Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 5/22/18
Posted on May 22nd, 2018
Lesson Preparation
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Lesson on the Topic: “The Work Between the Desirable State and the Existing State”
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
Lesson Preparation
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Lesson on the Topic: “The Work Between the Desirable State and the Existing State”
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
The common soul that was one and connected was divided into many parts after the shattering; we need to assemble and connect these parts in order to reveal the Creator through them.
The difference between the original vessel and the one reconstructed after the shattering is that the shattering revealed new qualities that previously were not apparent. It is because of them that the soul shattered, and through their correction additional qualities of the Light are revealed against these broken desires. And in this way we scrutinize the internality of the Creator that created this soul and corrects with His Light.
If not for the shattering and correction, we would not feel more than the first man, Adam, felt before the sin, meaning just a state of smallness (Katnut) Nefesh/Ruach de Ruach. And after the shattering and the correction, we reveal the complete Light of NRNHY, that is, we adhere to the Creator Himself, reach equivalence of form with Him, understand His way and wisdom embedded in the creation.
Therefore, it is impossible to avoid the shattering and the correction. The end of correction is a point initially included in the plan of creation.
The soul has to correct itself according to the entire system of creation that includes in itself all the worlds of Adam Kadmon and ABYA. The soul is the most internal part of the entire system of creation, therefore, through our correction it must acquire the same form as all the upper worlds, consisting of three parts: head-body-extremities (Rosh-Toch-Sof), then of three lines, and a large number of complex forms.
When they connect together, the differences do not disappear because “love covers all transgressions.” The corrected soul keeps the whole great egoism within itself, all the immense desires and contradictions. Everything that existed before is preserved, nothing is erased. Even, on the contrary, negative manifestations help us reveal the Light, the advantage of which is revealed from the darkness.
There is a great work ahead of us; after all, Adam had no head, body, and extremities—there was simply one body positioned on one level that was filled with the Light of Hassadim. He was born circumcised like an angel, in the state of smallness (Katnut). An infant has no intelligence and cannot stand but can only lie down, that is, his head is on the same level with the body.
And we need to place this broken soul on its feet, in the upright position of a person. Therefore, in our work, we select parts of the soul that belong to the head and the body and we clarify the role of each of them. All the parts of the soul after the shattering are already prepared for correction, but we have to invite the upper Light, find out the locations of breakage, and correct them.
Those who will be drawn to spiritual work will be called the head of Adam, the common soul. And the rest are parts of his body. That is why Israel, meaning “those who yearn straight to the Creator,” are called “My head” (Li-Rosh).
Chosen to Work Without a Reward
The virtuous people are those who work in three lines, are in the head of the soul, and can perform scrutinies and corrections by passing the Light through themselves to the broken desires so that they become corrected, connected, and joined to it, thus creating a complete Partzuf.
We need to agree to be the virtuous people because there is no coercion in spirituality. Therefore, we will get blows from above until we give our consent to do this work, and we should agree wholeheartedly. Through the blows we begin to understand what is good and what is bad for us and therefore we agree.
To be a high priest (Kohen) means not to receive any reward for one’s work: he corrects the entire world and brings everyone closer to the Creator so that everybody is connected to Him and filled with the Light of infinity, and he gets nothing for it. This is called work of a high priest, Kohen.
The Kohen does not have any land, any estate, only pure work for the Creator from which nothing is left for him. His reward is only in having strength for the work in order to continue working and giving contentment to the Creator. This is the pure bestowal.
Each person in the world in whom the Creator awakened a spiritual spark belongs to the virtuous people and must work for the correction of the world. Due to the fact that we connect with each other and come to “Love your neighbor as yourself,” we come to the love for the Creator, and we must pull humanity after us. This is our mission; after all, we have received a desire for this work and there is no choice—we have to realize this desire.
