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Weapon Of Envy Directed Against Oneself

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash, “Love of Friends”: The most important thing is to always remember the purpose of creation, which is known to be “to do good to His creations.”… In other words, the purpose of creation is not necessarily for a select group, rather the purpose of creation belongs to all creations without exception. It concerns not necessarily merely the strong and skillful, the brave people who can overcome, but all the people.

See the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot,” Item 21, Midrash Raba, Parashat “This is the Blessing”: The Creator said unto Israel: “Regard the whole wisdom and the whole Light are easy things. He who fears Me and does deeds of Torah, the entire wisdom and Light are in his heart.”…and do not despair mid-way and flee the campaign, but rather believe that the Lord can even help the person as low and ignoble as I am. It means that the Creator will bring me near Him and I will be able to attain adhesion with Him.

The main thing is patience, perseverance! Anything, just don’t run away, and eventually you will reach fear. Fear begins with the usual animal fear of blows. Gradually, it becomes more and more clarified. Thus, we come to the blows by our egoism, pride. Then there will be blows of envy, similar to those that we received yesterday when we heard about the extraordinary achievements of the group that is now working on the program of integral education.

This news deprived many of sleep, but it is useful because this helps us to make a good discernment. Now, we understand a bit better what envy means on the spiritual level. I just needed to turn this envy from “Why don’t I have this?” to the opposite, as much as it is possible, to push the friends forward to success. This is very difficult.

Everything depends on the concern, fear for the common well-being, to the highest states. Each of these experiences includes many feelings: fear, envy, greed, and ambition. At the beginning, they work as negative factors, but then it is necessary to take them from zero, to move them to the positive side.

There is a beautiful, positive form against any negative quality. But it is awakened in a person only accordingly to his love of friends. Thus we can turn malicious envy, poisonous hatred, into something constructive, for useful advancement, etc. One property exists against the other: nothing disappears. If a person is advancing correctly, then all the basics are constantly growing, continuing to burn in him more and more.

There is a type of hatred which is called “hatred in service of the Creator.” That is, I care about the success of the Creator’s army, all my friends. I do everything for their support, like a mother who is worried that her children are healthy, strong, steadfast, and loving each other. My heart aches for all of them.

I begin to distinguish between myself and my egoism. For the time being, my egoism still has its power; it helps me to fight for my connection with the group, for its support. This is our work until the end of correction. Our egoism will grow and prosper, helping us to reveal all fine details one against the other.

Otherwise, how can I find out? There must be positive jealousy, negative ego, and altruistic fear. Otherwise, I will lose the flavor. We cannot “just love” or “just envy,” we have no system of measurement if two points do not exist simultaneously.
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From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/29/13

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Write It On Your Heart…

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can we organize the mutual cooperation in the group so I will change it and it will change me in return? Are the articles of Rabash enough for us today or do we need to add something to it?

Answer: You should determine what we have to add to the articles of Rabash. Everyone adds something. It’s as if everyone rewrites the entire Torah. The Torah is not a book but actually a person’s whole attitude towards the Creator, towards everything that comes from Above.

A person has to rewrite the Torah, as it says: “Write it on your heart.” He has to write the Torah back from himself to the Creator, about the upper Providence and everything that was created, about everything that descends upon a person from Above and is arranged for him. A person has to respond internally and return it to the Creator. This is called “writing the book of the Torah.”

So everyone is called “a student who renews the words of the Torah,” since he does it by himself, out of his desire and he writes what no one else can write, none of the parts of that infinite desire. Everyone writes by himself.

Therefore, there is the commandment for everyone to write a book of the Torah. In the past, people actually sat down and wrote it.

You are asking if we have to add anything to the articles of Rabash, yet each time you read an article, you understand it differently, it means that you rewrite it, add something to it and write your own article. Every time! All this is written because you work with your desires. Every time you organize your desires differently, it’s all added to the general desire, to the general correction, until all these forms reach the end of correction (Gmar Tikkun); this is called writing.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/24/13, The Zohar

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There Is No Tomorrow In Spirituality

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar — Selected Excerpts, Parshat, “VaYikhael,” Item 112: Now that the upper King and Queen (Malchut) are in bonding and joy in those kisses, he who needs to ask questions and make requests shall make them because then is a time of good will.

