Without Knowing The Past, We Will Not Attain The Future

Baal HaSulam, The Writings of the Last Generation, “Introduction to the Writings of the Last Generation”: Man’s advantage over it is that the spirit of man ascends into the past, and looks into the past as one looks in the mirror and sees one’s flaws so as to correct them. Similarly, the mind sees what it has been through, and corrects its future conducts.

“The spirit of man ascends into the past”—to that force that has created him.

First of all, a person wants to know: “Where did I come from?” And then: “Where am I headed to?” But he cannot ask, “Where am I going to?” If he does not know his beginning, he will not know his end. That is why he looks to the past, wanting to reach the source, the Light, that has created him. Because the question “Who am I?” is a question about the source of man: “Who created me, who controls me, who decides?” And if he becomes aware of the source and studies it, then he attains his future.

“He looks into the past as one looks in the mirror and sees one’s flaws so as to correct them”—flaws that are purposely created in him by the source so that he would come to the awareness and attainment of Him: from darkness into Light—and in this manner to attain the future. And the future exists in the connection with that same source.
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From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 9/11/17