Baal HaSulam, “The Acting Mind”: His qualities are the holy Sefirot…

These are the same ten Sefirot that we study about and in which we exist. To the extent that I develop, I attain these attributes and I thus begin to manage my attitude to the Creator, from Malchut to Keter, and the Creator’s attitude to me, from Keter to Malchut.

And this is the acting mind that guides His world and by which He allots them His bestowal and goodness.

There are ten Sefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Hesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. Keter is the Creator and Malchut is me, and everything else between Keter and Malchut are my attributes.

We must understand why this is called “Dvekut with the Creator,” as it seems to be mere learning.

It isn’t simply about studying the material, because by working on it we summon unto us the upper Light from Keter, which descends on to us, on to Malchut, manages us, and changes our attributes. In this state we can guide ourselves back from Malchut to Keter, and then the right bilateral connection appears in us.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 4/21/19

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Baal HaSulam, “The Acting Mind“: It is written that every person is obliged to attain the root of his soul.

A Kabbalist who has already attained the root of his soul and is certain of it gives us a clear instruction that you, a man, must attain the root of your soul.

This is the point where the upper force relates to you, from where all systems, signals, and forces of providence descend upon you. And you must perceive everything, understand, adapt, and accordingly alter yourself, change everything for the right use.

Therefore, each person must attain the root of his soul, understand it, and correctly enter into mutual connection with it.

This means that the aspired-for purpose of the created being is Dvekut [adhesion] with His qualities, as it is written, “And to cleave unto Him.” Our sages interpreted that this is the Dvekut with His attributes: “As He is merciful,” etc.

In order to merge with the attributes of the Creator, I must not only rise, but also understand that the ascent to the level called the root of my soul can occur only to the extent that I gradually change according to the properties of the root of my soul.

This means that by changing myself more and more into resembling the Creator, I gradually ascend to the root of my soul. And once I reach it, I enter the most comfortable, perfect state, I achieve eternity and perfection.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 4/21/19

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Question: There are hundreds of management approaches, but if they are integrated, then four approaches can be distinguished: administrative, scientific, industrial, and human.

To what level can a parabola be applied in governance? Or is it possible to consider everything in a complex, starting from the upper level and ending with the lowest one?

Answer: It is better to consider approaches to management in a complex, because we live in one integral, interconnected nature. But since we are such selfish, scattered, individual personalities, we do not see the integral existence of the entire system.

The system is one, nature is one. As it arose from one design of creation, from the Big Bang, it develops from one source.

Nevertheless, we see nature in the form of scattered systems because we divide it according to our small mental, psychological capabilities because they are not interconnected.

But as soon as we start to unite into a common system, say, even in a ten, then we will have a completely different approach, a view of nature, and we will perceive it as an interconnected system in which there is no division into psychology, zoology, and everything else. It is one common whole.

Therefore, dividing management into people, machines, programs, resources, etc. is completely wrong. Now we do this in view of the weakness of our approach. But if we master the integral approach, we will see in it an absolutely complete interaction of the entire system.

It will be described by the same actions and equations, no matter what is meant by them: either a technological process, the flow of some resources, or the combination of society’s schedules. It does not matter. This is all one common whole, like in the body, one organ cannot stand out from the others, it is still tied to the others and works together with them.

Therefore, a real control system should include everything and not be the sum of various subsystems. I think we will reveal this as one whole.
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From KabTV’s”Science of Management”

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Preparation to the Lesson

Lesson on the Topic “Raising Ourselves”

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar, Item 14″

Selected Highlights

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Question: The Torah often describes how a shepherd herds a flock of sheep. What does this mean from a spiritual point of view?

Answer: Sheep represent the animal desires of man, which are closest to spiritual desires.

Herding sheep inside yourself means that you are building up such desires in yourself, which in the end will be the desires of bestowal, love, and good relations.

Question: The city of Sodom was located in the Dead Sea area. When Lot and his wife were running away from the destroyed city, Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. What does this mean in the spiritual?

Answer: Lot’s wife did not want to part with her past egoistic life and therefore, turned into a pillar of salt, which embodies constancy in her desires. They cannot be corrected because they are like salt.

Question: The Dead Sea is 400 meters below sea level. In Kabbalah, “400” means four stages of the development of desire?

Answer: Yes, this is the full depth of egoism, Malchut, which needs to be corrected. If we correct egoism in the inner by adding the quality of bestowal to the quality of reception, then this can also manifest itself in the outer: the Dead Sea will be filled from the inside with clean water, fish will appear in it, the desert will blossom!

Question: Why are there so many stories in the Torah related to Abraham?

Answer: Abraham is the founder of our world. Without him, the world could not exist. After all, it was thanks to Abraham that religious qualities, social principles and everything else appeared. He was a great philosopher, a great sage.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 6/11/21

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Question: Abraham always had his nephew Lot by his side. What is this quality that constantly walks next to Abraham?

Answer: Spiritual qualities always consist of a positive and a  negative part because it is impossible to define, recognize, and count anything or direct to something if there are not two opposite qualities.

