Acquaintance With The Evil Inclination

Everything we see in this reality is a desire to receive. It was created in its original form and we can sense it. We, in fact, are a desire to receive.

However, besides being a desire to receive, we also have an ability to think, our intellect allows us to ascertain if we are within the desire, if we feel the desire. Animals are not able to tell such things. It is solely a human’s privilege.

This is where the difference lies. With the help of my mind, I can detach myself from my desires, analyze, and measure them, and even look at them from the side. So, I am given a chance to be a “psychologist” for others and for myself.

There is life inside my desires, and there is an ability to analyze this life. What do I feel within one particular desire? What’s inside the other desires that I have? How do I transition from one wish to another? What do I do with them?

As I live inside my desire, I can scrutinize my life with the help of my intellect, memory, and ability to analyze. However, do I have a chance to change anything in my life? No, I only can “flow” together with the desires.

That’s what we do in this world, although we think that it’s we who act and make changes by choosing “good” and avoiding “evil” by using our brain. In fact, we are incapable of doing anything with our nature or with our desires.

There is a general interconnection among desires that is called “humankind.” On the other hand, there is a unity among the points in the heart (a system of upper worlds, Malchut of the world of Atzilut, Shechina).

This unity represents something of a completely different nature. If I happen to receive its spark (a point in the heart), I become able to build up another type of attitude toward my desires.

The system of interconnection among people in this world is meant only to bring troubles and problems to them. As a result, people continually advance. They wish they could change the system and achieve more success in economics, security, life conditions, health, and so forth. Each time, by rising one step higher, people achieve an opposite result. They figure out that their current situation brings them more harm than benefit.

On the other hand, people who reveal unity among points in the heart can enter into a new system, a system of broken worlds and shattered connections. Here, separation and animosity (that is, the evil inclination) manifest themselves to full capacity.

Desires and relationships among people in this realm are not a part of the evil inclination. They are still at an “animate” developmental stage. The evil inclination is something that prevents us from the revelation of the Creator, of the property of bestowal and love.

So, people who reveal the force that confronts the unity of the points in the heart (friends in the group) get to disclose the evil inclination. It shows up only among friends to the degree of their intent to improve their connection. It’s already a revelation of the spiritual force, the first spiritual attainment.

Through enhancing their unity, the friends in the group begin realizing that we know what the evil inclination is. It mandates us to necessitate the correcting force that is inside us and to which we must refer.

All together, we must direct our prayers and requests to the core place of our unity, to the center of the group. Then, due to the “Prayer of Many,” we will receive the force, and It will correct the connection among us. This is how our advancement is being implemented.

The evil force that shows up among us is Pharaoh, the Egyptian king. Depending on the specifics of our perception, it is also called Bilam, Balak, Aman, and so forth. In any case, our only task is to unite. It is said that the commandment, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” is the great rule of the Torah.

Unity is the only remedy that allows us to go through the various kinds of connections and attain its greatest and most perfect enactment, to reach the level of love. How do we love others? It is “as ourselves.”

This criterion allows us to constantly monitor ourselves. Do I strive to go outside of myself? Kabbalists explain that “as thyself” means more than thyself. I naturally place myself above everyone else. Now, I must favor and elevate others above me. This is how I grow.

In general, everything is being revealed according to the principle, “That which you hate, do not do to your friend,” and, then, transition to “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” This is the entire Torah. So, this explains why we should work in the group, study, and do everything we do for the sake of unity. Otherwise, we won’t advance at all. This is the wisdom of Kabbalah.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/25/12, “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”