Laitman.com » Suffering

Everyone Has The Right To Learn

bb_admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:23:02 +0000

Question: People who recently found out about Kabbalah have doubts about whether or not it should be studied methodically. What is the use of regular, systematic study of the science of Kabbalah?

Answer: Throughout history the only people who came to Kabbalah were those who felt a burning worry, a burning desire. A person could not hold himself back. It was important to him to find out what the essence, source, or meaning of life is. And according to this desire, he “ended up” with the science of Kabbalah. And that’s because everything we see in the world is a spiritual force field in which we move. If the spiritual desire awakens in a person, being an aspiration to the Light, to bestowal, to the Creator as the source of Light, then he finds Kabbalah by moving to it naturally, similar to a charge in an electromagnetic field.

This happened in every generation. However, today is a special time when not only individuals, but masses are discovering that our world is empty. They feel this from the suffering and inner emptiness, and then they also ask the question about the meaning of life. However, their question is aimed not so much at the source of life as at the cause of what is happening: Why do they feel bad and where could goodness come from?

This desire is vested into the garments of our world. It does not yearn for ascent or the search for the source of life, its force, its Governor. A person just wants to know how to arrange his life to avoid losing everything. His family is falling apart, his children are strangers to him, he has no job, everything is vanishing into thin air, and who knows what will happen next? This is driving millions and even billions of people to the same Source, although on a lower level of desire.

Therefore, today we accept everyone to the study of Kabbalah. If a person wants to study and find out some things, then let him come and study. At first we present the science of Kabbalah to him in an easy, friendly form and talk about “rights” rather than “responsibilities.” But later a person sees that just like in any other area, here he also has to exert efforts, and he has to do it more and more. In order to acquire something important, one has to work a lot. This is not a secret, but a person first has to see that there is something to gain here.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/5/12 on Kabbalah Learning

Above The Black Abyss

admin.bb — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:37:18 +0000

How can we imagine the upper state in which the Creator reveals to you that He loves all those that hate you and hates all those that love you, including yourself? It seems that it brings you no good and that there is nothing worse than that. Before you are Pharaoh, Bilam, Balak, Amalek and Hitler all in one and you know how to overcome this because this also comes to you from the Creator, although indirectly.

The more we advance towards love, the greater the obstacles we come across. You overcome them and the “angel of death” becomes the “holy angel” in your eyes.

Question: I don’t understand this state. After all, the Creator is still perceived as good and benevolent. Do I see it together with the suffering of others and my own suffering in the past?

Answer: You see all the suffering that is in reality. This is a horrible picture: monstrous suffering, not one gram of pleasure, not a day of rest, only pain and suffering for thousands of light years. The suffering is everywhere. There is total emptiness in the desire to receive, not here and there, not from time to time, but one hundred percent suffering.

This state is called the illumination of the Shechina, and above it, you reveal the good and the benevolent. Otherwise, how would it be possible to discover Him? If the Creator just brings you goodness, then you discover Him in egoistic vessels. But if you discover Him in the full depth of the black abyss that is in front of you, then He is discovered in your vessels of bestowal that are aimed at bestowal.

Furthermore, you will see that He is good only towards those who are as bad as He is, and bad towards those that are good, in contrast to Him. This is how it will seem to you.

Our work is only in rising above the vessels of reception. If you see that the Creator’s actions do not match bestowal, it appears to you intentionally as an obstacle on the way, above which you have to rise.

Question: And what do I discover after this ascent?

Answer: The desire to receive, the general vessel of Malchut of Ein Sof, in a totally empty form: darkness, despair, worry, and fear, the dreadful trials of Job, and you fill it with the Light of Hassadim and with love.

Question: That means that after having corrected myself I feel good, no matter how much darkness is revealed to me. And now I look at the past and what do I see? Have I suffered or not?

Answer: This is already the next level, which you have to determine. In Gmar Tikkun (End of Correction) you don’t see that you’ve suffered of course.

Question: And what is the suffering that I feel now?

Answer: Now you are not the same person who will attain Gmar Tikkun. Eventually you will not recognize yourself in your present state. The feelings that were left behind are not you.

Question: So what am I now?

Answer: Something virtual.

Question: So what do we need all the present states for?

Answer: You feel them in order to prepare yourself, when you do everything that is in your power. It says: “I have exerted and I found.” You are getting ready until you find, until you rise above the Machsom (barrier), until then, the real “you” doesn’t exist.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/30/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

Can We Not Suffer?

admin.bb — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:53:00 +0000

Question: Why do we view our spiritual path to be “masochistic”? Why can’t we avoid the emptiness and suffering?

Answer: On this path, we suffer from love. We regret that we are deprived of similarity with the Creator.

Do you really think that the Creator deprives you of food, water, shelter, and health? No, we are talking about the suffering of those who want to be like Him.

Suddenly, our egoistic desires and pleasure get bigger; the desires and pleasures are in fact the same and we cannot cope with them any longer. In this case, we suffer, and the Creator disappears from our sight. Previously, He exposed Himself to us. But later on, predicaments show up and we cannot handle His revelation any more. So, He conceals Himself from us.

There is no comparison with the suffering of a regular person who instead of earning ten thousand yesterday, earns only a hundred today. We have to understand the language of Kabbalists who talk about spiritual things rather than on the material plane. On the spiritual path, “punishment” means the Creator’s concealment and our inability to bestow.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/19/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

The Joy Of Waking Up The World

admin.bb — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:12:29 +0000

The Creator is pleased that the created beings advance, although their advancement is full of great problems and worries, just as parents of a mentally retarded child are happy that he begins to progress and grow wiser. He is the one who has prepared all these problems for us; He is the one who has hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

This is how we advance until a person begins to feel that he is in a world that is totally bad. First, as long as he was in a state of “total retardation,” he thought that the whole world was good. Now he feels that he is in a bad world and begins to search for the meaning of life and what we are living for.

He continues to develop through the environment, the group, and the right books and begins to discover why he feels bad. It turns out that this bad feeling is purposeful. After all, it says: “I have created the evil inclination.” There is an upper force that worries about him and takes care of him. It isn’t just the environment, but something more sublime.

He learns not only about himself and his dependence on the environment, but also about the upper force, a third factor. He understands that the upper force intentionally makes him feel bad so that he will want to exit this bad feeling and he tries to exit it.

He sees that there is a method that enables him to wake up from the dream everyone else is in. He is not “retarded” any more; he reaches the recognition of evil and wants to rise above it in order to understand why he feels bad.

He begins to search the reason for this bad feeling and discovers that there is probably an upper governance. Here he reaches correction and connects with the environment.

He discovers that all these problems were intentional. The upper force didn’t create evil in order to bring him pain and sufferings, but so that when he rises above the evil, he will attain the upper force itself, and will be able to control, to understand, to feel, and to determine everything.

It is all thanks to the fact that he used his evil nature purposefully. Then the good force is revealed in contrast to the evil force. A person begins to work with these two forces, when he is above them, and thus he becomes a partner of the upper force, the Creator. Just as the Creator manages all our life and this world by these two reins: good and evil, he also wants to manage the whole world by himself, by the good and the evil. He wants the Creator to teach him how to do that.

Thus from being totally detached from life, like a retarded child who grows thanks to the egoistic environment that develops him and supports him this way, he begins to rise above this environment to an upper dimension. Eventually, he learns to use all of the environment, all of his nature and the upper force itself, in order to become like the Creator. He does all this in order to attain the upper force, to discover It.

