In the entire general system of reality there are only two: the Creator and the created being, the upper Light and the desire created by the Light within Himself as a black point that He develops. This point has developed to the state where it feels itself existing independently, that is, as a human being who lives in this world and has his own authority. It stopped noticing that it exists inside the upper Light that rules over it, advances it, and constantly works on it.
This black point, a human of this world, is unaware that his or her entire existence—everything one does, says, thinks, feels, and decides—is determined by the Light, by the upper force. We are in such concealment. And all our work is to discover this upper force and to realize that it acts within us, leaving us no freedom in anything except for one thing: to wish it to come back and to govern us as it already really is but happens without our awareness.
Therefore, there are two worlds: the lower world where we are seemingly in our own authority and the upper world where we discover that everything comes only from above, from the Light, from the Creator. The main thing in this work is to find out the place of our freedom of choice where we can, through concealment and revelation, discover our freedom between them. Only in this place do we really exist as the created beings.
Outside of it we are under complete rule of the Creator, either unknowingly or with awareness. Yet, somewhere in the middle between one and the other there is a special point where we can determine our independence. We can find it only if we are searching for faith above reason. Then the importance of the Creator is gradually revealed, which is greater than the importance of a person.
This is revealed from above and a person begins to feel at least sometimes that the Creator is more important to him than himself, and he is willing to invest all 1his life and all his strength in Him. This sensation comes and goes and comes again. This work is called faith above reason, bestowal above reception. After all, previously everything was based on the desire to enjoy that was revealed in a person.
It is called “an old and foolish king,” but it always grows alongside the force of faith in opposition to it in order to create an opportunity for a person to proclaim his independence as a middle line between these two forces. There, in the middle line, the Creator and the created being meet.
Implementation of this work is possible only inside the group, in the ten. Therefore, achieving mutual guarantee, connection around Mount Sinai is a necessary precondition for receiving the force of faith from above.1
Friends and a group are means to reveal the Creator. The Creator broke the common soul for us to assemble it again and to become one man. Indeed, if we correct ourselves, we will begin to feel like a single structure. Like now we look at our body and perceive each part of it as ourselves, exactly in the same way we will see and feel that all of humanity is one man.
However, we assemble and correct this one man only for one goal—to reveal a spirit of life in him called the Creator. As we connect separate parts, the spirit of life begins to enter them and they come to life. The Creator enlivens everything. Thus, the work with the friends is the means for the revelation of the Creator and of the true reality.
We do not work directly with the Creator. To the extent that we work with the friends and connect organs of the common soul together, the Creator dresses into them.2
The right line and the left line do not cancel each other out. I can feel them both and also the middle line that reconciles between them. One desire is within reason and the other above it; these are two different sensations. They do not mix; I clearly distinguish between them and can shift from one to the other. I can measure one relative to the other; both desires exist, but I must decide with which of them I want to identify myself.3
First, we live only in this world where everything happens in the desire to enjoy and we do not ascend to the “second floor.” Then the second floor appears in addition to knowledge: faith above reason. Therefore, I have two opinions I can navigate between. I understand when the time comes to expand the first floor in order to englarge the second floor above it.
I live in two worlds. Two desires exist in me without cancelling each other: one is within reason, in Malchut, and the other one is in faith, in Bina.
We do not feel this division inside of us yet, but we move toward it. We need to discuss it and try to imagine it. Like we study events in our world that we first do not understand and feel. But gradually in the process of these exercises we get sensations and ideas.
Baal HaSulam writes that there is nothing in the world that a person cannot feel, including the Creator. After all, the upper force exists; we just need to develop increasing sensitivity to it. Everything comes with experience and habit becomes second nature.4
Two worlds exist simultaneously without cancelling each other. Reason and faith above reason are two programs that act in parallel. We can be in either of them and connect them together. Therefore, it is called faith above reason that we discover difference between the two worlds.
Each level has its own truth: truth within reason and truth above reason, the degree of Malchut and the degree of Bina, between which our existence is realized. We need to increase Malchut in order to increase Bina. They influence each other and everything is implemented between them.5
I move to a different level of perception, to the degree of Bina, faith, and decide that faith is above Malchut, above reason. According to the degree of faith, I decide that the Creator governs everything, determines my entire existence, and I want to be guided by the upper mind of faith, not by my animalistic mind and knowledge.
According to reason, I am the most important and according to faith, the Creator and the friends are more important than me. Reason, my desire to enjoy, will always remain as the left line against the right one, and exactly because of it I will be able to increase the right line, faith, and to advance. The angel of death exists until the final correction.6
The Light descended from above downward and on its way it already built every point, made a mark for each state. Rising from below upward, we need to reach the same point, meaning to rise from one of its marks to another. This is like shooting at a ready target. We just need to bring our prayer in line with the state that exists before it. The answer to the prayer already exists and as soon as we ask correctly, we will immediately receive it.7
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/3/18, “Work in Faith Above Reason”
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/3/18, “Work in Faith Above Reason”
No comments:
Post a Comment