Audio Version Of The Blog – 02.28.13

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Learning To Play

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Many studies show that rewards often ruin our pleasure. For example, children who were promised a prize when they painted, became used to that, and were unable to paint without receiving prizes.

The same thing applies to school grades, which has a deleterious effect on the thirst for learning and knowledge. But on the other hand, we, in any case, know that our material is the desire to receive. This means that a reward is, in any case, necessary. So what is the difference between the pleasure of playing and the pleasure from working?

Answer: Rewards can be different according to its worth. A game gives me higher ‘’abstract’’ pleasure. In a game, I connect and cooperate with others. It isn’t by chance that people have been attracted to games for generations; for example, the tradition of the Olympic games began in ancient Greece.

The game reverts man back to childhood, and he simply feels good from it. It is not because of money or superiority over others, and not because of honor that he receives, it is something else, something abstract. Our games are matched to the upper game where the Light enters the vessels. About this it is said, “the Creator plays with the leviathan.”

The whole issue here is my attitude. I can work hard from morning until night and see this pleasure, rest. The picture changes with the reward that I receive at the time of the effort, which is called, “on the spot.’’

With regular work the reward comes afterward, and in games and other similar situations, we receive the reward “on the spot.’’ For example, by lifting weights I feel that I become healthier and stronger. There the work itself becomes the reward.

So we need to bring ourselves to such a state where we enjoy the action itself, as it is. Now I am with friends, I work with them shoulder-to-shoulder, I connect with them, and that gives me joy. Why? Because in our connection, I want to discover the Creator, so that He delights in what we do.

The key to all of this is the society. Only in this way, can our values be changed to place the correct priority and in general to raise the scale of values above the level of the “beast’.’ From the moment we descended from the trees and began life in humanity, the society, and only the society, determined everything I do. Whether I want it or not, consciously or unconsciously, I carry out its wish.

Thus, if in the eyes of the society the Creator and bestowal are given the desired importance, then I willingly and happily will work together with the friends and enjoy it like once I enjoyed, for example, the process of playing soccer with friends, even apart from the result.

In each moment of our efforts in connection, we give delight to the Creator. He doesn’t enjoy afterward; He enjoys it now. And we also need now to receive enjoyment from this great and important act without a need for a greater reward. As soon as we reach this, the barriers will disappear and everything will open.

The result is that the Creator is revealed to you when you don’t even feel a desire for it, simply because you built the vessels of bestowal.

Question: So why is He revealed? What should I do?

Answer: There is no need to do anything. You are with Him, embracing each other…..
[101395]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/24/13, Writings of Rabash

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One Against All Of Nature

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 1: When we examine ourselves, we find that we are as corrupted and as low as can be. And when we examine the operator who has made us, we are compelled to be at the highest degree, for there is none so praiseworthy as Him. For it is necessary that only perfect operations will stem from a perfect operator.

Indeed we see that nature is perfect and that everything in it is arranged much more successfully than in our lives. A person’s attitude to others comes down to a desire to rape, kill, eat, abuse, and beat others in any way possible. We see that such an approach is bad and harmful. In order to lead a normal life, it would be better if we existed nicely on the basis of the principles of mutuality, preserving nature, and watching over one another. We teach our children not to fight, to be generous, and to play together. But it appears that children can’t do this and neither can adults. It turns out that our nature is evil. This is what we discover when we look at ourselves.

On the other hand, in nature everything is built wonderfully. Numerous studies are more clearly depicting the picture of this harmonious balance and mutual cooperation. In the end nature created life which requires coordination between delicate and complex mechanisms working together. We see how versatile and complex the world is and how wisely it was created. Where does all that come from? From some tiny “atom” that was created as a result of the Big Bang?

One way or the other, the accurate, complex versatility that we see impresses us, but when we look at man who is the “crown of creation” we see one inclination: to destroy everything. This makes one to consider how that can be; that the most complex part, the “best” part, is also the worst part.

