Question: Is there any connection between freewill and luck?

Answer: On one hand, luck seems to be predetermined from the moment a person is born. Everyone is born in different conditions and with different attributes, which means with his own fate. If I am born with certain attributes, then my destiny and my path to the end of correction have already been determined. It depends on one’s place of birth and on other factors that do not depend on me.

But let’s try to put aside the different conditions that are beyond our control and that vary for each individual, like cells in a body where each has its own purpose and destiny. If we look at what is left, the question is whether we can affect this in any way, whether with this freedom of choice with the option to correct myself, can I become totally equal to everyone?

One is born clever and another so smart, one is born to a rich family and another to an educated family, and still another may be the son of a shoemaker obliged to follow his father’s line of work, etc. Everyone is totally different, but if a person is awakened from above, which means that his point in the heart is awakened, he can equalize himself with all the others.

Those who have not received the point in the heart are very different: like a cat and a lion, like a mouse and a cat. On the levels of the still, vegetative, and animate nature, everyone is different, but the level of the speaking equalizes all the human beings including the still, vegetative, and animate nature that are incorporated in a human being, and thus also reach equality.

All this is done by the freewill that is given to man, and by that he neutralizes his fate, which was predetermined by nature. From the perspective of this point of freewill, everyone has the same specific work, which is relatively equal. No one has an advantage over others in this sense.

It may seem that certain people have to make very little efforts to enter the spiritual world and there are those for whom there is not enough. But it all depends on conditions that are unknown to us. We cannot take our previous reincarnations into account or a person’s history, what happened to him and what will happen to him. All this is already in the corrected state in the world of Ein Sof (Infinity), but we simply don’t know it. Therefore it is difficult for us to measure everyone’s work.

Thus it is said simply: “Do everything that is in your power!”
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/13/13, The Zohar

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We exist in this world in a unique state created by the expansion of the Light from above downward. The Light created all vessels, desires, and we are the only part of this entire reality that has the freewill to change this condition and all of the nature, the whole creation.

All of nature is given to us so that we may use it and lift ourselves to the exalted status of the Creator. Therefore, we shouldn’t expect something more from above, and if we are late in realizing the steps where we should have already changed, then we experience them as suffering.

Pressure from nature is constantly growing because included in it is a special engine of development; various Lights are constantly descending from above, manifesting with greater force, and awakening larger spiritual genes (Reshimot) in us. After all, correction starts with the easiest and progresses to the more difficult.

But if we are late and don’t correct the Reshimot that awaken in us today, then by tomorrow we have accumulated a debt with the delay, and increasing the difference to two Reshimot, today’s and tomorrow’s. And the next day, it will be tripled, and because of these multiplying Reshimot, we experience pain—the difference between me and the Light.

Instead of bridging this gap, equalizing with the Light, connecting with it, and becoming one integrated system in order to understand, feel, be filled with it, and participate all its actions, we act against it and keep increasing our oppositeness to it.

This oppositeness is the very thing that we feel as pain because our will to receive wants the Light! Even though we don’t even realize what we want, we are standing opposite something we need, but we are not getting it. And this is experienced as all kinds of suffering.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/18/10, “The Teaching of Kabbalah and its Essence”

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Because of our oppositeness to the Light, we live in the world of suffering and pain, and no matter how we might to escape, we only make it worse for ourselves since we tend to want to withdraw and hide from the truth, so much so that we have no idea about the correct path and corrections that we must perform.

Therefore, only after going through to the end of this painful exile, we finally receive the knowledge, the reminder, that there is a method called the wisdom of Kabbalah, which can connect us with the Light. And then, we will know how, by using it, we can correct our relation with it so that it would give us fulfillment, instead of acting against us and illuminating us from a distance, instilling pain in us!

Beyond this, we don’t have any freewill in this world except to draw the Light that Reforms, which will correct, reform, and unify us with the Light. There isn’t a greater wisdom or science than Kabbalah that helps to realize this action. There is no other means to affect our life and fate. We will not improve our lives with the help of science, culture, or education if we don’t practice them according to the wisdom of Kabbalah, in other words, without connecting ourselves with the source of our lives, the Light.

