Touching The Creator For The First Time…

In our world, each of us has a very small desire for spirituality, apoint in the heart. The whole heart is our egoism. Of course, we are not talking about the physiological heart-pump; we are talking about desires. And since I only have a minor desire toward the Creator, I am unable to receive more than a thin illumination from the spiritual, which fills our whole world with pleasures.

In order to become similar to the Creator, it is necessary to unite with the friend because the Creator can be felt only in the desire to bestow, i.e., between us. As I try to unite with my neighbors, I begin to understand that I am unable to desire this.

However, I need to continue to exert efforts, in order:

• I act for the purpose of uniting with the friends,
• I discover hatred toward the friends,
• Gradually, I acquire the importance of the goal, the quality of bestowal,
• I even acquire a need to bestow.

The Surrounding Light corrects the quality of bestowal in me.

Then what do we lack in order to unite and receive pleasure? Much like a little child cannot understand what is wanted of him when grownups demand that he behave well, we, grownups, also don’t understand that we lack some conditions and actions due to which we will understand what is being demanded from us.

Only due to this, the Creator “broke” the common soul (the common desire), separated it into an infinite number (let’s say, seven billion souls) so that we could elucidate what we lack in order to enjoy Him. Let’s suppose that He is some dish that I am unfamiliar with, which I won’t take until I wish to eat it. But what should I desire for this?

In order to arm ourselves with the right desire we have to work on unification between us. And through this work I understand what I should desire. And after we try to unite, our hatred toward the friends will be revealed. And then along with investing in others and having others invest in me, we reveal the importance of the goal.

Of course, all the while the Surrounding Light affects us. And as a consequence of its influence, I begin to acquire a need for the quality of bestowal: I wish to feel it, to acquire it! I already begin to hear that it is worth it, that it is something great, special, and elevated. I am told that with the help of the desire to bestow, I will break through into another dimension, where I will exist above all problems and above this whole world, and furthermore, I am coming to this here and now!

In addition, I don’t die; I acquire an additional quality. So, why not? And my egoistic desire consents to this: “Ok, so you’ll have a quality of bestowal too!” This is called Lo Lishma (desiring spirituality egoistically, for your own sake). In other words, it occurs gradually, naturally, because such changes are instilled in us from nature.

Thus I have the importance of the goal, and then I acquire a need for bestowal, and if I achieve the full measure of my efforts, the Surrounding Light already influences me and reveals the quality of bestowal in me for the time being, very slightly. Yet it is already enough for me to touch the Creator and feel Him.

The first contact with Him is the most important and the most difficult, but then, after this, a person no longer needs further explanations; he begins to understand on his own what is being discussed.
[27833]
From a Lecture for “Kabbalah for the People” of 11/2/10

Rise Above The Oppositions

All of the confrontations, conflicts, and wars in the world are initiated from above so that we will require the Light of theCreator, so that we will understand that we cannot do anything by ourselves. We must simply lift up our hands and scream. What is happening in the world is unbelievable. Suddenly everywhere in the world intense hatred has flared up that is derived from all kinds of sources and for various reasons.

Moreover, this is a kind of confrontation and conflict that we couldn’t even conceive of before, nor could we even suppose that it was possible. It is awful to look at such a vast country like the Ukraine, which is being torn apart.

I don’t think that it is necessary to blame America or the European Union. The Creator has arranged all of this for us. There is one reason; we must rise above our oppositions. We must rise above them so much that they stop. This is very serious work.

The Creator is playing with us from above and we must focus entirely on connection and unity. Our worldly ways will not result in anything.
[143123]
From the Convention In Sochi 8/25/14, Lesson 4

A Cloud That Fills A Person’s Soul

Question: It says in the Torah that the Creator is revealed to a person in the cloud above the veil of the ark (above the Masach). Why is that?

Answer: When a person works with the world around him with the attribute of bestowal, he reveals the Creator, and the Creator approaches him in a cloud, in concealment, but He expresses the attributes of mutuality with a person. This is already a kind of contact.

The Creator appears on the veil that is between the two cherubs. This means that He appears above the Masach, between two attributes, on the middle line. Two cherubs symbolize the right and the left lines that are given from Above and the Creator commands: “Do!” which means that I have to make the third line by myself.

When I work between my first main attribute, which is receiving, and the attribute that I acquire, which is bestowal on all my egoistic desires, I create the conditions for the revelation of the Creator. The Creator sinks into me and fills me. He fills a person’s soul like a cloud that fills a valley, and His gradual revelation takes place inside me.

Moreover, the revelation is fulfilled inside a person and not on the outside. It seems to me that I see and feel something external to me, but I feel the Creator inside me!

