It is desirable for the word “Arvut (mutual guarantee)” and all the terms of this concept to became closer and as clear to us as possible. Therefore, we must begin to work on this more and reveal the connection it assumes between us.
Everyone should be above the others in order to take care of them and set the right example. Everyone should feel below others in order to get an awakening and inspiration from them because a person will not have the strength to advance without this. And everyone should be concerned that we are absolutely equal, no more and no less—absolutely equal!
On this path, we will start to feel each other internally. I will not see a friend as a material body. I’ll suddenly cease to distinguish his face; it will disappear. I will not notice his clothes and external features. Then, I will even stop seeing his qualities, his character, the habits which first constituted his image for me. I will not relate to an external image, not to his character, behavior, and qualities derived from birth or acquired throughout life.
I will not see his clothes, his physical body, or character traits, but only the innermost point that is called the opposite side of the holy soul. Of course it is still uncorrected, but yet it wants very much to draw itself to the Surrounding Light so that it becomes corrected.
This point is called the point in the heart. The connection between our points, the mutual guarantee, is the means for drawing the Light. This is how we need to see every friend instead of bodies, character traits, or demeanor. All of this is given to a friend from Above and makes him act in this way, or I see him like this “to the extent of my own flaws.” But the main thing is to see the inner point and the desire to unite with it.
The connection of these points into one whole is called a Minyan. It is a union of points in the heart that are ready to act and apply all possible efforts in order to achieve similarity with the Upper Light. It begins to shine on them to the extent of their similarity and yearning for the property of the Light. The Lights always exists; the movements occur only inside the desire.
Everything depends on the connection of the inner points in the heart that attract the Light, on its strength and quality, the reason why we want to connect, and how we overcome obstacles. As soon as we fulfill the required measure of efforts (Seah), we obtain a sufficiently strong desire to unite; the Light completes our first action of unity and brings us to the first adhesion (Zivug), the first contact with the Creator.
Thus we realize our mutual guarantee; that is, we are “together,” so much in guarantee for each other that we turn into one whole. This is the first spiritual degree in which we reveal the upper world, the upper force, the true reality that is above the one in which we are now. This world appears illusory to us like in a dream.
The first correct attitude is to exit oneself from one’s body and garments, all egoistic desires, thoughts, and habits, all innate or acquired qualities. I feel only the point in the heart and want to glue it to the friends. This means that I am going towards the mutual guarantee, the first point of unity.
Thus connected by the Upper Light, we reach the first vessel. All our points are opposite to unity, but our pressure, the tension created between these points reveals to us how much we are inherently not able to connect, and at the same time we want to.
Baal HaSulam describes this state in “Letter 19” in the example of the relationship between a man and a woman who deliberately separate and cannot connect, but at the same time, feel a great desire to be together. As a result, this leads to an explosion of the connecting force overcoming the force of separation, and then we reach unity. “And his seed is for the good,” this is our first spiritual state called birth. In our world, children are born as a result of the connection between a man and a woman, and in the spiritual world, the result of our adhesion is the birth of a new state.
[124351]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/31/13, Preparation for the Convention
[124351]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/31/13, Preparation for the Convention
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