Who Will Win: Hatred Or The Need To Exist?

Question: In our world we clearly see the trend toward separation and isolation. But where is the second trend here, the yearning for connection? I don’t see it.

Answer: The second trend is revealing my dependence upon everyone. It turns out that two forces are acting upon you: on one hand, you reject everyone and on the other hand, you depend upon them. These two poles are constantly in front of you.

If from above they want to advance you then they will always influence you with the help of these two forces. Just as the Creator promised to Abraham, (Genesis 21:12) …it is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued. Through him will be born many grandsons will be born that will grow to a huge family, and on the other hand, He adds,(Genesis 22:2) …and bring him up there for a burnt-offering.

If the Creator had just told him to kill Isaac, it would have been more understandable. And even if he blessed him with a multitude of descendants, this also would have been clear. But, how can the two statements be realized together?

Mankind is in this state now. On one hand, total mutual dependence between everyone is evident and on the other hand, the separation is so great that no one is able to talk with the other. Thirty years ago the relationships between people were much better; today European countries cannot reach an agreement between them.

Question: But where in the world do we see an inclination towards connection?

Answer: There is no inclination towards connection; rather, there is only a discovery of the picture of how much we depend upon everyone. And on the other hand, according to our inner feeling, we want to disconnect.

For example, Scotland wants to break away from England even though it’s clear that both of them would be worse off because there are a multitude of joint enterprises. One has coal mines and the other has coal fueled power stations; one nation has fish and the other restaurants that serve fish; this dependence is recognized by all. Why should they be separated?

If this assured them monetary gain, then it would be understandable, but it doesn’t. They would gain only one thing: quenching their hatred. That is, for the sake of the natural desire that has no material justification, they are even ready to lose economically, provided that hatred will win out.

This inclination exists throughout the world, soon we will return to feudal fragmentation. For example, in Germany two hundred years ago, there were dozens of small principalities. We are returning to those times again because we cannot correct the mutual hatred.

But we won’t return exactly to that past condition because of the mutual dependence. One has water, a second has bread, a third has meat, a fourth has fish, a fifth has cars, a sixth has medical equipment, and so forth. In spite of it all, I depend upon everyone; so why do all of these borders exist?

Hatred obligates me to establish borders and to close them. And life shows us that we are within an integral system that we have reached as a result of the development of our desire. So what can I do if they obligate me to connect with everyone? In this case only war can solve the problem; it will destroy the borders and the entire world. Then everything will be just the way I want it: rigid boundaries, separation, and my hatred could pour out in full. When we have no choice, we will begin to fight. This is the result if we let the ego run wild.

On our level there is no other solution. The solution is found above, above the two opposites. Hatred and convergence are incompatible with each other; there is a short circuit between them. It’s impossible to connect them directly; we must put some kind of adapter between them and transform the hatred into love. Then it will be possible to connect them.

But how do we transform hatred into love? In our world no power exists that can transform our egoistic desire into a desire to bestow. Therefore we need the science of connection, the wisdom of Kabbalah. It teaches us how to organize our environment in order to attract the inner power of unity through its exercises. This force will gradually correct us.

And then, from the corrected power of connection, we will begin to feel new relationships, a new perception of the world, because we have been changed. Within this new comprehension, within the relationship of love instead of the relationship of hatred, we will see a new reality. In the previous reality, I pulled everything towards me; my view was to derive personal benefit from all.

But through a change in orientation to caring for the good of society, I discover completely different properties and powers that act in reality that are called the upper world. All this will be discovered within my new relationship with the others.

Just as I now discover this world through my egoistic relationship with the others, I will discover the upper world within the altruistic relationship with the others until all of the worlds, all of the levels, will reach a state of Infinity. Everything depends only on changes in the perception of reality.

It is written (Shabbat 151b): “There is no difference between this world and the next world except how the governments will work,” meaning that everything depends on the orientation of the desire to receive: concern for the self or for the other. The nations have already discovered how much they depend upon one another and understand that it’s impossible to fight against a nation that supplies it with oil or produce. If I eliminate it, what will happen to me? This is like burning a neighborhood grocery where you buy all of your needs. Where will I get all that I need in order to exist?

But the hatred is so great that it doesn’t allow us to think logically, “It makes no difference if I will die, as long as it will happen to my neighbor first!” That is how the law of hatred works, and the intellect is left powerless. Emotion has precedence over intelligence. In sum, the intellect is a slave of desire. First the desire is awakened and then the mind helps to realize this desire.

