The great kabbalists of the past thousands of years kept this wisdom with the foresight that one day it would serve as a catalyst for personal and global change. My hope is these words awaken your heart to improve, to elevate, to be better today than you were yesterday - so we may all come closer to a world with no more pain, no more suffering, and even as the Bible and the Zohar promise, no more death.

It’s All Prepared

Posted: March 17th, 2009 | Author: MICHAEL | Filed under: Lectures | Tags: , , | No Comments »

Problems will easily overwhelm us if we think that coming up with the solution is entirely up to us. However, if we realize the solution has already been prepared in advance and all we have to do is create a little opening for it to come in, then the solution manifests itself far easier.

There is a teaching from the 18th century kabbalist, Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk, in which he quotes a verse from King David, “God, you have done great things. Your thoughts and blessings are brought to us.”

He explains to us that the Creator has already “done great things,” meaning he has prepared all the blessings and assistance we need to overcome our challenges, to answer our questions, and to gain more wisdom. It has all been prepared for us. All we have to do is (in his words) “shake it slightly” and then “blessings are brought to us.”

This amazing store of assistance, which is available to us at any given moment, has been prepared in advance by the Creator. Therefore, our work is relatively easy. When I think about this concept, I imagine a big bucket filled to the brim with water, precariously hanging from a rope a few feet above ground. Tip it slightly, and it all comes pouring down.

However, many of us have the opposite thought. When faced with an overwhelming situation – consciously or not – we get stuck because we think we have to come up with the solution all by ourselves. This teaching reveals how easy it can be to address our challenges when we stop thinking we need to solve them on our own.

That’s why he explains the verse, “God you have done great things, your thoughts and wonders are brought to us.” The Creator has already created our assistance and blessings, and, therefore, it can be easy for us to manifest them.

Rav Ashlag, the great 20th century kabbalist, uses the analogy of a father who stores away gold and silver in a room in his house that will serve to fill all of his son’s needs. Inside the room there is enough treasure to last a lifetime. One day the son is sitting in the room with the lights off, completely unaware of its contents, worrying about how he’s going to survive in the future. Of course, we can see that all he needs to do is open the window, let some light in, and then he will see that he’s surrounded by everything he could ever want. But he is unaware.

We too are unaware of all the assistance that has been prepared and set aside for us. All that’s required is a little shaking of this consciousness, and a window will be opened to the prepared Light.

This week, any time you are feeling overwhelmed and in need of clarity, remember that the assistance to your difficulty has already been prepared – you just need to shake it slightly, and it will flow to you.

And remember, your consciousness must make the choice. It’s important to be clear about this concept because sticking with old thoughts, like “I have to deal with this all by myself,” will create a difficult path for you to walk down. However, new thoughts, such as “I know with certainty that the Light, assistance, strength, and understanding I need to bring me through this has already been prepared for me,” will create an easier path.

This isn’t just a nice lesson. It will determine your reality. The path you choose is the path you will be lead down.

Only You

Posted: March 4th, 2009 | Author: MICHAEL | Filed under: Our Potential | Tags: , , , , , , | No Comments »

Every single one of us has a unique job to accomplish in this world. We all have a distinct soul and Light we are destined to reveal. Nobody else in the world – past, present or future – has or will have the ability to do what the Creator has entrusted us to do. If all the greatest spiritual giants were to come down and work for a million years, even they could never do what we can – and must - do.

There is a story about the building of the Holy Temple (an important world spiritual center) in Jerusalem. According to the ancient texts, all the most beautiful stones were gathered for the building. During the construction, the workers found a stone that was so ugly it was cast aside into a rubble heap. As the Temple neared completion, they found a stone missing in a tiny corner of the most important part of the building, what Kabbalists call “the Holy of Holies” (the innermost sacred chamber.) They were unsure what to do because they were all out of stones.

Finally, one man remembered the ugly stone they discarded earlier, and he retrieved it from the trash. Not only did it fit, but it was a perfect fit! King David even writes a verse describing the scene, “the stone the builders despised became the cornerstone.”

One of the greatest ploys of our negative side is to convince us that we are not enough. We think others are more knowledgeable and better suited to do great things whereas we are somehow limited in what we can accomplish. But as this story teaches us, the lowest can become the highest because each one of us has a unique gift that only we can share with the world.

