Virtual Lesson On 12.21.08
Posted on December 22nd, 2008
Every Sunday, I give a virtual lesson from 4:00pm to 5:15pm Israel time. This week’s virtual lesson was lesson #5 on Baal HaSulam’s article “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot.”
Every Sunday, I give a virtual lesson from 4:00pm to 5:15pm Israel time. This week’s virtual lesson was lesson #5 on Baal HaSulam’s article “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot.”
A question I received: Why does the Torah justify Jacob when he lies to Esau? Esau comes to Jacob with open arms, yet Jacob turns away from him and tries to buy himself off with gifts.
My Answer: The Torah speaks about a person’s correction, whereby he becomes similar to the Creator. Jacob represents the intention of bestowal and Esau represents the will to receive, our egoism. Esau doesn’t understand that he always remains empty because his intention is “for the sake of himself,” and that only by changing it to the intention of “for others” will he instantly be filled by the Upper, eternal fulfillment – the Light. This is something egoism doesn’t understand, and that’s why a person must trick his egoism. He has to entice the ego to work on spiritual development by telling it that it will avoid suffering and to be filled by spiritual fulfillment and revelation.
This way, one’s egoism helps one to study Kabbalah, because it expects fulfillment from it. It studies Lo Lishma – for the sake of oneself. However, in the process of studying, connecting with friends, and thereby receiving the Light of Correction, the person ceases valuing the intention “for himself” and instead starts valuing the intention “to bestow” – for the sake of others, for the sake of the Creator.
This happens by virtue of the Light’s influence. And when one’s intention changes, he can begin to use his egoism (Esau) in order to receive for the sake of bestowal. This is how one attains eternal, perfect fulfillment. This maneuver is similar to the way we trick or entice a child to study, and eventually he comes to understand that it was done for his own good. This is how the Creator plays with each and every one of us.
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Preface to the Science of Kabbalah. Items 13-16
Laitman.com Post: The Only Point of Freedom Is Your Reaction to the Creator
Laitman.com Post: The Goal of Creation Is Perfect Fulfillment
Article: “One Law”
Lesson on “The Introduction to the Book ‘From the Mouth of a Wise Man'”
Shamati #20: “LISHMA (for Her Name)”
News Report (translated from MIGnews.com): Millions of people all over the world are immersing into Second Life – the new virtual madness that encompasses all areas of human life. In the past week alone, 1.4 million new members have become immersed in this obsession. There they construct themselves and seek adventures in the new, exotic reality.
My Comment: Actually, we’ve been doing this throughout all of human history. It just wasn’t as obvious as it is now, through a screen. Our culture is but a distraction from the purpose of creation, as is all the “exciting” entertainment we fill our lives with. They all have the same root – to run away from the question about the meaning of life.
The problem is that the old methods of “killing time” don’t attract us anymore. They’re too weak. In the virtual word, however, we can let our imagination soar, plus we get this illusion that anything we desire is within a moment’s reach. However, soon enough our egoism will outgrow this as well, and we will have to seek the true fulfillment – the Light, the Creator.
That’s because He created us, and our egoistic development will bring us to Him. This is why the Torah refers to our egoism (when speaking about the created woman): “Ezer Ke Negdo” – your helper, who is against you.
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: It’s Time to Implement Baal HaSulam’s Dream – In Virtual Space!
Laitman.com Post: Now You Can Share Perceptions Through the Internet
Kabbalah Today Article: Better Than the Virtual World!?
Kabbalah Today Article: What Is “Second Life”?
Kabbalah Today Article: Are You Connected?
Kabbalah In Second Life
Questions I received on the meaning of Kabbalistic words and the point in the heart:
Question: What is the meaning of the expression, “There are many thoughts in a person’s heart, but the Creator will save us from all of them”?
My Answer: Only the Upper Light can fill all our desires and thoughts by giving them the correct properties and forms.
Question: Does the point in the heart depend on the number of life cycles one has gone through? I just don’t understand why it is still dormant in many people.
My Answer: The point in the heart awakens when a person grows disillusioned in trying to fulfill all his earthy desires. It is for this purpose that he goes through a history of lives for many millennia!
Question: I have been studying Kabbalah for the past two years or so. There are two things that seem to confuse me and that could be because I keep on associating the meaning of “pleasure” and “desire” with our world. It would be greatly appreciated if you could expand on these two words for me or direct me to the place I can find the information.
My Answer: Pleasure is the sensation of a fulfilled desire – any desire. Desire is an aspiration to fulfill oneself with something one desires, with pleasure. However, in Kabbalah the desire is a desire for the Light, and the pleasure is pleasure from the Light.
Question: Is it possible to convey the essence of your lessons through sign language?
My Answer: Yes, if someone will understand it, for example, deaf people.
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Preface to the Science of Kabbalah. Items 13-16
Laitman.com Post: A Kabbalist Feels the Same Pleasure As the Creator
Chapter from Book The Path of Kabbalah: “The Awakening of the Point in the Heart”
Chapter from Booklet The Secret Meaning of the Bible: “The Language of Kabbalah”
Questions I received on physical observance and Kabbalah:
Question: I study over the Internet, and I am a secular person, but I am not clear on what to do about the commandments (such as Kashrut, Tefillin, Tzitzit, Kippah, prayers, and so on). Even after listening to your lessons on religion, I’m still not clear on this: is the path of personal correction enough or do I have to start observing the commandments in addition?
My Answer: Kabbalah encourages every person to remain the way he is. Only the Upper Light can correct a person; therefore one does not have to do anything else other than study (which includes the group, Maaser, books, dissemination, and for a man, it’s preferable to be married). All the corrections inside you will be done by the Upper Light (Ohr Makif).
Question: Should one observe the commandments or only study? And how do people get to the point of completely nullifying their egoism and attaining love?
My Answer: Live just like you did before, and study Kabbalah. The Light will guide you as to how you should change.
Question: Should a married woman who studies Kabbalah observe the corporeal commandments? If yes, then which commandments should she observe? And what is the spiritual root of a family’s ritual purity?
My Answer: The purpose of all the corporeal commandments is to preserve the boundaries of one’s existence, but not to correct one’s soul. We at Bnei Baruch observe them as a cultural heritage or tradition. Kabbalah does not obligate anyone to perform any physical actions.
Question: Aren’t the commandments that were commanded to us advice that we received on how to build the proper vessels suitable for our spiritual root? Then, once we acquire experience in building the proper intention, we will come closer to creating a vessel for the Light that will fill it?
My Answer: Certainly, you are correct. All 613 commandments are the correction of the 613 desires of the soul by means of 613 Lights that shine and correct them during the study of Kabbalah.
Question: If one is living in such a circumstance of being in a community where the outward observance of Mitzvot and Halakah are a norm, then isn’t one required to live in accordance to this social decor? One may remain inwardly “secular,” or constantly questioning the validity of their own intentions and desiring to know (not believe in) Ribono Shel Olam (the Creator), correct? May we be inwardly connected to the World Kli, studying with Ari Online, being part of the group, and yet outwardly walk in clothing of Orthodoxy?
My Answer: Of course, and this is what the Torah demands of you: while following the external rituals, to add their inner, true observance. Or in other words: to add the true Torah to the simple Torah. Kabbalah is referred to as Torat Emet – the true Torah, and also as Pnimiut HaTorah – the inner Torah.
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: The Difference Between Spritual Correction and Ritual Observance
Laitman.com Post: Kabbalah Teaches Love and Bestowal, and Nothing Else
Laitman.com Post: Everyone’s Place Is in Union With the Creator, and You Don’t Have to Follow Religious Observances to Get There
Free online Kabbalah course
Questions I received on hell and heaven, dreams, and mental disorders:
Question: I’m starting to get interested in Kabbalah, and my first question is: do heaven and hell exist?
My Answer: Hell is the recognition that one’s egoism is evil, and shame for using it in the present (no one is judged for the past). Heaven is the feeling of delight from being similar to the Creator, from aspiring to selfless bestowal and love.
Question: A few months ago I was watching your morning lesson broadcast where you explained that sometimes a person confuses the means to the goal with the goal – the hostess with the maid. Can you please explain this again?
My Answer: The most important thing in life is to always make a clear distinction between what is the means – the entire world, and what is the goal – the Creator. For more on this, see the “Introduction to Talmud to Eser Sefirot.”
Question: I have a question about dreams. I had a dream this week that my teeth broke. The dream was pretty scary, and the next day I read from a Kabbalistic book of dreams that this means something bad. I wanted to ask you what to do in this case?
