Revealing the Upper World
The Essence of Religion and its Purpose, Talk 11
Lecture presented at Bnei Baruch Education Center
Rav Michael Laitman, PhD, July 28, 2005
- Bold and in quotes: Original text of Baal HaSulam
- Regular: Commentaries of Rav Laitman
- lowercase italics: emphasized words
- Capitalized italics: transliteration from Hebrew
We continue to study Baal HaSulam's article "The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose" from the book Kabbalah LeMatchil, page 19, section called "Religion is Not for the Good of the People, But for the Good of the Worker."
By religion we refer to the Science of Kabbalah, which is the means to achieve creation’s correction. This is precisely what Kabbalists mean when they use the word “religion.”
In general, all words such as commandments, Torah, religion, righteous man, wicked man and so on have completely different definitions in Kabbalah than what is understood in regular use, as it is written: “The opinion of the Torah is opposite to the opinion of the masses.”
First we must define these words correctly, and only then will we understand the message a Kabbalist wants to convey us.
All the problems of understanding the Wisdom of Kabbalah incorrectly— the fact that for thousands of years many people have tried to understand it and failed— come from them defining the words in Kabbalistic texts incorrectly. The words in these texts have an altogether different meaning than what we are used to understanding in all other cases of their use.
Thus, the word “religion” means "Kabbalah" or "Torah". In other words, it is the means for correction. This “religion” has been given to us not merely for “the creature’s good,” in order to derive pleasure from it. Rather, it was given to us only “for the use of the worker, ”for a person who uses it correctly in order to achieve a goal.
Religion is Not for the Good of the People, But for the Good of the Worker
This means that we absolutely cannot change any aspect of our destiny for the better by shouting, praying and using various other pleas. The means, called "Torah and Mitzvot (commandments)", were given for our correction. To the degree a person corrects himself, he acquires the Creator’s unchanging attitude of “He is good and He does good” in the correct form; a person really perceives himself to be in the world of the Creator, Who is “good and Who does good.”
Only in this way, meaning by changing himself, a person is able to change his destiny and his life. Merely pleading with the Creator will not help. The Creator does not change. Even now, He governs creation as one "Who is good and benevolent" for the righteous and for the wicked.
“Many are mistaken and compare our holy Torah with ethics.”
What is the system of ethics? Ethics are systems that constantly guard a person and hold him in fear. They obligate one to perform various actions against one’s will. Thus, instead of correcting oneself and one’s desire from within, a person, out of fear of punishment, performs various actions externally.
“Externally” means “outside” of my desire. That is, I do not want, do not feel and do not understand that this is necessary. However, I was told to do this. I was brought up this way, so therefore I do it. Obviously, in this case, such actions are external. If it were not for the upbringing that became my second nature, if it was not for my habit (whereby I feel bad if I fail to do something), or if I cease to be afraid, I would then run away from this and no longer do anything.
That is, this is not the inner correction of the desires that comprise the entire matter of creation, its very matter or intention “for myself” that a person must correct, in all the 613 desires of his soul. A person’s soul consists of 613 (TARIAG) desires. These desires are subdivided into five levels of Aviut. At first a person corrects the level of Aviut Shoresh, then Aleph, Bet, Gimel and Dalet. This is what we must correct.
Drawing No. 1
How do we correct these desires? We do not correct the desires themselves. Originally, every desire within us is used to receiving delight and enjoyment for our own sake. For all these desires we must establish an intention “for bestowal”, in order to bring contentment for the Upper one.
Drawing No. 2
The desires will remain the same desires as before, but the way they are used will change.
We have talked about this many times before: I do something in order to do good for the Upper by using any one of my desires. If I do this, I become similar to Him, I am as the Upper and thus reach eternal and perfect life. However, this happens only on the condition that I achieve His degree.
This means that I must correct my desire. This does not mean carrying out some physical actions and considering them to be corrections. Rather, it means correcting the desires within your heart. This is precisely what the Upper One wants me to do: to correct my heart. It is also impossible to correct the heart with the system of ethics. Rather, one can do this only with the help of the Light that Reforms.
Drawing No. 3
Therefore Baal HaSulam wrote that “many people mistakenly compare our holy Torah with ethics. ”What is “our holy Torah”? The Light that comes from above and corrects a person is called “Torah”. Why is the Torah called “holy”? “Holy” refers to Bina, the Bestower, and it also means “separated.” A person who is separated from the will to receive, from the matter of this world, is a bestower. Therefore “the holy Torah” is the name for the force that gives one the ability to bestow, that corrects one to the degree of holiness, or Bina.
“But that has come to them because they have never tasted religion in their lives.”
That is, these people have not fully felt either altruistic or egoistic properties. Even though they exist in egoistic properties, they do not think that they exist within egoism. Rather, they think that everything is fine with them, or even consider themselves to be righteous men.
“I call upon them: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’”
This is exactly what we must do: achieve the state when we perceive and see the Creator,
meaning to completely know Him.
“It is that both ethics and religion aim at one thing—to raise man above the filth of the narrow self love and bring him to the summit of the love for others. But still they are distant, one from the other, as the distance between the Thought of the Creator from the thought of man.”
Why? Because it is possible to demand this from a person. Since a person must achieve love for the creation, since he must love all the creatures, people think that, if they force him to do so, he will gradually understand that this is good. They want to convince a person that this is what is necessary for him and for others to feel good.
The whole world agrees that if everyone loves everyone else, then the world will become peaceful and tranquil, and everyone will be happy. So what is missing? Raising the motto “love your neighbor as yourself” to such a high level that everyone will agree to it and accept it as the main principle. So why is this not enough?
“For religion extends from the Thought of the Creator and ethics comes from thoughts of flesh and blood, and from the experiences of their lives.”
In other words, this is like psychology. In our world we see that loving each other is worthwhile and by loving each other we are able to avoid disasters. What else can we do? “Friends, we are all egoists, so let us limit ourselves out of fear of self annihilation, fear of all the disasters our egoism brings to us, and let us elevate ourselves to the level of love.”
In essence, these are thoughts of “flesh and blood,” or “man’s thoughts,” and humanity agrees. It is also discussed in the UN, which has commissions working on the issue of “love for the neighbor.” Why is it not working?
Firstly, the Creator places obstacles before us and does not allow us to love each other on the level of this world in order to satisfy our egoism. Secondly, it is really a mistake to suppose that we can achieve love for the neighbor according to our own decision, based on our understanding, and with this goal in mind. It is because this kind of love for the neighbor, generated by the aspiration to do good for myself, does not elevate me to the level of love. It elevates me only to the level of necessity, whereby I will treat you good in order to feel good myself. The minute I discover that I will also feel good without love for you, I will immediately leave this entire love behind. That is, I do not change my nature. I merely behave good externally toward my neighbor.
“Therefore, the difference between them is obvious, both in practical aspects and in the final aim.
For the recognition of good and evil that develops in us through ethics as we use it, is relative to the success of the society.”
Why do we want to achieve love for the neighbor? All nations speak in favor of it. Nobody objects. Ask modern fascists and they will also say that of course they are in favor of love. Why does everyone want this? Because this will be good for the world. Essentially, this is the greatest egoism, and we arrive at this decision having no other choice.
This has no connection to the attribute of bestowal and real love. Love is when I use another person’s desire as if it were my own. I use my desire only in order to serve another person. In other words, I first have to exit out of my desires, receive the correction of Hafetz Hesed (delighting in mercy) on all my desires, and after this, also acquire another person’s empty Kelim. These other Kelim will become as my own Kelim,
and I then work within them to bestow for their sake . This is called “love.”I must completely replace myself with someone else.
Imagine that you exist, with all your desires, and suddenly you decide to love another person. What does it mean, “to love another person”? This means, you erase everything contained in your body, all of your thoughts and desires, and all your passions and plans. You clothe into someone else and clarify only what he wants, adding all of your body’s abilities to him.
There is not a single thought, desire or plan that is directed at you. According to the Torah, this is called “love for the neighbor.” If a person ascends to this level, this is called that he enters spirituality. Meaning, we are talking about changing one’s nature. We are not talking about external behavior; that which ethics demand of a person.
Such a correction in our matter can take place only with the help of the very Light that created this matter. Our matter was created by the Upper Light. It created our matter, the will to receive. In Kabbalah we study that the Light created a desire. Afterwards, this Light clothed into the desire and gave this desire one additional perception—the perception of the Giver.
Drawing No. 4
This is similar to when I am a guest at someone’s house, and the host serves me delicious food. I feel that the food influences me in two ways. On the one hand, I perceive the delicious food itself—I enjoy the taste, I feel happy and pleased. On the other hand, I feel the host’s presence next to the food. Meaning, I perceive the Creator (the Light); I perceive the pleasure that extends from Him as well as He Himself. The appearance of the Creator ruins my appetite, it ruins my reception, and I begin to push this pleasure away. This is similar to when I say to the Host that I do not want the delicious food. The appearance of the Creator influences the Kli turning it from a receiver into a giver, or a Kli that returns and bestows.
This means that only the appearance of the Creator before meis able to change my egoistic nature; not ethics, with their prohibitions and moral teachings. Anything coming from people cannot correct me. Only when the Creator reveals Himself from above, when the Light reveals itself as bestowing, He will obligate me to become a bestower.
This is precisely the correction we need, rather than merely nice behavior on the outside. We see how hard it is for a person to hold onto this
“With religion, however, the recognition of good and evil that develops in us as we use it is relative to God alone.”
He must become revealed in order to correct me. I already need a connection with Him.
“That is to say, from a change of form from the Maker, to equivalence of form with Him, which is called ‘adhesion.’”
Just look at how much we have to change: we begin from the state when we have absolutely opposite properties, when the Light is bestowing and the Kli is the will to receive, and they are opposite to each other. However, if the Creator appears and the Kli already has a relationship with Him, then I, within my will to receive, transform into one who desires to give to Him in return. That is, I ascend from the degree of the will to receive to the degree of bestowal. I thus equalize with the Creator and attain the same level of existence as Him: eternity, perfection and infinity.
“And they are also completely distant from one another regarding the purpose.”
Ethics, or the system of Musar, and the Science of Kabbalah or Torah, are completely different from beginning to end.
“For the purpose of ethics is the wellbeing of society as far as examination of practical intelligence is concerned, which is taken from the events of life. But in the end, that purpose does not promise its follower any elation above the boundaries of nature.”
Meaning, regular upbringing does not demand a person to rise above his nature; he needs only to be good. In our human society we do not even dream about changing our nature, transforming human nature. Humanity does not think about this at all and does not understand that such a possibility exists. Even people who seem to study religion and Torah do not intend to change human nature using the system of ethics. With ethics, they only want to make a person better externally, for him to carry out the commandments and behave well toward the neighbor, in the external form. Obviously, here we are not talking about correcting a person’s heart, changing his very essence.
“…which is therefore still subject to criticism, for who can prove to an individual the extent of his benefit in such a way, that he will be compelled to belittle his own self, to a certain degree, in favor of the wellbeing of society?
The religious goal, however, promises the wellbeing of the individual who follows it.“
Why is this so? It is because “religious goal” refers to the goal achieved by way of religion, or the Wisdom of Kabbalah. This goal connects a person to the Surrounding Light, as we study. Let us read this part from the end of “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot.”
We turn to page 198, in the book Kabbalah LeMatchil.
Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot, Item 155.
“Therefore we must ask: why then, did the Kabbalists obligate each person to study the Wisdom of Kabbalah? Indeed there is a great thing in it, worthy of being publicized: There is a wonderful, invaluable remedy to those who engage in the Wisdom of Kabbalah.”
So firstly, this is Segula (“a wonderful, invaluable remedy”), rather than what a person understands. If he studies the Wisdom of Kabbalah, this happens to him. And what is it that happens to him?
Although they do not understand what they are learning, through the yearning and the great desire to understand what they are learning, they awaken upon themselves the Lights that surround their souls.
That is, a certain Light shines onto a person who studies the Wisdom of Kabbalah.
“This means that every person from Israel is guaranteed to finally attain all the wonderful attainments that the Creator has calculated in the Thought of Creation to delight every creature.”
Every person has his own point in the goal of creation. He must ultimately attain this point, either in a good or a bad way. This point is already guaranteed to everyone, and it exists.
“One who has not been awarded in this life will be granted in the next life, etc. Finally, one will be awarded completing the thought that He preliminarily planned for him.”
This does not mean only one additional reincarnation. Baal HaSulam writes: “in the second life etc.,” meaning that a person may reincarnate even twenty times. The number of reincarnations depends on how much a person strives to finish everything needed faster and reach the goal. He will then no longer need to reincarnate.