Entries in the 'Spiritual Work' Category

What Are You Living For?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If I don’t have the motivation to be involved with dissemination, in spite of all this, what would compel me to go and disseminate?

Answer: This would be the aspiration of your own soul. It is not found in you. Rather, it is in your link with others. However, what are you living for?

As of today, you exist like “beasts.” You were born, you live on what is allocated to you, and you die. You haven’t found anything. You haven’t done anything. No memory of you will remain. After that, you again will appear in that beastly form, for they again will give you the opportunity to realize yourself, but again from that same point, only in a worse state because you have not utilized the past. You need to catch up, to repay the debt.

What are you learning for? Why? Where is your greatness of the Creator? The Creator is the characteristic of love and bestowal. How have you elevated it? The greatness of the characteristic of bestowal and love is expressed in this: that you are devoted to this characteristic and strive to realize it.

Question: However, if I go to disseminate, this is also an egoistic calculation.

Answer: Certainly, you begin to disseminate from an egoistic calculation, but when you begin to work with the masses, then their desires and shortcomings penetrate into you. The imperative that they will succeed appears in you because they become precious and important to you, like your own children, and you already begin to ask for them, and even though, in principle, you also are asking egoistically, you are asking for the others and not for yourself, therefore, you begin to receive an ascent.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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Growth Is In Width And Not In Height

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: How can a person continue on his way and not be in despair that he still has not attained anything after studying for so many years?

Answer: You did not do anything in order to achieve something. You have been involved with the wisdom of Kabbalah as egoists for self-fulfillment. You did something among you in a group. You brought no good to anyone. You have not been involved with dissemination. You are stewing in your own juices.

What do you mean that you should have something? What acts of bestowal have you done? Why do you suppose that you deserve something? Based upon what?

Sure, I always encourage you, “Come, go ahead, and more…” For what purpose does the Creator require so many people today who are learning the wisdom of Kabbalah? Why does He awaken this desire in you? This is so that they will go forward, to the people. Moreover, he grows them not qualitatively, upward, like the great Kabbalists of the past, but quantitatively so that they will begin to enter into the masses.

Before you now is opening the practical realization of the wisdom of Kabbalah. If you will begin to be involved with this, then through you the Upper Light will pass and you will receive it. If it won’t pass through you to the masses, then you never will receive it. This is because all of your requests are egoistic, “Give to us!” Therefore, your fate is in your hands.

For many years, we have been involved with dissemination for the purpose of attracting people like us. For this, we have prepared a group. We have prepared ourselves.

Now, we are beginning to realize the wisdom of Kabbalah among the masses and precisely in the form of integral education. Humanity must unite because love of the other becomes the foundation for the integral method. There are no lofty materials and explanations here. If we disseminate this, then we surely will succeed.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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“Following Humbleness Comes The Fear Of The Lord”

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Can I also be the host who receives guests like the Creator, or will I always remain a guest?

Answer: You will never be able to be the first. You will only be able to respond, to be grateful, and to ask, and by that develop yourself. You cannot rise above Him, of course, and you don’t want to do so either.

There are situations in which you feel that you are Pharaoh and you ask yourself “Who is the Lord that I should listen to Him?” But when you attain the spiritual levels in your spiritual work, you decide that you want to annul and subdue yourself.

All the spiritual actions come after the level of Hafetz Hesed, to bestow in order to bestow. Moses advances first and then the whole nation follows, which means all of our other attributes.

This order must be kept. Otherwise, as the Torah tells us, the sinners emerge one by one, rebelling against Moses and bringing about unpleasant situations. Thus we learn that only Moses can lead. This study is necessary in order to clarify all these discernments: the sons of Aaron, the spies, etc.

This is all necessary in order to raise the level of Moses further since he is humble and cannot magnify himself. So he actually needs such adversaries that would raise him. The shells emerge, and as a result of clarifying, we discover that Moses is above them, that the attribute of bestowal dominates them all; it dominates by its humbleness, by its modesty.

When we complete the level of Bina we learn how to use our desire to enjoy correctly, as it says: “Following humbleness comes the fear of the Lord.”
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/11/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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A Teacher Who Is Always With You

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: We need to take upon ourselves work that is foreign to the ego and completely above its power, and charge the group’s to do its best. Then not having achieved the result, we ask bring the matter as a helper to and worker of the Creator, and only then do we get the result.

How can we differentiate at the beginning of the work between madness and folly versus courage and consideration? Where is this boundary found?

Answer: Here it is necessary to have someone who manages the process who “there and then” can approve or reject every detail that the operators need to know about using it. So they need to be maximally connected among themselves more and more, so as to turn to Him nevertheless.

