In Nature’s Clutches

Question: Fires are breaking out in Moscow; people are walking around with breathing masks and leaving the city. There are floods in India and landslides in China due to heavy rains. Is it possible to fix the situation?

Dr. Laitman's Answer: Nature is closing in on us from all sides in order to show us a simple fact: We are inside of it; we are very small, and exist inside a tiny area where we all depend on one another and on the all-enveloping, wise nature (the Creator) that surrounds us.

We are obligated to find the only reason for all our troubles and to understand the only thing we have to do in order to prevent global catastrophes. It is already clear that the oil spill in America, the volcano eruption in Iceland, the fires in Russia, and the tsunamis and floods in Asia and Europe cannot be called "local troubles." They are global influences of nature upon all of us. Moreover, they will continue without a doubt; no one will be able to remain untouched and feel safe.

When the financial crisis broke out in America, people in Russia were happy, thinking that this only affected America and that it wouldn't happen to them. But their short-sightedness was revealed to them a few weeks later in their own bank accounts! Someone might think: "What do I care if a volcano erupts in India? All the volcanoes can erupt for all I care!" However, this influenced everyone, as do the fires and floods. And winter is still ahead of us....

At the end of it all, we will have to understand that our planet is round and we must unite together and think about survival all together. The Creator or Nature (which is the same thing) has a mind, feelings, a direction, and a goal. It will force us to become "good children." Let us hope that we will understand this quickly and will get smarter.

 -from the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/08/10

“Nourished” By The Teaching Of Baal HaSulam And Rabash

Question: What did Baal HaSulam add to the soul's correction that the ARI began?

Dr. Laitman's Answer: The ARI did not write anything himself. His student Marchu (Chaim Vital) wrote everything, and the records were published over the course of three generations after the ARI's death.

Baal HaSulam explained and systematized all of the Ari's teaching. Before him, the teaching of the ARI was not arranged in an orderly fashion, and therefore it was impossible to study. That is why many people who began to study the ARI's teaching gave it up and instead studied the works of the Ramak.

I also studied the Ramak until I discovered Baal HaSulam, and I encountered many Kabbalists who studied the Ramak instead of the ARI because everything is clear and orderly in the Ramak's books. On the other hand, the ARI's works were not orderly. Baal HaSulam systematized, detailed, and explained them, and gave them shape: three lines, the First and Second Restrictions, the Creator and the creation, and the definition of the worlds: Sefirot, Partzufim, NRNHY, KHB, and ZON. He created a compilation of graphs of the Upper Worlds-The Book of HaElan.

Even though certain parts are missing, which he could have put in order as well (such as Adam HaRishon and the impure worlds of BYA), apparently he did not want to work on this. Without Baal HaSulam, we would not have the teaching of the ARI and it would be impossible to understand the ARI.

When you read other Kabbalists now, you understand them because you are familiar with the works of Baal HaSulam. Without him, you would get confused. No matter what texts you look at, whether books on Hassidut, the Ramak, Agra, or others, you will only be able to understand them because you studied Baal HaSulam.

In addition, without the Rabash's articles we would not be able to understand what is required of us and what the work of the Creator is. Without these two Kabbalists, Baal HaSulam and Rabash, who supplement one another, we would not have the right approach to the method of correction.

-from the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/08/10