If you wish for success, it is possible only on one condition: if you draw the Light that will correct you and reform your entire world. And if you attempt to reform the world without the Light, you will only make it worse since you hide from the truth even more, forcing yourself to go through the recognition of evil instead of a good and pleasant path.

But right now we have a unique opportunity to reveal the wisdom of Kabbalah and achieve correction. After all, in all of our long history, we still haven’t started to perform the correction and were only getting ready for it. From this very moment on, the reckoning with us takes full force.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/18/10, “The Teaching of Kabbalah and its Essence”

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Question: If man is simply a small part of nature, then where can he get the power to destroy it?

Answer: We have an additional part in us which is above the animate body and is regarded as “human.” The human can be good or evil because he possesses freewill unlike an animal. It is human, the ego, that exists above nature and that is where you have the right to choose.

All creation exists in perfection: the still, vegetative, and animate—everything except man. Each of us has an animate part, the body, and a “human” part, which is the only corrupted one. It is the part that stretches beyond the essential existence of the body; it makes me exploit nature and even destroy it if that’s what is necessary to make me feel good.

An animal deprived of freewill cannot ruin nature since it acts correctly by following its natural instincts. Therefore, our corporeal world exists only at the still, vegetative, and animate planes, which are in the state of perfection and balance. But man is above this world.

The animate part of man is also in harmony with nature. The problem lies in the “human in man,” a degree in which I started destroying the world. As long as we were undeveloped, we didn’t cause much harm to it since we were living merely as animals that consumed each other in order to survive. But when we reached the current level of evolution and received so much power, the problem immediately arose. Even Aristotle warned that science shouldn’t be revealed to evil people who may use it to destroy the world and mankind.

If they can’t use the human power correctly, then they must not be allowed to step outside the animate sphere—beyond this red line; they can do so only if they know how to use the human power correctly. To use it correctly means to make this red area similar to nature by employing one’s own consciousness and understanding by becoming equivalent to the Creator, the upper one. We must achieve the same balance with nature as all the other parts, but through our own effort, since we initially lack the balance.

It turns out that we have a nature where no freewill exists and we only need to use it correctly. The part above it relates to the Creator and human where freewill does exist, but we have no clue what do with it or how to use it. There we must reach balance in order to bestow.

In the past, the previous Kabbalists achieved attainment by placing restrictions on their body as described in the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot”: “Bread and salt you should eat, water in measure you should drink, on the ground you should sleep, a life of affliction you shall live, and in Torah you should labor,” then you shall reach spirituality. In truth, if the part of a person related to the animate, vegetative, and still levels lived only with bare essentials, like a beast, and on top of that he studied the Torah while thinking about how to become similar to the Creator, he did advance.

But 2000 years ago we reached a state where we started to exploit all of nature, to harm the still, vegetative, and animate parts, this whole “inner” circle. Hence, this is why we’ve come to such need for the Light that Reforms. It is the only way we can transform ourselves.

Previously, the Light of correction worked only at a highest rung. But today we need a much greater Light to work on all of nature since we have corrupted it too by making it entirely egoistic by engaging in it.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/21/10 Writings of Baal HaSulam

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From Rabash’s article “Faith”: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say: “The day is short, the labor vast, the toilers are idle, but the reward is great, and the Master of the house is insistent.” (Pirkey Avot 2:20) If one believes that there is no capital without a Ruler and is confident that the Master exists, one feels constrained.

We are unable to wake up on our own unless the Creator awakens us because we are made of material that has no spirit of life spirit. Therefore, we are called creations; that is, we are ruled from above. Only after the Creator awakens us, we see that the labor is vast, the toilers are idle, but the reward is great, and the Master is insistent. Then, we start working.

At this point, our freedom of will turns on. The Creator places one’s hand on the good fate and says: “Take it!” In other words, the Creator’s action comes first; then it is our turn to continue the work, meaning that we take what the Creator gives us. We have to organize our environment and study so that everyday is structured to allow us to make efforts both on one and the other.

Regardless of our usual workload and dissemination responsibilities, we should never break our connection with the original sources. Only if we manage to constantly maintain connection with the sources, will we arrive at the desired and anticipated result. The labor is vast, but the reward is great, so we have to prepare our vessels to receive it.

