Audio Version Of The Blog – 1/9/24
Posted on January 9th, 2024
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Michael Laitman on the Times of Israel: “What Are the Rules of Love?”
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Rabbi Akiva said this is a great rule of the Torah.
We must understand that a “great rule of the Torah” is the fundamental law of nature that encompasses the whole universe. If we prepare ourselves sufficiently, then we come to see that life itself exists solely due to this law of love for others as for ourselves.
Any kind of connection is possible only by means of a special power, which allows and even requires the unification of various, even opposite parts, whether they be particles, fields, or elements of living cells or people. This external force, the base law of nature that is a law of love and connection, influences all of nature’s parts, obliging them to connect, and accordingly, the parts gradually draw closer together, developing more and more complex systems on the still, vegetative, animate, human and then the spiritual nature.
The force of love and connection that brings about life on those levels is the rule of the Torah, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Torah” refers to the system that exists between nature itself and its creations, us people, and its law is that of love for others as for ourselves.
“Others” are those who are diametrically opposite, just as we are opposite to the nature’s form of love and bestowal. Its law of love operates throughout the system it created, obligating us to establish connections among each other because life can only exist through mutual connection at any of nature’s levels.
This law of love that fuels interconnection and interdependence throughout the still, vegetative and animate levels of nature comes about without human participation, i.e., by evolutionary processes on those levels. Here, nature’s law determines and dictates everything in life, and we people find ourselves under its so-called “evolutionary steamroller,” i.e., evolution itself drives us to connect more and more without asking our opinion on the matter.
Therefore, beyond the still, vegetative and animate levels of nature, at the human level, if we start adopting and accepting upon ourselves the realization of nature’s law, then we come to discover that this rule of “love your neighbor as yourself” is life’s law. Nothing would exist without the connection between us and nature.
Through such a discovery, we start gaining awareness of this supreme law on our own accord, although in the beginning we find that an attitude of loving others as ourselves completely eludes us, as others appear to be foreign to us, even completely opposite.
Nevertheless, we need to realize nature’s law of love and connection in our human connections. It is necessary first to study it and to see how it acts throughout nature. From the Big Bang until our current time, it might seem as if we develop through a process of disconnection and disagreement, but in fact there is a constant process of development to higher and higher states of connection, and such evolution continues, compelling matter to realize the fundamental law of nature on its own accord.
At the latter juncture, we humans will identify with the force and law of nature in our connections to each other, coming to realize the law of “love your neighbor as yourself” among each other and with nature.
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Question: How can we achieve a unified effort in attaining the Creator and overcoming differences in the perception of the vision of the world?
Answer: Only with the help of love and mutual attraction. Start showing each other how you want to embrace all the friends in the ten and ascend with them.
Let everyone try to do it, and you will see how it suddenly elevates you all. You will begin to uncover the source of your ascent.
Remember that our task is to get closer. We must return to the common communication system between ourselves.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/25/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati 187 “Choosing Labor”
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Question: For the Creator to fulfill our requests, we need constant revelation of desires.
Does the Creator’s response depend on whether a person fulfills the desire for bestowal in suffering through connection and prayer, or in the same form, but in joy, thanking and exalting the Creator?
Answer: In both situations there is a connection with the Creator.
The Creator is playing with you. He asks you questions, and you feel whether these are His questions or yours, then He answers them explicitly or implicitly. Thus, by playing with you, He gradually leads you to a state of Lishma (for the sake of others).
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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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Question: Each time I want to feel the ten inside me, I find that I can only do this through external actions toward connection.
What am I missing to feel the ten internally?
Answer: There is not enough desire to connect with the ten with all my soul and heart.
Question: First, one needs to do this through external actions without stopping, right?
Answer: You do not even need any external actions. Just think all the time that you want to be with the others with the same feelings and thoughts. And then the desire will appear.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/26/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Matter of Spiritual Attainment”
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To avoid stagnation in spiritual work we need nothing but to ask the Creator to come closer to Him. Then the upper light will shine on us more intensely, and we will be able to feel our states and learn how to approach the Creator correctly.
We need to focus only on the connection between the friends. There is a constant renewal of feelings and Kelim in the ten, and we will constantly be in internal spiritual movement. If not us, then our friends will perform such actions on us.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/28/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Every Act Leaves an Imprint”
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Although one can work devotedly, he is unable to determine if this devoted work is appropriate or not… (Baal HaSulam, Shamati 187 “Choosing Labor”).
A place for devoted work is formed when a person feels in his heart that he can sacrifice everything for the sake of the Creator. This does not happen immediately, but rather very slowly, gradually, and the Kabbalist feels it within himself.
Question: What does such a state, such a thought lead to? Does this bring contentment to the Creator?
Answer: That is not the point. The Creator knows what a person is capable of and what he is not capable of in all circumstances. When giving a person some tests, the Creator knows the outcome. Tests are needed only for the person himself, so that he can check whether he can cope with them or not, understand them correctly or not, etc.
Question: Let’s say a person understands that he really wants to sacrifice everything, but he cannot. What is this condition?
Answer: If he cannot sacrifice everything for the sake of becoming one with the Creator, then he has the opportunity to pray and ask, and in the end, he will reach his goal.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/25/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Choosing Labor”
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Question: A wise man was asked: “Why is there no trace of sadness on your face?” He replied: “I do not have anything worth being sad about losing.”
Is it really possible not to be sad about anything at all?
Answer: In principle, it is a good state.
Question: Do you think it is possible?
Answer: It is possible.
Question: Even though there is so much sadness around?
Answer: This is because there are all sorts of unrealistic hopes and dreams.
Question: I build something impossible in advance, and then despair. But how can I not build? How can I not hope for something? Is it possible? This is no longer a human being.
