Entries in the 'Daily Kabbalah Lesson' Category

No Fear Of Another Holocaust?

Laitman_011There is no good or evil in this world, but only two forces: giving and receiving, which have to merge. They work according to a simple principle of connection, the law of the similarity of form. And to the extent of our unity or lack thereof, according to the time allocated for our development, these forces generate the states that develop and change the desire to give pleasure to creation.

We must be impartial to this process, keep our feelings out of it, or we will not understand it. “The judge has only what his eyes see” and not what his heart feels.1

To Punish or to Pardon

The Creator treats every person, even an infant, as if he is responsible for his own decisions. From His perspective, there is no difference between people; we are all one body that must fulfill its mission: adults, children, men, women, the elderly—everyone falls under the same rule.

The Holocaust is a consequence that accumulated over a long period of time. For two millennia, Jews tried to avoid their responsibilities. Their purpose is to be the Light to the nations, to be a conduit that delivers the Light to the part of humanity that does not belong to its head, but to the body of the common soul and is unable to pull the upper Light to it by itself. However, specifically in that part is where the Creator should be revealed. Israel, which is called “I am the head” (“Li Rosh“), only serves as a conductor of the Light to the body. But the actual contact with the upper force and the adhesion of the creation with the Creator takes place in the body, where the need for it is felt the most.

And when Israel does not fulfill its mission, it makes itself useless in this world. Either the upper governance will have to bring a lot of suffering to us, the left line, to make us change our behavior and attract the Light that reforms to the right line, or we will realize it and start behaving correctly on our own. It is one or the other.

The Creator does not decide what to do with us: to punish or to pardon. The system works according to specific laws, not emotions. Today, the situation is worse than 80 years ago. Back then, the nations of the world supported the people of Israel in creating their country because it brought with it a possibility of this world’s correction. Today, we have no such support from anyone. The world refuses to even give respect to the remembrance of the Holocaust.

This shows that the nation of Israel fails to fulfill its mission even slightly. The other nations feel no benefit from us. On the contrary, they see us as the most harmful part of the world. The only way to solve this is for us to unite and turn ourselves into a conduit. We will create a circle in our connections and form a pipeline for the world. This is our purpose.

If we, however, fail to do so, we will feel the hatred from above, from the Creator, and from below, from the nations of the world. We already saw what this leads to. We exist in the system of nature’s laws that one cannot forget nor hide from. So let’s not pretend that we do not understand what is happening; it is worthwhile informing ourselves about this issue and then we have a chance to save ourselves. Nothing else will help, for “the law is given and cannot be broken.”2

With the passing years, the memory of the Holocaust fades, it no longer causes the feeling of common loss and pain. If that happened to any other nation, aimed against their desire to receive, it would have been felt much more strongly and would not have been forgotten in hundreds of years. But since the Holocaust was aimed at our insufficient work with the desire to bestow, the memory of it vanished. Today, we feel no trace of it.

We have to understand this unusual phenomenon. This is why there is no fear of a Holocaust today. This is incomprehensible! Even when the new wave of anti-Semitism arises, reminding us of a possibility of another Holocaust, no one is impressed by it. Just like the Jews of Poland did not concern themselves before World War II, thinking that everything will turn out well.

However, our condition today is even worse than it was before the Holocaust. Nevertheless, the Jewish nation cannot awaken. Because awakening should not be a result of suffering. Suffering can only be a side-effect. The awakening has to be the result of realizing our mission, the necessity for us to unite in order to bring the Creator, the upper Light, from top to bottom, to all the creations, that is, not running away from blows, but revealing the Creator to all of humanity.3

The spiritual root of anti-Semitism is the incorrect behavior of the nation of Israel that must reach unity with the upper Light. The result of this lack is revealed in the uncorrected desires, not in its head, but in the body of the common soul—in the nations of the world. When the body of the spiritual Partzuf is supposed to receive the inner Light from the head but does not receive it, this lack goes up to the head and is felt there as anti-Semitism.4

