🍇 SUNDAY PRAYER: HESED-GRACE ON SECOND SHABBAT MEAL
READING: MID DAY SATURDAY
THE FLAME OF LOVE ABOVE SEETHING HATRED
-by Rabbi Michael Laitman
It is written that the students of Rabbi Shimon, before writing The Book of Zohar, felt an enormous hatred toward each other, seething like a flame. Then, they would start to work on The Book of Zohar that had not yet been written, to study the connection between them, meaning that they would begin to build a connection with one another based on hatred. Then, with an inspiration and an enormous force of overcoming, they would reveal the flame of love instead of the flame of hatred, as it is written: “A white fire on the basis of a black flame.”
Thus, they described their revelations, the forms of relationships between them, revealing love above hatred. In fact, that is the essence of Torah and The Zohar.
If one day we reveal such relationships, we will understand what they wrote about in The Zohar. Until then, let’s try to yearn toward connection with one another, and as a result, reveal an even greater rejection. And again, based on that, let’s seek unity and reveal an even greater rejection. Thus we will feel such “entries” and “exits” each time, as it is said: “From Zion (“Zion” derives from the word “Yetzia,” exit) will the Torah come forth”—specifically from exits. That is how we advance.
Thus, while reading The Zohar, let’s think only about the states of separation and unity. There is nothing else. The authors of The Zohar write about these states and the contrasts between them, only on the spiritual degrees, where real hatred becomes aroused and true love reigns.