Tuesday, June 19, 2007

"Fighting Terror the Right Way"

Fighting Terror the Right Way
June 19, 2007 at 3:51 am · Filed under Articles, Altruism, Terrorism
From the Kabbalistic perspective, terrorists are the headache that makes us go to the doctor for treatment. If we don’t go, we will have to go when it’s a migraine.
Fighting terror the right way is an oxymoron: You can’t fight terror, so there is no way of doing it “right.” Why is it impossible? Because terrorism is here for a purpose. Hence, whenever the victims find new ways to defend against it, terrorists will find new ways to terrorize, murder and generally wreak havoc, disorder and fear.
The purpose of terrorism is no different from the purpose of every “evil” element in our world: to force us away from complacency when we are inclined to be idle, and to force us to re-examine our situation. If you look at the world from the Kabbalistic perspective, the whole of humanity is one system, and terrorists are the headache that makes us go to the doctor for treatment. If we don’t go when it’s a mild headache, we will have to go when it’s a migraine.
As is confirmed by science, and has been known to Kabbalists for millennia, the universe is a single, interdependent system, whose well-being depends on constant reciprocity among its elements. These interdependency and reciprocity are sustained by the system’s care for each of its elements, while each element devotes itself to the well-being of the system. Thus, the rule “All for one and one for all” is the mechanism that sustains everything, including life on Earth.
However, humankind is the only species that can choose to act contrary to nature’s law of reciprocity. People can choose to care for others, or for themselves. By choosing to care for ourselves, we place ourselves in total opposition to the modus operandi of the whole of nature, and thus invert the law to “All against one and one against all.” Conversely, by choosing to care for others, we are automatically in sync with the reciprocity law. It is our choice whether or not to act like the whole of nature, but there is really no one to blame but us if our choice to be opposite from nature makes us unhappy.
All this does not mean that terrorists are good-hearted people who are trying to make us see the truth. It means that wanting to work only for ourselves will eventually cause — at least some of us — to justify doing whatever we feel like, as long as it pleases us. From a self-centered perspective, it is perfectly justified to drop an atom bomb on America if I don’t like its president, put a bullet through my neighbor’s chest if his dog poops on my lawn, or murder dozens of innocent college kids because I got up on the wrong foot today. But will this make anyone happy, even the wrongdoer?
To be happy, we need to be synchronized with nature. There are several benefits to that:1) Nature itself will support us, instead of going against us, as it is doing now.2) Humankind, like the whole of nature, will work to guarantee the well-being of every person on every level — physical, emotional, and spiritual.
In this spirit, Kabbalist Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) wrote in his article “Peace in the World“: “First, everyone must thoroughly understand and explain to his surroundings that the well-being of society, which is the well-being of the state, and the well-being of the world are completely interdependent. As long as the laws of society are not satisfactory to each and every individual in the state, and leave an unsatisfied minority from the government of the state, this minority … will seek to overthrow it.”
Thus, well-being of the individual, well-being of the state and well-being of the world are all interdependent. Only if we all decide to work together to achieve the kind of society that Baal HaSulam describes, will we succeed.
3) If we choose to behave as does the whole of nature, and dedicate ourselves to our fellow person, we will become similar to nature’s law itself. That is, we will be working in the same way as nature — in reciprocity and interdependency, veering away from self-centeredness. This will grant us much more than a comfortable life: Because this modus operandi will stem from our own choice, we will also have the knowledge that begets that mode, the knowledge of the whole of nature, the Creator of the universe. After all, in Gimatria (the numerology of Kabbalah), Elokim (God) and “The Nature” are the same.
Click here to read the article at kabbalah.info
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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Social Unity - Humanity's Basis for Happiness

Social Unity - Humanity’s Basis for Happiness
June 2, 2007 at 7:59 pm · Filed under Quotes, Thought of the Week
Quote from Baal HaSulam:“Every basis for physical success is the measure of the unity of society, and the basis for the success of intelligence and knowledge, is the separation and disagreement among them.
It therefore turns out, that when mankind succeeds in the matter of success of the bodies, meaning by bringing them to the degree of complete love for the fellow man, all the bodies in the world will unite into a single body and a single heart. And only then will all the happiness intended for humanity will be revealed in all its glory.”
Baal HaSulam, in “The Freedom.”
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Baal HaSulam's Intention for Writing "Talmud Eser Sefirot"

Baal HaSulam’s Intention for Writing “Talmud Eser Sefirot”
June 3, 2007 at 2:17 pm · Filed under Definitions, Daily Lessons, Talmud Eser Sefirot
From Today’s Daily Lesson:
Student: It’s unclear how the Partzufim of BYA receive the Light of Hochma. Baal HaSulam doesn’t explain it.
Rav Laitman: That’s right. Baal HaSulam doesn’t explain it nor does he intend to. This is the problem: We think that Talmud Eser Sefirot (The Study of the Ten Sefirot) is an explanation of the Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria).
Baal HaSulam doesn’t explain the Ari at all. He wants to direct us in how to study the Ari to reach the goal: to correct ourselves and then to discover what the Ari discusses in our Kelim (vessels/tools/receptacles), because you will never know otherwise.
It is literally impossible to bring you a picture of what is happening in the world of Atzilut. If he does explain, sometimes, that some things happen somehow by different technical actions, he also doesn’t intend to give a technical explanation so that you will learn that the will to receive and the will to bestow need to be in mutual bestowal to one another, that the Upper Light will correct the will to receive, and so on and so forth.
Why would he explain spirituality? It’s impossible to depict. At the end of it all, Baal HaSulam strives so that you will direct yourself toward revelation by the explanation. This is his entire hope; that you will reach him by your own corrections, and then you’ll discover what is being discussed.
If your Kli (vessel/tool/receptacle) is not on a degree that is written here, in the same state as the world of Beria, Yetzira or Atzilut, then you won’t understand what is written, in each and every sentence. So you have to be brought. His entire trouble is to bring you there. Not to simply “blah blah” talk about it. It’s not a world where I can tell you about a certain state, a certain place and you depict it and imagine it to yourself…
This is how it is in our world, however, in the spiritual world you’re incapable of imagining it. It’s the opposite; it’s not worthwhile for you to imagine it, because all these imaginations give you satisfaction. Therefore, he has completely no intention of bringing you any knowledge—only Ohr Makif (Surrounding Light), as he mentions in item 155 of “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot.”
Rav Michael Laitman, PhD in the lesson on Talmud Eser Sefirot (The Study of the Ten Sefirot), Volume 6, Part 16, item 107: wmv video mp3 audio (55 min)
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A Trail Of Anti-Semitism

A Trail of Anti-Semitism
June 4, 2007 at 8:13 pm · Filed under Articles, World Peace, Anti-Semitism
Israeli Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog was quoted as saying, “There is a long trail of anti-Semitism in Europe.” Kabbalah says we must look inside for the reason.Click here to read full article
According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, anti-Semitism will continue to spread and intensify until Jews fulfill their reason for being in this world: to learn how to love their neighbors as themselves, as taught by Rabbi Akiva, and then pass this teaching on to the rest of the world.
Click here to read full article
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The Omnipotent Wizard Who Could Not Be Alone

AUDIO: The Omnipotent Wizard Who Could Not Be Alone
May 25, 2007 at 9:05 am · Filed under Audio, Kabbalistic Stories
Listen by clicking on the Flash player’s button below:
The Omnipotent Wizard Who Could Not Be Alone: A Tale for Grownups is Rav Laitman’s story about a wizard who created all life and a person within it, and a person’s search for happiness within the world the wizard created.
Click here to read the storyClick here to download the audio file (mp3)
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Sunday, May 20, 2007

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah"

New Book - “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kabbalah”
May 17, 2007 at 8:10 pm · Filed under Notices, Books, News

You’re no idiot, of course. You know that Kabbalah is more than a celebrity fad or a red string bracelet. Its philosophies encourage us to look beyond the tangible for purpose and enlightenment.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kabbalah will show you exactly how to embrace these ancient teachings - and make them a part of your daily life. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide, you get:- The facts - and fallacies - about Kabbalah.- Enlightening advice on how to read the Bible or Torah from a Kabbalah point of view.- Down-to-earth guidance on how to incorporate the essence of Kabbalah into everyday life.- The story of creation according to Kabbalah.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kabbalah is Rav Michael Laitman’s first book written in English as an original language. Together with writer Collin Canright, this author duo produced a book rich with analogies, examples and alerts to explain this most ancient wisdom in the simplest way possible to the Western world.
Click here to pre-order your copy today!
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Thursday, May 17, 2007

How Can I Control My Thoughts?

Thoughts are not the self of the person; desire is. In this video, Perceiving Reality dissolves the question "How Can I Control My Thoughts?" into "How Can I Change What I Desire?"



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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Where is Humanity Headed?

Michael Laitman, PhD gives a public lecture in Toronto on where humanity is headed using the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah to define the stages of humanity's evolution (including the ones we haven't yet reached).



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Tuesday, May 08, 2007

There is None Else Beside Him

AUDIO: There is None Else Beside Him
May 6, 2007 at 1:56 pm · Filed under Articles, Shamati, Audio
Listen by clicking on the Flash player’s button below:
Baal HaSulam’s Shamati article #1 “There is None Else Beside Him” encapsulates the entire methodology of Kabbalah.
As well as reading this article, you now also have the opportunity tolisten to this article intertwined with the music of Baal HaSulam, and let it guide your exploration into your inner world, en route to discovering the one operating force in reality.
Click here for free MP3 download of “There is None Else Beside Him” (10.27MB)
Related Material:- There is None Else Beside Him – Baal HaSulam’s Shamati #1 article itself.- Shamati articles – Shamati article collection.- “Kabbalah Revealed” series, episode 8 - There’s None Else Beside Him, Part 1 - Introductory lecture on “There is None Else Beside Him” (25 min video & transcript)- “Kabbalah Revealed” series, episode 9 - There’s None Else Beside Him, Part 2 – Introductory lecture on the article that describes the person’s path from complete concealment of the Creator to His full revelation. (25 min video & transcript)- There is None Else Beside Him, Part 1 – Advanced lesson on this article given by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD at the Kabbalah Education Center in Israel, June 19, 2006.wmv video mp3 audio MS Word transcript (55 min)- There is None Else Beside Him, Part 2 – Advanced lesson on this article given by Rav Michael Laitman, PhD at the Kabbalah Education Center in Israel, June 20, 2006.wmv video mp3 audio (55 min)

God is nature

God is nature
Column: Kabbalah.info
Rav Michael Laitman ReligionAndSpirituality.com
May 7, 2007
In a presentation at a Tokyo hall in November 2005, evolutionary biologist Elizabeth Sahtouris stated that "Every molecule, every cell, every organ ... has self-interest. When every level in the body shows its self-interest, it forces negotiations among the levels. This is the secret of Nature. Every moment in your body, these negotiations drive your systems to harmony." Quite similarly, Kabbalists state that cells in organisms unite by reciprocal giving for the sake of sustaining the whole body. Each cell in the body receives what it needs for its sustenance, and spends the rest of its energy tending to the rest of the body. At every level of Nature, the individual works to benefit the whole of which it is a part, and in that finds its wholeness. Without altruistic activities, a body cannot persist. In fact, life itself cannot persist. Both science and Kabbalah acknowledge that the biggest, if not the only, problem with our world is us. Below are two examples of such states of mind: "I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image" (Stephen Hawking, British cosmologist and physicist). "And in simple words we shall say that the nature of each and every individual is to exploit the lives of all other people in the world for his own benefit, and all that he gives to another is only out of necessity. Even in that there is exploitation, but it is done cunningly, so that his friend will not feel it" (Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), "Peace in the World"). Thousands of scientists, judging by the latest reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, already state that we must stop working against Nature, as we have been doing for centuries, and begin to work in harmony with it. They explain that Nature already knows what to do and when to do it. If we only get out of the way, things will sort themselves out. Just as each body has its immune system, Nature has mechanisms that maintain its balance. This balance is a dynamic equilibrium controlled by interrelated regulation mechanisms, in which Nature thinks not of particular elements within it, but of the whole system. Just imagine the havoc our body would fall into, if each organ cared only for its own good, instead of caring for the good of the whole body. In such a state, organs would steal blood vessels from one another, denying neighboring organs nourishment and oxygen. Organs producing antibodies would direct them against other organs because other organs would be considered foreign bodies, and the ones with the strongest antibodies would destroy the other organs. Soon, very soon, the body would die, and its self-centered organs would die with it. When such a process happens in an organism, it is called "cancer." The fact that Nature does exist and that it isn't destroying itself every single moment is proof that Nature does not work egoistically. It is a proof that Nature works as a system, putting the well-being of the system before the well-being of its parts. In Kabbalah, when the system's needs come before the needs of the part, it is called "altruism." In an altruistic system, the particular elements constantly contribute to the system, whether it is an organism or a human society. Humans, in almost every aspect, are just another animal species. But there is one aspect in which we are different from Nature: We put our own interest before the interest of the system. This is the essence of egoism. We don't need to teach animals, plants or rocks how to behave. Their behavior is always in harmony with Nature, altruistic, putting the system's needs before their own. This is why when prey animals hunt, they hunt only enough to sustain themselves, and thus maintain the natural balance of their habitat. But humans don't hunt to eat; they hunt to gain wealth, to exploit. This is why we have penalties for poaching. The only problem with the human race is that, unlike animals, it runs on an egoistic "operating system" instead of an altruistic one. To mend ourselves and to stop disrupting Nature's homeostasis, we need to install an altruistic operating system instead of our current, faulty system. And to find the missing disk, you need to go to the "program vendor," the Creator. In Kabbalah, the words "God" and "Nature" are synonymous. This is why they have the same numeric value: 86. Kabbalists have discovered and upgraded a method that teaches how we can replace the egoistic disk with an altruistic one, and today, when many already recognize that a real change of heart is necessary, they are stepping to the fore and introducing it to the world. — — — Rav Michael Laitman, Ph.D. in philosophy and M.Sc. in biocybernetics, is founder and president of Bnei Baruch — Kabbalah Education and Research Institute in Tel Aviv — and the author of 30 books on the subject. His daily lessons are aired live on global television and the Internet. He has an extensive website on Kabbalah and his email address is laitman@kabbalah.info. © copyright 2007 by Michael Laitman.

VIDEO: What is the Essence of Kabbalah?

Kabbalah has been clouded in confusion, legend, myth & misrepresentation because authentic Kabbalah has been hidden for thousands of years ... until today!



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Friday, May 04, 2007

What is Spirituality? What is a Soul?

Rav Michael Laitman, PhD defines “spirituality” and “soul” in relation to a student's question.



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Worldwide Unanimous Agreement

“When all the people in the world unanimously agree to annul and eradicate the desire to receive for themselves within them, and will have no other desire but to bestow upon their friends, all worries and harmful ones will be banished from the earth, and each will be secured a complete and healthy life. In the end, each of us will have a whole world to care for our needs.”

Baal HaSulam, in Introduction to the Book of Zohar. Featured in Kabbalah Today (issue #3, May 2007), section “Quotes of Great Kabbalists.”

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

A Glimpse of Radiance

A glimpse of radiance
Column: Kabbalah.info
Rav Michael Laitman ReligionAndSpirituality.com
April 23, 2007
The Book of Zohar (radiance) is the most mysterious, and at the same time most significant, book of Kabbalah. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that The Book of Zohar, written 18 centuries ago, was made for our time. Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) opened it to us and rekindled what has long been forgotten from our hearts. "The depth of the wisdom in The Book of Zohar is locked behind a thousand doors." — Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), "Preface to the Book of Zohar" Since the dawn of humanity, unique individuals have climbed the spiritual ladder and achieved the highest level of bonding with the Upper Force, the Creator. We call those people "Kabbalists." Through this bonding, they came to understand that the whole of reality, from the highest spiritual worlds down to our world, is founded on love and bestowal. They realized that there is nothing in the world except for this Force, and that everything that happens in reality was made only to bring humanity to permanent existence with this sensation. Kabbalists have searched for and found the answers to every question they asked — the purpose of our lives, the structure of the world, and how we can determine our destiny. They wrote about what they discovered in books such as Raziel Hamalaach (The Angel Raziel), Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Creation), Etz Chaim (The Tree of Life), and others. Of all the books, the most seminal, mysterious and profound is The Book of Zohar (The Book of Radiance). Its author is the great Kabbalist Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai (Rashbi). The Book of Zohar describes the hidden system of the Upper Guidance. It depicts the worlds, the great powers that govern them, and how one who chooses to study Kabbalah affects his or her own fate and that of humanity. The Zohar also explains how every event cascades from the Upper World to ours, and the dressings it acquires here. But what makes The Zohar unique is the fact that it was not written for its contemporaries; it was rather intended for a generation that would live two millennia later — our generation. Removing the covers "Our generation stands at the very threshold of redemption, if we only know how to spread the wisdom of the hidden in the masses." — Baal HaSulam, Messiah's Horn The 20th century brought unprecedented changes. These opened the door to a whole new phase, which the greatest Kabbalists have been describing for centuries in their writings. The greatest change of all is that in this century, Kabbalists state that studying Kabbalah is not only permitted, it is a must! It is written in The Book of Zohar itself that the wisdom of Kabbalah would begin spreading from the year 1840. The great 18th century Kabbalist The Vilna Gaon (GRA) wrote in his book Kol HaTor (Voice of the Turtledove) that the process of the revelation of the Kabbalah would begin in 1990. In his book Even Shlomo (Solomon's Rock), Chapter 11, he even stated that redemption depends primarily on the study of Kabbalah. The great Kabbalist the Rav Kook, the first chief rabbi in the land of Israel (then called Palestine), explained that "the great spiritual questions that were once resolved only for the great and the excellent must now be resolved to various degrees within the entire nation" (Eder HaYaker ve Ikvey HaTzon, p. 144). But it was Baal HaSulam who turned the words of the Kabbalists from a vision to a tangible reality. He clearly saw that the time had come to allow everyone to study The Book of Zohar. He claimed that by studying The Zohar, the whole of humanity would rise and attain the spiritual world. With this vision in mind, Baal HaSulam devoted himself to composing a comprehensive, accurate and systematic interpretation of The Book of Zohar. His goal was to unveil the book to the public and make it suitable for the souls of our generation. In the introduction to his commentary on The Zohar, he explained why he wrote it: "I have named the commentary HaSulam (the ladder) to indicate that the function of my commentary is as the function of any ladder. If you have an attic filled with abundance, you need only a ladder to climb it, and all the bounty in the world will be in your hands." Accelerating the spread of the wisdom All the Kabbalists dreamed of our generation, when all of humanity could discover the wondrous things they already had. They prayed that through reading the authentic sources they had left for us, we, too, would achieve bonding with the Upper Force, as did they. In his commentary on The Book of Zohar, Baal HaSulam threw us a rope, "a life buoy." In doing so, he paved our way to a future of abundance and prosperity. Baal HaSulam called upon us to give greater weight to engagement in the wisdom of Kabbalah, and accelerate the spreading of the wisdom. He knew that only the wisdom of Kabbalah could elevate the world to the spiritual realm and into the eternity that Kabbalists had been experiencing throughout the generations. Webster's Dictionary defines a generation as "a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously (at the same time)." In Kabbalah, however, a generation is a spiritual phase. According to great Kabbalists such as the Holy Ari, our generation — our spiritual phase — began in the 16th century. The longer we wait with the spiritual ascension our generation is meant to achieve, the greater will be our discomfort. The spiritual realm, which determines what happens in our world, will increase its pressure on us until we decide to achieve this realm for ourselves. In the words of the great Kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Azulai (in his introduction to the book Ohr ha Chama (Light of the Sun)), "I have found it written that the above decree to not openly engage in the wisdom of truth was only for a time — until the end of the 1490s. From then on ... the sentence has been lifted, and permission was given to engage in The Book of Zohar. And from the year 1540 it has become praiseworthy to engage in great numbers since it is by virtue of this the Messiah King will come, and not by another virtue. It is inappropriate to be negligent."

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Why am I looking for something spiritual?

Why am I looking for something
spiritual?

Why do I want something more or different than what everyday life offers? Kabbalah phrases this question like this: How does the desire for the higher force emerge?
Humanity has developed over many lifetimes; first resembling beasts, with desires only for food, family, sex and shelter; then developing through stages of wealth, power, honor and knowledge.
At the first stage of development, desires for food, family, sex and shelter are a person’s only desires. Even a totally isolated individual has these desires and tries to fulfill them. Desires conditioned by society’s influence (desires for wealth, power and honor) emerge at the next stage.
Afterwards, the desire for knowledge appears. Sciences flourish as we set out to discover where everything comes from, to find our roots. This desire for knowledge, however, still only resides within the framework of our world.
Only at the next stage does a human being desire to know the real source, one’s essence—the meaning of life. “Where do I come from?” “Who am I?” “What am I?” These questions cause discomfort and trouble a person.
Human beings are naturally egoistic. All of our desires are self-motivated and crave fulfillment. They pressure us, literally controlling our every move. The height of egoism in our world is the desire to be filled with knowledge about something above us.
What is the source of desires and how do they appear? The source of desires is suffering. Passing from one type of desire to another happens only under the influence of suffering. If I am in a balanced state, then I feel comfortable and everything is just fine. A new desire then appears, and I feel that something is missing. Now I want to experience something new, so I start trying to fulfill this desire…and this process keeps repeating itself. In other words, I am always running after new pleasures.
We are born on this planet, we live and we die trying to satisfy our countless desires. Only after many lives do we reach the state when one desire is all that remains: the desire to attain our source, the meaning of our lives. Once this final, ultimate desire appears, everything else seems unnecessary and meaningless. A person gets depressed, feeling emotionally and spiritually empty, as if nothing in this world can bring happiness. Life seems pointless and lacking something real…“What is the purpose of my life?” “Why do I exist?” These are the questions that bring people to Kabbalah.

"What is Kabbalah?"

What is Kabbalah?
Although its origins are rooted in deep antiquity, from the time of ancient Babylon, the science of Kabbalah has remained virtually hidden from humanity since it appeared more than four thousand years ago.
This very concealment has sustained Kabbalah’s undying allure. Renowned scientists and philosophers of many countries, such as Newton, Leibniz, and Pico della Mirandola, have investigated and tried to understand the science of Kabbalah. However, to this very day only a few know what Kabbalah really is.
The science of Kabbalah does not speak about our world, and therefore its essence escapes people. It is impossible to comprehend the invisible, the imperceptible, and that which has not been experienced. For thousands of years, humanity was offered a wide variety of things under the name “Kabbalah”: spells, curses, and even miracles, all except for the science of Kabbalah itself. For over four thousand years, common understanding of the science of Kabbalah has been cluttered with misconceptions and misinterpretations. Therefore, first and foremost, the science of Kabbalah needs to be made clear. Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag defines Kabbalah in the following manner in his article The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah:
This wisdom is no more and no less than a sequence of roots, which hang down by way of cause and effect, in fixed, determined rules, weaving into a single, exalted goal described as “the revelation of His Godliness to His creatures in this world.”
Scientific definitions may be complicated and cumbersome. Let’s try to examine what is being said here.
There exists the upper force or the Creator, and governing forces descend from this upper force into our world. We do not know how many forces there are, but this is actually unimportant. We exist here in our world. We are created by some upper force that we call “the Creator.” We are familiar with various forces in our world, such as gravity, electromagnetism and the power of thought. However, there are forces of a higher order that act while remaining hidden from us.
We call the ultimate, comprehensive force—“the Creator.” The Creator is the sum of all of the world’s forces and the highest level in the line of the governing forces.
This upper force gave birth to the upper worlds. There are five worlds in total. The so called Machsom—a barrier that separates the upper worlds and our world—follows them. From the upper force—the Creator, also known as “the world of Infinity”—the forces descend through all the worlds, giving birth to our world and human beings.
The science of Kabbalah does not study our world and humans in it, as traditional sciences do. Kabbalah investigates everything that exists beyond the Machsom.
Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag says that “this wisdom is no more and no less than a sequence of roots, which hang down by way of cause and effect, in fixed, determined rules...” There is nothing other than forces descending from above in accordance with precise laws. Moreover, these laws, as Ashlag writes, are fixed, absolute and omnipresent. Ultimately, they are all directed so that one can reveal the ultimate governing force of nature while being in our world.
Until a person fully reveals this force, until one knows all the worlds one has to climb, obeying the same laws as the descending forces, and until one reaches the world of Infinity, such a person will not leave this world. What does “will not leave” mean? This person will continuously be reborn into our world, evolving from one life to the next until reaching the state where the desire to attain the higher force emerges.
Next article: How does the desire for the higher force emerge? (or, Why am I looking for something spiritual?)

"Kabbalah Today" uses mass media to hasten final redemption

JPost.com » Jewish World » Jewish Features » Article
Apr. 22, 2007 2:35 Updated Apr. 23, 2007 9:44'Kabbalah Today' uses mass media to hasten final redemptionBy MATTHEW WAGNER


Ushering in the end of days might seem an ambitious goal for a tabloid, but the publishers of Kabbalah Today aim to do just that.
Widespread dissemination of Kabbalah, Judaism's esoteric teaching on the origins of creation, will get all of humanity over the last spiritual hump separating it from final redemption, according to members of Bnei Baruch, an organization headed by ontology professor Michael Laitman.
"Right now we are in a stage in humanity where everyone should make the final correction," says Chaim Ratz, executive editor of Kabbalah Today.
"So far more traditional methods managed mankind's basic egoism and self-centeredness," says Ratz, who grew up on Kfar Blum, a secular kibbutz in the northern Galilee. "But today we have reached such extreme levels of egoism that the traditional methods simply do not work."
According to Ratz, man's most basic drive, the pursuit of pleasure, is also the source of all of humanity's problems. And Kabbalah is the cure.
"Kabbalah has the power to eradicate egoism and transform an individual into a more community-wise, altruistic human being," he says.
Ratz says Bnei Baruch's Kabbalah is based on the teachings of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag as explicated in The Sulam (the Ladder), an exegesis on the Zohar, Judaism's central mystical text.
However, unlike Ashlag and his son Baruch, who strictly followed Orthodox Jewish practice, members of Bnei Baruch are not obligated to do so.
"At the center, we keep the halacha," says Ratz. "And Prof. Laitman says that doing so helps improve the positive impact of Kabbalah's teachings. But it is not essential. Whatever works for you is legitimate."
Close to 400,000 copies of Kabbalah Today are distributed for free in English, Russian and Hebrew in Israel and America either once or twice a month.
The Hebrew edition of Kabbalah Today, called Kabbalah Le'Am, which is published every other week, is distributed at intersections, street corners and coffee houses, and as an insert in Haaretz.
A few thousand copies of Kabbalah Today in English are distributed in Israel. Circulation is about 50,000 in Mexico, Canada and the US. Around 65,000 Hebrew editions are put out in Mexico, Canada and the US, most as an insert in the US edition of Yediot Aharonot.
Bnei Baruch's approach deviates from traditional Jewish conceptions about the study of Kabbalah.
According to Rabbi David Batzri, whose father, Yitzhak, heads Yeshivat Hashlom, a respected Kabbalistic Yeshiva in Jerusalem, there is a prohibition against the widespread dissemination of Kabbalah.
"Kabbalah contains many secrets that must not be revealed to the public," says Batzri. "It is for men who have learned the tradition Jewish texts such as Talmud and the Shulhan Aruch for many years. "Only at the age of 50 may one begin, except in very rare cases."
Batzri, who says he is unfamiliar with Bnei Baruch, does agree that at the end of days more and more people will begin learning Kabbalah.
"That is because they will be spiritually prepared to so. But you can't put the wagon before the horse," he says.

Monday, November 13, 2006

VIDEO: "The Table of Free Voices" - What happened on September 9?

"The Table of Free Voices"
7:53
On September 9, 2006, 112 of the world's most compelling thinkers, artists, writers, scientists, social entrepreneurs, philosophers and humanitarians from around the world will come together in Berlin, Germany, as guests of dropping knowledge.

Seated around the worlds largest table in historic Bebelplatz square, these inspiring individuals, renowned for their lasting creative or social contribution, will engage with 100 questions out of the thousands donated to dropping knowledge by the international public.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

BB Australian Kabbalah Group

BB Australian Kabbalah Group

Hey Matt
Sorry we won't be seeing you for a while....
but look forward to your return when you are ready!
"My plan is to read through each book, from our first beginners book to the latest release, & note each special quote that jumps out at me along the way. I'm sure I'll mix in articles in between too."
I will be very happy to read your special quotes....maybe we could put them into a small book to have on hand as a daily reminder of the Creator?
Love
Debbie x

The word

What Generates Movement?

What Kabbalah Isn't

What Does Kabbalah Answer?

The Alternative of Our Life

Development of Desires

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Our Primary Objective

"The primary objective of Kabbalah is to achieve spirituality.

Only one thing is necessary - proper instruction. If a person studies Kabbalah in the right way, he progresses without forcing himself. There can be no coercion in spirituality.

The aim of study is for a person to discover the connecti0n between himself and what is written in the book; this should always be borne in mind. That is the reason Kabbalists wrote down what they experienced and achieved. It is not in order to acquire knowledge of how reality is built and functions, as in science. The intention of the Kabbalah texts is to create an understanding and assimilation of its spiritual truth.

If a person approaches the text in order to gain spirituality, the text becomes a source of light and corrects him."

A Guide to the Hidden Wisdom of Kabbalah by Rabbi Michael Laitman (page 36)

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Why do we need Kabbalah?

"Why do we need Kabbalah? Because Kabbalah is given to us as a springboard for change. It is given to us so we can know & perceive the Creator through any given moment throughout the day. These are the only reasons why the wisdom of Kabbalah was provided. Whoever learns Kabbalah in order to alter himself & improve himself, in order to know the Creator, reaches the stage in which he begins to see he can improve, & fulfill his true destiny in this lifetime."

Page 39, A Guide to the Hidden Wisdom of Kabbalah - Rabbi Michael Laitman

Monday, August 21, 2006

Morning Quotes

- We must gain strength and confidence on the way so that every day will be for us as new, and we have to renew the foundations each time and march forward. 18/8/06.


- We have to arrange all our systems in such a way that spirituality will be in the corporeal activities.

From the booklet: First Intentions


P.S Guys my computer crashed (had to duck into an internet cafe on my lunch break to send this). Hopefully everything will be up and running again soon, so that I can continue posting for everyone.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Morning Advice/Quote

- Make yourself equal to zero, and your friends equal to number one, so as to receive from them the power to attain love of friends and love of the Creator.

- We have to think how to advance in the most effective way, otherwise, wherefore do we live: is it in order to spent time?

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Morning Quotes

- When we try to bestow upon the group, we discover the cutoff: that I hate the friends instead of loving them.

- Work in Arvut so that you discover the need of the Creator to unite us.

Morning Quotes

- When we try to bestow upon the group, we discover the cutoff: that I hate the friends instead of loving them.

- Work in Arvut so that you discover the need of the Creator to unite us.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Morning Quotes

- Many people will say that our world is bad; however they do not associate this with the Creator and with their uncorrected qualities.

- Only after I have correctly annulled myself before the group, without the use of the intellect, can I come to the studies with a deficiency of correction.

- I have to push myself with all my might towards adherence. What will appear as opposite to it will be called darkness, which is what I have to correct.

There is None Else Beside Him

It is written that “there is none else beside Him”, meaning that there is no other power in the world with the ability to do anything against Him. And what man sees, namely, that there are things in the world, which deny the household of above, is because He wills it so.

And it is deemed a correction, called “the left rejects and the right adducts, meaning that that which the left rejects is considered correction. This means that there are things in the world, which from the beginning aim to divert a person from the right way, and they reject him from holiness.

And the benefit from these rejections is that through them a person receives a need and a complete desire for God to help him, since he sees that otherwise he is lost. Not only does he not progress in his work, but he sees that he regresses, and he lacks the strength to observe Torah and Mitzvoth even if not for Her name. That only by genuinely overcoming all the obstacles, above reason, he can observe Torah and Mitzvoth.

But he does not always have the strength to overcome above reason, that otherwise he is forced to deviate, God forbid, from the way of the Creator, and even from not for Her name. And he, who always feels that the shattered is greater than the whole, meaning that there are a lot more descents than ascents, and he does not see an end to these predicaments, and he will forever remain outside of holiness, for he sees that it is difficult for him to observe even as little as a jot, unless through overcoming above reason, but he is not always able to overcome. And what shall be the end of it all?

Then he reaches the decision that no one can help him, but God Himself. This causes him to make a heartfelt demand of the Creator to open his eyes and heart, to bring him nearer to eternal adhesion with God. It follows than, that all the rejections he had experienced had come from the Creator.

That means that the rejections he had experienced were not because he was at fault, for not having the ability to overcome, but because these rejections are for those who truly want to draw nearer to God. And in order for such a person not to be satisfied with only a little, namely, not to remain as a little child without knowledge, he receives help from above so that he will not be able to say that Thank God, he observes Torah and performs good deeds and what else could he ask for?

And only if that person has a true desire, he will receive help from Above. And he is constantly shown how his faults in his present state; that is, he is sent thoughts and views, which work against his efforts. This is in order for him to see that he is not one with the Lord. And as much as he overcomes, he always sees how he is found in a position farther from holiness than others, who feel one with the Lord.

But he, on the other hand, always has his complaints and demands, and he cannot justify the behavior of the Creator, and how he behaves toward him. And it pains him that he is not one with the Lord, until he comes to feel that he has no part in holiness whatsoever.

And although he is occasionally awakened from above, which momentarily revives him, but soon he falls into an abyss. However, this is what causes him to come to realize that only God can help and really draw him closer.

A man must always try and cleave to the Creator, namely, that all his thoughts will be about Him. That is to say, that even if he is in the worst state, from which there cannot be a greater descent, he should not leave His domain, namely, think that there is another authority which prevents him from entering into holiness, and which has the power to either benefit or harm.

That is, he must not think that there is a matter of the power of the Other Side (sitra achrah), which does not allow man to do good deeds and follow God’s ways; but he should think that all is done by the Creator.

The Ba’al Shem Tov said, that he who says that there is another power in the world. Namely shells, is in a state of “serving other gods”, that it is not necessarily the thought of heresy that is the sin, but if he thinks that there is another authority and force apart from the Creator, by that he is committing a sin.

Furthermore, he who says that man has his own authority, meaning that he says that yesterday he himself did not want to follow God’s ways, that too is considered to be committing the sin of heresy. Meaning that he does not believe that only the Creator leads the world.

But when he has committed a sin, and he must certainly regret it and be sorry for having committed it, but here too we should place the pain and sorrow in the right order: where does he place the cause of the sin, that it is that point he should be sorry for.

And a man should then feel sorry and say: “I committed that sin because the Creator hurled me down from holiness to a place of filth, to the lavatory, where the filth is”. That is to say that God gave him a desire and a craving to amuse himself and breath air in a place of stench. (And you might say, as it says in the books, that sometimes a man incarnates in the body of a pig, that he receives a desire and craving to take livelihood from things he had already determined were litter, but now he again wants to revive himself in them).

And also when a man feels he’s in a state of ascent, and tastes some good flavor in the work, he must not say: “Now I am in a state where I understand that it is worthwhile to worship God. Rather he should know that now the Lord has fancied him, and for that reason He draws him near, which is the reason why he tastes a good flavor in the work. And he should be careful never to leave the domain of holiness, and say that there is another operating force besides the Creator. (But this means that the matter of finding favor in the eyes of the Lord, or the opposite, does not depend on man himself, but everything depends on God. And man, with his external mind, cannot comprehend why now the Lord likes him and after that He does not.)

And likewise when he regrets that the Creator does not draw him near, he should also be careful not to be sorry for himself, for having been distanced from the Creator, for by so doing he becomes a recipient for his own benefit, and he who receives is separated from the Creator. Rather he should regret the exile of the Divine Presence, meaning, for inflicting sorrow upon the Divine Presence.

One should take as an example when some small organ of a person is sore. The pain is still felt mainly in the heart and mind, which are the generality of man. And certainly the sensation of a single organ cannot resemble the sensation of a person’s full stature, where most of the pain is felt.

Likewise is the pain that a person feels when he is detached from the Lord, since man is but a single organ of the Divine Presence, for the Divine Presence is the soul of Israel in general. Therefore the sensation of a single organ does not resemble the sensation of the pain in general. That is to say that the Divine Presence regrets that there are parts of it that are detached from it, which she cannot provide for.

(And that might be the meaning of the words: “When a man regrets, the Divine Presence says: “It is lighter than my head”). And if man does not relate the sorrow at being distant from God to himself, he is saved from falling into the trap of the desire to receive for himself, which is the separation from holiness.

The same applies when one feels somewhat closer to holiness, when he is happy at having merited favor in the eyes of the Lord, he must say that the core of his joy is that now there is joy in the Divine Presence, from having being able to bring her private organ near her, and not send it away.

And man rejoices at having been endowed with the ability to please the Divine Presence. And this goes by the same token, because joy that an individual feels, is but a part of the joy that the whole feels. And through these calculations he loses his individuality and avoids being trapped by the Other Side, which is the will to receive for himself.

Although, the will to receive is necessary, since that constitutes a person, since anything which exists in a person apart from the desire to receive is attributed to the Creator. Nevertheless, the will to receive pleasure should be corrected to a form of bestowal.

That is to say, that the pleasure and joy, taken by the will to receive, should be intended to bring contentment above, because there is pleasure below. For that was the purpose of creation, to benefit His creations. And this is called the joy of the Divine Presence above.

For this reason, man must seek advice as to how he can cause contentment above. And certainly, if he receives pleasure, contentment shall be felt above. Therefore, he should long to always be in the King’s palace, and to have the ability to play with the King’s treasures. And that will certainly cause contentment above. It follows that his entire longing should be for the sake of the Creator.

Author: Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag
Translation: C. Ratz

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Morning Quote

"The true and efficient work is to come from the bond."

Kabbaistic Interpretation of Jewish Identity and the State of Israel

BB Australian Kabbalah Group


A Kabbalistic Interpretation of JewishIdentity and the State of Israel
Maya Levina

This paper provides a basic overview of the Kabbalistic or spiritual interpretation of the notions “Jewish,” “Nations of the World,” and “the Nation of Israel.” The analysis is based on texts by Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Rav Michael Latiman PhD, and Feiga Ashlag, the belated wife of Rav Baruch Shalom Ashlag. The paper establishes the thesis that the spiritual interpretation of these notions makes them equally applicable to every member of humanity and that a growing number of people throughout the world today have begun adopting this viewpoint. As a result, they achieve a sense of boundless spiritual fulfillment and absolute love for one another (despite cultural and racial differences), and overcome the limitations of time and space.
I would like to examine the way in which Rav Yehuda Ashlag’s conception of Jewish identity and the State of Israel is currently being explicated and developed by present-day thinker Michael Laitman PhD, and how thousands of people worldwide—both Jews and non-Jews—have begun to adopt Rav Ashlag’s and Prof. Laitman’s conception of being Jewish. What is so interesting and unusual about their spiritual understanding of this notion is that it makes the attributes of “Jewish,” “Gentile,” “Mitzvot” (lit. commandments), “Torah” and “Israel” directly relevant to all people in equal measure, regardless of one’s origin, religious affiliation or any other differentiating sign. It is as if these thinkers look only at the “absolute value” of any human being such that every person bears an equal relation to these qualities, while nevertheless maintaining his or her unique individuality. It is because these notions—which are often interpreted and ascribed according to various physical variables—are seen here rather as inner spiritual attributes contained in any person. At the same time, every person is seen as a completely distinct individual due to his or her unique “root of the soul,” and as relating to all of the above qualities from an individual point of one’s “I.”
Rav Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (known as Baal HaSulam, lit. Owner of the Ladder, 1884-1954) is widely acknowledged as a great thinker and foremost Kabbalist of the 20 th century. In a recently published book, leading scholar of Kabbalah Studies, Prof. Joseph Dan of Hebrew University, writes:
Among the most important Jewish thinkers of the twentieth century, there was one outstanding kabbalist in the traditional sense of the term. Rabbi Judah Ashlag, a Lurianic kabbalist who worked in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in the first half and the middle of the century.[1]
However, it is only recently that Rav Ashlag’s work has begun to receive much attention from the public and to be acknowledged in academic circles. Although Rav Ashlag passionately desired to disperse his ideas throughout the world and exerted great effort to this end, there was relatively little interest in his work during his lifetime and he did not live to see the time when his ideas would gain widespread popularity. Prof. Shlomo Giora Shoham, the 2003 Israel Award laureate, provides a first-hand account of his meeting with Baal HaSulam in the early 1950s:
I found him standing in a dilapidated building, almost a shack, which housed an old printing press. He couldn't afford to pay a typesetter and was doing the typesetting himself, letter by letter, standing over the printing press for hours at a time, despite the fact that he was in his late sixties. Ashlag was clearly a tzaddik (righteous man)—a humble man, with a radiant face. But he was an absolutely marginal figure and terribly impoverished. I later heard that he spent so many hours setting type that the lead used in the printing process damaged his health.[2]
After Baal HaSulam’s death in 1954, his work was continued by his son and student Rav Baruch Shalom Ashlag (known as Rabash, 1906-1991). Rav Baruch Shalom continued to develop Baal HaSulam’s Kabbalistic method while teaching a small group of students. However, he encountered the same difficulty as his father in presenting his father’s work to a wider audience. During the last twelve years of his life, Rabash became especially close to one of his students, Michael Laitman, with whom he studied daily for extended periods of time during those twelve years. In a recent interview, Rabash’s belated wife Feiga Ashlag reveals her insight to their connection:
Baal HaSulam [passed everything] only to Rav Baruch Shalom, and Baruch Shalom, only to Rav Laitman. I saw that Rav Baruch cared deeply about passing everything to his disciple. I tie these two things together and see that the next on this chain is Rav Laitman. Although on the surface, another former student of Rav Baruch… is now printing books and circulating. But we are talking about the inner essence, about that which Rav Laitman received in special first-hand contact. This is what really needs to be passed on.[3]
After Baruch Shalom’s death in 1991, Rav Laitman founded a center for the study of Kabbalah, the Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education and Research Institute, named in his teacher’s honor. In just a few short years, Baal HaSulam’s and Rabash’s innovative work suddenly began to appeal to many people. Hundreds (and later thousands) of people from all over the world, both Jews and non-Jews, have since begun regularly studying the writings of these two Kabbalists with Bnei Baruch. Feiga Ashlag reveals how slowly but surely, this began to happen after her husband’s death:
And so we started putting out flyers and inviting the public to lectures. Initially, three people showed up, then five and six. And that is how it began. Little by little, after two or three years of giving all these lectures in Tel Aviv, Rav Laitman put a group together and started teaching them. Afterwards, everything evolved very rapidly… And suddenly, exactly in 1995, came a wave of genuine interest. And now there are already hundreds of people who are able to grasp Rav Baruch Shalom. These people, likewise, will have a greater need in Rav Laitman as well. They will come and take from Rav Laitman what's needed… It is amazing how it is all happening in one generation, so quickly. This indicates that the coming times will change even faster.[4]
What is so interesting about the students of Bnei Baruch is that any cultural, religious or racial differences between them seem to vanish when they study and work together, whether they are physically together or connected merely through the Internet. Even the language barrier seems to become irrelevant in their mutual work—they have set up a system of simultaneous translation into several languages. Although the group’s center is located in the physical State of Israel, students of Bnei Baruch all around the world see themselves as equally belonging to the spiritual State of Israel and as Jews in the spiritual sense, regardless of any cultural or religious affiliations they may simultaneously have in their day-to-day associations with people not studying Kabbalah.
Perhaps this unusual connection they have with one another, as well as disregard for any differences and cultural implications, are a result of their mutual goal—to actualize what they consider to be the main Mitzva or rule in the Torah, “love your neighbor as yourself.”[5] This goal is clearly articulated in the texts of Baal HaSulam and Rabash, with the provision that this mutual love, “Arvut,” or mutual guarantee must be achieved for the sake of the Creator—for the sake of attaining, in Baal HaSulam’s words, "adhesion with Him." According to the writings of Baal HaSulam, this union with the Creator is the inevitable purpose of every person’s existence. In his article Arvut (lit. Mutual Guarantee), Baal HaSulam writes:
Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon [many consider Rabbi Shimon to be the author of the Book of Zohar, one of the fundamental Kabbalistic texts], clarifies this concept of Arvut even further, by saying that it is not enough that all of Israel be responsible for one another, but that the whole world must be included in that Arvut. It is also upon the Israeli nation, to qualify themselves and all the people of the world through Torah and Mitzvot [these are understood as spiritual actions of bestowal, to be shortly addressed], to develop so that they take upon themselves that sublime work of the love of a fellow man, which is the ladder to attain the purpose of creation, which is adhesion with Him. Because it has already been shown (item 20) that the impression that comes to a man by dealing with Mitzvot between man and his God, is completely the same as the impression he gets from the Mitzvot between man and his fellow man. For here, in this exalted point the love of God and the love of his fellow person unite and actually become one.[6]
Adhesion or union with the Creator—also known as the reception of the Creator’s light into one’s soul—is considered to be “the reception of the Torah,” just as it was received by Moses’s group at the foot of Mount Sinai:
…which is why they are spoken of in singular form: “and there Israel camped before the mountain (Exodus 19, 2),”” which our sages interpret—as one man in one heart. That is because each and every person from the nation detached himself completely from self-love and wanted only to benefit his friend, as we have shown above (item 16) regarding the meaning of the Mitzva of “Love thy friend as thyself.” It turns out that all the individuals in the nation have come together and became one man in one heart, for only then were they qualified to receive the Torah. …Because the Torah was not given to them before each of them was asked if he would take upon himself the Mitzva (precept) of loving others in the full measure expressed in the words: “Love thy friend as thyself.”[7]
How is it that so many people who do not bear any physical relation to Judaism or Israel have taken it upon themselves to observe the Mitzvot and to identify themselves as Jews and inhabitants of the Nation of Israel, even when they are not actually of Jewish descent and do not live anywhere near the Land of Israel in the physical sense? It is because all of these words receive a very different interpretation in Kabbalistic texts than they do in other contexts. Kabbalistic books employ words from our normal language, but these words never refer to the physical objects that are named by them. Rather, they refer to the objects’ spiritual manifestations, which are completely withdrawn from any physical likeness.[8] Since Baal HaSulam revealed his Kabbalistic method in the 20 th century to anyone wishing to use it regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or level of intelligence; therefore no one holds an advantage or disadvantage in his or her chances of mastering this methodology, i.e. of attaining the spiritual message described in Kabbalistic books. We can find many examples of this in Baal HaSulam’s texts. For instance, in the Introduction to the Zohar, he writes:
And now, in our time, when we are nearing the end of the last two millenniums, we are given the permission to reveal his words [the words of Rabbi Itzhak Luria, known as “the Holy Ari”] and the words of the Zohar throughout the world to a great measure, in such a way, that from our generation onwards the words of the Zohar will become more and more revealed in the world, until the full measure is discovered as God wills it.[9]
Returning to our main topic—the interpretation of “Jew,” “ Israel” and “Nations of the World” that is being adopted by a growing number of Kabbalah students; we can gain a basic understanding of these notions from excerpts of Prof. Laitman’s work. In his book, Interview with the Future, he explains the way in which these fundamental Kabbalistic notions should be understood:
The terms “Jew” and “Gentile” do not relate to this or that individual, but express two spiritual situations in the same person. The word – Jewish (Hebrew: Yehudi) comes from the word – unification (Yechud), connection with the Creator, the inner essence of man’s soul; and a Gentile is its outer essence.[10]
We can see that this explanation derives directly from Baal HaSulam’s writings, as he provides a similar explanation in Item 66 of theIntroduction to the Zohar:
Bear in mind, that everything has internality and externality. Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is generally considered the internality of the world, and the seventy nations are considered its externality.[11]
In order to understand this explanation, we must also understand what is meant here by internality and externality. Just as all words used in Kabbalistic texts, these notions refer to non-physical phenomena perceived in the part of the person that Kabbalists define as “soul.” The process of attaining spirituality, of coming closer to the state of “loving others as yourself,” to the state of similarity to the Creator and “adhesion with Him,” is the process of uncovering more and more inner layers in oneself. It is a process of self-attainment where a person constantly reveals deeper, more inner layers of feeling and perception, ultimately arriving at the level of “absolute love” or “absolute bestowal.” When a person attains this final level, it is considered that he has attained the goal of creation, that he has become equal to the Creator in every way, since the Creator is defined as a Giver, a Bestower, or the attribute of bestowal relative to a person.
In this way, the inner part of a person is the desire of Israel (“Yashar – El,” meaning “straight to God”) or the Jewish attribute in a person, the so called “spark” of divinity that is contained in every person and awaits its development and realization. Rav Laitman describes this in the following way:
Attaining the spiritual degree of “Jewish” is the purpose of every man’s existence in this world. Each soul has a spiritual spark called “Jewish,” a spark of light inside our corporeal will to receive. That spark exists in all people …[12]
This is the desire that expands and develops with the correct use of the Kabbalistic method, ultimately expanding to envelop a person’s entire heart, meaning his or her entire perception of reality. This means that a person expands the attribute of “bestowal” in him and bestows to other people and the Creator on all levels (meaning, on the level of the corporeal world and on the many spiritual levels he has attained):
The spark wishes to return to its root, and rise to the exact same place and degree it had prior to its clothing in a body. If one is not given the chance to nurture that spark through the wisdom of Kabbalah …[13]
The Nations of the World or Gentiles are the more external desires of a person, the desires to receive egoistic fulfillment rather than fulfillment due to one’s equivalence with the Creator, who is a Giver. These desires are not viewed negatively. They are considered indispensable for one’s spiritual growth and must only be used correctly. The egoistic desires of “the Nations of the World” are considered absolutely necessary to one’s spiritual development because it is only by using them correctly that a person can develop and expand the attribute of “ Israel” in him. Rav Laitman writes:
Spiritual evolution is accompanied by the appearance of a stronger egoistic will to receive, and that is what sets off the transition to the degree of growing…[14]
Since a person constantly uncovers deeper layers in oneself, there is a constant increase of egoistic desires. That is to say, when a person achieves a certain level of bestowal to the Creator (which is achieved by bestowal to the neighbor), he feels an immense pleasure from this action of bestowal and accepts this pleasure for the sake of the Creator—because this is what the Creator desires. However, as soon as a person achieves a certain level of ability to receive this pleasure altruistically (i.e. for the sake of the Creator), he immediately sees the following level, which is greater pleasure contained in a degree of bestowal greater than the one he has achieved. He desires to receive this pleasure egoistically, meaning the desires called “the Nations of the World” in him desire to receive this pleasure for the sake of the person rather than for the sake of the Creator. However, by focusing again on the desire of “ Israel” using the Kabbalistic method, the person is able to use his egoistic desires correctly to again expand the attribute of “Jew” or “ Israel” in him and achieve greater similarity to the Creator.
This way, we see that spiritual advancement, as understood in Baal HaSulam’s Kabbalistic method, is based on correctly juxtaposing “Israel” and “the Nations of the World” with one another, in such a way that all of a person’s desires work correctly towards the goal of unifying with the Creator or fulfilling the aforementioned Mitzva. We can also see that in the process of one’s advancement on this path, the layers that were once internal constantly become the external layers as soon as a person reveals the existence of the following, deeper, and greater level of bestowal.
From this, we can begin to see why students of Baal HaSulam’s method gradually begin to identify themselves as Jews and Sons of Israel, even while they may culturally and socially observe other traditions to which they are accustomed on the physical level. Feiga Ashlag expresses this personal and internal process that the students undergo:
This has to be the group where each person, deep in the hiding places of his "I", somewhere in the silence of his "home", knows that he wants to bring his soul to correction. I want to say that one has to find his demand, the point where he has a dispute with the Creator. …T he inner point of each person plays a very important role. Each person, somewhere in silence, has to find time for his personal aspiration. … Baal HaSulam stressed that the inner part of the Torah, the science of Kabbalah, is intended not for the development or service of society, but for each individual's correction of his soul. A correct development of society will come as a consequence to this.[15]
In this way, students of Baal HaSulam’s method begin to focus more on the inner processes that transpire within their soul, not attaching much significance to the corporeal aspect of their lives. It is considered that the corporeal level of one’s existence is fully determined—whether by one’s genes, the surrounding society, or other factors. According to Baal HaSulam’s worldview, almost any aspect of one’s life is somehow arranged or determined for the person, and one’s freedom of choice consists only in developing spiritually[16], since the spiritual development is entirely up to a person and can never be forced on him by anyone. As a person utilizes the only free choice he has and develops the inner attribute of “Israel” in him, his entire experience of life drastically changes and he begins to exist both in the corporeal world as all people do, and in the spiritual worlds with other Kabbalists. At the same time, his life in “this world” (“Olam Hazeh,” a Kabbalistic term referring to a person’s perceptions and desires on the level of the corporeal reality) remains the same as if he were not a Kabbalist and he may appear to be just an “average Joe” to any observer.
At the same time, we cannot say that there is absolutely no relation between people’s spiritual development and the events that take place in the physical world. It is hardly possible for a non-Kabbalist to articulate the connection between the two without erring since the spiritual reality and the corporeal reality are composed of very different qualities (these being the “will to receive” and “the will to bestow”). One sees how the physical world is related to the spiritual world only once he or she has attained the spiritual world to a certain degree. Nevertheless, we can roughly say that according to Kabbalah, the events that take place in the physical world are results or physical manifestations of the events happening in the spiritual world or in the common soul of humanity. This way, the prosperity of the physical State of Israel is directly related to the prosperity of the part of “ Israel” in people’s souls. Feiga Ashlag expresses this connection between circulating the wisdom of Kabbalah to a wide audience (thus providing people with the opportunity to develop their soul’s inner desire for the Creator) to the prosperity of the State of Israel:
There is a credo: circulation. It is clear that circulation saves the situation in Israel, and maybe even ensures its survival. Outwardly directed circulation will lead Israel to the point when its inner part will actively engage in this process. However each person inside himself must create his or her own inner need, inner question. He has to work in relation to his own soul. And this is what he has to pass on.[17]
Baal HaSulam, Rabash and Rav Laitman often articulate this idea of Israel’s and the world’s dependence on people’s engagement in the “inner part of the Torah.” However, perhaps Feiga Ashlag’s simple and personal account allows any reader to relate to her more easily in the most regular, human way:
I need my people to survive. I need my children and grandchildren not to live through the atom bomb. I need us to avoid physical and spiritual suppression. I need to believe that there is a group of people who are fighting for survival of our country in both material and spiritual aspects. By saying "country" I mean the survival of Israel and all of humanity. If there was no mass circulation of the authentic science of Kabbalah, its inner part, the finest details that suit beginners, and if none of this existed at a group level, I would be sad and frightened, thinking "Who will take this upon themselves?"[18]
Thus, we have slightly clarified that in the Kabbalistic interpretation, internality, externality, Israel, and the Nations of the World are spiritual degrees or levels in any human being. At the same time, there is a specific way in which these spiritual attributes reflect in the physical world, such that people’s engagement or lack of engagement in developing their internality or the attribute of Israel in them results in positive or negative effects regarding how Israel and the Nations of the World manifest in “this world.” It is difficult to select just one excerpt from Baal HaSulam’s writing that summarizes his view on this matter because he explains this in great depth and delves into many distinctions related to the topic. The matter cannot be fully understood without understanding all of the components of his reasoning, but we can begin to have a basic grasp by looking at a few excerpts from his Introduction to the Zohar:
When a person from Israel enhances and dignifies his internality, which is the Israel in him, over his externality, being the Nations of the World in him, meaning that he dedicates the majority of his time and efforts to enhance and exalt his internality, for the good of his soul, and a minor effort, the mere necessity, to sustain his Nations of the World, meaning his bodily needs, as it says (Avot 1) - “make your Torah permanent and your labor transient,” by that he makes - in the internality and externality of the world - the Sons of Israel soar upwards and the Nations of the World, which are the general externality, recognize and acknowledge the value of the Sons of Israel. And if, God forbid, the contrary occurs, that a person from Israel enhances and regards his externality, which is the Nations of the World in him, higher than the Israel in him - as it says (Deuteronomy 28) “The stranger that is in the midst of thee,” the externality in him will soar upwards, and you, that is the internality, the Israel in you, will plunge deep down. That causes the externality of the world in general, which are the Nations of the World, to soar ever higher and overcome Israel, degrading them to the ground, and the Sons of Israel, the internality of the world, to plunge, God forbid, deep down.[19]
It’s been thoroughly clarified, that the Torah too has its internality and its externality, as does the whole world. Therefore, he who delves in the Torah also has those two degrees.…But if, God forbid, the contrary occurs, that the person from Israel degrades the virtue of the internality of the Torah and its secrets, dealing with the customs of our souls and their degrees, and also in the part of the reasoning of the Mitzvot (precepts), with regard to the virtue of the externality of the Torah, that deals with the practical part alone, and even if he dedicates some time to the internality of the Torah, but just a little of his time, when it is neither night nor day, as though it were, God forbid, redundant, by that he causes degradation and decline of the internality of the world, which are the Sons of Israel, and enhances the domination of the externality of the world - meaning the Nations of the World - over them, and they shall humiliate and disgrace the Sons of Israel, and regard Israel as redundant, as though the world has not a need for, God forbid. And furthermore, by that they make even the externality of the world overcome its internality. For the worst of the Nations of the World, which destruct and damage it, mount higher over the internality of them, which are the righteous of the World, and then they cause the ruin and the heinous slaughter our generation witnessed, may God protect us from now on. Thus you see that the redemption of Israel and indeed its rise depends upon the study of the Zohar and the internality of the Torah. And vise versa, all the ruin and decline of the Sons of Israel, is a result of their abandoning of the internality of the Torah, degrading it and turning it to something seemingly redundant, God forbid.[20]
In his Introduction to another fundamental Kabbalistic work, The Tree of Life by the Ari, Baal HaSulam writes:
Now you will understand what is written the Zohar: “That with this composition the Children of Israel will be redeemed from exile,” as well as in many other places, that only through the expansion of the wisdom of Kabbalah in the masses will we obtain complete redemption.[21]
From these texts, we can see that students of Baal HaSulam’s Kabbalistic method worldwide identify themselves with Israel and as Jews not only due to their personal aspiration to attain a sensation of spirituality and the immense pleasure contained in this sensation, but also due to a sense of urgent responsibility of ensuring the existence of the physical State of Israel and preventing possible disasters in the rest of the world. For this reason, their main sphere of activity today is in circulating the wisdom of Kabbalah (as Baal HaSulam had dreamed during his life in an attempt to prevent future catastrophe[22]) and in providing a Kabbalistic explanation for all of humanity’s misfortunes. Rav Laitman sums this up in the following way:
It therefore depends on the education. We must provide for the right education: explain to our children and ourselves the purpose of creation, what our role entails and why the Creator chose us. … The absence of attainment of the upper providence will set off the next holocaust. We, and only we, must stop it now! The examples I have brought here show how necessary and how urgent it is to bring to everyone’s awareness the knowledge of the purpose of providence, the purpose of our lives and the reason for our troubles, so that we will choose the right way for ourselves.[23]
From all this, we can see that Baal HaSulam’s and Rabash’s Kabbalistic interpretation of Israel and the Jews has begun to appeal to many people during the last decade, and that their work continues to be developed by Dr. Michael Laitman and students of Bnei Baruch which he founded. In addition, Baal HaSulam’s work is beginning to be examined in the academic world—both in Jewish philosophy departments and by scientists in fields such as quantum physics and biology, where researchers are beginning to obtain scientific results that coincide with Baal HaSulam’s descriptions of spiritual laws—the laws of bestowal. The recent developments in technology and communications also allow students of Baal HaSulam’s method to realize his recommendations and to connect “as one man in one heart” despite separation by continents and language barriers, and this way to enter a life of spiritual perception beyond time and space as described in Kabbalistic books.
Perhaps Baal HaSulam’s method achieves its truest realization during the international congresses held by the Institute several times a year in different locations of the globe, which are attended by hundreds and even thousands of students from all over the world. Arguably, the fullest realization of Baal HaSulam’s method takes place during the Institute’s congresses held in Israel during Pesach and Sukkoth, both according to the amount of people that connect “as one man in one heart” and the duration of this connection—over a week, during which this is their only activity. The physical and spiritual connection of such different parts of the “common human soul” (there are representatives from practically every part of the world) that unite during such congresses is what students of Bnei Baruch consider the Nation of Israel—a spiritual entity that comes into existence in the heart of each person who so chooses.


Notes
1. Dan, p. 108.
2. This excerpt was published on Dec 17, 2004 in Haaretz newspaper, in a story by Micha Odenheimer. (Bnei Baruch.)
3. Ashlag, F. para 29.
4. Ashlag, F. para 11.
5. Love thy neighbour as thyself (Leviticus 19, 18) ” Rabbi Akiva says: “ it is a great rule in the Torah .” This statement demands explanation. … It turns out that when he says about the mitzvah of “love thy neighbour as thyself” that it is a great rule in the Torah, we must understand that all other 612 mitzvot (precepts) in the Torah with all their interpretations are no more and no less than the sum of the details inserted and contained in that single mitzvah of “ love thy neighbour as thyself .”
… a convert who came before Hillel and asked of him: “teach me the whole of the Torah when I’m standing on one leg . ” And he replied: “anything that you hate do not do to your friend (the Aramaic translation of “love thy neighbour as thyself”) .
… each of the six hundred and thirteen mitzvot revolves around that single mitzvah of “ Love thy neighbour as thyself.” And we find that such a state can only exist in a nation whose members all agree to it. (Ashlag, Y. Matan Torah p.1)
6. Ashlag, Y. Arvut p. 2.
7. Ashalg, Y. Arvut p. 1.
8. And the books of Kabbalah and the Zohar are full of corporeal parables. Therefore people are afraid lest they will fail with materializing and will lose more than they will gain. And that is what prompted me to compose a thorough interpretation to the writing of the ARI and now to the holy Zohar. And I have removed completely that concern, for I have proven the spiritual message behind everything, which is abstract and devoid of all physical resemblance, above space and time as the readers shall see, in order to allow all of Israel to study the Zohar and be warmed by its sacred light. (Ashlag, Y. Introduction to the Book of Zohar p. 22)
9. Ashlag, Y. Inrtoduction to the Book of Zohar p. 24
10. Laitman, p. 159.
11. Ashlag, Y. Introduction to the Book of Zohar, Item 66
12. Laitman, p. 160.
13. Laitman, p.160.
14. Laitman, p. 159.
15. Ashlag, F. para. 13, 32
16. Ashlag, Y. The Freedom.
17. Ashlag, F. para 15
18. Ashlag, F. para 22
19. Ashlag, Y. Introduction to the Book of Zohar p. 25
20. Ashlag, Y. Introduction to the Book of Zohar p. 26
21. Ashlag, Y. Introduction to the Tree of Life p. 7
22. Ashlag, Y. The Solution. Section “Disparity of Form.”
23. Laitman, p. 161.

References
Ashlag, F. 2005. I Believe in Rav Laitman: Recollections of Feiga Ashlag, the Widow of the Late Rav Baruch Ashlag. Bnei Baruch World Center for Kabbalah Studies.
Ashla g , Y. 2002. Matan Torah (The Revelation of Godliness). Bnei Baruch World Center for Kabbalah Studies. Trans., C. Ratz.
Ashlag, Y. 2002. The Arvut (Bond). Bnei Baruch Autumn Congress Textbook 2004 . Trans., C. Ratz, pp. 34-39, Israel: Bnei Baruch. Published in original Hebrew as HaArvut in Matan Torah. 1996. Israel: Ohr HaGanuz Publications, pp. 31—46.
Ashlag, Y. 2002. Introduction to the Book of Zohar. Bnei Baruch World Center for Kabbalah Studies. Trans., C. Ratz . Published in original Hebrew as Hakdama LeSefer HaZohar in Kabbalah LaMathil. 2002. Israel: Bnei Baruch, pp. 37—63.
Ashlag, Y. 2003. Introduction to the Book Tree of Life. Bnei Baruch World Center for Kabbalah Studies. Trans., C. Ratz . Published in original Hebrew as Hakdama LePanim Meirot UMasbirot in Kabbalah LaMathil. 2002. Israel: Bnei Baruch, pp. 236—260.
Ashla g , Y. 2004. The Solution. Bnei Baruch World Center for Kabbalah Studies. Trans., C. Ratz.
Bnei Baruch World Center for Kabbalah Studies. 2006. About Bnei Baruch .
Dan, Joseph. 2006. Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction . New York: Oxford Univ. Press.
Laitman, Michael. 2006. Interview with the Future . Bnei Baruch World Center for Kabbalah Studies.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Morning Quote

"Humanity must speedily come to know that there is a remedy for the blows. All depends on us."

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Advice of Rav

Before every single action the correct intention must be added and at every moment during the action the intention must be renewed, as it constantly escapes.

Definition Ohr Markif

Ohr Makif:

Ohr Makif (the Surrounding light) is the Light intended to clothe in the degree, but it is delayed because of some limitation of the degree. This definition
contains two meanings:

1 – the luminescence from afar, 2 – the certain luminescence, meaning, that finally it will be attired in it in future, because the Light envelops the entire degree and doesn’t give it any opportunity to escape it until it is worthy of accepting the Light fully.

The Kabbalistic books are full of Light, and, in order for it to envelop the entire world, let us circulate the books of the greatest Kabbalists all over the
world!

Advice of Rabash

Man should hate the will to receive with the utmost fierceness, since all the destructions of this world are derived only from the will to receive, and by hating it, man corrects it and conquers it in the face of sanctity.