Entries in the 'Spiritual Work' Category

Painless Childbirth?

Laitman_186The Midrash “BeShalach”: “The Egyptians were defeated by the ten plagues on the sea just as they were defeated by the ten plagues in Egypt. The ten plagues on the Red Sea are not described in details in the Midrash (“The Great Commentary”).

All the attributes and the revelations that are described in the oral Torah are necessary for one’s birth in the spiritual world just as the labor pains and the preparation process for childbirth are. Without what we call such Gevurot (rigid forces) and constraint, the connection between the mother and the newborn wouldn’t be revealed.

During this process different hormones and forces are extracted that later help a child grow. Therefore, children who are born in a natural process are more complete than children who come into the world by a cesarean section.

In other words, the exodus from Egypt cannot take place any other way since it symbolizes a person’s birth into the new spiritual world, into the attribute of bestowal, in which he doesn’t feel himself inside a body anymore, although it still exists.

Therefore, there cannot be a smooth birth, and as a result childbirth in our world isn’t smooth either. But if we didn’t intervene in the birth process by different surgical devices and catalysts, which seemingly ease the delivery process, children would be born much healthier. All these devices are unnecessary. We will gradually understand how inefficient they are and will begin to limit their use.

Question: But is the labor pain really necessary?

Answer: Yes, but it depends on the mother. If she has proper spiritual preparation for childbirth, she will not feel pain. There will be pressures but pressures like doubts and like clarifications. She will go “through the water like on land.”

On every level all the spiritual transitions are a kind of birth.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 4/30/14

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Ten Miracles For The Nation Of Israel

Dr. Michael LaitmanMidrash Sefer, “Beshalach:” When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea the Creator performed ten different miracles for them.

  1. 1. The decline of the water to the sides.

The first miracle is the decline of the water to the sides when the obstacles the Israeli nation faced on its way to attaining spirituality are divided into the left and right lines.

Crossing between the water that withdrew to the sides means walking along the middle line, which doesn’t really exist, since it is a person who stabilizes it by himself through the proper combination between the right and left lines.

What is more, the right and the left lines don’t exist either. There is only a big chunk of desires before you and you have to divide them by yourself, by your own attributes. I can work with this for the Creator’s sake (the right line), but I cannot work with the other attributes (the left line). And you pass in between by using both lines. This action is called the decline of the water to the sides.

2. A sheltering cover that resembles a roof was created above the Jews’ heads.

A roof symbolizes the Surrounding Light.

3. The water was divided into twelve separate passages (a passage for every tribe).

Each property of a person sees the passage between the right and the left lines differently and in a totally different perspective through its ego, according to its own powers. This refers to a person’s internal attributes that now enter the spiritual world and are born into it.

4. The ground beneath the feet of the children of Israel was completely dry.

Passing on dry land means distinguishing between the attribute of receiving and the attribute of bestowal.

5. The ground beneath the feet of the Egyptians resembled mortar. This was the revenge, an eye for an eye, directed towards the Egyptians who enslaved the Jews and forced them to produce mortar.

The Egyptians cannot distinguish between land and the upper water, the attribute of receiving and the attribute of bestowal, and therefore sink and get stuck in the mud.

6. The water becomes solid, like rocks, and injures the Egyptians that chase after the children of Israel.

It refers to the forces of Gevurot (the attributes of Dinim). Therefore the water that should be soft and a source of life becomes the opposite, a rigid force with regard to the Egyptians (the separate egoistic attributes).

7. The water that became solid formed a wall that was decorated by a mosaic.

All the unsolved egoistic attributes within a person, that are subconscious and are uncorrected, are connected to the altruistic attributes but which as yet are clarified nor classified. They are a type of knots of strings below their feet, setting sharp obstacles over which he cannot cross. This whole mosaic is inside a person.

8. The walls that were created by the water that turned into solid were transparent, which enabled each tribe to see the other tribes advance (which gave them a feeling of trust and confidence).

