The circle of Life (A Guide to life Mainly for kids)

The first circle, the source of all other circles is Hashem.

Hashem is love – there is no jealousy (who would he be jealous of – there is no anger, who would he be angry towards…. there is only love – so you may ask, but who would he love? The answer is, because by Hashem the past and the future is the same, so he imagined (or saw) you and all his other children and creations, and created them, because he loved;   similar to how a parent wishes to have a child (but obviously with Hashem, this knowledge of who the child is (considering that he also is the Creator) is one hundred percent.)

So the first and most important thing we must understand is everything Hashem does, he does from love.

Then the next circle is the first of the spiritual universes, called Atzilus – this world’s name comes from the word “Etzloi Vsamuch,” which means next to and close, for Atzilus is “close to” Hashem.

But what is a universe? – One of the first books of Kabbalah is called Sefer-Yetzirah which was written by Avrahom Avinu who was a great researcher into Hashem; and in it he explains, a universe is made up of three things -this is very important – the first is time – time is the ability for change – the next is space, space is where something can move, and the third is people, or soul – in other words, something that is born in that world.

So your soul, even though, it like everything must come from Hashem, because everything must come from something before it – gets “born” in the world of Atzilus – Being born means you don’t realize what happened before – so all you know and see is the world you are in.

Because this is a world in which Hashem’s love is revealed, so the soul feels a tremendous love back, for that is how love works; it’s like a mirror: if I love you and you can see and feel it, you will love me back.

The next circle, is the world of Beriah – Beriah means creation; of-course, it also has time and space, but this is very very different from Atzilus; in this world, the souls and angels, for there are hundreds of trillions of different angels doing jobs – missions that Hashem wants; don’t see so much of Hashem – So the less light one sees, the more world one sees… so one begins to imagine that, “I and my world are what is real” – this is what gives a person an identity – the sense of “I am my own person.”

The next circle is the world of Yetzirah – in this world things get darker – not only do we find people or souls seeing themselves as real, but also their desires start to become strong, as our sages teach, the world of Beriah is mainly good, the world of Yetzirah is about 50/50.

Then there is the world of Asiyah, in this world it is mainly selfish – so it is not that we don’t have some good desires, but most of our desire are what is called animal.

You see, an animal also has a soul – however an animal is almost completely selfish – everything it does is because it wants to…. – very rarely do you see animals helping; because their desires are almost completely about themselves.

Now our soul goes through these four stages, from being born into Godliness to getting a bit of an identity, to becoming more selfish, to becoming almost like an animal.

And then there is the final world, the physical (for the other worlds are not like ours, which is hard and physical) the world of Asiyah.

Now the physical Asiyah, like the spiritual Asiyah is filled with many selfish people, for even though within us is our source Hashem, and many good qualities, as our soul went through these worlds, it becomes more and more filled with the worst of all desires, “Getting my way!”

You see, the very most evil desire that exists, isn’t even a desire for something (usually something I want, as it will make me safe or happy) but simply because “I want it.”

This is like Parough who simply desired to get his way, even though it would have made far more sense to send the Jewish people free.

Your Mind

Now Hashem gave your soul a mind – this is actually what makes a human and animal different – this is why when Hashem made man he said to the angels “we will make man in our image,” which means that just like Hashem is not run by desire, but by a mind that sees (and loves, like mentioned) we will give people a mind that can also understand (and therefore love.)

But there is one trick, that to the extent that you want, is the extent that your mind doesn’t work.

You see the mind is what we call objective truth – the mind sees what is, but desires are what we call subjective reality, the desire only sees what it wants.

Now the mind is like a computer – it can be used for many different things, it can be used for helping another, but also for selfish desires.

Four Selfish Desires

So there are four kinds of animal desires from the four parts that make everything in our world, but as they make up the spiritual worlds; these are earth, air, fire, water.

