Audio Version Of The Blog – 09.09.14

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The Decline Of Babylon, Part 1

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Let’s take a look at the moment of the creation of the Jewish nation and join Abraham’s group which left Babylon and moved towards the Land of Israel according to the principle of love thy neighbor as thyself. Have all these people already ascended to the spiritual level or has only their leader attained spirituality?

Answer: The whole nation knew what was going on and they felt the inner changes. But on the whole, their mutual connection wasn’t on such a high egoistic level yet so that the Upper Light that brings the inner attainment could be revealed in it. They only had general illuminations.

We can compare this to our level: to what extent does a rock, a flower, a rabbit, and man feel life? They all feel some sort of existence. It is hard to judge on the level of the still nature.

The vegetative does, however, feel life somehow. The animate level already has to move in order to establish a state of balance with the environment, and on this level, life is felt to a greater extent. A human being feels life even much more strongly.

It is the same here: When they came out of Babylon they were like the still nature of the spiritual creation. Then when they gathered and went down to Egypt they entered the next level of the ego, which by correcting it they began to feel their existence on the level of the vegetative.

This means that the spiritual reality is already felt by a person as life or death. The revelation of the Creator, as the sun from behind the clouds, and its light is life-giving and gives me the day that attracts me. I may also fall into night, and sink into a state of depression, etc.

Today, the whole world is in a state of depression, which means that people already begin to feel they lack something. They will be able to fill themselves and to replace the feeling of depression with positive feelings if the Light illuminates for them a little. The Light is the revelation of the Creator.

This is what Abraham’s students felt after the exodus from Egypt. They felt very clearly that they had to reveal the Creator since without that they would not be able to connect. In other words, their ego had grown so much that only the Creator that is revealed among them can help them overcome it. Gradually the group of Abraham turned into the group of Moses, and this state grew increasingly stronger in it.
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From KabTV’s “Babylon Yesterday and Today” 8/27/14

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A Blessing Above And Below

Dr. Michael LaitmanIt says in The Book of Zohar that Moses asked the Creator for mercy after the death of Aaron’s sons: …if those living in this world will repent and return to You, who will bless them? The Creator answered him: “You are telling Me that? Tell that to your brother Aaron, since he has been trusted with the blessing Above and below, since he is the element of attaining mercy.”

The point is that the contact with the Creator occurs through the attribute called a priest (Aaron) in a person.

A blessing is the descent of the Upper Light in order to correct a person. The Light can only go through Aaron the priest, which means through this hierarchy. It cannot be any other way. It is impossible to come in contact with the Creator any other way.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/06/14

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The Transition To A Spiritual Direction

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: During the work in an “aquarium,” from our perspective, the married couples were completely rediscovered. Their arrival and departure had an immense influence on dissemination and group relationships.

Both partners in every couple carried out their activities like “trucks” in comparison to “bicycles.” How much of this is a perspective? Is it worthwhile to nurture this, or the opposite, is it preferable to suppress it?

Answer: We are now moving into a very serious conflict, not even a conflict, but continuous crisis and difficulty in familial relationships. It will continue until people will completely lose attraction to married life, not maintaining sexual relationships, what is called a “family,” or taking mutual obligations into account: education for children, common housekeeping, etc. The ego will not let a person submit to any of those foundations, and we are seeing how all this is collapsing.

And after this a serious reversal will happen. People will begin to understand that to attain spirituality there is no partner more faithful and close than a husband or wife: He or she, will build a spiritual connection only on a basis of spiritual ascent. Specifically this, and their mutual acceptance will determine their relationships, the love between one another. Their dream will be the appearance of a spiritual baby among them, meaning the discovery of the Creator.

I hope that now we will begin to pass through this breaking point in humanity and then a spiritual attitude towards marriage will appear among us. Currently, it is possible only to dream about a situation like this. I don’t think that today this is an actuality among us.

We are still searching and running around with a lack of understanding, with a “lack of order” between outside and inside. We have not yet established the collective illumination of Light that would show us that specifically the first nucleus, which is not social but spiritual, is prepared between a man and a woman.

It could very well be that today there are couples who can cooperate mutually like this, but in general this is very difficult. We have not yet reached this level because we are in stages which are torn apart by the ego. In the meantime, we have no awareness that the truest, most spiritual and closest partner, where there are no secrets, is your husband or wife.

