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Shamati 9. What Are Three Things that Broaden One’s Mind in the Work
I have a question about Shamati 9 that has been on my mind. I’ve encountered the phrase “envy, lust, and honor bring a person out of this world” before, and I thought I understood what these terms meant. However, after reading Shamati 9, my understanding has been completely turned around, particularly with regard to the concept of “lust.”
In Kabbalah, it often surprises me how the definitions of concepts are different from what we might initially think. Could you provide a concise explanation of what “envy, lust, and honor” mean within the context of this method, particularly as they are described in Shamati 9?
Here’s the quote from the article that I’m referring to:
“Obtaining that is through envy, lust, and honor, which bring one out of the world. Envy means through envy in the Holy Shechina, regarded as zeal in ‘The zeal of the Lord of hosts.’ Honor means that one wants to increase the glory of heaven, and lust is by way of ‘Thou hast heard the desire of the humble.'”
Thank you for your guidance.
Question: How do I Overcome Self-Loathing Due to the Recognition of the Evil Inclination?
I recently attended a workshop where we discussed the concept of “feeling the friends.” One of the excerpts we read, from Baal HaSulam’s “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose,” delved into the idea of the evil inclination. The article explained that as we develop spiritually, we increasingly loathe our own egoism. The more developed we become, the more we reject our egoism and start to feel sparks of altruism.
Here is the excerpt:
“Baal HaSulam, ‘The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose’
The crass, undeveloped person does not recognize egoism as bad at all. Therefore, he uses it openly, without any shame or restraint, stealing and murdering in broad daylight wherever he can. The somewhat more developed sense some measure of their egoism as bad and are at least ashamed to use it in public, stealing and killing openly. But in secret, they still commit their crimes, but are careful that no one will see them.
The even more developed sense egoism as so loathsome that they cannot tolerate it in them and reject it completely, as much as they detect of it, until they cannot, and do not want to enjoy the labor of others. Then begin to emerge in them sparks of love of others, called ‘altruism,’ which is the general attribute of goodness.”
While I understand that recognizing and rejecting our egoism is a necessary part of spiritual development, I find myself in a miserable state, loathing myself for these traits. I know there is no mitzvah in suffering, but I feel stuck and unable to see beyond this stage. How can I navigate this difficult phase of development and move towards a more positive and altruistic mindset? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Is there any significance to the blue and white color scheme of KabU and Bnei Baruch or is it just Ravs favorite colors?
It seems like a “correlation, not causation” situation. I have heard in our sources that have pointed out that individuals are more malleable in the three states Todd mentions: confusion, mild intoxication, and fatigue. However, the key factor is not the substance itself but the state of mind—particularly, the state of decreasing intellectualization?
In my Group of 10, what should I do when no one shows up for our meetings? When I join a meeting and find no one there to participate in the workshop, it can be disheartening. Some friends have RSVPed to say they couldn’t make it, but the majority don’t inform the group at all. Should I become indifferent to their lack of communication and participation? It seems we are not supposed to criticize our friends. However, using the analogy of a parent with a child, a parent would not be indifferent but would actively encourage the child to participate. After having this conversation several times, Â what should I do? What is your advice for handling this situation?
