Audio Version Of The Blog – 2/16/25
Posted on February 16th, 2025
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As seen above, there are two modes in religion: 1) Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], which is pure utilitarianism, meaning aiming to establish morality for one’s own good. One is satisfied when acquiring this tendency. And there is a second tendency to religion, being a mental need to adhere to Him. This is called Lishma [for Her sake]. One can be rewarded with the above through actions, and from Lo Lishma one comes to Lishma (Baal HaSulam, “The Writings of the Last Generation”).
Question: When a person is working in Lo Lishma, does he have a sense of the Creator’s presence, a feeling that there is none else besides Him?
Answer: No, of course not. He is in a state of self-benefit.
Lo Lishma means performing actions for one’s own sake, and Lishma means for the sake of the Creator, for the sake of others, beyond oneself.
Question: Can we say that the majority of humanity is in Lo Lishma?
Answer: No, they are in an animalistic state. But if a person develops within a Kabbalistic group correctly and precisely fulfilling all the conditions, he transitions from complete egoism to a willingness to give to others. He wants to give altruistically, without any connection to himself, but he is not yet able to. This is called Lo Lishma.
The transition from Lo Lishma happens through the reforming light (light that returns one to the source). Precisely because a person wants to give, but is still unable to, the light influences him and brings him to Lishma, to actions for the sake of others.
Question: Should we constantly have the feeling that we are moving toward Lishma?
Answer: We have to think about this. A person has no right to lock himself in the thought that it is for his own benefit, even though his intentions are essentially egoistic. This is precisely the prison, the bondage, the feeling of Egyptian exile—when we feel that we would like to free ourselves from the rule of Pharaoh (egoism), but are unable to. These are not easy states.
Question: To transition from Lo Lishma to Lishma, we work in a group. Where I am like an expert who observes everything from the outside? Does this happen simultaneously?
Answer: Yes, because a second system is created within you—the quality of bestowal. From it, you observe your own qualities of reception.
Question: On one hand a person tries to become aware of the state he is in; on the other hand he has the opportunity to engage in group activities aimed at unity mechanically, without thinking. How can these actions be done non-mechanically?
Answer: This happens under the influence of the right environment. There must be an active attitude of the group toward each individual. Each person must feel the pressure of the group, its correction, what it wants to do with him, and at the same time feel how much he resists this and how much he agrees to surrender. This is the expert point within each member of the group.
[227434]
From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 12/19/17
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Question: Why am I given all this suffering?
Answer: This is given to me so that I can take a proper look at my life, make sure that I am not the source of my own suffering, understand how I can rise above the suffering, above its cause, and thus free myself from it and look at suffering from above.
Question: And what will I see?
Answer: I will see that all my suffering is purely philosophical. Where suffering exists, there is always some kind of philosophy behind it where I refuse to accept suffering as something meant for me. But if I accept it, I can rise above it.
Question: Is the understanding that this is how I am being guided necessary?
Answer: That is what the Creator desires.
Question: Should this understanding be in both the heart and the mind?
Answer: I agree with Him and follow this path.
[340539]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 9/23/24
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Question: With what mindset do we come to the convention, in what kind of unity, and what should we achieve as an individual group and as Bnei Baruch?
Answer: The main focus of the group’s work is preparing for the convention.
This means seeing the current state of our Kli, that in which we exist at the moment, meaning in Lo Lishma, and seeing how to gradually transform these qualities into Lishma.
This, in fact, is our preparation for the convention.
[340520]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/6/25, Preparation to “Connecting to Lishma” Convention
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Question: There is physical pain, torture, suffering, solitary confinement, and still a person gets out of prisons, out of these tortures, and can live up to the age of 120 as a healthy person. And then there is this mental stress, and that is it, life ends. What is it, why is it so?
Answer: Because our body is adapted to physical suffering, but it is not adapted to sensory and moral suffering. We can’t stand it.
