Preparation for the Lesson
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Writings of Rabash, “Dargot HaSulam,” Item 557
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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, “BeLaila De Kala (Night of the Bride)”
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Giving of the Torah,” Item 9
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Writings of Rabash “Rungs of the Ladder,” “One Should Always Sell the Beams of His House”
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Question: In preparing for the Passover holiday, what does “go down to the Egypt within me” mean?
Answer: To go down to Egypt means to begin to work with my desire to receive, which is basically my only material that provides me with energy. Using it, I can advance toward exiting this world and rising above the physical world.
This is the only means I have; there is nothing more than this. We are born and develop as animals. However, at some point in our lives, with all of our friends, each one of us feels that something is nipping at his heart and pulling him somewhere out of this life. He wants to know the essence of life, the source of life, where this comes from, and what is happening here on Earth.
However, we have no other substance with which it would be possible to develop this tendency, this question, only with the ego, with our desire to receive.
I advance through this, constantly using my ego with the help of the environment that always has an influence on me and tells me that it is worthwhile to push my point in the heart toward connection with others.
There are a number of stages in working with my ego. In the beginning, I work with the group, with the environment, the lessons, and even though I want to reach bestowal, my intention is to better myself. This stage is called Lo Lishma (Not for Her name).
After that, when I received sufficient influence from the Light that Reforms, I am released from the egoistic intention to use bestowal for my own benefit. Rather, I want to bestow without any consideration of myself. I want to be in pure bestowal and be free of my ego as if I were exiting the magnetic field of the Earth.
[131623]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/3/14, Questions and Answers with Dr. Laitman
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Question: If all the changes depend only upon the environment that is built by man, what does Pharaoh control?
Answer: Pharaoh is my present heart and mind. I don’t feel that my heart and mind are free of him; it is a great achievement to discover that they are found under the control of Pharaoh.
Pharaoh controls my whole life, everything I had and everything that I have now. Within my body is some kind of evil spirit that fills me entirely, moves me, and determines all of my thoughts, desires, decisions, and deeds.
It is some kind of evil internal force that penetrates into me and has control over me from which I cannot escape. I am filled entirely with this alien, hostile force, and I cannot be released from it. How can I expel it, renounce it from me?
I feel that my entire life belongs to Pharaoh, and there is only one independent point within which I can determine that I am in slavery to Pharaoh, the evil inclination.
Question: I absolutely feel that I am under the control of my mind and emotions!
Answer: If you think that this is your mind and emotions, everything is okay. You are not in Egypt yet; rather, you are like everyone else in this world. You have not discovered yet that there is an alien control that does with you whatever it wants. It is as if they are doing experiments from another planet on all seven billion people and managing us. Yet, we don’t feel this and each one feels that he is free.
However, we are beginning to discover a bit that we are under an alien influence. In the meantime, you still haven’t discovered this. Yet, there are those who already have.
Question: How is Pharaoh’s control over me expressed?
Answer: This alien domination means that I don’t agree with the spirit that dominates me. I don’t agree with its existence in me and want another spirit, a spirit of bestowal, love, and giving. Thanks to my participation in studying and dissemination, a change is occurring in me, and I am beginning to appreciate another characteristic that doesn’t exist in me.
In the beginning, I want it because I feel better with it, more whole. Yet, after that, I simply begin to appreciate it. I specifically want to have the characteristic of bestowal that grants me a sensation of freedom, reducing the pressures and limitations of this world. The characteristic of bestowal is so amazing and wonderful!
Yet, gradually, I begin to perceive the characteristic of bestowal as a vision, as a burden on my soul that I dream about and I cannot explain why. This is called “sacred grace.” Apparently, how can one love it if it is completely against this world? Yet, I want to reach bestowal.
Moreover, I begin to look at the desire to receive as something very strange. How is it possible at all to receive for myself and enjoy this? I recognize this characteristic that is found in me and understand that this is simply a program that has been installed in me. I am given a sensation within my system so that I enjoy receiving. Yet, in fact, this is only a program, and it can be replaced so that reception will stop giving me pleasure.
I begin to have a relative attitude toward bestowal and reception when I understand that this is not really me but a program that can be replaced by another.
[131517]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/1/14, Shamati #190
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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, Vol. 12
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar“
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Preparation for the Lesson
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Giving of the Torah,” Item 7
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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, Articles for Shavuot, Parashat, “Emor,” Item 152
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 3, Part 9, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Item 2
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Writings of Rabash “Rungs of the Ladder,” Item 22
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Giving of the Torah,” Item 4
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Writings of Rabash “Dargot HaSulam,” Article 195
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Writings of Rabash “Rungs of the Ladder,” Item 29
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When a person goes to war against his egoism, he should just remember that the group is next to him in which he will discover all the strength that will help him to contend against himself, against his Pharaoh, against his nature.
I must imagine that I am found outside of myself and am looking at my beast, at myself, from the outside. Then I identify myself with the group, and from there I look at my body, at all of my characteristics, desires, and thoughts, and I consider it to be my Pharaoh. And that is how it is until my body is refined and hands itself over to the group, which is my standard for bestowal. That is how I reach correction.
