Audio Version Of The Blog – 06.07.13

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A Smile Of Bestowal

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Do I pass the Light to a friend when I raise his spirit or do I simply make him feel good?

Answer: It depends on your intention. If you do it in order to reach adhesion with the Creator, which means with the attribute of bestowal, and by that bestow upon the friend the greatness of the goal so that he can advance, then you also advance with the attribute of bestowal. If you help someone advance, it’s a sign that the Light passes through you to him.

You don’t have to worry that the friend should bestow upon you in return any more since you have already connected to the goal of attaining the Creator, bestowal, and have helped the friend and this is already bestowal. When you do that, then the Light that Reforms passes through you from the Creator to whom you were connected before. Thus you already perform an act of bestowal, and that is all you have to do. You only have to perform several such actions in order to feel the result: to feel that you have actually acquired the force of bestowal.

It turns out that I can draw the Light for everyone at any given moment, as much as I want to, but I can’t draw it for myself! You cannot draw the Light for yourself, since it comes only as a result of your actions of bestowal. If you don’t perform actions of bestowal with regard to the teacher, the group, and humanity, you cannot draw the Light. Is it possible to draw the Light egoistically?

If you study together and want to reach mutual bestowal, then you will draw the Light, but if you only think about yourself, you will not draw the Light. It will be studying just in order to acquire wisdom and not the study of the Torah, which means drawing the Light that Reforms.

So whenever you smile at a friend you perform an act of bestowal. No one is stopping you from constantly bestowing and you are given a chance to do so every minute! But it is on condition that you understand that you are in prison, locked up in your ego, and you can only connect with the Creator if you become “Israel,” which means that you operate upon others and thus pass on to them the force of correction. Israel are those who push all of creation to the Creator.
[109102]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/04/13, Writings of Rabash

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Family Business Is An Indicator Of Stability

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What will happen to family businesses tomorrow? We see in Europe that bakeries which existed for four hundred years have gone through all the crises and continued operating until now.

Answer: Family businesses will exist as long as there is a family, because the family is the foundation of human society. I don’t think it will disappear. Now we are going through a difficult stage of family disintegration, but family businesses, both major companies and small private enterprises, are the basis of the system.

On whom else can you rely? Whom can you trust? It is the relatives and close people to whom you already are willing to give and help. That is why the family business will continue to be an indicator of stability.

Women can also join it because they strengthen businesses even further. The woman is the key to its existence.
[109165]
From KabTV’s “Through Times” 3/20/13

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Don’t Miss The Opportunity!

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Why is Siberia selected as the place for the next congress?

Answer: Siberia is a very serious area covering a huge territory and a large amount of the population. Many people in Siberia constantly listen to us and are in contact with us. It is impossible not to reach out to them, not to show respect for them.

I do not know how often it will be repeated, but it is very interesting and necessary to visit the middle of Siberia at least once and give the Siberians an opportunity to meet with me and with each other.

I hope that this congress will give an impetus for a completely new development of our theory of understanding and the perception of the world, the method of correction, the methods of revelation of the world—everything that we study. I think that this will be a big leap forward.

I very much hope that everyone who has an opportunity to attend the convention will arrive there. It is not known when they will have the chance. So, I would really like you to take it seriously, and I am ready to give full attention to everyone.
[109162]
From the Virtual Lesson 6/2/13

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Poverty Will Not Be Eliminated In The 21st Century

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from Brookings): “Over a billion people worldwide live on less than $1.25 a day. But that number is falling. This has given credence to the idea that extreme poverty can be eliminated in a generation.

“The World Bank has recently set a goal to reduce extreme poverty around the world to under 3 percent by 2030. It is unlikely that this goal can be achieved by stronger than expected growth across the developing world, or greater income equality within each developing country, alone. Both factors are needed simultaneously.”

My Comment: A trend should be completely different—not to increase production in struggling regions as there is already too much production in the world, but to evenly distribute the products necessary for rational existence.
[107961]

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Global Shock As Manufacturing Contracts In US And China

Global Shock As Manufacturing Contracts In US And ChinaIn the News (from The Telegraph): “Manufacturing has begun to contract in the US and China for the first time since the Lehman crisis, raising fears of a synchronized downturn in the world’s two largest economies.

“The closely-watched ISM index of US factories tumbled through the ‘boom-bust line’ of 50 to 49, far below expectations. It is the lowest since the depths of the crisis in mid-2009 and a clear sign that US budget cuts are starting to squeeze the economy.

“The news came hours after HSBC said its index for China also fell below 50, a major inflexion point for the world’s industrial workshop.

“’This is not a good moment for the world economy,’ said David Bloom, currency chief at HSBC.’ The manufacturing indices came in weaker than expected in China, Korea, India and Russia, and then we got America’s ISM.

“’We thought we had a clear picture that the US was recovering, Japan was printing money and were we’re back to happy days, and now suddenly a huge spanner has been thrown in the works.’”

