Entries in the 'Prayer and Intention' Category

Connecting With Others For Correction Of The World

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: With whom can our movement work in partnership and under what conditions?

Answer: We are ready to connect with everyone who wants connection for the sake of correction of the world. Suppose that tomorrow Abu Mazen were to come and offer to work in partnership for the correction of the world. We would shake hands and begin to work together. The moment that some egoistic calculations are inserted into this covenant, we would immediately stop this shared activity.

The absence of egoistic considerations and a yearning to correct the world is the necessary condition. For correction it is necessary to attract the Light that reforms, because only this can help. If he is ready for this, then I am ready to unite with him. This is even though, in the meantime, it seems he is not ready.

We must take into account that it is possible to take a bit of the whole wide spectrum of different factions, political forces, nations, and governments for a short time with the goal of moving forward. This is because each one has some unique problem, and so they can unite with us and support us.

Last year we found ourselves in a dramatic situation regarding the kidnapping of three youths. The people felt terrible pressure and tension because we wanted to find and return the boys. So, with this event, we had the possibility of working with many organizations in Israel to connect the people.

In any case, it is clear to everyone that connection makes us stronger. We get more if we connect through prayer, a shared desire and action. So people went out to marches and gatherings.Thousands of people went out to the streets with placards demanding the release of the hostages. That is how it was all over the world.

Why did the desire to gather appear within them all of a sudden? Subconsciously, they felt that there was some kind of corrective force in this, some kind of new spirit that would appear in the people, along with the concept of a new state.

Even animals instinctively converge during a moment of danger. Sheep gather together into one flock and huddle together when they are concerned about an attack by wolves. If a forest fire breaks out, all of the animals flee from it together without fear of each other. This is because the general crisis connects them, and not one looks at the other in order to devour him. They all flee, meaning that they gather together in one common movement.

This inclination to connect at a time of trouble also exists instinctively among people. We need this spirit of connection, even if it is not an army marching and playing songs that is about to attack as one person. Even though we are not going out to attack, in spite of it, we feel that in this manner we are stabilizing a force through which we can correct ta situation.

So I think that we need to share this inclination that is felt among the people and unite together with them in actions such as these. In addition to this, we must organize discussion circles in parks, courtyards, and in homes.

The people who are now found in such a unique situation are ready to participate in discussions like these. It is necessary to discuss why this happened to us and how we can guarantee that this will never happen again, but only for the purpose of advancing towards the betterment of a situation and good relationships with others.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/19/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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We Need To Pray For Everyone

laitman_624_02_0Question: How do we direct ourselves correctly at the time of reading The Book of Zohar to heal all the problems of every individual person, the people of Israel, and the whole world?

Answer: It is necessary to pray, to ask, to be integrated into the pain of the people closest to us and also those who are far away. But we don’t pray for a particular person who is sick, but for correction of the general illness that is revealed before us now through the problem of a particular person.

One should pray for general correction, because what we see is only a particular expression of the general problem. This is how the prayer must be organized.

Question: Why is a prayer for everyone more practical than a request for a particular person who is closer to my heart?

Answer: A request for a particular person is closer to your ego. On the one hand, you are stimulated more by what is closer to you. But on the other hand, what is the difference if the desire to bestow is bestowing to someone close or someone far away?

There are no limits to the Ohr Hassadim (Light of Mercy); it extends to all places with the same intensity. So why do you want to pray for someone in particular?

We know that everyone is connected with everyone and there is only one soul. So every defect that is revealed in someone is the result of the general illness. So how is it possible to heal a particular person without healing the general illness? It is necessary to pray for everyone.

If you are ready to correct everyone through your prayer, then the person in whom you saw some kind of illness will also be healed. Otherwise this doesn’t work. After all, we are in a global system, a single system. Suppose that someone is sick with the flu, you cannot heal just him; rather, you must heal the epidemic throughout the world because it is a general system.

It cannot be that there is a defect in one place, even if it seems to us that we see only one damaged component. The damage is not only in him, but also in the whole system. And only in regard to you is this presented as a defect in a friend. You must take care of society in general, and the particular problems that you see are only a response to the common problem. An isolated component doesn’t exist in any form, not in me or anyone else. If I see it, it is an indication that the system is sick.

