WEDNESDAY PRAYER: KETER-MAIN READING FOR THIS WEEK – FOR MITZVOT – Exile and Redemption – Abbreviation
READING: SUNSET TUESDAY
Main Reading for KABBALISTIC PRAYER this week, today with THE READING FOR MITZVOT.
ARVUT OF: Sheridan Moreton-Judd.
Exile and Redemption – Abbreviation
-Rabbi Michael Laitman, PhD
| * Baal HaSulam’s Text | * Dr. Laitman’s Abbreviation |
| Harmony between religion and the law of development or blind fate | Harmony between religion and the law of development or blind fate |
| “And among these nations shalt though have no repose.”– Deuteronomy 28:85 | And among these nations you shall have no repose. |
| “And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all; in that you say we will be as the nations, as the families of the countries.”– Ezekiel 20:32 | And that which comes into your mind shall not be at all; in that you say we will be as the nations, as the families of the countries. |
| The Creator will evidently show us that Israel cannot exist in exile, and will find no rest as the rest of the nations that mingled among the nations and found rest, and assimilated in them, until no trace was left of them. | Israel cannot exist in exile, and will find no rest like the rest of the nations that mingled among the nations and assimilated in them, until no trace was left of them. |
| Not so is the house of Israel. This nation will find no rest among the nations until it realizes the verse, “And from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him for you will demand him with all your heart and all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). | Not so is the nation of Israel, who found no rest among the nations until “And from there you will seek the Lord your God.” |
| This can be examined by studying Providence and the verse which states about us, “The Torah is true and all its words are true, and woe to us as long as we doubt its truthfulness.” | |
| And we say about all the rebuke that is happening to us that it is chance and blind fate. This has but one cure—to bring the troubles back on us to such an extent that we will see that they are not coincidental but steadfast Providence, intended for us in the Holy Torah. | And if we say that it is chance and fate, this has but one cure, to bring the troubles back on us to the extent that we will see that they are not coincidental, but steadfast Providence. |
| And we should clarify this matter by the law of development itself: the nature of the steadfast Guidance that we have attained through the Holy Torah, as in the path of Torah in Providence (see “Two Ways”), a far more rapid development than the other nations has come to us. And because the members of the nation developed so, there was always the necessity to go forward and be extremely meticulous with all the Mitzvot of the Torah. | Through the implementation of the wisdom of Kabbalah, a more rapid development than the other nations has come to us. Hence, there was always the necessity to go forward and correct ourselves. |
| And because they would not do it, but wished to include their narrow selfishness, meaning the Lo Lishma, this developed the ruin of the First Temple, since they wished to extol wealth and power above justice, as other nations. | And since they did not continue to correct themselves, but wished to include self-love, wealth and power, too, as other nations, the ruin of the First Temple developed. |
| But because the Torah prohibits it, they denied the Torah and the prophecy and adopted the manners of the neighbors so they could enjoy life as much as selfishness demanded of them. And because they did that, the powers of the nation disintegrated: some followed the kings and the selfish officers, and some followed the prophets. And that separation continued until the ruin. | But because the wisdom of Kabbalah prohibits that, they denied it and adopted the manners of the neighbors in order to enjoy life. And the powers of the nation disintegrated: some followed the kings and the selfish officers, and some followed the Kabbalists. And that separation continued until the ruin. |
| In the Second Temple, it was even more conspicuous, since the beginning of the separation was publicly displayed by unvirtuous disciples, headed by Tzadok and Bytos.Their mutiny against our sages revolved primarily around the obligation of Lishma, as our sages said, “Wise men, be careful with your words.” | In the Second Temple, the separation was even more conspicuous, by egoistic disciples, who rebelled against the obligation of Lishma, because they did not want to retire from the ego. |
| Because they did not want to retire from selfishness, they created communities of this corrupt kind and became a great sect called “ Tzdokim,” who were the rich and the officers, pursuing selfish desires unlike the path of Torah. And they fought the Prushim and brought the Roman kingdom’s rule over Israel. They are the ones who would not make peace with the imperious, as our sages advised by the Torah, until the house was ruined and the glory of Israel was exiled. | They created communities, a sect called Tzdokim, who were the rich and the officers, pursuing desires. And they fought the Prushim and brought the Roman kingdom to Israel, and they would not make peace with the imperious, as the Kabbalists advised, until the house was ruined and Israel was exiled. |
| The Difference between a Secular Ideal and a Religious Ideal | The Difference between a Secular Ideal and a Spiritual Ideal |
| A secular ideal stems from humanness and hence cannot raise itself above humanness. But a religious idea, which stems from the Creator, can raise itself above humanity. | A secular ideal is from humanness – to raise itself in accordance with humanness. A spiritual ideal is from the Creator is to raise itself above humanness. |
