington are intent on depriving 46 million people in the country of their lifeline to keep food on the table. More than 1.8 million people in the city would suffer.”

My Comment: The lack of integral education does not allow people to understand how they can unite and help themselves without any handouts from the state.
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A Struggle For The Soul Of The Jewish People

Opinion (Winston S. ChurchillIllustrated Sunday Herald, February 8, 1920, page 5): “SOME people like Jews and some do not; but no thoughtful man can doubt the fact that they are beyond all question the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has ever appeared in the world.

“Disraeli, the Jew Prime Minister of England, and Leader of the Conservative Party, who was always true to his race and proud of his origin, said on a well-known occasion: ‘The Lord deals with the nations as the nations deal with the Jews.’ Certainly when we look at the miserable state of Russia, where of all countries in the world the Jews were the most cruelly treated, and contrast it with the fortunes of our own country, which seems to have been so providentially preserved amid the awful perils of these times, we must admit that nothing that has since happened in the history of the world has falsified the truth of Disraeli’s confident assertion.

Good and Bad Jews

“The conflict between good and evil which proceeds unceasingly in the breast of man nowhere reaches such an intensity as in the Jewish race. The dual nature of mankind is nowhere more strongly or more terribly exemplified. We owe to the Jews in the Christian revelation a system of ethics which, even if it were entirely separated from the supernatural, would be incomparably the most precious possession of mankind, worth in fact the fruits of all other wisdom and learning put together. On that system and by that faith there has been built out of the wreck of the Roman Empire the whole of our existing civilization.

“And it may well be that this same astounding race may at the present time be in the actual process of producing another system of morals and philosophy, as malevolent as Christianity was benevolent, which, if not arrested, would shatter irretrievably all that Christianity has rendered possible. It would almost seem as if the gospel of Christ and the gospel of Antichrist were destined to originate among the same people; and that this mystic and mysterious race had been chosen for the supreme manifestations, both of the divine and the diabolical.

[Read more →]

Discover Tremendous Opportunities To Receive Pleasure

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Actions that are intended to unite us are dictated by the fact that we enjoy them. This kind of delight is bigger than the one we get from any other activity. Does it mean that we are like robots that have only a plus or a minus?

Answer: It doesn’t matter. By no means should we refuse pleasures! Kabbalah prohibits it. A person who deliberately refuses pleasure is called “Nazir,” meaning someone who engages in self-restriction. Someone who chooses this goes against the plan of nature since the goal of nature is to bring us to absolute delight.

By transcending the framework of our egoism, by desiring to rise above it, against it, we open tremendous opportunities to receive pleasure. Our egoism restricts the ability to receive delight. How much can you eat or drink? How long can you dance? Everything has its limitations.

By ascending above the egoistic field into the external one, we reveal the world of Infinity. What does the world of Infinity mean? It’s a desire that is not limited by anything at all. It’s exactly what we should discover.

Why is the science that we study called Kabbalah? It teaches us how to reach maximum unlimited eternal delight and how to attain a sensation of everlasting existence within all coordinates and directions. So, when we study and stay with the group, we by no means should pursue self-restriction. Not at all!

One should only think of how to connect with others. At the same time, if you want to eat ten dinners or thrill yourself any other way, please do so. Nobody prohibits you from indulging into pleasures. What really matters is where your head is. That’s the most important thing.

There are ascetics who limit themselves as dieting women, sometimes even worse than that. So what? They don’t “kill” themselves by acting so, but rather feel even bigger pride and self-importance: “See, how good I am!”
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From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/16/12, Preliminary Lesson

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Women Are The Key To Success

Dr. Michael LaitmanI’ve heard from the women that they deliberate about: “How we can put pressure on the men.” And I think that the women should not push, but help, not with words, but with their desire, even with menacing silence.

In general, a strong women’s group is the key to success. It stabilizes the men’s group. Like a wife and a home stabilize a man, and he will not run away, knowing how he has to go through life. It is a good “weight” on his feet: It is useful, it is required, it is necessary.

This addition is very effective in all cases. We have no idea how much a Kabbalist needs it. That is why I advise single men to quickly resolve this issue. It does not disturb women if they are not married, although if it is possible…but for men, it is a duty.

I say this in all seriousness. It is desirable; it is very desirable for those who want to advance to start a family. This stabilizes a man; this helps him. Yes, he gets an extra load, but this load is necessary. It is one of those burdens that you take upon yourself to move forward due to them. So, take this seriously.

Now, here are a few words about the interaction between the men and women’s groups. The women’s group helps; the women’s group performs the same actions along with the men. It can participate in almost all the events in such a way so as not to interfere with the men and not disturb them. So, it is better not to mix in the same room and coming together in circles; we are not interested what is going on behind our backs.

Women’s groups should be feminine. In the women’s group, besides the usual questions, specific questions should be raised: “How can we help our men so that they feel more responsibility in connection with each other?”

I remember my wife’s words; she told me about it, and I was amazed: Where did she get it from! I did not have this idea at the moment. I told her about the current problems, and she said: “You have to connect with each other with a new strength.” I had not come to this decision, and then I heard a voice from above. This comes from the Creator precisely through the women’s part, and therefore, it is really worth listening to women.

It is important to build a relationship with the world and the correct communication between men’s and women’s parts in each group: the family, the women’s group, the men’s group, and humanity.
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From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/18/12, Lesson 4

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