The intellect helps me to get what I want, not what I planned and decided! This is the whole problem. All of creation is a desire for pleasure and all of our thoughts are directed only towards this. Therefore, I don’t see a millimeter beyond the limits of my ego; it makes no difference how wise I am. Only the science of connection can help, meaning the wisdom of Kabbalah.
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From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/25/14

Knots And Strings Of An Integral Net

Question: What efforts must one make to reach spiritual action?

Answer: Efforts should be applied only to connecting with the group; this is the only thing that we are missing. We are the result of the shattering; we are its shards, so all of our activities are directed only towards connection between us.

There is nothing in any of us to correct! This is a bitter mistake that constantly delve into and blame ourselves. This is a Klipa that sucks all of the powers out of a person. I have nothing to correct in me; only to correct the connection between us needs to be corrected.

This is a difficult and fatal mistake; if we were to refrain from it, we would attain correction very quickly. The whole problem is that we don’t pay attention to the place where we truly must correct the vessel in order to reach Divinity.

We only need to correct our connection. We don’t need to look at ourselves and others: I can be good, I can be bad with horrendous characteristics, but this is not at all relevant to correction. Correction is only  for the connection between us.

It’s like a volleyball net where the main thing is the strings and not the knots. All the knots are egoistic and individual people. They have appeared in our world until our time and are in control by force. But today they can no longer dominate because all of our power has passed to the strings. A completely different approach has begun.

So there is nothing to correct in the person himself, only his attitude to the group. Only there is his free choice and surety realized. Shifting the emphasis from personal correction to general correction is called passing from ethics, from morality, to the wisdom of connection, to the wisdom of Kabbalah.

It’s very important to understand this approach because we still act individualistically and look only at ourselves. But this is not associated with discovering evil or its correction. Therefore it’s said that the opinion of Torah is opposite to the opinion of the masses, that is, even those who want to fix themselves.

This defines our approach to everything in life: education, culture, and politics; this is radically different from the usual. This is a completely opposite attitude because we don’t ascribe any importance to that which everyone pays attention. What sense is there to be involved with things if it doesn’t help?

The whole world is now in crisis because they are paying attention to the person instead of paying attention and correcting the connection between people. Therefore all of the rulers are losing their power and ability to control anything as the world becomes more and more connected.
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From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/27/14

“Happiness: Lessons from A New Science”

Opinion (Richard Layard, Professor Emeritus Lord Layard, British labour economist, currently working as programme director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics): “’There is a paradox at the heart of our lives. Most people want more income and strive for it. Yet as Western societies have got richer, their people have become no happier.’ Layard is one of many to propose this paradox. It is often referred to as the ‘Easterlin Paradox,’ named after economist Richard Easterlin, who demonstrated exactly this for citizens in developed countries with sufficient welfare to provide for at least the basic needs of each person. …

“Not only do we compare our income to that of others, we also set a norm for our income based on what we ourselves have grown accustomed to. The more money we make, the more money we think we need. This phenomenon is called ‘habituation’ or ‘adaptation.’ It can be compared to building up a tolerance for alcohol or drugs. Layard calls this ‘The Hedonic Treadmill’: To maintain the same level of happiness, we need to keep running.

“Richard Layard (2005) argued that seven factors are central to happiness. Furthermore, he used research such as the US General Social Survey to establish (for the US at least) five in some sort of order of importance. Two further factors were seen as central, but could not be ranked due to lack of survey evidence.

“Family relationships. In just about every study, family relationships and our close private life are ‘more important than any other single factor affecting our happiness.’

“Financial situation. As we have already seen our individual financial position is of significance – especially when we are on the margins of poverty – but beyond that it is a poor second to the quality of close family relationships as a significant source of longish term happiness.

“Work. There is considerable evidence that we need to feel we are contributing to the wider society. Layard comments, ‘[W]ork provides not only income but also an extra meaning to life’. He continues, ‘That is why unemployment is such a disaster: it reduces income but it also reduces happiness directly by destroying the self-respect and social relationships created by work.’