| This is because the basis for a secular ideal is in comparing and the price of glorifying man, and he acts to boast in the eyes of people. And although one is sometimes disgraced in the eyes of one’s contemporaries, one still relies on other generations and it is still a precious thing for him, like a gem that fuels its owner although no one knows of it or cherishes it. | The basis for a secular ideal is in comparing –acting in order to boast in the eyes of people, even when no one knows of it. |
| A religious idea, however, is based on glory in the eyes of God. Hence, he who follows a religious idea can raise himself above humanness. | A spiritual ideal – glorification in the eyes of the Creator. Hence, one raises oneself above humanness. |
| And so it is among the nations of our exile. As long as we followed the path of Torah, we remained safe, for it is known to all the nations that we are a highly developed nation and they wanted our cooperation. They exploit us, each according to their own selfish desires. Yet we still had great power among the nations, for after all the exploitation, there still remained a handsome portion left for us, greater than for the civilians of the land. | In exile, as long as we kept the Lishma, we had strength. |
| But because people rebelled against the Torah in their aspiration to execute their selfish ploys, they lost life’s purpose, meaning the work of God. And because the sublime goal was swapped for selfish goals of life’s pleasures, anyone who attained fortune raised his own goal with glory and beauty. | But the egoists prevailed and we lost life’s purpose, replaced with selfish goals. |
| And where the religious man scattered his monetary surplus on charity, good deeds, building seminaries, and other such collective needs, the selfish ones scattered their surplus on the joys of life: food and drink, clothing and jewels, and equalized with the prominent in every nation. | Instead of giving monetary surplus to benefit the society, they scattered it on the joys of life. |
| By these words, I only mean to show that the Torah and the natural law of development go hand in hand in wondrous unity even with blind faith. Thus, the bad incidences in the exile, which we have much to tell of from the days of our exile, were all because we embezzled the Torah. And if we kept the commandments of the Torah, no harm would come to us. | The wisdom of Kabbalah and the natural law of development and blind fate go hand in hand. Thus, the bad incidences in the exile were all because we embezzled the Torah. And if we kept the spiritual goal (bonding and Lishma), no harm would come to us. |
| Congruity and Unity between Torah and Blind Faith, and the Development of Human Calculation | Congruity and Unity between Torah and Blind Fate, and the Development of Human Calculation |
| Hence, I hereby propose to the House of Israel to say to our troubles, “Enough!” and at the very least, make a human calculation regarding these adventures that they have inflicted us time and time again, and here in our country, as well. We wish to start our own policy, as we have no hope of clutching at the ground as a nation as long as we do not accept our holy Torah without any extenuations, to the last condition of the work Lishma, and not for oneself, with any residue of selfishness, as I have proven in the article “Matan Torah.” | Hence, we must say to our troubles, “Enough!” and make a human calculation in our country as well, as we have no hope of clutching at the ground as a nation, as long as we do not accept the work Lishma, instead of for oneself. |
| If we do not establish ourselves accordingly, then there are classes among us, and we will undoubtedly be pushed right and left as all nations are, and much more. This is because the nature of the developed is that they cannot be restrained, for any important notion that comes from an opinionated person will not bow its head before anything and knows no compromise. This is why our sages said, “Israel is the fiercest of the nations,” as one whose mind is broader is most obstinate. | If we do not establish ourselves, we will inevitably be pushed right and left much more than other nations because the nature of the developed is that any opinionated person will not bow his head or compromise, but is obstinate. |
| This is a psychological law. And if you do not understand me, go and study this lesson among the contemporary members of the nation: While we have only begun to build, time has already disclosed our fierceness and assertiveness of the mind, and that which one builds, the other ruins. | This is a psychological law that we see in the nation. |
| …This is known to all, but there is only one innovation in my words: They believe that in the end, the other side will understand the danger and will bow his head and accept their opinion. But I know that even if we tie them together in one basket, one will not surrender to the other even a little, and no danger will interrupt anyone from carrying out his ambition. | Although they believe that the other side will understand the danger and accept their opinion, the nature of the developed is not to surrender to the other, and no danger will prevent carrying out his ambition. |
| In a word: As long as we do not raise our goal above the corporeal life, we will have no corporeal revival because the spiritual and the corporeal in us cannot dwell in one basket, for we are the children of the idea. And even if we are immersed in forty-nine gates of materialism, we will still not give up the idea. Hence, it is the holy purpose of for His name that we need. | Thus, as long as we do not raise our goal above the corporeal life, we will not even have corporeal revival. That is because we are the children of the idea, and the spiritual and the corporeal in us cannot dwell together. And although we are immersed in matter, we will not give up on the idea. Hence, it is the spiritual goal that we need. |