Question: Why? After all, the body is healthy.
Answer: Because it is above our natural way of life, our body.
Question: So some higher function is disrupted, but the earthly function remains in order?
Answer: Yes.
Question: So I’m leaving with a healthy body, roughly speaking?
Answer: People existed in conditions that we cannot imagine.
Question: And then bam, that’s it. Is there some higher component in us?
Answer: Yes, life can be lived if you have a purpose; if you can raise this goal above suffering and limitations, then you can exist.
Question: So you’ve grabbed hold of this spirit and hold on, but your body can give up?
Answer: The body will not give up if you hold on to this power above life.
Question: So you connect it?
Answer: Sure, a person should see a goal ahead of him and what he is suffering for, in short.
Question: Will the body hold up then?
Answer: Yes. The problem with us in our lives is that we don’t see this goal today.
Question: Does this also apply to a simple goal? For example, centenarians live somewhere, they have some simple goal, they hold on to it, and the body holds together with them. Does this apply to a simple goal, not just a high one?
Answer: Yes, he has his sheep, goats or a dog.
Comment: The air, nature.
My Response: Yes and all that.
Question: And does he live?
Answer: Yes.
Comment: There are a lot of films about old women, old men who live to be 100 years old, living somewhere in a forest, in the mountains, who knows where. And how do you think they’re holding up? And they’re holding on. And somehow, they work that way.
Amazing! And there is no need for hospitals or doctors.
My Response: No, if she gets up and knows that she definitely needs to do different things, then all this overlaps.
Question: Even to feed yourself?
Answer: Yes.
[340206]
From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 9/23/24
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Everything depends on desire; everything is revealed within it. Therefore we just need a properly organized, structured, and directed desire.
To shape our desire, to give it the right form that is ready to be filled by the Creator, the Creator plays a game with us. He alternately hides and conceals Himself. A person does not always recognize this game, but it goes on all the time and with everyone until the complete correction of everyone.
It is essential to constantly recognize that the entire world is nothing more than a manifestation of the Creator in various images: both those who oppose and those who love, those who hinder and those who help, those who are close and those who are distant, friends and complete strangers.
All these people, as well as inanimate nature, plants, animals, human thoughts, and desires, everything, except for the point of one’s own “I,” the point of observation from which a person strives to grow similar to the Creator, everything else in him comes from the Creator who plays this game, sometimes drawing a person closer, sometimes pushing them away.
But both the drawing close and the distancing are done with only one purpose: to stir a person, as it is said: “The upper light shakes and awakens desires.”
If, despite being thrown about, a person exerts all their strength to hold onto the thought that everything comes from the Creator because “There is none else besides Him” and the Creator is undoubtedly “Good and Does Good,” then their desires expand.
If they truly “hold on with their teeth” and don’t allow themself to disconnect from the thought and feeling that it is the Creator performing all the actions with them, then they begin to see how to use every moment of life correctly. After all, every opponent is, in reality, not an opponent at all, but a helper, someone who strengthens their grip on the Creator, especially in extreme states.
In this way, a person advances until they reach a state where they are ready for anything and can withstand everything, as long as they do not part from the Creator. And this is their only request.
It no longer matters to them what happens in their life; they ask for only one thing: “That I may dwell in the house of the Creator all the days of my life.” They even rejoice in all obstacles, for these expand their desires.
They see these obstacles as the most important exercises that are lovingly sent to them by the Creator, who is simply waiting for their readiness to be revealed to them.
Thus, a person progresses until they complete the entire process known as “concealment” or “the period of preparation,” and move from “Lo Lishma” to “Lishma.”
[11596]
From preparation to Daily Kabbalah lesson 3/22/10, “Shamati 10”
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Should We Ask for a Descent to Progress?
There is no need to ask for descents. We should only yearn for the goal. Whether a descent or ascent takes place is outside of our control. Such states arrive according to our soul’s structure, which we do not know.
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