“Community and friends. As we have already seen writers like Lane have placed a strong emphasis upon companionship. However, it is also clear that the quality of the communities in which we participate has a strong influence upon how we feel. If we do not live and operate in communities and groups where there is a sense of trust and belonging then there is a raft of evidence that shows the impact upon our ability to be happy. …

“Health. In studies people frequently cite health as an important contributor to happiness. …

“Personal freedom. Happiness also depends upon the quality of the political, economic, legal and social systems in which we operate. There is some evidence that people living in stable and peaceful societies in which they have a voice and an ability to follow their interests (where it does not harm others), and in which institutions are accountable will be happier.

“Personal values. People’s happiness depends on their ‘inner selves‘ and philosophies of life. ‘People are happier if they are able to appreciate what they have, whatever it is; if they do not always compare themselves with others; and if they school their own moods.’” (Source: infed)

“Modern society desperately needs a concept of the common good around which to unite the efforts of its members. Here is the right concept. We want to increase the general happiness and we commit ourselves to that end.”

My Comment: Of course, this is a wonderful goal. But first, it is necessary to realize that happiness is possible only beyond our egoism, not in it and not in suppressing it. That is why we need a method for getting out of egoism, the method of Kabbalah, or rather, the Light, the force of bestowal and love, which is manifested when this method is implemented.

Someone Is Working Instead Of Me!

Question: What kind of connection do we need to correct between us, we don’t feel it?

Answer: We must attain reciprocity so that nobody will be working on himself, but only outside of himself, for others. If each one works outside of himself, then with this we create a network of connection between us called mutual guarantee.

Being a guarantor means that I work for you, you work for him, he for someone else, and that one for me. I don’t know to whom what I am doing is going.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/27/14

Attain The Goal Of Life

Question: How can we protect ourselves from a fall into material desires when reading The Book of Zohar?

Answer: The study of Torah means that I am expecting the Light that Reforms, as it is written: “I created the evil inclination, I created the Torah as a spice.” To the degree that I feel that I have an evil inclination that I want to get rid of and I know that I have no chance of doing this in any way except through learning together with friends, then I reach a state in which I study and expect the Light that Reforms. This is called studying the Torah.

That is, studying the Torah needs preparation, a great desire to correct something in me that only the Torah and nothing else can do. No remedy from a doctor will help here, no exercise, or excellence in something. This is simply beyond human abilities. I am not ready for this.

I need to approach The Book of Zohar in such a state. Then certainly I will expect that this study will make me healthy, will correct in me what I determine is the evil inclination. It could be that this is still not the true evil inclination, but at the moment I think so.

What is this evil inclination? They are all kinds of desires that hinder me from reaching correction. The Torah says that it is instruction for developing spirituality: If you won’t correct these desires, then you will not reach the goal of creation.

And because these desires hinder me from reaching the goal of creation, I call them “evil.” I don’t delete them; rather, I expect that the Torah will correct them. How? I don’t know. For indeed it is written: “For the light that is in it will turn him to the good.” This means that these desires remain, but they take on a different character.

Question: What do I need to do to reach despair about my own abilities?

Answer: Try to do as much as possible. “Whatever your hand attains to do [as long as you are] with your strength, do…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). You need to examine what is disturbing you from reaching spirituality, the goal of life. What is the purpose of life? You reach this state at the end of your life or before it and you can carry on.

You don’t see your life as unique and unrepeatable. You see this life as a short fragment of your existence, and in this fragment you want to reach a state with which you enter into the next stage. This is called attaining the goal of life, reaching the goal of creation. For this purpose we exist here for the duration of these decades.

It’s possible for everyone to reach this. What is stopping you? This is what you need to clarify and see for you can reach a state beyond this life solely and only on condition that you are equipped with a desire to bestow.

You must acquire this desire through studying Torah under certain conditions, by advancing with connection, working in a group, disseminating, doing everything in order to reach bestowal. After all, our entire world is immersed in the desire to receive and our entire temporal existence is in this, and the stages that are beyond this world exist in the desire to bestow.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/25/14, The Zohar

An Honest Thief

A vessel can only receive its material, the desire to enjoy.Otherwise there is no creation. But this creature makes actions ofbestowal like the Creator, with an intention in order to bestow, but it bestows by means of its receptive vessel.

Either it receives in order to bestow or it doesn’t receive anything in its vessels in spite of all of its desire to receive, and this is called the degree of its bestowal.

For example, I’m invited to some celebration where they are using expensive cutlery made of silver and gold. I come to the party and the host says to me: “I know that you are a thief, but I ask you to hold back this time. I very much want you to be here this evening so I am asking you to be a man. You should know that I believe in you, don’t do anything shameful!”