An ant or a cockroach doesn’t harm anyone, they only act according to nature’s orders and help others in the general system that is mutually connected. In it, everyone lives in order to sustain the others and each one has its own niche and sustains itself in order to be connected with thousands of other creatures. Together they all make up a perfect jigsaw puzzle, an inseparable combination of the lines of the general picture. If you take out one item, everything will immediately become distorted, and the perfection will be destroyed.

In the meantime, on the whole, this is what man does. His actions are in contrast to the perfection of nature. All the animals and plants, everything, exists in perfect agreement, and most importantly in mutual completion; everyone is connected, and everyone depends on everyone, needs one another. In nature everything is based on balance where you can’t take out one link and move it to another place; it’s one whole jigsaw puzzle. And along comes man and destroys it until the world gradually approaches disaster. Up until now we didn’t understand that other than us all of nature is perfect and things that seem to us as imperfect are an indication of the “distorted mirror” of our perception or as a result of our destructive participation.

Man can’t be incorporated into the wholeness since he is corrupt. He is the only creature that is opposite from nature and this shows that the key for the correction is actually within us.
[101422]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/26/13, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar

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Behind The Scenes At A Shadow Theater

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Can we assess the balance of power in our world according to the balance of spiritual forces in the story of Purim? How are integral education and the science of Kabbalah reflected in this story?

Answer: Let’s have a look at the characters of Purim: The king, Mordecai, Haman, and Esther who ties them. All the threads are woven in her.

This is how a person’s inclinations are presented: the three lines and the Creator above, that is, knowledge and the aspiration for Keter above reason in the middle line. But in reality, all this is manifested due to the work on unification. That is why the events of Purim take place during the Babylonian exile.

Purim is the most important symbol.

The group of Abraham came from Babylon, realized a series of corrections, and then fell from its degree and descended to Babylon again to reveal the ultimate method of correction there.

With this method, the group builds a spiritual vessel again; however, it cannot stay in it because this vessel is much weaker than the previous one. It has a lot more limitations than the previous one because now the whole world needs to be corrected.

Then again, mixing takes place, but already on the basis of this vessel corrected in Babylon and adapted to the world.

And then the sons of Israel go out into the world to be together with it, and in our days they come to the same Babylon, to the same situation with Haman, Mordecai, and Ahasuerus.

Today, everything is ready, but we want to advance along a good path, above reason, and that is why we have to explain to everyone that salvation is in unity.

At the time, Haman wanted to use the state of the “sleep” of the sons of Israel: They did not maintain the correct connection between them and it provided an opportunity to destroy them, that is, to destroy spiritual aspiration and to make them work egoistically.

On the other hand, integral education tells us, no, we must begin to unite because in it lies the salvation of the world, both material and spiritual. We have no other option.

In the current conditions, we seemingly stand against the entire world, calling for reasonable consumption according to basic needs, for equality, for fair distribution, etc. We explain that the inflated banking sector and excessive production have no place in the world. Gradually understanding how we have to live in new conditions, humanity will get rid of all those invented activities, leaving only what is really necessary for normal existence.

This does not mean that we move back or reverse history. Of course, we can continue to develop various technologies but in a way so they are not frills, but real necessities for life.

For example, if production is automated, people will not have to work for even an hour a day. Well, let them be engaged in the main activity of their life—spiritual development. Let them do internal work on themselves.

We do not understand yet that the cutting-edge technologies create a new “virtual” world in which the desire to receive will exist quietly on the “animal” level because, after having risen to the human degree, you will cease to feel the “flavor” of previous desires. Similarly, we do not feel how our hair and nails grow, and how we trim them.

The feeling of this world will start to “fade,” and all our actions, all the connections, all the existence will be felt only in the relations between people. Only these relations will be based, not on the principle of “give and take,” not only in the physical interaction and not through exchange of goods, this level will recede to the background and disappear from perception, instead of it, we will increasingly feel the inner essence of what is happening, our true, deep relationships.

So, in our perception, we will move on to the next level, which does not exist in our world because it consists of the still, vegetative, and animate levels, and the human degree does not belong to it. If you attain it, all the other degrees are included in it and disappear as such. Then, our perception is suddenly transported in the world of forces, not the world of matter. It turns out that “matter” is the desire to receive, and not material images, like shadows, projected on the mirror of our consciousness.

