Entries in the 'Kabbalah Study' Category

Learning From All The Pupils

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: You said in a lesson that you lack words. Does this mean that we don’t work as we should and don’t extract spiritual information from you?

Answer: It works exactly this way. When the lower one asks, he passes his unfulfilled desire, to which I receive an answer.

It is said that one learns from all his pupils: “I learned a lot from my teachers, more from the friends, and more than that from my students.” This happens thanks to a student’s questions, his prayer, MAN. The student passes his desire to the teacher, and the teacher gets such a desire which for himself he would never ask. This is how the general system is revealed: With each new question from each student, one more layer of the system is revealed, and then one more, etc.

Each pupil raises his prayer. This gives the teacher vessels that didn’t exist in him and never would have if he hadn’t connected with the students. Therefore, up to the moment that the pupil asked, the teacher did not know the answer. But the moment the pupil asked a question of him, the teacher receives new attainment. And this is called “learning from the pupils.”

Every day I come out of the lesson with new attainments because I feel your lack. But the students have to prepare themselves for the lesson, and often a sufficient lack, meaning a necessity, is not felt from you. Certainly, even without words I also feel in my students the need for spiritual revelation, and this helps me in advancement. However, it’s desirable that everyone will utter their questions.

I am connected to my teacher, Rabash; he is my upper one. When I receive questions from the students, I connect them to one direct channel that comes from Above. This is a hierarchical, tree-like system that spreads from the top down. If I receive from the bottom a desire that I can raise, I process it inside me, get an answer to it from Above, process it again, and transfer the answer to the student. However, 99% of the information that was received stays inside me and only 1% passes to the student, in accordance with how much I have to scale myself down and descend to the student’s level so that he will receive this answer from me and understand it.

In a few cases, I myself awaken this connection because there is a general preparation. For example, people invested a lot of effort in order to come to the convention and prepare it. And then, even if questions are not asked, I can awaken the Light, thanks to the great amount of exertion that you invested, which can be worked with. But sometimes this is possible only thanks to the questions.

I will never accept the sleepiness. But a teacher is forbidden to arouse desire in the students because it does the opposite, it plugs the channels that come to them. The lack has to rise from the bottom up!
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/28/13, TES

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Behind The Horizons Of Correction

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”: But in our generation we have been rewarded with the Sulam (Ladder) commentary, which is a complete interpretation of all the words of The Zohar. Moreover, not only does it not leave an unclear matter in the whole of The Zohar without interpreting it, but the clarifications are based on a straightforward analysis, which any student can understand.

Of course, this is not referring to the “man on the street” opening The Book of Zohar and the Sulam Commentary and immediately understanding them. The Book of Zohar is written from a level of the final correction; this happened only once in history, in Rashbi’s group. Other Kabbalists did not have the opportunity to attain this level of revelation, and only about ten percent of them could somewhat understand what is said in the book.

The dissimilarity between the steps of attainment is comparable to the disparity between the vegetative and animate levels of nature, or between a dog and a human being, or between the “linear” or “round” world; in other words, it’s a difference between the prior world that lives in compliance with simple egoistic laws and a new world that currently starts to emerge and acts in accordance with the laws of unity. Previously, individualists succeeded, and now only those who are able to unite will prosper.

And yet, even though the world has already started to self-correct and aspire to the end of correction, it still happens in a linear manner; it doesn’t’ matter that the “line” includes various steps, screens, and levels of unity of its own, it isn’t yet the unity, the integral system, that will be achieved at the final correction. At that stage, the picture will be quite different and I cannot imagine it.

Today, we think about the relationship and mutual interests of “one man with one heart,” meaning about the unity of Israel, the Torah and the Creator, but what will result there, I don’t know. As we are approaching a truly integrated system of the end of correction, which differs from what Kabbalists attained throughout the past millenniums by our uniting with each other, we are beginning to understand that there are laws that are beyond the spiritual laws.

It’s not simply a channel of connection, not a “line” or a “width” of a desire that is covered by a screen and shielded by the reflected light, nor is it the lights of NRNHY or Sefirot KHBZON. At that stage, new forms of connection will emerge. Possibly, for example everybody would be able to use the screens of others.

One way or the other, we are talking about a qualitative leap that is yet totally unclear to us. So, we should at least be aware of this gap, this difference.