I change and my new attributes and discernments give a feeling of a connection with the Creator. Revealing the Creator and uniting with Him, feeling Him inside me is the same action; it cannot take place outside me, but only inside me.

Therefore the wisdom of Kabbalah is called the inner Torah. As for the Torah, I should feel inside me a kind of filling, in knowledge, in attainment, a sense of infinity, eternity, and harmony.
[142935]
From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/6/14

Love Is The Common Denominator

Question: It seems to me that the absence of a uniform opinion among the people of Israel is not a defect, rather it testifies to the advancement of the people. So, in what manner is it possible to reach a condition where the people will attain unity and, together with this, will maintain the wealth of opinions?

Answer: There is only one word that easily solves this problem: love! As it is written, “Proverbs” 10:12: Love covereth all transgressions. Love balances all the differences. Each one will remain with his opinion, but love will make it possible for us to maintain opposing opinions, feel our connection, and belong to a single whole above them.

The Arabs are trying to attain unity among people in which everyone thinks the same thing without deviating even a millimeter to the side, like robots. However, the wisdom of Kabbalah says the opposite. The more that people develop, their opinions become more divided and contradict each other.

About Israel, it is written, Talmud Babyli, “Masechet Berachot 58b”: To the degree that their faces differ, so their opinions also differ. And, this is good, as it is a sign of high development. It is necessary only to build love in the face of all of this, so that even though each one thinks differently, love will connect us.

We can take advantage of this heterogeneous condition that includes within it a multitude of different desires, thoughts, and opinions for the sake of our shared love, for the benefit of others, and for the benefit of all people. Each one will remain with a very rich view of the world and use it for the benefit of all the people.

Imagine how wonderful this will be. Our land will flower and grow immeasurably, for we don’t destroy the person and don’t make him into a robot who performs commands obediently.

Question: So, what will be the common denominator that will unite all of these different people?

Answer: The common denominator is our belonging to one people, and in order to elevate this unique people to a higher level, each one will use his unique opinion, “love covereth all transgressions.” Thanks to this, we will discover another level of reality, and will go out to a new, higher dimension.

Question: So, in what way is it possible to attain a stable existence of the people of Israel in the land of Israel?

Answer: It is through a tighter and tighter connection between us to the point of absolute love without any limits.
[143051]
From the program “A New Life” 8/27/14

A Never-Ending Flow Of Pleasure

The wisdom of Kabbalah tells us that people can fulfill themselves only by passing the pleasure on to others. The problem is that people want to receive the pleasure by keeping it within himself.

However, if the pleasure was to transfer from him to someone else, and so on, and in this way spreads among everyone, it would become a never-ending flow! In addition, then you will not only experience life during these brief moments when pleasure fills you but also when it immediately disappears and leaves you empty.

So, if we would be able to connect between us into a common, endless system, when the flow of pleasure will flow constantly through us, like through the cells of our common “body,” then we would perceive the eternal life in absolute goodness that comes from everyone.

So, what is the absolute goodness? It is the continuous, never-ending, infinite pleasure!

When you connect with others this way, and pleasure, Light, and the perception of life flow through you, you give life to the entire system, like cells in a physical organism pass the essentials to one another, and thus they guarantee the existence of the organism. However, besides the animal life of our body, the realization of the human level appears in this system. This is because every one of the cells not only passes the life energy to one another, but also the desires and the thoughts.

Pleasure by itself is something abstract like electricity, which can be used according to ones’ needs: heating, cooling, creating pressure or a vacuum, and so on. In addition, when pleasure flows between everyone in an endless system like this, then everyone fills themselves with the things that they want, the things they strive for.

However, besides the sensation of an eternal and perfect life, perception of the life of the entire system appears in this system, a perception of the Creator, His level, and His plan. This is similar to the way our body, as a result of its biological function, creates the conditions for us to feel human, which is a level higher than the body itself, the animalistic level.

[28685]
From the Lecture on the Topic: “My First Convention”11/2/10

How Frequently Do You Remember The Creator?

Question: What kind of fear should I feel, should I fear forgetting theCreator?

Answer: It is good if you already have a fear like this. How many times per day do you remember the Creator, if at all?

Question: That is a spiritual level, so how do we reach this?

Answer: This is through mutual guarantee, through the greatness of the importance of the Creator. The main thing is the importance of the Creator. You must arrange and organize such an environment that will strengthen this importance in you.

You yourself are simply an egoistic desire to receive, nothing more, that wants to lie still and receive pleasure without investing any effort. And suddenly you announce that you are thinking about the Creator. How can you think about Him? It is impossible. The Creator is completely opposite to my nature. So you must get the importance of the Creator from the environment.

