Question: In the past several weeks, we have seen how in several countries people came out to demonstrate against their governments as if they were protesting their inability to take part in the governing of their country. How can we hand Kabbalistic ideas about integral unity to them so that they feel that it can offer a solution?

Answer: It is a very important question that is gradually becoming more and more vital these days. It is a question of unity that people essentially demand. In other words, a person asks: “How can I, a regular man who lives on two dollars a day (as, for example, the masses in Egypt do), decide something in this life?

They can’t leave the streets and go home because otherwise, they will have to return to this life of extreme poverty, which is “valued at 2 dollars a day.” But for now, as they are protesting, they have a feeling of being able to control, to do something. They feel that power is in their hands, and not in the hands of the government.

This demand cannot be met by adding one extra dollar a day for their needs. It is necessary to think about what to give these millions of people so they may feel that they have received the power to govern and make changes. And today, it is a truly universal, global problem, which is beginning to involve greater and greater masses of people in the world.

The governments start to ponder: What should they do? Political leaders are willing to resign from their positions and yield to various changes, but it will never satisfy their people. We are yet to see numerous demonstrations and revolts, until the decision will finally come to the surface: We must ensure that the very last, simplest person gets to feel that he, too, is in charge, and that he has honor, power, and self-respect.

Humans grew up! They are coming out into the streets and feel they own the situation. When they feel this way, it is impossible to bribe them even with money because such status won’t be enough for them. And they will keep waking up, creating a very threatening predicament. I don’t see how the governments will be able to control them.

Even if one government replaces the other and accepts people’s representatives, then as soon as they have power, they will alienate themselves from the people. As soon as they get their hands on and start enjoying it there, at the top, a person who lives in his urban slum or remote village won’t find them as his or her representative any longer.

We are yet to see this tendency in political development in the nearest future. In the end, no other option will be available. Mankind will come to a state when it will be faced with a question: What can we do to be equal? In truth, only when everyone feels equal, a person can feel that he or she is the head of the government, makes decisions, and is important.

It doesn’t mean that one must have direct power over others, but one needs to feel like that inside. And it is possible to achieve but only through people’s unification that we are moving toward.

Sociologists are not familiar with such phenomenon yet, and they produce very careful, superficial forecasts. But I think that in those countries where this process has already started, it cannot be stopped. A government should fear a people that have already tasted their ability to change something and take charge. Until everyone feels equal with everybody else, they won’t find peace. And this is where the world is headed to.
[35613]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/17/2011, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

Related Material:
New Rules Of A Global World
The Law “To Take After The Collective”
Life Could Be Beautiful

Filed under: Crisis, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Q&A, Society, Unity - 1 Comment →

Filed under: Crisis, Laitman Unplugged, Q&A - No Comments →

Question: What does the following mean (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Sixth Commandment,” Item 221): “…for none other has permission to pardon him [man] except Him”? How can a law either be or not be merciful?

Answer: In Kabbalah, mercy is the quality of bestowal (Hassadim); it is not the forgiveness of sins like in our world. There is no forgiveness in the spiritual system. This is a system of very precise laws.

And when I do something sinful, I primarily need to know what I did, why I did it, and how. I must understand that the Creator has fixed this sin up for me for it to become revealed, and now it helps me to see how I can ascend.

Essentially, there are no sins; there is only the revelation of evil which was previously concealed and now becomes revealed. This is why mercy in The Zohar usually refers to an attainment of the force of bestowal.
[35594]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/17/2011, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar”

Related Material:
You Cannot Replace A Diamond With A Formula
The Great Property of Bina
Are Your Prepared For The Flood?

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Q&A, Zohar - No Comments →

“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Seventh Commandment,” Item 225: In the Merkava [chariot/structure] of the throne, the face of a lion is on the right and the face of the ox is on the left. The ox is called “a whole [Tam] ox” since in the Merkava of the throne there is an inscription of the covenant.

Question: Is it possible to create a dictionary of spiritual terms appropriate for our level, which would explain the different words from The Zohar, like “ox,” “structure” “(Merkava),” “lion,” “serpent,” and so on? This would help to replace the words that remind us of physical images with spiritual forces according to their definition while reading. Is this a correct approach to studying The Zohar?

Answer: Everything depends upon the way we agree to speak between us. When we have a common perception, we speak according to this sensation. When we do not perceive the events in the same way but understand them (a lower level than perception), we, let us say, speak using scientific terms and formulas.

This excerpt of The Zohar uses words like “ox,” “donkey,” “throne,” and so on. If we were to replace them with forces, we would need to specify the kind of force it is, from which Sefira or property it comes. While here, one word is used to refer to the same force, for example, “ox” or “whole ox.” This language is more concise because it relies on your understanding to what it refers.