“The walls that were created by that water that turned into solid were transparent,” means that all the attributes can see one another, since they advance together.

Thanks to their connection, the different attributes are considered one whole. This means that they are connected and at the same time they are also separated.

Every tribe has its own role, and therefore, despite the common movement, they advance on their own. But one way or the other, the movement causes everything in the system to disappear and become one whole that is made of all the twelve tribes.

Thus the movement is common, but each tribe has its own way. It isn’t by chance that it was forbidden to intermarry between the tribes, since by that, one breaks the prohibition and the attributes. Each one can be corrected by itself.

It is only after the destruction of the Temple that the intermarriage between tribes was allowed, since there was the fall from the spiritual level.

9. If a Jew felt thirst while crossing the Red Sea, it was enough for him to stretch out his arm and the wall would melt that would provide him with wonderful drinking water.

Everyone could grow infinitely strong by the Light of Hassadim (Mercy). All he had to do was to stretch out his hand. A hand is a desire to receive and everything depends on the intention with which a person fulfills this desire.

A lack of the attribute of Hassadim, which he wants to add to himself, is felt by a person as thirst, “I want a greater attribute of bestowal. I need it like life now, like water.”

What is more, it isn’t about salt water, since we take out all the Gevurot from them, all the evil inclinations. If you advance with the right intention, the salt water becomes pure water and there are no additions left within it.

10.  The moment the Jew quenches his thirst, the wall becomes solid again.

By his prayer, a person seemingly melts the wall of the frozen water, since without that, it would go back to becoming the upper attribute, the upper force.

It is interesting to compare the ten miracles to the ten plagues of Egypt, since both symbolize the same action, but on different levels. Everything depends on the desire for which it is intended: an unprepared desire, without a Masach (screen), without a yearning to advance in the direction of bestowal, which typifies Pharaoh and the Egyptians, or the opposite, the desire in order to bestow. The same action from Above invokes different outcomes.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 4/30/14

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Forefather Of All Cohens In The World

Laitman_167“Aaron is the forefather of all Cohens in the world” because the Creator chose him to establish peace in the world and because Aaron built it to this.

Each day of his life, Aaron exerted to multiply peace in the world. The Creator ordained him to lead consecrations so he brings peace to the upper congregation. By ministering consecrations, Aaron instigated mating (Zivug) between the Creator and His Shechina; thus, bringing peace to all worlds.” [“Let There Be Light,” the book “VaYikra,” (Emor)]

Aaron is the highest step in human actions, which connects the Light with the matter of creation. It is the root, the basis, the reason, the final goal of creation.

It is not about a human being. We do not deal with notions such as “protein entities” or “discrete desires.” “Aaron” is a structure that gradually establishes the closest possible connection between the properties of bestowal and receiving.

Bestowal is a quality of the Creator, whereas the will to receive is the property of creation. So, both properties are always involved in some kind of relationship with each other since one cannot be manifested without the other and can be seen only on the background of its opposite.

Thus, Aaron personifies the system that balances both forces and completely connects them. The result is something in common so that the property of bestowal and the quality of receiving can no longer be distinguished because they complement each other. Attainment of this level is the goal of creation.

Question: How can black merge with white to the extent that it is impossible to distinguish between them?

Answer: When black acquires the properties of white or vice versa, they can reciprocally connect and complement each other.

Aaron’s work is to connect the opposite properties. It is said that he was the forefather of all Cohens (priests) in the world because he didn’t personify one single action associated with one concrete state; rather, Aaron exemplifies constant, meticulous work in all types of enormous matter that consist of two forces (bestowal and receiving), in each “knot” where both forces are correctly connected.