The shattering makes us dependent on the environment, and we need to use it. If a person puts himself under the influence of the environment, this helps him and influences him. If he remembers the Creator, this means that the environment reminds him. But he must arrange and organize this environment himself.

There must be an external cause, an external stimulus, which reminds us of the Creator. This is because you never look in His direction yourself and don’t think about Him. Sometimes the Creator reminds us of Him. And in general this is what happens to us; suddenly we remember the Creator, the spiritual path. But it’s because of an awakening from above, and this is not considered to be advancement.

Or the environment reminds us about the Creator, about the path, and strengthens us with the importance of spirituality. But this is a result of our preliminary work and so this is considered to be on our account. I invested energy in the environment and the environment influences me.

Without the Creator and without the environment, by myself, I will not be raised above the ground. My nature is like that. So what is left for me is only investment in my environment or to wait until an awakening will come from above and arouse me. And in general we wait for an awakening from above. But this is the path of suffering.

The Creator awakens us several times and after that leaves. This means that a person apparently must receive a bit more suffering to become a little more sensitive to the awakening from above.
[142953]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/04/14, Writings of Rabash

Moving From Corporeal Fear To Spiritual Fear

Question: How can we move from corporeal fear of the blows to spiritual fear?

Answer: This transition is possible only by the help of the environment. If the Creator is important to me, then the most important thing for me is not the blows that I receive but being able to bestow unto Him. Everything depends only on how important it is.

If a baby is ill, God forbid, the parents don’t think about themselves and about how they feel or about having a nice meal, but will run with him from one doctor to the next, since the most important thing for them is his health. Everything is determined by the importance of the goal.

Therefore, we have to increase the importance of the Creator, the importance of the goal, through the environment. If the goal is important, nothing worries me anymore. It is to such an extent that I constantly dream and think only about how to delight Him. It is like a baby about whom I constantly think and care about: what to do for him and how to make him feel better. My love for him obliges me.

If the environment impresses me with the greatness and the importance of the Creator, I will begin to think about how to give to Him. Then the giving to the Creator becomes my receiving because I enjoy the fact that I give to Him, that I give to the one I love.

But now the question arise as to why I am giving: Is it for my own delight or for His benefit? This is where the clarification begins. Perhaps the Creator is suddenly so important to me because I fill myself and attain the upper world through Him? This means that I am simply using Him.

I have to know that I am actually giving to Him without any self-benefit. Here I understand that I have to detach myself from any receiving for myself, from any self-benefit. It is better if I don’t know that I am giving to Him, since this fact is already a great pleasure.

If I know how much I have given Him and how much He enjoys it, then it is already a great pleasure for me. The Creator knows about me and we give to each other, we are connected, and I see that this effort is worthwhile for me. Whoever serves someone great becomes great as well.

I have to reach a state in which I don’t want to receive any reward for my giving in any way. Then I begin to look for a way to detach myself from any reward, as if I throw all my efforts into space, all my love, and don’t feel anything in return. I only ask for the power to do this and for some discernments that I am giving to the Creator, and that I am not just playing and practicing by myself.

Here I feel the desire to recognize the Creator in a spiritual form, which is detached from me, and at the same time allows me to work accurately with regard to Him. It is a very special system that allows me to detach myself from my desire to receive, from my ego, and at the same time, to use it in order to give and to bestow unto the Creator, and thus receive accurate discernments of how I should work.

This is very difficult, but this system is revealed to us; it was already created by the shattering and the corrections that come later in the upper worlds of Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya.

But the main thing is to be incorporated in the group, which will bring us to this spiritual state in practice. It makes no difference whether we read about it or how much we understand it or not. We begin to understand the Creator as a result of the practical work, as it says: “We know You from Your actions.”
[142957]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/14, Writings of Rabash

The Art Of Shooting At An Invisible Target

Writings of Rabash, “Come unto Pharaoh – 2″: …And when he completes the work of love of friends, he will be able to be rewarded with love of the Creator.

We should know that there is a virtue to love of friends: one cannot deceive himself and say that he loves the friends, if in fact he doesn’t love them. Here he can examine whether he truly has love of friends or not. But with love of the Creator, one cannot examine oneself as to whether his intention is the love of the Creator…

A person doesn’t receive any feedback from the love of the Creator, he only can imagine and fantasize as he likes. Here, however, in working with the friends, he constantly can examine to what extent he loves them or not, to what extent he sees the group and in what form.

This is why the Creator arranged the shattering that separates us from Him and has left it for us to correct. This is the only way that we can depict our state correctly, imagine the right state, and assess the exact distance between us, and thus be able to get close to Him.

