New Life #270 – Self Love, Part 2

New Life #270 – Self Love, Part 2
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Tal Mandelbaum ben Moshe

We cannot attain self-love without loving others. Man is a social being. The goal of human development is to recognize that self-love is ultimately destructive. We need to provide a new social education that teaches people how to connect so that we can truly feel good about ourselves. The environment should wrap people in love, friendship, and mutual support by providing an example. A good environment promotes each person and awakens a special force at its center.
From KabTV’s “New Life #270 – Self Love,” Part 2, 12/16/13

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Why Have Jews Been Persecuted Throughout History? (Quora)

Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Why have Jews been persecuted throughout history?“

There are a few reasons for the persecution of Jews throughout history. The main reason is rooted in the spiritual establishment of the Jewish people in ancient Babylon about 4,000 years ago. The Jewish people were originally a gathering of Babylonians from all walks of life who gathered under the guidance of Abraham, who taught them how to unite (“love your neighbor as yourself”) in order for unity to spread to all peoples (to be “a light unto nations”).Having once attained a heightened spiritual state of unification, the Jews later fell from that spiritual state, when they entered the period of exile, and became unconscious of having ever experienced it. As such, persecution has befallen the Jewish people in various forms throughout history as part of the development toward a state where the Jews will need to re-attain the spiritual unity they once reached.

When the Jews were closer to their spiritual root, having an inclination and guidance on how to unite above their divisive egoistic drives, they were appreciated. This is exemplified in the periods of the First and Second Temples. Likewise, to the extent that the Jews became remote from their spiritual root, especially at times when a certain amount of spiritual unity was needed to expand in humanity, they received a negative response from nature through people subconsciously starting to hate them, fishing for reasons to place blame on them. This is because the role of the Jewish people, which they are idle in performing, is to unite among each other and with the upper force, and to spread spiritual unity worldwide. Specifically the idleness is the problematic point.

Therefore, today the Jews also experience increasing pressure in the form of exponentially rising anti-Semitic sentiment, crimes and threats in order to incentivize them to fulfill their function in the world.

The wisdom of Kabbalah, which is the method of unification that Abraham guided the Jews to unity with, has become disclosed today for the purpose of serving the world. Jews today need only access this method, apply efforts to unite through it, and by doing so, show an example to the world of what it does to them: how much it connects them and everyone, and how an eternal and perfect life becomes revealed through such connection. The Jews’ idleness in implementing this method—by not wanting to be a “light unto nations,” i.e. to the nations of the world—rebounds on them with a negative response from the nations of the world.

If the Jews will fail to perform their spiritual duty in the world, then a continued escalation of anti-Semitism will ensue. The Holocaust serves as an example of what could likely erupt in such a case
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Relate To The Perfect Governance Of The Creator

Nothing should be corrected in reality except for our attitude toward it. Let the world develop in its own way, we have nothing to add to it. After all, we see it according to our own qualities. We need to correct our view of creation, but the creation that appears before us is in absolute perfection. Peace in the world is the perfection we need to achieve.

Around me I see only myself, my own flaws. If I see that all the parts of reality are imperfect and the connection between them is also flawed, it shows the extent of my corruption. On one hand, all of reality is perfect and only the person needs correction. But in order to be corrected, one’s environment must be corrected so it could influence the person.¹

The Creator influences a person through the world as well as through human inner nature. Thus, we find ourselves between two fires, all in order to bring us to the corrected state, to the realization that we must accept the Creator’s governance as perfect and adapt ourselves to it. This work goes against our inner egoistic desire until we balance our inner egoistic force with the external force of the world, relating them both to the perfect governance of the Creator.

One who wishes to correct the external force is called a world reformer, and one who wishes to correct himself is called a servant of the Creator.

The Creator constantly changes all desires, qualities, and attitudes inside me, ruling over my internal nature. Around me, I see the seemingly external world, which the Creator also shows me. It follows that I am under two influences of the Creator: internal and external. All I have to do is to balance them, placing the Creator as a ruler over both.²

The whole world is shouting that it is not the Creator who rules the world, but me. This is how we reveal that it is the Creator who rules over everyone. There is none else besides Him.³

There is a desirable outcome and there is reality. It is desirable to see the world corrected, that is, under the rule of the single force of the Creator besides which there is nothing. I am then connected to this single force and see that only the Creator fills all of reality.

