Audio Version Of The Blog – 10/22/19

Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download:MP3 Audio

Above Corporeal Existence

laitman_270For every spiritual phenomenon there is a special imprint in our world like a branch that corresponds to the root. Since the corporeal branch is revealed at a certain time, in a certain place, and in specific corporeal conditions, it exists in a very compressed form, clearly limited in time and space. Therefore, there are all kinds of corporeal customs that reflect spiritual commandments.

A commandment is an action of correcting the desire through attracting the reforming light called the Torah. The light makes changes in us called commandments, which correct our desire. It is useful to observe how the spiritual root comes down and manifests itself in the corporeal branch. This is why in Kabbalah we can use the language of branches and perform actions in our world as spiritual symbols.

For example during Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), it is customary to repent and pray for returning to the Creator. However, one must ask about such a return to the Creator every day, at every moment. Repentance should be constant. In the corporeal branch, however, we specifically dedicate one day a year to it: Yom Kippur.

The month of Elul is called “I am for my beloved, and my beloved is for me,” symbolizing the yearning of a person for the Creator. Do we only need to yearn for the Creator for one month only? However, this is how it is imprinted in the corporeal branches. Therefore, as we approach the day of atonement, we should especially think of how we can return to the Creator.1

If we want our actions to be directed toward spirituality, toward achieving the quality of bestowal and rising above our egoistic desire, we must think only about bringing contentment to the Creator. That is, our actions, calculations, and thoughts must be above corporeal existence. Therefore, all of the actions we perform seem detached from reality and meaningless in our world.

It is very difficult for us to continue day after day because each time we need again to add to our efforts, drop by drop, until we receive the new quality of bestowal.

Therefore, we should simply follow the advice of the Kabbalists, understanding in advance that in our world there is no rational basis and pragmatic benefit in these actions that would oblige us. These actions are as detached from reality as is the entire spiritual world. We do not feel the need for them.

The Creator made them contradict our egoism, our will to receive, and this is a great help for us. After all, without such a contradiction, without an opportunity to feel and evaluate our resistance, we will not know at all that we perform spiritual actions and advance. The less desire I have to perform an action, the more certain I can be that it is close to spirituality.

The Creator purposely created the evil inclination in us so that we can evaluate our actions and thoughts with respect to our egoism and understand to what extent they do not correspond to the spiritual direction. Otherwise, we would never be able to enter the spiritual world, we would not know at all what it is.

Egoism works as help against itself. Every time it pushes us away from spirituality and takes our strength, but if we understand that all this is given to us as help, then we can advance exactly in this way.2
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/7/19, “What Is the Measure of Repentance?”

1 Minute 0:20
2 Minuute 15:45

Related Material:
Is There A Direct Connection Between Root And Branch?
Spiritual Root And Corporeal Branch
Roots And Branches

All Claims Are Against The Creator

laitman_221.0Question: Since the year 2000, I have been moving toward the achievement of an upper goal. I had a teacher. He and I are now trying to re-establish contact. However, during this time there were a lot of descents. Was it the teacher’s ego? Why is this happening anyway?

Answer: We study that the Creator determines everything. Therefore, you can, of course, blame your teacher or even me, or friends, it does not matter. In any case, everything that happens to you comes from the Creator through some kind of person or action.

Therefore, you should not think about the one who caused you problems. It is the Creator. He plays with you like that, presenting problems through people, whether they are close or not, who supposedly are good or evil. Everything that has happened, did so under His very sensitive and precise control.

All your claims are not against friends, not against somebody else, but only against Him. As soon as you begin to relate to nature and to yourself in this way, you will immediately have a different attitude to the world, you will begin to understand it much more deeply.

Question: How is it possible to make claims against the Creator?

Answer: You should make claims only against Him. Who else? You can get mad at Him, stamp your feet, do whatever you want, just do not leave Him. He wants you to constantly turn to Him with both good and bad, no matter with what and how. Most importantly, turn to Him all the time. Scold Him, but do not leave Him!
[252520]
From the KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 8/18/19

Related Material:
The Main Thing Is To Not Forget Him!
Secret Language Of The Creator
The Rider Leads The Horse To His Destination

The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 6

laitman_250Reasons for the Appearance of The Book of Zohar

Question: The Book of Zohar is a commentary on the Torah. Why did it have to be written?

Answer: Circumstances changed.

There were stages when groups of Kabbalists who were in a state of attainment, that is, a gradual rise from the beginning of the creation of egoism to its relatively complete development, as during the Second Temple, fell. The Book of Zohar was written in the second century AD in a state when a fall had already occurred. There were no groups, no nations; there was nothing called holiness, meaning a sense of at least relative unity. Everything was destroyed, crushed, split. Therefore, a technique was needed to crown this dark period of suffering, called the exile, which should end in correction.

The Book of Zohar is intended for the period separated from its writing to our time by a two-thousand-year exile so that, starting from our time onward, we begin to implement what is written in it, meaning to correct ourselves.

In our generation, we have been awarded The Sulam Commentary on The Book of Zohar. Therefore, we can reveal Kabbalah and begin to understand what the great Kabbalists Rabbi Shimon and his students said two thousand years ago.

Question: Are you saying that without the commentary written by the last Kabbalist of the 20th century, Baal HaSulam (Yehuda Ashlag) it is impossible to understand the Zohar?

Answer: Impossible. Therefore, it appeared.
[252306]
From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 12/18/18

Related Material:
The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 5
The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 4
The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 3

New Life #2 – The Development Of Man And Humanity

New Life #2 – The Development of Man and Humanity
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi

The goal of human development is undoubtedly to bring us into a beautiful, healthy, whole, and perfect state. Today, humanity is in crisis as divorce increases, both parents and children suffer, and society is threatened with drugs and terrorism. Where is the joy? What is the purpose of it all? We are like a baby without guidance and don’t know what to do with ourselves. We are evolving toward interdependence and connection, yet something stops us from wanting to unite. When we enter a good environment, we have the opportunity to feel our egoistic natures, that we are lazy and that we don’t want to connect with each other. We need to proactively develop this type of environment that will take care of everyone like a mother caring for her baby. This is the way for humanity to learn how to reach the same power of love that is inherent in nature.
[66723]
From KabTV’s “New Life #2 – The Development of Man and Humanity,” 12/28/11

icon for podpress Audio: Play Now | Download

Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 10/22/19

Lesson Preparation

[media 1] [media 2]

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)” 

[media 3] [media 4]

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 82

[media 5] [media 6]