Otherwise, there is no feeling of the Creator. So, how can you advance toward something that you don’t feel and is concealed from you? Therefore, the group appears before us instead of the Creator so we can find our way around.

It is like shooting at an invisible target. If you cannot aim directly at the target, you should calculate all the parameters: the wind, the distance, the temperature, the weight of the shell itself, and the quantity of explosive. Only when everything is calculated can you shoot.

However, how can you calculate accurately in order to hit a target that is ten kilometers away or even ten thousand kilometers away from you? You must use all the means at your disposal in order to do it. The same thing happens with the vessel, with our soul. If we arrange it correctly, we will discover the Creator in it.

Otherwise, it is impossible because the Creator is concealed. So, how can we focus on Him? Humanity imagines the Creator in different ways in its egoistic imaginations. We cannot focus on the Creator, and that’s a fact. If you cannot focus on the group, then of course you cannot focus on the Creator.

Therefore, it says that the Creator is in the center of the group. The shattering is a great help for us. Without it, we would never find the Creator. It is impossible to reach Keterstraight from Malchut, without Bina in the middle. This is the point that connects us with the Creator.
[143011]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/7/14, Writings of Rabash

Working Joyfully

Question: We are passing through various states. First, when we encounter the ego, we ask for them to raise us above it, meaning that we work with the “left line.”

Then there is a miraculous transformation; we reach the “right line,” we unite and connect, the Light floods us, we are well, we have a gleam in our eyes, and we look like fanatics. And here we understand that we can’t go out to the public like this because they will not respond to us. And the moment we begin to extinguish this, they ask us: “Where is your joy?” So what is working joyfully?

Answer: We must have calm confidence: “Please hand me the scalpel, I am going to operate on my ego.” This means that we have full confidence in the fact that we are all doing the right thing together.

Question: So where is the joy discovered?

Answer: Isn’t this joy? There are various levels of joy: the joy of a little child, the joy of an adult, and the joy of a wise person.

In this case, during the convention we are in our circles and how we seem from a distance doesn’t interest us at all. We can hug each other joyfully or express our joy differently. That is not important to us.

It is not important how we convey joy and confidence to each other. Be honest! You are in your collective, in your family.

All spiritual work is built upon infinite joy! We are happy about what we have received, about the time we are living in, what the incarnation of our soul is, and how we were chosen by the Creator to help humanity and be a conduit for its development. Whatever we touch, everything must be built on joy, on the confidence that we can attain the goal.
[143073]
From the Convention In Sochi 8/25/14, Lesson 4

Under The “Covering” Of The Teacher

Question: How can one have a constant demand in relation to you, in relation to the teacher? As long as you are near, all concerns and anxieties somehow disappear.

Answer: I suppress them! When you are near me you are under me like a child under his mother’s skirt. You feel that everything is okay. The Light, the Creator, fills everything and everything is quiet, calm, peaceful and there cannot be anything bad. You are covered with a protective umbrella.

There is nothing to do. I am telling you this from what I experienced with Rabash. I had an awesome situation. I was by his side almost 24 hours per day, except for two or three hours of work. And that is how it was for many years. The sensation is created that you are under a covering, where you are like a baby in his mother’s arms. Do anything that comes to you, everything will be okay. You can completely forget about all your problems. There isn’t any radio or television and nothing is going on around you. It is as if you are floating in jelly.

Comment: But you are still not relaxed. The questions that have been bothering you for years don’t disappear.

Answer: They don’t disappear, but they seem completely different. You understand that they are solvable and necessary. They are for your own good as compulsory elements of the whole picture. So they aren’t frightening.

Question: How can one arrive at the right decisions without your covering?

Answer: Without my covering, you can arrive at the right decision. With the covering you can’t. You are always relying on my involvement, my part in your lives.

Question: But decisions are still being made according to personal interest, what is useful in that situation?

Answer: You can decide what you want. What difference does this make? Do you really think that your decisions somehow influence anything? The main thing is to arrive at an understanding that all of your decisions can only be made with adherence to the teacher. Then you can make them correctly. There is no other situation that will establish greater closeness to the Creator.

Question: How can one develop a permanent vital need for adherence with you?

Answer: To have a need for adherence with me, you must understand that I am your higher Partzuf. I am the same creature as you are, except with an even greater ego(because I am higher than you), but I have already corrected it somewhat. How much it is corrected is not important, as you will not discover this.

By taking into account that I am higher than you, you direct yourselves towards my being the next level above you. I might be two thousand levels higher, but what is important for you is that I am on a level higher than you. Being close to me means carrying out my recommendations.

Question: But what if one hears only one in a million of all your recommendations?