Earth is the desire to be lazy or sad (when things don’t go your way) Air is the desire to have a good time (playing games etc.) Fire is the desire to be the best (also arrogance, which is a very bad desire because when someone thinks they are the best, they get angry when they don’t get what they want – for someone who is humble / “doesn’t think they are best,” – doesn’t expect others to do what they want.) Then there is water, which is that certain things, the way Hashem made them, like chocolate make us feel good, and as we like to feel good we are easily addicted (today when there are terrible horrible drugs that give people a feel good feeling, so there are hundreds of thousands of people who are called addicts – because they tried the drug, and it made them feel good, they stupidly stop caring about what is good and just do everything possible, even though often these drugs are dangerous and many many people get killed (as they often stop the heart etc.) and take drugs.)

So you can tell, that the animal part in us is not very smart -but in truth, some of it is necessary, because if you wouldn’t feel the pain of hunger, you wouldn’t eat, and if food didn’t give you a pleasure, maybe also… but the key is, that because you have a mind, you can control your animal.

This is like a horse and a rider; if you just sit on a horse, the horse will go wherever it desires, which is to the nicest grass, to laziness etc.

But if you tell the horse (which we do by pulling the reigns) where to go, it will follow.

The same thing is with your own horse, you need to tell yourself what to do.

WHY

So we can ask a question, why?

Why would Hashem make me both a horse and a rider?

Why not either a horse or an angel (which is like a rider without any selfish instincts.)

The answer is that if you were just an angel, then you cannot be proud of anything, because angels are called “holy-animals” – you see, the angel didn’t make himself good; he was created good –

Hashem loves you so so much that he wants to give you the greatest gift of all, as the Rebbe says, the greatest happiness in the world is when we can be proud of our goodness and kindness (so now that you have a challenge between listening to your horse or listening to Hashem, your Neshomoh, and the good advice of your mind, so when you ignore your horse and instead follow Hashem, your Neshomah, and your mind, you have won!

Practical Chassidus

One of the most important teachings of Kabbalah mentioned in Chassidus is how we have to see ourselves.

You see, if you see yourself as all good, then you will not think you can do anything bad, but if Chas-Vshaloim you see yourself as all bad, you will either be sad (depressed or stop caring (and that’s when we really become evil, because we don’t care what anyone thinks because we think we are in any way seen as bad – this is why some people who see themselves as bad, shame (Bully) because they become jealous of people who see themselves as good (because obviously it is a better feeling, and as mentioned, we all want to feel good.)

Anger

Now what a jealous person really wants (and this is the reason behind antisemitism, a lot of anti American, certainly anti Israel) is for a good person to hate them – you see, as mentioned, people get jealous – so if I feel it is not fair that you are happy when I am angry, I will begin to find reasons why you should be angry; this is why antisemites, bullies, anti-Israel people come up with lies – (now a bully, anti-anything… are not bad people, they are just jealous and this happens, what is called subconsciously, – in their heart; so in their mind they, only see the lie, so they think they are good people. The key thing to remember, no one who is motivated by love, shames.)

The most important thing in life is never ever ever to get angry

 

So the way to get over anger, which subconsciously is our ego / anger wishing to destroy the ego / person who demeaned – rudely lowered us (as our ego doesn’t mind being higher or equal to another, but never lower! (if it considers this unfair.))  But if you simply don’t care about what happened – for-example, by forgiving the other person – then it won’t make you angry.

Technique # 1

For example, you can say, “Oh’ they were having a bad day…” or “I feel sorry for someone who is so miserable that the only way they can feel happy is by making someone else feel sad.”

   In this way your ego (anger) doesn’t care (because again, anger is aroused when we feel something is unfair, and by spinning it in a way that you forgive the person, as it was their fault, “Bad day,”  “Miserable jealousy…” it causes you not to care.)

