Each spiritual action begins with a counteraction opposite to it, as “the advantage of light revealed from darkness.” Otherwise we cannot feel anything because everything is perceived only in contrast. Therefore, darkness precedes light, and confusion and misunderstanding occur before clarity and awareness. And this is so in everything.
Look at our life: how long will humanity suffer in order to realize the evil of egoism and finally decide that we need to free ourselves from it because it is the source of all our troubles. Although we don’t know how to do this, apparently we will be forced to turn to the Creator by all of mankind.
It is said “the advantage of the earth (desire) is in everything.” First of all, the desire should reveal the darkness, and only out of the darkness will we comprehend the light. This is exactly what is happening in our life.
The whole evolution of mankind was due to the growth of egoism. And today we have come to what is called the “last generation,” the generation of the Messiah (Mashiach), which is obliged to awaken a higher power that will pull us out of our selfish desire.
And we understand that we are not able to do this because egoism is our whole nature, our whole life. We do not know how to think differently and only reveal our evil, but we are not even able to imagine how to get rid of it.
Therefore, today’s condition is unusually important, unique, and has never happened in the entire history of mankind. Gradually it is dawning on us that it is no longer possible to exist as before as it has been for thousands of years. All our development has led only to the realization that we can no longer remain within the selfish nature and it is necessary to rise from it.
But where to rise to and how to do it? Kabbalists say “faith above reason.” However, what is it and how do we achieve such a state where bestowal becomes higher and more important than receiving? Man is not capable of this. And here we are aware of our complete helplessness and we understand that there is no hope except for our Creator.
Humanity begins to reveal that egoism is a force from above, and there is a higher power opposite to egoism, which we need to ask for help to turn the power of evil into the power of good, into anti-egoism. Then we will live well and happily in the new world.
But so far it is extremely difficult for us. It is easier for a person to believe that the world will cease to exist at all than to imagine that he can live according to the laws of an altruistic nature. How could it be that between everyone, in any place and any state, I only reckon with how much I can give to my neighbor, and not what benefit I will get from him?
Altruism is a different nature. If it clothes in us, then we will behave differently, and if not, then we won’t be able to. Therefore, the only way out is to realize that it is impossible to continue existing in a selfish nature and we must move on to a new, inverse approach to life. Everything that happens brings us to this. Let’s try to quickly understand that there is no other choice and that it all depends on our prayer.
Indeed, it is easier for a person to imagine the destruction and collapse of the world than one’s life according to the laws of bestowal. Our whole world is built on the power of egoism and its destruction will occur by the same egoistic force. There will be nothing new. We have already experienced terrible wars, disasters, and troubles in this world.
Somewhere in the world, some kind of misfortune is constantly happening, and everyone understands that the world could collapse. But at the same time, the same force of egoism will remain that is has led the world to death.
It is much more difficult to change the program the world works according to, the nature of the relationship between inanimate, vegetative, and animate nature and people, so that all of this works in reverse, in bestowing to one’s neighbor. Everyone should begin to reckon with others and take care of their welfare. This just does not fit in our head, it is impossible to imagine.
Indeed, for this I need to feel the desire of others and try to fill them. And this is the way everyone should act all the time. To do this, another program must be loaded into this huge computer, in the inanimate, vegetative, and animate world and people.
We cannot imagine that. No attempts by socialists and utopians to create such a world have been successful. Such a revolution can be accomplished only by the Creator, who will give us a different nature. This is what we should try to ask for, and as quickly as possible.
And if not, then the suffering that is now beginning to unfold, more and more decisively pushing us to rectify the world, will oblige us. But this is a very difficult, long and painful journey, full of suffering. In fact, it is called the “path of suffering”.
Let’s go the better way of the light. To do this, we need to draw the upper force from above to clothe in us. We need to demand, to ask, the Creator to give us the power of bestowal. Otherwise, we will not succeed. We will try to come to correction ourselves until we give up on this work. Then our cry will reach the Creator, and He will give us His altruistic force. This is called the exodus from Egypt, from our egoism.
But if we do not ask and do not oblige the Creator to help us, we will not be able to change anything and will suffer from our egoism more and more every day.
It is not necessary to hope that the coronavirus will disappear soon. It will not leave us, and in addition even more serious problems will come. Money, resources, and groceries will soon end—humanity will suffer terribly. And besides, hurricanes, clouds of locusts, floods, and drought are coming.
All of this is so we understand that only when we appeal to the Creator do we have hope to be saved from all problems and troubles. And then when we begin to turn to Him, we will understand that the main thing here is not getting rid of problems and misfortunes. Indeed they came for this to convince us to turn to the Creator. Therefore, it is a pity to ask Him for material benefits, it is better to ask Him to bring us closer to Him, because all happiness is there.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/1/20, Baal HaSulam, Shamati 34, “The Advantage of a Land”
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