I arrive and the whole evening I cannot eat even a crumb, can’t even taste a spoonful of ice cream or a sip of wine. This is because I am afraid that if I take some utensil in my hand, I will not be able to hold back and will put it in my pocket.

So the whole evening I don’t eat anything, don’t drink anything, don’t touch anything, and only walk around among everyone. But I made an effort to be in the spiritual world and I deserve a reward for my effort. That is, we start with stopping ourselves and not touching anything.

But this is very difficult work because I was hungry and thirsty and struggled with my desire to receive to steal some utensil! It was such a valuable asset, one stolen utensil would be enough for a whole year of the good life without poverty. If we steal a little spirituality, then it is possible to exist well in the physical world….
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/23/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

An Adaptor Between The System Of Holiness And The System of Impurity

Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 12: You find that this goal is still denied from the perspective of the Partzufim of Kedusha (Countenances of Holiness). This is because there is nothing there of the vacant space, which is the complete form of reception, over which was the Tzimtzum, hence, no correction will apply to it, as it does not exist in reality.

Also, there is certainly no correction here from the perspective of the Sitra Achra, although it does have a vacant space, since it has a completely opposite interest, and everything it receives dies.

Hence, it is only a human in this world that we need. In infancy, he is sustained and supported by the Sitra Achra, inheriting the Kelim of the vacant space from it. When he grows, he connects to the structure of Kedusha through the power of Torah andMitzvot to bestow contentment upon his Maker.

There has to be an adaptor that takes the desires from one place to another. This adaptor is called Adam (a human being) who is once incorporated in the system of the Sitra Achrareceiving desires from it and once incorporated in the system of Holiness. Thus he moves from the system of impurity to the system of Holiness, until he accumulates the two systems inside him.

There is the pure and the impure system of the worlds about which it is said: “God has made them one opposite the other,” and a person is between these two systems. A person himself has nothing. It is only the middle part of Sefira Tifferet, which is absolutely neutral, an angel. Once it is incorporated in the system of impurity and takes desires from it, then it moves to the system of Holiness and corrects them. Then he moves to the system of impurity again and takes new desires, again moves to the system of Holiness and corrects them.

Thus he continues until he transfers all the desires from one system to the other. It is like the example Rabash gives when the doctor forbade him to drink whiskey and so he used to dip a piece of cake in whiskey and eat it until the glass of whiskey was empty, and then he would say: “I don’t drink whiskey, I eat cake.”

This is how we transfer desires from one place to another and this is all our work. Of course, we need to learn how to do that, how to summon the Light that Reforms, and accumulate the need for it, being nourished by the system of impurity. This is the way the system operates.

Let’s hope it will be clear to us that we only have to correct ourselves and bring the world to the perfect form when these two polar systems cease to be opposite one another and become one.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/23/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Shrink The “I” And Expand The “We”

Question: If clear and absolute laws are working in a system, how can a person take the system out of balance? Unless the person is outside of nature?

Answer: The entire system is connected and works according to absolute laws. But within this integral system there is a unique layer that begins to grow, and this is called “man.”

This layer has the ability to shake the system up, to take it out of balance and each time to restore balance, and again to take it out of balance even more and restore it to greater balance. For this layer called “man” there are constantly such possibilities. After all, this is the way this layer acquires a feeling and intelligence of the entire system, by taking it out of balance and restoring it, again and again.

Certainly this layer doesn’t do this with its own powers: The system goes out of balance through a unique program for that layer called “man.” There are unique powers and formulas that take the system out of balance with respect to humans. The upper world is not changed, only its image in regard to us, in regard to the bubble in which we are found, changes.

This is done so that we will become familiar with the system and will require it to return to balance. Through our becoming aware of the lack of balance and demand it to return to a state of balance, we acquire intelligence and emotion, we become familiar with the general program of the entire system. And then we begin to shrink and expand, to inhale and exhale, and in this way we become familiar with the system.

Question: So does a person have free choice or not?

Answer: The free choice of the person is in gathering with people like himself in this system and together demanding balance, wanting to return the system to balance. This is a person’s unique freedom. This is only through work in a group with people like himself. He can gradually expand the layer and include all of humanity, connecting with them and demanding balance and harmony. This demand is called a prayer or raising MAN.

