The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 4

laitman_587.01The Torah Is the Language of the Program of Humanity

The Book of Zohar,  “BeHaalotecha” [When You Mount the Candles], Item 58:  Woe unto one who says that the Torah comes to tell literal tales and the uneducated words of such as Esau and Laban. If this is so, even today we can turn the words of an uneducated person into a law, and even nicer than theirs. And if the Torah indicates to mundane matters, even the rulers of the world have among them better things, so let us follow them and turn them into a law in the same way. However, all the words of the Torah have the uppermost meaning.

The fact is that you can write more fascinating novels than the Torah. But it presents a completely different story, which is encoded.

Every letter, every word, everything that appears in the Torah from the first letter “Bet – ב” to the last letter “Lamed – ל” is a code. The word “letter” translated from Hebrew means “sign.” That is, they are certain signs that follow each other in a sequence.

The Torah has no division into words. There are no punctuation marks in it: periods, commas, hyphens, etc. It represents one sentence from beginning to end without division into any intervals. In this sense, the language of the Torah is a bit like computer language. It is the language of the program of humanity, which must fulfill it.

Each letter of the Torah is a sign that a person must express in himself, in his properties. What does it mean to read the Torah correctly? I take each sign, each letter and format myself according to it: one format, a second format, a third one.

Afterward, I go through certain states. It is these states that I experience from the beginning of the Torah to its end that from me form an Adam, a human being, who is completely similar to the Creator.

The Torah is a program according to which each person reading it correctly as if chisels each letter in one’s egoistic desire. Then these desires are gradually transformed into altruistic properties, actions, and states, and a person achieves one’s complete similarity to the Creator.
[252195]
From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 12/18/18

Related Material:
The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 3
The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 2
The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 1

Simchat Torah

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 10/20/19

What is the Essence of Simchat Torah?

While We’re Far from the Real Simchat Torah, Here’s a Good Reason to Celebrate the Joy and Happiness of Simchat Torah Right Now

At its core, the Tishrei holiday cycle expresses our shift as a divided, egoistic society to one of connection, altruism and balance with nature’s quality of giving. Its final day, Simchat Torah, celebrates the favorable outcome of this shift.

Although the basis of Simchat Torah is far from where we see our society heading today, it’s an opportunity for us all to think about where we are as individuals and as a society in relation to this harmonious state. We can rejoice in our recognition of the real cause of all our problems—our egoistic nature—and that we have the means at our disposal to redirect this nature to a positive direction. That’s already a major step towards the reformation the Torah speaks about.

Therefore, we have a very good reason to be happy this Simchat Torah. Let’s use the opportunity to consider how we can train the light’s quality of giving, love and connection among each other, and show that there is indeed a positive alternative to the escalating divisions, struggles and conflicts around the world.

May it be a happy holiday to all!

Learn more here

The Difference Between Male And Female Nature

Laitman_120Question: My wife also studies Kabbalah, and I can say with confidence that we look at spirituality in completely different ways, as if we were from different planets. What is the method of unification in female and male tens and what should the effort of one toward the other be?

Answer: I think that it is necessary to proceed as it is.

I would like only one thing: that women do not imitate everything that men do. Even when it comes to a women’s ten, you should not try to do the same as the men, but as much as you can. Simply engage in mutual support.

Still, Malchut and Keter are two opposite properties of creation, therefore, the same method cannot be successful for both. After all, we see in our world how women are different in everything.

The fact that nowadays they are trying to artificially make men and women absolutely equivalent—I do not say “equal” but “equivalent”—this, of course, is completely wrong. We do not take into account our internal structure, psychology, way of thinking, in general, everything that is in a man and in a woman.

We believe that by destroying the differences, we will become equal and will look at it as great progress. This is not progress.

When we try to destroy nature in its natural manifestations, it always ends in big losses. We already see this in the young generation. Some more time will pass, everything will be revealed, and humanity, as usual, will stumble upon its mistakes and begin to somehow turn itself back.

In Kabbalah, it is absolutely clear that the difference between the male and female nature should naturally manifest itself in our advancement.

The Torah does not describe the history of people, but our path, the embodiment of the upper light in the ego at a certain stage of its development.

We go through the same stages in our spiritual movement. For example, the path of Egyptian captivity is existence in our egoism, exiting it, etc. There is a difference between male and female movements everywhere, although they go in parallel. We do not see the replacement of one by the other or equality anywhere.

We are not equal. There is nothing we can do about it. It is unnecessary. On the contrary, we must further explore the difference between us so that everyone can maximally realize their mission in the nature that is given to them.

Most importantly, do not copy what men have and do not do the same because even this is reached with difficulty, artificially. It is necessary to approach everything much more wisely.
[253380]
From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 2/13/19

Related Material:
The Role Of Women In Spiritual Work
Women’s Spiritual Purpose
A Ticket To The Upper World

Where Is The Kabbalist Teacher Hiding?

laitman_583.02Question: Dear teacher, where do you hide?