Technique # 2

Another Jewish philosophical approach we learn from Yosef, who looked at life, that as the Hashem controls everything, so it must be that in every bad there is a good; so despite the fact his brothers sold him as a slave; because he believed Hashem wanted this to happen so he could help the world, he didn’t care!  There was another Jewish sage called “Nachum, Gam Zu Litoivah – This Too Is Good”, for anything that would happen, instead of getting angry he would always tell himself “This Too Is Good!” He believed like Yosef, that everything coming from the Hashem, has a positive purpose. If you believe the bad is for a greater good – and in life, though people sometimes have egos that make them jealous or rude but ultimately as everything comes from your loving Father/Hashem, so it really is for your good.

Technique # 3

Another great way to overcome anger is to believe in “karma.” The idea of Karma is that souls reincarnate which means our Neshomah comes from Gan Eden into a body, then goes back after passing, but then comes back – and as Kabbalah teaches we all have been here many many times…  So instead of getting upset I can say, “While it is true that in this lifetime You should not have insulted me, but the only way that happens is because in a previous lifetime I insulted you.” (Again as I don’t see this as unfair, so I don’t care and I forgive.) (They say people from India who believe in Karma never get angry.)

Technique # 4

Finally in The Code of Law – though the previous ways are best – it says, anger is so poisonous to your life (because when you get angry at one person, you can never be happy and loving)… So to get rid of anger if you can’t forgive, you should confront the person (not aggressively but assertively) and tell them, “I am upset that you insulted me… Why?” (The truth is, bullies are cowards and if you are assertive they will almost always (if not in a group) become ashamed.)

Eating

The Rambam was one of the greatest doctors who ever lived, and he wrote a diet and said “If you eat my diet, you will never get sick” – the Rebbe mentions these words, telling us to eat healthy.

All of the research into healthy eating shows that most diseases can be prevented by eating healthy.

Do eat mainly vegetables

Don’t have any sugar.

Don’t have much chicken, bread, meat, pasta (we need only a very very little bit of protein (as really, except for vitamin b12, all other vitamins and minerals are found in plants, including protein, as you can see on the back of labels from vegetable based foods.) Also grains have a very high sugar content (this is called carbohydrates, which is really just a form of sugar – now the reason sugar is so evil, is because it causes your blood sugar to spike (go high) this then produces insulin, to make it go lower, (but we only have like a single barrel of insulin, so when we use it up people unfortunate get diabetes, and then they need to take insulin shots, there are many other diseases from too much sugar) this is also why fruits as the Rambam says should be eaten in moderation (“not so much” because they also have lots of fructose, which is a form of sugar.)

Our Mission

Finally, every generation has a great Tzaddik like Mosheh Rabeinu sent from Hashem who Hashem tells him all the secrets (like Hashem said “Should I hide from Avrohom what I will do?”)

Now every generation also has a purpose, a mission.

Can you believe, that you are living, as the Rebbe says, in the most important generation, the generation that will finally end all suffering, all plagues, all selfishness and bring Moshiach?!

We know that every generation is always ready for Moshiach (as this Tzaddik when Hashem sends him will be the Moshiach  (and as we know, that when Moshiach comes, Tzaddikim will immediately come back from the dead, that’s why the Rebbe still can be the Moshiach.)

But most importantly, the Rebbe teaches (Chayei Sarah, nun-beis) that it is your mission to add in more Torah and Mitzvos, goodness and kindness, specifically to bring Moshiach, for every candle you light pushes away a lot of darkness!

You Can Do Everything

Don’t think, I am just one person, what difference does my little Mitzvah make? You see, it is more like you are a switch, and all of heaven and earth is dark, and (as Kabbalah teaches) when you beat your Yetzer Hara (animal – remember the horse…) and this includes not only not doing the wrong thing, but also To Do Something Extra Good, especially for the sole reason to bring Moshiach; then you switch on a light that bathes all the universes, from Atzilus down to our world (though we don’t see it just yet, but when Moshiach comes, you will see all the light you switched on) forever!!!