But if I’m not corrected yet, I judge according to my imperfections and see wars and turbulence instead of the corrected state. Everything happens only in relation to the one who attains and all the wars and disasters that we see are happening inside of us, inside our nature. If I am not corrected, I cannot yet attribute it all to myself and it seems to me that the war is happening on the outside. I have not adhered to the Creator yet, and therefore, reality for me is split in two: myself and Him, instead of feeling “us” as one whole.⁴
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/10/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”

The Structure Of The Universe, Part 2

Stages of Development of Creation

The Creator emanates the Light (+) of fulfillment, satisfaction, which gives birth to a desire for it, the Kli (vessel) (-).

The Light is stage 0 (Keter). The first stage, Hochma, is already a desire to receive that wants to enjoy the Light. This desire is natural, instinctive. We usually depict it in the shape of a cup receiving the Light.

After the Light created the desire, it began to transform. Now it wants to be like the Light, and therefore, it refuses to enjoy. The Light gradually transfers its properties of bestowal, and the desire, which now wants to bestow on its own and be similar to the Light, empties out. This is the third stage, Bina.

Question: If at stage one I wanted to receive, then in stage two, under the influence of the Light, do I suddenly want to bestow, become like the Light?

Answer: Under the influence of the Light you begin to change.

The third stage is a very interesting one. It is opposite from the first stage, meaning that here the created being achieves the state opposite to the one it was created in. Afterward, Bina decides: “If I want to bestow, I must realize myself.” Therefore, with its desire to bestow, it creates a new stage called Zeir Anpin.

This is a desire to receive but a very small one, not as big as the stage of Hochma.

Question: Why is stage two insufficient? After all, we become like the upper force that bestows.

Answer: No. We become like the upper force in our intention, but not in our form. We do not bestow anything in Bina, we simply refuse to receive. But when Bina realizes itself in Zeir Anpin, the third stage, this is how it realizes itself as similar to the Creator.

Therefore, Keter is the property of the Creator to bestow. Hochma is the realization of this desire, bestowal. Bina receives the property that Hochma passes on to it, and in turn, refuses to receive.

But for now, it has nothing to give and it does not even want to.

In the third stage Zeir Anpin, Bina realizes its property of bestowal. It is as if it has given birth to it, created this next property, and fulfilled it.

Question: So, in this third stage, I both give and take a little?

Answer: Yes. Zeir Anpin is complex, compound, as if it consists of two parts, as does Bina. Hochma also consist of two parts and so does Keter. Meaning, the desire to receive is always present.

When Zeir Anpin is completely filled by Bina, it begins to feel that what is most important to it is to be filled rather than refusing to receive. Therefore, the property that desires to be filled is called Malchut (kingdom)—the kingdom of desires.

Malchut is completely opposite to Keter. Meaning that finally the creation, which is completely opposite to the Creator, wants to realize what He has planned for it. Meaning that the Creator wants to bestow, and Malchut wants to receive what Keter wants to bestow.
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From KabTV’s “Basics of Kabbalah” 11/27/18

New Life #269 – Self Love, Part 1

New Life #269 – Self Love, Part 1
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Tal Mandelbaum ben Moshe

Self-love is the fundamental material or software that controls everything and its operation has passed its prime. Human self-love has become insatiable and destructive. We are in despair because there is nothing left with which we can fulfill our desire to love ourselves. Since the mid-90’s, morbid forms of self-love have developed and we are out of balance. We must transcend our self-love in order to get out of this loop. To feel good, we must now learn how to surround ourselves with mutually loving relationships. Happiness can only be found through loving others.
From KabTV’s “New Life #269 – Self Love,” Part 1, 12/15/13

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Discord In The Ten: An Invitation From The Creator

There is nothing but the prayer. We are created from the desire to enjoy and all we can do is organize in groups and learn to awaken the reforming Light, which will light up and give us a feeling that our state is inferior. So we reveal that we are under the governance of egoism, we gradually come to the realization of evil and from the bottom of our hearts, we ask the Creator for correction.

At first, we do not know who the Creator is and how to ask Him. But the desire to enjoy works as help against itself, directing us toward the Creator. We are beginning to better imagine the upper force from the awareness of the opposite property, and thus we come to prayer.

We must realize our evil, become acquainted with the upper force, and be ready to turn this evil into good. The Creator is able to do so and awaits our prayer. It all depends on our true request.¹

The path to the spiritual world consists of two stages. First, a person makes all possible efforts in the group, he studies, disseminates, and goes through all sorts of states, accelerating time. This continues until he reaches complete despair and realizes that nothing will help him, but at the same time, he reveals the opportunity to turn to the Creator.