Answer: Try to carry out at least what you hear and discuss it with your friends: “He said this, what of this should we do, should we accept this for ourselves, or should it be for others?” and so forth. Try to approach the higher Partzuf like this. Approach happens according to equivalence of desires, intentions, and direction and nothing else.

We learn about the state of the Partzufim from the wisdom of Kabbalah: Galgalta ve Eynaim and AHP enter one into the other and that is how they work. A teacher is simply the next Partzuf. He is a little bit higher than you, and this is enough.

Question: Should even vital questions like choosing an apartment still be decided in a group, in a workshop?

Answer: If you want, you can decide this question in a workshop too. It could be that you will find a better answer there. But we are talking about the spiritual path.
[142710]
From the Convention In Sochi 8/25/14, Lesson 2

Old Baggage Is An Obstruction To A New Life

Question: The people of Israel lack unity, a common goal. What is the reason for this detachment? Perhaps we are too carried away with the Western way of life, where everyone has his own ideology and goals?

Answer: We have come out of exile and carry all of its features within ourselves. But this does not mean that we should remain like this. Why did we come back to this land to live as the people of Israel in the land of Israel?

A few decades ago, I belonged to one nation, you to another, and he to a third. We lived in different cultures and in different geographical locations. And then we came to Israel, but nothing has changed. This is a gathering of exiles, every one of whom comes with his own baggage, protecting what is inside. Or will we want to open this baggage and ourselves from within to unite and become one nation?

The force of unity is the main force of nature, by which we live. But the force of separation confronts it. These two forces must be in equilibrium. This happens everywhere and always: pluses and minuses, hot and cold, tension and relaxation.

The two opposites seem to always be fighting with each other, but in fact they become connected. Life is the combination of these two opposing forces.

But the human being has only one negative force, egoism, and he has no force ofconnection. Even if we become united, it is also due to the egoistic force. I just want to use someone for my own benefit and that is why I do something good for him, in order to get closer to him.

We have nothing except the negative egoistic force. But it is said that I have created the evil inclination, and I have created the means of correcting it, the Light that Reforms. There is a force opposing our evil inclination, which is the Light, a special internal force of nature, which is revealed to us when we are united.

If we come together to seek this force, connecting with each other, we will find it. It will allow us to rise above our egoism and subdue it. That is, this power of unity should be revealed more than our egoism.

By making an effort to connect with each other, we increasingly reveal the inner force of unity. As a result, this force of unity becomes stronger than the force of separation and begins to dominate. Thus, we become bearers of two forces: the force of separation which acts internally and the unifying force which acts externally.

Human society will live a special new life because we have two forces, not just one. Through the wisdom of Kabbalah, we will achieve a special connection and gain the true force of unity. This force will not be egoistic, as in a gang of terrorists, but will raise us above our ego. The force of connection and the force of separation will exist simultaneously and balance each other out and raise us to a new degree, to a new life.
[142877]
From KabTV’s “A New Life” 8/27/14

The Daily Direction 9.8.14 from Sviva Tova

What is the condition to have a prayer in a man's heart?

A person first needs to have a heart. "Heart" is called when you absorb the wills, inclinations, perhaps even desires of the friends, towards the Creator. And you want, as much as possible for you, to implement them, like a mother who wants wholeheartedly to help her little child in whatever he needs, this is called a "Mother's Heart."

She has around her all sorts of other worries and stuff, but her heart wants what is good for him in order for him to achieve his goal, that he will succeed, and this is surely what makes her live, this is her concern, it is called "heart." Therefore I must build in me such a mode, such a spiritual organ.

 

What determines the extent of the absorption of the craving that is found in the friends?

You cannot absorb from them, unless you will be in a complete mutual participation with them.

Otherwise you will not recognize and will not reveal it. It's the sensor that first should be prepared.

 

What is a "complete participation with them"?

Participation is in helping, supporting, that you come to sacrifice yourself just for them. That they will be the ones to make satisfaction to the Creator, that they are capable of it and you came just to help pull this off.

Question: What does it mean to have a “Mother’s Heart”?

Responsibility towards everyone, that everything is dependent on me. I'm the one that stops their entire progress towards making satisfaction to the Creator. I do not know how, but you need to say these words to yourself.

What is the change that I need to check that happens day after day in my attitude towards the friends?

Depending on which mode you are in, at least that you want to be with them in one desire.

Then, you should care how the desire is aimed. After that, you want to find out how much you can influence this desire, as much you are responsible for, to what degree this desire afterwards will be aimed for making satisfaction to the Creator, and much more.

And you are the only one who holds this desire, determines whether it is oriented in the right direction for you to use. [Zohar, minute 15]

The real Light is when you start worrying about the group

The Light shines by dissemination because unwillingly, whether you want to or not, you are  included from others and begin to take care of them, then it naturally starts rolling like a snowball.