Today, Nazism can arise in any developed country. The more developed the country is, the higher the chances of it reaching Nazism because people are more sensitive and feel more strongly that they are suffering because of the Jews. The situation is such that the democratic, liberal, and pro-socialist regimes are about to collapse and make way for Nazism, as Baal HaSulam had warned us.5
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/11/18, Lesson on the topic “Holocaust Remembrance Day”
1 Minute 21:10
2 Minute 22:30 – 31:20
3 Minute 40:50
4 Minute 49:03
5 Minute 87:28

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New Life #723 – The Holocaust In A Kabbalistic Perspective
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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 4/13/18

Lesson Preparation

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Lesson on the Topic: “Revealing the Necessity for the Ten” (Preparation for the Convention “All As One” in New Jersey 2018)

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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 3, Chapter 7, Item 1

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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “A Handmaid That Is Heir To Her Mistress,” “Two Harms from Revealing Israel’s Wisdom to the Nations of the World”

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The Lessons Of The Holocaust

Laitman_006We live in a unique time, a time when we are given the chance to succeed. But there is no guarantee that we will actualize it. We were gifted this time in order to gain strength and understanding of where we are and what we need to do.

Baal HaSulam calls this “the time of open opportunities for liberation.”

We have been given this chance, and our entire work consists of trying to implement it and to bring into life all that is written in the Kabbalistic books. No one knows how this will result in the end. Baal HaSulam wrote about the existence of the danger that this chance will remain unrealized and that the State of Israel will fall apart. After all, there are very powerful forces against us.

The Creator has arranged these enemies for us, enemies who possess patience, power, great quantity and quality. We must understand that we need the power of the Creator to battle with them. If we understand this, then we will win. But if we do not, then the State of Israel has no future.

This is because the only condition for the existence of the State of Israel is our unity. Therefore, neither a military power nor America with Trump will help us—no other power, other than the power of our unity.

The only question lies in whether the nation of Israel is ready to hear this and when it will hear it. So far, it is only growing stronger in its pride and ever more distant from the truth, ever more distant from each other, and is ever more hated by all others.

The Jews are very proud of their material success, which has no connection to their inherent mission. The Israeli, European, and American Jews each have their own particular symptoms of the disease, but they are all still united by one thing: hatred of the nations surrounding them. Let us hope that this path will not bring us to a Holocaust similar to the one that already occurred in the past.

Time is running out, we have wasted much of it, and the nation of Israel still has not changed internally for the better; even to the contrary, it has become worse. We have no one to depend on other than ourselves and the Creator. It is a terrible problem when there is a possibility to achieve correction and complete our mission, but the people do not hear it. Only 70 years have passed since the Holocaust and its lessons have apparently already been forgotten.

We were given the opportunity to unite, to leave the countries where we were hated, and to begin together to discover the inner essence of the nation of Israel known to all, both religious and secular, about which it is written: “Love covers all transgressions.” But no one wants to accept this law; the opposite: separation and interpersonal conflict continue to grow stronger. We see that history teaches us nothing.

Only through dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah and attracting the Light that reforms can things be improved. The entire world is suffering and will continue to suffer even more.

We are all sliding down an inclined plane. Let us hope that with our participation in the correction, the pressure of the world on us will be relatively soft, but nonetheless will obligate us to unite.

If we do not awaken our inner Egyptians ourselves, if we do not feel that they are hiding within us, hindering our connection, then maybe the world will help us in this and will demand the methodology of connection.

At one time it was not so apparent, but today everyone understands that the unity created in the last 30 to 40 years is destroying the world. Initially, everyone was thrilled that society became global and integrated, thinking that this will bring us prosperity. But now, it is already clear that it is not so. Today real wars are already beginning: China, the US, etc.

This is an obvious sign that unity is not possible until the egoism is corrected. And until that happens, unity will always be harmful, as it is written: “Unity of sinners will bring harm to them and to the world.” In the end, it will bring tremendous wars.