It is said in the Torah that the Creator chose Aaron to establish peace in the world. “Peace in the world” is a state inside a huge, complete desire. In this context, “peace” has at least two meanings:

  • Connection of everybody and everything
  • Correct interaction among opposite properties

The world is an association of absolutely different properties. “Coming to peace,” means entering into a benevolent unity with the upper. This is the purpose all Cohens work for.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 5/14/14

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When The Desire Agrees To Connect

Laitman_115_04Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”: Rabbi Akiva depicts two kinds of people: the first are the “open store” type, which regard this world as an open store without a shopkeeper. He says about them, “The book is open and the hand writes.” Meaning, although they do not see that there is an account, all their actions are nonetheless written in the book, as explained above. This is done by the law of development imprinted in Creation against humanity’s will, where the deeds of the wicked themselves necessarily instigate the good deeds, as we have shown above.

The second type of people is called “those who want to borrow.” They take the shopkeeper into consideration, and when they take something from the store, they only take it as a loan. They promise to pay the shopkeeper the desired price, meaning attain the goal by it. And he says about them, “All who wish to borrow may come and borrow.”

And if you say, “What is the difference between the first type, whose goal comes to them from the law of development, and the other type, whose goal comes to them by self-enslavement to His work? Are they not equal in attaining the goal?” In that regard, he continues, “and the collectors return regularly, day-by-day, and collect from a person knowingly and unknowingly.” Thus, in truth, both pay their daily portion of the debt.”

It says that the righteous inherits double and the wicked lose double. After all you work and acquire vessels. You cannot remain the same way you are since the press of evolution is getting nearer whether you want it or not. If you are ready to run ahead in order to acquire the right vessel and discover the next world in it, go ahead. If not, then you are using an egoistic vessel that is very small. It seems that it is a great desire that can oppose the vessel of bestowal but in fact the size of our ego is not suitable for bestowal because it is isn’t deep enough. The Kilpot (shells) are merely a replica of Holiness.

Question: Can we say that paying the debt is the attainment of the ultimate goal?

Answer: Paying the debt is the ascent up the spiritual ladder. When a person ascends the ladder it makes no difference where he is exactly because he doesn’t take himself into account but rather takes into account how to delight the Creator. If, for example, the Creator prefers that he should remain in smallness now and serve others, that he should go through different states, then a person gladly looks for such an opportunity.

Spirituality is bestowal in which there is no egoistic account. Therefore, it makes no difference what state I am in. I value and measure everything according to the opportunity to delight the Creator, the group, or the friends. On the one side of my inner scale there is the group, the friend, and on the other side I measure my ability to do something for them. My self is actually to what extent I can bestow unto others. I only have a point in the heart and I weigh how I can delight the group, humanity, the general soul, or the Creator. The ego is erased and I disregard it, although my point is in it. This is the reason it is called the point in the heart, since my heart is an egoistic heart.

Question: I understand the idea of delighting the friends, but how do I take the Creator into account if I don’t perceive Him yet?

Answer: I begin to see my friends as one whole. When I get closer to the idea of one, I distinguish the force of unity in it.

We are all units (1). There are seven billion units living in this world (7 X 109), but I am drawn to unity, and if I reach it at least in a minimal level (1/125), I become equal to one, to the Creator. In other words, my vessel becomes similar to the Light.

It is because the vessel and the Light are the same. I don’t perceive anything on the outside. I always discover the reactions of my vessel, its impressions and its experiences. Therefore when the desire agrees to connect, it is the Creator for me.

Question: So why is it so important to delight the Creator and not the friends? Why is the emphasis on the Creator?

Answer: Because you have to discover His basis in the vessel, the force that operates in the created being, the one who operates your vessel. You have to adhere to it, to the Keter. We don’t attain Him and therefore we discover the commandment of love through actions. You attain something that is above you. When the human level adheres to the Creator it attains a much higher state. It isn’t just adhesion, but it is the internality of the idea of the Creator is revealed here.

We don’t know what comes after that, but apparently this is only the beginning of our evolution…
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/28/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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The Holiday Of The Fruit Trees

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Today [February 4th]is the Jewish holiday, Tu B’Shevat (Arbor Day). What is the spiritual meaning of this holiday from the Kabbalistic perspective?