At first he does it unconsciously, like a mentally retarded child who is dominated by the upper force. Then he begins to gradually exit this state, thanks to the evil force, that discovers the egoism inside him. He developed this way to a certain level, until he asked himself: What is the reason for all this evil? If everything were good, he would have no questions.

He has no choice but to search for the good force in contrast to the evil force. Then he grows wiser until he learns to use the two in order to rise above them.

This whole process takes place under the motto: “There is none else besides Him.” There is one upper force in everything, which helps a person go through the whole way. By recognizing and feeling the whole process, he understands what the upper force has done for him, and that It suffered much more that the person did. Because when a person suffers, the Shechina suffers much more.

This is how a person reaches the love of the Creator.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/22/12, Shamati #1

Instead Of Disorder, Peace To Every Home

bb_admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:35:17 +0000

Question: Romania has been shaken by collisions for a week now. In Bucharest they are becoming quite brutal. Our friends there are very worried. Overall, how should we view the suffering that the world experiences?

Answer: We must only disseminate materials about unity. And there are several rules in this regard:

- We do not mix with anyone;
- We are not “for” or “against”;
- As educators, we relate to people very considerately and unsophisticated.

That is how we approach the situation, according to the principle, “Love will cover all sins.” It is necessary to reach consensus, conciliation, unity. This does not mean that everyone calms down and goes home, since in that case we would be against the protestors. No, we are for change. However, in all of history, methods like this have never brought about anything good.

We have live examples before our eyes: Egypt, Tunisia, and other countries. For example, what was the use of the spontaneous disorders in London? This approach does not bring anything good to anyone. And Egypt has become immersed in devastation and is left with nothing. So, disorders won’t help.

That is why we have to release explanatory brochures with materials about mutual guarantee, including our advice: communication, round tables, and integral upbringing.

But first of all, we must concisely describe the current situation: Why is this happening?

And in doing so we do not speak out against the government or anyone else. We are talking about a natural process, a regular phase of our evolution where the world is becoming global and interconnected.

So what should we do? We have to adapt to the new conditions. After all, there is no other way to go. The integral network is already expressing itself. It’s simply that previously we adapted instinctively, whereas now we must reach harmony with the changed world consciously, with our own awareness. This is our new level of development.

Next, we have to explain how to do this: by means of integral upbringing, with the help of a good environment, which will convince every person of the need to unite with others.

Romania is a pretty homogenous country. It is not home to different cultures living side by side—it’s not America or the united Europe, so there it’s easier to talk about unity. This approach will appease the people, will revitalize the country, and will give people work. People will rise in their consciousness and will understand what is happening. They will see for themselves that this is good for them, their children, their country, and people.

As a whole, we are only inviting everyone to unite, and no more than that. There are no hidden “fees,” dirty tricks, or attempts to make money off of someone. On the contrary, let them do everything themselves. Let them organize the learning process and build an environment according to the laws of nature, while collaborating with psychologists.

This is what we have to offer, especially considering that there are many countries standing at the threshold of the same kind of strife.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/22/12, “Introduction to the Study of Ten Sefirot”

Who Is The Stick Being Prepared For?

admin.bb — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:50:17 +0000

It is written, “A thousand enter a room, but one comes out to the light.” So what can we do to make sure at least a dozen people succeed, or a hundred people? Indeed, our ideal result is nothing less than one hundred percent.

Take a regular person off the street. He lives a decent life, but suddenly he begins to get bombarded by all kinds of problems and misfortunes: conflicts with his wife, kids getting out of hand, health issues that the doctors can’t seem to fix…. Everywhere he turns, he discovers evil. Things keep deteriorating and there’s no solution in sight.

Admittedly, everybody else appears to be in just as dire straits and that makes it all more bearable. After all, man always checks himself in relation to others both in joy and in sorrow. When any given misfortune befalls everybody, it makes it easier to endure. We all come from the same soul and no one can judge himself in a vacuum, separate from others.

We all compare our state with the general prosperity or misery. I am incapable of sensing myself exclusively, for without the human environment, I fall back to the animate degree. And if there aren’t animals around, I’ll revert to the vegetative degree. If you abandon a human being in the woods without animals, he will invariably become like the vegetation that is his environment.

So then, today we exist at the very stage when the crisis is enveloping the whole world. Sure, the media mitigates the situation by showing us that people everywhere are hurting. This appeases us for a time so that the next blows will be harder and penetrate deeper until they become unbearable. But for the time being, I look at others and remain content with my own lot despite all the problems that are besetting me. Other people’s suffering allays my vigilance; the upshot is that the evil will break through into my consciousness only after it becomes too much to bear.

How can we remain in a state of helplessness when it becomes a matter of life and death? That’s when the suffering clues you in that its arrival is not accidental but purposeful. The chain of Reshimot (informational genes) leads you to this thought.

However, we don’t want to lead humanity down this path filled with pandemics, natural disasters, world wars, and so on. We want to bring humanity to the recognition of evil today while people are still finding comfort in the misery of others and empty hopes.

How do we do this? This brings up the issue of understanding the governance: You see that it is sweetenting your life, but at the same time you see the stick it’s preparing for you in the event you fail to recognize this governance in its true form in real time, through the prism of mitigated suffering.

Such is the path of the Torah, and such is the path of suffering for all of humanity. It’s all in your hands.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/16/12, “The Study of the Ten Sefirot”

Managing The Past, Present, And Future

admin.bb — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:34:41 +0000

Our livelihood is measured by the ratio between three Lights: There is Reshimo (reminiscence) of the previous state; there is the inner Light and the surrounding Light in the present state with the Masach (screen) between them that separates the Light that comes to these two Lights.

The inner Light gives us the feeling of the present. The surrounding Light, which remains because of what we cannot overcome in order to bestow yet, gives us the feeling of the future. The Reshimo, the basis on which I make this calculation, gives me the feeling of the past.

My uncorrected egoism is what divides time into past, present and future for me. If I receive a Masach of 100% for all my desire, I no longer experience different times. The concept of time ceases to exist and only the world of Ein Sof exists.

This means that the past, present, and future don’t exist by themselves! We have simply become accustomed to perceiving and feeling these influences this way, but this is only a psychological problem. There is no time; there is only the state of the soul, which feels the influence of the Light that constantly changes. This is why it seems to us that time passes.

When I move from the concept of corporeal time to the spiritual one, to the ratio between the Reshimo, the inner Light, and the surrounding Light, which determines the past, present, and future, I begin to relate to this condition differently. It becomes clear to me that time doesn’t exist, and it all depends only on me. I can hasten time if I hasten myself and approach the present from the past, and from the present, approach the future more and more closely.

It all depends only on the speed in which I acquire the Masach, develop it, clarify my situation, and perform actions of in order to bestow in the ten Sefirot of my soul. This is all our work because there is nothing else we should do but hasten time.

If we “press the gas pedal” ourselves, we advance quickly and shorten our way, and make it pleasant, leading toward the desired goal. Then we go through it with joy and pleasure as we justify the Creator and thank Him for being good and benevolent, for arranging such a wonderful path for us.

But if we don’t make enough efforts in order to advance, if we don’t press the gas pedal, but rather are pushed from behind by sufferings, we advance in the natural pace of evolution when everything happens in “its time.” Therefore, this advancement is felt as unpleasant and brings about great sufferings because the Light that comes doesn’t find desires that are ready to receive it and so it is compelled to remain outside and to pressure us and cause us pain and sufferings.