We must strive for change. To the extent that you balance yourself with the system, you will begin to feel it. To the degree that you can shrink your “I,” to this degree you expand and extend the “we,” and in this area you will feel the balance and harmony of all the forces that are working there in real nature. Only then will you be able to understand what is happening.

There is no greater joy than the resolution of difficulties. Precisely by your inclusion in a state of balance and harmony in which everything is balanced, Light comes from above and fills all the Kelim, and this produces true joy.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/21/14, Writing of Baal HaSulam

A Seeing Heart

Question: It is said that “The Lord will open the eyes of his heart.” What does the “eyes of his heart” mean and how can they be opened?

Answer: To open the eyes of the heart means that the heart is wise and that it understands. Eyes are the vessel of Hochma and the heart is the vessel of Bina. When these vessels connect as Aba ve Ima (father and mother), asHochma and Bina, a person begins to feel Hochma within the heart.

Our heart is a desire to receive, a desire to enjoy. The heart is corrected when it acquires the attribute of bestowal, the Light of Hassadim. I can understand the hidden reality that manages us according to the Light of Hassadim that is dressed in the heart. Then my heart becomes a wise heart, a heart that understands, a heart that feels.

It doesn’t simply feel the corporeal desire to enjoy but also the true reality. This means that I have acquired the wisdom of the heart. There is a correction in the desire called a heart that is performed by the Light of Hassadim and then Hochma is dressed inHassadim. Then it is said that the heart understands, and such people are called wise-hearted, since they have received the correction of Hassadim and of their desires. TheHassadim are so corrected that they can also receive the Light of Hochma and receive in order to bestow, then the heart begins to see.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/20/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Dancing Before The Bride

Rabash’s article: “The Importance of the Groom”: The sages talked about “dancing before the bride,” but they never mentioned “dancing before the bridegroom.” About the wedding meal, it is said: “Those who enjoy the Groom’s meal…” The bridegroom stands for the Torah, and the bride, faith, and faith must be above reason.

Reason cannot tolerate constant rises and downfalls that are called “a dance” like feet that rise and then fall during a dance. Lifting one’s feet (“raglaim” comes from “meraglim” – spies) signifies “faith above reason, ”taking his feet off the ground (desire).

However, one doesn’t always have the strength to go above reason; so one places one’s feet back on the ground. This process is called Dancing before the Bride.

The Upper Light never changes; it constantly stays in a state of absolute rest. It is the source of complete absolute good that never changes. All changes occur solely in man. If one is engaged in work for the Creator, i.e., wants to reach a state similar to the Creator—bestowal and love—then one has to work for the “groom” and the “bride” and transform himself into a bride worthy of the groom.

We must always say the bride is good-looking and virtuous irrespective of how she actually looks: Sometimes she is really beautiful, sometimes not, regardless of whether she stimulates the desire to work in a man or not. These changes cannot happen accidentally; this is how Reshimot (spiritual genes) manifest and make us go through various states.

Only the changes that are related to the Creator should be taken into consideration; we have to base our work only on these issues until we sense that there is none besides the Creator who is good and does good.

Our vessel is called “a Bride,” Malchut, a constantly changing will to receive pleasure. Our job is to work on top of all possible changes so that we receive a state at which there are no changes at all. By staying inside the will to receive, regardless of any changes that take place in it, we build a vessel above the receiving desire that also is undergoing constant alterations, but in a form that is opposite to the desire to be pleased.

The bigger the minus in our will to receive, the bigger the plus we can attain in the vessel that is created above the desire to receive pleasure. This is how we “dance.” We are happy to dance since this work turns into a very exciting adventure for us.

Impressions that transpire in our uncorrected will to receive serve only one purpose: we begin appreciating a chance to rise above our egoistic desire. It is called a dance before the bride.”

When we are done with this work, we are treated to the “groom’s meal.” A bridegroom stands for the Torah that is given to us as a gift. One understands that one doesn’t deserve such a great and holy present, but due to the work one has completed, one becomes prepared to adhere to and merge with the groom. One has already built a foundation for that.

