Audio Version Of The Blog – 1/3/24
Posted on January 3rd, 2024
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Michael Laitman on the Times of Israel: “What Are Your Happy New Year Wishes for 2024?”
I wish for humanity to come closer to realizing the root cause of the deep mess it is in, and to seek a way out. Indeed, the more we feel responsible and accountable for what happens this year, the closer we will come to a harmonious and peaceful world.
What is the root cause of our troubles? It is our egoistic human nature that has grown so much today that excessive desires for benefiting ourselves at the expense of others and nature are wreaking havoc.
I thus hope that the wisdom of connection will reach more and more people so that humanity will come to feel that by adjusting our attitudes to each other—prioritizing positive connection and the benefit of others over our divisive drives that emerge from our inclination to benefit ourselves at others’ expense—we will find a way out of our destructive nature.
Every person who expands their minds and hearts to embrace a positive, kind and caring connection to each other above the quagmire of greed, the thirst for power, and the cutthroat will for recognition over others, can become a source of light and blessings in the world.
The more this unifying consciousness spreads atop the ever-growing divisive drives that surface from one moment to the next, the more we will balance ourselves with nature’s laws of interconnection and interdependence. This alignment with nature will then serve to draw the positive forces of connection dwelling in nature into our connections. That is how we can make a significant breakthrough into a world free from wars and malevolent influences.
We would thus be wise to learn from those who have applied the wisdom of connection to themselves, to cultivate positive human connection above our egoistic nature, and to direct ourselves at our more unified state where we click into harmony with each other and with nature.
I thus wish the happiest new year that everyone could possibly experience, that we will fuel each other with an ever-blossoming vision of the most perfect kinds of relations that could manifest, and by doing so, draw nature’s more unified states that await us already into our lives at this time.
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People ask about this, “Why did a spirit of folly enter? So he would sin.” He said that since there is a rule that “The eye sees and the heart covets,” if a person sees something bad, whether in sight or in thought, he must come to covet it (Rabash, Article No. 5, (1988) “What Is, ‘When Israel Are in Exile, the Shechina Is with Them,’ in the Work?”)
Question: In this excerpt, it is written about the way a person comes to a descent. How at such a stage, when you just saw something or thought about something, can you immediately come to some kind of understanding and repentance and not develop a thought that leads us away from the purpose of creation?
Answer: We constantly encounter the possibility of falling into egoistic temptation. At first, you look at something without realizing what it is, then you sort of photograph it in yourself, and then you start to relate to it with feelings.
Here you have to stop yourself, not give free rein to your feelings, and switch to something else, that is, look for the opportunity to bestow, connect with friends, unite, and only then add your feelings.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/20/23, Writing of Rabash “What Is, ‘When Israel Are in Exile, the Shechina Is with Them,’ in the Work?”
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Question: What does the greatness of the Creator is what He gives mean?
Answer: The Creator should not give anything else. If he raises His greatness in you, then in this way He spiritually elevates you, and you no longer need anything.
You will be able to answer all your questions, understand more deeply what we are studying, and you will have the opportunity to go with faith above reason. Thus, you will gradually come to a sense of the upper world.
But do not sit and wait. If you want to get an impression of the greatness of the Creator, then you must act by any means. The most important thing is to do this through getting closer to your friends.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/21/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “What Is the Exaltedness of the Creator?”
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If a person has now made up his mind to take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven for eternity, it is considered wholeness (Baal HaSulam, Shamati 58 “Joy Is a ‘Reflection’ of Good Deeds”).
Question: What does taking upon oneself the burden of the kingdom of heaven mean?
Answer: It means that we accept the authority of the Creator upon ourselves. Just as we put a yoke on a horse to plow a field or transport something, so are we ready to take upon ourselves the instructions of the Creator in order to be under His authority all our lives. This is what we must do.
Question: What can keep us in spiritually forever?
Answer: The upper light, under the influence of which you will feel that you are constantly moving toward reaching the highest goal that exists in our world, in the entire universe, and in all worlds.
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From the Daily Kabbalah lesson 12/22/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Joy Is a “Reflection” of Good Deeds“
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Question: What is the mind? Where is it located? Why do we use it? Is it our brain or not?