This only refers to the Lights and Kelim (desires) because we have nothing else about which to speak. How can I convey to you the connection of the Lights and Kelim in a specific form? Should I draw it for you in a graph? Play a tune? Give you a formula? Describe the image of this world that results from their connection? How can I explain to you the exact spiritual state, the combination of the Light and the Kli, about which I am speaking?

This is why Kabbalists have found four languages to describe the upper system of governance of our world: the language of Tanach, Hagaddot (Legends), Kabbalah, and Halachot (Talmud), and they use them to convey their attainments to us. These languages are mixed in The Zohar.

The Zohar itself is mainly written with the language of the Talmud (Midrash), even though it also uses a little of the language of the Tanach or the Legends, and Baal HaSulam adds the language of Kabbalah to it. And when they are parallel, you can more or less keep the correct direction of thought.

But how can languages help you if you do not have spiritual attainment and you do not perceive to what the text is referring? Nothing can help you! You only need to think about receiving more influence in order to begin to perceive.

It works the same way in our world: You can tell me anything you want, but if I have never experienced it, whatever you are telling me is dead to me, or in the best case scenario, I might be able to imagine it through an analogy to something with which I am already familiar.

But if I do not know anything about the spiritual world, there are no tales that can help me. For this reason, our entire study comes down to striving to perceive these spiritual notions, to want our eyes to open.
[35591]

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/17/2011, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar”

Related Material:
Hearing The Melody Of The Spiritual World
Acquiring A Spiritual Dictionary
What Words Cannot Convey

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Q&A, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: Why did Kabbalists keep the wisdom of Kabbalah secret for so many years if someone who isn’t ready for it can’t use it?

Answer: The science of Kabbalah was open to anyone who wanted to study it until the ruin of the Temple. The destruction of the Temple was the destruction of the spiritual sensation in the people of Israel.

Just as it is dangerous to reveal regular science to egoists who lack the correct vision of the world and its purpose since disclosing the knowledge would arm them with weapons that can hurt them and others, similarly, people who fell from the spiritual degree of brotherly love into the unfounded hatred were banned from studying the science of Kabbalah. After all, they could have used it incorrectly and become confused.

They were unable to use it once they fell into the egoistic desire which was beginning to develop. They first had to become entangled in the desires of this world, to plunge into the darkness, to mingle with the desires of all the peoples; in fact, this was the purpose of the nation of Israel going into exile.

How would it have been possible to give people the wisdom of Kabbalah at that time; it would have been contrary to the purpose. The people fell from the spiritual degree and lost that knowledge precisely in order to live on the same level as all the other nations. Up until the end of the Middle Ages, the people of Israel and all other nations led a very simple and primitive life. It was a time for their mutual inclusion.

But despite the fact that the people of Israel lost their spiritual degree, the high, inner spirit persisted in them, and there were many sages (Kabbalists) and people who understood the purpose of creation.  It wasn’t like today’s state of complete lack of understanding of the purpose of existence.

This decline happened in the past 100-150 years, but before that, there wasn’t a person among the people of Israel who didn’t know what he was living for. That allowed them to endure all the years of exile and preserve themselves despite all the persecution, inquisition, and pogroms. After all, it wasn’t just blind faith: They felt and knew that there was a purpose.

However, the wisdom of Kabbalah had to be kept secret from the people of Israel precisely because they had to mix with the desires of other nations and to complete the period of exile. That was the reason why Kabbalists concealed it, alienated the people from it, and intimidated them so as not to confuse them and to give them time to correct what needed to be corrected.

This was the form in which they were performing the correction at that time. After all, we can’t see the inner development that was going on inside. For billions of years, all matter has been evolving unconsciously, but we can’t grasp the process in its entirety with our limited mind. If we maintain this view of reality, we can’t justify anything in it. If we want to understand anything, we first need to reveal the entire picture.
[35537]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/16/2011, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

Related Material:
The Future Society Amidst The Ancient World
Religious Resistance To Kabbalah
Why Was There A Prohibition On Kabbalah Before?

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Israel, Q&A, Spirituality - No Comments →

Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

To send a question for the program, please click here.

Filed under: Q&A, Television - No Comments →

Question: Where does a person get the energy to do inner work while he isn’t corrected yet?

Answer: Even the smallest possible step made in desire, thought, or action is possible only by virtue of the importance of the goal. Only the importance of the goal gives us energy.

There is no other “energy source” that’s able to motivate us to make even the smallest movement in action, thought, or desire. Only the importance does it. There is nothing besides it.

Initially I have the importance of the egoistic desire, and I must continually acquire greater importance of the spiritual goal, the Creator, making Him higher in my eyes. The only way to work on this is by means of the environment. Who’s more important—me or the Creator? The environment is built in a way that if I desire it, it will help me place the Creator above myself.

