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The Golden Mean Between Mysticism And Scholasticism

Dr. Michael LaitmanI have a problem: If I reveal something, then I reveal it just like all other creaturesin the same vessels and with the same mind everyone else has.

For example, I’ve discovered a new phenomenon in quantum physics. Obviously, I can’t talk about this with any housewife, but there is a circle of people who can understand me. We have developed a special language to describe these things, and in principle, anyone can learn it. In general, everyone has a basis, and the only thing still lacking is its sensible and rational development.

On the other hand, further development of sense and reason won’t help me either. One can be equipped with thousands of glasses, connect radars to one’s ears, and microscopes and telescopes to one’s eyes: No instruments or sensors will do any good. We are talking about perception, which is not rooted in any creature on earth. Many animals have a wider range of sensations compared to people, but we aren’t talking about that. There are very intelligent and insightful people whose ability to perceive and analyze is much higher than mine, but that’s not the point.

We are talking about something that is not in our world, about creating a new sensation, a new perception and analysis that doesn’t exist here. This sensory organ is called a “part of the Creator above.” A person who acquires it must be similar to the Creator, the one, unique, and only. Then a person senses something similar to the Creator; he decrypts and identifies Him, oneself, and the relationship between them in this sensory organ that is somehow similar to the Creator. And according to feeling this adhesion with the Creator, a person can talk about what comes from Him: about the plan and purpose of our creation, about the process we go through, and all the events and situations in this world.

Today, we are able to study our existence on the still, vegetative, and animate levels, but there is nothing we can learn about the human level until we get to know the Creator at least to some extent. Thus, a Kabbalist cannot tell us about his spiritual attainment, because it is perceived in the other sensory organ incomparable to those we have. It is impossible to talk about that in a way I talk about the borders of our world.

Here, even if a person lacks a sensory organ, we still can explain something to him by analogy. But there is nothing analogous or similar to the spiritual sense. We won’t be able to know until we reach it. Even at the preparation stage without entering the spiritual, we see how details of perception change, how suddenly they turn upside down and back again…

But then why did the Kabbalists give explanations?

To bring people closer in order to give them at least a primary right point of contact. And even though it is not a real contact, it still lets them evoke the Reforming Light. So people can move towards revelation.

Some “just get” this revelation from above. How and why are not our business. It doesn’t come to us all at once, but methodically: A hidden desire gets revealed in a person, and he makes efforts and moves forward in response.

If he wants to pass his revelation to those who have nothing yet, he must establish connection with them. And this connectionthe essence of a language, a code which we can use to talk to each other about things that only one or even none of us comprehends and we are based onis what we read in the book.

Hence, it is necessary to understand how difficult it is for Kabbalists to reach out and explain something to people who haven’t entered the spiritual world yet. In fact, not even to explain, but to progress. That’s why we call our study “a special means”. After all, it is not about understanding and not even a sensation: We need to think only about that very means as it is said: “I labored and found.”

This raises a question: Which language is best suited for this? How do Kabbalists reach out to us so that we don’t just learn by receiving some abstract knowledge, but at the same time, don’t get pushed into mysticism? How do they keep us away from the natural call of the mind and senses? How do they protect us from red strings and blessings as well as falling into scholasticism? How do they guide us through the “golden mean,” the middle line, so that we study, are imbued with the sense, and act in the group properly?

This is possible only with the help of a special means which we sometimes call a “game.” This is, in fact, a very serious concept which illustrates our relationship with the upper one a little better: We really want to be at His level, but haven’t reached it yet.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/25/12, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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No Time To Wait

Dr. Michael LaitmanIt is time to explain openly what the mission of the Israeli nation is, the foundation of this nation according to which it has existed so far, and what our goal is: to pass on the method of correction to the entire world. This is the only way we can explain where anti-Semitism, the tension, pressures, and war in Israel stem from.

Only the wisdom of Kabbalah can provide such an explanation. Otherwise, people will not understand how the idea of connection will help us solve this problem. Suppose we were stronger if we connected? But, ordinary strength will not help us against the threat that is being revealed now. The fact that we have more missiles armed with nuclear heads will not save us, and, in any case, we will not be able to use them. We will not be allowed to do so.