Question: What is a “time of goodwill?”

Answer: A person has to look for chance and for a time of goodwill that is illuminated upon him from Above. This is actually true, the giving of the Torah occurs every moment, and every moment you have good opportunities. The Creator has no time, there is no today or tomorrow. It’s all with regard to a person who attains spirituality and all the changes are for the better or for the worse. It sounds as if the Creator is changing, turning from side to side, to the good side and to the bad side. A person feels all these changes inside him.

So we have to look for the opportune moment and not relegate it to the Upper Providence: “I will wait and perhaps things will change one day. Tomorrow will be better.” What does it mean “tomorrow will be better?” Today, the next moment, you will create a state called “tomorrow!” You cannot do so if your animal doesn’t allow that, if you are seriously ill, God forbid, or if you are very tired, since we don’t exist above the body yet. But if you can, then there is no such thing as a time of goodwill from Above, but only from below; everything depends on your efforts.

Although we do sometimes feel that a “cloud” covers us and that we are in the dark or things are blurry, we should wait and it will pass. It says: “Time does what the mind doesn’t do.” So does that mean that there are good and bad times?

Still it’s all with regard to a person, as Baal HaSulam says: “and he who can wait until tomorrow will attain his mind when his life is over.” There is no tomorrow in spirituality. Don’t wait even a second!
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From the 2nd Part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/24/13, The Zohar

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Fascization Of The World Or Correction

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion (Vardan Baghdasaryan, Russian historian and political scientist): “The amount of gun violence shown in PG-13 films has more than tripled since 1985, the year the rating was introduced.” Source: ScienceDaily

“The greatest challenge to the prospects for the moral progress of humanity in the twentieth century was the challenge of fascism. Fascism was not, as it is often represented, an irrational failure in the cultural program of Europe, the blackout of the consciousness of the German or other European nations, an artificial regime.

“But the problems that gave rise to fascism were not solved, and in the late 1970s, a new wave of fascism emerged. Initially, it spread through the use of symbols, through cinema in the dissemination of swastikas and other fascist symbols, in the formation of the cult of violence, in its everyday use.

“The former pacifist ideals of the 1960s were discarded. Instead of them, the ideal of warrior-winner was produced. The “Superman” was not much different from the image of the blond winner in the propaganda of the Third Reich. These role models were instilled at an early age.

“The evil hero of computer games comes instead of the traditional folk tales that established the power of good. The new game culture teaches the idea that killing is not only permissible, but it is also necessary for reaching one’s goal.

“Cruelty was detected in various cultures, but the violence on the basis of anthropological superiority is a characteristic feature of the fascist consciousness. Killing in a computer game is not considered killing a person at all.

“Perhaps, the encouraged images of the hero-killer do not go beyond the virtual framework, and by killing in a computer game, a person releases a charge of aggression, which is not transferred to others. Statistics says the opposite: in 1974, there were 3 predetermined murders per 100,000 people, with a downward trend, but from the 1980s, the vector turned upwards, and by 1993, there were 4 and today there are 7 per 100,000 people.

“Cultural hegemony precedes political hegemony. Popular culture has become largely fascist. What’s next?”

My Comment: Next, there will be an ordinary fascism, which Kabbalah warned about at the beginning of the 20th century. Kabbalah also states that there are only two paths of human evolution: the path of suffering—fascist regimes, with a rapid coming of the third and fourth world thermonuclear wars—or the path of gradual conscious re-education (through Integral Education and Upbringing) of the entire humanity.
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Fulfillment Every Hour

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: As far as I understand, the process itself of building a new combination between egoism and altruism will be very difficult for all people individually.

Answer: It could be very easy because this is not personal work but essentially group work. This method is applicable in the correct organization of an educational learning process.

Question: What happens with the desires for wealth, power, and knowledge that have always constituted the motivational force of the ego?

Answer: Everything that we approach today, without the choice of the authorities who want to calm people down through a “daily ration” necessary for existence, is particularly close to what the wisdom of Kabbalah or Integral Education is saying.

In other words, we must be satisfied with a normal and reasonable material existence. Everyone must have his own dwelling, room or corner where he will feel comfortable, the essential food, shoes, clothing, and all the rest.