I don’t know how much time will be required for this. At present, humanity is passing through more difficult situations than familial problems. Today the question of freedom in Africa generates more interest than family matters. Very gradually we will reach this, too.
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From the Convention In Sochi 8/25/14, Lesson 3

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The Spiritual State Called “Night”

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Does the birth of the next level need to be performed only in the evening or at night?

Answer: The correct union of man and woman is done in the state of “night.”

That is a spiritual state, not a physical one because when they don’t see the next level, their actions are only altruistic and intentions are directed only for bestowal without any connection to themselves. I don’t see anything before me, I only bestow. And that is called “night.”

Comment: Everything is distorted in our world!

Answer: No. We need to see through the corporeal actions to their inner meanings, thus they are interpreted very simply.

Question: Do the desires of a woman in our world constantly need to be aimed at giving birth to the next level?

Answer: We are not speaking about our world. Our entire world is under the egoistic desire and there is nothing that is aimed at spiritual actions or to correction.

Our world is our world, and we, as if, speak about spiritual actions that are aimed only at bestowal and at executing the law of “love thy neighbor as yourself,” which is the entire Torah. Thus, all actions need to somehow realize this one and only law.

What is the connection here with self-enjoyment that men and women receive in this world? There is no relation between the two. It is a regular, physiological function like sleeping, eating, etc.

And here we speak about spiritual actions from your desires that are within you. Through the discovery of the huge system of the mutual connection between souls, you aim these desires to bestowal, to love, since you are already in contact with these souls and it is specifically to them that you transfer your actions.

Thus there is no connection to our physiological relations that come from the corporeal level.

Comment: But you always say that by attaining the upper state, the connection of the male desire that is born from the Light and the female desire to receive the Light and to give birth to the next level, it is possible to look at our world and to understand what is happening in it.

Answer: In our world everything is done in parallel to the spiritual world, only that it is from pure egoistic desire. And actions basically resemble spiritual acts, only in matter and not in the spirit, when they are aimed at bestowal.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/5/14

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Correction of Desires: Wood And Clay

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Torah, Leviticus, Metzora, 15:12-15:13: An earthen vessel that he touched was to be broken, and any wooden implement was to be rinsed with water…

Question: Is there a difference between a clay and wooden vessel?

Answer: Wood doesn’t absorb impurities because it has a vegetative origin, whereas a clay vessel is made of various sorts of ground and absorbs everything. That’s why it is weaker.

During its growth, wood sorts out what is right and what is wrong and then corrects them inside itself. That’s why it is more resistant to plague. It repels things that harm it, absorbs things that are good for it. This is how it grows. Clay absorbs everything and is more vulnerable to contamination.

A wooden vessel, i.e., a desire of the vegetative level, is more prone to the egoistic contamination than the desires of the inanimate level.

A vessel is a shaped desire. If a vegetative desire is hit by the egoism, for its correction it needs to be “washed” by the Light of Bina. Wood is Zeir Anpin, thus, it can be impacted by Bina from above. Clay is MalchutBina cannot influence it.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/05/14

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Old Baggage Is An Obstruction To A New Life

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: The people of Israel lack unity, a common goal. What is the reason for this detachment? Perhaps we are too carried away with the Western way of life, where everyone has his own ideology and goals?

Answer: We have come out of exile and carry all of its features within ourselves. But this does not mean that we should remain like this. Why did we come back to this land to live as the people of Israel in the land of Israel?

A few decades ago, I belonged to one nation, you to another, and he to a third. We lived in different cultures and in different geographical locations. And then we came to Israel, but nothing has changed. This is a gathering of exiles, every one of whom comes with his own baggage, protecting what is inside. Or will we want to open this baggage and ourselves from within to unite and become one nation?

The force of unity is the main force of nature, by which we live. But the force of separation confronts it. These two forces must be in equilibrium. This happens everywhere and always: pluses and minuses, hot and cold, tension and relaxation.

The two opposites seem to always be fighting with each other, but in fact they become connected. Life is the combination of these two opposing forces.

But the human being has only one negative force, egoism, and he has no force of connection. Even if we become united, it is also due to the egoistic force. I just want to use someone for my own benefit and that is why I do something good for him, in order to get closer to him.

