Entries in the 'Unity' Category

Pushing Ourselves Through The Machsom

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe need to gather and to create a real serious tightness among us, so that like in a nuclear explosion the pressure will give birth to the Light that is concealed inside. It is the internal pressure that will reveal it.

In addition, we simply must, in all the conventions we will hold until the summer, go through certain states. Otherwise, we and the whole world will find ourselves under another Providence that is totally undesirable. We absolutely need that! It is not only for us but for everyone, for the whole world.

Now the atmosphere and the situation are right for that, but it may change in the future. Therefore, I am in a great hurry and I am hastening everyone.

I hope we take this seriously! I am very happy that the groups throughout the world understand this and do feel that our birth point is near, and that we have to go through it! We have to push ourselves through the Machsom, (barrier)! We are already there, but on the other side.
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After Eight Years…

Dr. Michael LaitmanEight years ago at the convention in Sitrin, we all shouted: “We will break though the Machsom (barrier)!” I kept quiet then because there was no point in saying anything or to object. What does it mean to “break through”? Will we, by using our ego, break the spiritual Machsom?

Gradually we began to understand that it is possible to transcend the Machsom only by the connection among us, by repressing the ego and rising to the attribute of bestowal, to mutual connection, above our ego, and then by creating something that is external to us, external to our egoistic “self.”

This is the only way a collective vessel is created, because it can only exist as a collective vessel and not as everyone’s individual vessel! Gradually the spiritual thoughts and desires were formed in us. After all, it is a long way! Look at what we’ve been through since then! It is an internal spiritual revolution inside a person!

We’ve started talking about it and beating the ego since the beginning of the crisis, because the ego has been revealed in the world as a negative force. Since then, we’ve been getting closer to the point of our connection, the point of our adhesion, in which we really find ourselves as being reborn in the upper world, in the next phase of attaining nature.
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The Hope Of The European Convention

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe coming European convention is a great hope for connection and for being able to sense the revelation of the Creator in the connection among us, the revelation of the spiritual world. First, the Reforming Light that operates on us will connect us and we will feel the adhesion among us, which we attain in order to bring contentment to the Creator. Then according to the equivalence of form, it will be revealed in us and we will feel that “Israel (those who yearn for the Torah), the Torah (the Reforming Light), and the Creator, are one.”

We yearn for the union of all the souls into one soul that is filled with the upper Light, to feel it, to discover it and to live in it, first by ourselves because we already have the desire for it, and then to help the whole world attain it. Eventually everything that is revealed in our world—all the suffering, the crises and the troubles—are nothing more than forces that hasten the development of humanity towards this perfect state.

Therefore, when we yearn for this perfect state, we want to achieve two goals: love of the Creator and love of humanity. We want to bestow all the goodness that we achieve by our work and our attainment on both humanity and the Creator. After all, we are in the middle, between them, like the middle third of Tifferet that has nothing and doesn’t want anything for itself—Hafetz Hesed. We only enjoy bringing pleasure to humanity and through it, through all this general soul, to the Creator.

This is the vessel we have to prepare. This is the state we have to reach. Therefore, while reading The Zohar, we want to approach it. Let’s think about it!

If a person imagines the next state he wants to reach, it is already a prayer. After all, I don’t know where the Creator is, how to raise a request to Him, MAN, who it goes through, what this MAN actually is, or what desires it is. That’s the way it is in our lives: If we want something, we imagine that we already have it, and yearn for this imaginary picture where we are in the desired state.

They say that if you want to be slim—don’t diet, don’t listen to all kinds of advice, and don’t take diet pills and exercise, etc. nothing will help. Only constantly think that you are already slim. Then you will see that you don’t feel hungry any more and you will really lose weight.

It is really so, and it is the same with everything: You must imagine that you are already in the future state and you will really advance towards it. The yearning that is aimed at the goal will bring you there.

It is the same with us. So let’s imagine that we are really in the good state. There is no need to evoke any deficiencies, troubles, and worries, but only to yearn for this whole state, and try as hard as we can to help ourselves to actually reach that.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/19/12, The Zohar

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Reminding Each Other Of What’s Important

Dr. Michael LaitmanI don’t correct myself, but rather my incorporation in others. There is nothing to correct in me, except for my connection with others.

Who are the “others?” Here we should understand that the “me” I was yesterday is not the “me” I am today. I have to clarify the relationship between me and others according to the different states I am in. Every day a person starts a new leaf and the corrections are always with regards to the mutual connection between the Partzufim.

It says that the love among people is aimed at the love of the Creator. The love of friends is the same vessel, the same attitude in which I express my bestowal upon Him. After all, the Creator is the general law, the general attribute that I discover in the mutual connection among all of us.

