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I don’t know where you are in the YG, but generally I recommend 15 minutes. It’s up to the ten. But 15 min has three benefits in my view: (1) almost anyone, regardless of their job, with proper maneuvering and preparation, should be able to dip out of work or whatever it is for 15 minutes. That’s not long to go missing from most life situations. So, this limit turns being on the call into a matter of the importance of the spiritual goal. That doesn’t mean I get to judge friends who don’t show up and surmise whether it’s the result of importance or capability, but it’s a catchall that provides the possibility for most. 30 minutes is already a big ask, for busy people. (2) a time limit forces us to be purposeful – spirituality doesn’t take a long time, it takes intentionality during the time the Upper Force provides each one. (3) If I know the meeting will be 15 min every time, in states where I’m weaker, I deprive my ego of the argument that “god knows how long the meeting will take,” which is a powerful excuse to avoid the meeting and spiritual correction.
It means I should not kick myself for anything from the past. The Creator did everything. For the future, though, I have to say that it’s in my hands.
Hi Jarret,
I need to stick the wisdom of Kabbalah, which is our area of expertise, and not venture into other realms such as psychology and medicine. First, so that we will not say redundant things that a psychologist or doctor could surely advise about; but more importantly, to delineate a clear line, where Kabbalah begins. Because at this line, all other wisdoms end.
What I can tell you is that the ego does not die. I don’t leave my family or my pleasures in life. Naturally, my ego resists the wisdom of Kabbalah because my ego does not wish to work in this direction. Thus, the ego is doing its job, which is to be a resistor, like you have in electrical systems or the spokes going backward in a bicycle. However, you state that you experience this phenomenon in situations that are unrelated to this study; so, it follows that it’s not one that is exclusive to your study of Kabbalah, and not necessarily related directly to it.
He’s right. If I don’t get what I want, and I’m sure that I can’t have it, my ego covers it for me, concluding something to the effect of “we wouldn’t want that anyway.” That’s called, “One doesn’t lust after the daughter of the King.”
If I want something and don’t get it, but see it as reasonably obtainable, it shines for me in the future as Surrounding Light.
If I attain any desire, and I don’t have a spiritual Screen already, a short-circuit occurs between my gaping desire and the Light (pleasure) trying to enter like when the forces in a lightbulb connect without a filament. This is tragic because I’ve had to exert to obtain the pleasure, I’m now empty, but not only. My desire has doubled. I now have a double deficiency.
On the other hand, I’ve exhausted one in a finite (but exceedingly long) queue of desires I still hold hopes of receiving from. Of course, it would be better to jump to the work in the other direction, bestowal over reception – as this is a more pleasant way.
Ordinarily I wouldn’t philosophize about an outside quote but this one is apropos.
Hi Naomi,
Torah is from the word Ohr (Light). It’s the study of the Light. We need to study what’s adapted to our generation. That’s the writings of Rabash and Baal HaSulam. Once, they would read those you mention as we read about Partzufim, Sefirot: they knew for certain they were not stories, history; they were from a different Aviut (coarseness) of the soul. We’re from the coarseness of Level 4, related to Malchut, and thus the Light we need, for it to affect us, needs to be much greater. These again are only the writings of Baal HaSulam and Rabash – and other writings that contain their commentary.
Some examples of other things that might intermingle with and spoil the prayer include literally anything that is unrelated to connection for the sake of revealing the Creator. For now, that’s whatever you’re able to include; but later you’ll see that everything in the world gets included in the correct prayer.