My Comment: There are uncompromising laws of nature, which in any case will destroy the previous (egoistic, consumer) economy and will inevitably lead us to suffering. Feeling it, we will quickly agree to change our nature to the good connection in a united community.
[109358]

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An Exercise That Changes A Person

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: When we speak about the integral network, we are speaking about connections. What are the objects between which this connection is realized?

Answer: First of all, it’s a person since he must attain the state of integrality for himself by striving for it rationally and wisely, by gradually creating it. Together with this, he needs to use the society, even though it still is uncorrected, but is trying to correct itself. Here a very interesting exercise exists. And afterwards, man’s attitude towards the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature is naturally added to the integral society that gradually progresses and corrects itself.

In what way can we get closer to this integral society and use it? Since it doesn’t exist outside of us, we need to create it ourselves.

Thus, when we play in this integral society, when we imagine it to ourselves as if we already exist in it, when we try to unite between us and create a network of mutual relations, then through this game, we invite upon ourselves the general integral force of nature. It operates and influences our attempts: The society or part of it that tries to play in the integral society receives specifically this force. We do this like children who through this try to be grown ups and thus invite upon themselves the bestowal of the upper force, the general integral force of nature. In this way, we invite upon ourselves its influence and change.
[107806]
From KabTV’s “ Wisdom of the Crowd” 5/14/13

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The Power To Stand Against The Whole World’s Opinion

The Power To Stand Against The Whole World's OpinionThe group needs to be so strong that it can support a person and help him stand against the different opinions of the entire world, which inevitably reach him by penetrating him from everywhere, by all possible means, even by just being in the air. Therefore, he has to be under the influence of his group 24 hours a day, and it should be at least a bit stronger than the influence of the rest of the world. This is essential in order to nullify the corporeal influence of this world and its corporeal goals.

Besides, the environment has to impress a person with regard to the greatness and the importance of the spiritual goal, as opposed to a person’s own evil inclination. The society should be strong enough for that, and a person should submit himself before it and raise it in order to receive its influence as bestowal. It is only by the power he receives from the environment that he can ascend.

Thus, it is clear what type of work a person must do and how the society should work on him. Otherwise, a person has no chance of ascending since only through the group does he receive the power to rise.
[108800]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/30/13, Writings of Rabash

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The Incubator Of Immortality

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash, “A Prayer of Many”: With that, we can interpret the words of the holy Zohar, which advises those people with an inner demand, who cannot accept the state they are in because they do not see any progress in the work of God, and believe what is written (Deuteronomy 30:20), “To love the Lord your God, to listen to His voice, and to cleave unto Him; for this is your life and the length of your days.” They see that they lack love and Dvekut [adhesion/cleaving] and they do not feel the life in the Torah or know how to find counsel for their souls to come to feel in their organs that which the text tells us.

The advice is to ask for the whole collective. In other words, everything that one feels that he is lacking and asks fulfillment for, he should not say that he is an exception, meaning that he deserves more than what the collective has. Rather, “I dwell among my own people,” meaning I am asking for the entire collective because I wish to come to a state where I will have no care for myself whatsoever, but only for the Creator to have contentment. Therefore, it makes no difference to me if the Creator takes pleasure in me or can receive the pleasure from others.

In other words, he asks of the Creator to give us such an understanding, which is called, “entirely for the Creator.” It means that he will be certain that he is not deceiving himself that he wants to bestow upon the Creator, that perhaps he is really thinking only of his own self-love, meaning that he will feel the delight and pleasure. Therefore, he prays for the collective.

A person begins to search for the meaning of life above the ordinary, earthly interests: food, sex, family, money, fame, knowledge. He does not even wait until the final outcome of his earthly quest to become aware of its worthlessness, but believes the opinion of the environment under which influence he develops. And if society has already verified these values and become disenchanted in them, then a person does not need to check them; he immediately switches from these earthly goals to the next, higher goals.

So, he begins to question, “What’s the meaning of life? For what do we live? Is there any reason to continue living except for the animal fear of death? Will this life came to nothing, or might it be an opportunity to continue to exist for some eternal purpose?”

All these questions lead him to the wisdom of Kabbalah if he is lucky. Besides it, nothing can give him the answer, and if humanity keeps on developing and judging itself, then its condition will not be enviable. It will not find an answer anywhere else. This is why the use of drugs is on the rise. What can those millions who are unemployed do while at the same time they are wondering about the meaning of life? They are pushed on both sides, despairing because life leaves them no opportunities to enjoy it and because they refuse in advance to look for those opportunities that according to general opinion bring no contentment.

But the person in whom this true question about the meaning of life has been awakened, which is related to the spiritual quest that is beyond the usual householder’s interests in food, sex, family, money, fame, and knowledge, he must find the answer to this question. That is, he wants to look beyond this life into its root to understand where it comes from, who controls it, where it flows, and to what form of existence it is intended to lead us.

These people who are involved in finding the root of this life gather into a special “active” society. They not only develop due to their environment, but also develop it themselves. That is, they join the environment to do mutual work, becoming an incubator that accelerates a person’s development and points him in a certain direction. A human being seemingly does not want to rely on what nature allows him to harvest in a natural way (eggs, chicken, meat, grains, fruits, and vegetables) but creates favorable conditions artificially, meaning he builds an artificial environment. And then he can approximately know what produce he will get.