All this requires us to distribute our time into several segments: a normal life, study, and dissemination. We should consistently attend to all three and never avoid or overlook any of them. If we neglect even one of them, we won’t keep to the middle line. Even if we don’t allot time in equal shares between them, we still have to take care of all three parts.

We should pay particular attention to these issues. Even when one has a very important dissemination assignment, one shouldn’t forget about studying. There is no excuse for missing classes just because one is busy with dissemination. It’s really bad, since it is said: “If you abandon Me for one day, I’ll leave you for two.” It’s dangerous. If you discontinue studying because of dissemination, our gains will eventually turn into losses.
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From the preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/10/13

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Question: Why does the Creator need a “middleman,” Israel, between Him and His creation?

Answer: The material (matter) by itself is Malchut, a desire to receive, nothing more, which can only respond to pleasant and unpleasant effects in a straightforward, predetermined manner. It cannot bring any updates in nature.

If I build some kind of mechanical, electrical system that responds to my influence, it cannot be considered a “new creation.” After all,  it’s based on our thoughts, sensations, intellect, and attitude. If it’s built correctly and if we are its creators and if it’s completely under our control, then it’s just a part of us and there is nothing new or different about it. We made it the way we wanted it to be.

This explains why still, vegetative, and animate nature, as well as those people who lead a purely material life cannot be called “creation,” since they are governed directly from above. When pricked, they scream “Ow!” and when patted, they enjoy, “Ah!” Except for “Ow!” and “Ah!” there is nothing more they can do—either suffer or enjoy. Their reaction to pain or delight is obvious and predictable. Where is the creation in this picture?

Creation is one in whom there is a part of the Creator, and because it is already there, there is a certain opposition,conflict, a gap, a delta between the properties of the Creator and creation. If we can work with these two parts correctly, then between them a zone of “freewill” emerges, a special place where we do not depend on the Creator nor do we hinge on the material He created; we are positioned at the borderline between them.

This neutral zone is called “the middle third of Tifferet.” It’s a point that is considered to be true creation. We still have to work to attain this state, but at least we already know where to look for it and how to tune to it. Somewhere in the middle between the Creator and creation (not true creation but a material creation) there is a state that embraces both opposites and at the same time is not dependent on either of them.

We cannot yet comprehend what it is, but eventually we reach this state. When working with the general public, we are working with the material creation. The Creator is the force with which we want to perform the action. By that, we transform ourselves into “creation.” This has never happened before in the history of humanity; this process did not begin until today. Only after we achieve it will we be able to call ourselves “people,” “sons of Adam,” “similar” (Domeh) to the Creator.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/13

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Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”: Because the purpose is undoubtedly built over all the laws of nature, none excluded, just as the clever worker would not add or subtract even a hairsbreadth of the necessary actions to attain the goal, he who alters even a single law harms and damages the purposeful aim that the Creator has set, and will therefore be punished by nature. Hence, we, too, creatures of the Creator must not pity him because he is desecrating the laws of nature and defiles the purpose of the Creator.

We live within a complex of forces of the laws of nature. From the world of infinity each being smaller than the previous one, they close the spiritual space in order to construct this world in its center, the place in which a person has free choice and from which he can begin the way toward his correction.

If we don’t abide by these laws that are active within the “spiritual worlds,” the Sefirot,  Partzufim—then, how can we rise to the level of the Creator? The ascent is possible only through keeping the Mitzvot or, in other words, through keeping the laws of nature. These are the same thing.

This is not talking about the physical laws of nature here: cutting down trees and drying up rivers, pollution, and destruction of the nature of the still, vegetative, and animate. Rather, the main thing is that we need to begin to be in balance with the spiritual nature, with the bestowal and love coming toward us.

In the past, until we reached a stage of correction of the self, we had no ability to destroy nature. Until the nineteenth century and even until the twentieth century, we used it without causing damage, without violating the ecology. However, after that, the Creator approached the world in order to show us that the world is global, that everything among all the levels of nature is linked with the level of Adam (man), and now, first of all, it is up to the person to correct himself.