Answer: The wisdom of Kabbalah deals with the evolution of man until he reaches the level of the uppermost force of nature. In the meantime, this force is concealed from us, but we can discover it to the extent that we grow. The best symbol of growth is the tree. Therefore, the new year of the trees is celebrated on the 15th of the month of Shevat (Tu B’Shevat) according to the Hebrew calendar. During this time, the trees begin to grow again and to bloom, which means that nature revolves from withering during the fall until the summer when everything begins to open up and to bloom. On this day, there is a switch toward regrowth in the land of Israel, and therefore we celebrate it. This holiday is related to fruit, to the gifts of the land and mainly of the trees. This does not refer to what the land itself produces, the vegetables, but to different kinds of fruit. People eat fruit and drink wine.

This holiday symbolizes a person’s growth since man is called the tree in the field. The Torah says that a man, during his lifetime,  is like a tree in the garden. Therefore, he should be looked after and taken care of if we want him to bear fruit and not to grow like a wild tree.

It is emphasized that the holiday of Tu B’Shevat is not just a celebration of trees, but the holiday of the cultivated trees that bear fruit, which means those that were looked after and from which man expects fruit, just like a person who develops spiritually. In that case, we must take care of the tree: to hoe around it, water it, clean the fruit with steam, cover them from the cold, and prune the leaves and branches. There are 39 actions that must be performed on trees, and they are all an allegory of the spiritual work that a person must internally perform on himself. Then, he will grow and bear the right fruit. The holiday of Tu B’Shevat reminds us that we are a fruit tree that must bear good, sweet fruit. We must think about that and take care of ourselves properly.

Question: What is the meaning of fruit?

Answer: Fruit is the human part in us that grows so that it can be picked from the tree, blessed, and eaten. The fruit unites and integrates the common work of the Creator and man. Man must take care of the tree and exert himself in every possible way. The Creator gives the Light and all the minerals in the earth for that, and eventually, they receive the fruit. All of a person’s work add up to the fact that he now can eat that fruit in order to bestow for the Creator’s sake.

I wish everyone a happy Tu B’Shevat, and bless you all to grow and be a good tree!
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From KabTV’s “Tu B’Shevat” 2/4/15

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The Paradox Of Levels

Dr. Michael LaitmanWithin the connection an additional force is concealed. All ten of us together are equal to one Elyon (Upper One). That is how the law of evolutionary and developmental steps works in nature.

Through connecting everyone on a lower level, an evolutionary leap to a higher level happens, and there the connection is made again and again, followed by a leap in development and a breakthrough to the next level. This is how it is all the time. It is a physical law of nature.

Thus we  have emerged as human beings with all our strength, intelligence, with the human body and all of its fibrils and cells—only through the power of unity, the power of connection. Without it, nothing would have happened. Starting from the Big Bang and onward, only the power of connection has been at work.

Start to work with what you have, and you will see that you can convince people. Don’t say that you haven’t been given enough tools for the correction of the world. It is not true! In the meantime, if you don’t feel what sort of means you are holding in your hands, begin to work, and you will see that these means exist. The audience will agree with what you say even before you agree with yourself.

You will actually learn from the audience that this is the next stage. Even though you are on a higher level, in your lower part, in your AHP, you are more coarse than the people you are going out to. They are more refined because they are found in GE.

This is a paradox, an internal contradiction. You are on their level with your receptive desires (AHP), and they are on the same level with their Kelim of bestowal (GE). Although they are on a level lower than yours, they discover desires within themselves that are more refined than yours. You are coarser, and essentially, more of an egoist than they are. Yet, the fact is that you want the Creator and not mundane things.

They agree with what you say to them more rapidly and more easily than you agree with the statements yourself. About this, it is written, Talmud Babyli, “Ta’anit,” 7a: I learned much from my masters, more from my friends, and even more from my students.” You receive back from them precisely what you said to them yourself. They bring you evidence, intelligence and emotion, and you finally will begin to understand, feel and be stimulated by what you told them.
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From the 2nd part of Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/6/14, Writings of Rabash

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Life Management Instructions

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: There are 24 books in the Tanakh: the Torah, the Books of Prophets, the Holy Scriptures. Why are they called holy? Aren’t they written in ink and on paper by earthly people of flesh and blood?