Modern technologies provide good support to this perception. In the coming years we will see how people lose their usual activities and as if are left with nothing. Then, why are we needed at all?

We are needed, but not in the form of bodies. After all, the “I” is something eternal, immutable, and we rise to this degree by means of integral education, which allows us to move forward smoothly and comfortably and not under the barrage of blows that leave no other choice.

We cannot despair on this path. After all, our small spiritual effort many times exceeds all the material efforts. If we think a little bit more, “push” a little more in spiritual development, no bombs and missiles will be able to resist this, millions of haters will be powerless before this.

We have to be aware of the difference of potentials between the spiritual force and the material force. As Baal HaSulam writes that all the representatives of the “animate” level are equal one representative of the human degree. In essence, there is nothing to compare because the power between the degrees differs so much. We only need to go deeper inside, and you will see how we come to Purim…
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/25/13, Writings of Rabash

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German President Asks Britain To Stay In The EU

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from The Financial Times): “Germany’s president appealed on Friday to the people of the United Kingdom to remain members of the EU, in a speech intended to counter euroscepticism across the continent.

“’Dear people of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, dear new British citizens!’ declared Joachim Gauck. ‘We would like you to stay with us!’

“His appeal to British pride and patriotism – ‘During the second world war, your efforts helped to save our Europe, and it is also your Europe,’ he said – underlined a deep concern in Berlin that a referendum in the UK, promised by David Cameron, the prime minister, could see a British vote to leave the EU.

“We will only be able to master future challenges if we work together. More Europe cannot mean a Europe without you!” …

“He dismissed accusations that Germany was seeking to intimidate its EU partners, or force its ideas on them, in laying down the rules to recover from the eurozone crisis. …

“’This is not just a struggle for our currency,’ he said. Europe was facing more than an economic crisis. ‘It is also a crisis of confidence in Europe as a political project.’…

“’We stand together . . . for peace and freedom, for democracy and the rule of law, for equality, human rights and solidarity.’”

My Comment: Isn’t it too late to appeal for solidarity, and not even complete solidarity at that, just financial? The root of the problem is a gradual shift in the program controlling humanity. The program is gradually changing from egoistic to altruistic and requires humanity to become similar to it and to participate in it actively. Inconsistency with the program is manifested as a multi-faceted crisis.

Humanity has a method of retraining itself to become similar to a new program. The method is called integral education. As long as humanity is stubborn, the program is being introduced more and more in our world, in all its forms, and that is why the crisis is felt stronger from day to day. Let’s wait when the words about equality, rights, and so on will become significant and desirable, instead of empty.
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Desperate Joy

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash, Article 19, “The Matter of Joy”: This means that the joy is a result of a certain reason. So what is the reason, so that the reason can be evoked in order to bring us joy?

And accordingly, the intention to follow the right line as much as one can is called “wholeness.” And a person is already in a state of wholeness, which is called “equivalence.” Which means that the whole, which is the person, is now adhered to the Whole, as it says: “The blessed adheres to the blessed and the damned adheres to the damned.

Of course, we cannot feel anything spiritual if it is not by its opposite form. Internally we lack wholeness, we lack control, we are powerless and under the complete control of the egoistic desire to receive that calls for the domination of all the good in the world, but we transcend this and “restrict” ourselves, holding on only to the desire to bestow as we value it more and more.

This means that joy comes as a result of our feeling of great frustration, disappointed in our own desires. We are very happy that we have found a desire, the Creator’s intention, which we can use to control our desires. There is a great gap created between what we are and the Creator’s essence. We acquire His vessels and then our vessels can connect to His vessels.

Thus, a great void is formed between the two opposites, which we can now fill with bestowal. We are filled by bestowal and this brings us joy.

In The Book of Zohar it is written, (Genesis. Item 159): “the induction of the posterior, which is a call was so strong, until all his levels were lost and he became an ordinary man, Shimon from the market, and he acknowledged that it is a call and an invitation for a very sublime attainment.”

