Baal HaSulam, “The Love for the Creator and  Love for the Created Beings”: …here comes Hillel’s statement to the foreigner who came before him and asked to be converted, as it says in the Gemara, “Convert me so that you will teach me the entire Torah while standing on one leg.”

He told him “That which you hate, do not do to your friend.” This is the entire Torah, and the rest means just go and study. We see that he told him that the entire Torah is the interpretation of the verse, “Love thy friend as thyself.”

The Torah tells us of the methods to ascend to the step of “Loving your neighbor as ourselves.” From the very first word until the very last one, the Torah clearly explains how we should act and what we will be going through in order to completely implement this principle.

Question: What kind of accuracy is it if nobody understands what it’s talking about?

Answer: It’s a process. When one begins to perform the method in the group, little by little one begins realizing and sensing what hatred and love are, which is completely alien to us now.

Today, we hate or love others only on the material plane, but here they are revealed in the concept of complete love, unity, and another spiritual step. Then, our self-measurement becomes totally different. Before, we just lived in this world, experienced numerous sensations in it, and entered into various relationships at an “animal” level.

But now we have started to implement unity among us. By doing so, we rise to a totally new level. We join the group that is not just an assembly of people but much more. In the group, we share diverse relationships between each of us with others. We build the connection that I call a “raspberry ball.”

Definitely, it’s not a “ball” per se, but rather a system that manifests itself among us. It exists and we have to awaken it and bring it to life by attempting to include ourselves into each other, connecting with each other, and hoping that the Returning Light comes and unites us.

We see that we are not capable of doing so on our own. Each time, when we try to become better (1) we see that we have become only worse (2). This will last until we reach a state that is called “49 gates of impurity” upon which we will acknowledge that there is nothing good in us whatsoever and that we are completely evil. Then, according to this understanding, we will feel a necessity to ask for the Creator’s help.

[118595]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/18/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
When The Light Exposes Evil
On Guard For The Benefit Of Others
Pharaoh Will Come To Visit In The Meeting Of Connection

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Baal HaSulam, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”: It is difficult to understand how such a statement (“Love thy friend as thyself”) can contain the sum-total of all the Mitzvot in the Torah.

It is said that the commandment “Love thy friends as thyself” is the greatest rule in the Torah. In other words, it’s a program that governs all of reality, it’s a program called “love.” It includes the still (S), vegetative (V), animate (A) and speaking (S) nature. Thus, everything and everybody is subject to the influence of the force of love and progresses in accordance with it whether willingly or not.

 

 

Love acts as an affectionate and caring mother and constantly expands the desire to receive. This is what the Light does: It nurtures the desire to receive.

 

 

However, while the entire system grows, its sufferings are enhanced since it advances egoistically. On one hand, I would like to “swallow” the entire world, but on the other hand, who will let me?

So, it turns out that I suffer more in spite of the new “opportunities” I get. We are given more choices; every day we hear about new sources of pleasure. We can even “touch” and “smell” them, but we can’t really immerse in them completely. Each time we observe the pleasure from the side and in the end, just add to our frustration.

This is how progress has unfolded for thousands of years until now: We cultivate sciences, technologies, culture, and education and still remain “unfilled.” There are plenty of vessels that are ready to receive pleasure, but so what?

Let’s take a smart phone as an example. When I hold it in my hand, I actually hold the entire world in my palm. I have a chance to talk with whomever I want, get to know what’s going on in the most remote places of the world… But what do I actually do? I chat about nonsense or “kill time” by playing virtual games. In the long run, I remain empty. The younger generation spends all their time like that, they sacrifice their future potential and overwhelm themselves with emptiness. We act as if we are little children.

It means that the Light has led us to withering and degradation, to deterioration and indifference. It was totally inconceivable to us that it would turn out this way.

Pleasures do not stimulate hopes anymore. On the contrary, we are disappointed in them and today, all we want is rest. We have realized that we will never get what we want anyhow, so let’s just “smoke and forget about everything.” It’s not an accident that drugs are being legalized lately. People have to be “calmed down” somehow.

