WEDNESDAY PRAYER: TIFERET-MAIN READING FOR THIS WEEK – FOR MITZVOT – One Law

READING: SUNSET TUESDAY

Main Reading for KABBALISTIC PRAYER this week, today with THE READING FOR MITZVOT.

ARVUT OF: Sheridan Moreton-Judd.

One Law

-Rabbi Michael Laitman, PhD

He who fulfills at least one law of the above world, wins himself and the world over to the virtue of goodness.

Correction of the creation is in the intention

The correction of the authentic human nature, the egoistic desires, should be carried out only for the purpose of convergence with the upper power, by means of a similarity in attributes and by acquiring the quality of unconditional giving. It is the same way that it works towards us; for the sake of giving in order to fill up our desire to receive.

This human desire to attain pleasure is created by the source, the supreme power, and it is by no means opposite to it. The opposite is the INTENTION to receive pleasure ‘for the sake of one’s own self”. In fact, this is the desire for pleasure for the sake of one’s self that is called egoism, not the pleasure itself. The desire to receive or, as Kabbalists say, to be completed is, unchanging; it is exactly that one and only thing that has been created. There is nothing else in creation except the desire to receive, and the Creator Himself. However, according to His will, creation must reveal the special pleasure in His light, and in being near to Him.

The only change that we are able to make for creation is in the way we use our uniquely authentic, natural quality, i.e., the desire to receive- either ‘for our own sake’ or ‘for the Creator’s.’

Receiving pleasure ‘for one’s own sake’ is restricted by the limits of our world.

Overall, it cannot be fulfilled because the pleasure, by its filling the desire, nullifies it, and, as a result, disappears itself. The enjoyment and satisfaction do not stay in our senses.

This micro-desire exists only in order to make life possible for a person, until he begins to take hold of the true intention and is able to fill himself with unlimited and infinite pleasure. This micro-desire can receive just a ‘little spark’ of pleasure, ‘ner dakik’, and every infinite and everlasting fulfillment can only be achieved via the intention ‘for the Creator’.

From this, we see that the desire to receive is not intended by the Creator to be used in a direct way ‘for the sake of one’s own pleasure’, but, quite the contrary, “for the sake of Him”. In that case, we become similar to Him. By changing the egoistic intention of ‘taking pleasure for one’s self’ to an altruistic one of ‘taking pleasure for the sake of the Creator’, a person becomes wholly identical with the Being Beyond, because it is the intention that determines the action.

However, it is impossible to make an immediate transition from the egoistic intention ‘for one’s self’ to the altruistic one ‘for the Supreme Power’. Such a change in the person’s thoughts, habits, and lifestyle requires a gradual transformation. A person’s choice to take pleasure is influenced by society, public opinion, and mode, and consequently, only by changing the environment. Therefore, only by its placing priority in giving instead of receiving, can a person make the transition from the intention

‘for the sake of one’s self’ to the intention ‘for the sake of others.’

What is that swift and clear-cut method that enables a person to obtain this attribute of the Almighty? The only way to acquire the ability of ‘giving’ is by thinking about his own personal needs only to the extent of his primary necessities, and for the rest, about the welfare of society and its citizens. By doing this, a person becomes akin to the attribute of the Supreme Ruling Power. Such drastic change is only possible in a special society that creates for a person the right environment to undergo this improvement.

Two principles for stimulating society to the fulfillment of this law

• That society, or indeed humanity, encourage an individual to follow the law
• That the rule of giving for the sake of humanity prepares one to carry out the law of giving for the purpose of convergence with the Upper Power.

Only then does a human being have the energy to fulfill the act of giving. The society, by praising his deeds, provides him with the altruistic ability to give, at the beginning for the sake of reward, such as honor and admiration of the society. Nevertheless, the habit of giving slowly becomes second nature, and a person starts wishing it from habit.

In addition, acts of giving will evoke the descending of the Upper Correcting Light, which changes an individual in likeness with the Creator, following the mechanism from ‘for one’s own sake’, to ‘for the sake of the Creator’.

