Audio Version Of The Blog – 11/10/23
Posted on November 10th, 2023
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Michael Laitman, on the Times of Israel: “What Are the Main Challenges That Israel Faces Today?”
Several Kabbalistic sources emphasize the need for the people of Israel to unite like a family. Especially on tragic days, the truth of this message becomes apparent, and it is important to clarify that the family is not one of blood relations, but a family that transcends blood ties. It is about everyone coming to feel that the person standing beside them is part of the same family.
We all need to sense that we are parts of a single unified entity. When we achieve such unity, we not only overcome our apparent enemies outside of us, but more significantly, we rise over our internal enemy: the egoistic desires within us that constantly pull in the direction of detaching from others and using everyone and everything outside of us for the sake of personal benefit.
The idea of uniting above our egos when we are all individuals with different backgrounds, personalities and worldviews—including many that oppose and resist the others—can seem like an impossible task. However, we need to raise awareness that we can be victorious in bringing about a harmonious and peaceful life for all solely through the achievement of such unity. If we set aside our contradictions and differences, recognizing that we are one interconnected whole, then we can overcome our internal struggles, and by doing so, we will find that we have no more enemies outside of us.
A key stage in the development of the people of Israel was when we accepted upon ourselves the pact to stand “as one man with one heart” at the foot of Mount Sinai. We were faced with a life-and-death choice: “Either unite now or face dire consequences.” Today, we once again face a challenge of immense magnitude, and it is imperative for us to understand that we need to unite above all else.
We need to recognize that we play host to an egoistic inclination that constantly makes us want our own opinion to override everyone else’s. While this ego is indeed a problem, we should not try to subdue or eliminate it, because it is our very nature. On the contrary, together with recognizing its determinant force in drawing inwardly to ourselves, we need to develop a supportive and encouraging atmosphere around us where we raise the need to unite above our egoistic inclination as being of much greater importance, i.e., as a matter of life and death. If we fail to unite above our egoistic inclination and simply drift away with its divisive views and opinions, then we are bound to find ourselves again in situations where we suddenly awaken to an onslaught of enemies outside of us, similar to what we experienced in the tragic events of October 7, 2023.
Therefore, now that we are in the midst of a severe state of war, we need to deal with the situation at hand and also raise awareness of what can prevent such extreme states from materializing in the future. It all points to our need to unite above our divisions.
What steps should each of us take to achieve this unity? Simply put, we should each shift our focus away from ourselves and onto others. For instance, today there are several stories of selflessness that emerge from the frontlines, where people risk their own lives for the sake of other people. These acts demonstrate the inclination to rise above ourselves. When we hold a strong sense of the need to be there for one another in such a way, then we can unite and succeed. True success comes when we unite “as one man with one heart” above our divisive egoistic drives.
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Question: Praying for friends is one of the closest states to Lishma (not for my own sake). But if I pray for a friend who is sick, where is the joy here?
Answer: It goes without saying that we pray for a friend because by doing it we want to transfer our strength to him.
Such a prayer does not necessarily have to be in joy, although prayer for a sick person still includes some joy because you rejoice that you want to give part of your health and strength to your sick friend.
Question: How do we check that the whole body agrees to this prayer?
Answer: It is impossible to check by the clock. Gradually, you will have an inner need, such as Kelim (Vessels), in which you will understand what state you are in, whether you are closer or further from the Creator.
Comment: After the fact, I already see that for some time, I was in other thoughts and not in the thoughts about a friend.
My Response: In that case, you should regret that the Creator pulled you out of connection with Him, gave you some pleasures in other thoughts, and thus, you distanced you from the Creator. Now, you begin to understand this and want to be closer to Him.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/29/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Lishma [for Her sake]“
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If I Get Sick I Will Turn To The Friends
I Cannot Pray For Myself
Question: What helps us polish the desire to receive so that it is subtle and we feel who we are fighting with?