In this case, all the Light comes without “sweetening” but as is, and so it is revealed as Gevurot, as burning fire. Everything comes from the Light, but it can be received by desires that are ready for it and that summon it, and it can come according to the natural process, in its time. So the main thing is to hasten our work.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/12/12, Shamati #35

Why Do You Need Candy?

admin.bb — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:50:17 +0000

The current crisis includes all of nature’s levels. Recently there was a TV show about natural phenomena that appear as total surprises to people. Among other things, they spoke about an island in the Pacific Ocean whose inhabitants livelihood is based on fishing.

Now when they go out to sea they are afraid to get further than a few kilometers from shore. The climate has changed so much that violent storms suddenly appear and it is impossible to forecast them. Very experienced fishermen who have lived their whole lives at sea relate these happenings; the ocean, which they knew so well, has suddenly become a stranger.

Such is the scale of the general human crisis. After all, man is the upper part of nature and so he has the most destructive power, much more than all the other creatures.

There are revealed and concealed forces in the world. It is hard not to notice the explosion of a bomb. On the other hand, radioactive radiation can only be felt by its effect. There are even finer radiations whose effects can be a total surprise for us. Their source is concealed from us; this is man’s mind power, the power of human desire.

We have reached the end of our egoistic development: The world population produces such powerful negativity that we are simply suffocating one another, and at the same time destroying the levels that are below us. They are great in quantity but weak in quality, and we by our qualitative potential can simply destroy them, which is actually what is happening. This is where the “ocean surprises” and many other phenomena stem from.

So if it is all about our thoughts, let’s correct them. Kabbalists speak about two ways of development: the good path and by suffering. Apparently at the moment we are advancing by suffering. How can we advance in the same direction in the good way? After all, we have one goal—adhesion with the Creator. This is the fate of all the people, of all the nations. This means that we have to explain to them how to follow the good path, and to adapt to the uniqueness of their development.

Man’s mind power is destroying the world. We are causing ourselves and the other parts of nature harm. Today it is possible to openly show people scientifically based examples of this. Therefore, we must treat each other well or we will all be destroyed. So let’s improve our lives with the help of the one force that can help us.

If people ask, “So what is that force?”, we will answer that it is the force of the good mutual connection among us, which is actually another definition for the term “Creator.” Today we must use this force worldwide. After all, there is no distance for thoughts, and they don’t weaken as they draw away from the source and reach even the most distant stars, which are thousands of light-years away.

How can we do that? The time has come in which we will not get anything without the right request. You won’t succeed in anything if you don’t ask for the Creator’s help. Just turn to Him “in the right way,” like a good boy and then you will get your “box of candy.”

What should you ask for? Bestowal.

- I want to give out these candies to everyone.

- Great. Take them!

At first it isn’t so attractive, but then you learn. At first you will also be allowed to taste from the general box, but gradually you will begin to enjoy bestowal by taking only what you need.

The danger of destruction threatens you by sufferings if you don’t reach the request for others: “I want to receive pleasure only by seeing that others feel good. Let me enjoy this; give me the power for that! Make it possible!”

This is how the correction is done.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/4/12, “The Freedom”

Abundance And Emptiness

admin.bb — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:40:39 +0000

Question: It is said that before rising onto the highest level, Rabbi Shimon fell into the state of “Shimon from the market.” What “market” is this?

Answer: “Shimon from the market” lives like a Rothschild. He has everything he wishes in this world: power, money, honor, longevity, and so forth…it is just a dream. However, he feels that he is at the lowest level at that point.

Indeed, the market seller wishes to become a Rothschild, and this is exactly the state that Rabbi Shimon fell into. It is an ascent for you while, for him, it is a descent.

We are talking about a qualitative evaluation here. Rabbi Shimon had water and the carob tree, while Shimon from the market had a table overflowing with food. So, what is he suffering from? Why does he feel so low?

He is suffering from a loss of spiritual consciousness. He has everything except what is most important. Shimon from the market provided for himself for the rest of his life, yet he does not feel happy.

The point here is that Rabbi Shimon understands the abyss that lies between him and Shimon from the market, and he does not agree to it. He is feeling even more hurt by the fact that he feels this way himself.

Shimon from the market is always full. He sells his goods and in the evening he returns home satisfied, having everything he needs in life. The wife, the kids, and everything else are in order. Everyone is healthy. There is no shortage of anything.

However, when Rabbi Shimon falls into such a state, he feels that he has nothing behind all of this abundance. He cannot stand this life. Each moment of it is hell. For him, this is not life.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/30/11, “The Peace”

Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?

admin.bb — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:12:34 +0000

We should understand the forces of Nature that are called “angels” are messengers of the Creator and work like His loyal assistants; their duty is to help us. If a person realizes that his life is too calm and quiet, that he doesn’t go through any resistance, hindrances, confusion or internal struggles, then he should be worried why he doesn’t have all this in his life.

He probably doesn’t apply any effort in the right direction and thus does not allow the angels to do their work. It happens if a person fails to join a group or disseminate, in other words; he doesn’t move toward the source that contains all major forces of development.

If a person develops the proper attitude towards the forces that help him grow by constantly creating obstacles on his path, he starts to realize that in order to advance further he has to raise his prayers to a level that is above the resistance he gets. This is everyone’s duty. If someone manages to act this way, he carves himself into the right shape.

One of the resisting forces clings to a person from behind and pulls him backwards like a woman who holds her husband back and doesn’t allow him to develop. The other force blocks the importance of the goal that is far ahead of him; it hides the greatness of the Creator.

It is essential to sense that the resistance comes from both sides and to work one against the other in the right way. This is like a train that carries a heavy load that has an engine in the front that pulls it forward and at the same time has another engine at the back that pushes it forward from behind. A combination of these two forces makes it possible to move the train: One pushes the train from behind and the other one is pulling it ahead.

This explains why the Pharaoh separates us from the goal and hides it from us by saying that the Creator is not important. Sinners who push us from behind are the forces that help us; they are loyal angels of the Creator.

If a person understands that everything that happens to him is sent by the Creator, he will see the Creator’s hand in all negative situations that happen. This is similar to obstacles that we put in front of small children so that they overcome them and learn.

It is pleasant to watch a child trying hard to achieve a small success. Even if a child doesn’t achieve any result, it doesn’t matter, since he still learns from the experience. We have to view ourselves the same way and realize that we move forward only because of the forces that create difficulties for us from behind and at the same time pull us forward.

So, the question is: Who strengthened the Pharaoh’s heart? The Creator did! He states it openly: “Come to Pharaoh, for I hardened his heart!” This is written plainly and directly.

It is crucial that this opinion dominates in the group and everybody who experiences difficulty accepts it without second thoughts. In this case, we won’t mind having stronger, more efficient and numerous hindrances; if we get them, we’ll be able to immediately overcome them through our prayers. We would know that at this time of our life the Creator has hardened Pharaoh’s heart and so should He give us strength to stand before Pharaoh.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/16/11, Writings of Rabash

Feeling The Suffering Of The Whole World

admin.bb — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:13:24 +0000

Question: What does it mean to feel the suffering of the whole world? How does one join in it?

Answer: Let’s say, I am close to a person who works the land and does not know anything else in life except his cows, his field, and farm. On the other hand, there is the opportunity to get to know the big world, to multiply one’s knowledge and pleasure, to attain the eternity of nature.