There is another story of the student of a great kabbalist who wished he could accomplish great things in this world, but doubted his ability to do so. He told his teacher, “if only I had the brains of this great wise man, the vision of this other great wise man, and the physical abilities of yet this other great wise man, only then could I really accomplish something significant with my life.”

The kabbalist responded, “There are things only you can do for people because of your unique qualities that no one else in the world can do. You do not need anybody else’s abilities to accomplish your life’s important purpose.”

This is an essential point. Many of us think, “If only I had that talent or education or money of so-and-so, then I could do big things.” The kabbalists warn us of such erroneous thinking. We are exactly the way we are meant to be, and no one can do what we can - and need - to do. The Light gave us everything we need and all of those people we are envious of can never do what we can.

The great 18th century polish kabbalist, Rav Zusha of Anipoli, once said, “When I go to heaven, I won’t be asked, ‘Why weren’t you Moses? Why weren’t you Abraham?’ I will be asked, ‘Why weren’t you Zusha?’”

We each have all the qualities we need to do the great things we are meant to do. We do not need to be someone else. We are exactly who we are for a reason, and we have a unique soul and mission that only you or I can accomplish.

I cannot stress this point enough. There are so many people out there whose unique gifts remain hidden. And if they leave this world without bringing out their gifts, the world will be forever lacking, no matter how many spiritual giants come into existence.

This week, realize there are people whose lives can be influenced, improved and changed only by you. Look within and ask yourself, “What is my unique gift to this world?” Once you know what you are looking for, you will find it. And when you do, cherish it because nobody else can reveal the unique Light you are meant to reveal.

Ridiculous Sharing

Posted: December 4th, 2008 | Author: MICHAEL | Filed under: Sharing | Tags: , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Kabbalistic teachings are often based on the concept of as you act, so acts the Light of the Creator, meaning the way you treat others is how the Creator treats you.

Therefore, if we want the Light to continuously share with us blessings and goodness, then we need to cultivate a consciousness of continuously looking to share with others. In fact, we need to be ridiculous in our sharing.

Some people only make a connection, share, meditate, pray – act spiritually – when they are in trouble and need help from above. That’s one level of living. A second level is, as King David says in Psalms, “May goodness and mercy run after me all the days of my life,” meaning as we run after opportunities to help and share with others, blessings will run after us!

What type of life do you want to have? Do you want to have a life where everything is all right and suddenly you need to go and run after a blessing? Or do you want those blessings to run after you?

Most of us want to live a life where goodness is being dumped upon us all the time. How do we create that? Well, it’s simple. We have to be running and dumping goodness and sharing onto others. If you act like that towards people, the Creator will act like that towards you.

This concept is expressed in the biblical story of how Isaac came to marry Rebecca. It is written that Abraham dispatches his servant Eliezar to find his son’s soul mate. Eliezer (himself an elevated soul) prays for guidance and receives an answer: The first young woman who responds to his request for a drink of water will be “the one.”

The story continues. As he pulls into a small town, he discovers Rebecca standing beside a well, busily helping and serving her flock. He approaches her and asks for a drink of water. Not only does she grant his request, but she provides enough liquid for his entire contingent. And for those of you not familiar with the story, I can tell you that Eliezer was a giant of a man, and he traveled with a large entourage of camels and helpers.

When I tell this story to audiences, I always make a joke – this really wasn’t a test for Isaac’s soul mate, this was a test for a crazy person! Imagine this big, strong man – and his entire group of people and animals – approaching this one young woman with a request for a drink. The normal response, if you’re a kind person, would be to give him a drink. But to jump to the next thought, let me give all your people and camels a drink, now that’s ridiculous.

The idea is that most of us share when it makes sense – I’m a kind person, you are in need, so I’ll give to you. But this story is teaching us we have to change how we view sharing. It’s not about the other person – it’s about me. When you understand the power and influence sharing has in your life, you can’t help but want to find every ridiculous way to share.

Now, I know this is not easy. If we understood this lesson, we would all live it, but our work is to awaken this understanding.

This week, take this concept in. Look for people you can share with – especially those you don’t want to – again, with the right understanding. Don’t share because you are a good person and you want to help someone out. Share because you know you have to run after somebody and share with them ridiculously in order for the Light to run after you with ridiculous blessings.

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