This preparation is one of the components of the final goal, since, by accustoming himself to work for others and for their good, he gradually grows eager to fulfill the laws of the Creator, following the intended rule ‘for the sake of the Creator’, and not ‘for the sake of one’s self’. Thus, our intention is according to the plan of creation.

Part of the method, responsible for the relationship of an individual with his comrade

The method of convergence with the Upper Power has two parts:

• The attitude of a man towards the Creator.
• The attitude of a man towards his comrade.

The most effective and useful thing to do is first of all to focus on the relationship between comrades, since by doing this, man acquires the right habits, in order to apply them later in his approach towards the Creator.

Thought, dialog, action

Any effort of correction includes thought, dialog, and action.

• Action is preceded by intention, and intention is revealed through action. There are two types of intention ‘for one’s self’ or ‘for the Creator’. The action with the intention that is ‘not for the sake of the Creator’ does not reach the Creator. He reveals Himself to a person only on one condition: that a person possesses the continuous true intention of giving, i.e., to the extent of mutual affinity between them. There is no doubt that the Creator always and fully understands a person, but His comprehension is one-sided. A person begins to perceive the Creator, or stated differently, the Creator uncovers Himself to a person; however, only to the extent of their similarity. The most effective way to become similar to the Creator is by taking upon one’s self the duty of dedication to the service others, having as the final goal – to be reunited with the Creator. The deeds concerning the relationship between people are dictated by human conscience, which binds a person to act in a certain way. However, acting from this reason does not bring any correction. Actions of conscience do not bring a person nearer to the Creator. Because of that, a person always has to keep in mind that anything he does has the single purpose: to please the Creator in order to be identical to Him, which amounts to equivalent unselfish giving. Such a comprehension, in combination with good deeds, will draw a person nearer to the Creator, that his attributes might be similar to their spiritual mould (human being like an imprint of the Creator). Then a person will be ready to receive the Upper Light and greater abundance.
• Thought in this commandment is more essential than in the relationship of a person with the Creator. (I am not sure about this sentence, for the meaning of it is unclear for me in Russian. I think, it has to be explained more thoroughly.)
• Dialog means the appeal to the Upper Power for correction, and for the alteration of the intention from ‘for the sake of one’s self’ to ‘for the sake of others’ during any actions, but especially, while studying Kabbalah.

Two types of giving pleasure to the Creator

• Conscious – because humankind must not hope that one day it will be possible to obtain at once the likeness to the Creator, – without the preliminary extended efforts while the Creator is still hidden, and without the collective work in a group to receive the intention ‘for the Creator’. Previously, presently, and in the future, anyone wanting to achieve the connection with the Creator will have to begin his efforts from the initial egoistic intention, then, only after the fulfillment of all the commandments will he become similar to the Creator in his intention. The approach to this condition is not limited in time, but depends rather on the readiness of an individual and his power over his heart. Moreover, since people have fallen and will fall, doing it ‘for themselves’, they will die before gaining the wisdom. Yet at the same time, their reward is great, and the human mind cannot place a value on the significance of the pleasure that is given to the Creator.
• Subconscious – even a beginner who fulfills any act with some intention, though he is not ready yet for acting otherwise, he also gives pleasure to the Creator.

Duty of carrying out 613 commandments

Man’s soul consists of 613 separate desires, and the correction of those from the intention ‘for one’s self’ to the intention ‘for the Creator’ allows a person to feel union with the Creator through every corrected desire. The comprehension of each private manifestation of the Creator in one’s self is seen as the revelation of the Creator, and is called by one of His names. In other words, the names of the Creator reflect the private comprehension of the various measures of the universal abundance of the Creator. Every person has to go through all of these measures and has to perceive the complete general revelation (name) of the Creator.

True wisdom

The Kabbalists of the past presented the method of individual comprehension. Here we offer a general way, because of its consistency and because it defines the spiritual substances without placing them in a material cover. This latest approach is the most useful for the development of the method of comprehension. In addition, this science is called the true wisdom.

The success of its presentation will grow in succeeding generations, because they will be more prepared to understand the true wisdom. The success of its understanding depends on the magnitude of the spiritual leader of that generation, or on the generation itself, or on both of these factors.