Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 12/7/18
Posted on December 7th, 2018 at 7:00 am
Lesson Preparation
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Lesson on the Topic “Hanukkah”
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”
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Lesson Preparation
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Lesson on the Topic “Hanukkah”
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”
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Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
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When the Jewish nation converges and unites, the world converges and unites around them toward goodness. When the Jewish nation hates itself, others hate it as well.
I wish American Jews quick awakening, awareness of their mission, the opportunity to correct themselves …
…. and through them—the whole world. #antisemitism #tikkun
The French people hate #Macron?
No! They hate their situation:
9.1% unemployment rate, 14.2% below the poverty threshold, violent attacks and drug-trafficking in the open. But nothing will change this trend.
The solution: institute across-the-board, mandatory education with wages
just as for employment. #ParisRiots
#Hanukkah isn’t construction, gathering sparks from the ruins of broken desires.
We gathered the sparks—desires to bestow, Bina, faith.
Then we start building the Temple in desires to receive—until Purim. The Temple was built out of the matter of creation …
… every person’s egoism, connected to others by love, light.
Pharaoh is inside every person and he proclaims, “I won’t let you unite with others.” This war over ascent above the egoism that divides us is the War of the Maccabees. It takes place on every degree of egoism in a person. #Hanukkah2018
We are able to make out, find out and reveal qualities of the Creator’s light only inasmuch as we attain opposite qualities of darkness.
This is why we must go through all the states of darkness, opposite to the light. Experience enables us, while going through darkness …
… to anticipate the forthcoming revelation of light. #spirituality
All the “bad” states throughout the day come to us only to give us the chance to see the light on their background. Light is the quality of bestowal, a good attitude to the friend for the sake of the common goal and not for my own benefit.
Darkness to me is the background that offsets the light, unity, the Creator.
A stop is necessary since it’s impossible to smoothly go from one war to another. At first the war was about not receiving. Once we attained rejection of reception on all degrees of desire, Malchut, meaning the degree of Bina, we have to stop before starting the new work.
#Hanukkah (“they stopped here” – “Hanu-Koh”) is a break between two wars. Hanukkah is preceded by the first war for bestowing desires, GE, while the second war after Hanukkah, the break—is for receiving desires, AHP.
These are different wars, so there has to be a break in-between.
The force of unity must rule over the forces of division.
It is thanks to the division that we increase the force of unity, overcoming the forces of rejection and raising unity above them.
Good grows only out of evil. Hence the Creator created evil and gave light for its correction.
If I annul myself to the group, I reveal that they aren’t friends, but spiritual qualities that only seemed to me as people having various problems and flaws. In reality, they are nine angels sent to help me, lifting me up on their wings.
The Creator brought me to the group and said: “Choose it, this is your good fate.” And I must annul to them—then I’ll be able to rise up with them. It’s the same at every level, degree—I must annul to the ten, which I see as being worse and worse…
A Kabbalistic group, the ten, works like an elevator.
If one invests in it as much as he can, the elevator starts lifting him to the next floor or spiritual degree. Thus, each time, a person rises via the group by drawing the upper light. Me—the group—light (the Creator).
From Twitter, 12/6/18
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The purpose of creation is our correction of the shattering that occurred between us, the egoistic beginning that stands between us which is killing us, creating a feeling of temporary and damaged existence, into a desire to unite “as one man with one heart.” Everyone will perceive the others as himself, not feeling any difference between his friend and himself.
Whether we like it or not, this is the goal, and all of humanity is moving toward it. But of course, there are parts that are more advanced along this path, and others less so. This is not up to us; it depends on the informational genes and desires placed in each of us that determine each person’s place in this process: whether he is at the forefront, nearing, or even entering correction, or if he is trailing in the back where this process and the goal of creation are not even felt.
Our worldwide group Bnei Baruch is honored to be at the very forefront of those who implement the correction of creation in our generation. First, we need to connect with each other, and then the rest of humanity will join us to become as one person with one heart.
Such a connection is called mutual guarantee, a special connection where everyone depends on each other and each person is responsible for all others. We are the pioneers, and the rest of the world will follow. To the extent that we succeed in uniting, we will be able to feel within our common vessel the power of unity, which is called the Creator, the upper Light.
According to the power of our unity, the Creator is revealed more and more, as the Light of Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, and Yechida. Yechida is the highest form of connection we can possibly achieve. This power is revealed only because of our efforts and due to our success, and this is why we have been given the science of Kabbalah, the science of connection, the goal of which is to lead a person to love his friend like himself, which is the formula of good and right connection.