He can adjust the temperature in the incubator to get more eggs and the humidity in a greenhouse to get a larger harvest. In the same way, he can create a favorable environment in which to grow himself. Affecting the environment, he can regulate the direction of his development and its final goals. For many generations, we have taken the Kabbalists’ advice to speed up our development through a specific environment, without waiting until all of humanity comes to the same understanding albeit by the path of earthly suffering.

In this specific society there are principles, “Each shall help the other” and “God dwells among His people.” This means that it’s possible to establish a connection with the Creator only through connection with the environment that will direct us to the Creator. This society is built on the basis of equality and unity, mutual guarantee, as one man with one heart. And then within that unified heart, we will reveal the Creator.

That is why, all our work is to adjust ourselves correctly, like a musical instrument, so that it’s not out of tune but seeks the Creator truly. If we come together with this goal and there is the Reflected Light between us, meaning an altruistic attitude, mutual guarantee, concern for each other building to love, then inside it we reveal the force of the Creator to the extent of the strength of this connection. Thus, we go through 125 degrees from the very first, initial connection to complete unity with each other.

Thus, we adjust our vessel to the sensation of the Creator and begin to feel Him inside ourselves. The Direct Light is revealed in the Surrounding Light, giving us a sensation of life in the upper world: in the field of the force of bestowal instead of the force of reception. And the only thing that is required is to correct one’s vessel that will lead us to corrected relations.
[108813]
From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/31/13

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The Point Of Honesty

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “The Peace”: Rabbi Akiva depicts two kinds of people: the first are the “open store” type, which regard this world as an open store without a shopkeeper. He says about them, “The book is open and the hand writes.” Meaning, although they do not see that there is an account, all their actions are nonetheless written in the book, as explained above. This is done by the law of development imprinted in Creation against humanity’s will, where the deeds of the wicked themselves necessarily instigate the good deeds, as we have shown above.

The second type of people is called “those who want to borrow.” They take the shopkeeper into consideration, and when they take something from the store, they only take it as a loan. They promise to pay the shopkeeper the desired price, meaning to attain the goal by it. And he says about them, “All who wish to borrow may come and borrow.”

Question: How can a person check what type he is?

Answer: According to his intention, according to what he wants to get from the study.

First, if I am like the guest who wants to thank the host, I have to imagine the next state. I stand before the “store” or in front of the “table with the refreshments” which is actually the group. In other words, the “table” is the means by which I can receive the presents from the host and also give Him presents. The group is like the table that is set and prepared for me by the host, so that I will taste from what He has prepared for me and thus bestow upon Him. Therefore it says: “everything is prepared for the meal.”

Question: So what is the calculation that I make here?

Answer: There are two options:

  • I approach the table without even asking who has set it and I begin to taste the refreshments and fill myself.
  • I approach the table but first I ask who the host is and only then take something.

This is how people differ in their attitude towards the refreshments on the table, or even in their attitude towards the host. But still they take everything for themselves. There are those who enjoy the refreshments that the host has prepared for them. For them it isn’t just refreshments but refreshments that were served by the upper force, by the Creator: “How nice of Him to have prepared this whole world for us and also the next world, Heaven…” This is how people use all of creation.

For them the Creator is a source of pleasure that they can enjoy. They want the Creator to protect them and to benefit them. The creation was given to us by the Creator in order to help us resemble Him, yet people see it as a means to enjoy.

This brings up some difficult questions of course: “Why does the Creator send us such sufferings? Perhaps we are guilty of something? Or perhaps the troubles don’t come from Him? Could there be someone else? Perhaps it is just by chance?…”

But there are also other people, and if I belong to them I stand before the table and admit that “there is none else besides Him” and that everything is meant only so that I will try to resemble Him by using my own powers. Then I relate to everything in a perfect manner. I understand that everything depends on me alone and that the troubles are revealed because by that I see that I am not corrected. But if I correct myself everything will be fine.

Question: But how can I know that I have to pay for the merchandise in the “store?”

Answer: If I am already attracted to what is beyond the “store,” if I have the point in the heart, I come to a group, to friends, to a teacher, and the books that tell me everything. It’s because I have a point of truth in which I can understand that there are no coincidences. The starting point of honesty has been revealed in me and I cannot put up with a world that is so “dirty” and lowly. I cannot put up with it internally…

But there are many in whom the seed of honesty has been planted and they still put up with the daily routine as a result of their upbringing, their experience in life and different obligations, and as a result they sink into the swamp they are unable to come out of…. Others who take this world for granted feel that everything is just fine and they only need to find their place under the sun.

We are looking for people who have the point of honesty and who cannot put up with the way that the world is currently. Those who yearn for spirituality belong to this type. Although they lead their lives like everyone else, they are in a constant inner conflict, unable to accept what is going on.
[108394]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/24/13, “The Peace”

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