There is nothing except for the general vessel. In my attitude to the friends, in my spirit, in my heart, I create the Creator. Until then He actually doesn’t exist.

Question: We are having an exercise in the group: Everyone should think about everyone worrying about everyone else in their thoughts. We remind each other to think about that and add, “with the help of the Creator.” Does this bring us to true love?

Answer: Yes, if you mean that everything can exist only with the help of the Reforming Light, then you really are creating the necessary conditions for fulfillment.

Love has no limits; it spreads until Ein Sof, (Infinity) and onward. Each time we define it differently—when we exit our present desires and intentions. The current exercise is effecitve against forgetfulness: A friend reminds another friend about three conditions: me, him and the upper force, the Reforming Light. In other words, the Reforming Light brings us back to one another. Once the Light resided in the connection among us and now when it “welds” us anew it fulfills the necessary condition of the correction in order to reside among us again. This is called a Mitzva (commandment) in the language of Kabbalah.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/1/12, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

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The Guides Of The Last Generation

Dr. Michael LaitmanBaal HaSulam, “The Peace”: Studying the science of Kabbalah with the altruistic intention, the people of Israel must prepare themselves and all inhabitants of the world, until they evolve in order to take on this high work of love for others, which is the ladder towards the goal of creation, adhesion with the Creator.

This depends not on us, but on the root of the soul. On one hand, we are huge egoists with a coarse and ruthless desire, and that is why we are corrected in the last generation; on the other hand, we are characterized by the finest phenomenon, the purest Reshimot (informational genes), and hence we belong to the head of the last generation.

This antagonism, this contradiction takes in us extreme forms, compared with all other generations. Relative to us, it was easy for them to reveal the Creator, to attain bestowal and unity. They had an affinity for and understood this; it did not trigger so many rejections and disturbances. Perhaps, they experienced more material problems, but fewer spiritual obstacles.

Besides that, we have no alternative; we have not chosen our task. Anyway, in order to guide the world, to understand it completely, and lead all its inhabitants toward the goal of creation, we must know the whole system of the universe, the entire program of the Creator, and be able to realize it with all the souls that will be opened now and after us.

Until now, there was no correction in the true sense of this word. Everything was limited by the vessels of HBD (Hochma, Bina, Daat) and HGT (Hesed, Gevurah, Tifferet), which belong to Bina, bestowal. They were broken and corrected only in order to sustain the wholeness of the Partzuf, the force of bestowal. But where does this force act and what does it correct? It acts and performs corrections in the vessels of NHY (Netzach, Hod, Yesod) whose turn comes today.

Thus, we in fact belong to the most powerful, the worst and simultaneously the best part. So, it is not easy. Our path and analysis requires such efforts that are immeasurably greater than the efforts of our predecessors and successors.

However, it is said: “For the suffering, reward.” And this reward is an understanding, feeling, and attainment of the fullness of the world. Only we can understand and feel all of the Creator, absorb Him. And thus, we should be proud.

Peace in the world precedes the gathering of the exiles. As long as self-love and egoism prevail among people, the sons of Israel will not be able to serve the Creator in purity. Peace in the world is the only vessel that let us obtain the blessing of the forefathers.

We will reveal the Creator, but a complete picture can be seen only at the end when the whole world follows us and comes to correction. After all, the world is our vessel, and we will have to help the nations become corrected and join us. Only then will we correct the entire vessel, and all the nations will join in the work for the sake of bestowal, in unity.

As the head of this whole system, we will have to work, coming again and again as representatives, responsible managers. The Creator Himself puts us before that, and we should be proud of our unique mission.

No one knows why he has been entrusted with that, what reincarnations he has gone through, and why namely he and not his neighbor was given this role. And therefore, we need to respect all our friends, to love each of them because everyone is my partner in many reincarnations, that is, of corrections that await us. We will be included in a single system and become close to each other. That is why we need to understand more, strive to feel more internally, to be included in each other. Thus altogether, we come to the goal. Baal HaSulam and Rabash write a lot about this in their articles.

We need to see the friends not in their material form, but as various kinds of souls, sparks, points in the heart. It is interesting how the Creator arranges them. We will understand the correct order later, what the system HBD is, designed on the one hand to grasp the entire coarseness of the desire, and on the other hand, to understand what the Creator is and how to work with this vessel, which opens for all its depth.

The general order is following: The Creator is first revealed in us, in the desires of HBD; then, we adapt the purpose of creation for the desire of HGT, and from there, correction comes to the true vessels of NHY.
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From the Arava Convention 2/25/12, Lesson 7

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Traps Set By Egoism

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Where is the group in the events of Purim, in the story of Haman and Amalek?

Answer: You find your Mordechai, your Haman, and everyone who prevents you from connecting to the group and through it pleasing the Creator—in the group.

