In the News (from MIT Technology Review): “The global pattern of e-mail communication reflects the cultural fault lines thought to determine future conflict, say computational social scientists.

“In 1992, the Harvard-based political scientist Samuel Hartington suggested that future conflicts would be driven largely by cultural differences. He went on to map out a new world order in which the people of the world are divided into nine culturally distinct civilizations. …

“Bogdan State at Stanford University in California and a few pals … have analyzed a global database of e-mail messages, and their locations, sent by more than 10 million people over the space of a year. State and co say that the pattern of connections between these people clearly reflects the civilizations mapped out by Huntington. In other words, the way we send e-mails is a reflection of the mesh of civilizations that is an important driver of future conflict. …
“This result provides evidence towards a division of the world into civilizational blocks following Huntington’s theory,” say State and pals.

“But there are other patterns too.  ‘The findings (unsurprisingly) support the idea that geography, transportation and administrative decisions are all important determinant of between-country communication: distance decreases density, as do visas, while direct flights increase it,’ say the researchers.

“And there are surprising results as well. For example, a common border between two countries actually reduces the communication density between them, perhaps because of increased tensions.  ‘These curious findings do raise the issue of potential problems with European integration, as well as of the higher potential for conflict between countries sharing borders, which may lead to less communication,’ say State and pals.”

My Comment: Global and personal egoism is constantly growing and becoming interdependent, which heightens contradictions further. It is impossible to isolate oneself. We can only follow the trend, indicated by nature, that is, to unite. This is possible only through the change of the human being, by our re-education. A method of correcting our egoistic nature is offered: integral education and upbringing.
[102862]

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Don’t forget that our Kli (vessel, desire) is outside of us. It’s a shame to waste time  worrying about ourselves, on what goes in your inner borders since it’s all a lie and exists only because of the force of the breakage, the force of our ego that creates this picture for us.

Of course, it’s possible to live in this illusion for another few thousand reincarnations. But it is desirable, if you have reached an incarnation in which you are finally beginning to hear the truth that your “I” is not you, but is your imagination, that you rise above it; you were given an opportunity to do your best to realize it.

If you continue to think within your circle, then not only do you not approach the truth, but you also cause great damage to others. It’s as if you drill a hole in the bottom of the common boat. In this way you hurt others and all this damage is registered in your account.

We can’t calculate this damage exactly. It’s as if I took a specific nail for my house and then afterward suddenly discover that it is this precise nail that was missing in for the completion in the construction of a big and beautiful boat in which thousands of people were supposed to sail. And of course the damage that I caused is not estimated by a small nail but by the thousands of people who were damaged through my wrong-doing.

However, I don’t understand. What terrible thing have I done? I didn’t do anything bad to anyone! How could I know that this nail was so essential to them? But my lack of knowledge doesn’t clear the blame from me, and the court won’t take that into consideration. The judgment is very simple: the damage was caused to the general system. As is said, “The law was given and cannot be transgressed.”

It’s possible to apologize that you didn’t know and they didn’t tell you, but this account wasn’t arranged according to our calculations, but only according to the damage caused to society. Whether this was revealed to you or not, if you knew or not, is not taken into account. It should be remembered that judgment is merciless.
[102129]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/3/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: How is it possible that in the world that is “made out of nothing” there appeared a methodology that describes the real nature that is opposite to the nature of creation? What serves as a bridge between the worlds and connects them?

Answer: 5772 years ago, there lived a man who was the first human being ever to ask himself: “What is going on in the world? Where does it come from and for what was it created? Who is the “boss” that governs this world? Why is it rotating around Him and together with Him?”

This person’s name was Adam. By asking these questions, he tried to solve the mystery and not only did he unravel the “secret,” but he also wrote a book, “The Secret Angel,” which means a “secret force,” since the word “angel” means “force.” From this book, we see exactly what he attained, felt, saw and described in his allegorical stories.