Answer: Within you.

Remark: I don’t feel it yet.

My Comment: That’s why it’s considered that I’m hiding.

Question: But what for? Help us.

Answer: This is precisely my help.

Question: I thought that you were somewhere between the ten and the Creator?

Answer: That is true. But it still means in hiding.

Remark: Thank you, this is already a revelation.
[253576]
From the Convention In Moldova “Day One” 9/6/19, “To Become Ready to Be Influenced by the Society,” Lesson 2

Related Material:
What Does The Teacher’s Greatness Depend On?
Relationship Between Teacher And Student
There Is Wisdom Hidden Behind The Simplicity

Why Are We Meeting Here And Now?

laitman_601.02Question: Are we listening to you because we are meant to be in the science of Kabbalah?

Answer: We are meeting here and now because we are all parts of the same soul. And not only one soul but one organ of the soul. Otherwise, we would be in different generations, in different places on the globe, etc.

So, there is certainly a connection between us because we belong to one organ of the soul.
[253402]
From KabTV’s “Basics of Kabbalah,” 8/18/19

Related Material:
The Jewel In The Necklace Of The Common Soul
Me And The General Soul
Soul—One For All?

Audio Version Of The Blog – 10/19/19

Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download:MP3 Audio

How Balanced Relations Between Genders Solves Depression: Women’s Depression And The Meaning Of Life (KabNet)


KabNet published my new article: “How Balanced Relations between Genders Solves Depression: Women’s Depression and the Meaning of Life“

Depression is a global epidemic. Currently, over 300 million people around the world suffer from depression, and women are diagnosed nearly twice as much as men.

Why is there such a striking gender gap in the numbers of depressed people in the world?

Dissatisfaction in women compared to men has a deep spiritual root. It is embedded in the feminine nature.

Is There Anything That Could Completely Fulfill a Woman?

According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, there is.

Spiritual attainment.

Spirituality is attained when the woman—the female force—uses her deep desire to propel the man—the male force —to reach a higher purpose in life. The complementarity of the opposite male and female forces enables their mutual attainment of harmony and fulfillment.

The female ability to elevate the world to a higher state stands at humanity’s foundation. Just as the old adage says, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Nature is designed such that the female ability determines how to correctly adjust and direct the world, i.e., how to find the appropriate cooperation between male and female forces so that both function together supportively and harmoniously.

Women’s sense of longing is evidently far greater than men’s. A man can be more easily satisfied by earthly fulfillments, for instance, by engaging in some activity together with his friends.

A woman desires more depth. She wants warmth and love. She longs for more sympathy and support. Her way of fulfilling herself is a lot more complicated than how men fulfill themselves.

Everything begins and ends with a woman. She feels herself as the center of reality, the queen of the world. Her sense of uniqueness is a natural feeling that she rightfully embodies.

“When we attract this force, it performs what is called a “correction” upon our self-centered, egoistic desires, which naturally oppose the tendency to unite, the needed “click” for us all to merge as one and experience a higher level of reality.”

Why It Is Nearly Impossible for Women to Truly Bond

According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, it is nearly impossible for women to truly bond. Their yearning for a greater sense of wholeness can only emerge when opposite forces support one another in a delicate balance.

Therefore, male and female forces need very precise fine-tuning so that an intermediary force emerges between them: the force of love, bestowal, and connection. The study of Kabbalah deals primarily with how to attract this force in order to unite people, and discover an eternal and whole reality in such connection. When we attract this force, it performs what is called a “correction” upon our self-centered, egoistic desires, which naturally oppose the tendency to unite, the needed “click” for us all to merge as one and experience a higher level of reality.

It is written that “man and woman, the Divine presence is between them.” The correct combination and functionality of male and female forces is that:

1. the female force balances the male force by activating the male force toward connection, and

2. the male force balances the female force by providing it with strength, understanding and support for the female to rise above its nature.

This is the mutual complementarity that allows male and female forces to function harmoniously.

What Force Is the First to Activate the Other: The Male or the Female?

It is the female. The need and request for unification always emerges from the female. The desire for a connection in the depth of the desire, the soul, is at the basis of every woman’s dissatisfaction and depression.

Even though men think they make progress and breakthroughs due to their own abilities, in fact, all of the male’s activities are for the female, i.e., in order to become significant in their eyes. It is the way we are naturally built.

Thanks to the differences between genders, over which they need to connect into a single whole, perfection becomes possible. There is nothing in each of them alone that the other doesn’t complement, since in spirituality, their wholeness can only exist in mutual complementarity according to the principle, “love will cover all transgressions.”

In other words, instead of fighting our differences and focusing on the differences between men and women, we need to find our common ground of support and understanding where we can together discover a much greater fulfillment and purpose in life—the revelation of how nature functions in more unified levels—and start resembling our relationships to nature’s own form of complete unification.