Answer: Only our relationships in the group help. The more subtle we are in our relationship with each other, the more subtle our relationship with the Creator will be, and we will succeed in this rapprochement.
Question: What intention should you set before reading Psalms? How can we prepare for this?
Answer: Before reading Psalms, we only strive to get closer to each other. We do not need anything more.
With the help of the Psalms, we wish to connect with each other even more. And in the Psalms themselves, there are already such wishes and prayers that will definitely provide us with all the best.
[319918]
From the Daily Kabbalah lesson 10/28/23, “Conduct War Like King David”
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Question: Kabbalists say that it is necessary to annul before the Creator, and sometimes we hear that we are building the Creator ourselves.
Why is there such a contradiction?
Answer: This is not a contradiction. Through our common efforts, we create the Creator from ourselves and bow before this common effort that helped us create a common image of our connection. This will be the Creator.
[319911]
From the Daily Kabbalah lesson 10/28/23, Writings of Rabash “What Is, ‘The Shechina Is a Testimony to Israel,’ in the Work?“
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Creating The Creator
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Question: Should we pray more about peace and direct our thoughts and desires there, or should we pray more for connection?
Answer: Mainly, we direct ourselves to connection because it is above everything. Connection is when each of us wants to annul oneself and unite with the rest of the friends. This is the most important thing for us.
Question: When I hear a friend pronounce the words of prayer, how do I properly integrate in these words, in his feelings?
Answer: Try to join in, get closer to him internally, merge with his intention, and with his feeling so you will feel him closer.
[319875]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah lesson 10/27/23, Writings of Rabash “Man Is Rewarded with Righteousness and Peace through the Torah“
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Question: Does it make sense to ask the Creator in prayer to transfer all the wars and external work inside the heart, inside the tens?
Answer: We must achieve victory over our egoism by any means and connect with the Creator within the connection between us, in the ten, in the group. Practically, this is our job.
Question: How do we achieve this connection without falling into egoism?
Answer: Only by prayer.
Question: External actions push us to a strong prayer, to a cry. Does it make sense to move all this work inside?
Answer: Of course, this is our duty.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah lesson 10/27/23, Writings of Rabash “Man Is Rewarded with Righteousness and Peace through the Torah“
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This follows the way of “a time of Torah” and “a time of prayer.” “A time of Torah” means wholeness, when there are no deficiencies. This is called “right,” as it is written, “at His right hand was a fiery law” (“The Agenda of the Assembly,” Rabash).
Question: What is it “at His right hand was a fiery law”?
Answer: The right is the bestowing hand, and the left is the receiving hand. That is, these are the names of actions that are bestowing and receiving.
The flame in the right line is the force of attraction, the force of love.
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From the Daily Kabbalah lesson 10/24/23, Writings of Rabash “The Agenda of the Assembly – 1“
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Question: In the article “Man Is Rewarded with Righteousness and Peace through the Torah,” Rabash writes that a person is in strife with the Creator. How can we avoid this?
Answer: We are initially in strife with the Creator because we are opposite to Him in properties.
Question: What are the right actions to get out of this strife?
Answer: For this purpose, we are given strife and we are given the Torah so that we correct ourselves from being opposite of the Creator to equivalence with Him. Then we will understand who the Creator is, who we are, and how we reach equivalence with Him.
Question: Is faith in the sages inherent in us or do we acquire it?
Answer: Faith in the sages is not inherent in us. We must gradually acquire it.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah lesson 10/27/23, Writings of Rabash “Man Is Rewarded with Righteousness and Peace through the Torah“
Related Material:
Faith In The Sages
Kabbalah And Faith
Patience Is The Most Important Quality
Preparation to the Lesson
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1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, “What Is, ‘You Will See My Back, But My Face Shall Not Be Seen,’ in the Work?”
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2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Vol. 1, Part 1, “Inner Observation”
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3rd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “A Handmaid Who Is Heir to Her Mistress”
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Selected Highlights
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