And all the rest of the fulfillments and development he will get only through learning in the system of Integral Education. For him there will no longer be the explosions of the former needs. On the contrary, the moment that the person begins to develop integrally, he will understand that he can attain a reasonable material existence, give a normal education to his children, and live comfortably without fear of going outside; he will get inner fulfillment.

Besides inner fulfillment, we must give our body what is required for its normal functioning: healthy nourishment, clean air, restful sleep, and so forth. We must relate to the physical body like a pet that lives with us, wash it, let it sleep, feed it, and no more.

During all the rest of the time, we develop the person within the framework of Integral Education. We are involved with this all day: courses, lectures, study, games, and personal development. We have many possibilities for developing this system together with the all the others. The entire world is before us.

And the main thing is that in accordance with this we feel more and more fulfillments and discoveries, as if we are discovering new worlds for ourselves every day! We don’t need to wait for payday once a year to travel somewhere for a week because we feel fulfilled day to day, every hour.
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From Kab TV’s “An Integral World” 10/24/13

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The Need For The Creator

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe give different names to the Upper Force. It is Upper not because it is positioned in elevation in this world, but rather because of its qualitative exaltation over all earthly forces. It is immeasurably more powerful than any other force; it is the authentic root of all other forces; that’s why it is called the Upper.

Its names derive from the way it manifests itself in relation to us and the way we feel it. In fact, its names represent Sefirot, since the Upper Light is sensed by us, by the receiving desires, in accordance with the way it illuminates inside the receiving vessel. The word “Sefira” means “glowing” (sapir). Sefira Keter is a source of the Light; all other Sefirot, other names, follow it below.

Let’s highlight some of the Lights. Most often we say “the Creator(Bo-Re) since He is the One Who made the “creation” (Beria) – something that stands out (Bar), separate from itself, something that goes out of its own borders. In this connection stretching from top-to-bottom, the name points at His status, His attitude to the creation He created. On our part, in our aspiration from the bottom up, “Bo-Re” means “come and see” (Bo-Reh), which speaks of the state in which we can see Him.

Another name of the Creator is Elokim  (ים – אלה). From top to bottom, it means “MI – ELE” (אלה – מי). “ELE” – stands for AHP, and “MI”  Galgalta ve Eynaim. When we rise to Bina, we connect to Galgalta ve Eynaim with AHP and reveal a relationship of the Light towards the desire that is called “Elokim.” Its gematria is the same as “Nature” (הטבע), since it stems out of and builds itself from Bina. Thus, the nature of the Upper is Bina, whereas the nature of the lower is Malchut.

There is a designation of HaVaYaH, Adonai: the Supreme, the Lord. In fact, HaVAYaH is not an appellation per se, but rather a structure in which, according to the screen (Masach), the Light reveals itself. In general, HaVaYaH includes all names since, except for this appellation, nothing else has ever been created.

To sum it up, we give names to the Light in accordance with the way it manifests itself in us. This explains why there is no “Creator” per se; rather, there is only our perception of Him. It is said: “from Your actions we know You” “the judge has only what his eyes see.” We have to modify our approach and learn how to differently analyze our discernment of reality. After all, “The opinion of the Torah is opposite the opinion of the landlords.”

Today, everybody has his or her own idea about God. However, in this world, “God” is just a psychological need of humans, a desire to depend on somebody who is great and kind. It justifies our existence; otherwise, it is not clear why and for what we live, and who will pay for our troubles and affliction in the next world. This psychological approach allows us to pray for help and even “receive” it.

Yet, can this approach exist in reality without a screen and the Reflected Light, without real changes that we go through? By no means can it be so. Faith in this world is a psychological phenomenon: By appealing to the Creator, we change our desires, then the Light pours on new desires in a different way. As a result, we exit the previous state and enter the next phase, thus changing our sensations.

In fact, there is only the Light and the desire, nothing else. The time will come when people will open their eyes and see what they managed to build throughout thousands of years… Yes, it helped them to advance, but only to eventually come to the conclusion that this entire world, with all its illusions, is worth nothing. When people will come to this realization, they will find out the truth and it will justify everything that happened to them.

Nevertheless, nowadays we should not delay the disclosure of the situation we actually are in. There is no other way out: all other approaches and methods except Kabbalah are just idle contemplations that were developed out of our egoistic fantasies.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/9/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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A Female Ally

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Should women inspire the men?