He feels greater connection with the Creator. Beforehand, he did not associate himself with the Creator at all and did not think that there is a force that controls him. There was no connection between the states he passed through and the upper force. Suddenly, he discovers that there is this connection—there is someone who directs and conducts him through different states. So he forms the prayer.²

There are problems that I am afraid to admit even to myself. There are those that I hesitate to disclose to my ten. But imagine that we are one body—not material, but spiritual. This means that everything except the beastly body, which has already died, is common for all of us. So what can we hide from one another in our spiritual work?

If I hate a friend and disagree with him, then I definitely have to confess it to everyone. After all, it cuts me off from development. Even more so, I prevent my friends from advancing.

The whole ten has to be like one body with regard to spirituality, and corporeality does not matter at all, as if the body has already died and decomposed in the ground. It is only our spiritual connection that is important, as much as we can imagine it today, and it will grow as we rise step by step.

Every day, two people in the ten should be responsible for our spiritual state and awaken the rest.³

“Love will cover all transgressions.” It turns out that if there are no transgressions, then there is no love, there is only beastly connection. Love, that is, the spiritual connection, begins when sins are revealed. Every day, one has to hate his friends and cover this hate with love, remembering that there is none else beside the Creator, who is the root cause of all phenomena.

We do not need to look for who is right and wrong: there is hatred and we have to find how to cover it with love. Then, you will see that there is no way you can do it! But if the whole ten asks for help from above, then love will cover all transgressions. Love comes only from the Creator.

Alone without the friends, I cannot turn to the Creator—only together with them. He will then definitely answer us: not me, but the whole ten. He deliberately ignites disputes between us and in a few minutes will kindle it somewhere else.

We should unite around the problem the Creator revealed and thank Him for it. After all, it is obvious that this hatred has always existed and has been revealed only because we became mature enough to ask the Creator for salvation. The revelation of hatred is evidence of progress.

We need to unite all together and perceive this hatred as an invitation from the Creator to turn to Him, giving Him the opportunity to answer our prayer. After several such conscious appeals, we will feel the triangle inside: me – the Creator – the group, or the Creator – the group – me.

If hatred is not revealed, then we are not worthy of advancement. That being said, we do not awaken the hatred; on the contrary, we must strive to unite as much as possible, and then we will feel that the Creator causes the rejection in us.

We do not aspire to reveal the evil, but only the good. The evil we get from above, just like the correction. We always reach for the good.⁴
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/19, Prayer

The Structure Of The Universe, Part 1

The Plan Of Creation—To Bring Enjoyment To Creation

Question: What is the purpose of creation?

Answer: The purpose of creation is of utmost importance. It precedes everything created to where we are now.

The purpose of creation is to bring enjoyment to the creation. In order to accomplish this, creation has to have a desire to enjoy. Therefore, first there has to be a lack in creation, a sensation of what creation wants. The main qualityof the matter of creation is the sensation that it lacks something. This is called “the desire to receive pleasure.”

This desire should develop gradually because creation will be able to determine what is desirable and undesirable for itself, at what stages, in what form, etc., only if the desire develops in a gradual manner. In other words, creation cannot be created immediately. One can quickly build a machine that will perform a certain function, but in order for creation to be independent, for it to become similar to its Creator, for it to enjoy, the desire has to go through certain stages of development.

Question: It turns out that even the Creator cannot create a creation at once, without any stages of development?

Answer: The answer is no. If creation wouldn’t go through a gradual process of development, then it would not be a creation. It would be like a robot, similar to the inanimate, vegetative and animal levels of nature that automatically carry out their programming without any freewill and independent participation on their behalf.

To create a human being is to develop the desire to a point of independence, bringing it to an awareness who it is, what it is, who controls it, and why and how it has been created specifically the way it has. On one hand, this desire has to have qualities opposite to the Creator, and on the other hand, it has to have the opportunity to achieve the Creator’s properties. This is how creation can eventually reach perfection. Therefore, everything begins with the Creator’s influence on creation.
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From KabTV’s “Basics of Kabbalah,” 11/27/18

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Due to the Blog editor's travels the updating of the blog will be paused until the 29th of July 2019. In the meantime the original blog of Dr. Michael Laitman is available on its original address.
"See you again" on the 29th of July!

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