Audio Version Of The Blog – 1/3/25
Posted on January 3rd, 2025
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Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 37
Is Upliftment the Same as Fear of Heaven?
Upliftment toward the Creator and the desire to direct ourselves at bestowing upon Him is generally called “fear of Heaven.” If we fear the Creator to avoid suffering, this is fear of punishment, not fear of Heaven. It is akin to a child fearing a mother’s scolding rather than fearing the mother herself.
True fear of Heaven is not about fearing punishment, but fearing disconnection from the Creator and being unable to give to Him. Otherwise, it is fear of harm, not of Heaven, even though harm also comes from above.
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Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 35
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Question: We constantly talk about how I must create some intention and maintain it. To use the desire to receive without intention is animalistic. To use this desire with the intention to receive pleasure for myself is wicked. To use this desire to bring contentment to the Creator is righteous.
But who is the one who strives to form this intention?
Answer: It is the person, the one whose efforts are directed at continually defining the Creator as the source of everything that happens.
Firstly this means “There is none else besides Him.” Secondly, it means that “He is good that does good.”
These two parameters must be defined by me. When I determine them, the starting point within me from which I affirm “There is none else besides Him” and “He is good that does good” is what is called my “I.” Then, this point automatically adheres to the Creator.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”
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Question: You said that “standing guard” means feeling at every moment that I am at the center of the ten.
Can you explain what the center of the ten means for me and what it means to stand at the center of the ten?
Answer: It means you must unite within yourself all the forces of the ten and feel responsible for its state.
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From the 1st part the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/27/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Love of God and the Love of Man”
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Question: What is that state when on one hand I do not feel myself, but I feel the friends, and on the other hand, we are ten as one?
Answer: These are different things, like two sides of the same coin.
On one hand, to the extent that we are connected with each other, we must also be internally separated, as if no connection or resemblance between us were possible.
On the other hand, we understand each other so deeply and are so similar to one another that it feels as though we are not just close but together as one whole.
Question: It turns out that when I do not feel myself but feel the friends, it is like the first degree before the state of ten as one?
Answer: Yes
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/28/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Love of God and the Love of Man”
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Question: It is said that a person is glad that he can work during a state of darkness. How is work expressed when one feels incapable of doing anything? How can one rejoice during darkness?
Answer: A person can rejoice during darkness if they view the state as purposeful. We must progress using both legs, the left and the right.
Thus we should treat darkness as equal to light with the same joy, with the same understanding that this state is necessary and therefore it brings us joy the same joy as the fulfilled state and that there is no difference between them.
If I understand that both states are equally essential, only then do I create the prerequisites within myself to perceive the spiritual state as the correct balance of these two opposites—darkness and light.
From darkness and light, I can form any combination of feelings at all levels, whether in sound, vision, or anything else. If I possess two opposing forces, and each can take any form, I can construct any kind of world. For example, our world is built solely by plus and minus. That is it.
Look what has emerged from the qualities of reception and bestowal at such a minimal mechanical level and how this matter has developed.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam “There Is None Else Besides Him”
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Question: What is the active mind that we reveal in our connection?
Answer: In our connection, we reveal what is above us and governs us. All these discerned qualities and revelations are what we call “the Creator” (Boreh).
Question: What should happen during a ten’s gathering so that, above our own qualities, we can reveal this governing force, this mind? How should we properly strive for it? What needs to be done?
Answer: To achieve this, you need to clarify among yourselves how to realize what is written in the Torah.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/20/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Acting Mind”
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We must always consider the goal, which is to “do good to His creations.” If the evil inclination comes to a person and asks him all of Pharaoh’s questions, [such as “Why? For what? To what purpose?” and so on, he should not reply with lame excuses, but say] “Now, with your questions, I can begin with the work of bestowal” (Rabash, Article 22, “The Whole of the Torah Is One Holy Name”).
Without the objections of our egoism, called “Pharaoh,” it is impossible to carry out spiritual work since it is impossible to always remain in one line or under one force. Without contrast, we cannot perceive anything. If we were surrounded by completely transparent white light, what would we see? After all, we can only discern through light and shadow.
Therefore, the main thing the Creator created is darkness—egoism. This egoism is essential for us! When questions arise, they come from our egoism, which disagrees with something. We must clearly understand this.
In other words, questions are necessary. It is precisely through questions that we advance. However, one must know how to formulate them correctly. This requires studying the material and learning how to structure and ask questions properly.
This means that we should not say about the questions of the evil inclination [egoism] that it came to us in order to lower us from our degree. On the contrary, now it is giving us a place to work, [and by answering these questions] we will ascend on the degrees of wholeness.
That is, any overcoming in the work is called “walking in the work of the Creator,” since each penny joins into a great amount.” That is, all the times we overcome accumulate to a certain measure required to become a Kli for the reception of the abundance [light].
Therefore, never dismiss questions that arise within you. Collect them and answer them. There is always a way to respond to them, even if only partially at first and then more fully.
Eventually you will see how all questions and answers connect and complement one another and form a complete picture of shadow and light. It is precisely through this process that a clear perception of the Creator emerges.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”
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It is said that many will falter on the path to Lishma—meaning, they will abandon the journey toward drawing closer to the Creator without reaching the level of Lishma and attaining bestowal. Many begin this advancement but later give up. This is not because the Creator supposedly did not desire them, but simply because they did not apply enough effort to achieve bestowal.
It is said that when a person arrives at the upper court, they are asked only two questions.
The first question is “Did you engage in Torah?” Did you strive by all possible means to draw the light that brings one back to the source?
The second question is “Did you hope for the salvation of the Creator?” Did you expect that this light would come and correct you?
This is accessible to every person according to the root of their soul. There are souls with greater desire and those with less, but each will ultimately achieve their correction.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/19/24, “On the Verge of Lishma“
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Why is it so important for us to turn to the Creator? Because we have nothing besides a relationship with the only upper force in the world, which includes everything and controls everything.
Moreover, this is not an unfounded statement but something we must reveal explicitly and clearly. We reveal this from our conviction that “There is none else besides Him.” That is, we attain Him both from His presence and the fact that it is the only force, both from His positive as well as negative components.
If this is the only force that created us and gave us unique properties not only to exist, but also to attain the Creator, then, of course, it is very important for us to know what these properties are, how to develop and realize them, to truly understand this force, attain, value, draw near it and, possibly, do some more actions on yourself: for your sake or His it doesn’t matter.
It turns out there is no way to distance yourself from it, to isolate yourself from it, on the one hand. On the other hand, there is no way not to affect it. We are created in such a way that we act on it anyway, we are in it. It turns out the most critical question is not just how this force treats us and what it wants from us, but how we influence it in general.
This topic is the most important in our lives because we and this force are the only ones that coexist: we are in it, and it determines our lives in everything.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “Turning to the Creator”
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