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Hi Jonah,
Freedom means rising above our egoistic nature. As we learned in this week’s lesson, we do this by building for ourselves a strong spiritual environment.
Baal HaSulam talks about this in the article, the Freedom. He writes: “Harut (carved) on the tables”; do not pronounce it Harut (carved), but rather Herut (freedom), to show that they are liberated from the angel of death.
Throughout the article he explains how our current egoistic nature is that angel of death. Meaning although we are technically alive and surviving, relative to spirituality, our life is considered death. True life is within a completely different nature, that of bestowal. In order to reach freedom from our current nature, we need to choose and build a spiritual environment for ourselves which will influence us with the importance of acquiring the quality of bestowal.
For this reason, the Kabbalists equate our main freedom in life in choosing to be influenced by a spiritual environment. Not just any environment, but specifically a spiritual environment, since only through the spiritual environment can we get the importance of coming out of our egoistic nature and only through that environment can we draw the light that can help us to actualize this.
In the more advanced lessons, we’ll learn how to build this type of spiritual environment, in the meantime, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2012/10/bestowal-should-become-fashionable/
Albert @ KabU
The intention of the Creator is to help his Creature become like Him. And He has a Plan. This means everything happens in our life is a conseguence of being aligned to the intention or not. I have always thought that everything happens in our life is always FOR US and never AGAINST US, But: what about serial killers for example? (I saw a movie yesterday evening and this question arose in me😊). Do we have to accept passively because it is the Creator will? What about Justice then? I guess I am missing something… ThankU!
Hi Manuela,
The corrections that we learn about in Kabbalah are internal corrections, on the level of our thoughts and desires.
As for the physical level, there we need to operate according to the rules of the physical world. So if someone is trying to harm me, I need to stop them, defend myself, turn to the cops, etc. If I’m sick, I need to go to the doctor and take some medicine. If I lose my job, I need to go job hunting, etc. We need to take care of our physical problems in the way that is customary in our world.
So internally, we must ascribe everything that we’re going through to the Creator, to “none else besides Him”. But this is our internal work. It does not cancel out any of the normal actions that we need to do in life in order to deal with our problems in the regular way.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2010/10/dont-ask-for-the-death-to-the-wicked/
As for serial killers and the like, we see all of these atrocities through the lens of our egoistic nature. It’s like I have these dirty glasses through which I see the whole world as dirty. The moment I clean my own glasses, I’ll look at the same world, but now it’s clean and perfect. So when we correct ourselves, we’ll reveal the true reality in which only goodness exists, and that our previous egoistic perception was nothing more than a dream.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2010/11/this-life-is-a-dream/
Albert @ KabU
My best friend and I are going through Kab U together. We spend a great deal of time learning from the Kab U instructors, and reading the recommended material. It has been wonderful so far. Why is working in a pair less effective than working in a group of ten?
Hi Zachary,
Spirituality works according to the law of equivalence of form. Meaning that to the extent that we become similar to spirituality, to our upper spiritual roots, to that extent we reveal it in practice. Spirituality is built upon the structure of the ten sefirot. Even if two people start aspiring to resemble that structure, it’s a start. This follows the saying that the “minimum plural is two”, meaning that two people are already a group that can advance spiritually. But if we really want to speed up our development, ideally, we would study in a group of ten, since that structure comes closer to resembling the upper roots of the ten sefirot.
Furthermore, connecting in a group of ten gives us a fuller perception of spirituality. It’s like the difference between existing in our world with all of our organs intact vs missing some parts of our body, like our arms and legs. Yes, technically, we would be alive, but in a very limited way.
Beyond that, it’s also much easier to do spiritual work in a bigger group, rather than with another person. For example, if nine other people agree on a certain topic, it’s MUCH easier for me to go along with them, even if I initially disagree. If this same situation was in a smaller group, like with only two people, it would be much harder for me to concede my opinion and follow the opinion of another person.
We’ll learn more about these things in the advanced semesters of KabU, where everyone will receive their own virtual Kabbalah group with whom they can put these things into practice.
In the meantime, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for a little taste of some of the spiritual work that we’ll be doing in tens: https://laitman.com/2013/05/a-whole-group-of-ten/
Albert @ KabU
HI Albert. In your response below to Nick you say that being virtual 100% is not enough. Where I live there are no Bnei Baruch groups, just one of those Kabbalah Centers, which after studying their material I knew wasn’t correct for me. Nor am I able to travel. I did join the online zoom session for the first time last week and it was a good feeling to be among others on this path even virtually. I walked away elated. But that will likely be the extent of my participation with others.
I am a senior, likely one of the oldest people newly registered here, and I feel strongly that I am able to ascend and attain, that I can already feel progress in that direction. And I have long known that I am attuned to the spiritual environment and past incarnations. But your comment about this not being enough goes along with Rav Laitman’s comment on a vid I watched saying it will take 20-30 years of study concerns me just a bit. I do not have 20-30 years left in this incarnation and I’m not traveling anywhere other than spiritually.
I believe that everyone is at a different stage, different level in their ascent back up the ladder, even if they are unaware that there even is a ladder. And I believe that everyone must travel the road given by the Creator, as that is the correct path for each individual. My desire is strong, my intention equal. I do not want to feel that I will miss my mark as they say, because I am here so late in this lifetime and because my path is truly deep within myself.
Hi Sheila,
I’m sorry, my previous answer on this topic of a virtual connection was incomplete. If the Creator leaves a person with no choice but a purely virtual connection, then it is enough. For example, if a person was imprisoned and his only connection to the spiritual environment was through books, then that is enough for him to correct his soul.
But for the rest of us, who were not imprisoned, it’s highly encouraged to supplement the virtual connection with occasional physical gatherings. It could be once a week, once a month, once a year, etc.
These things will be more relevant for us in the advanced semesters of KabU, when everyone will receive their own virtual Kabbalah group with whom they can put these things into practice. And for those interested in local KabU groups, after graduating from KabU there is an option to be put in contact with other KabU students in your area.
Regarding the age at which a person finds Kabbalah, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman: https://laitman.com/2018/03/is-it-worthwhile-for-an-older-person-to-study-kabbalah/
Albert @ KabU
Thank you Albert. I have read this page before but when you posted I started to feel bad, that maybe I was deluding myself. I had felt that the Creator actually had given me quite the gift in this incarnation, all the obstacles presented now seeming more like steps to get here. This life was filled with nothing but obstacles except for a spiritual essence that ran through it, just not clear how to use it or what to gain. Finding myself here seemed to give that clarity, and I have been joyful and determined. And feeling the touch of the Creator sometimes too. Feeling a little ascension across the barrier sometimes. Until I read how it wasn’t enough. I expect the Creator gave me this lesson too, as there is None Besides Him. And I will continue now, with Joy. Thank you. I needed that.
How can we start working on that collective consciousness? I mean, now, in our daily life. Since I started this amazing journey into Kabbalah wisdom, a sort of urgency is arising inside of me. The urgency to put myself at the service of this goal, starting from where I am today. Maybe it is my Ego talking but at the end this is what I am today, and it is from here that I can start. Thank you so much!
Hi Manuela,
Reaching that collective consciousness is against our nature. So we cannot just make that switch with our own strength. As such, all we can do and all that is required of us is to aspire to it. Such an aspiration, especially during the Kabbalistic studies, helps to extract the force of the light. It’s ultimately the light that makes all the changes on us. Our work boils down to extracting more and more of the light, and it does all the rest.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
Albert @ KabU
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