When one reaches a state that allows him to see his bride, who is sometimes beautiful and sometimes ugly, as perfect and righteous, she becomes his real bride. “Beauty” denotes the Light of Hochma whereas “piety” stands for the Light of Hassadim. In other words, the Light of Hochma is ready to dress in the Light of Hassadim. This is how a person corrects his vessel and arrives at the groom’s meal.
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From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/12/14

Making A Human Being Out Of Me

The Torah, “Exodus” (VaYakhel), 36:4-36:6: Then all the wise men that were doing the work of the Holy came, each one from his work, which they had been doing. And they spoke to Moses, saying: “The people are bringing very much, more than is enough for the labor of the articles which the Lord had commanded to do.” So Moses commanded, and they announced in the camp, saying: “Let no man or woman do any more work for the offering for the Holy.” So the people stopped bringing.

Question: What should we make of the fact that the people give the Creator more contributions than needed?

Answer: It is about our realization that there is a limit to the self-restriction on every level.

We gradually begin to create a general vessel (Kli), a general desire that is aimed at bestowal, mutual love, and incorporation into one another. Here, we should know how to work with our mutual incorporations since there are small, medium, and large states of each soul and of all together. The correction and the assembly of the corrected parts are gradual, and all the parts are not mixed together, only in certain measures.

All the work is fulfilled above the Masach (screen), which means that a person must limit himself in spiritual bestowal, despite the great pressures and yearnings. That’s the interesting part.

Question: However, it says that Moses limits the nation here.

Answer: Moses is my part. I must learn to manage both the attributes of bestowal and the attributes of receiving and to work with them like with two reins in order to advance correctly. It is because I cannot work only in order to bestow since my ego doesn’t disappear. It turns out that I exist between bestowal and receiving. Only that way! I create myself from these two attributes.

I don’t dissolve in the Creator and don’t fall into egoistic darkness, but exist in the correct state. I hold the two reins and, thus, advance toward wholeness and eternity.

The two forces stem from the Creator. He is the right line, the attribute of bestowal, and He created the left line, the egoistic force. If I adhere to one line or the other, I am totally under His control, but if I hold the two reins and perform the right mutual actions between them, it is as if I build the middle line between them, and that is me.

By receiving two opposite attributes from Him, I reach the correct combination of the two inside me on every level of my ascent. By incorporating the two properties with the right combination between them within me more and more, I grow, and from a small human being turn to a bigger, more mature human being until I become equivalent with the Creator.

This spiritual movement seems very complicated at first since the two opposites must support one another and not negate each another. Now we cannot compare this inside us because we are on one line: either in total bestowal or in total receiving. After all, our world is absolute egoism and the spiritual world is absolute bestowal.

We may imagine something but it is very difficult to exist in the middle between these two properties. But this is actually what we have to do. Then, we will be free from the Creator since that’s what He wants, just like we want our kids to become totally independent.

We can reach that only if we receive everything from Him and focus ourselves on using all the forces in the creation correctly,

By attaining the levels of the ascent where all the forces cooperate in harmony, a person begins to understand to what extent it is between them that we actually begin to feel the outcome of their correct mutual connection, which is called Adam (a human being), the middle part, which the Creator cannot create by himself.

He created a future image of man and we create man which is the image of the Creator. It is a totally different phenomenon when we sculpt ourselves into the Creator, thus we have some properties of Bezalel, which are already in us. All we have to do is reveal them, collect them, and gradually develop them.

When we speak about the joy in the spiritual advancement, we refer to the joy that we feel in the connection of these two lines.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 10/7/13

What Is Working With Intention?

Question: How can we help others with our intention?

Answer: Nothing can help a person other than a prayer for him. It is said, “A prisoner cannot release himself from prison.” One cannot help oneself in spiritual attainment in any way; one can only help oneself in corporeality. And in spirituality, only others can help me.

Everything that I want to attain in spirituality, from zero to infinity, is possible only on condition that others will want to give this to me, will help me to get this, and will fulfill me. How can I make them help me? They will help me if I will make efforts to help them.

So we must think only about being included in the desires of the other and the correction of the other. Only in this way can I obligate the system to take care of me, and this desire will no longer be an egoistic desire.

I must gather and collect the desires from everyone because this work is calledYesod. My vessel is the desires of the other that I intend to fulfill, and I perceive them as closer than my own desires. I work on the desires, but because they initially seemed foreign to me, those of the other, they are called intentions.

What is the difference between intention and desire? The desire belongs to me; within me I feel a desire for me to enjoy myself. I don’t feel the desire of the other and so work on the desire of the other is called intention. It turns out that I am always working on intentions! This means that if I reduce my desire, penetrate the desire of the other, and work with his desire by placing his desire above my desire, it means that I am working with intentions.

