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Two questions I received on the subject of faith above reason

Question: A person who studies Kabbalah works in faith above reason before the Machsom (barrier). How does this notion change for this person after he acquires the screen? And does he even need it once he starts perceiving the Creator?

My Answer: It’s only after the Machsom that a person is able to work in faith above reason. Before the Machsom he only aspires toward it, but he can’t act in such a way yet. It’s because faith is the property of bestowal that one acquires above the Machsom, above egoism (knowledge, reception). “Faith above reason” = “bestowal above reception.”

Question: When a person attains a certain spiritual level and he desires to rise even higher, to even greater equivalence of form with the property of bestowal, and when he is on the path of faith above reason, does he use the previous level in his actions, or does he refuse to use it as well?

My Answer: He already considers the previous level as completed and egoistic compared to the next level. And this happens every time. The Upper Level is called “the Creator,” and it changes every time. Today, a person attains the Creator of yesterday, and acquires a new Creator, whom he will attain tomorrow.

Related Material:
Chapter 1.10 in the Book The Path of Kabbalah: Faith Above Reason
Chapter 5 in the Book Attaining the Worlds Beyond: The Purpose of Studying Kabbalah

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Two questions I received about prayer

Question: You said that the Creator is inside us and that there is nothing outside us. Then what are the influences that make a person feel awe and wonder? And if the Creator is inside us, then whom do we thank and whom do we pray to?

My Answer: We pray for ourselves, in order to change and to feel that we are givers. To pray (in Hebrew: Lehitpalel) means “to judge oneself.” We don’t do this for the Creator, but for ourselves. These are our entreaties for the quality of bestowal and love, which we call the Creator. It’s forbidden (because it’s incorrect) for us to envision Him - this property - in any form other than as this property, without an image or matter. We are filled by the Upper Force, which has no form, volume, or matter. However, we don’t feel this. We will feel it to the extent that we acquire this property. Our objective is for our desires to begin “bestowing” instead of “receiving.” When we aspire to this quality, we evoke the influence of the Upper Force on us. This force is in a static state, and only our desire to become similar to it places us under a greater influence by it.

Question: We are the will to receive, and in order for our desire to change, for us to desire to act “not for the sake of ourselves,” we have to ask the Creator to help us. But how can I tell that the Creator hears my request when I ask Him to change me? What kind of change should I be feeling?

My Answer: The changes in one’s understanding that one’s nature is evil, until one finally reaches the desire to come out of one’s nature - this “realization of evil” happens under the influence of the Creator’s Light. And then the “Action of Goodness” takes place - one’s intention during every action is changed to “love and bestowal.” The Upper Light of correction affects you to the degree that you desire to correct yourself. But you cannot develop this desire on your own; you can only get it from the outside, from people like you who aspire toward the same goal. By “buying” their desires, you will be able to evoke such powerful Upper Light onto yourself, that it will change you and make you a “giver,” and then you will immediately feel this property, that is, you will reveal the Creator!

 

 What Is Prayer in Kabbalah? [03:36m]: Play Now | Download

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The Torah. The Book Bamidbar. Chapter Baalotkha (abridged)

And G-d said to Moses: “Tell Aaron: when you light the lamps, seven lamps shall turn their light to the front of the Menorah.” And the structure of the Menorah is as follows: it is forged from a single ingot of pure gold, to its very foundation. According to the image that G-d showed to Moses.”

And G-d said to Moses: “Take the Levites out of the environment of the children of Israel and purify them: sprinkle them with purifying water, let them shave their bodies and cleanse their garments and purify themselves. And you shall lead the Levites to the Tent of Revelation, and you shall gather the entire community of the children of Israel. And the Levites shall come before G-d, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. And Aaron shall devote the Levites to G-d on behalf of the children of Israel, so they shall serve G-d. Thus you will separate the Levites from the environment of the children of Israel and the Levites shall become Mine.” [Read more →]

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A question I received: In Mesilat Yasharim (The Path of the Righteous), the Ramchal writes about correcting one’s qualities: Even though correcting the qualities of one’s animate soul bears no relation to the levels of the holy soul, nevertheless it’s unrealistic for a Kabbalist to be irritable, quick-tempered, use bad words (Lashon Ra) and have qualities that can harm others around him.