The difference between what he has and what he could have reached is the shortage, the suffering. He does not feel it by himself. As if he is mentally sick and does not know about his ailment, but I know; I see it looking at him and I feel sorry about it.

It is not important that he is not sorry about it by himself. It is possible to make a pain-killing injection and people will not suffer from the pain. However, suffering exists in the world for a purpose, so that by the means of suffering, by the means of one’s simple actions, we can reach correction.

In order to feel the whole world on our shoulders, I need to feel how much everyone is missing—the difference between their current state and the end of correction. This is a perfect desire, which a person must reach.

The suffering from feeling this empty vessel is simply unimaginable. But we connect the beginning and the end, understanding that “the end of the action lies in the initial thought” and that everything is originally derived from the benevolent desire of the Creator to give pleasure to the creation, and we arrive at this good end, and a person feels the suffering only to the extent of how much he is connected to his desire to enjoy.

However, at the moment when he rises above this desire, he will no longer feel the suffering, but only inspiration and excitement. In this form, we can endure suffering from what is seen as another person suffering in his personal life as a result of being immersed in his self-interest. But when we see how much is prepared for him after he rises above his egoism, how the vessel is full of light—it helps us, suffering together with him, to endure this pain for everyone.

It is like being close to a sick child who needs to get a painful injection who kicks and screams as I hold him so the doctor can stab him with the needle. But I know that there is no choice, and now, in just another moment, he will feel better—and this gives me the strength to hold him, as if hurting him.

The same is going on with us. All of this is due to the actions, which we begin before the appearance of the desire and intention. Further on, it is like it is said: “The hearts follow the deeds”, the desires.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/29/11, Shamati

A Happy Life For Our Sons

admin.bb — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:23:42 +0000

It is written, “Choose life!” Of course we are not talking about the animal life, since a person already has questions that are higher than our regular existence—questions about real life, receiving the Light into corrected desires and becoming similar to the Creator. This is called human life, since all previous existence was imaginary, like preparation for the human degree.

However, life without achieving bestowal and true existence is harder than death. And this is not because it is difficult physically. Humanity is reaching a state where half of it is in depression and the other half is in fear. Consequently, life is becoming unbearable, not only due to natural cataclysms and disasters, but because of the intolerable inner pain.

We can have all the benefits in our material life, and yet feel horrible because it lacks meaning. A life devoid of inner correction and the inability to answer the question regarding the meaning of one’s life is becoming more horrid than death.

After all, a question emerges in a person, as well as new desires from the human level, and then a huge problem arises because every question from a higher degree cancels out everything one has. One does not understand why he needs all these fulfillments if he fails to find meaning on a higher degree. People are not committing suicide in countries that lack food, but particularly in the most well-off regions, such as the Scandinavian countries.

A life without the correction of desires is very difficult for a person who is asking this question. He begins to suffer not only because he does not receive pleasure from anything, but also from the fact that he brings suffering to others. He criticizes himself for his past, present, and future. He considers himself guilty in regard to his children, close ones, and strangers—in regard to everyone because he feels that he is the source of misfortunes for other people.

He is shown an overview of his whole life, and he sees how evil he was in regard to every person he encountered and how much he used everyone. In these circumstances, it’s difficult to remain without an understanding of the goal, which is the opposite: good and does good. He has no hope for the future, for the days to come, which will only be worse. A person feels that he will spend the rest of his life in the same useless manner, without receiving any fulfillment in the present or the future—no inner or surrounding Light.

However, one who lives for the sake of correction and rouses inner and surrounding Lights not only becomes worthy of receiving pleasure from life itself (when Light is clothed into desires), but he is happy to “bring sons into this world” (new states). That is, he advances further. He develops his desires and sees that he needs the whole world since it represents his own desires, which he joins to himself and fulfills. It turns out that they all are his sons.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/19/11, “The Study of the Ten Sefirot”

When The Whole World Demands

admin.bb — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:07:16 +0000

Question: According to the Kabbalists’ prophecies, when will the majority of the nation of Israel start studying the wisdom of Kabbalah?

Answer: This will happen when the whole world demands it. Israel cannot awaken if the world doesn’t demand it because Israel doesn’t have any need to awaken unless it is working for the whole world.

That is why we, the keepers of the method and those aware of what is happening, must disseminate the wisdom of Kabbalah as quickly as possible in the whole world in all forms, whether we’re mentioning the word “Kabbalah” or not.

We must explain our states, the correction, and what we can achieve through the corrections. This will awaken people and will give them the understanding of how to correct the crisis, and as a result of this, as it is said in the Prophets, “The Nations will come and carry Israel on their hands to build the Temple.”

Without such pressure there won’t be an advancement—the nation of Israel will not feel a need in this. Before the ten plagues of Egypt, one doesn’t flee from Egypt. But we’ve got an opportunity to convert this pressure from ordinary suffering into the suffering of Love, when you yourself long for something you don’t have.

But in any case, the pressure has to be there. The Gog and Magog war has to take place in order for us to be born on the next degree. But we can cause the birth pains and the birth due to our desire to exit this world instead of being due to real birth pains—wars and suffering for the whole world.

The Prophets tell us about blows that are in store for us on nature’s part. But at the same time, we have the wisdom of Kabbalah in order for us to accept these blows as purposeful and helping the birth.

The minute I connect myself to the goal, the blows become a remedy. I don’t feel them as blows anymore. But I have to go through all the forces and all the states. However, if I change my realization and attitude towards them, I go through them with joy.

I go through it all consciously, I see the goal and I desire these blows; it’s as if I’m giving birth to myself.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/18/11, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

Who I Am Is Who I Will Be

bb_admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:32:22 +0000

According to the laws of interaction between the Light and the vessel, we have to go through the gravest misfortunes on the path toward the goal. And that’s where the science of Kabbalah comes to our rescue, helping us avoid having these blows come down on our animate flesh and instead transferring them to the human level, to the height we should be on.

Today I am receiving blows from three levels: still, vegetative, and animate. They are whipping me along on the human level. Stated differently, I am being pushed from behind by a bad force, evil, suffering. And I can only obtain one means to help me, a yearning, an attraction forward, coming from the wonderful goal that illuminates my path like the sun. In that case, I will still experience suffering, but it will be the sweet suffering of love.

It is easier to bear this kind of sorrow because it is caused by a longing for the good future. I feel disappointed and fall into despair, but I do not run away because I understand that these pains have to reach a specific, total measure (Σ), similar to how penny after penny eventually adds up to a big sum.

I accumulate great pressure within, a great desire to make a leap toward the goal. I need a gap between me today and the corrected me. And this gap has to be felt as suffering, caused by the difference between who I am and who I should be. This is unavoidable. This abyss has to open up inside of me, but there is absolutely no need for it to be created by wars, diseases, and other disasters.

The real correction is just starting now, when humanity is starting to come together, to merge as one man with one heart, either unwillingly, under a torrent of negative forces from behind, or with the help of the Light that flows ahead. It is impossible to describe how these two paths differ. After all, we have to open up Malchut of the world of Infinity, either in the darkness of inconceivable suffering which purifies our egoism, or in the Light that reforms.

Thus, everything comes down to how we will experience the abyss separating us from correction. We can overcome the path willingly, by agreeing with it, by building an environment that supports us; or we can ignore the solution as long as possible until the pressure from behind forces us to understand from where, why, and for what the disasters are happening, which we cannot escape no matter how much we try.