The goal of this congress is to scrutinize the conditions needed to achieve the principles of creation, its program, and purpose. Therefore, our goal is to reveal the Creator inside our connection in practice.
To the extent of our success, we will influence all others because we are the center in this generation where the strongest and the most advanced people are concentrated in terms of implementing correction. These forces will spread from us to all who want to join us that feel that a higher power and this entire life pushes them to unite.
These days, the necessity of such connection is becoming apparent all over the world because people are feeling not just their suffering, but also its cause. And this is already the revelation of evil that gradually leads us toward correction.
We have a big task ahead of us and each one has to feel responsible for the rest as an important part of a single system. If he fails to realize his function to the fullest extent, this flaw will be felt in the entire system on all its levels and in all the connections.
The first step in achieving this connection is to separate oneself from one’s own benefit, to raise above one’s “I” and dedicate oneself to the group, like a mother who is completely devoted to her baby. Then the only thing of importance for me will be what benefits or hinders the connection, and each moment I will check myself according to the internal or external conditions that the Creator brings us in order to lead us to the one common soul.
In this common spiritual vessel, the single upper force will be revealed to us, and it will let us enter the mutual guarantee, the feeling of unity, which is the upper spiritual force. That is why we must raise above our “I” and enter the “We.”1
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/2718, Lesson on the Topic “Revealing The Creator In The Connection Between Us” (Preparation for the Virtual Convention 2018)
1 Minute 00:20
Related Material:
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Introductory Lecture “Purpose of Creation” – 11.16.10
Kabbalists On The Purpose Of Creation, Part 24
Remark: In Rabash’s time there was no Internet. Today social networks are highly developed. When disseminating on social networks, there is a risk of succumbing to corporeal pleasures. They literally suck people in.
My Comment: Dissemination can only be in that I express my opinion, the opinion of Kabbalah, or the opinion of my teachers.
We have only one-way communication! Whoever wants to—come to our site and study. Whoever does not want to—is free to leave. We do not engage in any dialogs or discussions.
Question: Will people in the group of the last generation absorb something from others around them?
Answer: We have nothing to absorb from them. We can only regret what they spend their time and energy on.
We can perceive from the others only their desire to come closer to an understanding of the rational, good, and eternal, but nothing else.
[236067]
From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 4/25/18
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Question: Where is the world headed?
Answer: If you look at the final goal, then the world is moving toward a good state—universal correction. This is the goal we must reach.
In principle, it initially already exists in the spiritual world. First, the goal is always determined, and only afterward events unfold according to it, which depend on our behavior. We determine how to achieve it.
The spiritual world is built differently than our world. It unfolds from the end to the beginning. That is, you gradually determine what you need to achieve and then how to achieve it.
If, for example, an architect designs a building, he approximately imagines his ultimate goal, but it does not exist. And here, the goal does exist. Everything is determined by our participation.
We need to determine precisely what the goal is so that it is always in front of us and we move toward it at every moment.
In Kabbalah, it is considered as going by faith above reason when we go in bestowal above reception, absolutely clearly imagining the properties of the spiritual world and trying to realize them, as if we already exist in it.
[236903]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 8/12/18
Related Material:
The Ultimate Goal Remains Unchanged
The Wisdom of Kabbalah: What Is It About? Who Is It For? And For What?
Everyone Will Discover The Upper World
Lesson Preparation
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Lesson on the Topic “Hanukkah”
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 16, Table of Answers for the Meaning of the Words, Item 136
| [media 5] | [media 6] |
Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”
| [media 7] | [media 8] |
Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
Download:MP3 Audio
Thrive Global published my new article: “Hanukkah: Setting Aside One Week For Life Transformation”
The word “Hanukkah,” from Hebrew “Hanu-Koh,” or “stop here,” represents the first stage of spiritual development, a process of correcting the desire to enjoy for oneself and inverting it into a desire to bestowal unto others, a state that liberates us from darkness.
Hanukkah is not just another week in the Jewish calendar. It can be used as a respite dedicated to personal enlightenment, one week set aside for life transformation. The holiday of Hanukkah signifies the victory of light over darkness, unity over division. Indeed, such a victory requires no less than a miracle, but it is one within grasp. We need only know how to light the candle and make it happen.