My Answer: The Ramchal says that it’s impossible to correct the qualities of one’s animate soul. Any attempt to correct our animate soul ends in failure, because it relates to the inanimate part of a person, which was given to us so we would grow our spiritual soul out of it.

The only thing we can and should change is the holy, spiritual soul: the part of the Creator in us. This part begins as what is called a “point in the heart,” expressed in a person as the question “What is the meaning of life?” - the question that brings a person to Kabbalah. It is this point that we need to develop.

As we develop it, we change, and such a change also has an effect on our earthly behavior. We can no longer harm others intentionally, because we have acquired qualities that won’t allow us to do so.

However, at the same time, our external expressions of anger, abruptness, and impatience may remain, because we perceive the harm caused by specific actions and phenomena more than others do. Moreover, one who ascends always slides back before taking a step forward, and when this happens, this person is just like everyone else. In fact, he is even worse than everyone else in such a state. This continues until the end of the ladder, as it is written, “Every person who is greater than another, has more egoism than him.” Moreover, it’s written about Rabbi Shimon that when he found himself in the deepest possible descent, as “Shimon from the market,” he understood that he was facing the final level of ascent! (It is written in The Book of Zohar that when Rabbi Shimon came out of the cave, where he spent thirteen years writing The Book of Zohar, he saw a peasant working the land, an act so distant from spirituality, that when he saw him, he burned him with his mere glance. However, these are secrets of the Torah…)

Related Material:
Chapter 12 from the Book Attaining the Worlds Beyond: Eradicating Egoism
eBook: Attaining the Worlds Beyond
Purchase Print Version: Attaining the Worlds Beyond

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Two questions I received on corporeality’s relationship to spirituality:

Question: You’ve said that if people don’t study Kabbalah, it will lead to material consequences such as murder, destruction, and corporeal suffering, and that by studying Kabbalah, we can prevent the suffering. You have also said that the spiritual and the corporeal aren’t connected. How do you explain this contradiction?

My Answer: Spiritual forces operate from above downwards. They create and determine everything in the corporeal world. However, it is impossible to have a reverse effect, from below upwards, and influence the Upper World with one’s corporeal, physical actions. One can, however, influence the Upper World with one’s desires, by becoming similar and balanced with the Upper World to the extent of one’s desire for it. As a consequence, a force descends upon you from the Upper World - a Light that corrects you, making you similar to the Upper World.

Question: Is there a connection between a person’s place of residence and his luck, health, and happiness? How can someone find out where he should live?

My Answer: It doesn’t matter where one lives. It only matters if you live in a physically or spiritually dangerous place, near physical or spiritual criminals, because they influence you negatively. See Baal HaSulam’s article “The Freedom,” section “The Environment as a Factor.”

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Question: What are the 613 desires?

My Answer: They are desires not for pleasures in our world, but are egoistically directed toward the Creator, and for this reason they are called “impure,” “Pharaoh,” and so on. In order to discover these desires within oneself, one needs to study Kabbalah and do a great deal of work upon oneself. While these desires are being discovered, the shame that Adam had discovered also begins to be felt, and begins to become corrected. As such, only through the study of Kabbalah can a person come to spiritual work, and the attain the goal of creation.

A dialog with a user called Caligula (from my Russian blog):

Caligula’s Comment: “Spirituality is above time, motion, and space; that is to say, when these parameters change in our world, they never influence a person’s spiritual state!” – that’s a quote. In other words, no matter what we do, study, and aspire to – it is all in vain and unnecessary.

My Response: That’s wrong! We cannot influence the Upper Light directly, but we can evoke it indirectly, by making efforts in the group and proper study. Read the “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot,” item 155.

Caligula: Yes, but there’s more to it… If we follow Rav Laitman’s assertion in this case, we can reach an absurd conclusion - I don’t know what this is about, but you are demonstrating such great confidence in understanding what I said that it’s worthy of envy.

I am not speaking about regular people, but about those who aspire toward the Creator and study Kabbalah. Actually, I’m not the one saying this, but the Ari in Shaar HaKedusha. There he lists certain age-specific levels in a person’s life. A child is when the vessels of the will to receive haven’t yet developed; age 13 is when a person is already governed by his Yetzer Ra; and age 21 is when a person gains the ability to spiritually ascend

My Response: This is all wrong! Specifically, see the Ari in Etz Chaim or part 12 of Talmud Eser Sefirot. Birth means spiritual birth, regardless of one’s age. All people, except Kabbalists, die physically without even having been born spiritually.

