Question: How do I know for sure what controls me at the moment: the desire to receive or the desire to bestow?

Answer: It depends on what environment you are attracted to. There are no other criteria to check this with. Our starting point is the desire to receive pleasure. With the help of the correct environment, I begin to analyze the situation and discern my egoistic intention.

Before I did not notice the power of the evil inclination within me, but now I have changed the criteria for checking. There is no Creator in front of me. Therefore, I check myself according to the environment, and according to its values I determine what inclination is in control within me: the good or the evil one.

Perhaps my desire to reach the spiritual goal is burning within me, but my family and former friends tell me, “You are confused. What did you find there? What did you gain? This will have a bad ending. It is better to come with us, we enjoy our lives.” From their point of view, I am immersed in evil, trying to reach a goal that comes from the evil inclination.

Everything is relative, and everyone defines for himself who controls it. Therefore, if you want to judge from the position of the Creator, you should calibrate yourself with a good environment, the group, and take it as a benchmark.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/1/10, “And the Children Racketed Within Her”

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