Answer: Their authors didn’t write about this world. Rather, they are written about a system of governance of this realm. Our reality is run from a higher level.

Our world, like a computer, is controlled by some operating system. Everything is under its control: atoms, molecules, the inanimate, vegetative, animate nature, and people.

Everything that exists in this world is governed by the two forces of attraction and repulsion, plus and minus. There is nothing else! This explains why we must understand exactly what impacts us and figure out whether we can somehow influence the forces that oversee us.

Is it possible to improve our destiny? If we knew beforehand where these two forces were leading us, could we rearrange our future? All of humanity constantly dreams about what the next day will bring.

Contemporary society has become very powerful, but at the same time we feel helpless because we don’t know what to strive for. In this respect, the books of the Tanakh are extremely helpful because they describe the entire system of governance.

Imagine owning a machine or device that you don’t know how to operate, nor do you have you any idea what it is for. All of a sudden, you are given an instruction booklet with diagrams and descriptions, including the functionality of each button like instructions for a mobile phone.

Humanity has developed to such extent that it must get acquainted with its system of governance. That’s why the wisdom of Kabbalah is being revealed.

Question: Where is the governing system located?

Answer: It is inside us. In the end, we will discover our internal management system through which we will change and reorient our lives. This system is called a soul.

Question: How are holy books connected with our internal control system?

Answer: The Scriptures tell us about the structure in general, as well as its parts that are inside us. The Tanakh is a holy book because it explains how our nature operates and particularly the way humans are managed.

If we understand what this book talks about, we can change our destiny for the better, reach higher goals, and attain other dimensions.

Then, not only we will correct our poor lives and improve our earthly existence, but we will also ascend to states beyond this world. The Tanakh is full of surprises!
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 1/22/15

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Developing Correct Communications In The Virtual Environment

Dr. Michael LaitmanIngenuous Hatred

Question: Contemporary means of communications created a new pattern of how people deal with each other, structuring a new social environment that lacks the former “ceremonies,” pretentious manners, and posturing. People’s interaction became direct, straightforward, plain and business-like. Pretentiousness was replaced by straightforwardness. Do you think we went overboard in this matter? Is it good that we have lost etiquette?

Answer: In other words, should we reanimate the lies that previously held our society together? No, that is in the past.

Comment: Still, the old style of communication somehow protected us from each other.

Answer: Yes, it distanced us and created an impregnable personal circle with rigid boundaries. This was done to isolate our egoistic hearts that are unwilling to tolerate anyone whatsoever.

Comment: However, unpretentious straightforwardness also triggers serious problems.

Answer: It is natural at the intermediate stage and it stimulates us to change ourselves. This is how the revelation and recognition of evil occurs. It is an essential stage in correcting the evil. Otherwise we wouldn’t acknowledge that there is an obstacle in our way, nor would we admit that we must take measures against it. Maybe I can continue to live as before?

Humanity was not any better off some 200 or 2,000 years ago. The only difference is that today our negative side became more obvious. We have lost gracious manners and stopped using pretentious and beautiful words. Previously, we would say: “Sorry, I have no time. Let’s talk later.” Today, there is no place for such courtesies. Our fingers text, “Go away. I hate you.”

Regeneration

It is very good since we approach the moment of truth! The truth is that we are liars and egoists; we all hate each other and we suffer because of our animosity. Nature requires a worthy connection among us to ensure our advancement.

What can we do if we are placed in a limited, closed sphere? Today, the whole Earth is too small for us. All of a sudden, we realize how much all of us depend on each other.

The nodes that bind us together will grow even tighter. Let me give you an example. Let’s say that a harmful enterprise is built in some country. The entire world is breathing in its stench and suffers because of the consequences of its activity. However, the government of the country where the enterprise operates says. “It is our territory. Here we are allowed to do whatever we want. We apologize for the inconvenience, but there is no other way to handle it.”

