Entries in the 'upper force' Category

The Rescue Mission

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What does the upper one feel when it reduces itself for the sake of the lower one? Does it suffer while doing so?

Answer: No, it doesn’t. On the contrary, it is willing to descend in order to assist the lower one. The upper one absorbs the lower one’s pains and that is its descent.

In our world, I get in the elevator and take a ride to the first floor. But in spirituality, I receive a totally different mind and another perception that suit the “lower floor.” This is what we call “change of place, change of luck.”

Any spiritual move implies changing the form: the change of the screen (Masach) and the change of desire. Therefore, by descending to the lower one, the upper one becomes similar to it. The upper one clothes in the lower one and appears as such, and only internally does it keep its true spiritual degree, a rung it can ascend to.

To reduce oneself in spirituality is very challenging. One has to be very strong to do this since you “corrupt” yourself by accepting a flaw, a great desire that attracts the Klipot (impure shells). It is justified only by the fact that you do it in order to save the lower one. The goal sanctifies your actions and gives you strength. Only after having prepared yourself and collected strength, are you fit for undertaking your mission.

Then, you descend and establish a connection with the lower one who is corrupted and soiled by egoism. So do you submerge yourself in this filth and corruption, which burden you with a great dab of darkness and forces of impurity? You do it solely to help the lower one.

Now, both of you are corrupted, but you, beside the external flaws, possess an inner storage of strength. Internally, you are corrected; therefore, by connecting with the lower one, you can elevate not only yourself, but the other as well.

Imagine you reduce yourself to the level of a drug addict whom you wish to save. You, too, start using drugs, join him, and live through him. Now, both of you suffer from drug addiction.

And then, you activate your forces, begin transforming him, pulling both of you out of the swamp. He is already linked in your desire, and now you elevate him to your level, where you repair that part of you which became his as well as him as part of yourself. This is a double correction that requires a double screen. Besides, his corruption is much more severe than yours.

So, it turns out that bestowal, dissemination, and correction of the lower ones are much more difficult than the correction of self. However, by doing so, you receive an opportunity to draw the Light through the lower one, which means to beget him, to manifest new perception in him.

It can be accomplished only if you draw from Infinity the new Light that fills all spiritual worlds. This new “dose” used to help the lower one is what delights the Infinity, the Creator. Thanks to this act, you merge with Him.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/20/10, “Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Article “The Letters of Rabbi Amnon Saba”

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A Force Field Of Love And Goodness

Dr. Michael LaitmanShamati #1: It is written, “there is none else besides Him.” This means that there is no other force in the world that has the ability to do anything against Him.

There is a single Upper Force that governs the whole universe. And what man sees, that there are things in the world that deny the Higher Household…in other words, it seems to us that there are many opposing forces operating in the world that overpower one another, and that it is possible to receive help from one force in order to oppose another, using this “multiple power.” …the reason is that this is His will.

This one force, which has total power, wants us to become so confused by the multitude of forces, desires, kinds, and qualities, so that from within this mess we would start to gather the only existing force ourselves. It seems to us that this life is multi-faceted and complex, but we have to bring it to one desire, one goal, and one operating force.

It’s similar to how we teach children by giving them exercises where they have to assemble and fix something that’s broken, not ready, or incomplete. They have to correct it and complete it on their own. That is how we have to act at every moment of our lives.

It seems to us that it is very difficult to work hard in life and to make efforts, but if we did just one thing behind all of these material actions — if we completed the Upper Force in order to see that He is the only one who acts, then we would not need to do anything else!

We work in the material world to produce many things, but in reality we are simply running away from solving the only, tiny problem: to discern that behind all of these problems, details, thoughts, and discernments, there is one force standing opposite me. There is me and Him, and between us He has built all of these decorations that confuse me so that through them I would find my way to Him and feel that they come to me form Him! This is called clarification.

If at every moment of my life, no matter what I do, whether I am talking to someone, someone is attacking me, or on the contrary, someone approaches me in a good way, or something happens to my health, money, or status at work or in my family, if behind every occurrence I try to reveal the Creator, then I will begin to unite everything into one net as if making an embroidery. I will begin seeing and revealing this system of connections: His program and attitude to me through all of these people and all the possible life situations.

I will suddenly understand what happened in the past and will start to see what He will do to me in the future. He slightly lets me see what needs to be done with various problems, teaching me like a small child. I have to accept this life only as a quest for Him — to look for Him and find Him! After all the efforts I make, I should always see that there is none else besides Him and everything comes only from Him!

This has to happen to such a degree that when I am in the most difficult and unpleasant situation, when I reach total despair and exhaustion, and I am completely unable to connect it to the Creator, I nevertheless begin to aim it toward the Creator and to look for the reason why this has come to me in this form and where it came from. Then I reveal how wonderful it is….

I begin to put all of the components of the general picture in order and suddenly discover that He has set everything up only for my own good to help me reach newer revelations! Eventually I reveal that everything around me is one interconnected net of His attitude toward me through the entire universe and through all the Upper Worlds. I am surrounded by a force field of His love, and I am at its center. This is called the revelation of the Creator to the creatures.
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From Lesson 7, World Kabbalah Convention 2010, 11/11/10

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Spiritual Ascent

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe study Kabbalistic texts about the Upper World, the concealed part of reality. The Kabbalists describe this reality, this world, in a poetic form, and we don’t understand what they say. They seem to take the words from this world to tell us about the Upper World. Why is this so?

It is because the Upper World is the world of forces that descend into our world and perform actions in it. All events that take place in our world we already see as deriving from the forces that trigger them. We don’t perceive the forces, don’t know or feel where they come from. We see only the effects of their action: our world and ourselves.

We are given an opportunity to read and hear about the Upper Forces, how they descend and bring this world into motion. Kabbalists describe this to us so that on our way back to the source, we can rise from the actions that these forces perform here in our world to their roots. If we read the books written by the Kabbalists with this intention, then these texts affect us, and, gradually to the extent of our efforts, we start approaching them more closely, like a child with the help of the game that gradually helps him to develop and grow.

But there is one more condition: The forces that we wish to ascend to are not ordinary, as in our world. The Upper Forces are opposite to us; they are the forces of bestowal. And we are the receiving matter, the desire to feel pleasure, that is affected by them.

In order to attain the nature of bestowal from the receiving one, we have to organize ourselves in a group prior to opening The Book of Zohar, and, while reading in the group, try to keep thinking about our unity since this is the nature of the very same Upper Forces that are affecting us. Then, they will be affecting us not only through their governing action as they do in relation to all humanity and the world, but also with their property of bestowal.

Everything occurs in accordance with our desire. If we wish to not only be affected by the Upper Forces but to also become as they are and attain the property of bestowal, then gradually we’ll change and become part of these forces as bestowing as they are.

This means that we gradually ascend from this world to the level of the Upper Forces. Clearly, we don’t ascend and descend physically, but we start being organized within, realizing and agreeing with that very force of bestowal which affects us more and more; we identify with it.

This force fills me ever more, and I act accordingly. This is regarded as “spiritual ascent” that takes place under the condition that I am in the group and wish, as all the others do, to feel how this force of bestowal fills us.

Let’s think about this while we read The Zohar, and we will succeed!
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/19/10, The Zohar

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Light Through The Cracks In The Wall

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Upper One exposes to us its lower part, Malchut, as a black void, promising nothing good. The “Upper World” (the spiritual world) is presented to us so unattractive on purpose. Meanwhile, in “this world” that we feel in the Keter of the lower one, we find at least some pleasure.

I exist in such state that even this world doesn’t attract me, and the state of the Upper One seems to be even worse. Actually, I am not even filled in my egoistic, receiving desires, but the Upper One loads some more on me by suggesting: “You wanted to be in bestowal!” I don’t have anything, and yet the Upper One is telling me: “Come on, share what you have with the others!”

Hence, I can accept what the Upper One suggests solely without thinking, without any conditions, and not through my own efforts. I can do it only by the force of the Light, without making any plans and having hopes to fill my egoism and receive some benefit in “this world.”

Most important for a person is to reach the state of bestowal. And then, he will have everything, but only after he rejects it! He will receive fulfillment (satisfaction), yet not through reception, but through bestowal.

This is how we should view the month of Elul before the beginning of the New Year, the start of one’s spiritual journey. ELUL, as an acronym, means “I am for my Beloved, and my Beloved is for me.” The Upper One hands down these hopeless conditions to me so that with their help I may break free from my egoistic state. In fact, if He promised me something good, I would never be able to tear away from my egoism, as I am chained to it by pleasure.

It is written: “The Creator places man’s hand on a good fate” by submerging his life into darkness and void but, on the other hand, reveals to man a tiny beam of Light to show the way out of the dark. This beam of Light is not an egoistic, material gain. The Creator provides me with the help on my spiritual path: He brings me to a Kabbalistic group, where I can exercise my free will and choose the correct environment.

The Light “illuminates” a bit, meaning that it gives me a sensation that bestowal in particular is the Light. It makes me feel that the Light is ascent above my egoism when it doesn’t matter whether it’s filled or empty since what counts is Whom I’m connected with.

The Creator lets me know the following: You suffer in the corporeal state, so don’t seek material fulfillment. Rather, being in this state, look upward: Think about what other life may exist, in other values, in bestowal, in another dimension (of happiness).

This means that a beam of Light is shining onto me through the cracks in the wall that separates me from the Upper World, the world of peace (rest from my egoism and worry about filling it) and perfection (aspiration to bestowal and love).

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/6/10, Shamati #42

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The Zohar Is The Remedy For Every Illness

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar is just like the Torah in that there is no need to read it in an orderly fashion. You can open up the book anywhere you want to! It’s similar to Psalms; you can open up any psalm and read it. You can even begin reading any psalm starting in the middle of it.

The most important thing when reading holy books (meaning books written by those who attain the Creator through the quality of holiness, bestowal, Bina) is not what you are reading or the things you read about, but the intention: What do you want to attain by reading?

One way or another you are reading about the Upper World, which you don’t feel or understand. The Zohar is the highest source of all the holy books. It is the most powerful source of Upper Light, the Light of Correction. It’s like an infusion to a sick person, or like a medicine that you take.

What do you want to attain by taking this medicine? What does "being healthy" mean to you? Depending on this, the force of The Book of Zohar can be the elixir of life for you, or a deadly poison!

Therefore, before opening up this book, you must think and feel, attune yourself, prepare and discern: What are you hoping to receive from it now? You are hoping to receive medicine, which is symbolized by a snake. A snake’s venom can be truly poisonous, or it can be the remedy for every illness.

Therefore, before opening up The Book of Zohar, we must have the right intention so instead of attracting deadly poison, we will attract the elixir of life that saves us. When people study the Torah without the right intention, it becomes dry and lifeless. This is even more dangerous when we are reading The Book of Zohar, the greatest source of power.

It wasn’t an accident that for so long The Zohar was concealed from regular people and revealed to Kabbalists. A Kabbalist, meaning a person who attained the right desire, was sure to find this book in some way. It was sent to him through someone or in some other way. He was brought to the place where he could find it.

However, it was not revealed to other people because in the past we were unable to arm ourselves with the right intention. That’s why The Zohar would only have brought harm upon us. Today, however, we open up The Book of Zohar with the intention that it will bring us goodness, that it will become the source of life for us instead of turning into deadly poison.

The Zohar contains such enormous force that we must be careful to open it only together and with the right intention. That is why it has become revealed in our time and offers us incredible opportunities. We want to offer it to everyone.

However, every person must know that only the right intention while studying The Zohar can turn it into the elixir of life.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/31/10, The Zohar

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The Ladder To Infinity

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar tells us about the Upper World, which we reveal inside of us. Everything described in this book occurs inside us. In fact, we perceive our world in the same way. The difference between the worlds or perceptions is that we perceive this world individually, within our egoism, while the Upper World is perceived collectively within our relationships and the connection between us.

Connection through mutual bestowal and love is called the soul, and what we perceive in this soul is called the spiritual world. By making corrections in ourselves we correct the initially broken connection (Kli) and thus reveal different qualities of the connection that The Zohar talks about. The common connection of all parts of the soul or creation is called the Creator. The entire spiritual world is comprised of different types of connections, which are called Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, different angels, as well as still, vegetative, animate, and spiritual objects. These are all revealed in the connections.

Today we perceive our world and think that it exists on its own. However, this is an illusion. The truth is that we perceive a type of connection between us that we call by this name. The last or lowest level of connection among the parts of the soul (the particular souls) provides a sensation of a bad connection that is called “this world.” When we attain the absolute connection of all parts of the universe, this connection is called the World of Infinity because it is an unrestricted connection without any finite limits. It is, indeed, beyond space and time.

Between the full connection in the World of Infinity and the complete absence of connection in this world, there are five levels of connection or five worlds called Adam Kadmon, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. We actually exist in only one reality which is the World of Infinity, but our perception of it depends on our attitude toward the connection. This involves 1) egoism or reception, and 2) bestowal or love. Our life is a sensation of the quality of connection between the parts of reality.

If we want to reveal the true world and understand, attain, and enjoy it, we have to try to see ourselves as more connected when reading The Book of Zohar. Then we will begin revealing a greater connection and the Upper World. This method to reveal the Upper World is called “We shall do and we shall hear” (Naase ve Nishma).
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/18/10, The Zohar

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What Is Real "Kabbalah Dissemination"?

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe more we unite, take part in common actions such as Conventions and unity evenings, and communicate within the “Stimulator” system, general waves of Upper Light will begin to roll over us and gradually cast us up to the shore of the Upper World. We will then discover that there is a multitude of people swaying together in one wave to carry out a common spiritual action. The Upper Force acts synchronously in regard to a great number of people. Therefore, the intensity of this spiritual desire and the Upper Light surrounding it are revealed in this union. This begins to influence all of humanity, and is called the dissemination of the science of Kabbalah.

People will begin to subconsciously feel this phenomenon due to the fact that we are all connected as one soul. Even those who did not see or hear anything about this will inevitably begin to sway on the same wave, feeling the presence of the spiritual movement in the world. The world will become more sensitive to the influence of the Light.

In this manner, we are influencing the whole world with the waves that we create together. We are raising and lowering the whole world – raising sparks of bestowal and lowering egoism. More and more sparks of bestowal are making their way to the top and people are beginning to ask about the meaning of life. Thus we are hastening the process of correction.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/19/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot

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The Upper World – Here And Now!

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If we don’t really understand the state of having to unite together as one man with one heart, then what should we focus on or imagine while reading The Book of Zohar?

Answer: There is nothing more than this. We live in a world that contains all the exact components that enable us to come together physically or virtually in order to join our aspirations to reveal the Creator while reading The Book of Zohar.

Our world is identical to the spiritual world in every detail with the only difference being that the spiritual world is a world of forces while our world is a world of material objects that are the results of spiritual forces. Every level is an imprint of the Upper Level, and in this manner they descend from Above downward, from the World of Infinity to our world along 125 levels. The only difference between the levels is their matter, which becomes increasingly less spiritual during the descent. However, every level consists of the same details.

"Ascent" means the revelation of a greater connection between the world’s components. Everything that is happening in our world today is pushing us toward this. What do you lack? A connection between people. Inside this connection you will reveal the spiritual level called "Ruach," and when you attain a greater connection you will reveal the level of "Neshama."

Right now the connection between us is egoistic. You have to start turning it into a real, spiritual connection. Whoever desires to reveal the Upper World in this lifetime must first and foremost understand that this revelation takes place according to the laws of nature.

Therefore, Kabbalah advises people not to invent their own methods, but to heed the advice of Kabbalists.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/27/10, The Zohar

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How To Receive The Upper Abundance

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe Zohar, Chapter “Lech Lecha (Go Forth),” Item 6: This is the herald that comes at midnight, at the start of the illumination of the left line from the point of Shuruk for the righteous to raise MAN for extension of the middle line. The herald comes out and calls aloud because it is in the blocking of the Dinim of the point of Shuruk. This is why it is discerned that he comes out with great force and calls upon the righteous to correct him.

Before us is the clarification of the order of extension of the three lines from Bina to ZA, from ZA to Nukva, and from Nukva to the souls of the righteous.

To the extent that the lower one can awaken the Upper One in the middle line by raising MAN (a prayer), the Upper One can fill his desire. We only have to bring our desire to the Upper One, a desire that is similar to His. This means we need to wish to be filled with His fulfillment. Then we will receive it.

There are no special conditions on the part of the Upper One. He is just waiting for our desire to be suitable for His fulfillment according to the law of equivalence of form. This is why all of our prayers and pleas should not be about receiving fulfillment from the Upper One. Rather, they should ask for help to create the correct desire, necessity, and intention, which fit the fulfillment existing in the Upper One.

I am not asking the Upper One to fulfill me since as it said, “more than the calf wants to suckle the cow wants to feed it.” My whole request should be: “I want to become ready to receive from the Upper One, to become fitting for Him.” There must be similar and corresponding properties between us. As soon as it appears, the abundance automatically flows from Him into me.

From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/10, The Zohar

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Love Is Stronger Than A Nuclear Explosion

Dr. Michael LaitmanA question I received: Why is it said that the strength of spiritual Light brought to us by the wisdom of Kabbalah is bigger than an atomic explosion?

My Answer: We know that the most powerful forces in our world are obscure and hidden. Muscle strength, a stick in a clenched fist, or a knife in a hand are dwarfed by firearms and explosives. However, the principle remains the same: to inflict a blow.

An even stronger impact exists when we don’t feel the blow in and of itself, but rather its consequences such as with radioactivity. Nowadays, psychotropic weapons have been invented; they don’t impact the human body but our psyches. Humankind uses higher levels of energy as it develops. We don’t feel them, nor do we perceive them through our five senses. We only suffer from their consequences when they cause us harm.

Spiritual power is higher than all other energies. It doesn’t exist in matter, waves, or even thoughts. This force can’t be detected by any worldly instruments. It is impossible to use this force with evil intention. The law of the First Restriction (Tzimtzum Aleph) prohibits such use of this energy. It can be used only for the sake of bestowal, that is, for our neighbors’ good.

Thousands of years of humanity’s development were needed to arrive at the conclusion that we shouldn’t use the power for evil. We should restrict our egoism by using it only for the sake of bestowal, for the benefit of other people.

Spiritual weapons are armaments of love. They are extremely strong and are meant to show a person that he must switch to a different perception of reality, the world, and his life. It is not about another “improved” stick in one’s hand, but rather it’s…a flower. It possesses an unusual strength under the condition that we know how to use it.

When we begin to use this spiritual power, then the Upper Force that rules the whole universe starts to act on our side and begins to fulfill the work together with us. All we have to do is to attract this power instead of looking for it within ourselves. We have to attract the Creator so that He acts for us. Everything in this world depends on the person who attracts the Upper Light, and his “weapon” is the dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah.

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