But honestly, the true Light is when you become worried about the group, you invest in the group, pray for them, it's basically everything. In what way do you need to worry about them? What do they lack? The help of God. And you pray that God will help them. "He, who prays for his friend, receives first." [Last Part, 43 minute].

I cry for the fact that I don't want to get rid of the ego

I don't cry for the fact that I'm evil, I cry for the fact that I can't and don't want to get rid of my evil. We are always the beings we were made, we are the outcome, so we don't cry for the fact that He made us this way, rather for the fact that we agree with it, we want to stay this way and we are not asking for correction. This is called the recognition of evil; Why? Here there is a free choice. Have you included yourself in the group? Are you in a state in which your connection with them is in such a way that it brought you the recognition of evil? That the Creator made you so much so that you demand of Him: immediately fix what you have done!

That is how you turn to Him; this means "my sons defeated me."

You come to Him with a complaint, with a demand - “fix what you have done; I want to be like You.” You can't understand how much pleasure He gets out of the fact that you have discovered what He has done to you and how much this is the opposite of Him and to what extent you are willing to leave it – even though you can stay in this state and it makes you feel good – however, in order to be like Him, to cleave to Him, you want to get rid of it, even though, for the time being, in your own feeling, it makes you feel bad.

These are very exciting and focused observations. [Selichot, end]

Expanding Our Mind And Our Senses

Question: How can the melodies of the spiritual (upper) worlds help students who have been engaging in the method of attaining the upper worlds for a long time?

Answer: By listening to these melodies from time to time, they constantly find deeper, newer depths in it.

The point is that people who study Baal HaSulam’s method consider him their Teacher. They enter the world that he discovered and he leads them and reveals it to them. They follow him by studying his articles, letters, and multi-volume works many volumes, like the Talmud Eser Sefirot (TES- The Study of the Ten Sefirot) for example.

Professor Kfitza compared this book to a book of classic physics for the 11^th grade by Landau-Lifshitz. He once told me that it is the basis of the spiritual physics.

In addition, Baal HaSulam’s most serious work is the Commentary to The Book of Zohar, which no great spiritual teacher before him could write for 2,000 years.

It is very interesting information that describes in the most accurate and special way the connection between the mind and senses when you have to examine your feelings with the mind and expand the mind with your feelings, which then helps you examine and clarify your sensations.

Thus you work in two lines: with the help of the line of your feelings you expand your mind and with the help of the mind you understand the new feelings that emerge in you. When they merge into one, the two lines help you feel the upper Providence.

Therefore, all of Baal HaSulam’s students feel these melodies differently with the new perception that is created in them, by the vessel of the upper providence, the sixth sense. They already play them on their developed emotions, with the help of the mind, and understand in their mind with the help of the new feelings.

The seemingly simple music of the upper worlds raises the deepest layers of emotions and new upper understanding in a person. It miraculously includes both the mind and the senses.
[142303]
From KabTV’s “Conversations with Michael Laitman” 2/9/14

Roundabout Path To The Mystery Of Life

Question: I really don’t understand how scientific progress can hurt humanity?

Answer: Science is a search for the Creator through our material minds. Scientists conduct numerous studies and experiments with the help of our five corporeal senses in order to find the upper force. All kinds of scientific research are aimed at discovering the Creator and solving the mystery of life.

We intend to attain the upper force, understand the structure of creation, find out its goal, and unveil the secret of our existence using our physical brain and bodily senses. It is not possible. This road leads to a dead end. After thousands of years of scientific development we have ended up in a crisis that no science is able to fix. Science is not capable of ensuring even our material well being.

Science is a method of disclosing human weaknesses and a means of discovering mistakes in our quest for solving the mystery of life and finding out the goal and essence of our existence through our earthly sensors and brainpower. Science chooses roundabout routes; however, it still leads us to the right conclusions. Our task is to realize the incongruity of our efforts and learn to completely rely on the Reforming Light.

The goal of world development is to make us disappointed in ourselves. It is said: “There is no happier moment in one’s life than when one becomes completely disillusioned in one’s abilities.” In fact, it is really a huge discovery! Imagine that all of humanity undergoes this process.

When it happens, we’ll realize that nothing but a prayer can help us; in other words, nothing but raising MAN and acquiring the upper force’s help will let us act correctly and attain our goal. There is nothing we can do except realize that out of the darkness it is the Light that determines everything. Light is faith.

Today, we can talk about these issues openly. About fifty years ago, nobody would agree with these ideas, including me. I was the most zealous advocate of scientific progress. I thought that science was everything!