The world is divided into those to whom the Creator gave this desire and to whom He did not give it. Why this desire is given to us, we do not know. It will become clear later, but it will not be important because all who fulfill their mission are absolutely equal—everything rounds up into a circle and each one attains all the degrees up to the height of our forefather Moses.1
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/9/18, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Mutual Guarantee,” Item 28
1 Minute 3:30
Related Material:
The Twelve Tribes Of The Common Soul
Adam – We Share One Common Soul
Commutation Between Parts Of The Common Soul
We can never truly unite our desires and our intentions. We can connect only within the Creator. There we interconnect and become a ten. That is why it is necessary to constantly speak about the greatness of the Creator, without Whom we will not complete our construction of the ten. We can talk endlessly about unity, but nothing will happen.
The end of the action must already be laid in the initial thought, that is, in adhesion with the Creator; therefore, it must be involved in the beginning of each action.1
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/10/18, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4,Chapter 1, Item5
1 Minute 35:20
Related Material:
Feeling The Desires Of Others
Filling The Desires Of Others As If They Were My Own
Finding The Creator Within
Lesson Preparation
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Lesson on the Topic: “The Work Between the Desirable State and the Existing State”
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 3, Item 6
| [media 5] | [media 6] |
Writings of Baal HaSulam, “One Commandment”
| [media 7] | [media 8] |
How exactly is spiritual advancement expressed? It is in a greater attainment of the Creator, in the unity of friends, in the comprehension of the teachings of Kabbalah, in the growth of our strength, or conversely, in the realization of our own helplessness and dependence? If we examine it closer, then it becomes clear that our entire advancement depends solely on experiencing the greatness of the Creator.
The degree to which we attain this greatness, or even better, increase it with faith above reason, will determine our whole advancement along the spiritual path, our readiness to direct all our efforts, thoughts, and desires, each one individually and everyone together, toward bringing contentment to the Creator.
It does not matter what advancement or understanding was received, how much effort was exerted, or what obstacles needed to be overcome. Our calculations must only be carried out in terms of how to bring contentment to the Creator. There is no greatness of me as an individual, or of a friend, or a teacher—there is only the greatness of the Creator, which needs to be widened, enlarged, and experienced to the degree to which it is more important than my own well-being. That is what is meant by continuing the convention with an ascent.
The recent convention in America was very successful because a tremendous importance of the Creator was revealed in it; it governed all our efforts, thoughts, and desires. This is the height of the convention.
Everything is measured by raising the importance of the Creator between us, thanks to whom we distance ourselves from personal gain and move toward the group’s benefit, to the extent in which we value it as a means of bestowal to the Creator.
That is why, to continue the convention with an ascent is to constantly check: have we reached a greater level of importance of the Creator without seeking personal benefit in it, but only from the desire to bring Him contentment.
To continue advancing, we don’t need to wait for the next convention, but between the conventions we need to try to build the greatness of the Creator between us, without reverting to asking for ourselves.1
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/10/18, Lesson on the Topic: “Continuing the Congress with an Ascent”
1 Minute 0:25
Related Material:
The Higher The Ascent, The Less Discomfort
Accept Descents As Ascents
New Life #849 – The Ascent Of The Soul
Lesson Preparation
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Lesson on the Topic: “The Greatness of the Creator”
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 3, Item 3
| [media 5] | [media 6] |
Writings of Baal HaSulam, “One Commandment”
| [media 7] | [media 8] |
Lesson Preparation
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Lesson on the Topic: “The Greatness of the Creator”
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 3, Item 1
| [media 5] | [media 6] |
Lesson Preparation
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Lesson on the Topic: “The Greatness of the Creator”
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
What’s most important is to feel the need for the Creator’s help. We are born completely disconnected from the upper force, like animals, and feel no need for the Creator. He is not included in any of our egoistic desires. In our entire existence in this world, we do not find any need for the Creator.
We try to build the whole world, all of its system, the family, society and the environment, only through the power of our egoism. We try to conquer nature in order to make ourselves comfortable and to put everything to our service.
