Audio Version Of The Blog – 2/21/24
Posted on February 21st, 2024
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Michael Laitman on the Times of Israel: “From the Blind Leading the Blind to the Sighted Leading the Blind”
Two students looked at a waving flag. One said: “The flag is moving.” The other replied: “No, the wind is moving, which makes the flag move.” Their teacher came and said: “You are both wrong. It is a thought that moves in your head.”
This allegory illustrates how everyone has a different perception of reality. We each have different perceptions because we are brought up on different foundations and ideals. One sees the flag moving, the other sees the wind moving the flag, and the other sees thought moving in our heads, and we cannot agree on whether the flag is moving.
The question thus arises as to whether it is possible to reach mutual decisions. The Sanhedrin, for instance, was a spiritual governing body that existed in Judea around 2,000 years ago. How did they manage to make decisions with so many people, as they engaged in a lot of discussions and held several differing opinions? Those people understood that there were those among them who were closer to the sensation of nature’s altruistic and connective forces, who understood and knew more about nature’s laws than the others, and they more or less yielded to them.
A person who is higher in attainment of reality would indeed hold a more accurate opinion than one who is lower in their attainment and consciousness. We would thus be wise to annul our opinions to such people. Of course, this raises the question: How could anyone determine who is higher in their attainment of reality? We again become faced with the problems of how each one perceives reality differently, and indeed, in our current level of perception, it is impossible to make such a determination.
We thus find ourselves in the state that our world is currently in—the blind leading the blind. If we give the world a chance, we need to realize that it is not up to us, as we are limited in our understanding and feelings. Giving the world a chance is up to nature’s laws that operate beyond our understanding.
If we reach the understanding that the laws of nature control everything and everyone, and we wish to accept these laws upon ourselves, then we will become ready to seek the wisest among us and follow them. We would then shift to the sighted leading the blind.
Humanity is in a developmental process toward such a state. Our particular era is characterized by humanity becoming an orphan. We are transitioning to a new era characterized by tightening interconnections on a global scale, and the ideas that held us together on various local, regional and national levels in the past no longer serve us in today’s globally-interconnected reality.
When my teacher, Kabbalist Baruch Ashlag (the Rabash) died, I clearly realized that we have yet to mature, that we still need to advance to such a state. The more we mature, the more we will reject false navigators of our lives, and seek out ones who possess a true attainment of higher levels of reality.
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Question: Let’s say a person comes to a state that he evaluates as bad, but at the same time he justifies the Creator.
What is the difference between simply justifying the Creator and faith above reason?
Answer: Faith above reason is a way to connect with the Creator. And the justification of the Creator is an action that leads a person to faith above reason, to connection with the Creator.
Question: If I am in a bad state, it is understandable. And when I am in good state, what does it mean to justify the Creator?
Answer: You are already justifying if you are in a good state.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/7/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Clean and Righteous Do Not Kill”
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Question: When obstacles or difficulties arise (which the Creator creates), how does one examine whether it’s given to strengthen oneself or whether to just avoid it? How can you determine that you shouldn’t bang your head against the wall?
Answer: Such a thing cannot be! Everything is always directed only toward creating unity with the group and with the Creator. Only in this way can we determine the correctness of our actions.
Anything that leads us to unity with the group, humanity, and the Creator is correct, while anything contrary to this is incorrect.
Thus, I do everything, as well as those mechanical tasks that I am obligated to do that are required by my boss, spouse, or someone else.
But even here, I apply the correct intention; I do this in order to perform certain mechanical actions in this world and attach the necessary intentions to them, for what purpose do I even exist. And then all these seemingly completely unnecessary actions for spiritual ascent become useful.
Question: Suppose, in a certain situation, we perceive something as a negative influence; we feel bad and it’s hard for us. How do we still understand when it’s worth putting in even more effort, or whether we shouldn’t tackle it at all? You once said: “Apparently the Creator does not allow this to happen.”
Answer: This can only be said after you have absolutely done everything and nothing worked out, then it shouldn’t have worked out! So failure itself becomes success, the most correct result.
But how do I know that it should be like this, that this is correct? After I have exerted all efforts, I have no problems with what happens! I don’t evaluate anything at all, and it turned out as it turned out. The main thing is that I maximally invested myself as much as I could.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Attitude to Difficulties“ 12/23/11
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Question: How do we come to a state that the words of the Torah stay in the heart?
Answer: If your heart is not connected to other’s hearts, keeping what comes from the Creator is impossible.
To distinguish whether it is connected with the hearts of your friends, you must constantly check for yourself what you are studying, and then you will know.
Question: What does it add to a person if he discovers “carving” on the tablets of the others’ hearts?
Answer: He discovers how the Creator helps others, and this gives him the strength to ask the Creator to help him.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/4/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Freedom”
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“My heart is Halal [hollow/slain] within me,” and then he is awarded freedom from the angel of death (Baal HaSulam, Shamati 178, “Freedom“).
Question: What is this state of “my heart is hollow within me”?
Answer: A hollow heart means that a person cannot fill it with good deeds.
Question: If we are grateful for the teacher and for the friends, are these good deeds?
Answer: These are good deeds, and they will keep you in spirituality so that you do not fall.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/4/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Freedom”
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Question: In our work together, do we attain first everything revealed to us by the great Kabbalists and then are rewarded with the concealed part of the Torah? Or does it happen in parallel gradually?
Answer: No, first we attain what we can with our efforts and mind, and then through the connection between us, we reveal more.
Question: At what point does the soul begin to teach us? After all, we only have a germ of a soul.
Answer: It does not matter. The germ is what is revealed to us. We receive everything through the soul.
Question: What is the danger of premature revelation of the secrets of the Torah to a person? Or is it impossible at all?
Answer: Firstly, it is impossible. Secondly, it would just confuse a person.
Question: If while living in the physical world, I have no opportunity to attend lessons, but I have a strong desire, like someone is pulling me toward spirituality, then is it the soul teaching me or the Creator pulling me?
Answer: It is the soul.
Question: What should we come to at the current degree to focus on the next one?
Answer: To unity, unite as if you have everything in common without disagreement.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/6/24, Writing of Baal HaSulam “One’s Soul Shall Teach Him”
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The souls of Cain and Abel were extended from the name Elokim. However, because of the filth that the serpent cast in Eve, the soul of Cain was the first to come out of the letters ELEH, then Abel came out from the letters MI (Rashbi, Zohar for All, “Heaven and Earth”).
Cain and Abel are two opposing forces that exist within one force called “Earth” and their connection transforms the Earth.
Question: And what does it mean that one killed the other?
Answer: These are not physical properties but properties of nature. It is about one force killing another, and then that force revives. At first glance, it looks like a fairytale description, but in reality, this is what happens to spiritual forces.
Question: Interestingly, The Book of Zohar was written thousands of years ago, yet to this day, if you analyze it purely externally, it creates an impression that there is some set of words that no one can decipher. Why is everything so hidden?
Answer: No, it is not just a set of words! And it is not hidden. The Zohar is incomprehensible to a person not in the spiritual world. And for someone who has attained it, it is a plain description, and that person effortlessly travels through all levels of the spiritual world.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” 1/21/24
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Preparation to the Lesson
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1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Rabash, “What Is Half a Shekel in the Work – 1″
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2nd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Vol. 2, Part 7, Item 44
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3rd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Foreword to The Book of Zohar”
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Selected Highlights
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