We were placed under such conditions in this struggle that we find ourselves with our hands tied, unable to do anything. What have we achieved in the last operation? Tomorrow, things will only get worse. With this ceasefire agreement, we have only chained ourselves more tightly, and we are more obliged than before. That’s the way it is after every war, after every operation, which means that it doesn’t lead to any correction.

There is no logical solution to this problem. Clearly, next time, the attack will come from every direction, and no anti-missile device or “iron dome” will protect us. Everyone understands that everything leads to this: We simply will be faced with the options of either leaving this land of our own freewill, or an atomic bomb will be thrown upon us. Perhaps not right now but in a couple of years, our enemies will have such a bomb.

There are many other scenarios of what may happen, but I simply want to show you how desperate the situation is. We have no solution on the level of this world. Next time, the entire world will be unanimously against us, and everything is moving in this direction. What will we be able to do against this?

Even now there are calls in Europe for boycotting Israeli products. Eventually, no one will want to buy anything from us. So, what will we do if our economy and commerce collapse? We already crossed a critical point in 1995, and, now, we steadily are approaching the point of hopelessness from which there is no way out but the method of correction. We must urgently begin fulfilling it.

I don’t want to scare people, but we must open their eyes so that they will see the actual situation. In fact, any sensible person also understands that if this trend continues, there is no future for us and no solution. However, we must find out and clarify this to the end, and show people the only solution there is. Only this can work against this illogical situation since this solution is also illogical.

It is a very quick and simple solution. Let’s just begin fulfilling it. We have a break for several months, so let’s get to work! Let’s devote the time to it so that we all begin to study and implement the mutual incorporation and cooperation of the method of mutual guarantee. We don’t need anything but that!

We will see the results in a couple of weeks. The moment a person is incorporated in this study, his mind, his soul, and his heart all begin to operate differently and turn toward others.

Accordingly, we will feel an immediate positive effect. There is no delay in the spiritual world. We immediately will see how everything calms down, that there are fewer missiles, and that the economy grows stronger.

There won’t be any problems if we begin our self-correction. If we worry about spiritual problems, the corporeal problems will disappear. It is one of the two. Take the internal spiritual work upon yourselves and your entire corporeal life will work out. The Torah promises us that.

We have reached a state where we cannot wait any longer. We must do whatever is in our power to spread the message and begin explaining openly that the solution stems from the wisdom of Kabbalah since it is the foundation of the nation. We must explain this in many different ways and fill the Internet with this information so that everyone will see it.
[93810]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/22/12, Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot

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Reality Is Created By Actions

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”: As there is no perception of the Creator whatsoever, so it is impossible to attain the essence of any of His creatures, even the tangible objects that we feel with our hands.

We perceive the Creator according to the principle: “Come and see.” I don’t know what the essence of the Creator is, but I can “come and see.” In order to do that, I perform certain actions and by them I know the Creator, as it says, “From Your actions we shall know You.” All of reality, all His actions and the ways He is revealed, are a result of our self-correction and by that we perceive Him in our feelings. I perceive everything in my vessels because it is there that I discover different phenomena, including the Creator.

The “Creator” is the uppermost level that I can attain. It is bestowal and love that controls all of reality. I discover the law of to do good unto His created beings, the Good that does Good; I discover the phenomenon that resides in all the vessels, in all my parts, in all my soul and my desires; I see and perceive that He is the first, the original. It turns out that even before I began to understand, to perceive and to feel, there was something determining my thoughts, desires, and actions.

But how could it be that first I perceive this and then I acknowledge and admit that He existed first. Can it be? Yes. Within the action itself I perceive and discover that He was first. So everything only stems from the actions. In spirituality I can’t recognize and identify something that doesn’t move and doesn’t act.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/19/12, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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A Man With A Gun

Dr. Michael LaitmanIf we stayed at the still, vegetative, or animate level of nature, we would follow all the laws of nature instinctively. But there are desires on a higher level within us and in them we don’t feel an obligation to act in a certain way. Things become unclear.

This is felt especially in our times. Throughout history men in society rose according to the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature; we developed gradually, in stages, not thinking about who or what we are, or where we’re headed. We were pushed forward by different urges and they all brought us to one simple clarification: How do we make the most of the current state? In other words a person keeps the laws of nature in a more or less organized way relative to animals because of conditions that are much more complicated. Accordingly, there are wise men who know how to take advantage of these conditions for the benefit of their ego and others have to “settle for less.”