This is the way we develop. Our egoism pushes us in the completely opposite direction from the Creator. If we do need the Creator, it is only to take advantage of Him. People have always tried to enlist the support of nature’s forces, such as the sun and the moon. If there is an even higher power, then it would be good to put it to our service, for our benefit.
However, when we talk about needing the Creator’s help, it means something quite different. It is not that the Creator comes and provides us with pleasant egoistic fillings, good sensations, and comfortable lives. All supposed “spiritual” practices that provide a person with the feeling that he is separated from taking care of himself are also aimed at making one feel better and more comfortable, free from the burden of egoistic experiences. This is only a more cunning way of egoistically using all of nature’s forces, as if also including the upper force.
The wisdom of Kabbalah is unique in that it requires a special amount of patience from a person in anticipation of the Creator’s help. You need to be patient and try to see the Creator’s work on you, listening attentively to your inner voice. This is how a person will gradually begin to discover that he constantly thinks about himself: that he lacks fulfillment, comprehension, and success. Where is the promised Creator who should fulfill me?
These are the natural requirements that appear in us all. We have to pass these stages on the way to the true correction. The Creator Himself awakens these questions and claims in us until we become tired of thinking about ourselves. We will despair from the impossibility of realizing our egoistic plans and will begin to hope that we will receive the fulfillment if we direct our thoughts in the opposite direction, in the only possible direction—to the Creator.
It is still an egoistic intention, but we already begin to discover that fulfillment can come only from caring about the neighbor, about the friends. This is bestowal for the sake of reception, but it is still great progress toward spirituality.
Desperate to fill ourselves with our own knowledge, achievements, sensations, thoughts, “me, me, me!,” we begin to feel that there is an opportunity to fill ourselves if we think about the friends or the Creator. If there is no fulfillment in receiving, can it be in bestowal, caring for the neighbor? This is egoistic bestowal, but I still partially exit myself and begin being included in others. In any case, I think about what they need in order to give to them and fill myself in this mode.
Here, a new attitude and work is born: everyone cares for others, seeing that this is the only way to fill themselves. Subconsciously, we still think about ourselves, but we already understand that without the friends, we will not be fulfilled. Also, we no longer try to use others directly for our own benefit. Instead, we use them indirectly, trying to do good to them because bestowal makes us content. We see that this is our only chance for success. If instead of receiving, I bestow and take care of others all the time, then I will be fulfilled with this concern. This is called “bestowal for the sake of receiving.”
My salvation from my own problems is in the thoughts about the Creator: they disconnect me from constant anxiety about myself, inner emptiness, helplessness, and doubt. This is how we start feeling the opportunity to rise by faith above reason and reach bestowal. Even if I still bestow for my own sake, it is already a springboard to pure bestowal.
Many lack patience and do not wait until the Creator takes care of them, bringing them to this type of bestowal, that is, for the sake of receiving a fulfillment. We should understand that this type of bestowal differs from the corporeal world’s egoistic bestowal, whereas the latter cannot be called bestowal at all, because it still comes from the desire to receive more although via an alternate route.
Here, we move to bestowal for the sake of receiving after a great disappointment, having made sure that it is impossible to be fulfilled by means of receiving. Therefore, we want to get rid of these desires, to put an end to this approach to life.1
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/25/18, Lesson on the Topic: “Revealing the Need for the Creator’s Help in the Ten” (Preparation for the Convention “All As One” in New Jersey, 2018)
1 Minute 0:00-15:00
Related Material:
Our Success Is Thanks To The Creator’s Help
Obligate The Creator To Help Us
Listen To The Creator’s Hints
Lesson Preparation
| [media 1] | [media 2] |
Lesson on the Topic: “Shavuot”
| [media 3] | [media 4] |
Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Giving of the Torah – 1”
| [media 5] | [media 6] |
Daily Audio Version-MP3
Get the Weekly eNewsletter
Follow on Twitter