First of all, it is necessary to find the direction to the North, to find out, do you have this very internal attitude with which you strive to please the Creator? Did you discover this point in you, the weakest and very delicate inner desire? Do you have it?

But if you do not have it, it is not terrible, it will still come; it will be revealed through the Reforming Light, and eventually you will begin to feel like you somehow pertain to the Creator. And above all we need to find this aspiration in us that determines the main direction, and this can only be done with the help of the group.

For this reason, everything we do in the group, with our friends, all our gatherings, everything must be done with the purpose to at least come closer to pleasing the Creator. And when we do not act with this purpose, we will be nothing but “a gathering of fools.”

This is because the fact of unity in a group does not yet mean anything. It is a fact that when different groups like the army or a football team are being trained, they go through special psychological training which prepare a person to give his life for his group. He begins to feel that the group is above him. And then he operates through a simple calculation, he compares himself to the group and sees that it has a greater value, and thus he is willing to kill himself.

This is false altruism, which allows a person to sacrifice himself simply because he has developed a new scale of priorities, which determines what he deems to be more or less important. But this has nothing to do with bestowal; it is just a result of a psychological manipulation.

And this is a dangerous trap because many believe that they are on the path of bestowal when in reality they are participating in a gathering of dissemblers—a group, which instills the value of bestowal to the group. Essentially, this is even greater egoism because it is a common group ego, which pulls you forward. It is above a person but does not lead in the direction of the Creator. And this is a mistake many people make. All religions have developed as a result of this kind of mistake made sometimes in the very beginning.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/8/12, Writings of Rabash

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The Place For Work Is Between The Hearts

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Our state is like that of a birth. A birth is a concrete action that either happened or not. However, if I ask this question now of my friends I’ll get all kinds of answers in the full spectrum, as if there are numerous tints of the grey color here. Is this the way it is supposed to be, or is it only one of the two, either black or white?

Answer: There is a very good example for this, the exodus from Egypt. It can be related to a single person who includes all of these qualities within him, since the whole world is inside of him. However it can also be seen as the exodus of many people of all types, amongst which there are men and women, the elderly and the children, infants, people related to the nation of Israel, and the Egyptians, the so-called “mixed multitude.” Everyone is coming out; everyone is running.

In this crowd, there are those who dreamed of this flight for many years and some who are following along with their relatives. There are children and infants who are led out by their parents. There are the elderly who would have no one to take care of them if they stayed. There are those who saw the crowd fleeing and just then decided to join.

But there are those who are going at the head of the throng who are determined to escape, and in front of them all, Moses is leading the way. Meaning that we see that among those who arrive at Mount Sinai are all types of people. And inside of a single person, reaching this state of the first unity above the mountain of hatred between him and his friends, there are also a multitude of desires and thoughts, from the high point in the heart which leads him like the forefather, Moses, and up to the most rough, vain desires.

In the end it’s required of them all, all so different and each one with everything confined inside of his spectrum of desires, thoughts and intentions, it’s necessary for all of them to be ready for the mutual connection as much as we, being below the Machsom, are capable of it. Of course, all of this is happening in a world of deception for the sake of egoism, Lo Lishma, but no more is required of us yet.

It needs to be understood that the spiritual approach is not difficult at all, but very simple. The problem is that we are not directed at the spiritual! I am not directed at unity! If I were able to remain in the aspiration towards unity for a few hours, I would have reached it. However, I don’t want it, and I am spending hours on all other possible things except spirituality, so in the end, life alone is not enough to reach it.

The problem is that we keep forgetting where we need to apply efforts. If you apply effort in the correct place, then it doesn’t matter if you have very little water, but you are using it to water a seed planted into the earth, this seed will shoot sprouts. While if you have a lot of water, but you are pouring all of it out into the desert sand, then nothing comes of it.

That is why the whole problem lies in the quality of intention. While in quantity, we are over-fulfilling it, skirting around, doing something, and we remain satisfied because we have used all of our strength. However, if you were to see how it really is, you would understand that you have not done anything in the right place at all. This is the whole issue. This is what we are working on and everything depends upon this.

Each one is already overfilled with theoretical knowledge, the science, and the articles. What remains is to apply the effort in the right place, only between the hearts, and then we’ll succeed. In our state today we can reach this within a few hours in order to at least touch the spiritual vessel, and then everything will be much easier.
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From the Arava Convention 2/24/12, Lesson 4

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How Can A Woman Taste The Miracle Of Unity?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: We have observed the psychological phases of splitting and integration and noticed that men manage to reach integration and women usually do not. Is this somehow connected to the laws that you are speaking of?