The world cannot get along without a “king,” without his representatives, without those who are loyal to him. Man needs someone near him who knows more than he does, who sees the future and outlines the right directions. “This is not for us but we will go there, will do what you think is right within these limits.”

This hierarchy must be constant. Among our groups there cannot be some kind of group that does everything it thinks is important according to its discretion will ultimately succeed. This is because the ego constantly accompanies it and the group needs new discernments, new stages of clarification all the time.

Regretfully I don’t think that this great dependence will diminish with time. On the contrary, it will grow. I know this from my mutual relationship with my teacher Rabash: The more I advanced, the more I needed him, actually came closer and closer to him.

In our world it is precisely the opposite: The more that a child grows, he becomes more and more independent until he leaves his parents’ home.

Whereas here you become more and more adherent to those who are higher, for essentially they link you to the Creator, you simply are not ready to get along without Him. And therefore, I now learn much more from my teacher than I learned thirty years ago….
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/13, Lesson on the Topic: “Sukkot”

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Living Words That Go Straight Into The Soul

Dr. Michael LaitmanFrom Rabash’s Article “The Difference Between Alms and Gifts”: When one applies lots of exertion for a long period of time but doesn’t achieve any result, one starts to sense pain and suffering because he contributed a lot of energy but doesn’t see any advancement in his work.

Then, contemplations come to him one by one. One despairs and then strengthens, then falls and rises again and again. This process continues until a real desire that stems out of his exertion at the time of ascents and descents shapes in him. With each rise and fall, one accumulates and feels pain because he has not merged with the Creator yet. When the vessel of one’s effort becomes completely full, then it is called a spiritual desire and the Creator fills it since now one has reached a true desire.

If after several years of work you suddenly understand that you have regressed, this is intentional so that you feel the pain of not merging with the Creator. So, you need to realize that with each round of ascents and descents, you are getting closer to creating a true vessel. It is impossible to obtain the perfect fulfillment before obtaining a perfect desire.

We see that each passing year brings us a better understanding of Rabash’s words. He explains everything very accurately and his words penetrate deep into our souls.

Many years of rises and falls of every possible kind pass by until one starts experiencing a real necessity to acquire the properties of bestowal. It happens as a result of the Light’s work on us in response to the exertions we apply. Besides, “That which is not accomplished by the mind will be accomplished in time.” Because of our activities such as our studies, dissemination, mutual support, and congresses, we become integrated into each other. It means that everybody goes through changes, although some of you go through them faster than others.

Some of you confuse yourselves by observing other methodologies and allowing alien influences and surroundings to impact you. Here, I don’t mean the typical environment we all live in, but rather your attempts to find alternative spiritual practices. So each of you advances in your own way, but since everybody is included in the others and contributes oneself into everybody else, there are rises and falls that serve as a good sign of the internal work you do.

As a result, one starts sensing that bestowal is not “foreign” to him anymore. It is no longer flavorless, tasteless, or odorless; it is not empty words about giving, pleasing the Creator, or loving our neighbors, which previously were lifeless slogans. All of a sudden, one begins feeling the taste of them; this means that spiritual vessels begin to shape in him. We start feeling real life in these words, a taste: bitter or sweet, ascent or descent.

Bitterness and sweetness are felt in the heart, and higher or lower are evaluated according to reason. This is how we assess these concepts, and suddenly they start triggering internal responses in us. When one hears words about love or hatred in relation to spiritual work, to bestowal and receiving, one reacts to them in one’s heart and mind. Thus, he starts differentiating between these two qualities internally.

However, it is not sufficient. One should continue working until a true desire for the Creator, the perfect property of bestowal, appears. Nothing is incomplete in spirituality. The smallest spiritual vessel, which is revealed in a person, the desire to merge with the Creator, the property of bestowal that completely fills him, is in fact the entire person.

One senses that he is completely defined by spiritual genes (Reshimot) that unfold in him. At the next level, he will discover that his previous Reshimo constituted only one gram of his subsequent Reshimot, which in their turn already weigh a million tons. So far, he is as an infant who received a sweet piece of candy, is completely absorbed by it, and thus feels the entire world as sweet.

Those who advance eventually clarify their relationships to one another at the spiritual levels they reach; thus, we understand that everything is continuously accumulated and accrued. So we need to make our share of efforts and desire to achieve the perfect property of bestowal. We have to strive to become completely filled by this property in our minds and hearts, hence entirely altering our present attitude to the world by pushing aside our old outlook.

We have to lose our current attitude and evaluate everything through the Creator’s eyes, the eyes of bestowal. We still don’t know what that is, but gradually we enhance our readiness for it; this happens as a result of the Light that Reforms. When it occurs, we reach the full capacity of the desire that was completed for us by the Creator.

