Question:
I am only starting to learn about Kabbalah. But one thing really keeps popping up: The Unity of Mankind/Creator.
I am studying Kabbalah, learning to truly bestow on others as the Creator bestows on me, correcting my negativity, healing myself and reaching for personal and spiritual fulfillment, tapping into the abundance of the Light, even learning to make my own circumstances better.
So, what is my responsibility to the boatloads of refugees fleeing injustice and persecution, or even dying of hunger in the cold sea, while I am sitting, ever so comfortably wrapped up in a warm blanket watching a lecture online about Kabbalah?
Where does the Unity come in? ~EM
Answer:
It’s a good question. When asked by someone, “How are you?” I remember my teacher Rav Berg would reply, “I’m good. But how can I feel so great when everyone around me isn’t yet?”
In other words, the more spiritual I am, the more empathetic I become. If I am more sensitive and more concerned and connected with others and if they’re not great, how can I feel that great?
Hence, the paradox of spiritual growth, which both fulfills us and at the same time, opens our hearts to the despair outside.
So, if watching pictures of the global refugee crises from the comfort of your armchair confuses or frustrates you, you have at least three options:
1) Know your feeling of pain and responsibility actually empowers you to do something about it. And frankly you can do so much – give, volunteer, garner support, pray, donate, meditate, scan, send Zohars, and so on. And good for you if you do.
2) At some point, the realization will dawn on you that globally there are 60 million refugees – too many to help. Too many refugees, too many hungry, too many diseased, too many lonely, too many war-torn, too many, too many, too many… And herein lies your best excuse for inaction.
The ego will try to sway you toward this misconception: “Who on Earth am I to make a scratch of difference?”
It seems better to just appear concerned from your armchair, complaining – even crying – about the world, convincing yourself and others how big a heart you have.
3) In life, you have to pick your battles. Do you wish to constantly fight the infinite effects of chaos (every tragic news story we witness)? Or do you want to knock out its cause?
So, in response I would practice option 1, whilst you grow your understanding of the real solution, option 3.
And if you ask, Can little old me and my spiritual work change the world? ponder this analogy: If, heaven forbid, you get a paper-cut on your hand, what heals that cut? Do we all really understand the miraculous bio-chemistry of clotting, the reparative work of skin cells, how blood vessels open to bring oxygen and nutrients to the wound, how white blood cells fight its wound infection, as opposed to red blood cells, which create collagen fibers and new tissue?
When the immune system works within us, it heals and balances and overcomes chaos.
Our spiritual work parallels this analogy. Our spiritual work reveals Light, which adds to the world’s immune system, overcoming negative forces of world chaos.
Meaning when enough people employ these kabbalistic tools to transcend their egos to help others more, that ‘net’ amount of Light tips the scales to remove all and any darkness from society.
So, 60 million refugees might appear to need short-term help to save them now, but more importantly, they also need your spiritual growth and your Kabbalah Centre study path (option 3) to remove the eventuality of such a thing occurring in the first place.
Our job is to reveal that ‘UNITY OF THE LIGHT’ in this world.
As you add that Light to the world, the immune system of the world balances and heals all ills. Like the healed cut, we might not see each step or always understand each step. We will, however, see the outcome.
Never underestimate the power and importance of your spiritual work. Where chaos reigns, it adds urgent Light to the world to heal all such tragic news stories.