Through our connection, we strike a match against the darkness and ignite the light in our lives. This is the brilliance of Hanukkah, the holiday of light. As with a match, a little friction transforms into a gleaming flame.
Of all the holidays, Hanukkah and Purim are considered special for many reasons. First, the Torah makes no mention of them. Second, after the full completion of humanity’s corrections, it is said that all the holidays will be canceled except for these two. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, Hanukkah and Purim are of utmost importance because both are directly connected to the rebuilding of the Temple, which symbolizes the place where Creator and creation bond. The Temple’s ruin represents a breaking of this bond between us. Rebuilding that bond means attaining all the abundance and goodness in our existence. This is the Kabbalists’ quest.
Like a thirsty man trying to draw water with a leaky bucket, who must first fix the vessel before he can fill it and drink, one who feels detached from spirituality must first mend the bond with the Creator before being able to receive the offered illumination.
In order to live a purposeful life, we need to ascend through a cycle of spiritual development called “a year.” In each upward cycle, we face the same desires met previously, but on ever-higher degrees each time. While we do so, we encounter recurrent milestones of inner changes, discernments and situations aimed at rising to the next spiritual degree, the correction of the soul. The Kabbalists call these degrees “holidays” and “Sabbaths.”
The holidays and Sabbath in our world were determined by Kabbalists to provide a framework of behaviors in accordance with our work in the inner spiritual world. That is the reason we celebrate the holidays each year and the Sabbath each week.
Stopover on an Enlightened Path
The word Hanukkah, from Hebrew “Hanu-Koh,” or “stop here,” represents the first stage of spiritual development, a process of correcting the desire to enjoy for oneself and inverting it into a desire to bestowal unto others, a state that liberates us from darkness. Darkness manifests as separation, conflicts, arguments, ruthless competitiveness, and the desire to exploit and dominate others. Our inner struggle to overcome our egoistic nature is what we call “the War of the Maccabees against the Greeks,” i.e. “Greeks” symbolizing characteristics that yearn for control over us.
The victory over the Greeks is the foundation of any person’s path on the spiritual ladder. This triumph lets us perform corrections that will lead to the final correction—Purim—when we attain the endless bounty that the Creator prepared for all.
When we can rejoice in each other’s successes, share our concerns, in mutual connection, we will realize what nature tries to teach us: that we belong to one single body. If we take just the tiniest step in this direction, we will see miracles on the way. We will see how a small lamp, the smallest jar of oil, will kindle a strong and warm fire that illuminates everyone’s life.
What Is the Miracle of Hanukkah?
Overcoming our ego—the desire to enjoy at others’ expense—requires rising above our nature, and this is considered a miracle. Instinctively, our ego governs our existence, even though the outcome causes a boomerang effect that brings us suffering. How then does this miracle happen? Every time we connect with each other, the force that is higher than all other forces, obstacles and conditions, is drawn into action and the miracles manifest before our eyes.
Although a miracle is a supernatural phenomenon, we are able to make it happen whenever we choose closer connection above all kinds of resistance. Today, if we wish to rise above our ego and try to connect positively with others, a completely new upper force will be revealed within us, and with its help, we will be able to bring peace, love and unity to the world.
Let us spin ourselves together around this exalted goal to ignite the spirit of unity, enlighten our lives, and radiate joy and fulfillment to everyone.
Happy Hanukkah!
— Published on December 3, 2018
My new article “A Jewish Thought Network: The Most Powerful Weapon to Combat Anti-Semitism” was published recently in The Times of Israel.
When the word “Jew” becomes an insult there is a reason to worry. That is the reality a school teacher experiences in today’s Europe, as she needs to hide her religion out of fear for her safety. A recent poll conducted by CNN confirmed that hatred against Jews in Europe has never disappeared. It has just transformed itself into a more evident menace. It is in our hands, or more precisely, in the power of our thoughts as Jewish people to change this situation, because thoughts have transformational powers.
The CNN survey revealed that one-in-five Europeans justify anti-Semitism. However, these are only the ones who admit to it. The problem is not only on Europe’s soil. It’s global. At a recent summit to combat anti-Semitism, European Jewish Congress president Dr. Moshe Kantor mentioned that “Europe doesn’t have a monopoly on anti-Semitism anymore. No Jewish community anywhere in the world, however strong and well-organized, is now immune from Jew hatred.”