Therefore, Lot is the quality opposite to Abraham, and on the other hand, also helps Abraham to manifest himself. That is, Abraham is manifested through Lot.

Question: Do they need to part at some stage?

Answer: Naturally. Abraham says: “If you go right, I will go left.” That is, later they separated.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 6/11/21

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is the best kind of equality?“

People are different by nature. As such, we should not demand the same effort from naturally lazy people than from hard-workers, nor the same results from highly intelligent people than from people with lower levels of intelligence, nor from people drawn to technology and from those drawn to education, culture and/or other fields.

People differ, and thus it is impossible to demand equality from everyone.

We are also unable to recognize and measure each person’s natural qualities by direction and size. By demanding the same results from everyone, we try to squeeze everyone into a Procrustean bed. In other words, we want to “shorten” or “stretch” every person, so that everyone will fit exactly one size. That is simply wrong.

Additionally, nations differ in culture, education, religion and development. Each nation has its own place, and should be respected in its place. After all, every individual is unique in their own way.

This is why we should take into consideration the limitations and the distinctive characteristics of each person. If we preserve such equality, i.e. the equality of every individual’s opportunity to express themselves in the most effective way relative to humanity, we will then abolish egoistic interrelationships and bring about altruistic and equal ones. By doing so, we will all discover our maximal individuality and uniqueness as beneficial members of humanity, and we will then reach a state where we will all live and develop in the most favorable manner.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: A lot of people believe in the power of a curse and are afraid of it. I had a friend Vitalik who told me that curses exist and one has been acting in his family on the male line for decades, almost a century. Precisely on the male line. And he even felt that he was next in line. He died just a week after our conversation.

What is this, a curse? Does it exist or not?

Answer: There is an evil eye, there are curses, all sorts of spells and so on and so forth. All this exists, and we must take it into account.

Question: But is there a difference between an evil eye and a curse? The evil eye can be accidental somehow, and a curse is a targeted murder.

Answer: There are people who have a bad look, as they say. There are people who have negative energy. When they communicate with others in some way, no matter how, not even tactilely, not close, they can mentally destroy a person and lead him to a painful state.

Question: And if this is done intentionally?

Answer: Intentionally, in our time there are no such specialists, except in the “special bodies,” as they say. Yes, yes, I’m not joking. But such people are rarely found today.

Question: And how can you protect yourself from a curse or the evil eye? Is it possible to protect yourself?

Answer: Only by connection with the quality of bestowal and love, what Kabbalah teaches. To become like this. There is no other way.

A curse does not affect the one who moves to the light, to love. Although I have known Kabbalists who, in general, took into account such actions too. People who were in the sense of spiritual forces, still took into account that there is an evil eye, that even ordinary people, not Kabbalists, who do not work on their egoism, but on the contrary, working on the use of egoism, they have strength.

Question: Does it come back to the person who, for example, curses another?

Answer: This is already a complex system. I would prefer not to talk about it, I will only tell you why. Because a person who uses dark forces of nature has a whole system by which he works, why he does it, and so on, he cannot work against the Creator, as they say. He cannot work against the good, against love, because this system is higher, stronger.

But if there are any malfunctions, imperfections in this good system, then the evil system can immediately cut in and do its harmful work.

Question: Is it necessary to be afraid of this?

Answer: No, we need to think about the good—only! In no case should we be afraid and do nothing against this alleged evil, but understand that this evil is also in the hands of the Creator, and if it is really necessary, then it will exist, and we must somehow put up with it.

Question: Your main advice is?

Answer: Love. It corrects everything.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/10/21

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Remark: Pharaoh was chasing after the people when they were leaving Egypt, but when entering the land of Israel no one chases you.

My Comment: When approaching the land of Israel you, yourself, consciously go forward. It is not good to put pressure on you all the time from behind.

The reason for leaving Egypt was to flee from suffering, from the ten Egyptian plagues. And now it is not. Now we are urging people, with our own awareness of the need to cleanse ourselves from egoistic intentions, to cleanse our desires in order to reveal the Creator in them and thereby give Him pleasure.

Question: What is the difference between the fact that the Red Sea parted and the waters of the Jordan parted? What is the difference between these two states inside a person?

Answer: The waters of the Red Sea part when the border between the power of Pharaoh and the power of the Creator is removed. In principle, this is one and the same power, only it manifests itself in different ways.

Question: Can we say that there is a spiritual birth?

Answer: In principle, spiritual birth does not happen overnight. This is a long-term process, just like in our world.

Remark: But when leaving Egypt, one still had to go by faith above reason. Without this, it is impossible to cross the sea. And the people still enter it!

My Comment: It is the same here. In all these, so to speak, journeys, miracles, they rise above their egoism all the time. Only sometimes this happens with the help of war, a dash, a jump into the sea, crossing over the Jordan, and so on. But still it goes through overcoming.

Remark: Nachshon was in Egypt. There were no priests to enter the water and the sea parted.

My Comment: But the property of Bina is not there yet! And in the land of Israel this property of bestowal and connection dominates. Therefore, they have to feel and behave in a different way. And the tasks facing them are completely different: not to run, but to conquer.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 6/11/21

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