Today, especially for the upcoming Holocaust Remembrance Day, the world is very much in need of such clarification (and the antidote).
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/8/18, Shamati article No.190, “Every Act Leaves an Imprint”

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New Anti-Semitism

Laitman_001.02The world is developing toward the realization of evil. Kabbalists call it “development,” although according to the opinion of economists and generally accepted standards, it can be called degradation.

As a result of this development, the world is gradually falling into despair, feeling its helplessness, from generation to generation, from year to year. And it is clear that the attitude of the nations of the world to the group called Israel, which must be directed “straight to the Creator” and show this direction to the whole world, is becoming increasingly negative.

The more integral the world becomes, the sharper its attitude will be manifested through the opportunities to communicate with each other and to exert general pressure on Israel. It is important whether Israel understands why it is being pressured and whether it is trying to attract the whole world to discover the purpose of creation and the upper world.

Whether this goal will be achieved through blows, wars, and great suffering for all, including Israel itself or this change will happen in a good way depends on to what extent Israel, through its external explanations, will succeed in attracting the whole world to the revelation of the Creator. And most importantly, to what extent Israel will realize this mission and will be able to draw the Light to all the nations of the world.

If the people of Israel are properly organized, they will come in contact with the upper Light, draw it through themselves, and pass it on to all the nations of the world. Let us hope that we will be able to realize this in a good way, which is desirable on behalf of the Creator, as well as creation.

No matter whether or not Jews understand their mission, because they were once already in spiritual work, a record about it (Reshimo) remains in them. According to this Reshimo they must act in the system. I do not look at people as physical bodies, but I see a field of power called “Light.” And inside this field, there are charged particles that are bound to get together and start working together with this field.

It makes no sense to look at bodies, because they belong to the animal level. The inanimate, vegetative, and animate levels belong to this world, and the human stage refers to the spiritual world.

It turns out that in this world there is a special creature called man, Adam, who is connected with both the spiritual and the material. According to his material body, he is an animal, only highly developed. But there is nothing spiritual in it yet. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account not only what is now visible to our eyes, but also the inner potential hidden in man.

The people of Israel are those who were connected with the upper Light and can pass this Light through themselves to everyone else. Israel is a transitional channel, a modem, a device that connects the upper Light with all of humanity. They once received a method of connection between the upper Light and all people. Abraham already wanted to complete the correction in his days, but only individual disciples followed him, not all of the ancient Babylon.

The people of Israel are those who once left Egypt (the intention for themselves), reached the Light of Mochin de Haya through altruistic unity, and then began to descend.

In an ideal form, they seemed to have continued this correction to the whole world. After all, they built their final corrected state, but only relatively, because all the common Kli, all peoples, did not participate in it.

Therefore, they had to descend and in these falls establish a connection with all the nations of the world. It turns out that the fall from the height of the First and Second Temples was inevitable: from the stage of reception for the sake of bestowal, and bestowal for the sake of bestowal.

After this collapse, the Kli completely disintegrated, and the Jews mixed with the nations of the world. It was not a biological mixture, but an ideological one when the Jews learned from other peoples, i.e., from their desire to enjoy for themselves.

Before that, they were in reception for the sake of bestowal, and then the corrected Kelim fell into destruction, into desires to receive called “the nations of the world” in order to mix with them. This intermingling lasted two thousand years. And from the time of the Ari and onward an updated method of Kabbalah has appeared, adapted for our time, and we are obliged to move toward complete, universal correction.

According to the program of creation, the people of Israel are obliged to correct all mankind.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/9/18, Lesson on the topic “Holocaust Remembrance Day”

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Overcome, Correct, And Feel The Creator

laitman_290It is necessary to overcome all your irritation toward a friend and correct yourself so that you start to love all of his qualities to such an extent until you begin to feel the Creator instead. 1
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/1/18, Writing of Rabash, “Anyone Who Sanctifies the Seventh – 2”
1 (Minute 27:40)

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Ten Sefirot And Not Less

laitman_231.04We are not capable of feeling less than ten Sefirot in spirituality because ten is the threshold of our sensation. After the first nine attributes, we begin to feel ourselves existing, receiving, understanding, and feeling. And not before that.