In this world, everybody is an egoist, but at this stage of our development we are all facing the condition of global unity. If we could see the real picture in which we are inseparably interconnected and linked together, it would be very clear that each of us is unable to do anything at all until we establish correct relationships with others. But who has the appropriate intellect and feeling? Who has the nerves to handle it? Who is able to grasp all the details and tolerate inevitable tension?

Eventually, each of us stays in his own “corner” without having any energy to act. If I depend on thousands of other people, my current world outlook would simply deprive me of any hope; I would remain motionless. The world would stop moving, freezing in immobility. This explains why each new state shows up in us progressively and gradually forces us to self-correct, so that we avoid hitting a deadlock.

So it is in spirituality, we advance in the spiritual world through screens and collaboration, like the Kabbalists of the past. However, at the end of correction, a totally different state will be awaiting us. On the way, we expand the integrated system we gradually gain, but today, it still does not commit us to a complete interdependence, which will arise as a result.. This is the level, from which The Book of Zohar was written, from the level of the end of correction.

Therefore, if Baal HaSulam was given a chance to create commentaries on this book, it means that he reached the same level as Rashbi. Moreover, I would say even more than that, because he was able to adapt the commentary to those who are beginning the path from the level of this world, not yet embarking on the spiritual ladder, not even close to the end of correction. Nevertheless, these people are still sensitive to the impact of a “round” system, even though it’s presented to them in its material form.

Baal HaSulam speaks of the necessity to disseminate the wisdom of Kabbalah to all. It means that our connection with this world has already created a connection with the “circles” through the material “circles” of the global world and through the higher spiritual circles that are a part to our path to correction. This is why we are allowed to reveal the Kabbalistic method to everybody, and the works that were written from the highest level.

Thus, except for the books of Baal HaSulam, we don’t have anything to disseminate. There are no other materials that are suitable for our generation, which is on the beginning of the road that leads to the final correction. “The circles” that belong to that level are already active and shine on all of us and onto the entire world.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/7/13, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar

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Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, article “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”: And because The Zohar is revealed in our generation, this is a clear proof that we are now in the time of the Messiah, at the beginning of this generation, about which it is said: “ And the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Creator.”

Baal HaSulam is writing it that because everything is realized by the upper Light. And when the Light is illuminating less, then the nation of Israel is in exile, if it illuminates even less, then we all are in troubles up to the loss of life, meaning losing this perception of reality. And conversely, when the Light illuminates more, then we feel vitality and we live a full life. When it illuminates even more, then we begin to feel the source of the Light and we are attracted to it.

Everything comes from the Light, and precisely it “shakes” the vessels, our desires, but in our era, its bestowing is changing. The revelation of the wisdom of Kabbalah, the thought of creation and its goal, the systems that humanity exists in, the global nature with its absolute laws, which is the Creator, all this brought great changes in our world. In the last century, the Light influenced the world in such a way, that as a result, The Book of Zohar was revealed, meaning that the strongest source of correction was revealed. The authors of The Zohar wrote openly that thanks to this Book, the people of Israel go out of exile. Therefore, it is necessary to see our time as time of spiritual ascent, and everything depends only on the correct use of the wisdom of Kabbalah.

From above there will be no concessions on what we are capable of realizing. But this way or that way, the revealing of The Book of Zohar and the wisdom of Kabbalah, the work that was done by Baal HaSulam that revealed the method of Kabbalah to this generation, and the works of Rabash that describe the rules of spiritual work—all this laid a foundation for our ascent. The two parts of the wisdom of Kabbalah that were prepared by our teachers were necessarily revealed in order for anyone who is awakened to self-realization in the path to the goal of creation (purpose) to be able to execute it.

Therefore, our time is the beginning of the period of the Messiah, meaning the stage of the final correction.
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From the 4th Part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/11/13, A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”

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Waiting For Payment

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What can we understand from the books of Kabbalists when they tell us about the spiritual levels?

Answer: It is said, “It isn’t the wise who learns.” Your understanding or your lack of understanding have nothing to do with your advancement.

Suppose there is a wise man who has read many books sitting next to you. On the other side, there is a person who isn’t very clever but who has a big heart. There are people who excel neither in their feelings, nor in their mind, and there are others who have plenty of both, but all this has nothing to do with our advancement. It doesn’t matter whether you understand the material or not. We should understand one thing only: the principles. Can you hear them? Can you evoke yourself to that?