We have nothing except the negative egoistic force. But it is said that I have created the evil inclination, and I have created the means of correcting it, the Light that Reforms. There is a force opposing our evil inclination, which is the Light, a special internal force of nature, which is revealed to us when we are united.

If we come together to seek this force, connecting with each other, we will find it. It will allow us to rise above our egoism and subdue it. That is, this power of unity should be revealed more than our egoism.

By making an effort to connect with each other, we increasingly reveal the inner force of unity. As a result, this force of unity becomes stronger than the force of separation and begins to dominate. Thus, we become bearers of two forces: the force of separation which acts internally and the unifying force which acts externally.

Human society will live a special new life because we have two forces, not just one. Through the wisdom of Kabbalah, we will achieve a special connection and gain the true force of unity. This force will not be egoistic, as in a gang of terrorists, but will raise us above our ego. The force of connection and the force of separation will exist simultaneously and balance each other out and raise us to a new degree, to a new life.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 8/27/14

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Under The “Covering” Of The Teacher

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can one have a constant demand in relation to you, in relation to the teacher? As long as you are near, all concerns and anxieties somehow disappear.

Answer: I suppress them! When you are near me you are under me like a child under his mother’s skirt. You feel that everything is okay. The Light, the Creator, fills everything and everything is quiet, calm, peaceful and there cannot be anything bad. You are covered with a protective umbrella.

There is nothing to do. I am telling you this from what I experienced with Rabash. I had an awesome situation. I was by his side almost 24 hours per day, except for two or three hours of work. And that is how it was for many years. The sensation is created that you are under a covering, where you are like a baby in his mother’s arms. Do anything that comes to you, everything will be okay. You can completely forget about all your problems. There isn’t any radio or television and nothing is going on around you. It is as if you are floating in jelly.

Comment: But you are still not relaxed. The questions that have been bothering you for years don’t disappear.

Answer: They don’t disappear, but they seem completely different. You understand that they are solvable and necessary. They are for your own good as compulsory elements of the whole picture. So they aren’t frightening.

Question: How can one arrive at the right decisions without your covering?

Answer: Without my covering, you can arrive at the right decision. With the covering you can’t. You are always relying on my involvement, my part in your lives.

Question: But decisions are still being made according to personal interest, what is useful in that situation?

Answer: You can decide what you want. What difference does this make? Do you really think that your decisions somehow influence anything? The main thing is to arrive at an understanding that all of your decisions can only be made with adherence to the teacher. Then you can make them correctly. There is no other situation that will establish greater closeness to the Creator.

Question: How can one develop a permanent vital need for adherence with you?

Answer: To have a need for adherence with me, you must understand that I am your higher Partzuf. I am the same creature as you are, except with an even greater ego (because I am higher than you), but I have already corrected it somewhat. How much it is corrected is not important, as you will not discover this.

By taking into account that I am higher than you, you direct yourselves towards my being the next level above you. I might be two thousand levels higher, but what is important for you is that I am on a level higher than you. Being close to me means carrying out my recommendations.

Question: But what if one hears only one in a million of all your recommendations?

Answer: Try to carry out at least what you hear and discuss it with your friends: “He said this, what of this should we do, should we accept this for ourselves, or should it be for others?” and so forth. Try to approach the higher Partzuf like this. Approach happens according to equivalence of desires, intentions, and direction and nothing else.

We learn about the state of the Partzufim from the wisdom of Kabbalah: Galgalta ve Eynaim and AHP enter one into the other and that is how they work. A teacher is simply the next Partzuf. He is a little bit higher than you, and this is enough.

Question: Should even vital questions like choosing an apartment still be decided in a group, in a workshop?

Answer: If you want, you can decide this question in a workshop too. It could be that you will find a better answer there. But we are talking about the spiritual path.
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From the Convention In Sochi 8/25/14, Lesson 2

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Compensation That Will Cover Everything

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Item 108: This is similar to a well-known tale about a Jew who was a house trustee for a certain landlord. The landlord loved him dearly. Once, the landlord went away and left his business in the hands of his substitute, who was an anti-Semite.

What did he do? He took the Jew and struck him five times in front of everyone, to thoroughly humiliate him.