The solution is not in limiting or reducing the utilization of the nature of the still, vegetative, and animate. Rather, this is speaking about the correction of the person on his level. By means of this, he corrects the relationship with all the rest and even between everything and the Creator. That is how we rise “from love for thy neighbor to love for the Creator.”

Certainly, there exist many laws linked to the nature of the still, vegetative, and animate, yet our service to the Creator is to resemble the Creator, for otherwise, if we don’t correct our speaking level and our relationship toward the Creator, we will not know how we need to relate to nature. Here, we must correct our ego. We cannot dictate for people the laws of conduct for every given state and arrange clear guidelines for all events. It is impossible to dictate to every person how it is up to him to behave from morning to night in order to build the right relationships with the nature of the still, vegetative and animate, with the environment.

It is only if the person will correct himself with the characteristic of bestowal, with “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” To this degree, he also will correct his link with the nature around him. Then, all the levels in nature will be included with him and will be corrected through him.

By themselves, they are not prepared to be corrected. There are a multitude of malfunctions, and as of today, we don’t know what the forms of their correct functioning are. However, then we will see that they are functioning differently. Even on the level of the still, we will see natural characteristics that we haven’t seen until now.

So, first of all, the person needs to correct himself and not the stones, the plants, and the animals. The goal of creation is to resemble the Creator, and we have something with which to practice: the relationships between us. Specifically for this, there was the shattering, the Babylonian exile, and population growth to seven billion human beings. Precisely in this way, we will correct the damage.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: Why do I feel that I need to be corrected, but it doesn’t happen?

Answer: That cannot be. If you demand correction, then it must immediately happen. It seems that you demand, but is not for correction as long as you are just saying this with words but aren’t feeling it in your heart. You need to check yourself. There cannot be such a thing that someone is refused correction.

If you truly want to correct something in you, if you have clarified that this is a corrupted characteristic, see it before you, and you act in order to bestow without regard for any benefit for yourself, then it will be corrected. The system already exists and it cannot be otherwise. It acts like a sound car and it cannot be that it doesn’t work.

Besides you, no one in the world has free choice, including the Creator! It is said: (Psalms 148:6) “He gave a law and it will not be transgressed.” The Creator cannot suddenly want something or not want something, as if a higher power could change His decision.

We don’t understand how this system is built. It is found in the state of the final correction (Gmar Tikkun). And you are found in a completely corrupted state, and you need to reach from one extreme to the other. To do this, you are given Partzufim and “spiritual worlds,” a staircase of steps, and on every level there exists a unique Light that works on you.

Besides you, no one else can do anything! So how about the rest of creation, all seven billion? Okay, let’s suppose that those who don’t have a point in the heart don’t have free choice. But what about those who have a point in the heart, because  they have free choice can’t they intervene  No, they cannot, everything depends only on you.

Everyone needs to say this about himself, and this is truly so. Only I–in my section in regard to my soul, in regard to my part of the work—possess free choice. And no still, vegetative, animate, or speaking, including the Creator can intervene. Everything else other than me is the system.

Therefore you can scream, cry, beg, but you are facing a system, a machine. If you have already learned how to run it, then you can make it work. And if not, then it is necessary to learn more about how to do this. That is all; there are no excuses.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/18/13, Introduction to The Book of Zohar

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Question: What is our free choice? It seems to me that you are explaining it differently now.

Answer: Free choice changes according to every state, every level, on condition that we advance. However, it is necessary to understand that only we have free choice and not the Creator, for (Psalms 148:6) “He has made a law which shall not pass.” The Light is found at absolute rest. However, on the other hand, for all of the substance of creation, for all the nations of the world, there is no free choice.

Therefore, when we look at seven billion human beings, at their relationship toward us, it is possible to understand that the Creator organizes all of the substance of desire according to how it is revealed: all of the reactions that we encounter and all the difficulties and the hatred that is aroused. This is the Aviut (thickness) of the desire with which we need to work from the easiest to more and more difficult.