We see this in the world. If we want to correct some part of the government or the society, then nothing will help because we don’t approach this correctly.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/17/14, The Zohar

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Signs Of A True Spiritual Action

laitman_569_01If I don’t think about the reward I will receive from my action but only worry about the benefit of others, it is bestowal. It is a special action that doesn’t exist in our world and is not familiar to us.

We think that a mother who takes care of her baby is an example of bestowal in our world: She doesn’t think about herself and does whatever is necessary.

But a mother acts from her natural instinct and there is no ascent above nature here. She simply feels that her baby is dearer to her than herself. She doesn’t see him as a foreign body, but actually feels that he is inside her like before he was born.

But we are establishing a special connection between us that unites us all into one integral system and changes us so that we will be able to operate in order to bestow. Thus, our actions are divided into an intention and the actual action. The intention is altruistic, which means for the benefit of others, and it determines the action.

If the intention is not for the sake of others but for my own sake, then even if you bestow to others, you expect something in return: at least to be in a good mood, have self-respect, or receive praise. If I cannot calculate things only in order to bestow unto others, this actions is called a transgression and the breaking of the Mitzva (commandment) since I use an egoistic intention.

It is according to such signs that I can check whether my intention is clean and whether it is really for the sake of others or not. After all, I may be acting for the sake of others but expecting to receive something for myself as well. These are the accounts that determine my place on the spiritual ladder along spiritual correction. Accordingly, if my action is for the sake of others without any self benefit, as if I don’t exist at all, my action is more sublime in the spiritual sense.

Therefore, I should totally restrict my ego before every action so as not to expect any reward for myself, as if I don’t exist at all. Baal HaSulam says that we simply have to be a pipe, a channel, that conveys everything through it, and which passes everything onwards. Thus we build ourselves by restricting our ego.

But after the restriction, I can already plan what I can do for the sake of others, for the sake of bestowal. If I can come up with such a plan with the help of the Light that Reforms, it means that I build the head of the spiritual Partzuf. With this head I can already use my desire to receive by ascending above it.

Although the ego wants everything only for its own sake, I act above it with the intention only for the sake of others, without any account for my own sake. This action is called receiving in order to bestow, which is spiritual work.

The ability to perform spiritual work comes only from the Light that Reforms. This is the reason that very few people in this world can understand and fulfill this work, and in fact there is no need for many such people.

Our group will never be big. Most people will simply go through it: They will come and go. Therefore we will keep on consolidating as a group that leads humanity along the right path of our evolution. Our power is in quality, not in quantity.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/14, Shamati #60

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Benevolent Intentions With Incorrect Actions

Dr. Michael LaitmanTorah “Leviticus” Kedoshim 19:12: You shall not swear falsely by My Name, thereby profaning the Name of your God. I am the Lord. “You shall not swear falsely by My Name” means avoiding self-deceit, a condition when one thinks that one is able to completely bestow and implement the qualities of love, but does not act this way internally.

There are various levels of violating the property of bestowal and love: by ignorance, by misunderstanding, by confusion, or by sickness. In other words, there are several minor problems and malfunctions in our egoism to which we don’t pay attention. One must scrutinize and gradually correct them so that one fully clarifies one’s ego to the extent that it becomes transparent, corrected, and bestowing.

This explains why one has to test oneself and work hard on these problems. The most widespread tendency among us is stealing. For example, when we advance in self-correction, we think that we can work with these kinds of desires. Our egoism helps us by persuading us that “Everything is all right; you are working for the sake of bestowal.”

In fact, we might even really serve others and try acting for the sake of humanity. However, suddenly it becomes obvious to us that everything we ever did in this direction was still for our own sake. It turns out that we receive something in return at all times and the pleasure we feel is the reason for our actions. It is said: “The path to hell is paved with good intentions.” Intentions looked good, but our actions were wicked.

To control ourselves, we have to study the Talmud because it explains these things in their tiny details.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/26/14

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Does God Exist?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If the wisdom of Kabbalah is a science and not a religion, does that mean that you negate the existence of God?

Answer: I negate the existence of God in the sense that a religious person perceives Him as someone who exists as a corporeal figure.

God is the general attribute of love and bestowal that sustains the whole universe and all the worlds. It is the positive force (which the wisdom of Kabbalah calls Light) that created matter and develops this matter to resemble Him. This force is called God, or the Creator or the Upper, simply because He is higher than all the other forces.