Why is that? It’s because the environment is able to oblige me to do things I would never want on my own. Since I have received a point in the heart, the environment can do everything else, as long as I contribute my share.

Therefore, our entire work amounts to just this: Who’s more important? Me or Him? I must always check this and turn to the group in order to elevate the Creator, meaning the quality of bestowal and love, above myself, meaning above the quality of reception and repulsion from others. If I work correctly, then the environment is able to gradually provide me with the fuel for advancement so the important thing would become revealed to me as the Creator, the goal, the efforts, and the attainment of connection and adhesion.

Only the group is able to do this. If a person builds himself correctly, then he always has the fuel and has no problems advancing forward. But it happens only on the condition that he checks himself at every second: Who is more important to him?

We should look at everything in life from this perspective. First of all, arrange your priorities so the important thing is the goal, the Creator, adhesion, and bestowal. Then you can look at anything else—your children, work, family, friends, the world, and anything else. In that case you are on the right track in order to attain the goal through them.
[35580]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/17/11, Writings of Rabash

Related Material:
Plant A Concern For Your Friends In Your Heart
Dreaming Of Adhesion With The Creator
I’m Lying, But Honestly

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Q&A - No Comments →

Question: You touch upon very high matters when you speak about working with the environment.

Answer: I do not speak about any high matters at all. I speak about immediate realization, about what needs to happen between us. It’s not above us, but on our eye level, on the level of our hearts.

Question: But don’t I work with myself artificially?

Answer: Of course, artificially. We acknowledge and admit our hypocrisy. Yes, we play; we openly “lie.”

For example, right now, my grandson is occupied with a toy garbage truck. He looks for garbage around the house to put it in his truck. Is this a game? If he were able to explain it to you, you would understand that this is life. However, you, grownups, are playing with your toys. He sees it this way; we see it the opposite way. These are two levels, and there is nothing that you can do about it.

So, I know that I am submerged in egoistic desire, that I hate my neighbor, and I only think about myself. Nothing else interests me, and I came to the group to receive even more because I no longer receive satisfaction from any of the things I previously had.

My neighbors are satisfied with their position, and they look at me as if I were mad: “What does he want in life?” However, it is not enough for me, and this is why I am here.

Day after day, I keep discovering hatred of and disdain for everyone. I do not need anyone, and no one matters to me but my darling me. I am aware of all this, but at the same time, I know that rising to a higher degree means to come out from within myself, my desire, my thoughts, toward something completely different. I want to be born anew.

So, I play on my level in my egoism as if I were already on a higher degree. Naturally, all of this is pretend play. It is all a lie, but it is a useful lie. I do not have another possibility to develop, unless I play a game of something I want to attain.

This is what children, plants, and animals do. This is the condition that operates in all of nature. Every element that wants to develop in the consumption and emission of certain matter turns itself into a certain image, a model of whatever it is aspiring to. It must strive toward its future form.

Then, the upper Light comes. When the development is caused by nature, it passes automatically. Plants and animals do not know how they develop, and yet the Light also operates on the still, vegetative, and animate levels.

There is no other force, but we must evoke this Light with our strengths, our comprehension, our analysis, our estimations, our understanding, and our thoroughness. Not only do we need to be present in this creation, we must control it.

This really is a game. It is written that the Creator plays with the leviathan. He actually plays. Any changes that occur when something or someone goes from one degree to another are a game. After all, we evoke them by playing a game of something that we have not yet attained or acquired, something we have not yet turned into. This is a very serious thing.
[35395]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/15/2011, Writings of Rabash

Related Material:
I’m Lying, But Honestly
Playing For The New Truth
It Won’t Help Us To Play Love

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Q&A - 1 Comment →

Filed under: Inner Work, Laitman Unplugged, Q&A - No Comments →

Question: I make efforts to make a connection with the friends in the group, but I see that they reject my efforts. If all of reality is me, then who rejects whom in reality?

Answer: You’re rejecting yourself. In the words of Baal HaSulam, however you see the group, that is how you see the Creator. That is because besides you, He is the only thing that exists. However, He is concealed and you cannot work in relation to Him. That is why you have been made to see your reflection—the environment. To the degree of your own corruption, you see others around you as corrupted, not united, and not wishing to connect to you.

Obviously, a person himself is expressed through everything. But at the same time, since a person exists inside of the forces of disunity, he has to work with the environment in a sophisticated manner in order to use it as a means to build himself.

That is exactly how I really can work on myself. That is why I have to find the right environment, “form” it correctly, relate to it properly, and from it receive the right influence. This will enable me to advance.
[35486]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/16/11, Writings of Rabash

Related material:
Building The Illusion Of The Breaking
The Force That Enlivens the World
The Right Perspective On Reality

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Perception, Q&A - No Comments →