Adam started a whole galaxy of Kabbalists who described spirituality in an unprecedented and thrilling way. We feel the same things while reading their books, since the upper nature is unchangeable. It means that today contemporary Kabbalists who reveal the system of nature and the ones who lived five hundred, one thousand, fifteen hundred or even five thousand five hundred years ago (like Adam) talk about the same things.

They describe one and only one force that falls into many sub-forces which influence us and define everything that happens to us. This science is called “the wisdom of Kabbalah.” If I read a book that was written fifty, five hundred, fifteen hundred, or twenty five hundred years ago (for me, it’s the same!) there is no difference between them whatsoever. All of them describe the same things.

So, if I met the author who wrote a book four thousand years ago, let’s say Abraham, I would be able to easily speak with him about these topics and he would answer my current questions about what we should do and on what to concentrate. We would have no problem speaking with him since our questions and clarifications would be exactly the same and we would easily understand each other’s concerns, thoughts, and aspirations. He would understand our questions and give us thorough explanations that would be very apparent to us since we are dealing with eternal matter, the everlasting force, and perpetual movement. This is what the wisdom of Kabbalah is all about.
[102122]
From the Virtual Lesson 3/3/13

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Question: What are “the Creator’s gifts?”

Answer: We give presents to someone we love, and we receive presents when there is no doubt that they come from love. I may feel that someone is giving me a present to repay me as a bribe.

This means that I must distinguish between a real and unselfish present that comes from the closeness that I already feel toward the giver who wants to make us both happy by the present and a present that is meant to buy me for a price and connect to me in order to use me later for one’s own interests. It turns out that the present can be because of the interests of the giver, because of my interests, or because of our common interests.

Several types of bestowal come to us from the Creator, and we call one of them a gift. As it is written, “He who hates gifts shall live,” but it refers to gifts for our ego, for the desire to receive fulfillment for free, since this is what the ego considers a gift.

The real present is “I labored and found.” A finding is also a kind of present since it is given to me out of love although I don’t deserve it. This means that it is not a direct outcome of my work, but rather, “I labored and found.” It isn’t a payment, but a present, a finding.

It is a very slight difference that is only understood by whomever purifies his vessels of perception (his senses) more and who then discovers different attributes to which he gives different names.

You can receive a present only if it helps you in the work. As it is written, “Open for me an opening like the eye of a needle” so that I can put a thread through it and start “sewing,” start working. This is how we are ready to receive a gift from the Creator since otherwise, we will not be able to get close to Him.

Therefore, the Torah is called a present since the Light in it reforms. So, I receive this present although I don’t deserve it, but, through this gift, I can correct myself and reach adhesion with the Creator. Eventually, I return to the Creator with this present as if I have taken it as a loan from His shop and am returning it.

It turns out that one of the types of receiving and bestowal is called a present.
[102753]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/27/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: What allows the power of thought to help a person transcend his own nature? Why is the potential of the collective thought stronger than our nature?

Answer: We exist in nature on the levels of the still, vegetative, and animate nature and nothing more than that. Our desires are usually focused on food, sex, family, money, respect, domination, and knowledge. This is our nature.

On the other hand, I receive power from the environment that is on a higher level, on a spiritual level. If a collective thought dominates my environment, it will influence me by 100%.

Today we discover such phenomena: thoughts that wander around the world and pass from one person to another like viruses. They don’t simply “float in the air,” but are actually part of a connecting network that we don’t feel yet, although it ties us together very strongly.

Earlier, during the first stages of our evolution, the connection between us was weak and now its influence is revealed more strongly.

As a result, we now need electronic communication: cell phones, text messages, e-mails, video conferences, social networks… we haven’t quite penetrated the network, we haven’t actually reached it, but we already respond to its signals and are attracted to mutual communication. This is the root of modern technological communication.