But today we are losing the ability to advance this way. I would like to advance as I used to, to choose what’s best for me, but these attempts never succeed. It’s as if another element has appeared in my perspective which is concealed for the time being, as if someone who is invisible constantly puts sticks in my wheels. I want to fix the financial system, the economy, education, the family, but nothing works out. I’m very logical, I have scientific data, I have experts and advisors, but I can’t arrive at anything. So, what’s going on?

A new dominion is revealed here, a new law that has been unknown until now. We have to learn it, but it’s obscure and incomprehensible. What’s more, that which is gradually being revealed about this law is something that we don’t want to accept. We want to carry on like before and to succeed in everything that we do, and instead we have to agree to a condition that will turn our egoistic nature around. The condition is that we are connected and that if we make a decision it has to be in everyone’s favor. Here we stop, not knowing what to do, throwing our hands up in despair.

This is the state we are in today, like slaves in Egypt who “have a new king,” we feel that there is a new dominion. Previously the ego helped us advance in spite of obstacles; we conquered nature and space, we took care of ourselves in different ways and suddenly we despair of everything. It has been several years now that we don’t find the old goals attractive anymore. Why? Because our instincts tell us: There will be no compensation for our egoistic desire here.

It’s as if I am going to make a million dollars now, but there is man with a gun in my way. “You are going to make a million,” he tells me. “But you will leave yourself only a thousand and bring all the rest of the money to me.”

I have to make an effort worth a million dollars and I only receive a small part “to cover expenses.” But my desire doesn’t provide me with enough fuel for this work. So what can we do?

It’s either fear that will force me to do it or I need to see that the man with the gun is my best friend, my dearest friend, my closest friend. Then I’ll be ready to receive only a thousand dollars to cover my basic needs and I will gladly leave him all the rest. What’s more, I will thank him, since without his gun I would have continued to take for myself. Thus I reach something new and am happy to give you what I have made, since by that I get closer to you and to the new goals that are revealed to me.

How much does a person have to go through until he reaches the recognition of this state…?
[93715]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/22/12, Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot

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The Error Of Europeans

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from Euronews): “The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso has answered questions put to him directly by EU citizens.

“In a special edition of iTalk, held in an interactive Google ‘hangout’, he spoke on issues covering the debt and employment problems facing Europeans, democracy within the EU and further European integration.

“He explained he wanted to see Europe develop into a federation of nation states, while at the same time sharing sovereignty between EU members. He also spoke of the need to focus on growth in order to bring sustainable employment, especially for young people.”

My Comment: Stimulating growth means creating bubbles; nothing will come of it, except deepening the crisis. Moreover, the crisis will not end until we understand that we need to transform the world community not competitively, but into mutual guarantee. And for this it is necessary to change the nature of man for which we need the method of integral education. This is the only way to save the world from falling into savagery.
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Why Are Missiles Falling On Us?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: I have kids from Ashkelon staying at my place since their town is being bombarded now, and I have four kids of my own. Yesterday we also heard a siren, and now all the kids are asking: “Why are missiles falling on us?”

Answer: This problem is a constant part of our existence which is above nature. We have to find out why there is a balance between the forces that constantly bring us to such a critical state. We have to examine this state more internally, and then we may find an answer. After all, how much longer can we live from one war to another?

For the first time this war gives us a new feeling since the whole country is on the frontline. It has never been that way, but today it is safer to live near the border than in the central part of the country. The whole nation including families and small children are under the same threat.

The Gulf War in 1991 was perceived as a temporary threat that came from a distant place and only certain parts of the country were under attack. But now we see that a missile can reach everywhere and those who fire them do not take anything into consideration. Their goal is to hurt the civilian population as much as possible and to annihilate us.

The question is why are the missiles falling on us? This is usually attributed to the fact that we cannot reach an amicable agreement. As if it were possible to achieve peace, even with some concessions. We have already conceded one thing and then another, and even a little more, and then signed a peace agreement, and as usual, it was immediately thrown in the trash. After that, we had to fight again, and then re-enter into an agreement, and yield. And so on without end.

