The Formula for Reducing Suffering, Part 1
All the suffering that is destined for us along the path of natural development must be revealed. We exist within a system and must recognize all our evil in order to correct it and come to good. But we can accelerate this process and transfer suffering to another level.
Therefore, Baal HaSulam writes that the premature revelation of The Book of Zohar brought about much suffering, yet at the same time it led to the fact that today the world stands on the threshold of redemption.
Hence, one must strive to move forward and shorten time, to transfer oneself and the entire world onto the path of light, the path of acceleration (Achishena). One should not wait for the time of blows to arrive, for them to be revealed from above, manifested in this world, and forcing us to correct ourselves. After all, we can accelerate our development on our own and move the blows onto another plane. And although we will still suffer, these will be completely different sufferings.
Instead of simply suffering on the animal level, we will suffer in a human way, that is, from the absence of taste in life and from not understanding it. These too are sufferings, which already torment many people today, lead them to depression, and sometimes even to suicide.
People try to drown out these sufferings with antidepressants or drugs. But these are suffering from the absence of a goal; they belong to the human level. Previously, sufferings were purely material and earthly: from lack of food, sex, family, money, honor, or knowledge.
Any dissemination of the method of Kabbalah advances the process of general development along the path of light. Sufferings do not disappear, but they become human: from lack of knowledge, understanding, purpose, which a person requires, and not only the animal body.
That is, the quality of suffering rises. The quantity of suffering multiplied by its quality determines the volume of the vessel in which the creation must reveal the entire light of infinity.
m (quantity) × h (quality) = V (perfect vessel)
If the quality of suffering increases, then its quantity decreases, and vice versa. It turns out that we have the opportunity to reduce the quantity of suffering by increasing its quality. But we are obliged to reach the required volume, the required intensity of suffering, in order for the vessel to be perfect. We all exist according to this formula.
For example, one minute of suffering from being distant from the Creator is worth a month of suffering from losing the lottery. In essence, suffering comes from a single source, but we can raise it to another level, to another “frequency range,” to another quality, and thus shorten its duration.
This is similar to how modern devices are able to instantly transmit enormous volumes of information on short waves, at high frequencies. In the past, when devices could not operate at such high frequencies, the same action required many long hours.
Suffering can push us from behind if we ourselves do not want to move forward, with things like having no money or nothing to eat, and one is forced to go and look for work. But if I am drawn by a goal that shines ahead, then I myself seek a source of strength that enables me to advance. This is a huge difference: feeingl material suffering or replacing it with goal-oriented suffering. A person is evaluated accordingly.
However, we are obliged to work through a certain intensity of suffering: quantity multiplied by quality. Therefore, by one path or another—natural development, acceleration of time, or alternately both—we are obliged to arrive at a perfect vessel (desire).
[190120]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, 7/15/16, Rabash, Article No. 16, “But the More They Afflicted Them”
Related Material:
Why Do We Suffer? Part 4
Why Do We Suffer? Part 3
Why Do We Suffer? Part 2




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