Short Stories: The Evolution Of Abraham’s Group—Joseph

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe essence of the Kabbalistic method is working properly with the growing ego by using the altruistic right line, and at the same time ascending the levels of the spiritual worlds. Thus the next phase of spiritual evolution is the revelation of the giant ego inside us.

The question is where will the great ego that can raise us all the way to the Creator’s level come from?

If it appeared in the first stages of the spiritual formation, we couldn’t work with it and would subconsciously escape from our level. Therefore, sinking into the ego and its internal growth is gradual. Such a gradual nearing to the ego, which is eventually revealed in all its huge dark emptiness and in the force that swallows everything, is described in the story about Joseph and his brothers.

At first, the small and non-harmful ego of the brothers who envied Joseph grew to huge disputes called Egypt. Egypt (Mitzraim) stems from the Hebrew word “Mits Rah – bad juice that means the concentration of evil.

On the one hand, it didn’t seem so bad, but on the other hand, they encountered a problem: If they didn’t come close to evil and accumulate it inside them and seem to quiet down the disputes they had, they wouldn’t be able to go on. Therefore it says in the Torah that there was famine in the Land of Israel.

So what could they do if without the ego there was no way they could advance in spirituality? This is how they began to feel the need for a growing ego and its correct fulfillment. Thus they sank into Egypt, which was in their benefit since it nourished and awakened them.

Moreover, their father Jacob entered the same state as he understood that this is the middle line without which it is impossible to advance and that they needed a great ego in order to later work on it. The building up of the ego is called the seven years of satiety.

During those years the ego seems very attractive because it doesn’t show that it is against the spiritual path. Life in the captivity of the ego seemed sweet, good, and sensible and they became its slaves.

During this time Israel develops, grows and multiplies, which means that the method of the correct use of the ego and its right guidance during the first seven years is very fruitful. It is because the ego, as part of the female nature, is first submissive suggesting: “use me and advance.”

But having absorbed the ego to the fullest during the first seven good years, its absorption came to an end. Seven years is a complete level HGT NHYM, the seven good years are replaced by the seven bad years (of hunger).

They begin to recognize the evil in the ego. All the profit they seemingly made before is actually total emptiness. The recognition of evil is also during seven years since these are the same levels of HGT NHYM. In each of them they have to recognize that it constantly leads to negative outcomes.

Towards the end of the seven bad years, they reach the last attribute, the most egoistic one, Malchut. Here they already have to undergo serious blows, the ten plagues of Egypt, in order to give up the previous use of the ego.
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From KabTV’s “Short Stories” 10/15/14

Related Material:
Short Stories: Jacob And The Development of Abraham’s Group
Short Stories: The Source Of The Spiritual Practices
Short Stories: Crossing The Egyptian Border

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