Our mutual relations with that force are not based on the human principle that implies that God can feel sorry for, forgive, or punish us. We are dealing with a system of providence that perceives our actions and responds accordingly without any regret, mercy, etc.

It isn’t the God that religious people refer to when they cry and beg Him to be merciful and forgiving. We see that throughout history, our cries and our begging are useless because this isn’t what the system called the Creator demands of us.

The meaning of the word “God”- “Elokim” in Gematria (numerology) is equal in value to the word “nature – Teva,” since nature and God are the same thing.
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From KabTV’s “A Special Opinion” 8/17/14

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Prayer At The End Of All Efforts

laitman_236_01Rabash Letter No. 57: “I did not tell you this truth but in order that you will not leave and not despair from mercy. And although you don’t see anything, even at time that the measure of efforts is complete, this is the time of prayer.”

Question: Is prayer a part of the effort or does it come separately?

Answer: Prayer is the result of all efforts. When you give a complete effort and the measure is complete, then the prayer is born. You need to do all that is in your hands and strength, and after that you will understand that only the Creator is able to implement His plan. And then you will turn to Him!

Question: What does it mean, to finish your measurement of effort?

Answer: It means to finish all kinds of attempts to connect with friends in order to bestow to the Creator. And you despair from truly not attaining the real quality of bestowal, and then you burst with a prayer.

In the beginning you just hear that it is good to come to bestowal, but you need to come to a state that you want to be the one that bestows; you beg for bestowal, as if you can’t live without it.

You can’t measure your vessel, and judging by the fact that is is empty, you decide you have finished your measurement of effort. From a state that is forced on you bursts a prayer, for which you immediately receive an answer, then the change happens. According to these changes you understand that you finished the measure of effort.

The prayer comes after man checks himself and sees that it is impossible to change something by himself; rather, everything is in the hands of the Creator. And this brings him to adhesion with the Creator.

You are not required to create this prayer artificially. But naturally from inside of you will burst your cry, which will be your prayer. Prayer is the work of the heart.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/26/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Look For The Creator Wherever He Is Found

Laitman_524_01Question: How does a person succeed in understanding that he depends on the environment?

Answer: Blows “straighten” the desire to enjoy, give it shape, like kneading dough and sometimes beating it. A person cannot reach the same result by himself because the protective power of the ego will not let a person suffer.

He doesn’t want to bow, not even to diminish himself a little bit. He will twist himself in every possible way; the main thing is not to allow a change in his form, which is advantageous for the ego.

It is said that there is no happier moment in a person’s life than when he discovers the failure of his own power and that only a prayer remains for him. And that prayer must pass through the environment, through the society; you have no other way. The Creator is found within the environment, within the group, within the whole, the people. So when you turn to the Creator, you must turn by way of the collective Kli.

You must be included in the same Kli in which the Creator is found. There is no Light without a Kli, so if you want to turn to the Creator, you must turn to the same Kli He is found in.

I need electricity, so how can I get it? You don’t catch lightning from the sky; instead you connect to a battery or an outlet where electricity is found. You must connect to it wherever it is and get the electricity from it through an instrument.

You cannot turn to the Creator directly, egoistically, the way you wanted to and thought of doing before. Rather now you understand that the Creator is found within a society. Although you reached this awareness through blows, you can spare yourself from blows and save time through speaking and reading about it, ultimately shortening the time through this influence.

The result is still the same, but you have already begun to search for Him within the Kli where He is found. All souls are searching for how to connect to Malchut de Atzilut, for that is where the Creator is revealed.

Zeir Anpin is disconnected from us and we don’t know what it is. We get a copy of it and its influence through Malchut. Through our efforts, Malchut clings to Zeir Anpin and receives Light from it according to our deficiencies. We work by way of the Kelim. Even fulfillments are our Kelim.

In every circumstance in our lives we never measure the power itself but only its influence on something. This is because we are creatures.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/4/14, Writing of Rabash

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Why Is There No Answer Still?

laitman_571_02Everything depends on the efforts exerted by a person. It’s natural that every time we discover a bigger desire. This is why a bigger effort is required of us, more desperation for which there is no answer.

Again, we make efforts, and again reveal a greater desire. So again and again until we employ the full measure of effort and frustration.

