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In week 2 of this study program a lot of energy arose within that led to a lot of questioning and doubting the material. I have spent the past 3 weeks in introspection and identified I was taking in the material from a distorted perception. This placed everything out of context. Inside I found several egoistic hubs with nodes that created an interconnected web of shared purpose (create safety for the ego). Being raised in conservative Christian environment a main theme taken to heart was God loves us unconditionally, when I did wrong God hates me and will send me to everlasting torment, any corrective beatings were to perfect me so God could love me. So now I have egoistic hubs of I am damaged, I am unlovable, I am unworthy, etc. that then stems out to nodes of challenge authority (this one gets me in a lot of conflict!), despair, avoidance, disconnection, etc. So now my question, are these hubs and nodes considered as some of the 613 egoistic desires needing correction? I can clearly see how these desires are all about focus on the ego but not yet able to perceive how they can be transformed into an altruistic force.
Hi Joseph,
We learn from the shattering of the system of Adam HaRishon that the only thing that is broken in the ENTIRE system of creation are the proper connections between people. This is the only thing that is broken and the only thing we need to correct.
In other words, each one of us is perfect. We don’t need to correct ourselves. We only need to correct our connection with others. It’s just like when doing a large jigsaw puzzle. Each piece is unique and necessary as is. We don’t start recoloring the pieces or cutting off seemingly redundant parts. All we need to do is find where each piece fits relative to all the other pieces.
It’s the same with us. Each one of us is like that unique jigsaw piece. We don’t need to fix ourselves or change ourselves. The ego and 613 corrections that we’re talking about are not within me. The ego is what stands in the way of my connection with others. So our focus should be entirely on the connection with others. We do this work first of all with other points in the heart that are together with us on this spiritual path. After we learn how to connect with them, we can expand this connection to the whole world. We’ll learn how to do this practically in the more advanced lessons.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2014/05/puzzle-adam-harishon/
Albert @ KabU
Still sitting with this egoistic condition that needs correction I am finding I am powerless to correct. Is this the space of hopelessness in ego self that motivates a deep prayerful cry to the Creator for help? I am there now with tears streaming but doubt of my worth remains. Will there be an end to this pain?
Hi Joseph,
That’s not quite it. The deep powerful cry to the Creator is not a passive state, rather it comes from the efforts we make to connect. And it’s not a sad state, but rather a joyous one. Baal HaSulam writes about it in Letter 57, here’s an excerpt:
“There is no happier state in man’s world than when he finds himself despaired with his own strength. That is, he has already labored and done all that he could possibly imagine he could do, but found no remedy. It is then that he is fit for a wholehearted prayer for His help because he knows for certain that his own work will not help him.”
Albert @ KabU
According to the excerpt from Baal HaSulam’s text “the active intelligence”, in practical terms, how we can expand our ability to see the thought of the Creator in any daily situation such as walking in the forest, in a meeting with other people, during dinner , etc?
Hi Henry,
Every moment of our lives we’re in a dialog with the Creator. This is called that “there is none else besides Him”, that the Creator is the singular force behind ALL of reality. All of my thoughts, desires, all the events in life all originate from Him.
But the Creator operates on the frequency of bestowal, while our nature is on the frequency of reception. As such, we operate on two completely different frequencies. So it’s currently impossible for us to understand Him. We first need to correct our nature, become similar to Him, and only then will we begin to understand Him, to understand this constant dialog that’s happening between us.
We’ll learn more about this in the upcoming semester, in the meantime, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2010/09/learn-the-creators-language/
Albert @ KabU
Since I was a young child, I have tended to be sensitive to what I perceive as the suffering of others, whether the “other” is a person or animal and sometimes even plants. (Conversely, I have also been pleasantly sensitive to the enjoyment of others. : )
People have tried to convince me that animals, in particular, do not suffer because they do not “know” anything different. This lesson mentions that ALL levels of physical life (animate, vegetative, animate, and human) suffer because we lack equivalence of form….or something to that effect.
My question: Is it accurate to say that animals (and perhaps all of physical forms) suffer when they are deprived of their natural inclinations? For example, hoards of animals are presently being deprived of their natural desires for fresh air, movement, rearing of their offspring all because of human intention to acquire food. Could you please relate the 613 Laws of Bestowal (outside forces) to the topic of what many people perceive as animal cruelty?
With much appreciation…
Dyrk
Hi Dyrk,
Nature is in the form of a pyramid. The lowest part of the pyramid is the inanimate nature, then comes the vegetative, then animate, and then the speaking (human) level. Each lower level is greater in quantity while each higher level is greater in quality. Also each higher level has a stronger and stronger effect on all the lower levels. Meaning that humanity, the peak of the pyramid, has the strongest effect over the rest of nature.