Sometimes you may want to hear them, but you don’t. Then patience and persistence are helpful. Even if everyone has already entered spirituality and a person may be ten years behind, he actually “gains” more by acquiring the depth of the clarification, the ability to see the global picture. In short, we should be patient and persistent. The main thing is not to leave the path, to subdue yourself no matter what comes from Above. It’s because eventually the Creator determines everything and although it may not be very simple, a person gains a lot by that.

Baal HaSulam writes about that in his article “The Attribute of the General Hidden Wisdom”: The undeveloped person cannot wait for the payment for a long time. He has no patience, like a child, who wants to receive the payment now, and cannot wait for even one moment. And he chooses jobs for which he is paid immediately, even if the wages are lower. One can learn how to be a taxi driver and receive an immediate payment from the passengers without any delay. On the other hand, he can spend years studying to become a musician, for example. And a more developed person can restrain himself and choose jobs for which one is paid more, even if the payment may be much later. And we should know that this is the scale to measure the wise, since it depends on the corporeal development of every individual, and whoever can prolong the payment can get much higher wages.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/6/13, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar

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Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: I feel that during the lesson I lack the recognition of the greatness of the goal, what should I do?

Answer: On the whole, a person lacks only one thing: the right awakening that can only come from the group. What have you done about that? Have you sent letters demanding that the friends help you? Did you give them presents according to what each of them likes? You have to evoke the friends’ attention so that they will think about you, so that they will worry about whether you understand the greatness of the goal, so that that they will not forget you in their prayer…bribe them with something!

During the lesson it’s already too late to correct the corruptions. You use what you have prepared. The whole preparation is done before the lesson. The day turns to evening and the evening turns to night and a person finds himself in the dark, confused and lacking understanding. Then he prepares himself for the meeting with the Light. From midnight he rushes toward the Light by arranging his vessels, his desires. He comes to the lesson with a ready load, after having raised his requests to the Creator. He connects everything that he has to the study.

Thus, the time of the study is already the result of the events that happened during the day. Get ready, think about what seems important with regard to this, but don’t forget: Everything that you do during the lesson is a result of your activities before the lesson. Check it and you will see that it’s really so. During the moments of awakening in the morning before the lesson and during the lesson itself, you will deal with what you filled yourself the day before; everything depends on yesterdays’ preparation.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/6/13, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar

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Spiritual Work And Pleasure

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Is enjoying dissemination a good or bad thing?

Answer: It is good. The other way around is worse. A person must enjoy his spiritual work even when he has to pressure himself and force himself to participate. This is not masochism; it is simply an understanding that things cannot be any other way because I am working against my egoism.

Question: Does this mean that you can do whatever gives you more pleasure: study if you want to study, disseminate if you want to disseminate?

Answer: First you need to find the part of the common work in the group where you can be useful.

There are people who cannot study at all. They spend their time with the group, they help out, they do things, and gradually they begin to hear and participate in seminars. They absorb the material during the work and not during the study.

And there are people who do not like group work, they prefer to study and disseminate. Let them do it. Eventually, they will also begin to hear that they will not succeed without the group because the Light will keep influencing them and they will understand that they need it.

People should not be forced to do anything. A person must be given an opportunity to be in the group in whichever way he wants as long as he is not causing harm. And anything that he needs to add to the group, he will add later.
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From the Virtual Lesson 2/3/13

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Battling Your Own Egoism

Dr. Michael Laitman with StudentsQuestion: I graduated from the online course and currently belong to a virtual group. Is it necessary for me to go to a physical group?

Answer: I understand that a person already got used to studying online. He has friends, instructors, and a network there—everything he is connected to and is constantly in touch with.

However, a physical group brings a person to the new level of relations since it shows him that he is full of egoism in a more clear, powerful, and effective way than any virtual group. Therefore, one has to join a physical group realizing in advance that he is going there to battle not other people, but his own egoism so as to understand it, to see the snake sitting within him and how he has to pull it from there.
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From the Virtual Lesson on Fundamentals of Kabbalah, 02/03/2013

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Not Entitled To A Day Off

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is a sin in the internal work that corrupts its outcome?