It is like a ray of light that has not yet reached the brain through all the channels so that the brain would begin to react and draw for us a picture of what is happening.

Perhaps a signal has already entered the brain, but it has not reached me yet and I do not understand, do not feel, and do not react. Or if I do not hear well and have not heard the sound and the sound is already being made, it is making its way into my ears. This is called the first nine Sefirot.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/27/18, Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 2

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 4/12/18

Lesson Preparation

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Lesson on the Topic: “Holocaust Remembrance Day”

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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 3, Chapter 6, Item 1

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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “A Handmaid That Is Heir To Her Mistress,” “The Externality Rule When Israel Does Not Demand Depth in Their Work”

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Accept Descents As Ascents

laitman_249.01One must work with his states as a current equalizer so that ascents and descents are accepted equally at full force. That is how we equalize all the states, and the darkness shall shine as Light. In reality, nothing changes but a person’s attitude that becomes more even toward the states that he goes through.

If he perceives ascents as descents and descents as ascents, then everything turns into one reality where the Creator rules over all the states.1

Our realization that egoism lets us reach adhesion with the Creator kills our egoistic intent and turns it into bestowal. These qualities did exactly what they were supposed to do. This is what is called “killing the Egyptian.” That is, to have the right attitude to everything, understanding that there is no evil in the king’s palace, and that everything is for the sake of bestowal.2

A person is allowed to enter the king’s palace only if his only concern is for the benefit of the king, no matter what. Only if he remains in fear, if he is able to execute this, then he is allowed to enter. The greater the fear, the higher is his height of entry.

In order to attain such a fear, one must be connected with the group and with the Creator so that they will provide him with the strength not to offend the dignity of the king, to remain under the influence of the single force of good that does good, and to think only of bestowing to it. The desire to receive is not going anywhere and we must constantly rise above it, and we cannot do it without fear. Fear guards us against the egoistic attitude because I ask to be protected from it, to rise above it, and then I am allowed to enter.3

“The Egyptian” is inside the sons of Israel; the descent is included in the ascent. Therefore, we do not jump from the state of the Egyptian to another Egyptian, but only from Israel to Israel, and the Egyptian is included inside of it, which means the Egyptian disappears. Descents are included in the ascents: previous descents are already a part of the new ascent.

“Killing an Egyptian” means eradicating one’s attitude toward descents. We begin to see the descents as inseparable parts of ascents.4

Each moment the Creator renews the act of Creation, making a new person out of me. What does He want from me now if He made me this way? This is the question I must delve into.

I look for what originates from Him, for “He is the first,” and what I must do now seemingly by myself, hoping that the Creator will help me if I address Him with a prayer through the group. And then I arrive at “and He is the last,” meaning that the Creator will be revealed inside of me now that I am corrected by means of the group and the Light that reforms.5
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/5/18, Writings of Rabash, “Why the Festival of Matzot is called Passover”
1 (Minute 33:00)
2 (Minute 48:50)
3 (Minute 56:10)
4 (Minute 1:14:30)
5 (Minute 1:15:00)

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Admiring The Friends, Not Idols

laitman_260At first Abraham was an idol worshipper and made idols, that is, he worshipped the desires accepted in this world for money, honor, and knowledge. All our actions in this world are called creating idols or idol worshipping. After all, we work for our own egoism, which will die along with us, and that means that the work does not produce results, just like idol worshipping. Not working for an idol means working for someone who reacts to your work, someone with whom you live and develop together. 1

Unity is not a goal in and of itself, but a means to reveal the upper force. It’s the same net into which we gather a great catch that we dream of: a Leviathan. If we achieve unity in the ten, then it multiplies, broadens, it “fattens up”: a fish becomes fatter and fatter until it becomes a Leviathan. A Leviathan is the whole desire to enjoy that is created by the Creator. Thus we come to the meal of the Leviathan where we receive all the abundance of the world, which fulfills us. We perceive it in the mind and heart.