Soon, however, we will leave all that since this network will prove its ineffectiveness. After all there is no point in external communication, in empty talk, “Hi, what’s up…” Our desire grows and the general network that connects us is increasingly revealed and at a certain point we will want higher quality communication. Then people will leave what they are so addicted to now. They will start to communicate only when they need to, and will give up all the “electronic babble” in search for a new channel that is above the ordinary discourse. They will yearn for an inner connection.

So if we influence each other correctly, we can already use the network between us now. After all, the souls are shattered with respect to themselves, but not in Malchut of Ein Sof (Infinity), and that is what we yearn for. So what’s the problem? Malchut is concealed from us by many Masachim (screens), but that doesn’t mean that we are not in it. The more we awaken the general network, the more we can operate it.

This is what we do through mutual guarantee. Therefore we need it for our correction. It is as if we are asked, “Are you ready to use the network that connects all of us for the sake of bestowal in a clear, correct, and appropriate manner?” This approach is generally called “mutual guarantee.”

Today people are closer to the recognition of this network than ever before. They are close to participating in it actively and consciously, so that they can resemble the Creator. After all, the “Creator” is the surrounding network that is filled with the infinite connection; this is how the Creator is revealed to us.

If I want to discover this network in advance, I “awaken the dawn” by myself, by trying to add exertion and feeling an increasingly greater responsibility towards the world, towards all of reality, including the Creator. If I am not ready and do not aspire to advance, then the network that is revealed “catches” me by surprise. This is the difference between the “path of the Torah” and the “path of suffering.”

Generally speaking, this whole network—with the different types of connections, with all the Lights, and all the details of perception and all the stages of revelation—is called “Torah.” By our mutual guarantee we activate it and encourage a greater revelation and this affects everyone.
[102669]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/12/13, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”

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Preparation to the Lesson

Writings of Baal HaSulam “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah),” Lesson 2

The Book of Zohar – Selected Excerpt, Parashat “Va’etchanan (A Plea),” Item 1, Lesson 1

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol 3, Part 10, Item 44, Lesson 20

“Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 21, Lesson 14

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As one advances, a person begins to feel that everything spiritual is outside of his body, in everything that surrounds him in the still, vegetative, and animate nature, in humans. This is what the world is, the area we must learn to treat with love and care as a great treasure so that the world, which is outside of our body, will become very important to us.

The feeling of existence in the physiological body occurs only in our imagination through a combination of forces that are acting on us. That is why we feel as if we live in the material body, and, if a person has an aspiration to live outside of his body—in everything that surrounds him—this is already the need to feel the soul.

Having begun working on this, a person sees that he needs to concentrate all his work on the correct environment because only from there can he get help and support. Such an environment is the group, as a representative of the external world, which may respond to me, attract me, and help me exit myself.

Then, I view the group as my savior, who throws me a rope to pull me out as if from a well. I do not associate myself with the body and wish to get out of it, and thus I grab the rope. The group, friends who are outside of me, help me break away from my body.

Thus, working together, we take turns helping each other climb up and exit ourselves. After all, only outside of his skin, outside of his selfish interests, does a person begin to feel that the group is not a gathering of some people but the holy Shechina in which the Creator dresses.

The body consists of Klipat Noga, the part that gives me freedom of choice, and the “snake’s skin,” the most powerful egoism that pulls me back, so that in trying to get out, I am able to apply sufficient effort correctly aimed.

Due to my desire to get out of my egoism—self-love and thoughts about my own good—to break out beyond my skin and think about the group and the world, I awaken the force that comes through the group, the teacher, and the Creator, which saves me from this prison. All this is due to the mutual work in the group with the teacher and with the books, and thanks to studies and dissemination, which are all the means in which the force of the Creator dresses and helps me exit myself.
[102824]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/13/13, Shamati #36

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Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 10: …He has no interest in reception, only in bestowal, whereas the Klipot want nothing of bestowal, but only to receive for themselves, for their own delight, and there is no greater oppositeness than that. And you already know that spiritual remoteness begins with some disparity of form and ends in oppositeness of form, which is the farthest possible distance in the last degree.

In this world, pluses and minuses attract each other as do opposite poles of a magnet. For example, people who have opposing opinions usually are interested in talking with each other and comparing their points of view. This happens because our world is submerged in the egoistic nature of receiving.

As a result, we can get something from one another to the degree of our dissimilarity. If we were alike, what could we get from one another? Similarity doesn’t promise any benefits; we need others to receive “profits” from them whether it is money, respect, power, recognition, services, etc. One needs something that one doesn’t have, something that one lacks. This is why we bother dealing with others.

It explains why we are unable to understand relationships between the Creator and creation: The distance between them is tremendous and they have no chance to come closer. At the same time, we see numerous examples when opposites meet. This is a paradox: Two different people who have egoistic desires find ways to take advantage of each other; however two contrary desires (egoistic and altruistic) can’t unite because they repel each other.

Consequently, creation has no chance to approach the Creator unless it modifies its nature. It goes without saying that it’s impossible to change the desire to receive per se. So, the Creator made the intention far more important (basic) than the desire. Intention is something we can work with and eventually it can be changed. Spiritual distance between the Creator and us is delineated exclusively by the intention. Intention changes the essence of connection among us and makes us either similar or different.

“The Creator” is a giving desire; consequently, one has to “shield” one’s desire to receive with the intention to bestow. The desire by itself is only a “material,” whereas intention is a tool for transforming the very essence of our actions to bestow. Thus, we approach the Creator.

Still, how do the Creator and creation converge if they have similar poles? It contradicts the laws of physics in this realm. Why can’t those people who have points in the heart unite with each other in spite of the law of similarity of properties? What does convergence depend on? Is it contingent upon our qualities or does it depend on the way we are using them?

For example, two thieves can find common ground. On the other hand, today people are not ready to unite their efforts even if their cooperation promises obvious benefits. They prefer to earn less independently rather than receive more in somebody else’s company.

Now, it becomes even harder to unite since our egoism continues growing and we repel each other much more strongly. Each of us prefers detachment and isolation. There is a growing trend of working from home; it’s convenient both for employees and employers.

We don’t find pleasure in teamwork; it doesn’t appeal to us at all. At one point, women started to strive to get out of their homes and escape from their families. They wanted to find jobs and enjoy more freedom and now people of both genders wish for the opposite.

However, it’s not about returning to their families. Currently, too many people don’t have families. It’s not about going back to family life, but rather it’s a continuation of our path in reaching new levels of egoism that in their turn lead to even more detachment and loneliness. On one hand, we understand that our alienation is not good for us; on the other hand, it has become do difficult to establish contact with anyone. So, people choose to refuse the potential advantages of connecting.

It means that we have to give charm to the idea of unity. Our joint work has to be pleasant, interesting, attractive, and to bring us satisfaction. We have to work on creating these conditions, since nothing will happen on its own. In the end, who would mind working in a company of nice people even without being rewarded? If we enjoy somebody’s company, we would be willing to pay for this pleasure. The problem is that we don’t regard liaisons among us as attractive. It’s very hard to treat others well since our egoism is too strong and amicable relationships require too much exertion and energy.

We have to break many walls that separate us before others will believe that we are not lying to them, playing with them, or confusing them in some way, and that we are genuinely sympathetic. We are used to hypocrisy; our relationships with others are too “commercial” and are saturated in mutual contempt. We should really try hard to understand others more deeply…

In spirituality, similarity of properties brings us closer to each other and allows us to eventually attain revelation, whereas in the material world we take pride in “consuming” each other. In spirituality, togetherness is based on similarity of properties, although in this material realm our closeness rests on dissimilarities. On this material plane, two people unite only if they want to confront a “third party” or if they expect to obtain certain benefits from their association.

There is a law that states that without the intention to bestow, pluses and minuses attract each other; the intention to bestow reverses the situation and makes everything conditioned by the degree of similarity.
[102029]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/5/13, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”

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