Answer: Why not a human being?
Question: But I am making some plans, right?
Answer: What for?
Comment: This is an interesting question. It is, basically our life, step-by-step we make some plans.
My Response: What are you building? There is no need to build anything. It is what it is. Something will move, it has moved; something has stopped, it will stop.
Question: Is it possible to live like this?
Answer: Yes. And this is not a limitation, this is not from weakness. This is from wisdom.
Comment: So I agree with everything that is given to me. Somehow, since childhood, we always had dreams and goals.
My Response: During childhood, we want to run like little children, from corner to corner, back and forth aimlessly.
Question: Otherwise we will not grow. Are you saying that at some point this growth should stop? Should another growth start?
Answer: Yes, more internal.
Question: What does this wisdom that I am acquiring do within me?
Answer: It gradually slows you down.
Question: What is my inner wisdom to which I come over the years?
Answer: Where to run, for what?
Question: Should I answer this question or not?
Answer: You do not have an answer.
Question: Should I look for it?
Answer: You will be looking. While you are looking for it, you will be running. Then gradually, as you become convinced that there is nowhere to rush, you will stop. And this is right.
Question: What am I waiting for then? I stopped.
Answer: You are not waiting for anything. You just see that no movement can replace peace.
Question: Am I coming to a state of peace?
Answer: Yes. Both internal and external.
Question: What do you call the peace that I come to?
Answer: The lack of motivation to move.
Question: Then what is movement?
Answer: The desire to change your state.
Question: Is the right thought not to change my state? It is what it is. What about this phrase “Honor the madmen who can trace gay dreams, to please the human race”?
Answer: Why would you want to drive the world crazy? Let them just understand that annulling their egoism before the Creator is our highest movement.
Question: Is this what we are coming to? Is this peace?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Is this what we call bringing the Creator into this world?
Answer: Yes.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/9/23
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Irina writes:
I had everything: happiness, love, warmth, affection. The war came and took it all away from me. My husband and I thought we were going to be together forever. I understand everything you’re talking about, or rather, I did. I don’t understand it anymore. I do not know how to live anymore.
Question: She is asking how to go on?
Answer: Day by day, that is how to go on, without looking either at yesterday or tomorrow. Just automatically live through today.
Question: What should you invest in to call it life?
Answer: You don’t need to invest in anything. Just live.
Question: So I live, I go to work, meet people, eat, and so on. That’s it?
Answer: That’s it.
Question: Is that a way to live? Without plans for tomorrow or the future?
Answer: Yes. No plans! This is the best thing. Then there are no disappointments or expectations.
Question: But how can you cope with the feeling that you had everything: happiness, love, warmth, affection, then the war came and, as I understand it, even took Irina’s husband away?
Answer: I don’t know what to say. There are usually no words for this.
Question: But those close to us try, as do others, to make us feel better, give us some kind of solace. What solace can we offer Irina?
Answer: To be more involved with our programs and get closer to us. This is what I can advise her.
Question: I don’t think she is our student. She is watching our programs and is clearly familiar with our clips. She writes: “I understand everything you’re talking about.” Or rather, she understood, but no longer does. When a person receives such a blow, what is the advice?
Answer: Still she should not distance herself from us. Hold on to us. And then everything will fall into place.
Comment: You said, and I believe she’s heard it in your lectures and all our materials, that you must accept what comes to you.
Answer: Yes, there is nothing more you can do.
Question: What lies behind this word “accept”?
Answer: Everything that happens comes from above, but we must still agree with it. We must agree. What are the options? It is very painful, and thoughts keep straying to the past, to how things used to be.
Comment: To how kind and warm it once was.
Answer: Yes. Yet the same question, why? The best thing is to keep on going about your day, try to act automatically.
Question: To such a degree on autopilot? What would happen if I lived like this, if I heeded your advice?
Answer: You would slowly get used to the fact this is how it should be, day after day. That’s all.
Question: Would a new understanding, a new happiness, and a new life emerge if you keep on going like that?
Answer: It would no longer be the same happiness, but things would calm down.
Question: Tell me, why is this given to a person?
Answer: So that, first of all, a person would justify what is happening. This is how things work, and this is how it all comes from above.
Question: You always say that a person is not given more than he can bear. Even when the most precious thing is taken away?
Answer: It doesn’t matter what.
Question: Does this mean a person is strong and is able to endure it?
Answer: Possibly.
Question: Can I tell Irina this too, that she can endure? Does this apply to her as well?
Answer: Absolutely!
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/13/23
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Question: What is wisdom revealed for? To pass it on to others, to reveal it to the world, or are there any other reasons?
Answer: Why is wisdom revealed? It is in order for us to feel the Creator, to be in some way equal to Him, to be able at least partially to perform actions like Him. To do this, we need the light of Hochma.
Comment: If any understanding comes, we must try to reveal it to the world. But at the same time, there is a feeling that you cannot always explain everything in an understandable way. There is always some doubt.
My Response: We will not do without a doubt. You just have to go ahead and listen to the lesson. You need to listen to each lesson two or three times. Return to it after some time, in a week, two, or three. And then gradually it all fits together and turns into one big picture.
Comment: It happens that you are overwhelmed and realize that even if you try to listen to something, it still passes by because you cannot perceive such a large amount of information. That is, the quantity of listening is not equal to the quality.
My Response: It will always be like this because you cannot absorb everything that radiates at you. Gradually, over the course of many months, it passes into you, begins to soak in, and fits into shelves in your head.
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From the Daily Kabbalah lesson 12/27/23, Writings of Baal HaSulam “What Is He Will Give Wisdom Specifically to the Wise”
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