We are totally unable to complete this work on our own. We can reach up to 99% of the desire to bestow with the help of the Creator, but we will never attain 100%; it is beyond our power. This is why it is said that the Creator will finish this work for me, will fill our measure, and then we will receive the perfect fulfillment for a perfect desire. This is how a person is born on his first spiritual step.

We see that we are approaching this step. We have gone through many changes and continue to have a better understanding of Rabash’s words; we see that he clarifies every single step on our way. Eventually, we’ll appreciate the level of his meticulous precision. However, it is obvious that he had to clothe this knowledge in such garments so as to attract us and not repel us. So, he avoided speaking openly of what the outcome of this program could be in the very beginning of our studies. Each time he reveals it a little more, to the degree that is beneficial for the students. This is the way Kabbalists write their books.

Rabash’s articles show that he took good care of us and unveiled a new methodology of correction for us. Since we didn’t understand his writings before and started to comprehend them only today, we can now state that we really follow his path with the help of the Creator.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/25/13

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Intention: An Oil Painting

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What is the correct intention? How is it manifested: in feelings or in the mind?

Answer: The correct intention is the picture of the desired state, the painting, which has me, the world, and the Creator all together. The painting depicts my aspirations. I want to reach this image in reality; it is the future state that I set for myself as the goal.

The intention is not a mantra, not an empty fantasy, but the picture of the future world that I want realize in life. It changes all the time, but most importantly, it incorporates everyone. I do not erase or not gloss over anything; I am not the master of this majestic panorama; I only want that all its parts is lined up in just this way.

Looking at the future reality, I want everyone to live in adhesion with the Creator. It is the idyll, harmony, the perfect canvas of universal unity. Everyone attains Him, everyone is united with Him, and for this they are united with each other. Everyone is as one man with one heart and together with the Creator—Israel, the Torah, and the Creator is one. This is my intention so I want to see, understand, and feel the reality; I want to live in this world. This is my dream.

When I speak to someone within the framework of dissemination, I have more or less a clear program of how to bring him to this picture of my intention. He will be integrated with it; he will be more or less active in it, depending on whether the point in the heart has been awakened in him. Anyway, I want him to be also involved in the process; that is the purpose of my dissemination. After all, I know that only in this case will it be good. That is why I want to involve him in this picture.

Of course, along the way I bring him evidences proving that it is the only true path; I explain how to act and show that this technique is not fraught with danger and brings only good things for him, his children, his friends…

This is along the way, but in the end, I want him to become one with me in order to achieve the goal.
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From the 4th   part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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The Rules Are The Same For Everyone

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Are the rules of our workshops suitable for workshops we hold for the 99% of humanity?

Answer: Absolutely. The rules at all the levels are the same, only the expressions should be selected so that they would not alienate people. The law is the same in all the worlds, including our world. And all things considered, the connections between us are the same. Only we are not talking about the Light, Kli (vessel), MAN, MAD, etc. We present it in everyday terms: connection, love, alienation, convergence.

The wisdom of Kabbalah was considered a secret and was not revealed until people began to need it. And as soon as the need appeared, and the world was shown as integral, globally disassembled, and broken, the wisdom of Kabbalah was revealed immediately, and now we have to tell everyone about it but only in the usual terms of our world.
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From the Stockholm Convention “Joy In Unity” 8/31/13, Lesson 4

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A Designation In Advance

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam “One Commandment”: There is no serving the Creator and keeping the Mitzvot (commandments) except in Lishma (for Her Name)—bringing contentment to One’s Maker. Yet, our sages have already introduced the practice of engaging in Torah and Mitzvot even in Lo Lishma (not for Her Name), since “from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma”…

Initially, we cannot “just” become similar to the upper force . After all, it is completely giving, and to reach the same level, we too must bestow upon it. As in the example with the guest and the Host, if I want to grow up to the best, perfect state, then I should become like the source of creation.

The Host is filled with bestowal and love, and if I want to rise to His degree of eternity and perfection, then I have to achieve equivalence of form with Him. And it means to delight Him just as he wants to delight me. The wisdom of Kabbalah is intended for this purpose; the method allows, by means of the Light that Reforms, the drawing of the force that corrects us so that we achieve equivalence of form with the upper force, the Creator.

The first and only Mitzvah (commandment) that guarantees the achievement of the aspiration to attain Lishma, is to take responsibility to not work for their own needs, in other words, strictly following what’s necessary to provide for one’s sustenance. In the rest of the time, one will work for the public: to save the oppressed and every creature in the world that is in need of salvation and benefit.

Since this is the “first and only” principle, do not look for solutions elsewhere because there are no other options. It’s clear and certain that, first of all, one has to provide for his existence, and, as soon as his basic needs are met by all means, to take care of others’ well being. This is the correct form of similarity to the Creator.

