Audio Version Of The Blog – 01.05.16

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Is The Soul Inside The Body Or External To It?

laitman_215Question: Does man, a collection of atoms called the body, carry a force called the soul for ages?

Answer: No, the body has nothing to do with the soul, and initially no one has a soul.

A soul is the acquisition of the attribute of love and bestowal. If a person acquires this attribute, it exists in him and not in the body.

There is no physical place in which this attribute can exist; it actually is felt outside the coordinates of our world. This attribute called a soul suddenly is revealed in a person and exists regardless of the body.

A person begins to tie himself gradually to the soul, exist in it, identify himself in it and through it, feel the worlds and his incorporation with others to such an extent that his attitude to his body becomes like to a pet living by his side.

When the body dies, he doesn’t feel that he loses anything because the body was given to him only in order to use it to acquire the soul, and then he doesn’t need the body anymore.

Unless a person acquires his soul and is fully incorporated in it, he needs his body because it is through it that he connects with objects in our world. But when he can operate through the soul, he influences others by it.

Question: If we have no soul initially, what is it that undergoes changes through our reincarnations?

Answer: It is informational data called Reshimo, my spiritual self. However, the Reshimo doesn’t exist in the system of coordinates that the body is in. The body has six directions—north, south, east, west, up, and down—and there is no soul in this system. The soul exists in another dimension.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 11/8/15

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Karma Or Spiritual Development

laitman_760_5Question: Is there a law of fate, called Karma, that depends on the actions of a person in this world?

Answer: A person indeed can influence his fate, but not on the level of Karma, but only through his own aspiration along with those like him for greater unity. Then his influence will be positive. However, if he does not act according to those opportunities that are given to him for unity, his influence will be negative.

In this world, we are very limited by our philosophies and inventions. We have only one possibility: to unite and create a connection between us or not. Accordingly, we are either cut off from the higher forces and discover negative influences, losses, and suffering on all levels, or we make it possible for them to pass through us and create a positive influence.

Question: Is the attainment of wholeness and transition to a higher level a common inheritance, or will some of us not merit reaching this?

Answer: We are involved in everything that is required to hasten the spiritual development of the whole so that each one will take his place within spirituality and all of us will reach the final state through the good and rapid way, not the slow way of suffering.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 11/8/15

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Two Spiritual Actions

laitman_545Torah, “Numbers,” 22:18 – 22:19: Balaam answered and said to Balak’s servants, “… Now, you too, please remain here overnight, and I will know what the Lord will continue to speak with me.”

What this is talking about is that not only does the ego not refuse to participate in the process of correction and restrict itself, but it also includes itself in this process and begins to work with bestowal. It means that the desire to receive now works like the desire to bestow, receiving for the purpose of bestowal.

Question: But why did Balaam say, “Now, you too, please remain here overnight, and I will know what the Lord will continue to speak with me.”

Answer: It is because this is not a direct action by the ego. Rather, the ego is beginning to act against itself. There is a state of bestowal for the sake of bestowal, which is the characteristic of Bina that is built above egoism, and there is a state of reception for the sake of bestowal, which is the next level that is built in cooperation with the ego.

Question: It follows that the first reaction of the ego is a full Tzimtzum (restriction), when it says, “I won’t have anything.”

Answer: Everything begins with the Tzimtzum, and this state is called the state of Katnut (smallness). Then Baalam said, “Now, you too, please remain here overnight, and I will know what the Lord will continue to speak with me.” This means that the work with the ego has begun.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 8/12/15

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Don’t Fight With Yourself

Laitman_524_01Question: What does it mean to strive for a higher nature? It is possible to understand this with the intellect, but what does one do with the ego?

Answer: It is not necessary to do anything with the ego. We should not fight with the ego, but should develop altruism. This is achieved by attracting the higher, positive force to us, and it will correct everything.

It is up to us only to make an effort to be connected with other friends and call the positive force to us that will balance the negative force, our ego.

We aspire to the higher force by doing this, as it is written, “I created the evil inclination, I have created for it the Torah as a spice” (Kiddushin 30b). I cannot pull myself up by my hair and take myself out of the egoistic swamp I’m in. After all, I am a complete egoist. How can I fight with myself?!

All I need is to leave my ego at rest and only be involved with the method that teaches me how to draw the Upper Light toward me. As a result, I will see myself, but that is not what should concern me. Most importantly I think only about inviting the force of correction upon myself.

Question: Then why did the Creator create our lower level?

Answer: In order to rise above it to higher levels. At the same time, we ascend from our world completely independently.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 11/8/15

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Regarding Life, Death And Spiritual Correction

Laitman_632_1Question: From the point of view of the wisdom of Kabbalah, are there sins for which it is necessary to give a death sentence?

Answer: There are sins for which it is worthwhile to end the life of the sinner and not allow him the possibility of moving from our world to the upper world because, in any case, it won’t help.

In the ego of the sinner, there are such transgressions done against humanity that he cannot cover over in this life and go out to a higher dimension. If a verdict of death is obtained correctly, then according to the wisdom of Kabbalah, it is not a death sentence, but a correction for the person.

Question: Does visiting graves help spiritual development?

Answer: No, Kabbalists relate to this with great indifference and perform this more as a ritual. A yearly visit to the grave of a family member or a teacher is nothing more than a tradition.

I was convinced about this according to the conduct of my teacher, Rabash, and according to my feeling that there is no meaning or reason for visiting graves. Meeting with the spirit of my teacher while studying his writings has had a much closer meaning for me than when I have stood before cold stones.

Question: Is a tragic death a punishment for sins?

Answer: For the most part, this is so.

Question: Is it possible to compare crossing the Machsom (Barrier) with death?

Answer: Crossing the Machsom is the birth of the soul! This transformation of a person in which he begins to work for the sake of bestowal and love.

Question: Are you afraid of death?

Answer: No, I think that there are many people who don’t fear death. On the contrary, many would want it.

Question: Do you know when your death will happen?

Answer: What for? If a person is found beyond his physical state, he accepts the death of the body calmly. He knows how to plan his way in the world, his way with his students, and this helps him. If not, then knowledge of the time of death would pressure and overwhelm him. Therefore, it is preferable not to know.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 11/1/15

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 01.05.16

Preparation for the Lesson

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Writings of Rabash, “Rungs of the Ladder,” Article 27

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Writings of Baal HaSulam,The Gatehouse of Intentions,” Item 36

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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Mutual Guarantee,” Item 22  

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