But this cannot continue indefinitely because we can see that each time the war and the threat is taking on a new character and larger scale. After all, today it is not just a clash at some borders; the whole country is open to attack from any direction. While the threat comes from only in the small piece of land in Gaza, what would happen if we were attacked on all borders and from the sea? In this form, it is simply impossible to exist.

So what is the answer to the threat, when it is clear that we cannot achieve any peace agreement with our neighbors? If you look at this situation from a rational point of view, it is clear that in the future, far or near, we cannot continue to exist. And what can help us survive and lead a normal life in this region and in the world?

Today’s missile attacks are only part of our problem. We know that we are surrounded by hatred. It isn’t only the Arabs that hate us, but the whole world. Anti-Semitism is growing every year in every country, and we cannot close our eyes and ignore this problem.

We have to start a deeper examination of the problem since we are living under illogical conditions and exist in an illogical way. It’s not clear why we have existed for so many years surrounded by a sea of enemies. So far it was thanks to the wisdom of our people and our success in armament. But we have to understand the forces, thanks to which we exist, and the actions we should take with regards to other nations, to ourselves, and the global nature.

After all, we are constantly drawing a negative response from everyone upon ourselves. So let’s find out what we are doing wrong. Apparently we have brought so much good to humanity! There is a long list of famous people who belong to the Jewish people, who have discovered great things and did so much for the world and its advancement. So why, despite all that, is there still such a negative attitude towards us?
[93704]
From Talk 1 “The Solution is in Unity” 11/18/12

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Stages On The Way To Bestowal

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn order to reach the goal of creation, we need to develop a desire towards that goal, a vessel, a place, in which we will be able to imagine, feel, and realize this goal. Everything depends on the type and the character of the desire we need to prepare.

For that reason, there is an initial stage when a person leads a beastly existence, caring only about the materialistic needs: food, sex, family, wealth, respect, and knowledge, meaning natural desires he was born with.

Then follows a stage when a person starts to search for the real meaning of life. He feels that regular earthly pleasures no longer fulfill him and finds it hard to believe that he was born to live a life like this. He doesn’t believe that the whole endless universe exists only for man to be born, live somehow, and die. There has to be a more exalted goal here!

This is a sign that the point in the heart started talking in a person, which compels him to search. Now from this point he needs to develop a whole vessel. This stage is called “a scanty and unhappy life.” It’s so even if a person has all of the material blessings, and it will not help him if he limits himself artificially, living on “bread with salt and water.”

Humanity went through several stages during its development: 2000 years times three, a total of 6000 years of world’s spiritual development. The first 2000 years there was chaos, followed by 2000 years of the Torah, and the last 2000 years is the era of the Messiah, the final correction.

That is why different laws were in effect during each time period. Each period corresponds to its level of desires: HBT, HGT, and NHY, and each level is further divided into the same levels of HBT, HGT, and NHY. This way we can divide the whole process of development into increasingly smaller stages, 6000 levels. And accordingly, we will be able to understand what changes occur in each part and during each segment of the path.

That is why during this period of time, the qualities of the souls coming into our world for the correction suit the concrete stage of development and belong to HBT, HGT, or NHY. In our time, the correction is only possible by the Light that Reforms. During previous generations, before the time of Talmudic sages, it was possible to correct oneself by restraining corporeal desires. After all, people at that time acted at the zero level of the desire to enjoy.

Of course, life is felt as scanty precisely in the spiritual sense. It can also be divided into three stages: A person finds himself in Kabbalah and at first doesn’t know what is happening, where he ended up. He studies Kabbalah theoretically, hoping to become wiser. He dreams only of his own success, augmenting his egoistic desires, until he understands that achievement doesn’t mean that he develops the receiving desires but rather that he acquires the bestowing ones.

The Surrounding Light illuminates upon him and gradually changes him. Like a penny that helps to a big capital so does he eventually begins to understand that this is not the goal and that he will not get anything this way. The egoistic form in which he tried to fill his egoistic desires becomes unacceptable for him. Now he is ready for everything just to transition to the bestowing desires.

This turnaround is a sign of the transition into a state of Lo Lishma. That is, a person discovers that he is not in Lishma (Lo Lishma), not in bestowal. Everything he did in his life, not in the everyday life, but namely in terms of his participation in the group, the studies, and different states he went through, all this was only for his own sake, consciously and unconsciously!