 

 Lesson on "Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot," Item 155 [53:54m]: Play Now | Download

 

 Lesson on "Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot," Item 155 [53:54m]: Play Now | Download

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A question I received: Why are there still so many conflicts between representatives of different ethnic and religious groups? Sometimes even the official religious communities support these aggressive views and actions. What is it about people that makes them want to practice superiority over other nations and ethnic groups, and to do all this in the name of the Almighty?

My Answer: Religions were created after Kabbalah became concealed, by people who fell into egoism. These people took Kabbalistic ideals and passed them off as their own. They couldn’t, however, abide by these ideals, and as such, they could only instruct others to uphold them by threatening them with punishment in the world to come.

Because of how egoism provokes mutual hatred in people, all religions mutually hate one another, but they conceal their hatred, and on the surface, summon the world to peace and love. However, they’ve never had an aspiration for peace and love, and if it were in their power to do so, we would still be destroying each other in religious wars, following their call to make them stronger, like we’ve done in the past.

Related Posts:
The Solution - Excerpts from the Writings of the Last Generation by Baal HaSulam
The Cracks in the Floor of Supposition, and the Firm Base of Attainment
What Is Religion?
Religions are Expressions of Culture, Not Absolute Higher Knowledge
More Muslims than Catholics
The Solution to the Clash of Civilizations

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A question I received: The history of Kabbalah shows that those who had great spiritual attainment had tragic fates. Where are the positive examples? And how can this attract people who already have enough misery in their lives?

My Answer: It’s true that when we take an outside look at the fates of Kabbalists, we find that they were persecuted, condemned, afflicted with sickness and so on, no less than other people. So where in all this do we see the Creator’s help!?

The fact is that a Kabbalist is very much connected with the entire world and receives suffering for everyone. However, he then raises the suffering he feels up to the Creator, and also receives the reward for everyone. Thus, when he feels the suffering, he also sees its perspective, the future salvation - the same as how a person who works very hard rejoices ahead of time, knowing that he will receive a great reward for his toil. But we, who are watching from the outside, only see his suffering and his efforts, whereas in reality he feels the Creator’s presence and grace in everything.

 

 Great Kabbalists Throughout History [05:41m]: Play Now | Download

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A question I received: Do Kabbalists need an army? King David was fighting and it did not prevent him from attaining the Creator. Should the Israeli army become an army of Kabbalists? Of course, a war has to be fought on the levels higher than our world but we always say that until Gmar Tikkun (final correction) we have to react adequately on all corporeal dangers. The more Kabbalah spreads, the more it will attract enemies who will fear and hate it because of its mysterious force. Egoism will react, defending itself by all means. Maybe we need to create a Kabbalistic “militia”?

My Answer: In general, all correction should take place at the level of forces/desires. However, when a man fails, or moreover, if he doesn’t want to correct himself and thus breaks his communication with the Creator, with the Light, with the desires at that level, then that same Light will influence him on the level at which he descended: our corporeal level, “our world.” Then, all the forces he should have corrected become his enemies, diseases, and other plagues at the level of our world. Thus, the need to fight each other at the level of our world is a consequence of the failure to correct our egoism, the failure to achieve “Love Thy Neighbor,” and the failure to correct ourselves in due time. If we would have succeeded in correcting ourselves, then all wars would have taken place at the level of forces. Kabbalists have their forces, and as such, have no need for an army. I’m positive that the world will see a need in us, and won’t see us as enemies.

 

 Kabbalah and Our Times [04:20m]: Play Now | Download

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A question I received: What prevents women today from being free, growing creatively, and enjoying life? What is making them suffer, run around like crazy doing errands, without a break, and always compare themselves to others? Women have always fulfilled whatever society has demanded of them, whether in their family, society or country. In primitive society, a woman took care of the home and gave birth; in the industrial society, she took part in production, and in times of war, when human flesh was needed, she was praised as a mother-heroine. Simone de Beauvoir wrote, “the liberation of a woman is not a matter of the collective masses but a process of individual development.”

My Answer: Our time is different because now both individual and collective evolution have been exhausted, and we haven’t yet reached the conclusion we need to reach: that the only path of progress left is the one above our nature, and into another world.

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