Upon the landlord’s return, the Jew went to him and told him all that had happened to him. His anger was kindled, and he called the substitute and commanded him to promptly give the Jew a thousand coins for every time he had struck him.

The Jew took them and went home. His wife found him crying. She asked him anxiously, “What happened to you with the landlord?” He told her. She asked, “Then why are you crying?” He answered, “I am crying because he only beat me five times. I wish he had beaten me at least ten times, since now I would have had ten thousand coins.

The Creator made an unpleasant “shell,” our world, in which we suffer. For the Creator, there is no concept of time and of course He knows about the imminent “compensation.” It brings Him contentment.

For each blow, for every bad sensation, for the smallest or biggest trouble, for anything that we experience in life we will get an adequate compensation to which we would have gladly consented had we known about it beforehand.

This is how the general system works: it is based on the principle of replenishment. Even though people suffer now, they will inevitably be rewarded in the future. It is only a matter of time. Compensations bring benefit to the system. The system has no flaws. On the contrary, each of us would gladly add more afflictions to our lives if we knew that we would be compensated for them.

It is an unavoidable process. Otherwise, it would be impossible to guarantee spiritual profits since empty vessels should be opened, corrected, and fulfilled. If not, the creation that possesses its own endless vessels, desires, that govern them by using and fulfilling them with perfection would never be possible.

Question: Is there a way for us to understand that the Creator is good and does good while we still are in this terrible world?

Answer: “The Creator” is a general, balanced system. It is absolute, an equilibrium in which the Light and the vessel dwell in each other. Everything is based on this principle.

So far, you don’t see that the Creator rewards you by giving you a thousand coins for each of your troubles. Later, when you understand it, you’ll say: “What a beautiful thought is hidden behind it!”

When you correct yourself, you detach from your egoistic desires and transition to the realm of intentions. Reception for your desires is no longer the essence of your existence, now your intentions are. And because you completely stop identifying yourself with your troubles, you don’t forget about them but sweeten the properties of your vessel by using different methods.

In this world, we see similar examples of people enjoying memories of their prior sufferings. For example, my mother, a very well-to-do woman, sometimes preferred to have a glass of boiling water and a piece of stale bread. It reminded her of her hungry, younger years during the war when as a student she received this ration once a day. Many years later when she had an abundance of food, she couldn’t experience the same level of pleasure from food because her desire was no longer as empty as it had been during the years when she went hungry. It did not matter that the bread then was mostly made of sawdust; it only depends on our vessels, desires.

We cannot ignore these things. We go through various situations, and thanks to them, when recalling the stages of our spiritual path that never disappear and that we never forget, we begin using them differently, not as my mother did. Rather, by going through our current states, when we receive the Lights that descend to us, we try using our old vessels, thus triggering the Lights of NRNHY to be revealed.

If you regard the world as a nightmare, it is your vision. It is said: “Everybody judges according to his own  flaws.” Now, your denial is in accord with the deficiencies of your vessels through which you see the world as a bad place. If you correct your vessels, you’ll see that there is nothing wrong with this world.

As we ascend the spiritual ladder, we tend to increasingly justify the Creator. That’s the main thing! The darkness turns into the light, and bitter becomes sweet. I see the world as more corrected, although for me it is not yet completely rectified because, as of now, I am not completely corrected.

And yet, to the degree of my correction, I justify this world, thus connecting the darkness with the Light. For me, it already shines as a bright day in unity, even though our unity is not as yet quite sufficient. By going through spiritual stages, I see that everything eventually ends up being good.

The only advice I have for you is to correct your vessels, desires. There is nothing else you can do. If you do so, wars, afflictions, and other disasters will dissappear from your picture of reality and never return. Baal HaSulam wrote: “There are no despots in the Kingdom of the Lord.”

In fact, there are no villains, as there is no evil. The entire reality is just a film that leads us from the evil inclination to a happy ending.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 09.09.14

Workshop

[media 1] [media 2]

Writings of Rabash Shlavei HaSulam,” “Lishma ve she LoLishma

[media 3] [media 4]

The Book of Zohar – Selected Excerpts “The Fourth Commandment,” Item 212

[media 5] [media 6]

Talmud Eser Sefirot Vol. 3, Part 9, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Item 15

[media 7] [media 8]

Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Love for the Creator & Love for the Created Beings”

[media 9] [media 10]