Years passed. Humanity became disappointed in science. Nobody expects scientists to make discoveries that humanity can really benefit from. All discoveries are doomed to bring us harm because they contradict the goal of creation and the means of its attainment since they urge us to rely on our brainpower.

This explains why we cannot expect science to help us achieve positive results. Unless we stop relying on scientific progress and discontinue our “enchantment” with the magnitude of our intellect, nothing can really move us forward. We’ll simply continue along the road of scientific advancement.

On the other hand, we cannot neglect science since it is a path that nevertheless leads us to the goal, even though it does so indirectly. Any road to the Creator is sacred. At the end of our path, the angel of death will turn into the holy angel. “The angel of death” will absorb all our mistakes including scientific evolution.

The problem lies not in science per se, but in the fact that we rely on ourselves and count on our pride, on our belief that we can reach a good life without connecting with the Creator. This mistake is common for those who study the wisdom of Kabbalah but turn it into a theory. It is the most serious error that is called Klipa (shell, the evil force).

Our task is to accurately follow all instructions and study the Torah instead of playing tricks with our minds. There is a very thin line between these two processes. Studying the wisdom (Hochma) of the Torah means revealing the Light of Hochma with the help of the Light of correction that is embodied in the Torah. The wisdom of the Torah is the Light of Hochma dressed in the Light of Hassadim.
[142314]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/27/14, Writing of Baal HaSulam

Fear And Trembling

Question: How is it possible to distinguish between fear and trembling?

Answer: In general, fear is a lower state, something relevant to our beastly body, our desire to receive. In contrast, trembling is felt according to the characteristic of bestowal, with regard to the Creator.

I work within my desire to receive. If I am afraid of phenomena within my desire to receive, this is called “fear.” If I suspect and am afraid about whether I will be able to bestow to the friends and through them to the Creator, this is called “awe.”

The difference between fear and awe is in this, that fear is a natural phenomenon that appears and takes place in me naturally as a result of the fear of the desire to receive if it will receive pleasure, and in this there is no difference between a person and a beast. And awe doesn’t depend on me, but in how will I receive the Light that Reforms? It brings me awe.

Fear is awakened in me naturally, by itself, whereas awe is the result of the influence of the Upper Light, the luminary, from awareness of the greatness of the Creator. That is, the main difference is that fear comes to me from nature and awe is above nature, under the influence of the Light that Reforms.
[142858]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/14, The Zohar

“And Now Do You See?” – “Yes!”

Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 54: When the Creator sees that one has completed one’s measure of exertion and finished everything he had to do in strengthening his choice in faith in the Creator, the Creator helps him. Then, one attains open Providence, meaning the revelation of the face. Then, he is rewarded with complete repentance, meaning he cleaves to the Creator once more with his heart, soul, and might….

There is no patronage here, there is no reason to wait for the Creator to get fed up and take pity on us like a merciful father. We should not expect the Creator to be touched by our tears and have mercy and intervene in our situation and forgive our lack of investingefforts.

This means that hope is meaningless, that instead of our effort it is possible to wait a bit, cry a bit, and everything will take care of itself. In general, in our world a person expects exactly this kind of attitude towards himself from other people and from the Creator. But this doesn’t happen here.

We are obliged to carry out and complete the amount of effort required from our side. And this should truly be effort, meaning effort in building our spiritual Kli for revelation. As it is said: He hath made a decree which shall not be transgressed (Psalms 148:6). If you have a desire of ten grams, which is, suppose, the first degree of adaptation to the first compulsory level for discovering the Creator, then you will feel His presence, meaning He will be revealed.

And as long as your desire is less than “ten grams,” you are below the threshold and don’t feel the Creator. This means the Creator is concealed. All of the senses work according to this principle, including the spiritual senses.

Perception in the spiritual senses is divided into 125 levels that are divided internally into many other sublevels. And no matter what, we must reach the level of sensitivity matching the first level. And this depends on the measure of effort by which we raise our sensitivity, meaning expanding our Kli.

This is our sensitivity to the degree of bestowal because the Creator is bestowal, love, and connection. He is revealed to us as such. So we must prepare accordingly: bestowal, love, and connection among us. And we don’t even have to attain these characteristics directly but only have a yearning to acquire them. And if we specifically direct our desire and yearning towards this and have enough force, then we begin to discover the Creator. That is everything.

This is like a visual examination with an optometrist: “Do you see these letters?” – “No!” “And do you see them now?” – “Yes!” There is a sensitivity threshold for each and every sense, and when it is attained, suddenly the discovery happens.
[142437]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/29/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Unity Is Not Determined By An Order From Above

Question: During the recent missile attack and the military operation “Enduring Rock” there was a general feeling of unity among thepeople in Israel. But how can we keep it? After all, when the military operation was over it began to fade away again. Even the prime minister said it would have been better if we had continued to live in such unity.