I demand that I will be able to feel the power of bestowal within the group that leads and holds me. All of this is found in the center of the group. If there is no Arvut (mutual guarantee), then I won’t discover Pharaoh.
[131619]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam
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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Giving of the Torah”
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The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, Articles for Shavuot, Parashat, “Emor,” “Why Are There Not Seven Days in Shavuot,” Item 140
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 3, Part 9, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Item 1
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Writings of Rabash “Rungs of the Ladder,” Item 17
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Writings of Baal HaSulam “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”
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Rabash, “What is the Blessing ‘That A Miracle Happened to Me in this Place’ in the Work”: Therefore it says about the exile in Egypt: “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt,” which means that being a slave is so bad because Israel suffered in Egypt.
This means that on the one hand, they felt what it means to be Israel (Yashar-El, straight to the Creator) a little, and on the other hand, they realized that the opposite force governs them. Thus, they began to feel that they were enslaved, held there against their will.
Therefore, it says “remember,” which means that we should remember the sufferings that they suffered there. Then there is a reason to rejoice at the redemption from Egypt.
They should truly regret their slavery and really want to change the situation in order to change the domination of one force to the other force, to the domination of the Creator. As much as the Pharaoh rules, we want the domination of the Creator, and thus increase one with regard to the other until we pass through the 49 gates of impurity behind which the force of bestowal, the Creator, is revealed, which is called the exodus from Egypt.
It is impossible to come out of Egypt with little recognition of the evil that our ego causes us. It must be an unbearable state where my death is better than this life. I am ready to jump into the Red Sea and to do everything so that I will not have to remain in my ego.
This is the reason that this work can only be done in a group where everyone works together and is incorporated in one another. Everyone collects all the efforts and the feelings of enslavement from all the others and thus feels that he must come out and that he cannot remain there. This is the reason that working on the connection gives everyone such a strong feeling of pain that he is thus forced to demand the exit to redemption.
[131621]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/14, Writing of Rabash
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Everything begins with the feeling of exile. A person can study a lot, invest, but the question is when (if at all), will he begin to feel that he is in exile? It’s possible that he has a lot of desires, he wants to know the next world, wants to change himself and the world, but that still isn’t considered exile.
Exile is the lack of our ability to work for the Creator, to giveHim pleasure, and nothing else. This means that exile is a very honorable level, a high and difficult stage. As it is said, “One against the other was created by the Creator.” I begin to discover that I am in exile only with the help of the Light that bestows that shows me my situation and brings me to the feeling of exile.
The Light strengthens more and more and brings me the feeling that I am passing the way of the 49 gates of Impurity, because I am within the egoistic desire and can’t give pleasure to the Creator. And so I shout, “Let my people go!” I understand that I am not able to reach bestowing and giving pleasure to the Creator even though it was my only goal and passion.
Only then I reach the end of the exile and receive Kelim (desire) for redemption. After all, I went through all the gates except the 50th gate, which I don’t feel and am not able to correct.
Thus, one has to exert great efforts in order to clarify the discernments that govern us as opposed to the discernment of bestowal and love of others. That will be the true state of discovery, which means the discovery of exile.
This means that “from the love of the created beings to the love of the Creator.” I don’t know what the Creator is, where He is located, how to relate or to be in contact with Him. We have no means of communication between us. Thus, instead of this I am given other people and the great rule of the Torah, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If I connect everything together, then I can attract the Light that Reforms, which is called “Torah,” which raises me to the level of the Creator.
This means that instead of the Creator, we were given the group, the work field where we can design ourselves in relation to the Creator. Numerous systems are built according to this principle. There are very simple systems where I see myself, see the goal, and the way to reach it. This system was created for simple, non-developed people or small children.
A more advanced person can make longer-term plans that realized in a few years. This is the way all the means of communication work. Even a rocket that is fired doesn’t see the target that is beyond the horizon. But I know how to calculate according to the present data and aim myself towards the goal.
And here it is the same. If I direct myself correctly, with the help of all available means—the Rav, books, group, and dissemination—then I direct myself towards the Creator and I will reach Him. Thus, it is said, “from the love of the created beings to the love of the Creator and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This means that in this world I always have exact means in order to direct myself to the Creator.
If I understand this, then I feel that I am in the correct exile. This means that I am lacking the contact point with the Creator. And even without any contact with the Creator and without knowing Him, without any hints, I can nevertheless, with the help of the available means at hand, reach the feeling that I am in exile, that I cannot give pleasure to the Creator, and I am far from Him. He is there somewhere! And then I clarify where that “somewhere” is, where the “49 gates of Impurity” are, and understand that the Creator is the opposite of impurity. From within this gap, between exile and redemption, the feeling of deficiency is born that I equip myself with and am able to exit Egypt with great possessions and to continue to work with them to transform the “49 gates of impurity” into gates of purity.
Thus, we shouldn’t think that we have no means. We have everything that is needed, except for the spiritual attributes of bestowal that we will receive only if we desire them. And we were given all the means to desire them.
[132041]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/7/14, Writings of the Ari
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