Audio Version Of The Blog – 04.25.14

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This Still World

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion (Michael Hoffman, PhD, Columbia University, New York): “The century of progress questioned a person’s need for spiritual freedom. People are seeking not freedom, but security. An economic society regards freedom as everyone’s right to think only about himself. Everyone has the right to do what he wants and how he wants.

“A person who has been brainwashed by the media and mass culture is unable to understand that he has needs others than those which the market imposes on him. Everyone is given a huge range of choice, but it is not a personal choice, this choice is programmed by the system. In big cities, millions of people live isolated from each other and hate each other.

“Society fosters aggressiveness, the quality necessary in an atmosphere of general competition and, at the same time, suppresses it. The increasing pressure leads to the reverse reaction, to the release of latent aggressive energy in the most extreme forms. Human existence is monotonous; all the changes change nothing in life. A person is in motion, but this motion is purely physical; his inner world is still.”

My Comment: Only through the recognition of evil of our state will we arrive at the solution to put an end to our attitude towards ourselves and towards such a life. Only complete despair will compel us to take a decisive action. But such a state could be achieved without prolonged suffering, by including consciousness by becoming aware of the coming suffering beforehand and avoiding it by moving in the right direction of new development.

This path is offered by Kabbalah because by studying it we draw the Light of wisdom towards ourselves and move forward not being pushed by suffering but being attracted by all kinds of pleasant fulfillment.
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An Engine Running On The Energy Of Bestowal

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash, “Three Prayers”: When Moses came to speak “In Your name” which means that they should work for the sake of the Creator “evil comes to these people,” which means that they become more wicked. This means that before Moses came to speak that they should only work for the sake of Heaven, they all engaged in God’s work and thought that they were righteous.

They had the strength and energy to work because what they work for was clear to them. But after Moses came with the message that they had to work in order to bestow, they became wicked. So for them it would be better not to engage in work “Lo Lishma.” 

We see that many people who come to study feel the strength, the desire, and the egoistic motivation. This continues until they are impressed by the real work and understand that it should be totally above the ego and against it.

Then their powers disappear. Until then they were fierce, determined, and full of energy, and suddenly everything disappears and they lose the power to do anything. With what energy can they work, with what fuel?

Then they all fall, and only those who can advance by drawing powers from bestowal and are ready for actions of in order to bestow can switch to a different fuel, to energy of bestowal.

Question: What is the alternative fuel of bestowal?

Answer: The fuel of bestowal is respect for the Creator, the greatness of the Upper. Therefore we have to feel the greatness of the group, then the greatness of the teacher and all the Kabbalists of the past, and then the greatness of the Creator.

We have to constantly work on this greatness and on its appreciation and by that we will receive the power to advance.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/22/14, Writing of Rabash

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The Light Of Faith In The Vessels Of Egypt

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can a person regret the fact that he doesn’t have the power of faith when he is overcome by evil thoughts and desires?

Answer: This is why we need the Light that comes from the environment called mutual guarantee. Mutual guarantee is the power of faith that is revealed in the group.

Although the group itself has not attained the power of faith yet, it is inclined to it. This is enough to impress each friend and to illuminate the force of bestowal on him that is received from the Surrounding Light that is drawn by our collective efforts.

This is called mutual guarantee. Everything comes down to the cooperation between two forces; there is nothing other than these two forces.

We are not fighting against the actual concealment; we only draw the Light of faith upon it. There is nothing more we can do in order to fight it. The concealment will keep on growing like in Egypt where the darkness kept on growing until it became total darkness.

There is no greater darkness than the moment right before the redemption, the exit from the 49 gates of impurity. Therefore we have to relate to the power of concealment correctly and respect Pharaoh, as we understand that all the hardening of the heart and the confusion that we feel were given to us in order to advance.

We don’t want to contradict Pharaoh, the concealment and the confusion, but only to ascend above them. This means that we work with the vessels of Egypt bringing the Light of faith into them.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/22/14, Writing of Rabash

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Can The Convention Change Fate?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestions about the One for All and All for One Convention in Paris:

Question: Can a person change his fate by coming to the May convention in Paris?

Answer: A person who is far away and doesn’t participate in the daily lessons lags behind the main group and doesn’t understand exactly what has been said. He has missed large amounts of the material and lacks sensations, perceptions, and connection with us. But if a person comes to the convention, he can correct all of these deficiencies from the past when he was not together with us, and can receive great support for the future.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/18/14, Writings of Rabash

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The Three Days Of A Convention Are Something Precious

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestions about the One for All and All for One Convention in Paris:

Question: If a person studies alone and is not in any group, can he come to this convention?

