November 30, 2024
Archive for August, 2015
August 8, 2015 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Torah Portion
Deuteronomy, 11:26-16:17
This Week’s Torah Portion | Aug 9 – Aug 15, 2015 – 24 Av – 30 Av, 5775
In A Nutshell
The portion, Re’eh (Behold), begins with Moses’ words to the people to come and see the blessing and the curse, which the Creator commands them. If the people adhere to the Creator’s commandments they will be blessed. Otherwise, they will be cursed.
Afterward, Moses surveys before the people the preparations to enter the land of Israel, the duties and the prohibitions that accompany the entrance, the work of the Creator specifically in the Temple, and the prohibition to listen to false prophets that deflect the people from the serving the Creator. The portion also cites the laws of Kashrut,[1] tithing, Shmita (remission), and the three festivals on which it is customary to make an Aliya la Regel (pilgrimage) to Jerusalem.
Commentary by Dr. Michael Laitman
The Torah speaks only about the inner meaning of all the matters just mentioned. It is written, “Behold,” referring to the reception of light of Hochma, which is seeing. Seeing is the highest of the five senses, and marks the highest level of attainment. When a person truly sees whether what is happening is a blessing or a curse, he is standing right before the entrance to the land of Israel.
Eretz Ysrael: Eretz means Ratzon (desire), and Ysrael (Israel) means Yashar El (straight to God). In other words, Eretz Ysrael is a desire aimed entirely toward bestowal, toward mutual guarantee, connection between everyone “as one man with one heart.” At the foot of Mount Sinai we accepted the condition, “love your neighbor as yourself,’ to be “as one man with one heart.” Forty years later we complete the correction and are ready to enter the land of Israel, where all the desires are connected in true mutual bestowal. This is why it is called Yashar El (straight to God). The Creator—the quality of bestowal and love that exists in the world—governs the whole of reality.
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August 8, 2015 at 5:00 pm · Filed under Articles, Books, Ego, Perception of Reality, Quotes
The Benefit Derived from the Creator’s Concealment
In the spiritual world, all laws and desires are diametrically opposite to those of our world.
Just as in our world, it is extremely difficult to act contrary to knowledge and understanding, so in the spiritual world it is extremely difficult to progress with knowledge.
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August 7, 2015 at 5:00 pm · Filed under Altruism, Articles, Books, Ego, Perception of Reality
The 3 Types of Human Pleasures
An individual receives pleasure from three types of sensations: past, present, and future. The greatest pleasure is derived from the sensations of the future, because an individual begins to anticipate the pleasure in the present, that is, the pleasure is experienced in the present. In this way, anticipating and thinking about objectionable deeds are worse than the deeds themselves, because the anticipation prolongs the pleasure and occupies the thoughts of the individual for a long time.
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August 6, 2015 at 5:05 pm · Filed under Altruism, Articles, Books, Ego, Perception of Reality
The Creator’s Light Hochma (Wisdom)
There are two kinds of Light of the Creator: the Light of knowledge, reason, and wisdom (called Ohr Hochma), and the Light of mercy, confidence, and unity (called Ohr Hassadim). In turn, Ohr Hochma comes in two types according to its action upon us.
At first, when the Light arrives, we discover our own evil. Then, when we have discovered the evil, and realize that we should not use egoism, this same Light imparts strength towards those egoistic wishes, so that we can work (take pleasure) with them, but not for our own sake. Finally, when we gain the strength to overcome our own egoism, this same Light makes it possible for the corrected, formerly egoistic desires to take pleasure in altruism.
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August 5, 2015 at 5:00 pm · Filed under Altruism, Articles, Books, Ego, Perception of Reality
Perception of Pleasure Is Dependent on the Desire for Pleasure
The most important determinant of the perception of pleasure is the thirst for pleasure, which in Kabbalah is known as a “vessel.” The size of the vessel is determined by the degree to which one feels the need for the lack of pleasure.
For this reason, if two separate vessel-people receive the same pleasure, one will receive a feeling of absolute satiation, while the other will feel no sense of possessing anything and, thus, be very depressed.
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