The sensation of attaining perfect unity will cure depression, as we will work directly with the key that unlocks our negative sensations, opening them to a fulfillment of a completely new kind: balance with nature’s unified form.
[254040]

Action And Intention

laitman_567.04Question: Does the result of my action, like good or evil, depend only on the intention?

Answer: Not only on the intention, but also on the action itself.

You cannot simply lay in bed all day with the intention of assuming that you are working. In our world, we must act.

You cannot sleep with the intention of being in the lesson at the same time. You must act. The action itself tells you what your intention was.
[252514]
From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 7/21/19

Related Material:
Work Without Intention Is Also Work
Not A Calendar Holiday, But A Spiritual Leap
When Will We Finally Exit Egypt?

The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 3

laitman_260.02Torah Is the Plan of Creation and Its Realization

Question: Philosopher Paulus Ricius (Paulo Riccio) in the 16th century wrote that the literal meaning of the Tanakh is subject to the conditions of time and space and that the Kabbalistic meaning remains for centuries, without time and space restrictions. What does that mean?

Answer: The Kabbalistic meaning of the Tanakh is independent of time and on the circumstances of our world. This meaning does not apply to the Torah at all. After all, a Kabbalist who has acquired special spiritual properties reads it from his spiritual attainment.

Question: The Book of Zohar, which comments on the Torah, says that all events in the Torah are sublime secrets. What secrets are we talking about? What is hidden from us?

Answer: Nothing. Just in order to understand the internal interactions between all the elements of creation, one must be at the level of these interactions. Their properties are mutual bestowal, mutual connection, love, conjugation, that is, all the properties that are opposite to our world. Therefore, a person must acquire these inverse properties, and to this extent, at this level, he will be able to correctly understand the Torah.

Question: But what is still hidden from us?

Answer: The whole method is hidden, the whole history of the transformation of the universe from its initial to final state.

Question: So one can say that the Torah is a method?

Answer: The Torah is a method, the Torah is a plan of creation and its implementation in each one and all together, the sequence of this plan, its embodiment.

Question: In Kabbalistic books, in particular, those by Baal HaSulam and Rabash, it is written that the Torah by definition is the light that returns to the source.

Answer: This is a completely different use of the Torah when we use it so that it brings about certain changes in us. It is because we study the upper processes based on the properties of bestowal, love, conjugation, help, inclusion in each other, meaning in the opposite anti-egoistic nature, and then in the process of studying, we attract the light, a certain force that changes us. This is the good influence of the Torah on man.

Question: Can one say that there is a book called the Torah, there is a method of the Torah, and there is a force that is inherent in this book?

Answer: Yes. The Torah is the plan of the whole universe, the way it goes through all its stages of development.
[252078]
From KabTV’s “Basics of Kabbalah,” 12/18/18

Related Material:
The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 2
The Meaning Of Kabbalistic Books, Part 1
The Giving Of The Torah or The Right To Be Human

Kabbalah And Beliefs, Part 6

laitman_571.06Sacrifice—Getting Closer to the Creator

Question: In all faiths, the concept of coaxing the higher powers with sacrifice is practiced. What about in Kabbalah?

Answer: Kabbalah also has such a concept called “sacrifice.”

But here it is understood that a person sacrifices his egoism, does not want to use it, and does not want his egoism to command him. He wants to give it up, to change it for altruism and bestowal.

“Sacrifice” in Hebrew is “Kurban,” which comes from the word “Karov” (getting close). A person wants to correct his egoism and based on that come closer to the Creator. This is the sacrifice.

Question: That is, everything that is written in the Torah about donations to the Temple implies exactly this?

Answer: Only that. Donations are practically what they did in the Temple, because the Temple is a place of contact between a person and the Creator.

Question: Did people come there to unite with each other?

Answer: You can come to the Temple physically, but it does not mean anything. A man appears in a place inside his heart where he could sacrifice his egoism—“slaughter” it, sacrifice it, in order to come closer to the Creator with a feeling of absolute altruism, love, bestowal, and connection.

Question: So, this has nothing to do with the fact that animals were sacrificed in the Temple?

Answer: No. That is all allegory, like root and branch, cause and effect, nothing more. So you can kill as many animals as you like and it will not make any difference.

Question: So the high priest sacrificed his egoism in order to get closer to other people?

Answer: He was the most corrected person among all the people.

Question: Along with internal work, he took a lamb, cut it, and they ate it?

Answer: Yes. They performed all the actions at the same time, starting from the most spiritual, highest actions, to the lowest, material ones—together and in the same intention.
[251837]
From KabTV’s “Basics of Kabbalah” 2/17/18

Related Material:
Kabbalah And Beliefs, Part 5
Kabbalah And Beliefs, Part 4
Kabbalah And Beliefs, Part 3