A person may need decades to get smarter and reveal the Light. And that is why the science of Kabbalah was given to us. But one way or another, this gap between the Creator and creation, between the receiver and the Giver, has to be felt inside of us to the fullest.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/9/11, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”

How Can We See That It Is Good To Bestow?

admin.bb — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:20:31 +0000

There are two ways by which nature advances us: without our knowing or consciously, meaning by the Light (the Torah) or by suffering. The way we advance without knowing is by pain. Because our nature is a desire to receive, we advance and develop gradually from one degree to another under the influence of a good sensation or a bad one. So what do we sense as good or bad?

We were created by the Light, which created us with a desire to be filled. Through our process of development, we gradually attain everything that is in the Light, in the Creator, as good and everything that is in contrast to it we perceive as bad.

This is a very long way, and for a long time, according to our nature, everything seems the opposite to us. But as the power of bestowal teaches us, we begin to understand that our egoism is bad and that it is responsible for all our failures, and how wonderful it could be if we were in the attribute of bestowal, which could raise us above all evil.

This awakening comes gradually to each of us and to all of humanity. It is through suffering that we learn from the blows that the force pushes us from behind.

At the same time, we are given the opportunity to hasten our development by ourselves and to advance towards attaining the good. The good is only bestowal, and we should do different exercises and use different tools in order to develop the sensation of the recognition of evil by ourselves, not as a result of the blows but rather through the environment.

In order to do that we have to be more sensitive to good and bad, to bestowal and receiving, to love of others and to hatred. I can prepare myself even before the blow comes, by working with the environment so that I can begin to understand that bestowal is good and receiving is bad.

After all, this is how nature is. The Creator determined the goal of Creation: adhesion to the Creator, to His qualities; that is, ”As He is merciful and you are merciful too.” So we have to resemble His attributes in all our attributes. This means that I have to transform myself and to understand that my nature is evil and that the Creator’s nature of bestowal is good.

The tricks and the means I use in order to see bestowal as good, are called “Mitzvot” (commandments), “God’s work.” Working with the environment enables us to see bestowal as good and egoism as bad.

This is why the soul was shattered into many private souls and we can, thanks to our mutual work, attain that connection and love of others, which is good. From the love of others we reach the love of the Creator. It is the particular and the general expression of the same phenomenon.

All the descent from the top down, meaning all the preparation that was made for us was necessary so that we will be able to use it and to develop independently and consciously, so that eventually we will reach the goal.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/6/11, “What to Look for in the Assembly of Friends”

The Convention Is A Breakthrough

bb_admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:26:44 +0000

Question: A few days ago we held a wonderful dissemination action of giving out newspapers. People immediately started reading them with great interest, which made us extremely happy. How can we retain that happiness and bring it to the December convention?

Answer: We are living in a big world which is rushing toward a new state. People are starting to understand that something has gone awry even though they’re not exactly sure what that is. Every person is yelling about his own concerns, and that is natural. That is how we are built: From the youngest age, we do not even suspect what we are really crying about. People are sounding calls for equality and social justice; the only problem is that everyone has their own idea of justice.

However, the pressure will continue growing and expanding. We will see how the relationships between nations and civilizations will add fuel to the fire and it will get even hotter.

For us, this is a completely clear sign that we have to start acting. With time, people won’t simply wait for new materials from us. They will feel that Light is flowing here, that this is where life lingers. Right now they are inspired by the lively, warm, smart words that are helping them figure out what is happening and to gain at least a slight understanding of what they want, what they are yelling about. By reading about it, they are making an order of things inside of them. A person felt bad, and now he understands exactly what the problem is, what he should aspire to, and what he should be watchful of.

In essence, we are “formatting” or building people from within. But this is only good for a start. Back in your day you were also brought to Kabbalah by a certain inexplicable desire. But then comes a period when the Light has to appear. It is what will bring the changes. We cannot drag this out for too long because otherwise the Light will become revealed in the opposite form, as disasters, epidemics, and other catastrophes on a global scale. A long time ago, the prophets wrote about how dangerous this path is.

Therefore, we have to take care of the Light that reforms. This Light only comes from unity, which does not exist in our world. After all, we are animals, but if we unite the points in our hearts, not our bodies, but precisely these particles of the Creator, our spiritual aspirations, if we try to weld them into one, then we evoke the Light that reforms. It is contained or concealed inside of this unity.

Once this Light appears, it will unite us. Then our dissemination will shift to a new level. It will no longer be newspapers and websites, but we will become revealed in people from within. Without understanding why, they will start asking questions about mutual guarantee and Kabbalah, and will start to look for us under the guiding influence of the Light. You came to the group accidentally, as it were, and likewise, they too will turn around, not exactly in our direction, but in the right direction nevertheless.

The world is moving forward more and more swiftly. And that is a huge mass of people. On one hand, they are feeling worse and worse, and on the other, a good solution is starting to take shape before them. Therefore, the upcoming convention will have to unite our points and reveal the Light which will pour out of us like a spring of living water and fill the whole world. That is exactly what we must achieve.

We have to prepare in such a way that the convention will become a flash of Light, a breakthrough of the spiritual force which will aim the world toward goodness with one blow. Then we will immediately feel how the world is changing, right during the days of the convention and onward.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/31/11, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”

A Transparent Calculation

bb_admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:23:28 +0000

In the article “Peace in the World” Baal HaSulam examines the essence of the forthcoming transition that will raise humanity to a new level:

At first glance, the plan seems imaginary… But when we delve deeply into it, we will find that the contradiction from reception for oneself to bestowal upon others is nothing but a psychological matter… although self-reception manifests itself in us in various ways…all those are defined by one name, “pleasure.”

This is already clear today. Our essence, mind, feeling, and every cell of our bodies aspires to fulfillment. It can be felt simply as a rush of energy, or it can take on other forms until it reaches the psychological level, where we define it as pleasure. If my hand rests on the table, then it’s not my hand that enjoys it, but me. One way or another, fulfillment for us is always pleasure. It is what we all desire.

A question arises: If my matter only wishes to fulfill itself in order to experience pleasure, then am I able to maintain a connection with others? Am I able to participate in the life of the common system as nature dictates and enjoy it at the same time? If this is possible, if Baal HaSulam says that this is a psychological aspect, then maybe I will be able to confuse or trick myself into doing this? After all, psychology is an everyday affair, so to say. As a result, by carrying out nature’s demand, I will enjoy myself and will make others happy on a new, global level of being.

…what does one receive during one’s life? If we assume that one obtains twenty percent of pleasure during his lifetime and eighty percent of pain, then if we put them one opposite the other, there would still remain sixty percent of suffering unrewarded.

If a person made the right calculation, he would not be able to bear this life. In the most natural manner, he would immediately decide to end his life. The math is simple: “pleasure minus suffering is equal to….” Which is followed by a decision and its instant realization. However, we do not make an accurate calculation and therefore, we continue to live.

But this is all a private calculation, as when one works for oneself. But in a global calculation, the individual produces more than he takes for his own pleasure and sustenance. Thus, if the direction were to change from self-reception to bestowal, the individual would enjoy the entire production of what he produces without much pain.

If we make a calculation—how much can we receive from the whole world in return for what we give to it—then it really is worthwhile to live.

