A Workshop Is A Talk From Heart To Heart

Dr. Michael LaitmanA workshop is a special action. I would say sacred. We are going to clarify a question, namely to clarify, not to answer, so that it is clear to us. Then, I will talk about it to explain it in a few minutes. And then, sitting in a circle, we will discuss how to find a logical solution, the real solution to this question, but not what is described in our books. In no case we should rely on the wise sayings of Kabbalists, rather we communicate from our heart to keep connection with each other.

However, I must accept a friend as great, infallible. It does not matter what nonsense he says. It is my feeling that he is stupid; I feel that I see it because I am not sufficiently connected with him. If I loved him, I would have felt through him that the Creator speaks to me.

Thus, while sitting in a group of ten, we must understand clearly how to relate to each other. Representatives of the Creator are sitting in front of me, and they tell me the absolute truth. I have to suppress any criticism, any distrust, anything that might alienate me from them. They are, without realizing it, saying the things that I cannot agree with. I am against it; I don’t want to hear it; I see everything stupid as having long passed, standard, and identical. It all seems so to me so that I rise above myself.

So, here we face a huge internal work.
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From the Preliminary Lesson 8/16/12, Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 

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When A Child Does Not Want To Grow

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What should we expect from dissemination?

Answer: Dissemination makes new points in the heart (•) awaken below, who come and join us since they pertain the category of Israel, like all our friends around the world.

This is the upper Partzuf. Below is the part that pertains to Israel from birth. In other words, it already has experienced spiritual ascent and breaking, and lower is the part of the “nations of the world,” souls deprived of Reshimot, the “genetic” spiritual memory, and they lack the point in the heart. They are awakened by the Surrounding Light.

Let us examine this through the simple design of two Partzufim—Israel and the nations of the world—where each one divides in two: an internal part (A) and an external part (B). Israel has a point in the heart, and must maintain a connection with the upper Light, attracting it and introducing it into the inner part of the nations of the world.

We, like the nations, also have problems, only we regard them as the means for advancement. However, if we were to advance at the right speed, we would not experience problems. We would only reveal the need for adhesion in its pure form. Problems, which do not seem to be related to spirituality, are caused by our delay in development.

Regarding the nations of the world, they must pressure us with the so-called MAN (appeal for the Light), and we must pass this pressure above, also as a request, but of a different quality.

However, our state is not yet corrected the way it potentially can be corrected, and this is why, instead of feeling a spiritual appeal from the nations, we feel physical pressure to the point of hatred, murder, and threats of complete destruction. Instead of spiritual means, the system influences us with rough, physical methods because there are no appeals or answers to these appeals going through it, and there is a bad negative connection between its parts.

Question: What should spiritual pressure be like? How is it different from physical pressure?

Answer: Spiritual pressure also manifests physically, but in accordance with our degree. The upper governance never changes. It is the same “Good Who does good.” He only appears to be very bad when we fall behind.

A child who has failed to graduate the third grade when he should be in fifth grade, regards his parents the same way. Their demands seem to be extreme, harsh, and very difficult, but it is only because he is not yet ready. If he wanted to correspond to his level and advance, he would regard his parents’ demands as helpful, and then they would direct him toward the next degree. Instead of hard pressure, he would feel as if he were being taken by his hand and guided in the right direction.

To help a child solve a problem at hand, he is asked leading questions that help him advance, become wiser, and grow. He is given building blocks, puzzles, and other games, to help him develop, and he understands it. However, what can you do when it is time for him to learn to play chess, and he still walks around with a pacifier and plays with rattles?

So, when we are on an adequate level of development, we then experience the upper One as “Good Who does good.” We feel while in the opposite way that: He wants to pull us to the next level and this is why He has demands; however, we read these demands incorrectly.

However, if we have not reached the level adjacent with the upper One, then we perceive His influence as concealment. This is because this influence does not go through its opposite side, like that which we want to become, but it goes through its “wrong side,” and this is a problem: We are not able to perceive the upper One as “Good Who does good.” We do not see his care. We do not know about His existence or program. This is called “concealment within concealment.”

Today, we are in the middle between this state and regular concealment where it already is possible to justify the upper One and understand that He conceals Himself in order to raise us and take care of us. This is similar to the way a child receives a set of building blocks and not the actual construction, not the prepared result, and if the child is bright, he understand that this is done for his own good, for his development.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/6/12, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar

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Audio Version Of The Blog – 08.18.12

Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
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Kharkov Convention “Uniting To Ascend” – 08.18.12

Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend,” Day Two, Lesson 3

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Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend,” Day Two, Workshop 4

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Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend,” Day Two, Lesson 4

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Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend,” Day Two, Workshop 5

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Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend,” Day Two, Lesson 5

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Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend,” Day Two, Workshop 6

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The Power Of The Spiritual Level

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom the “Light and Sun” by Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi (one of Noam Elimelech’s students): And what is more when Israel are unified and dealing with the Torah for its sake, they distinguish the names of the Holy Divinity by their speech and thus subdue all those that rise against them, and everything that they say, the Creator fulfills their desire.

We know that there is an additional power in unity, in addition to the usual sum of the individual forces, both evil and good. If we connect and unite in order to evoke and to attain the upper Light that should be revealed, in order to receive the force of bestowal, the attribute of bestowal, the upper force begins to operate among us and gives us the power of the spiritual level.

So if people who haven’t attained spirituality yet connect in order to attain it, by wanting the Holiness and the pure bestowal to dwell among them, they draw this attribute closer to them, obliging it to be spurred and to dwell among them. Thus they grow, by annulling all the evil decree, moving from the path of suffering to the path of the Light.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/15/12

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The Image Of The Group

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can one imagine the group in its ideal state?

Answer: A group is one whole. This is its model, its image. Suppose we have some common desire, a common intention, common thoughts, and ideas. Where are they? They are between us. This desire, intention, thought, begins to guide everyone. We begin to support it, and we see that our existence is in that.

With the help of creating this image, we then will transform the whole of our life in order to support this image. We will relate to each other differently, build family and social connections, transform industry, and relate to nature, based precisely from the fact that we have created this united whole, the image of Adam, the image of one person.

Humanity will become free of excess work, will cease polluting the Earth, will stop messing with being a society of consumption of completely unnecessary things. It will be forced to free many people from unnecessary work since nature is purposely leading us toward our dedicating five to eight hours of our time per day to the studies of integral connection, the creation of an integral society.

We will be obliged to do that, and, on the scale of the whole of humanity from young to old. Absolutely everyone, from pensioners to small children, must go through this level of re-education.

Question: In order to build this image, some kind of energy is needed. Where can we get it from?

Answer: Nature gives us energy! It pushes us with a stick toward happiness. Of course, we need introductory explanations, courses, understanding the necessity of these transformations, realization of the fact that, otherwise, each one of us will enter his or her own personal crisis and the crisis of society.

See how the ecological crisis is approaching. The Earth is being depleted. How will we warm ourselves? What will we eat if within the coming couple of decades, we will completely deplete Earth, including uranium, fuel, gas and other natural resources? We must stop at the right time, and nature is slowing us down in advance.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/29/12

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Economics Of The Future Society

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Could you give an example to show what the economics of the future society should be like, what we need to come to?

Answer: This is very simple, and there is really a lot to think about here. To begin, we need to take such tangible things that gradually will help us come to more abstract communication and definitions.

We see that our economics is going through a serious crisis. It must “deflate,” become the economics of reasonable consumption. This will happen whether we want it or not. If we really wanted it, we would begin to restrict it gradually and to free ourselves of excessiveness and things we do not need.

At first, we would eliminate all advertising. There should be no advertisements, but announcements about reasonable, useful things that people need so that people would know that here are the normal things that make life easier.

Even now, every country and every society has a necessary basket of consumption that every person must have to support themselves, such as food, medicine, necessary accessories, and so forth. We also must keep a basket like this, but not a minimal one, a basket of extended consumption for a normal and reasonable existence. All other production needs to be restricted.

By gradually restricting unnecessary production, first of all, we will receive an abundance of energy, which is a very good thing. Why waste it? We will have an abundance of natural resources. Let us leave them for our children and grandchildren. In other words, we will come practically to a point where we will be able to dress, feed, and equip all of mankind on a reasonable level.

This is the economics of the future that we gradually must come to, in other words, on one hand, the deflation of excessive consumption and, on the other hand, the raising of all of mankind to the level of normal existence. Achieving this level is our initial objective. This way, we take care of our animal existence, making sure that it is equal for everyone.

Imagine the psychological revolution we must create in people, but this cannot be done without the integral upbringing of people. Before taking care of economics, it is necessary to show people the need to rise to the next level. This next level where we form a society—which we call the human level, Man, Adam—determines our voluntary descent to the level of reasonable consumption.

It is necessary to create a program of gradual transition toward this because the main thing is not the final result, but a smooth, multi-level transition. Here, we simultaneously must have integral upbringing, integral education, and gradual reduction in unnecessary production, as well as a gradual increase in serving the population with integral education and upbringing; in other words, the restructuring of all mass media to do educational work. When mankind is occupied with transforming themselves, it is like an enormous world machine.

Finally, mankind will be occupied with itself, but not to show off before their neighbor for having a billion more or humiliating someone by showing that they are stronger, but with the purpose of achieving integration.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/29/12

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At The Steering Wheel

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Most people don’t understand how they can go from the state they’re in right now to a perfect integral picture. Can we discuss this and bring up a few examples?

Answer: We can discuss it. Moreover, we must develop a plan of transition, a program, a movement, toward the global government that would consist of people with an understanding of the problems we’re facing and that would be spiritually elevated above other people.

These would be progressive and developed people, not today’s egoists that are only developed in their narrow knowledge of a particular field, but people that are developed in their integral understanding of nature and society. They must lead this entire movement.

There are people that possess good organizational skills naturally: the same government officials, the wealthy, and the merchants. They just need to be given a different direction, and their organizational skills can be implemented.

Question: What about their greed?

Answer: Let them remain greedy. All they need is to redirect it and ensure that all of humanity learns a sensible way of consumption in the shortest amount of time so that everyone would have everything. Let them provide this, and, in return, we will give them our full gratitude and love. Do you think this won’t fulfill people?
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/29/12

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Audio Version Of The Blog – 08.17.12

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In The Analog System, “Almost” Doesn’t Count

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Kabbalists say that, as it is written, “Since the world is judged by its majority, and the individual is judged by the majority, if he performs one Mitzva, happy is he, for he has sentenced himself and the whole world to a scale of merit.” How is that possible?

Answer: In a whole system, the individual and the general are equal. We don’t understand that because we always are operated by quantitative data, but in the whole analog integral system, however, even the smallest part is crucial.

If it breaks down, the whole system breaks down. It cannot operate on half its power or on 99% of it. As long as there is even one defect, the whole system is disabled.

These are the laws of the mutual connection among the souls, which together make one desire. The condition for the connection stems from this: “As one man in one heart” when everyone transcends above the ego, “above reason.”

Of course, we advance toward this gradually by going through 125 levels on the way to full connection, but, even in the process, the principle of equality of the individual and the general affects things so that when one gram of me is added to the circular general system, it enables it to rise to the right level. We must use this principle, which means to see even the smallest action performed by each individual as important.

Question: Does that mean that my corruptions also are transferred to the system?

Answer: Yes, and Baal HaSulam writes about that, but the point is that our system is already almost totally corrupt. We begin the ascent from the bottom, from the worst state, and first correct the purest, lightest vessels, desires.

Question: Does this integral law operate on everyone or only on those who are aware of it?

Answer: First, as the group is revealed, a person enters this system and participates in its work. Besides, on the outside, there is the system of all of Israel and then of the all of the nations of the world. Each part belongs to the system according to its weight.

The unity itself is concealed, and what is revealed to us at the moment is only its crust, which is the easiest part to correct. It is here that the mechanism that enables each of us to judge the world to a scale of merit operates.

This is because, for the time being, this is our world, the part that is revealed today and is given to us so that we can work in it. We have not entered Malchut of Ein Sof in its full intensity yet. We discover a thin layer of it each time so that we can work with it.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/16/12, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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