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When I signed up for this course, there was some time before Week 1 started, and there were several chapters in Rav Laitman’s three basic books that was adviced that we took some time with reading until Week 1 began.
I followed this advice, but something strange happened. When Week 1 became accessible to me, most of the week had already gone by.
I’m a very slow reader, especially with material like what we study here, so I really had to spend most of my time only reading. However, I can’t do that because I also struggle with PTSD, and it has a way of starting a monologue in my mind, like a record being played over and over, and I constantly find myself having lost 15 minutes here, 40 minutes there, and so on. Also, I need time to process what I read, I can’t hurry from one chapter to the next.
But I really did my best.
When I found Week 2 had begun, there was only 2 days left. 2 days, and I had read maybe 25% of the preparation material, 20% of Week 1’s material, and none of Week 3’s material.
So my question is this:
If you do happen to fall behind with some of the reading material, is it acceptable if you, instead of trying to hurry through it all and ending up not really having read anything thoroughly, take the time you have to take if you want to read, process, and learn in a way that allows you to remember, even if it means there are bits or chapters of text you don’t manage to read during the week you were assigned that material?
– What I mean is, will the above be accepted if I am able to keep up in every other way, answering the check and knowledge questions correctly, and so on?
I apologize for being so late with this question.
Thank you in advance.
Seth,
I understand perfectly now. Thank you for taking the time to explain. – Isn’t it funny how sometimes you can battle with a question for days or weeks (in some cases even years), and then when you realize you have to ask the question, and you muster the courage to do so, and somebody with a kind heart and the necessary knowledge answers, the answer suddenly becomes clear as if a thick fog had lifted. and you have to wonder how there was ever a time when you didn’t understand the problem?
You have such a beautiful way with words, it’s a pleasure to read your reply posts also to other students.
Thanks again………Jack.
The one thing that I have begun to see is that I am among like-minded people. I see it when I read my fellow students’ questions and statements. It is something I will have to continue to work with for some time to come because we are, after all, creatures of habit, and I know my mind will attempt to revert me into thinking I am still in that lifelong position of being different and very alone.
I have also found that my ego is a lot bigger than I was aware of. I knew it was big, so I thought I was prepared in that respect, but I am continuously reminded of how much I have been underestimating the obstacles and frustrations my ego is capable of creating. I’ll admit that it has shocked me, and it also frightens me to some extent. I will do my utmost to learn how to best deal with it all.
Finally, I had forgotten why the Creator had us go through the shattering of our soul and materialization through the 125 steps back up to acquiring Equivalence of Form. I’m sure my understanding is now thorough enough to be permanent.
This will probably make many people laugh at me, but that’s totally okay, I’m laughing at me too. Here goes:
I knew that sound is created by it’s impact upon the air around us, but for some reason I’ve never thought of it as literally not being ‘sound’ as we perceive it, and the thought of a block of cement being dropped from a tenth floor window and landing on the ground in complete silence amazes me.
There is so much more that amazes me, and I keep learning new stuff and re-learning – as in seeing again, but from a slightly different perspective – the things we are taught. But I think I’ll just mention the one example above.
No, there is one more thing I should mention: I am so grateful for this chance to learn and to keep studying Kabbalah.
Seth,
You write in your reply to Kim:
“… we were created 100% opposite from the Creator. He is 100% to give and we are 100% to receive.
But, this also leads to another problem. Due to this situation, we our qualities are opposite from His and we are as far as east is from west.
And so through many garments called worlds, the Creator clothes Himself more and more until all that remains is a tiny spark of light that shines through. This is what we grab onto and slowly by working, dancing, playing with Him, we reveal more and more light until we do reach again that state of complete unity with Him”My question is why didn’t The Creator create us complete from the beginning? The fact that we cannot do or create anything or everything tells us that logically The Creator can create anything and everything. So why all the climbing and searching? Why not being in complete equivalence of form with Him to begin with?
If I may attempt an answer myself: Is it again that we cannot comprehend the answer while at the level I am at now? Is it that I have to do the climbing and learning first, and then later I will understand?
In other words, I will just have to follow my intuition since at this point I will not be able to see for myself what the truth is in any scientific or empirical sense, kind of like a baby has to trust his parents’ guidance. Am I right, or have I completely misunderstood this?
Thank you so much in advance.
PS. If my question is too incoherent to answer, I understand.
We want to acquire the perception of reality that comes with having attained Equevalence of Form, which is to say The Perception of The Creator. You can also say we want to obtain the ability to perceive all of reality, rather than just a minor, distorted part of it, as we have done all of our lives until now.
I hope this makes sense.