Furthermore, the still, vegetative, and animate levels don’t require any correction, they are naturally in harmony with nature. Why then do they suffer? Because the uncorrected human ego is at the top of this pyramid and it causes all of the imbalances and harms on those lower levels. So when we correct that human level of egoism, the still, vegetative, and animate levels will return to their natural balance.
Once the human ego is corrected, we will also be able to properly relate to the other levels. Properly meaning that we will use the other levels only out of necessity. We learn that “necessity is neither praised nor condemned”, meaning that acquiring our normal necessities is neither good nor bad, it’s simply what we must do. Just like in nature when an animal eats another animal, it’s not doing it out of spite or to harm the other, but rather because this is simply how it was programmed and how it needs to survive. Likewise with us, when humanity corrects it’s egoistic nature, it will also use the lower levels of nature in a balanced way, without causing harm.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2016/01/chernobyl-is-flourishing/
Albert @ KabU
I understand from previous instructions that we have to remain critical about the words of our teachers, instructors, and books, and our own perception, constantly.
How does that harmonize with the instruction to go above reason when, at times, everything appears against or below my reason?
Hi Eliyahu,
Our nature is the desire to receive pleasure. It has three modes in which it operates: faith below reason, faith within reason, and faith above reason.
Faith below reason is the same as blind faith, to believe in what you are told without examination.
Faith within reason is a rational scientific approach: to research, measure, and do only what makes sense to do.
Faith above reason is to operate with a completely different nature, the nature of bestowal. In order to reach this new nature of bestowal, we need to learn about it from the Kabbalistic books and teachers. When we learn about it, if we are true with ourselves and critique what we’re learning, we’ll naturally find it repulsive. This is because bestowal is against our egoistic nature. So faith above reason means that despite this repulsion, we still aspire towards those higher levels of love and bestowal that we’re learning about. Through this process we gradually evoke the reforming light from the study and it will correct our nature, bringing us closer and closer to the pure qualities of bestowal, closer and closer to the Creator.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2013/02/sunbathing-in-the-rays-of-the-reforming-light/
Albert @ KabU
hello again, today i have a two part question.
1. how do i increse my desire and yearning so as to be filled with more of the creator’s light? as i understand it, the amount of light that can fill my Kli is only limited by the amount of desire i have, hence the question.2. what is the difference between Ein Sof and the Light of Ein Sof?
Hi Ludumo,
1. The Kabbalists tell us that “envy, lust, and honor take a person out of the world”. Meaning that if we use these seemingly negative qualities in their correct way, within the spiritual environment, then we can evoke greater and greater desires within ourselves until we build a true desire for spirituality, for bestowal. It’s just like in our world, when people use advertising to get us to want things we don’t normally want. The only difference is that here, instead of advertising reception, we advertise bestowal to each other.
We’ll learn more about these things in the upcoming semester. In the meantime, check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: https://laitman.com/2012/10/bestowal-should-become-fashionable/
2. Ein Sof is commonly translated from Hebrew as infinity. But here the literal translation “without end” is more accurate. This is referring to the state in which the desire is completely fulfilled, to the max. Similar to how you can take a cup and fill it up to the max where it’s impossible to add any more liquid to the cup. Even if you add one more drop it will just spill over. So if you take a desire and fill it with pleasure to the max, that state is called Ein Sof. Keep in mind that we’re talking about spiritual desires and spiritual fulfillment, meaning that of bestowal.
As for the light, this is the force that is opposite the desire. All that was created was the desire to receive pleasure. The force that created this desire and fulfills it is the light. So the light is the Creator, the pure quality of bestowal. We can also say that light = pleasure, since this is what fulfills that desire. So the light of Ein Sof is the pleasure that completely fulfills that spiritual desire.
Check out this blog post from Rav Laitman for more details: http://laitman.com/2014/12/what-is-the-light/
Albert @ KabU
How do I eradicate the belief system I have about the Creator, the world and the way things should be as I was taught growing up? I am reading and listening and trying to put things into perspective but still my belief system (ie. ego) gets in the way.
Hi Denise,
In truth, we all have a certain set of baggage with which we come to the wisdom of Kabbalah. But we don’t need to fight these things or to force changes upon ourselves. All the changes we experience here are not due to our own strength or wisdom. Rather all the changes we undergo are due to the force of the light that we extract from the Kabbalistic studies. Ultimately this is the only force that can change us. So it does not matter what baggage you came with. The important thing is to keep placing yourself under the influence of the light, and it will make all the necessary changes and corrections.
For this reason, it’s good to set aside some time to regularly return to the source of the light, meaning to the Kabbalistic sources, videos, lessons, etc. Such a habit will help you throughout your entire spiritual development.
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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