Thus, everything depends on a clear, precise, and transparent calculation: What do I have from reception and bestowal? And Baal HaSulam talks only about the material calculation here, leaving the spiritual calculation between the lines. In our world, one way or another everyone suffers and accepts it. However, if we clearly show a person all of his “income” and “expenses,” he will understand that he is being robbed to the bone. On the other hand, in the spiritual sense, he can record eternal life in his account, which is incomparable to the petty animate existence.

Thus, we are facing a psychological problem, and we have to view the world’s correction in this vein. All of these calculations, as well as the opportunities that become revealed by virtue of the Kabbalistic method, come down to upbringing. That means we have to create a system of education and upbringing, and then the world, which is in a desperate situation, will understand that it is actually at the starting point, at the threshold of a new beginning.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/25/11, “Peace in the World”

Truth From The Belly

bb_admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:15:28 +0000

Question: Baal HaSulam’s words sound like a utopia. Clearly, if every person works for the common good, then everyone will be well off. But do we have the means to create that kind of society?

Answer: Of course we do. There is a set of elementary means that make it possible to do this easily and willingly, while being imbued with enthusiasm and providing enormous reward for yourself. Even from the purely egoistic point of view, it’s worth it because you will get rid of all the troubles of this world, will set up good relationships with other people, and in them you will acquire a new world, full of goodness. So what more could you want?

“But how can this be done?” you ask. The answer is: by realizing your free choice through creating an environment around you that will constantly brainwash you and press on your feelings with the profit of bestowal.

So what’s the problem? Everything is very logical. And if we don’t want it, then several disasters in the near future will change our priorities. When you lose work, when your fridge goes empty, when your children will demand something that you can’t possibly do for them, when your wife starts putting pressure on you, then not finding any alternative, you will discover that there is correction for this world, after all.

In reality, you evoke Nature’s harsh attitude to you yourself. You put yourself in conflict with it by not corresponding to the demands it is presenting to you. And these demands are clear: a global, integral, equal unification for all. We have to take an example from nature. On this path we will reach success, and on any other—only suffering. That is how the law of equivalence of form is expressed which operates in physics, biology, and all other fields. Until today only human society posed an exception, but today the time has come to observe this law in society as well, and to do it by our own desire.

So go ahead—try it. If you can’t do it, then you will suffer due to violating the law until it forces you to observe it. This is what always happens in the process of natural development. Previously you also received blows of differing intensity, which pushed you forward without you even being aware of it most of the time. You experienced pressure from different sides and solved the problems that emerged. Sometimes you had to wage wars and revolutions, which are greater impulses toward appeasement, when things were simply unbearable anymore.

That is how you developed until now and that is how you will develop from now on. You will always have an opportunity to take the next step. After all, you are matter that feels, a desire for pleasure, and this desire can be turned into anything. Just press in the right place with the right force, and it already shouts, “I want!” It shouts because it does not wish to suffer. Through this escape from suffering, you can be taught greater wisdom and be brought to bestowal as the desired redemption.

We know from our own experience that we can easily change our opinion depending on the circumstances. It’s enough for the circumstances to change and we immediately make a different calculation, raising a new truth onto the pedestal.

“What kind of truth is that? You just have greater profit there.” But you object, “No, it’s the truth!” And you say this from the bottom of your heart, even though it’s the sincerity of the belly, which forced you to rethink things. That is how the desire for pleasure operates in every one of us.

Therefore, if we don’t want to advance consciously, with awareness, then Nature will force us to do it. By our disagreement with its program of development, we create the future unpleasant states ourselves. Previously evolution led us “on a short leash,” but now everything is different. It’s as if you have been transferred to “standby mode” and given the opportunity to advance independently: Try to do something, activate your free choice, start organizing an environment.

However, if we don’t do that, then some time later, negative occurrences will be expressed in society, which will force us to budge. For example, today we are discovering that people cannot begin correction yet and cannot hear us. We are also guilty of that because we haven’t yet learned to disseminate materials that are clear and that warm every person’s heart. As a result, the next state is being revealed: The world feels bad, and we feel even worse. That’s because at the end of the day, the work is our responsibility.

If we do not wish to unite in the good way and turn to the world with the force of our unity, then we will desire it from the bad way. We can’t run away from this mission, just like Jonah the prophet could not escape his predestination.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/24/11, “Peace in the World”

Asking The Light For Acceleration

bb_admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:34:32 +0000

Question: By our nature, every one of us tries to use others to the utmost, without taking the common good into account. So how can a regular person start taking others into consideration?

Answer: This can only happen with the help of the Light that Reforms.

You are forgetting that there is a force operating in creation which drives us. We are puppets. I cease being a puppet when I ask the Light to change me. I do not do anything on my own. The Light makes the actions in the vessels. However, I can influence it with my desire, with my request, “Change me more, accelerate my development.” This is the only thing I can ask from it.

If I attract it, then I advance by the path of acceleration, and this is my only possible personal contribution. Development unfolds one way or another. The only difference is in the extent of the troubles and suffering. I can either advance quickly, consciously, with awareness, by my own desire, or slowly, with “a lot of blood spilled.” But one way or another, I evoke the Lights that change me.

Naturally, I want to use the other for my own benefit and I will never want to unite with him. Why would I? I don’t have some hidden button that can switch the egoistic desire to an altruistic one.

However, if I use the environment and the study, if I persuade myself, if I form a “desire without a desire,” “a prayer before a prayer,” then all of my requests accumulate and work, even if they are insincere, and gradually I truly do begin to deem the quality of bestowal, love, and unification important. “There’s something worthwhile there, after all. I shouldn’t let it go by. It’ll come in handy.”

Sometimes I want it and sometimes I don’t. Later the desire no longer disappears, but it is small. And eventually, from the distant states, I reach a firm, decisive desire: “I want it, and that’s all.” Why? “Because.” What will you get out of it? “I can’t explain that. You wouldn’t understand anyway.” But still? “The Light is working on me. It has changed me and now I want this. The Light changed me because I resorted to all kinds of tricks and contrivances. I did everything I could, I made efforts, and I found.”

We should never forget this principle: Everything is done by the Light, and we can awaken it. Therein lies our free choice. Don’t look for an opportunity to change yourself directly and don’t eat yourself up for being weak. To achieve inner changes, we always have to turn to the Light. And that means constantly raising our prayer to the upper one.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/23/11, “Peace in the World”

You Won’t Achieve Peace By Waving Your Fists In The Air

bb_admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:04:51 +0000

Question: Yesterday, on October 15th, an event was held in Tel Aviv called “Uniting for change in the world.” During one of the discussions an activist said that he is sorry about how weak the protestors are, “We won’t achieve anything because we let the authorities take apart our tent cities. We have to be more aggressive to be heard….”

Answer: This is the regular egoistic approach. We acted this way throughout all of history. But who said this is fair or just? That kind of struggle won’t lead to any results because any “accomplishment” will be achieved at someone’s expense. What’s required here is general social agreement, compensation via all-enveloping consideration.

In reality, all of the disorders, all the hatred and animosity, all demands of the social protest are intended for us to reveal the upper force. If people try to establish good relationships on the social plane, they will reveal nothing but evil. In the egoistic reality, there is no hope for peace. However, while they are inside of that reality, they cannot imagine or envision anything different.

This is why people are demanding to take money away from the rich. We already know the price of pretty words about fair distribution.