Answer: Women can inspire men better than anyone else. Imagine that your wife is impressed by you and keeps saying: “You are so clever, so handsome, so special! I look at other men and see that you are much stronger and better than them!” If a woman felt that way about you, you would immediately run home and sit by her like a little boy listening to everything that she says. This is what men are like.

Women can manipulate men anyway they like. If a woman is clever, if she aims at the goal and understands what she does it for, I will only be grateful to her just for starting to work on my nature. I will not brag and be proud of being a “macho.” On the contrary, I will be totally honest with her: “The ego is my nature, it is a contemptible zero! Help me exit it! Let’s resist it and change it together. Then we will do the same with you.”

This is where we should annul ourselves. Let’s be our own psychologists a little and look at ourselves from the side. This is the only way we can exit this state. We also try to do the same thing in the group, by putting ourselves above it and then below it so that it will impress us.

We have to do the same thing in the family, by constantly ascending and descending one with regards to the other, but what for? In order to attain the upper goal! So I don’t care about the relations with the family as long as they are aimed correctly and are set on the goal. A woman is your major assistant, she knows you better than anyone else, so her right attitude towards you can help you exit your nature quickly.

We should have special courses for teaching married couples about the right mutual relations and how to change people’s egoistic nature. You will see how you will be able to positively influence your kids afterwards. They will be good, kind, disciplined, and wise. We should take advantage of such opportunities. The main thing is to be more mature. The importance of the goal justifies everything.

We know that in the past Kabbalists were actually happy when they had bitter, angry wives. But our wives are not angry or bitter. They are following the spiritual path with us, helping us, and advising us as to how we should work with our ego and use it for the right cause.

We need to understand that we are connected only for this common goal which determines our relationships, and that we do everything to attain it. This means that I don’t want to play with your ego in any way; I don’t want to use it in order to stab you, no! We should behave wisely, gently, and tactfully with regards to one another to the extent that we can use ourselves and our partner correctly.

This is what we should learn. You cannot imagine what a great tool this is for our correction. We can change our planet with it! To be honest, you don’t need anyone but a female ally. You need the group only in order to connect the two of you correctly.

In any case, during the transition period there are quite a few families in which the partners are moving in different directions. In that case a person needs a group. By the way, a group of women is very serious support with regards to the men’s group. Take this seriously. Progressing through the right methods of interaction, you will see how much it helps you.
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From the Moscow Virtual Convention “Unity Without Boundaries,” 12/14/13, Lesson 4

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Life Demands

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Today so many books and pamphlets have been written on the subject of Integral Education. We certainly see that the time has come to create a textbook about the integrality of the world and ways of coming out of the crisis.

Books give a general idea about the state of society, about modern man, and humanity passing through a crisis. What’s good about a textbook, however, is that it systematizes all the material that has already been written, expressed, thought through, and applied in practice.

Answer: In my opinion, the first part of the textbook must be dedicated to the present state of humanity, which it reached as a result of its development. We are entering a new, unknown, completely chaotic, and even frightening period. We feel our future as “terra incognita” (unknown territory).

Very few people still don’t feel that humanity is in a blind alley. Someone perceives this in a more aware and conscious way, someone else feels it on the level of intuitive concern, uncertainty about the future. Today these moods penetrate all of humanity since both in society and in nature something is happening that forces even the most habitual skeptics and optimists to ask the question: “Why? And what will happen next?”

I am not a prophet in any way, but if previously the predictions of the wisdom of Kabbalah were realized over the course of 20 years, today, the things we are talking about will be realized within 3-4 years. Time is getting shorter.

Therefore, our textbook is very important because it should direct a person towards the correct understanding of the future and the strategy of life that he must choose in this complex and completely incomprehensible state of “chaos.”

We will try to make this textbook easy and accessible to everyone because even for the most highly educated people who belong to the spiritual or scientific elite, everything that we say and write is often new and unexpected. And while we comprehend these things in a general way, as a complete picture, in the meantime, for most people this is still some fragmentary information that they can agree with, but not so in regards to the entire picture. Therefore it’s up to us to describe everything on an accessible and comfortable level.
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From a TV program “An Integral World” 10/24/2013

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