So, what did long-term progress bring to us? Nothing! We wanted to become stronger and more powerful, and now we prefer to reduce our demands and be satisfied with as little as possible so that we can be filled with the sluggish calmness that we aspire to.

We have capitulated. We have helplessly raised our hands in surrender. By not following the principle of “Love thy friend as thyself,” we multiply our suffering.

This is where the problem hides. Love is a general, universal law that embraces all of reality. We cannot escape from it. The more we adhere to it, the more success we will achieve, and vice versa. We constantly experience failures because we don’t even try to implement this in life. Being indifferent to this principle, we don’t realize how much we lose and how much we could gain from it.

Meanwhile, “love your neighbor as yourself” is a general rule for all corrections. In other words, all parts of the inanimate, vegetative, animate, and speaking nature have to come together in a relationship called “love.” We cannot alter this rule. It will always be this way.

The method of correction explains to us how to correct our “territory,” meaning humanity together with other levels of nature, so that they all become similar in properties to the upper force, the Creator. Ultimately, we only have to comply with the law of love. And for this, we have to correctly interpret what love is, what kind of law it is, how far away we are from it at this time, and what are the ways of following it.
[118591]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/16/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
Love As The Law Of Nature
Ecology Begins With The Person
The Ego Is Not A Disruption But A Means To Advance

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Preparation to the Lesson

[media 1]

[media 2]

Writings of Rabash “Shlavei HaSulam,” Article 12

[media 3]

[media 4]

The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, Parashat, “Beresheet,” Item 387

[media 5]

[media 6]

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 1, Part 2, Chapter 2, Item 1

[media 7]

[media 8]

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of Kabbalah and Its Essence”

[media 9]

[media 10]

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: How is it possible to check if a person is in the state of Lo Lishma; what typifies the Lo Lishma from which we reach Lishma?

Answer: Lo Lishma, means that a person is seeking the truth. He has heard and theoretically has an idea what it is, but at the same time he still is in the intention to receive for himself.

 

 

If we measure Lo Lishma according to a scale from 0% to 100%, then in the case where a friend borrows $1,000 from me, 0% of Lo Lishma is when the friend must return all $1,000 to me.

1% of Lo Lishma is when he returns $999 to me, and I accept this as if he returned all of the $1000. And 100% of Lo Lishma is when he returns 0 dollars to me, an empty envelope. And I check this with my senses, see that there is nothing there and accept this as if he returned the entire debt to me. This is to say, this shows me how much I can go beyond the receiving desires.

But certainly all of this advancement is possible only due to the influence of the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif). But when we pass from Lo Lishma to Lishma, then we begin to operate the Direct Light (Ohr Yashar).

Baal HaSulam provides a definition of Lo Lishma in The Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot: “Indeed, practicing Torah and Mitzvot in Lo Lishma means that one believes in the Creator, in the Torah, and in reward and punishment. And he engages in the Torah because the Creator commanded the engagement, but he associates his own pleasure with bringing contentment to his Maker.”
[120659]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/15/13, Shamati #64 “From Lo Lishma to Lishma“

Related Material:
How Does One Move One’s Attention Towards The Creator?
The Beginning Of The Spiritual Work Has Started
From Egoism To Bestowal In Faith Above Reason

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Prayer and Intention, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”: So it is with our matter. Once we have learned about the purpose, it is also clear to us that all the conducts of Creation, in its every corner, inlet, and outlet, are completely prearranged for the purpose of nurturing the human species from its midst, to improve its qualities until it can sense the Creator as one feels one’s friend.

These ascensions are like rungs of a ladder, arranged degree-by-degree until it is completed and achieves its purpose.

Development is divided into two stages: In the beginning from above to below, and after that from below to above.

First, all of the distinctions are developed from above to below, from the desire to bestow to the desire to receive, from Olam Ein Sof to Olam Ha Assiya. In this way there are five worlds and 125 levels according to the model of HaVaYaH that is clarified to the most distant “material” from the Creator; and this must be changed 25 times: five times five, which includes the tip of the letter “Yod.”