It is not necessary to expect any changes from them. All that will happen to them is the result of our work, the reaction to what we do with them, and through work with people and the expectation of their reaction, we begin to converse with the Creator, to see nature. The Creator is found within people, as it is written, (Kings II 4:13) “I dwell within my people,” and He responds to our actions. In this form, He wants to teach us what our substance is, the Aviut of the desire.

All the levels of our desire are not found in us but rather in the masses of people and in all levels of nature: the still, the vegetative, and the animate. If you begin to work with them, then you will feel that all this is yours! The Creator is found within all of this desire and wants you to learn what He is giving you, and you are that point that needs to link, to connect to itself the whole Aviut of desire, all nine of His lower Sefirot.

The Nukva is left with one point of Keter in the world of Atzilut, and all her nine lower Sefirot are found below. All of her work is to gradually raise her nine lower Sefirot that are found in the worlds of BYA and world of Atzilut and become the same as Zeir Anpin, like the Creator, so that they will be face to face (Panim be Panim) with one Keter. That is how she reaches her completion of correction.

Therefore, as a result of this work, we begin to discover the force that stands behind the entire world, all seven billion people. Within each one of them is concealed an infinite desire to receive that was created by the Creator, Malchut of the world of infinity. Now, it seems to us that they are activated by simple, mundane human desires for money, power, and knowledge and what concerns them is only food, sex, family, and various pleasures in order to live as much as possible in a more calm way and to suffer less. However, after this, we discover a much deeper, profound desire in them, and this level of desire will open and unfold the era of the “Days of the Messiah” from easiest to the more difficult. However, we will also be prepared for a greater correction already.

If you look at the world in the right form from your point of view, you will see everything as your field of work that you must bring to adherence with the Creator, and every person is the substance of the desire from which the Creator turns to you. Repeatedly try to imagine yourself in a state like this and you will see how simple the world becomes. Nothing exists besides the Creator and the creature. The creature is you, and the Creator is everything that is concealed behind all of this substance, and outside of this, there is nothing.

Apparently, you always are speaking with the Creator and conversing with Him, and all of this substance is the adapter with whose help you can be in connection with the Creator. Without this substance, you would not feel and understand the Creator. You would not be prepared to maintain a mutual connection with Him.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/15/13

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Question: If we all form one system, then how can the human, being its inseparable part, make mistakes and violate its laws?

Answer: The fact is that a person is now connected to it like a baby. Adults take care of him and give him a slightly higher degree so that he would begin to integrate into it, to evolve, to connect, and to see how much he can match it, how much benefit or harm he brings it.

Only in our time are these mechanisms finally manifested: We are harming the world and it responds so much so that our very existence is threatened. Environmental hazards today are such that humanity with all its history can disappear from the face of the Earth that can no longer bear it. We ourselves cause the extinction of plant and animal species and suddenly we find ourselves on the same list. Moreover, one global war is sufficient to end civilization even before ecology would do this.

The conclusion is that if we do not learn from nature, meaning from the general system, the correct integration into it, we come into conflict with it and to an unpleasant end.

Question: The problem is that if a person comes face to face with a steadfast system that is stronger than he, then at some point he raises his arms: “Come what may…”

Answer: That’s right; today a person feels helpless and doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know because he is incapable of understanding the world, feeling it correctly, making the right decision, and most importantly, realizing it correctly.

That’s why Kabbalists, sages, come to our world. They are also part of the general system. And apparently, no matter how many of them appear, the world does not need more. After all, people still need to be given freedom of will to ensure the realization of evil; they have to be brought to their own decision whether to join those sages or not.

It turns out that the world has a chance, provided by the system as well. And this opportunity is us the world organization Bnei Baruch. In the framework that we were given, we are obliged to act, sparing no efforts, so that everyone in the world would know upon what his good future depends.

A “good future “is the correct inclusion in the system of nature. If we do not violate its laws, the conditions set by it, we will be fine. If I judge wellbeing on the basis of my egoism, then I behave like a small child who doesn’t want to listen to adults.

Anyway, being in the general system, I cannot choose their laws according to my taste. Either I am against nature and in helplessness follow the path of suffering, or I study the laws of nature in order to associate myself with it and move forward by the good path, drawing from nature forces which are useful for my advancement.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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