Therefore, we have to remember that we are dealing with “children” who do not understand the ways of the universe, are in no way connected to the forces operating in nature, and do not see the true, final goal. It’s as if I take my disobedient child by the hand and lead him in the right direction. On the way he shouts next to every fast food stand, “I want ice cream! I want potato chips!” So what should I do? I buy him an ice-cream and lead him further since otherwise he would remain in the same place and continue going wild pointlessly.

This depends on who organizes the correction. If we give the instigators freedom to act, their “correction” will lead to disorders and bloodshed, which might have unpredictable consequences, both in separate countries and in the whole world. Besides, they won’t attain what they desire because they are going against the goal of creation. Instead of correcting the interconnection between people, only hatred will become revealed in them, more and more. That means one way or another, we will have to explain the real state of affairs to the world.

As for those who “wave their fists in the air,” their rants will end with the first blow that misses. We were all young and hot-blooded once. Everyone, including the government, understands that at this age it’s necessary to let a person “go wild.” But nothing can be achieved that way.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/16/11, “Peace in the World”

Like A Caring Mother Unnoticeably Watching Us

bb_admin — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 18:05:44 +0000

After Baal HaSulam made his great discernments: what is the Creator’s desire, the goal of creation, and the ways to attain it, he descended to us and explained it, and all that remains for us is to tune into his method. We have to try to understand it with our mind and feel it with our heart so the Light would pass through us and fill us, allowing us to understand the inner essence of his words.

Let every word he wrote start to come alive in us like an inner mechanism, a means, a vessel that will start working in us in a way that we won’t have to think. We don’t have to plan anything. This teaching will just start to live in us and carry out actions through us, by virtue of us annulling ourselves. This is the work of Galgalta ve Eynaim, which annul themselves for the sake of AHP, absorb its desires, and on the other hand, they unite with the Light and it begins to act through us.

We are not aware of what we are doing and we do not know what we have to do. But the Light aims us and carries out everything. It is written, “I am the first and I am the last” and “There is none else beside Him.”

The whole world annuls itself in this way. But if we annul ourselves relative the Light’s actions with our own efforts instead of simply being governed by the hand that drives us from the inside, like a puppet into which a puppeteer’s hand is dressed, then this is a very big difference. By annulling ourselves out of our own free choice, we come to feel this hand, which controls the whole world through us. From this hand we learn all of its customs, the whole game, the whole program. We begin to recognize Him, the one who governs, the upper force.

The whole world annuls itself, having no other choice. But we have to annul ourselves by our own desire, and if we do so, we will be able to become similar to Baal HaSulam, who did the same, and to other Kabbalists. By virtue of that, he went from being a simple slave of the Creator to a loyal servant through whom the entire wisdom flows, allowing him to attain Malchut of the world of infinity and become included in it in order to feel the entire universe and the entire Light filling it.

We have to be grateful to the Creator for sending us such a great soul. Baal HaSulam writes that he could not stand to watch people’s suffering any longer. But this does not mean the small egoistic suffering. After all, we are not looking for a better fulfillment for our body, like a greener meadow for our cow, but we want to know the one who governs us and makes everything move.

We want to understand, meet, and reveal Him so His mind and feelings would dress in us, to unite with Him so our heart and mind would merge with Him. Then all of creation, its goal, all the worlds that the Kabbalists tell us about, and even what is even higher than them and what we don’t even have a name for—all of this will become our real sensation and fulfillment. This is the state that this person prepared for us.

In all of our history there is no one who is dearer and more significant for us. Obviously, we are unable to measure the true height of every Kabbalist. They are all holy for us. But Baal HaSulam did for us what no person has done throughout all of history. And therefore we are proud of having a spiritual father of this stature who cares about us. We have to feel how with each passing day, as we advance further, he follows us and rejoices at every step we take, one step after another.
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From a talk at the meal devoted to Baal HaSulam’s memorial day, 10/8/11

Let’s Not Lag Behind The Calendar Of Corrections

bb_admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:24:03 +0000

There are three degrees of attaining man’s total adhesion with the Creator: embrace, kiss, and adhesion (union), which he achieves with the help of the system of connections he reveals. These levels are symbolized by the holidays at the beginning of the New Year: the New Year itself (Rosh HaShana) – an embrace from the left, and then an embrace from the right – the Light of Sukkot, which grows bigger every day until reaching the 8th day, immediately after the end of Sukkot (Shmeni Atzeret), when total adhesion is attained.

It is written, “His left hand is under my head and his right hand embraces me.” Then comes a connection called “kiss”—above Tabur, and then on the level of Yesodot—below Tabur, in the receiving desires when the Light of Hassadim is already present in order to draw the Light of Hochma into it for the sake of bestowal.

The whole world is now revealing the same degrees. And even though the world does not know what phases it is going through, it is still going through the same process. First the transgressions gradually become revealed—a bad sensation, a reason forcing us to reveal the evil because we feel bad. But we still don’t know why we feel bad and nothing goes right anywhere.

Then the next phase arrives where we begin to reveal that the reason for these failures is that we are not connected with one another and do not correspond to nature.

When the Creator turns to the world as a whole, to all the people, He remains in a certain concealment, and instead of Him, who is bestowing, He offers people a representative of Him—the surrounding nature with which we have to reach balance.
Instead of attaining love for friends and building a common spiritual vessel for the revelation of the Light of adhesion, people are simply revealing the need to unite in order to correspond to the global, integral mechanism that operates in nature and is now starting to envelop the human level as well.

Previously we thought it acted only on the still, vegetative, and animate levels, being the law of the universe’s existence. But we considered ourselves above it. However, now we are revealing that we are also inside of that same global mechanism, which is becoming expressed in us and is obligating us to also unite with one another and with all other parts of nature into one, single system.

It turns out that the “transgressions” are starting to become revealed not only for those who consciously aspire to attain the Creator’s revelation, but also for all of humanity, except they become revealed to it in a more concealed form. All people will have to attain correction, meaning unification among one another on all its degrees: “embrace, kiss, and union,” but they will have to do it in a slightly different form.

First come the phenomena that are given to us as preparation. And then, as the Rambam said, the secrets of bestowal begin slightly being revealed to the “women, slaves, children, and elderly,” meaning to all those who are not “men,” capable of independently overcoming (a man, Gever comes from the word overcoming, Itgabrut).

This is talking about all of humanity, which is gradually revealing the laws of the upper system. By virtue of this, every person also gains the ability to join those who belong to the “men,” those who will provide them with the Light of adhesion with the Creator.

Therefore, these holidays symbolize a quite lengthy process, rather than the several days they last on the calendar. Every new day is a new revelation—first of the left line, and the next five days are the revelation of the right line, and the dissemination of Light in the seven Sefirot of Zeir Anpin until the eighth day, immediately after the end of Sukkot, Shmeni Atzeret, which already corresponds to Malchut, the eigth Sefira, which follows it.

All of this symbolizes lengthy, scrupulous work and gradual progression through the degrees of the states.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/6/11, Shamati

The Critical Point

bb_admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:20:45 +0000

Baal HaSulam, “The Nation”: …the proximate step after the ruin of the present government is that of Nazism or Fascism. Evidently, we are still enduring a medial phase in human development. Humanity has not yet reached the highest level of the ladder of evolution. Who knows or can assume how many rivers of blood are yet to be spilt before humankind reaches the desired level?