Answer: Of course the mind is our brain. But we are talking about the spiritual mind, the inner part of our consciousness that we can control. We call it knowledge.
Question: Are we connecting with the Creator through the mind?
Answer: Yes, if we make an effort to do this, we will succeed. However, I want to say that no matter what, all our attempts and efforts that we make trying to ascend to the Creator will nonetheless have their positive consequences—if not now, then later.
Question: What is the difference between mind and knowledge?
Answer: Knowledge is simply accumulation of data. And the mind is the brain’s ability to process the information received, systematize, and use it.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/18/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Difference between Faith and Intellect“
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Question: Why is money the basis of all problems in the world?
Answer: Because it is the equivalent of our investing in each other. I give something so I am supposed to take something.
Question: If we remove money, would there be no problems?
Answer: If everything that is common were removed, completely does not belong to anyone at all, and when everyone is concerned about each other as one common whole: either I will receive, or I will give, or another will receive, or will give to me, and all this is equivalent in my feelings, only then can we talk about removing money completely.
Money is a cover for my attitude toward others. There is nothing you can do about it.
Question: So in our world, will the problems disappear even if the money disappears?
Answer: No. Only when we rise above ourselves in our feelings will this world itself simply disappear because it exists only in our sensations.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. It’s All Because of Money.”
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Reception of pleasure—when one receives for one’s own benefit—removes him from cleaving to the Creator.
And this is why we gather here—to establish a society where each of us follows the spirit of bestowing upon the Creator. And to achieve bestowal upon the Creator, we must begin with bestowal upon man, which is called “love of others” (Rabash, “Purpose of Society – 1”).
Instead, one should receive pleasures that bring contentment to the Creator. This means that the creature will want to bestow upon the Creator and will have fear of the Creator, of receiving for oneself, since the reception of pleasure—when one receives for one’s own benefit—removes him from cleaving to the Creator.
Question: Is bestowing upon one’s neighbor and loving one’s neighbor the same?
Answer: Love is a feeling, and bestowal is an action in intention, in thoughts.
The society Rabash writes about consists of selfish individuals who come together with the goal of reaching the Creator and realize their goal through bestowal and love for others. In such a way, we must train ourselves to bestow upon the Creator.
Question: Why can’t one work with Him directly?
Answer: And how would you reveal the Creator if you lack the qualities that He has? It is precisely through drawing closer to others and connecting with friends toward the same goal that you gradually acquire the quality of bestowal that is already the quality of the Creator. You become more similar to Him, start feeling Him, and thus draw closer to Him.
Comment: But a person talks with the Creator within himself.
My Response: These are just his internal ideas, not what happens. To connect with the Creator, we need the same qualities that He has.
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From KabTV’s “Practical Kabbalah” 12/5/23
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But when the shade comes because of a sin, it is called “images, image makers, and sorcerers,” which is “God has made them one opposite the other.” As there are forces in Kedusha to make changes and to show signs and omens, so there are forces in the Sitra Achra (Baal HaSulam, Shamati 39 “And They Sewed Fig Leaves“).
Question: Why is it that when the shade comes because of a sin, it is called “images, image makers, and sorcerers”? What does it mean?
Answer: These are egoistic forces that are opposite to the will to bestow. This is why they are called that.
There are forces of bestowal and forces of reception. The Creator created some against others, and we have to choose which ones we want to develop with. The righteous do not use the force of reception, rather they use the force of bestowal wherever possible.
Comment: First, we need to recognize a sin, but the Sitra Achra does not allow us to do this.
My Response: You should hold on to each other and see how quickly you can identify your egoism and rise above it.
In order to come to this recognition, you need to be honest with each other, to at least open your heart somehow. Then, you will be able to rise above your common egoistic heart together and acquire the quality of bestowal from everyone to everyone.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/20/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “And They Sewed Fig Leaves“
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Preparation to the Lesson
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1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, “What Does It Mean that a Judge Must Judge Absolutely Truthfully, in the Work?”
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2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Vol. 2, Part 6, “Inner Observation,” Item 1”
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Selected Highlights
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