Answer: Of course. We already discussed the characteristics of men’s and women’s groups. The women’s group concentrates on the men’s group, it exists around it in the form of help, support, as the part that obligates men to advance towards unity. Then the unity that men attain also expands to the women’s part.

This is why work in a women’s group is completely different. It is seemingly directed towards the external part, the men’s group. And women connect between themselves only to influence it. It is best that they understand the efficiency of their mutual work, the purpose of which is to influence the men’s group.

But this is a fairly complicated problem and it cannot be solved very quickly. Only after many special events, when women begin to taste unity, which the men’s group attains and which emanates to them, only then do they become ready to somewhat unite in order to bring on the next ascent of men and receive some fuel from them. They develop this essential need. It is not corporeal or inherent—it stems from the integral level.

This is why under the influence of unity of the men’s group, a new demand for unity arises in women, even for unity between them. In other words, emptiness—the desire to unite—appears in them. First of all, they begin to feel their personal participation in this unity, and every one of them receives her own fulfillment from the men’s group. And then, the more they connect, the more they rise above their female essence and become able to unite between themselves into a single women’s part, a single image of a woman.

Maybe I express my thoughts in a somewhat complicated way because these are quite advanced degrees not suited for beginner groups. All this manifests better in practice. For this reason, this should not be discussed with women theoretically since initially this is against their nature and only antagonizes them.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #11, 12/16/11

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Service Staff

Dr. Michael LaitmanWhen they established the EU, representatives of the European countries signed endless agreements. The preparations for the union took many years. So what can they do now when the European dream is shattered?

They need to take into account that there are new problems nowadays, and that everyone should agree to correct them. The current events require corrections and updates. The previous measures that were taken are not enough. The world is developing and great changes take place and are reflected in the countries and the economies.

The crisis we see everywhere is reflected on everyone. They want to believe that they can “disperse” and ease the situation, but it isn’t so. They must yearn for connection, and to increasing it.

Eventually, the Europeans will understand this even if it hurts.

Practically, they must cancel all the boundaries in every aspect. Europe must become one sate, in which several peoples live together. They must “cover up” all the differences and become one people.

Nature obliges us to do that. At our current phase of development, we’ve all become mutually connected and there is nowhere to run. It isn’t something someone made up, or some nice idea, but an order from nature and time.

The Europeans will reach that, but we, who have the method for correction, do not participate in this process enough. We must bring our ideas to people, to give out materials and to build sites on the Internet that will provide our materials and explanations. There are going to be uprisings throughout the continent, so are we going to wait until everything is destroyed? Now is the time to wake up and to act.

Even the Arava convention is eventually intended to influence the world. We are only the link, the service staff; we serve the world and the Creator.

Therefore, we have no complaints. The Creator has put the Europeans in the state they are. He is doing His work, but we too have to do ours. This is the only way the desired change will come. But if we fail, they will blame us for all their troubles and they will be right because we are not bringing them the method of correction. Even if they don’t understand that, they feel that we can save them.

Therefore, it is first of all about our inaction. You can hate the rising fascism as much as you want, but the balance of powers depends on us. It also refers to our close neighbors, who have no free will. Ahmadinejad and the Hamas movement are also helpmates. It is time to see things realistically. We mustn’t let go.

In our world and in all the worlds, the Creator gave the Godly part from Above only to Israel, and so we can change the situation and fulfill the correction. It is the Light, of course that performs the action, but Israel evokes it and opens the way for it.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/16/12, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

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Reach The Limit


A person also needs help from Above to reach absolute despair. On our own we are incapable of it. It is a great thing to feel your limit: This is—I, and this is no longer—I. Only the Creator can give this sign, this limit, the boundary between Him and me.

We do different actions with different gimmicks until we suddenly reach despair, seeing the so-called “decree of Heaven” in it, which stands for a sign from Above. Baal HaSulam writes, There is no happier state in a man’s world than when he finds himself despaired with his own powers…. After all, this state comes to him from the Creator, and there is nothing else that can be done.

We were collecting our little efforts, one at a time, and then we receive them simultaneously, already accumulated into a single whole. We do not put our efforts into some little box, they collect in a common vessel, and their result comes from the Creator. No one knows when it will happen. And this is why the exit out of Egypt is done in a rush and in darkness.

As we try to attain unity, we begin to work on it all together, and then we suddenly discover the power of despair, rejection, and powerlessness. This despair leads us to a demand:  We need help to unite. And we scream. And this scream is followed by help from Above.

Thus, it is impossible to reach the Creator without first becoming despaired inside and making a concerted effort together. After all, the Creator is a force, which is specifically revealed through mutual effort, mutual work. In the individual there is no Creator. The upper Light can only exist in a vessel, corrected to a certain degree, and an individual is a “piece, broken” from the whole.
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From the Arava Convention 2/25/12, Lesson #6

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