The problem we are facing is: how to go from the current phase of development to the altruistic phase? Equality and fair distribution are not just words. They must be backed by great preparation work on educating the masses and creating a new social network—one that’s real, not virtual. These things are far from obvious, and evolution is not leading us to them by the natural path. This requires conscious participation from us and the realization of our own evil.

Revolutions “off the mark” where people come out to public plazas and “take them over” won’t help us because we are no longer dealing with the gradual development of egoism, which breaks through the blockades of government or regimes and reaches new frontiers. We are moving further and further from slavery to freedom, but this freedom is deceptive. In reality, we are putting ourselves into a more sophisticated system of slavery.

On the other hand, it is impossible to go from the egoistic regime to the altruistic one by the same, routine scheme. This requires a sensation and realization of evil, a need for a change of state in spite of our nature. That means we have to prepare for an inner revolution: to build an environment as a factor of influence, to use the science of Kabbalah as a means, as an instruction manual for working, and form a pyramid so the leading, understanding, and feeling part will head the process. We have to go through levels of despair and helplessness in the current state. It’s not enough to simply admit that all means have been exhausted, as economists, pedagogues, and other specialists are now saying. We must also agree with the fact that any further deterioration will bring us to total collapse.

Then people will be able to hear the message about nature’s plan, which has prepared this entire path for us so that today we would feel the need to change ourselves and would find the means to transform ourselves and become opposite to what we currently are. If people will hear this, we will be able to go through the phases of development relatively smoothly. But we won’t avoid the pain until people are able to hear, until they desire to receive the message, and until they realize it.

Nevertheless, it will be possible to go through the forthcoming phases without real bloodshed. Otherwise there is great suffering ahead for us.

We are facing a turning point, a bifurcation point. It is possible to go from the egoistic regime to the altruistic one, to bestowal, fair distribution, social justice, and mutual guarantee, only in two ways:

- By means of horrible disasters. But the disasters won’t help by themselves and we won’t learn anything from them. They will simply entail analysis and conclusions.
- By means of dissemination, which will allow people to understand that there is no other way out and we have to change the tendency.

You and I are at this very point, and these states will now have to be realized.
[55189]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/11, “The Nation”

Questions About The Group, Suffering, And The Crisis

admin_bb — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:19:46 +0000

Question: If I start to correct in my little group and my group is doing well together, what impact will that tiny particle of the total population have on the rest of the world if the majority of people still stubbornly refuse to change internally and connect?

Answer: Since we are all connected into one general creation, by this you evoke in them the circulation of the Light, and they awaken for spiritual attainment—the property of love and bestowal.

Question: Are there any questions or methods that can awaken people’s point in the heart and make them ask about the purpose of life? Or does it depend only on the amount of suffering?

Question: The question about the meaning and life and suffering.

Question: What should the government in the UK do to stop the riots?

Answer: Start educating the entire nation: pay those who study and train them to be teachers. We have prepared the methodology for this and are successfully applying it in practice.
[55082]

Clearing The Darkness

admin_bb — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:38:24 +0000

The world is awakening. Moreover, it is being awakened by darkness: The egoistic desire is no longer receiving fulfillment and it feels that it finds itself in a multi-crisis. I marry and divorce. I have children, but they do not respect me. I want to give them a good education, but the results are nothing like I had imagined.

I want the simple joys of life, but instead I become depressed. I want to save some money, but I get hit by life and am left with nothing. I have spent my life putting money in my retirement plan, and it is disappearing together with the evaporating bank assets. I look for peace in nature, but it responds with natural disasters.

What matters in all of this is the feeling that the world is being submerged into darkness: There is no reason for a person to live, no reason to have children…. The program of development has its hands on humanity and keeps demonstrating more clearly the absence of fulfillment and darkness.

The same is happening with us, but we encounter the same symptoms, quickly find points of support, and jump over this state. This is because we have the method, the guide for action, that helps us move forward.

However, the world does not have anything like this. People do not understand the darkness that has come over them, its reason and purpose. At the end, no matter where a person turns, nothing fulfills him, nothing really makes him happy.

This way, the world is also moving towards a critical state, when through a lot of hard work people will need to accept that the time has come to change the way of life. Otherwise, this darkness will not clear since it is the opposite side of the Light. It speaks of the Light, the quality of bestowal, that is coming closer to us. But we keep feeling worse as it approaches us, we do not want bestowal, we do not want to live in it. On the contrary, we want to keep satisfying our egoistic desires.

However, there is no other solution. We see the way Nature is presenting itself to humanity: “I am bringing the quality of bestowal to you, and you will suffer until you will want to accept it as the best thing possible.”

Who will explain to people what is happening? We will. We must explain the essence of these changes to them. And the more we delay this explanation, the more people will hate us. Because on one hand, people do not want the quality of bestowal, but on the other, they will feel that we have the solution to the problems and we are standing in their way towards goodness. We must explain to them: What is happening in the world and what to do with the darkness that has fallen over them.

So far we are “imposing” on them with our message: “Look, we can explain world events. It is time to change the direction; man needs to change, not the world. The global integrated crisis is not a crisis. On the contrary, the quality of bestowal is here.” But for now they do not hear us.

Another several months will go by, we will be hit by several other disasters, and people will start listening. They will begin to understand the cause of darkness, helplessness, confusion, and the inability to control the world in the old manner. After all, nothing works, all the systems are collapsing.

And on our part, we must hurry with circulation. It is like an armada of flying saucers standing over Earth, with their projectors at full strength—this is how the quality of bestowal is influencing us. And only when we become like this quality, will we see light, warmth, joy, and hope for the future, eternity, and perfection in it.

It is not easy to explain the truth to the world. We need to rewrite the materials, explain them in various forms and from different angles. It is really difficult for people to switch their perception, direct it in a new way.

However, our time is special. Generations of Kabbalists have dreamed about it, but we are the ones who have merited to not only live in this time, but also understand what is happening.

Many people are now experiencing the crisis in their lives, an inner collapse, family drama, or drug abuse. This does not depend on the level of prosperity: It is also a disaster to have had fifty million dollars and be left with five, even though it is difficult for us to imagine this. People do not know that the blows have a purpose—and this is awful. A person can survive anything if he knows that he is moving towards a goal and the suffering will pay off and turn into gain. But what do you do when nothing shines ahead?

You and I know about the Thought of Creation, its purpose and that everything bad leads us towards goodness, and this is a gift from Above. There are billions of people in the world suffering without a glimpse of light ahead of them. And we must explain to them that there is a reason and a purpose to what is happening, a big reward and a possibility to turn every blow into a good blow.

It is necessary to bring this news to the world. The time has come. Even if people are deafened by suffering and do not want to listen (after all, only pain comes through blows), yet, having waited for the right quiet moment, it is possible to instill a drop of explanation into a person. Then do it again and again. This way sensations will alternate with information. We must watch the waves that flow through the world and fill the intervals between them with information about the cause and the essence of events.

Then people will perceive every new blow with a greater understanding, until the understanding counterbalances the disasters and brings them the feeling of causality and purposefulness, and later also of benefit. Instead of pain, a person will suddenly experience the desired relief because now he is being compensated. But when I am immediately rewarded for hard work, I do not feel the effort.

When the result is visible, the efforts are recorded as an asset, not an expense, because they bring profit. Moreover, they add weight and flavor to it since they helped me form a need, a vessel, an appetite in me, that allows me to enjoy the wonderful meal.
[54959]
From the 3rd Lesson, Kabbalah Convention in Toronto, 9/6/2011