Answer: If a person is already incorporated in the internal work but is now too lazy to constantly support it and to add to it, it’s considered a sin. Since if he doesn’t advance, it means that he is going backward. It’s impossible to stop and stand in the middle.

We sometimes think that we can allow ourselves to take some time off and to rest from this work, but in spirituality there are no days off, the clock is constantly ticking and the counter constantly counts our efforts, so it isn’t like our world where we can stop and be idle, to go to sleep and not do anything until the next day.

This does not exist in spirituality. Perhaps I don’t perform any physical actions, but during this time many Reshimot (spiritual genes) go through me, and if I don’t fulfill them, then it means that I go backward. So I have to make sure that I constantly do something.

My advice is to place yourself, even passively, under the maximal influence of the environment: to listen to tunes and songs, to read our material, to see a lesson one more time or to listen to it, to be among friends. But we have to be very careful in using this means of communication, since along with the gain and the great benefit it can also bring about great loses and harm if we don’t use it correctly.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/7/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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A Tuning Fork For The Out-Of-Tune Strings Of The Soul

Dr. Michael LaitmanYou have to humble yourself not before certain people but before the means for attaining the spiritual goal—the study, the teacher, the friends, and the group. It’s because these are not just people, but a system, and if you annul yourself before it you will enter your first spiritual state: Ibur (embryo). Of course, there has to be a different kind of annulment with regard to every means; with regard to the study, you should examine its essence and why it’s needed and what it is that you study.

The system is revealed to you in the image of the teacher and the friends. It is one upper system, which by its revelation to you depicts in you the images of Kabbalists throughout the generations and of the friends. It’s you that builds these images, and they are in you. It says, “Thou shall not make statues or images,” in the sense that you are forbidden to perceive them externally, that they exist outside your feeling. You are in front of the Light that depicts all these discernments in you.

So the work is in imagining only the Creator’s bestowal upon you instead of all these images. But in this general behavior of the Creator, you are allowed to discern all the individual manners with regard to which you can focus yourself.

It’s as if you are playing a chord on a musical instrument and you need several strings that are perfectly tuned relative to one another. In order to do that, you have a teacher, friends, this world, and the study. If you tune all the “strings” correctly by perceiving everything as coming from the Creator, you will be able to come to Him.

If you regard the teacher, the friends, the group, the study, and the world as coming from one upper source, then everything that you do to tighten the connection with them allows you to tune yourself more accurately. It’s as if you are checking every one of your strings according to the sound of this tuning fork and thus advance.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/7/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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The Book “Sculpts” A Person

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: We only need to reach an equivalence of form with the Creator. So why do we need all the books and all the talk about self-annulment and about unity? We must simply demand the equivalence of form and that’s it.

Answer: Go ahead, demand it. But how? Kabbalists wrote books only so that we can advance. On the whole we study two types of books:

– There are books that bring us the Light that Reforms—which are mainly the writings of Baal HaSulam.

– The other books, the books of Rabash, teach us how to approach the writings of Baal HaSulam: in unity, with the group, with the right intention.

Without this guidance you would not attain anything. You need someone to guide you.

Question: Still, why didn’t Baal HaSulam write a book about how to reach equivalence of form with the Creator?

Answer: It is forbidden. I have to look for equivalence of form by myself; I have to feel my way around and find it. Then I will understand what it is and that it’s exactly what I need and exactly what I aspire to.

And I would also understand how to ask for the power to do it. The desires can’t come from the outside; I have to arrange them internally. In our world everything is the opposite: I open a physics, mathematics, or mechanics textbook and study it. I have the necessary basis for that. In the spiritual preparation there is no such basis, no such tools or desires. Even if Kabbalists wrote a book like that, I wouldn’t understand what they want from me. What does it mean to raise the NHY to HGT?

This means that first I need to extract new levels of perception from the books, new powers, and new inner responses, to develop my mind, and to expand my feelings. First I have to develop internally, and in order to do that, the book has to perform certain actions on me, to “sculpt” something of me, to knead my matter and to stretch it by direct and by opposite bestowal. It’s only then that I acquire enough gentleness and sensitivity so that in a second reading I will already understand what it’s about.

After several years a person doesn’t read “Shamati as he did in the beginning. But how can this be explained to a beginner? This means that it’s impossible to manage without guidance and training…
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/3/13, A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”

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