With this we reach the level of the creature, to its foundation, to the middle point of all the worlds. And from here begins the way from below to above, by way of the correction of the desire to receive. The desire to receive grew, rising more and more from the “point in the heart,” and together with this, when it grew, it had to install the form of bestowal upon itself, which is the screen (Masach) and Reflected Light (Ohr Hozer).

Therefore when we rise, we grow from below to above with two distinctions:

• The desire to receive, which is the “material” that is gradually gathered into the “point in the heart”
• The desire to bestow, which is the screen (Masach) and Reflected Light (Ohr Hozer) i.e., the external form that is clothed on the desire to receive. And this is called Man (Adam).

That is how we grow until we come back to the higher power, to equivalence with the Creator.
[120679]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/14/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of Kabbalah and Its Essence”

Related Material:
Leading The Desire To The Light
Restoring The Broken Screen
Know All Forms Of The Upper One And Conform

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Question: When we go out to the public, we enjoy the fact that people listen to us and complement us, etc. How can I avoid being “stuck” on myself? How can I remember that it is the Creator who does all the work?

Answer: You have to feel that the Creator is working inside you, and that you are the conductor of His work.

Suppose I give a lecture to a certain group of people; when I enter the hall I begin to work, I speak with those in charge, and I constantly feel the Creator working through me. I want Him to work through me since after all He does everything and I simply convey the connection between Him and the audience like a pipe through which the Upper Light flows.

I want the Light to influence them so they will understand the inner meaning of my words, which I actually don’t understand, but will understand them now together with my audience since the Creator influences them through me.

I want to become one united whole together with them where I play the part of the source of Light and they are the consumers, but the Light exists in all of us. It straightens, equalizes,and unites us, and repairs all the consequences of the shattered vessel. All the people who were separate parts are now getting used to connecting to one another and they forget that not too long ago they were separated from one another. Everything comes together.

I want to feel and sense all of this so that the Creator will unite and fill us according to our unity. I constantly work in this direction, and it has to become my constant feeling every minute of my life!

I enter a supermarket, buy products, go to the bank, perform different actions there, spend time at work, come home, and I want the Creator to operate through me, no matter where I am. In all my interactions, even with the still, vegetative, and animate parts of nature, with everything that surrounds me, I want the Creator to bestow upon the world around me, through me. Then I am called Israel, the connector of the Creator to the world. This is our mission!
[120704]
From the Talk about Group and Dissemination 10/21/13

Related Material:
A Million Dollars Or The Upper Light?
The Channel That Conveys The Light
Formula Of Action: Creator – World – Creator

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Question: What is false humility in the relationships between the groups?

Answer: In our work there is no false humility because if you knew for sure that salvation is only possible through the connection with the friends you would not be shy. You would beg them for help.

Let’s say I know that I have a problem with my health and there is some remedy for it in South America. That means that I would connect with one of the groups living there and ask them to send this remedy to me. This is natural because we often help each other this way.

If so, why can’t you ask for the inner support? This would be help not only for you. Since you ask your friend about connection with him, you do the same service for him. For now, you still don’t understand the essence of the common work! If I know that my friend and I have the correct relations I have to accept a gift from him. By doing this I express my attitude toward him and I understand his attitude towards me.

When you love someone you want to give him gifts. If he says, “No I don’t need this, why?” So he doesn’t understand your action. He has to show that he is happy to receive your gift, “I wanted this so much! It is so great that you guessed what I wanted!”
[120702]
From the Lesson About “Group and Dissemination,” 10/21/13

Related Material:
The Fate Of The Friend Depends Upon The Group
A Common Prayer To Heal The Sick Soul
Concessions Are A Sign Of Strength Not Weakness

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Spiritual Work - 2 Comments →

Preparation to the Lesson

[media 1]

[media 2]

Writings of Rabash “Shlavei HaSulam,” “Make for Yourself a Rav and Buy Yourself a Friend – 1“

[media 3]

[media 4]

The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, Parashat, “Beresheet,” Item 367

[media 5]

[media 6]

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 1, Part 2, Chapter 1, Item 6

[media 7]

[media 8]

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of Kabbalah and Its Essence“

[media 9]

[media 10]

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: I relate to the Creator with respect and awe. He is great and grandiose in my imagination, whereas the friends, the “others” among whom He is revealed, are the opposite. It is as if we lower the bar. They seem less important. How do we solve this problem? How do I increase the value in my eyes of the “electricity” that already has been revealed within the world Kli, the unity, on the background of the greatness of its source?