It turns out that we really have no other choice but to unite and bring the whole world a a new kind of relationship based on unity and interdependence. That’s when communicating in a virtual environment will, in another way, truly bind us, but not as it is today.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 1/20/15

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Life Under The Shadow Of The Fear Of Death

Dr. Michael LaitmanWhen a person approaches old age, he begins to regret that his time is up, that is, that it is the end of his life. In fact there are those who think about this starting even in childhood and constantly check themselves precisely in relation to this point of death.

In the end, they either sink into depression or the opposite, they become inflamed with a strong desire to succeed and buy an eternal place for themselves in the eyes of others.

They hope that the point of death will not reach them personally, except in this worldly life. These are great people who leave their mark on the history of humanity, like Alexander the Great, Archimedes, famous scientists and leaders who changed our view of the world and the face of human society by making special discoveries and passing them on to the world.

We remember these people and read their biographies. Historians pass this science on from generation to generation and tell us about them. These great people are like marks along the entire axis of history. Basically, we count historical time not according to the years, but according to those special people, by saying, “This happened in the days of Julius Caesar,” and the like.

A person understands that it is not time itself that is the marker of human society but the people who played particular roles in those times in history. And so a vital need appears in a person to enter into eternity himself, into the same pantheon where all the central pillars of human society are gathered.

There are people who work their entire lives from a young age only for the sake of this, and in truth, there are individuals who succeed in leaving their mark on history.

But if we are talking about people who are not great but ordinary people, in old age these people feel that soon their lives will end. And even though through the methods of modern medicine it will soon be possible to extend human life significantly, no matter how much it will be lengthened, even to the age of 200 or 300 or even 500, in spite of it all, it will end. And that is how it truly will be. We will live much longer than now, but the same problem will remain.

The idea is not in the number of years. There was a time in previous generations when a person did not live past the age of 30 on average, and 200 years ago, to the age of 40. Only among the elite did the lifespan move between 60 and 70 years, but the masses lived 35 years on average or a maximum of 40 years. You remember how Pushkin wrote about this, that a person entered old age with white hair at the age of 38. At that time, it was normal to consider a 40-year-old man as old.

In our day we live twice as long, but the same fear of death remains. It depends upon human development. The more a person develops, the more the question of death concerns him. There was a time when human life was not valued and it was possible to send an army of a 100,000 soldiers to be killed in a single day. But today, the life of every person is of great value.

Presently, instead of a billion, there are seven billion people living on the face of the Earth. Humanity is investing a great deal of energy and money in order for machines to fight instead of people. This suggests that the life and death of every person is very important.

Today, it is impossible to send a person to fight as a gladiator in the arena to entertain the crowd as was customary in ancient Rome or even in America where no more than 200 years ago there were still slaves. Then it was possible to beat a slave and do with him whatever arose in the mind of the master. But in our day, the life of every person has a higher value.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 4/22/14

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The Stability Of The Laws Of Nature

Dr. Michael LaitmanM.Weisman, Midrash Sefer, “Shemini:” Nadav and Avihu lost their lives since they regarded the laws of the Holy of Holies light headedly. The nation was shocked by the serious punishment. It was an indication that the Creator will not allow any changes or even the slightest innovations in the ceremony that was dedicated to Him.

Everything is done according to the laws of nature and therefore whoever is wrong, even in the good sense, by wanting to serve the Creator and trying to intensify certain actions especially on the high levels, he commits a sin and, in fact, immediately falls from that level.

What is more, his fall is identical to his height. It is spiritual death and absolute detachment from the previous level. This is a fall to a very low level where the shattering begins followed by the correction beginning again by connection and unity.

This is our spiritual desire, Nadav and Avihu, the desire to breakthrough and to leap up all the levels as quickly as possible.

The sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, had to ascend higher than Aaron, and they did so, but it was before the correct time to do so.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 1/22/1

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