Answer: Everyone can come to this convention. If a person is given one chance in a lifetime to acquire a little of the spiritual world while he is in this world, then could he consider this as something that is not important? To underestimate such an opportunity is really a Klipa, a snake that is sitting within the person and preventing him from attending.

A convention is an opportunity to catch and receive something in one moment. Two or three days of a convention cover and make up for a lot of time of working and studying. This is clear profit.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/18/14, Writings of Rabash

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“If They Swallow The Bitter Herbs It Doesn’t Work Out”

Dr. Michael LaitmanRabash, Article “What is, ‘If They Swallow the Bitter Herbs it Doesn’t Work Out’ in the Work?”: And this is like what we say (in the Passover Haggadah), These bitter herbs (Maror) that we eat, what is that for, it is because the Egyptians embittered, (Exodus 1:14), “And they embittered their lives with hard labor.”

The hard service was that the people of Israel wanted to leave the dominance of the Egyptians, that is, self-love. But when they overcame this to do something for the sake of bestowal, immediately the thoughts of the Egyptians came to them; they asked the question of the wicked son, (Exodus 12:26) What is this service to you? to work for the benefit of the Creator, and every time they overcame this, immediately the questions of the Egyptians came, and this is what is called hard labor.

All of this is in order to turn a person towards connection. Our essential problem is that each one of us tries to solve his problem alone and so we don’t succeed. And the simple and easy solution is to solve the problems together.

We need to understand that all of the work is in connection, and all the difficulties are given against it. If we see things by way of the group, no difficulty remains, everything goes along nicely.

The solution is precisely through not seeing the difficulty directly but understanding that it is directing us towards connection. If we yearn for connection, then the problem is removed and disappears immediately. Every time difficulties appear, it is because the connection between us is incorrect.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/16/14, Writings of Rabash

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The Contrast Between Black And White

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Why does it say that we mustn’t swallow the bitter herbs (Maror) without chewing?

Answer: We process and take into account the attributes, the thoughts, and the actions that show us the incorrect form without disrespecting it and at the same time we build our Partzuf with them. The form by which we discover the Creator is made from both Light and darkness.

Our vessels of perception cannot perceive things differently since we are created beings that are made of the desire to receive, of the darkness. Therefore we need both the darkness and the Light. By chewing and swallowing the bitter herbs (Maror) we establish this contrast that allows us to perceive all the discernments of the Light.

There are no forms in the Light itself, so it is impossible to feel anything without the discernments that we collect. A new sensation comes and suddenly we begin to understand and to feel more and more and to see through the reality that becomes transparent. It is because up until now we found it hard and practically impossible to connect, to understand, to feel, and were confused. This is the only way the revelation happens: We perceive the contrast between the black and the white.

But we begin to perceive the black Light just like the white Light as we understand that without it we cannot exist. The desire to receive becomes as important as the Light.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/16/14, Writings of Rabash

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Daily Prayer About The Gift Of Life

Dr. Michael LaitmanImagine the condition of the children of Israel wandering in the Sinai desert: a wasteland, desolate, with complete dependence upon MAN, prayers, every day. If you pray correctly, you get something.

If only we were in a such a state now! The condition in the desert symbolizes that I am entirely dependent upon the Elyon (Upper), for every breath of oxygen, for bread and water. And not just a slice of bread but everything that I ask for I get from Above because we can feel in the manna every taste we want. I will feel it according to my Kelim and will not feel what I don’t have a Kli for.

We all receive according to our desire: If you want a steak, you will get a steak; if you want a hamburger, you will get a hamburger; if you want a salad, you get salad. Everything is exactly according to the desire because the Light is drawn according to the desire.

But if you don’t have MAN (prayer), if you don’t ask the Creator, then you cannot get anything. So you die, since you don’t have oxygen, you don’t have water, you don’t have bread, and you don’t have anything. It’s possible to get everything from Above, but you are cut off from the infusion if you don’t raise MAN, and you cease to exist. You die.

This is the state in the desert, and we learn in it. This is a very rich and saturated state with lots of internal observations.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/14/14, Writings of Rabash

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 04.25.14

Preparation for the Lesson

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Writings of Baal HaSulam,Pri ChaCham – about the Torah”

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Questions and Answers with Dr. Laitman

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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts

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Writings of  Baal HaSulam, “Pri Chacham – about the Torah

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