Answer: But the government cannot do anything here. Unity isn’t determined by an order from above. The government only determines laws, frameworks, and limits and cannot invoke compassion, love, warmth, unity or connection in the people.

It isn’t the government’s job. The government can provide the means, the resources, and the power, but it cannot engage in it. Caring about mutual guarantee is the obligation of the society, of the citizens.
[142736]
From KabTV’s “A New Life” 8/27/14

Anticipate The Created Being

The wisdom of Kabbalah says that the Creator is good that does good. In order to realize Himself, He created the desire to receive, which is called the “created being.” This desire should be developed according to the Creator’s plan, according to His program until the created being understands and feels Him as good that does good, as great.

This is the desire of the Creator. Kabbalists explain to us that it’s not because He wants us to recognize His greatness, His omnipotence, and our dependence on Him. We are talking about the highest so therefore it is clear that this is so. No, the Creator wishes to raise us to His level.

So, we have to go through a certain awareness of the higher force in our nature and to reveal how we can ascend to its height. The Creator enjoys that we experience Him, meaning reach His level. According to the law of equivalence of form, to achieve adhesion with Him means to acquire the same properties as His.

The period of our self-correction is the path, the ladder, the rungs of which lead us upward through the five worlds. The created being can realize this ascent only if it is sure and knows for sure it he must do this. Then it has the force to realize it.

From where does the created being get the power to take the actions leading upward from reception to bestowal contrary to its nature? The created being has to have an understanding, awareness, and sense that he is in the bad egoistic state of reception and has to come to a good state of bestowal that is completely opposite to his current one.

We are told that we can do this if we get help from the Creator. The Upper Light is shed on us, and then we begin to talk in a different way and understand that to receive is bad for us and to bestow is good.

Well then, simply let the Creator do this! He has created the desire to receive within us and now can “shine” on us to turn that desire into bestowal. But no, this cannot occur because we would then lose independence and become like “angels,” that is, forces that just perform certain actions. Instead, we must admit and accept for ourselves that to receive is bad and to bestow is good.

This internal statement is called the “recognition of evil,” and nothing else is required. We only need to recognize the evil of the desire to receive and the good that is inherent in the desire to bestow. Once this happens within us, we will definitely stop using the evil of the egoistic desire that is manifested at this moment, and begin to use the desire to bestow, manifested as good.

It would seem that this is not child’s play: If a doctor explained to me what is good and what is bad, what is harmful and what is healthy, I would appreciate and follow his advice. However, I have to recognize evil myself. Advisors who tell me what is good and what is bad will not help me. I have to very precisely figure out on my own that the desire to receive is evil and that the desire to bestow is good.

Here, such a thin “string” is stretched that it cannot be expressed in words. I need to remain neutral internally, rising above the created being, since the desire to receive is defined as evil and the desire to bestow as good, with the first quality belonging to the created being, and the second, to the Creator. However, I need to anticipate preceding the created being, to stand in front of it, and look at these two desires. Then, based on this completely independent point, I need to define the desire to receive as evil.

This will be the true realization of evil. It is not done “all to order” for me, not on the basis of pleasure and suffering that lead to my decision when time after time I play a “negotiation game,” choosing according to the criteria of my egoism. No, the “expert,” “judge,” and “tester” in me has to stand apart, neither on the side of the Creator nor on the side of the created being, but seemingly a step in front of it.

This is a prerequisite. It is impossible that the Creator is good in my eyes. Why is He good? Is it because He created my desire and is enjoying His presents? No, it is just a given, the creation in which we find ourselves. The Creator desires us to “anticipate” the created being, so that we agree with Him, that He made it in that way.

The benefit of this is great: We are no longer dependent on what and how He created us. We have to rise above good and evil, regardless of the intentions connected to them. We must reach another degree, rising above them to the beginning of the plan of creation that existed even before He created us, before He decided to be revealed to the created being as the giver and made the created being as receiving. We seem to find ourselves before that moment and even before its cause. And this is where we actually find ourselves.

Therefore, the realization of evil must go deeper, to within the qualitative depth. It is not about how terrible my endless egoism is and how beautiful bestowal is. It is about the quality and essence: Why do I define one as evil and one as good? This choice should be performed on my own feelings. It just measures the details of perception for me “for statistics,” and above it I reveal a higher principle, which is above the created being and before it. Thus, the recognition of evil encompasses the whole of reality and raises us above it.
[142785]
From the 5^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam