Audio Version Of The Blog – 11.18.12

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Fundamentals of Kabbalah – 11.18.12

A Virtual Lesson on Fundamentals of Kabbalah “Introduction to the TES”

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The Rescue Is In Connection

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash, Letter 34: As it is said, “And the Lord shall be unto you an everlasting light.” When? When you are all one society, as it is written, “live every one of you this day.”

Usually, if someone takes a pile of branches, can he break them all at once? But if taken one at a time, even a baby can break them. Similarly, you find that Israel will not be redeemed until they are all one society, as it is said, “In those days and at that time, says the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the sons of Judah together.” Thus, when they are united, they receive the face of Divinity.

I presented the words of the Midrash so that you don’t think that the issue of a group, which is love of friends, relates to Hassidism. Rather, it is the teaching of our sages, who saw how necessary was the uniting of hearts into a single group for the reception of the face of Divinity.

We can only feel the connection with the Light from a whole and perfect vessel; a vessel in which all the desires in order to receive are covered by a Masach (screen), which turns them to in order to bestow. This is possible only when there is connection, since to whom can I express my intention to bestow? Only towards others! So by connection in our desires and intentions in the heart and mind, we reconstruct the shattered vessel and by that get closer to the Light, until eventually it can illuminate for us.

If in the meantime, we only try to get closer to one another, we summon upon ourselves an illumination from a distance, which is called the Surrounding Light. This is the law we know from the wisdom of Kabbalah, which is the law of all of reality, the law of nature.

So the condition for receiving help from Above for the revelation of the Light is our connection. If we want to improve our condition, there are no other methods but that. There is no point in looking for anything else and just wasting our efforts. We must only yearn for connection by which we will evoke and draw the Light that Reforms us.

If we don’t act towards connection, then nothing good will come out of our efforts. So in the very difficult and tense situation the people of Israel find themselves in today, we should try to connect as hard as we can and to attain unity. It’s through this that we bring the Light closer to us, and bring it closer to everyone. Thus we advance to a better state in a better way, through the Light.

We should do that before the sufferings reach us and force us to connect by putting pressure on us. We should always have the inclination to connect out of our goodwill and not because we are forced to do it. This is the difference between the “path of the Light” (hastening time) and the “path of suffering,” the natural process of developing (in its time).

Let’s try to understand that the connection summons the influence of the good force upon us and explain this to everyone. The more people will join this connection and unity, by feeling this condition and understanding that the more we disseminate and publicize it by every available channel, by Internet and TV, the more people hear about it and incorporate in it, the closer we will be to the good Light. The Light is the only thing that operates. It’s a waste of energy to think that there are other actions that can improve our situation except for connection and unity.
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From the Preparation the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/16/12

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Responding To The Call Of The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah:” A revelation of Godliness does not appear at once, but gradually, over a period of time, depending on the cleansing of the attaining, until one discovers all the degrees from Above downwards. And because they come in an order of attainment, one after the other and one above the other, as do rungs of a ladder, they are called “degrees” (steps).

Everything is built and was prepared in advance in great detail in every way possible. So we cannot change anything in any way. We climb the same “tree” from the bottom up the way the levels descended from the top down according to the law of a branch and a root. There is nothing new on this way back by even one millimeter. The states are fixed and everything is predetermined according to the desire, the Masach (screen) and the Light on every level. There can be nothing new here, since there is an unchangeable law between the Lights and the vessels, and “iron formula.”

There can be nothing but Lights, vessels, and Masachim (screens). So, from the whole state in Ein Sof (Infinity) to the most shattered, smallest state in this world, everything is predetermined by the cooperation of these three elements. There is nothing new on the way from the top down, and nothing new in the correction from the bottom up. This is called “Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before.”

The Creator is the one who bestows, “something from something,” and the created being is the one who receives, “something from nothing.” There is a formula that determines the extent of the equivalence by the Masach. In fact all the levels differ according to the Masach, which connects the Light and the vessel to a greater or lesser extent. So the one general law of the equivalence of form operates always and in everything. This is what determines the difference between the Creator and the created being or between the Light and the vessel.

In such a case, what is the role of the lower? Do they exist if everything is determined by the mutual integration of the two forces? If nature rules everything, what upper or lower are we talking about?

But when two forces collide, penetrate each other and influence each other, a new condition is born, an attitude, a response. The combination of these two forces, the receiving and the bestowing is called a “creation,” and the point is that this creation will want to resemble the attribute of bestowal, the force that bestows, by itself and that it will awaken before an action from Above; before the two forces obligate me to take steps of “in its time” along the path of suffering, I can wake up by myself and summon their action upon me. Then my ascent up the spiritual ladder is bringing contentment. This is the whole difference.

By that I begin to know, to appreciate, to value, to thank for, and to love these conditions, the one who is Above who has created them for me and prepared everything that I need. Why? Because it is in my attitude to these states that I feel that I am alive. We will have to acquire this reality.

So there is a spiritual system with an immense amount of details, most of which are not described by Kabbalists so as not to “overload” us. Since we, with our limited understanding, need to be free for what is important. So no matter what they write, it is all meant only to help us increase our intention to bestow, so that we will acquire the right and positive attitude towards the upper force.

But we shouldn’t think that the wisdom of Kabbalah is just some schematic description of the upper worlds with drawings and explanations. It includes all of creation, including our world and everything in it. If we understand that all this helps us ascend the spiritual ladder, then we perceive that all the events are part of the method of preparation of the Lights and vessels, or the two lines, or the force of bestowal and the force of receiving, the connection between them through the Masach. And the Masach should be stabilized not “in its time” but in “I shall hasten time.”
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/15/12, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah“

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Prepare To Cross The Threshold To The King’s Palace

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash, “Three Lines:” Before a person is granted to exit self love and to do everything in order to bestow, which is called Lishma (for Her name), even though a person studies different things the way they are, they are only names with no commentary, since he has no attainment of the matters that he studies, since he knows nothing about the upper roots that are called by the Holy names or Sefirot or Partzufim.

And we can learn the upper matters, called the wisdom of Kabbalah, only by way of merit, since they can bring a person a desire and passion to adhere to the Creator, since these are Holy matters referring to the Holy names…and when a person studies the upper matters in order to get closer to Holiness, it brings the closeness of the Lights, which he wants this study to bring him, so that he will be granted to aim all his actions in order to bestow, and this is called working in preparation, as a person prepares himself to be ready to enter the King’s palace and to adhere to Him.

There are several phases in the preparation work. In the first phase of the study a person listens, but he doesn’t hear, since he doesn’t know what it’s about. All the terms Kabbalah books speak about are hidden from a person—he doesn’t feel them and doesn’t see; he doesn’t discern himself or his environment. So he imagines what he hears as he desires.

He doesn’t work with these concepts and cannot discern them or respond to them, he thinks that Pharaoh is a person who rules Egypt, which is a distant country, that the Creator is very far, and that Israel is someone who is born to a Jewish family. He lacks the right spiritual concepts, so that he can immediately feel an inner reaction if he hears them.

If he hears about a pain in the heart, the head, the arm or the leg, he can immediately imagine it. He would feel a reaction to the word he hears, but the Kabbalistic terms don’t evoke any reaction in him, and so in the meantime he studies without attributing all this to himself. But the Surrounding Light operates on him and reforms him, and to the extent that a person does everything in his power, it brings him closer to the upper world.

The main thing is that at first a person doesn’t know that the only way to advance is by subduing himself to the group, the teacher and the books. After all, he is like a baby who has to adhere to the grown ups, to an upper level. By that he shortens or prolongs time. The preparation may take several years, until he comes close enough to the Light and begins to feel how the Light operates in him and begins to discern every attribute in him. This can take 20-30 years.

Everything depends on the extent to which a person can subdue himself before the teacher, the group, and the study with all the means that he has. It’s the study period of Yenika (infancy) when one must adhere and devote himself to the upper level, when you annul your mind and everything that you know as much as possible. Then there is the stage of greater awareness, when a person already begins to discern these attributes in him and to experience ascents and descents.

In the third phase he already understands that it’s the Creator who evokes these ascents and descents in him, as He calls him, “Come to Pharaoh!” The Creator is always on the right side, and Pharaoh is on the left side, and a person is left in the middle between these two forces. But until this is actually revealed within him, he can only guess that that’s the way it is according to his own reactions. Eventually he cries out since he cannot exit himself and break free of Pharaoh’s domination, and then is granted redemption.

Afterwards the road doesn’t get any easier. A person simply sees everything that happens along this road differently. Redemption becomes an opportunity to bestow for him, to ascend above himself and to work disregarding the unpleasant inner feelings.

Thus he advances and his advancement is determined by the re-evaluation of his values.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/15/12

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And We Have No Other Worries…

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What kind of changes should take place in me in order to draw the Light that Reforms? What can I do in order to draw this Light?

Answer: This is exactly what I have to find out, that’s the whole point. From now until the end of correction I only need the Light that Reforms. This is the Light that fills my soul, that is incorporated in all the other souls, as all the differences between the souls disappear and the Light of Ein Sof (Infinity) fills everyone 620 times more than in the initial state. This is where the Light that Reforms comes from, exactly like every MAN (prayer) rises to Ein Sof, and in response MAD (a response) comes down from there.

So all along the way, from now until the end of correction, I have to worry about one thing only, the maximum Light that Reforms that I can draw. It is as if I am sunbathing and calculating: Which way should I turn, how long should I lie in a certain position, at what time, etc.? This is how I should clarify my internal movements: How should I operate in my desires in working with the group, with individual friends, with the teacher, with the study, at home, everywhere.

In everything that I am, I have to clarify how I can make the most of my different actions 24 hours a day, so that each time the Light will operate on me most efficiently. There are no other worries except for this worry. What else is there in life? After all, everything depends on the Light, including my corporeal life.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/14/12, The Zohar

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Why Can’t The People Of Israel Be Like Everyone Else?

Dr. Michael LaitmanSpecial Edition: Events in Southern Israel

As a result of thousands of years of development, humanity has come to a turning point. Today, the world does not know where to go and yet, it has to rise to a new level.

The global crisis marks a special process. It is not just a change of economic paradigm—there is nothing to replace it with. No one can or will be able to invent anything. For a while we will continue to survive on the crumbling foundation; however, the theory of Adam Smith, who stood at the origins of modern capitalism, is nearing the end. Socialist distribution of essential goods will help to delay the inevitable, but in principle, the middle class is disappearing, and the western standard of living will fall very quickly.

There is no real answer. And here comes the turn of the people of Israel, on whose behalf I will speak. Today we have to tell the whole world about mutual guarantee, unity, and global humanity in a global world. It is the imperative of nature, and it’s high time we realized that its laws are binding. The time has come, and we have the key. After all, only we have the knowledge of Kabbalah.

It is not about the success of this or another military operation. We must get to the root of the problem and unite around its solution. It is in our hands. Let’s rebuild ourselves properly; and as soon as we begin to unite, we will immediately notice positive results. It’s not simply a psychological game—thereby we evoke the inner forces embedded in us. We will suddenly become imbued with a special feeling towards the people, the country, security, and ourselves, and it will be a very profound, fundamental, and strong feeling we have never experienced before.

The people of Israel will never be able to become like other nations. No matter how much we tried, nothing came out of it. On the contrary, by their approach to us, nations constantly demonstrate that we are not like others. On the whole, there are two possibilities: Either they control us, or we control them. Israel will never be treated equally.

Let’s look at things simply: We are the ideological center of the world. We have laid the foundations of religions and approach to life, which can be seen on the examples of ancient and medieval philosophers who write that everything originated from the wisdom of Kabbalah, from our teaching. Subconsciously, the world has always treated us like some kind of basis. It began from the time of Abraham, although we do not feel this historical thread.

So, the choice is simple:

  • Either other people rule over us because we have lost our foundation, and we have nothing to give them;
  • Or we give them the basic platform, the path, and the goal—of course, only in the ideological sphere—and then our idea rules the world.

This “rule” of the people of Israel means that nations adopt this message of unity, especially now, when the time has come to implement the method of correction, unity, and mutual guarantee around the world. It is said: “Everyone will know Me, from the youngest to the oldest,” “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,” “and all nations shall flow unto it.” Today, when we face the general crisis, the solution must also be universal. And the need for it will be focused around us more and more.

Accordingly, if we do not rise with our solution above everyone, they will come and oblige us by force. Of course, this happens unconsciously, as a consequence of human development and inevitable evolution, and no one understands the nature of processes. But in any case, either they will make us complete our task by the path suffering, or we will rise and show, explain everyone what to do. There is nothing to fear because this force in particular leads to success.
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A Call From The Epicenter Of Confrontation Between Forces

Dr. Michael LaitmanA letter from the south of Israel: “The situation is such that we could not get together today for a lesson, and we had to stay at home with the kids because at any moment the siren could sound. But our desire to be in the classroom with the rest of the world group is huge! How can we make it so that we have this desire constantly and not only under the threat of missiles?”

Answer: We are all together in the same union. We know from the wisdom of Kabbalah that thus we awaken the upper forces hidden in nature. We hope that in this way we will be able to resolve this confrontation. Our unity should have an impact on the overall connection, first of all in Israel, at the epicenter of the opposing forces, and then in the entire world, where there is a collision of these two forces that cause crises, hurricanes, natural disasters, and riots in Europe.

And that is why all our friends around the world should feel a great responsibility. Those who have the point in the heart must unite and lead the world to correction. No one but us understands what is happening in the world and sees the true inner reasons behind all the decisions, the acting forces and intentions.

It is known that the “hearts of the rulers and kings are in the hands of the Creator,” and that is why only us, who belong to Yashar – Kel, that is, “striving straight to the Creator,” are able to make correction. It does not matter how many thousands of kilometers separate one friend from another, a group from a group. If we unite for one goal, one force through the Internet, we are definitely together.

Some are now sitting in bomb shelters in southern Israel, others are at the center, in different parts of the country, or around the world, but we all have to feel huge connection between us at the spiritual level that draws towards us the Light that Reforms. We will strive so that the upper Light realizes our unity.

And after the Light is revealed within this connection and helps us to make clarifications and correction, we will reach an absolutely good state. We hope to bring the world to this.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/16/12, “Peace in the World

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A Spiritual Triangle

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How do we achieve freedom of will from our egoism through the connection with each other? How can I consciously be free and develop freely, not pushed by a stick towards happiness or by being attracted by a candy to the same happiness? I want to become aware, understand, and realize myself and my free will, independent of these motives. How is this possible to implement in the group and by what conditions? After all, this problem exists even after the Machsom when I already know and understand everything.

Answer: A person attains independence from the Creator when he asks the Creator for the sake of the group and asks the group for the sake of the Creator. If he is one-on-one with the group or with the Creator, this cannot be achieved. This is a triangle.
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From the Georgia Convention 11/5/12, Workshop 1

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Anyone Who Reads This Letter Is Also Chosen

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, Letter 9: Now I know that the Creator has granted me special preference over other people my age, which I have investigated for quite a while, to know why I was chosen according to God’s will, and after all the humiliations that stem from the wicked, which is the shell that dominates my time, and after I realize its true measure, I will be grateful to the Creator who is with me, for having distracted my heart now and always, from hearing the question of the wicked, “What is this work that you do?” Since I find that I am compelled and that I must be like an ox to the labor and a donkey to the load these days. I will not rest all day and all night looking for a way to bring contentment to my Creator, even on the day that I feel that I like the labor and the great load, even seventy years together, not knowing about its success, even all the days of my life, I will be following the way I was ordered to, to follow all His ways and to adhere to Him, having heard it all in advance.

At the same time, I cannot exempt myself by any reflection and contemplation not to do any kind of work for the Creator, because of my lowliness. And I think and yearn all day for the height of the Creator’s work, and the essence of the height is so that I cannot express it in writing now.

No one knows what he is destined to and what the root of his soul is. We all start from a small desire for spirituality, and we must develop it, each according to the extent that the desire in him operates. A person tries to listen to it and to carry out this requirement by fulfilling it through the environment.

A person’s role is to build the environment in which he can develop. For us it’s like a mother’s womb, but we have to build it ourselves. According to our advancement, we gradually build the motherly womb, building the environment, the group, constantly laboring in order to adhere to the teacher, the friends, and the books since these are the means to attain adhesion with the Creator.

If a person hears this and uses this only means correctly, building an environment that will take care of his spiritual development, it gradually enforces him and he is nourished by it. He adheres to the group and by this adhesion joins the power source that flows to him through the environment and raises him by bringing him new intentions each time, helping him to develop and see things from a new perspective. Then he advances.

Everyone begins this way, both great Kabbalists and ordinary people. No one knows exactly what his path will be. A person’s role is only to use the one means he is given, to build himself a group, to choose the right environment, and by that to realize his free will.

If a person makes such efforts only, he saves a lot of energy and has enough opportunities to achieve the goal. If he doesn’t do that, he will eventually find out that life has gone by, and he hasn’t managed to do anything. It all depends on how focused he is on this goal in order to subdue himself before the only means he has.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/14/12

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