Answer: As the sages say, you cannot show children that our love for them is absolute. It will only spoil them. Parents who show unconditional love to their children bring their children to circles (Igulim) instead of straight lines (Yosher), instead of law, mercy instead of justice, and this is not good.

Therefore, we simply cannot imagine the Creator is good that does good. He conceals Himself behind very specific and rigid views of the relationship with us that appear to us as ranging from the very unkind to the quite cruel.

We need to take into account both extremes, the two sides of the same coin. On the one hand, He is good and that does good, and on the other hand, I find it as bad. So, how can I connect these two opposing extremes?

The goal of creation is to benefit His creatures, and this is attained according to corrections that the creatures make and only at the end of development. Baal HaSulam writes about this in the article, “The Essence of Religion and its Purpose.” If I adopt this approach, if I realize this during my process of investigation, then I will understand why everything is arranged in this way. I understand the Creator is like a loving father. From love, He must pressure His child in order to lead him toward the good.

Specifically, the idea here is how to clearly identify the problem, the contradiction between the Creator who is good and that does good and the troubles of our world, for I see that the troubles are just increasing, becoming more acute, and pressing more and more strongly on humanity. Until recently, it was as if times were good, and everyone hoped for a brighter and good future, for the “American Dream,” but today, this is no longer serves as a benchmark, and soon we will be happy not to live there.

Why do we need this opposition, this contradiction? This conflict is specifically designed to create internal dissonance in me: How can it be that power of nature, the good and who does good, the absolute power beyond all limitations, locks us into such serious disasters?

I begin to examine and investigate this conflict and search for a solution to the problem. Maybe, the Creator doesn’t exist, and everything is at the mercy of blind nature, and I must fight against it.

However, in reality this approach doesn’t solve the problem. After all, the Creator and nature are the same thing. It follows that I have not changed anything. I only have changed the words but I am left facing the same unsolved problem. The condition is still ongoing and becoming worse, and in any case, I must search for a way out.

Therefore, ultimately, I can solve this conflict only if I will understand that I don’t need to change anything except myself, and here is the key point: Do we need to change ourselves or not? Do we worship through all kinds of physical actions, actions that have been written down, and wait for these to bring us everything good, or do we correct ourselves, and from these, our corrected Kelim, it will be good for us.
[120349]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/12/13, Shamati #3 “The Matter of Spiritual Attainment”

Related Material:
The Creator Is Always the Absolute Good
The Creator Is In Focus
Aiming The Account At The Creator

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Baal HaSulam, “The Teaching of Kabbalah and Its Essence”: And the most important thing in this whole diverse reality is the sensation given to the animals—that each of them feels its own existence. And the most important sensation is the noetic sensation, given to man alone, by which one also feels what is in another—the pains and comforts.

Of all of creation, the human is the most developed regarding his desires. How can we know about them? This is according to his movements and actions, all of which essentially constitute the expression of his inner desire.

Look at what a mess the human makes in the world. On the other hand, animals don’t change anything but only move in order to fulfill their desires, and with the vegetative level, there isn’t even enough desire to move. Therefore, it follows that the human is motivated by the greatest desire. He wants to change the world and himself and not just move and grow. This is what he uses the powers found within him for.

Thus, the human is the center of creation, the creature that was developed at the end of creation and for whom the entire creation was developed. Therefore, we must understand: All of the reality of the still, vegetative, and animate is intended to serve the human and to be useful to him only in order to attain the goal.

What is the goal? The human must reach that higher power that created him. It is concealed from the human as a result of the law of equivalence of form, and a person must change himself in order to reach the similarity of properties according to the law of equivalence of form, and he will fully reveal this power that created him. This identification and approximation is called adherence which is revealed as complete connection. This is what the human being must reach.
[120489]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/14/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
The Goal – Love Of The Other
Loving The Other Not In Words, But In Deeds
The Trend Of Our Time

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Spiritual Work - 1 Comment →