All the spiritual discernments ride on the great contrasts. It is in the gap, in the disparity between them and the connection between them above reason, that the new vessel is revealed, that is not part of our nature and which is a vessel of bestowal in which joy is revealed.

The Light that is revealed in the vessel that receives in order to bestow is the “Light of Life.” And its inner essence that is created by identifying and adhering to the Creator is felt as joy. It is a result of a good deed, which means of the act of bestowal.
[101331]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/25/13, Writings of Rabash

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The New Israel

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is the role of the Israeli Jews in the formation of the spiritual forces today?

Answer: Every element, even the smallest one, is made of ten Sefirot. The Israeli nation that has been through spiritual ups and downs is also made of several parts.

There is a part called “Israel” according to its spiritual essence, and it is aimed straight at the Creator (Yashar—El). Those who feel attracted to it belong to this part.

Generally speaking, we are starting the ascent today from the same state that was in ancient Babylon in the time of Abraham when everything was shattered and he gathered people who were attracted to the Creator. Such people belong to GE and the point in the heart (•) is already burning in them.

Then there is the part that is also called “Israel,” but in which the point in the heart is locked (⊙). Although it existed in these people in the past, it is not expressed as a result of the general incorporation.

The next part is the “nations of the world,” people who are ready to join Israel. They understand and feel the message of connection. They have a natural inclination for it, but their “point in the heart” is concealed. We can call them “righteous.”

Then there is the part of the “nations of the world” who are called “sinners” and in which there is a lot of negativity (-), and their point in the heart is hidden too deeply.

This is the general structure, but we don’t separate anything and we take an example from Abraham who spread the wisdom to everyone.

However, we also emphasize several things in our work today; first we have to empower the first part, our group, those who are ready, who can and do understand the importance of the way to the Creator.

Then we have to work with the representatives of the second part since the same point is hidden in them too, whether they like it or not, they have the same stimulation. We have to reach a certain connection with them.

In addition to that, let’s hope that many of “the nations of the world” will join us when they see that we offer them an effective, rational approach.

At the same time, we have to understand that the three lower parts participate in the process without an intention. There is no way they can yearn for bestowal. After all, the intention is only above, in all our friends throughout the world.

The New Israel
A new vessel is actually formed today, a new “Israel” that is born after the shattering and the mixing, after the many reincarnations. Whoever awakens to the Creator stands at the top pulling all the others after him.

The same thing happened in Babylon: People in different places joined the group of Abraham and later they were among the leaders. Another example is Rabbi Akiva, whose parents were not Jewish (they were converts who belonged to the “nations of the world) who joined the nation of Israel. This was his destiny; from the general level of those times, he rose to the spiritual level and surpassed everyone. So it is certainly not a matter of genetics or nationality.

As for the nation of Israel today, we have to make greater efforts than in other parts of the world. We have to first make efforts in our group and among the Israeli nation that is dispersed among the nations of the world. It is very difficult, but we have no other choice, we have to do it since it is the order of priorities in the general system.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/22/13Shamati #37 “An Article for Purim”

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There Is A Certain People

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “Shamati,” Article 144 “There Is a Certain People”: There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples.” Haman said that in his view, we will succeed in destroying the Jews because they are separated from one another; hence, our force against them will certainly prevail, as it causes separation between man and God. And the Creator will not help them anyway, since they are separated from Him. This is why Mordecai went to correct that flaw, as it is explained in the verse, “the Jews gathered,” etc., “to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life.”

There is no other means by which we can be saved from all the troubles, whether we are in physical exile or in a spiritual exile. It is the same thing; there is no other type. We are either under the domination of the evil forces that are foreign to Holiness, which means the force of separation and dispersion, or we unite despite all the evil forces and then we win by taking the opportunity we were given and rising to the level of connection.

In this connection we begin to discover the upper state, the upper world, the upper force. This is what we are about to do now. The world is advancing very quickly towards this clarification. We also have to clarify our status in order to become the force that takes this world from one world to another and be ready for this mission.

Very soon we will see how all these things are actually fulfilled and start to work. Everyone will be ready to connect, but whether we will be ready to connect them depends on if we can become one people. Our success depends on this.

Otherwise all the forces of evil in the world will rise against us and it will be justified because instinctively they feel that we are responsible for all of their problems. It will be impossible to blame them for the hatred they feel towards us because there is none else beside Him; there is a program, there is the upper force that operates and there is a system that works accordingly. We have to balance it, to bring the good force against the evil force and by that bring everything to the middle line.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/22/13

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A “Reset” Of Desires On The Level Of Developed Egoism

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Statistics show that good relationships at work increase the loyalty of the employees to their company and even prevent the risk of a premature death. However, colleagues continue to fight, be mad at one another, stand their ground, and fight for their interests. Why is it impossible to neutralize these conflicts?

Answer: Everything the modern world has tried over the last 20-30 years is somehow attempts to connect all into a single whole, to give people a feeling of softness, harmony, cooperation, to bring a team to a certain common ground, common plans and solutions, to ignite a spark in their work. But all has been to no avail.

Before, when a manager would “throw” an idea, people would become excited and follow him, but now nobody wants anything, even for money.

People come to work like “zombies” only because they have to make a living so as to not become tomorrow’s homeless. They are not able to communicate with each other. Half asleep, they spend their time at work and leave at the end of the day.

People have lost the taste for work; they have no purpose. There is no one and nothing to ignite; there are no longer social groups producing new great ideas like before when egoism was still in the process of development.

But now is the time of advanced stage of egoism, which is becoming integral. And this is why we are losing the goals, fulfillment, and interests that we once held. There is none of that today.

This is why it is very difficult for bosses and the managers to keep their employees interested. They are not able to do it because they have to force themselves to work. And this continues to drop and regress from day to day, from year to year.

A person has no motivation to do anything: For what?—I force myself to work. Of course I would be glad to keep receiving my pathetic “pennies,” and nothing else concerns me. I do not care about production, the team, work itself, rank, or inner calling. People have lost any motivation to work; they do not even care about the monetary reward.

It is just that our desires, which are our very inner material, are going through a very serious “reset.” They are changing from personal to collective. But we do not know how to fulfill collective desires.

Moreover, we do not perceive that these desires are collective, but we keep feeling an ever-increasing dependence on one another, and we try to escape it, each to his own niche. A person approaches me, and I am already ready to burn him with my eyes. In advance, I’m prepared to push that person away.

This is a universal problem, but it is not our fault. Managers need to understand this, and at the same time fight these problems within themselves.

The only solution is to explain this state to the company’s employees, show them the statistics, and somewhat explain the method of integral upbringing. When we involve people in the workshops, they develop completely new desires: collective and round, not individual and linear, integral instead of discrete. And we get a completely different person.

This person perceives himself and the team as a single whole. He begins to see that when he becomes involved in his team, he begins to breathe, he opens his eyes, he can think clearer, he begins to hear, everything becomes sharper—he awakens. He begins to feel that life has a spark; there is enthusiasm.

Once we explain that uniting with others is necessary for revealing a new common, collective desire where one will experience enthusiasm, common life, common fulfillment, then despite one’s dependence on a team, a person will enjoy it because this dependence is round and comprehensive. Everyone needs it because we will feel light and free, life will be a pleasure, and we will soar as if we had wings.

Today, people are ready for anything because this is the biggest problem in the world. Suicide, drugs, depression, divorce, crime, terrorism, and everything else happen because of emptiness; we have nowhere to hide from ourselves. Give people fulfillment and all this will go away.
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From KabTV’s “Professional Secrets” 2/8/13

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 02.28.13

Preparation to the Lesson

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Writings of Baal HaSulam “Igrot,” Letter 52

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The Book of ZoharSelected Excerpt, ParashatBalak,” Item 239, Lesson 12

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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol 3, Part 10, Item 25, Lesson 10

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Introduction to The Book of Zohar, Lesson 3

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