By studying Kabbalah one prepares to catch the fattest, biggest catch. It is a super egoistic work. A Kabbalist doesn’t run after the Nobel prize or a billion dollars, which tomorrow will become obsolete, and even if they don’t, you still can’t take them to the grave. A Kabbalist hopes for a serious win, which exceeds the possibilities of this world.

People who are far from Kabbalah laugh at our aspiration to reach unity, considering this engagement naive or not serious. In actuality, their engagements are child’s play, which bring no benefit: like sand castles built by children on the shore. Sooner or later a wave will pass and wash everything away. And this is called a serious occupation in our world? 2

If a person establishes connection with the Creator, it means that he belongs to the Kli (vessel) that is tied to Him, that is, the common Kli of all humanity. This means that it is impossible to be connected to the Creator if you do not associate yourself with all of humanity. One is connected to the other.3

A sign of advancing is seeing that your friends are significantly more successful than you. I believe that they are breaking through, establishing an inner connection with each other, saying deep things, not just empty words, but truly from the heart, and that is their life. Meanwhile, I am still looking at them skeptically and feeling that I am confined in armor, which disallows me to feel as good as them, to rejoice and grieve along with everyone. They went through a breakthrough in their feelings; they broke the shell; they emerged from it, like a worm from a radish, and they feel something outside of their egoism.

On one hand, I am filled with envy, and on the other hand, I am proud and rejoice in the fact that I find myself in such a society and relate to such great people. It turns out that if not today, then tomorrow I too will reach this.

Envy makes me do my best all the time. Envy is very healthy if it is positive envy. I do not want the friends to fall from their level since they are the rope that they tossed to me, the one drowning in the river. I hold onto this rope, and as such, I want the friends to be as high up and as strong as possible; they are my only hope.

I begin to rejoice in the fact that I am behind them. Suddenly I see that the group and the Creator revealed between the friends are my salvation, and it cannot be any other way. Therefore, it is good that I am smaller than everyone. Of course I want to grow up, but I am ready to serve them and the Creator—I already have the right attitude to the force that advances. It is a great success to begin to feel this way. 4
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/1/18, Writings of Rabash, “What Are the Light Mitzvot that a Person Tramples with His Heels, in the Work?” Article No. 41, 1990
1(Minute 51:30)
2(Minute 53:25)
3(Minute 57:15)
4(Minute 58:00)

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How Can One Measure The Soul’s Devotion?

laitman_250When studying Kabbalah, one should strive not only to grow wiser by receiving new knowledge, but most importantly, to change one’s feelings so that the heart changes and expands. The heart learns to feel the higher phenomena that are inaccessible to us now, the actions of bestowal and unification. They are above our reason.

In Kabbalah, there is a concept of “faith above reason.” Knowledge is what corresponds to reason. To the extent of my understanding, I am able to give, knowing that it will do me good. I come to the store and give money in exchange for goods. There is no problem with that.

But, there is no faith above reason in our world. Where can I get the extra power for bestowal above reason? According to my understanding, I’m ready to pay two dollars for a cup of coffee, and I’m asked to pay twenty dollars instead of two, for some good cause. Where do I get the strength to give up the extra eighteen dollars?

The power that gives me the opportunity to do extra work, to make extra efforts and sacrifice my egoism is called “faith.” This is what we need to strive for. Only in this way can it be measured as to how much I really give. And this comes not from my reasonable calculation, but from the desire to give to the Host.

In other words, I give above the calculation of how much I received from Him and am ready to compensate Him, but completely unselfishly. This is what is called the devotion of the soul when I am ready do give Him the entire world even if I get nothing from Him.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/21/18, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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