My Answer: Forget the dream and aspire toward the goal.
Question: From your post, Psychiatry and Kabbalah, I still don’t understand: can people with Bi-Polar Disorder study? ? I am a person with this disorder and it is very important for me to know if I can study or not. I don’t want to be wasting my time.
My Answer: I allow it in such cases, but only in moderate amounts.
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: On Life, Death and Free Choice
Laitman.com Post: Confidence
Laitman.com Post: Where Do Thoughts, Ideas, and Dreams Come from?
Introduction to the Book of Zohar. Items 13-18
Yesterday, from 4:00pm until 5:15pm, we continued with our virtual lesson series. I gave the fourth lesson on Baal HaSulam’s article “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot.”
Questions I received on spirituality during the crisis:
Question: I’ve been studying Kabbalah for several years. It was very easy for me to say that everything that happens, no matter how bad, is only meant to shows us where we strayed off the path – until something bad happened to me. With the possibility of being fired looming over me, my thoughts immediately strayed from the study and I’m having difficulty perceiving the lessons correctly. How do I keep moving in the right direction when all my thoughts are about how to pay rent and feed my children? And on a larger scale, can’t the crisis push many people away from Kabbalah? I mean, who cares about spirituality when your belly is empty?
My Answer: Evidently we have to continue building our path toward the Creator precisely out of these states and doubts. You will feel the rest for yourself from your states, and you’ll feel it even stronger than before.
Question: The Torah states that the Egyptian plagues passed over the houses of the Jews. Does this mean that now, in the time of imminent blows, people who study Kabbalah will feel these blows (plagues) in their corporeal life to a lesser degree?
My Answer: There’s no doubt that every person in the world who studies Kabbalah and aspires to draw nearer to the Creator, evokes the positive influences of Nature (the Creator). He is then drawn closer by these positive influences, instead of the negative corrective forces that push others from behind.
Question: You speak of the ten Egyptian plagues. What are the rest of the plagues that Kabbalah predicts will happen next?
My Answer: I hope to see a world that will “fly over” these plagues with the help of Kabbalah, by aspiring to acquire the quality of love and bestowal to others.
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Passing Through the Crisis to the Promised Land
Laitman.com Post: The Current Crisis Is “The First Plague of Egypt”
The Israeli magazine “Pnai Plus” published the following article about our TV channel (written in its usual, somewhat sarcastic tone):
Let’s Pray: The “Kabbalah” Channel
“Here’s a cute idea: a simple version of spirituality presented on a TV channel! I mean, come on, not everyone wishing to develop spiritually has to do it while sitting on a plastic chair in a live “spiritual” seminar. Some of us prefer to do our spiritual exploration without leaving the couch.
The organization Kabbalah L’Am, headed by Rav Dr. Michael Laitman, decided to hold an around-the-clock broadcast, and their motto is: “Connecting to Goodness.” In fact, it appears that this idea is gradually becoming a reality, even if that means showing the same TV-show host over and over again, who may already be showing signs of fatigue.
I gave it a try and watched the discussions, educational programs, shows about relationships between men and women, a live lecture by Dr. Laitman and his conversation with Gil Kopach about the weekly Torah portion. The final conclusion I have reached is that these guys are really down to business. They really want to make me feel good, and they manage to do it without preaching. I’ll definitely try it again.”
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: The Kabbalah Channel, YES 66, Brings Good Changes
Laitman.com Post: The Kabbalah Channel In Your Internet Browser
A question I received: Earlier today I read your blog to my mother, who lives in the Ukraine. She agreed with everything. Her only question was, “So tell me, what should I do now?” And all I could tell her in response was: “Study.” At a time when every day for her is a struggle to feed her family, all I can offer her is to start studying?
My Answer: Only the dissemination of Kabbalah among the masses will give them the opportunity to realize the need for change:
By fulfilling these conditions, or even being willing to learn about them, we will draw the positive forces of Nature upon us. Since the crisis is but a result of our opposition to Nature, we will pass through the crisis and reach a life of prosperity, “the promised land.”
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Is There Anything We Can Do About the Crisis?
Laitman.com Post: Coping Strategies In Time of Crisis: Therapy, Antidepressants, and Even Fortunetellers
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