Exceptional situations prompt the proposal of extraordinary measures. At the conference held in Vienna, a “Catalogue of Policies to Combat Anti-Semitism” was drafted with the help of academics from Vienna, Tel Aviv and New York. One new approach suggested a call for new editions of the Bible and Quran to carry warning messages to highlight “anti-Semitic passages” within the holy texts.
Are such texts really a source of incitement against Jews? Would such markings really serve to “combat anti-Semitism”? And more importantly, what power do we have as Jews to eradicate the hostility against us?
Religious Anti-Semitism?
Researchers connect anti-Semitism to sections in the Bible about Jews being responsible for Christ’s crucifixion and to sections in the Quran that fanatic jihadists use to justify their crusade against the Jews and Western values. Back in April 2018, a group of 300 French intellectuals and politicians signed a manifesto to Islamic leaders in France asking that “verses of the Quran calling for the killing and punishment of Jews, Christians and unbelievers be rendered obsolete by theological authorities,” to avoid what they consider as incitement to violence.
Yet, after years of anti-hatred plans and meetings to discuss the frightening times, do we see any change? Indeed, something has changed, but not in a positive direction. Anti-Semitism is relentlessly on the rise worldwide and the future looks increasingly dark.
Since none of the proposed solutions have worked so far, maybe it is time for a new approach? We Jews need to look no further than our own heritage to discover the infallible weapon, a force sufficient to eliminate anti-Semitism once and for all. The wisdom of Kabbalah claims that with a shift in our collective consciousness, we can create a force field powerful enough to erase anti-Semitic manifestations from earth.
Our inner state of division or unity creates our outer reality and not vice versa. By changing our intention to unite as one, we harmonize with the force of creation, and reality is affected by the energy we radiate. How does it work? In order to understand how this defensive shield is built we need to explore the development of humanity’s defense systems.
The Power of Thought
The evolution of defense systems up to the atomic bomb, demonstrates that the stronger a weapon is, the more hidden it is to the human eye, and the heavier are its consequences. Cyberspace, for instance, could be the modern-day battlefield for potential world war if the imaginary “red button” falls into the wrong hands.
Taking this trend one step further, the most powerful and precise weapon being revealed today is the power of thought, although similarly, we are unaware of its magnitude and dimension because of its invisibility. The scientific community claims that we are connected at the human level in a field that is activated through our collective consciousness or thoughts. This field is similar to the force of gravity, electricity, or the electromagnetic field in that its exact operation is hidden from the human senses.
Kabbalah explains that such a unifying force is a law of nature—a network of forces that bind us together—not yet apparent to us, but it influences every aspect of our reality more than any other force. The power of thought is tremendously powerful and its scope of action lies in the network of our connection: we are as strong as we are united, and as weak as we are divided. We are the ones who constantly operate this network, we just need to become aware of it and discover how to consciously make it work for our collective benefit.
The power currently controlling this network is a negative, divisive force of rejection and hatred activated by our egoistic nature. It strikes back at us as waves of bigotry and animosity from the nations of the world. Unconsciously, the nations of the world feel that Jews hold the keys that activate this network for positive change, urging us to recognize our mission.
They are correct.
As stated in The Book of Zohar: “Just as the organs of the body cannot exist for one moment without the heart, so all nations cannot exist in the world without Israel.” So how can we effectively make a meaningful impact on today’s reality? This can be easily accomplished through effective use of the most widespread net encompassing humanity: cyberspace.
First, Jews must be an example of cohesion, understanding and mutual solidarity above differences, which would turn us into an enlightening force for the rest of the world. As expressed by Rav Kook, “The genuine movement of the Israeli soul at its grandest is expressed only by its sacred, eternal force, which flows within its spirit. It is that which has made it, is making it, and will make it still a nation that stands as a light unto nations.” (Letters of the RAAIAH, 3)
Our thoughts drawing us toward unity and softening critical attitudes toward one another have the power to evoke a positive force within the network of communication between us—a force capable of gradually neutralizing hatred and bringing about balance. This is the power capable of protecting us and leading us toward a good future.
As every path starts with a first step, every little thought from each of us toward positive human connection will increase exponentially and cause great changes in our reality because the power of thought is the most powerful weapon.
“Do not be surprised that one person’s actions bring elevation or decline to the whole world, for it is an unbending law that the general and the particular are as identical as two peas in a pod… Evidently, the value of an act of a part elevates or declines the entire whole.
– Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Introduction to the Book of Zohar, item 68.
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