As a result of all these efforts, they remain unanswered; a realization comes to us signifying that we have nothing to depend on! Everything is in the hands of the upper force, and if only it will have mercy on us then we can start working towards bestowal.

We change and become more aware of what a true prayer is, adhesion, and dependence upon the upper force at every stage of these efforts. It becomes clear why there is no answer still: because our prayer is impure. It hides an egoistic intention for oneself.

It’s impossible to reduce the number of these unsuccessful attempts because every penny is added to the total bill. We are obliged to go through them all one by one, and it all depends on the speed of our commitment towards this sprint, it depends if we don’t apply brakes when the Light is beckoning ahead or pushing us back, or doesn’t work.

Finally, we come to a genuine prayer, knowing what we require while agreeing with this request and desiring it. It already emanates from us, because we really want to achieve bestowal, without any regard for ourselves, desiring such bestowal with all our heart and soul. We believe that there is no better state than the power of devotion to bestowal, to the Creator, and we ask only of this.

Because all of these actions, our request transforms from egoistic to altruistic, then it reforms and becomes a correct cry, which receives an answer that comes from above.

It’s impossible to get anything without a need for it. All of our work and all of the states we find ourselves in are essentially intended for us so we ask for the correct things, which previously had already been prepared for us. As soon as we ask for them, we immediately get an answer.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/26/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Know The God Of Your Fathers And Serve Him

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Torah, “Leviticus,” Kedoshim, 19:4: Do not turn to idols and do not make molten gods for yourselves: I am the Lord, your God. An idol is something we obtain a priori,  obtained without any proof and must be taken on faith without trying to comprehend it. This is not done at the level of the human being.

A person must attain the levels of bestowal and mutual love between us, reveal, study, and work with them. He should fully comprehend, understand, and feel the system with one’s heart and mind. Only then can he say that doesn’t worship idols nor accept anything randomly.

Despite the fact that this is a very difficult life, the Creator poses such problems before us so that we reach the level of Adam (human) and don’t remain on the animal level.

So we can’t afford to take anything for granted. The Creator wants us to study Him, “Know the God of your fathers, and serve Him.” That is, the greatest point of our ascent is the perception and the attainment of the Creator.

Comment: Sometimes one wants to disconnect from everything just so one would simply be carried forward.

Answer: This is how our egoism works within us. On one hand, the ego always accompanies us during the correct development. On the other hand, there’s a need for a distinct spiritual attainment, development, and absorption, otherwise one doesn’t quench their thirst or feel oneself.

Bestowal is the source for clean water that quenches the thirst.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/26/14

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Like Nuts In A Sack

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: In what way can we help each other to push our common wagon forward and advance?

Answer: Everything that is said in a lesson must be internalized in a person’s heart so that he will begin to live it. Everything that is covered by us must move into the Kelim, his emotions, in order to format and organize his inner desires so that one feels within them the phenomena he heard about.

Each one is certainly familiar with the text that we have already read many times previously. But to realize the simplest spiritual action is possible only if we think about connecting our shattered Kelim. It is necessary to imagine the picture accurately and clearly to ourselves: the egoistic envelope within which the spiritual spark is wrapped doesn’t allow us to connect with each other.

Even though we must try many times to connect between us with the right intention, we are certainly not ready for this. And from this, a genuine cry to the Creator will break out in each of us to allow and help us to connect.

Each one is in his egoistic capsule or bubble within which the spark of bestowal is held captive. And we ask the Creator to help us to connect, even though each one is wrapped in a rigid, external, egoistic shell, like nuts in a sack, as Baal HaSulam described. And in spite of it all, the nuts with which we can connect are within the sack.

For this, we must discover our true state and not hide or flee from it. This is because it is very unpleasant to feel our true egoistic essence, which is suddenly discovered after so many years of effort to reach bestowal. And so the prayer is born within us.

The Upper Light arrives only if there is a lack for it. And we must attain this lack, for it is impossible to scream artificially. So it is necessary for us to try and imagine our correct and true form, and we are already getting close to it. Widespread dissemination is very helpful with this, since through it, we have advanced in the last two months more than in previous several years.

Only the right prayer will help when we feel that we are not ready to connect. This is because we expect to discover the Creator with the right intention, meaning to bestow to Him and not to ourselves. For this, it is necessary for a radical revolution to happen, an inner revolution within our Kelim, which depends upon our entire great world group.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/29/14, Shamati #1

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