This is revealed to him, but to the extent that he wouldn’t get completely upset and could go on, that he would appeal with a prayer and wouldn’t run away completely. This is how a person advances until he discovers all of his desires, which depends on his hastening of time and perseverance. And most important is the support from the environment, mutual help that allows him to transition from Lo Lishma to Lishma.

This becomes possible because he has formed the vessels, the need for reaching the goal. This is expressed as raising the prayer, MAN, the desire aimed at the Light, at the Creator, the only one who can do anything, even change man’s nature. There is no other source.

When a person obtains the intention to bestow, this intention is realized in the very desires that previously were aimed only at the beastly fulfillment. Then he expected to fill them with the help of Kabbalah, egoistically, and afterwards, during the period of exile, attempted to reveal the quality of bestowal in them. But in the end, he receives an opportunity to bestow in the same desires, and sees it as liberation. This state is called Lishma, in which he becomes worthy of the true life, both in this world and in the world to come.
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The Upper World Is Open To Everyone

Dr. Michael LaitmanA person who comes to the wisdom of Kabbalah really becomes enslaved. If he enters this system, then he really enslaves himself. There is nothing terrible about it since it is impossible to attain this system in any other way. If you go to special experts in yoga or any other system, they will tell you the same thing: If you want to attain our wisdom, our technique, our system, then you must temporarily detach from other things, otherwise you won’t be able to feel it in depth.

By the way, the wisdom of Kabbalah is not as strict as other systems, since it doesn’t separate the person from this world. He must be married, raise children, work, be connected with the world, and not abstain from doing things, not to go on diets, not to do all kinds of special, physical exercises, breathing, and postures. He needs to be a completely, regular person in this world. There is nothing expected from him except for only one thing, that is, the internal longings and intentions for the goal. This is specifically the most difficult condition, but in principle, the only condition.

All the rest isn’t important. It isn’t important what he eats, what he drinks, how he lives, or what he does professionally, of course, as long as it isn’t anti-social behavior. A person can be intelligent or can be simple. It doesn’t matter. In attaining the upper world, there is no importance in age or in level of education. It is opened to absolutely everyone! A person is not limited in anything.
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From the Georgia Convention 11/6/12, Lesson 4

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The Point Of Manifestation Of Freewill

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Why should the states of unity, love, and cooperation be particularly important to us?

Answer: They are indispensable to us because we have to “advertise” them to each other by playing a game that allows us to enhance these states before afflictions hit us from behind. We draw a bright and happy picture on purpose. We don’t see this picture as of yet, but we can make the group influence each of us in a way so that we all want it. With the help of envy, jealousy, and pride, one can be forced to advance before afflictions strike him from behind. We really want to be stimulated this way.

It’s bad when suffering pushes us “from behind”; we prefer conscious advancement. We should build a group in which every member expresses and shares an opinion that unity and interconnection are wonderful, so we are the ones who deliberately approach the Creator by advancing towards Him consciously.

Question: So, where is the “freewill” here? Even if we run away from the blows that hit us from behind, even if we consciously move ahead and pursue our connection with the Creator, we still act out of our animate egoistic nature. How can we really detach from it and act differently (not egoistically), and manage to rise to the Creator’s level irrespective of our egoism? Where is the elevation over our animal nature here?

What does “voluntary participation” mean? How can we escape blows and afflictions, avoid pleasures and rise above them? Why is the state at which we are either “whipped” or “motivated by a candy” considered animate? How can we rise above the animate developmental level and grow sensibly?

Answer: Finally, we begin to realize that the Creator has prepared a perfect condition for us: the group. The group is not only a method of transitioning from love of friends to love of the Creator, but it’s a concrete place where we can implement freewill, a place where we “don’t depend” on our friends. We depend on the Creator; thus, we relate to Him in a good way, whereas, we “don’t depend” on our friends in the group, so this is the point at which we get an opportunity to advance. It’s based on the right attitude to the unity among friends—the kind of relationships in which we don’t get anything in return!

This is the point at which we finally realize the special condition that the Creator prepared for us at the time of the shattering of the whole, the complete creation into many fragments, granting them a chance to reunite. Only after they regain unity can they express free will without any kinds of sensations, either bad or good. Only then will they obtain a chance to rise above their nature. Only then!
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From the Georgia Convention 11/5/12, Lesson 1

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