By providing his basic needs, a person “fulfills” himself on the still, vegetative, and animate degree. We should be like nature on these three levels.

And the human degree that has been growing above the animal degree during, let’s say, a hundred thousand years, belongs not to the body; it’s all within. You will not see it with the material eye, it extends in the mind and feeling, in the inner development. And the person’s entire inner world must be turned to bestowal upon the other.

The earlier, “natural” degrees differ by treatment of the material, the method of communication. But the human degree is clouded, confusing, and incomprehensible to us. What is a “human being”? Sometimes when looking at a person, we say: “This is not a human, he acts like an animal.” Overall, however, we do not have a clear definition of clear external signs by which to identify a true human being. In what exactly is he different from an animal? The criteria are vague.

So, if today we are looking for an internal expression of the human degree, then we call it so by the future state, by the goal to which it’s directed. This is the form that must be turned, likened to the Creator, and then it will be called the “Human Being” (Adam). For now, this is a formal designation on account of future merits.

So, the first principle on the path to the goal is to work for oneself no more than as required by basic needs and to take care of others in everything else. This bar is now before you and if you do so on your own accord, then you will achieve equivalence with the Creator.

Moreover, basic self-care is also part of caring for the other, provided that you hold that intention from the very beginning. After all, “the end of the action is in its initial thought.”
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Physics And Lyrics Of The Spiritual World

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe speak the language of emotions of feelings in our desire to receive, in the matter of creation. But if we could use the language of forces as does the wisdom of Kabbalah: in terms of Masachim (screens), Aviut (thickness), and the forces of attraction and rejection, that is, about how nature operates and not what we feel as a result of these forces operating on our matter, we would speak more concretely.

What is the “importance of the King” for example? It is a force that allows a person to perform certain actions in a certain direction; it is the force of attraction of the Creator, His greatness, importance, the power of faith, the force of bestowal or the force of receiving. And if we used this specific language, we wouldn’t philosophize and get confused.

Kabbalists explain that it is possible to speak about reality in four languages that correlate with the four levels of our matter because it is all only with regard to Kabbalists and their revelation. The wisdom of Kabbalah is the deepest language because it doesn’t speak about feelings but about forces.

Conditions such as the prohibition to add to or subtract from the work and the faith in the Creator’s greatness and importance translate into the language of vectors of forces, the relations between the forces and the way they interact. By connecting in different forms, they generate different phenomena.

But if we refer to our attainment, to our penetrating more deeply and using these forces, and not to our external study, then we have no choice. We cannot use these concepts automatically like in our world where we are on the same operating level as they are. In the spiritual world, we have to first start using these forces, and so we need a different language, the language of feeling, the language of working with them.

We need to rise to the level that the spiritual forces operate in our feelings in order to know how to use them. This wisdom is called the wisdom of Kabbalah, reception. When we begin to study the true reality as a set of operating forces, we discover that behind the two forces: the force of bestowal and the force of reception, there is actually only one force of the Creator, and that there is none else besides Him.

The Creator uses these two forces to lead the creation, and if we want to attain Him, Who is above that nature of receiving and bestowal, we have to acquire these two forces in the right combination, in the right balance, and thus attain Him. Then both the physics of the upper world, the wisdom of Kabbalah, which speaks about these forces, and we who attain these forces in the language of the Creator’s work, which means in the languages of emotions, are connected in us. By these two languages we expand our vessels of perception and are able to feel the true reality.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/13

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The Company Didn’t Notice The Loss Of A Soldier…

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Sometimes a person loses all his powers during a descent and tries to escape from working in the group. How do we hasten the transitions between the descents?

Answer: One mustn’t run from the group. Anyone who stops coming to the group during a descent harms the whole group. Others simply have to carry him on a stretcher. The friends have to be very sensitive to what is happening in the group. If they don’t pay attention that their friends are falling and that they don’t come to the lesson, it is a sign that they are not serious enough and lack the right spirit for attacking.

If we feel that everyday is the day of the attack, like on the front, then we will understand that we cannot win if we lose even one friend. A friend who falls in battle disrupts the wholeness of the army and destroys the lines, but we are not aware of that and even the friends who fall are not aware of the damage they are causing the other friends. This means that we are not working on the connection between us and are slowing our progress.

We perform many actions, but they should all be focused on our sense of unity between us that is at the center of all our efforts and our reward. The center, the focus of the revelation of the Creator, and of the end of correction is all concentrated in the point of our connection.

Only if we look into this central point of connection in the group will we discover the mutual hate, rejection, and separation, and then also the connection, unity, and revelation of the Creator. It is the same point we constantly have to reach and be drawn to, and the only point we should focus on. But instead each one looks into his own pocket.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/13/13, Shamati #33 “The Lots on Yom Kippurim and Haman”

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