In this manner I am building the head (Rosh) of the spiritual Partzuf. Instead of my desire, I take the desire of the other and work with it like my desire. And this is called working with an intention.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/24/14

A Sacrifice To The Creator

The Torah, “Exodus” (VaYakhel) 35:20-35:21: The entire community departed from before Moses. Every man whose heart uplifted him came, and everyone whose spirit inspired him to generosity brought the offering of the Lord for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.

We have nothing but the ego! We need to tear something off it and bring it to what we call “the collective pot.” This is of the common vessel (Kli), which we call the Temple or the Tabernacle. These are not corporeal figures but what we create between us. We create the center of the group where we put all of our yearnings, efforts, and desires that are above the ego. Everything that we collect together is the willingness of our heart, which we should do.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 10/10/13

The Torah Of Exile And Of The Era Of Redemption

Question: Why is the Torah written in a way that doesn’t pull us to connect? Instead, it talks about numerous crimes and punishments that are totally opposite to the law of not thinking about ourselves.

Answer: Does it mean that the language of the Torah distances you from the right actions? The Torah talks about everything in a way that makes it difficult to focus on correction. First of all, there is no mention of the group, connection, or love. Yes, it is written: “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and yet even though it is the major law of the Torah, this phrase is stated only in one of the books, not in all of them.

It is not written before each commandment that first we have to love our neighbors as ourselves and from this to loving the Creator, and then observing the laws of Kashrut or replenishing damages. This major rule is mentioned only once; children are taught this law in the very beginning of their school years, but there is no reference to this notion anywhere else in the entire book.

The fact is that studying the Torah has been in the period of exile; it talks about traditions and material commandments that we have to observe in this world. It doesn’t teach intentions; people should just follow the instructions of the Creator naively. It was forbidden to teach intention during the period of exile so it was taught simply in an external form.

We need to understand that throughout the history of humanity, there have been wise Kabbalists at high levels of spiritual attainment. They were the leaders of the people, but they were forbidden to approach people and teach them the ways to exit from the exile before it was entirely completed.

The Egyptian exile was to last 400 years. However, since the people of Israel exited it ahead of time (after 210 years), the remaining 190 years were split among the subsequent exiles.

The same problem occurs with Jacob who wanted to disclose the secret of the final correction to his sons, but he was not allowed to do so. It is prohibited to disclose it. People are allowed to see only what they really need to be exposed to. “Do not place obstacles before a blind man.”

So people were allowed to observe traditions at home and continue praying. It is what the Torah of exile permits. Rabbi Chaim Vital speaks very harshly about mechanical studies of the Talmud in his preface to the book The Gates of Holiness. This does not in any way imply disregard for the book itself, which was written by the great Kabbalists, from their spiritual attainment and yet it should be understood and treated differently, not as it is done today. The period of exile is over now and we must study the Torah of the period of deliverance, that is the wisdom of Kabbalah.

We know how hard it is. We spend years exerting in various actions until we gradually reach the correct attitude, before we begin understanding that except for the connection in the group and revelation of the correct form of unity called the Creator there is nothing else at all. Everything else is just idolatry.

Even essential actions that are done without the right intention to unite are idolatry. This is how we must relate to life. This is the approach we have to exercise during the period of deliverance that happens right before the disclosure of the letter “Aleph” (the Creator) inside the word “exile” (gula) transforming the word “exile” into “deliverance” (geula).

We are the first generation of the era of deliverance, and it is difficult for us to reveal this knowledge to others.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/13/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Giving The Most Precious

The Torah, “Exodus” (VaYakhel), 35:22: Men and women, all whose hearts moved them, all who would make an elevation offering of gold to the Lord, came bringing brooches, earrings, rings, and pendants—gold objects of all kinds.

A donation refers to tearing what is dear to our ego from ourselves. These are the “jewels” that we have to sacrifice in order to make from them the common part of the soul that the Light can enter.

The word sacrifice stems from the root “close” in Hebrew, getting closer. This means that on the one hand, we tear it from our ego and on the other hand, we get closer to the Creator.

Our mission is to prepare the condition for the Light to be revealed between us in the central part where we are all connected. By rejecting the ego we come closer only by our altruistic parts, by our willing heart, which means only by the part that can come in contact with others.

Since the central part is above the ego, it turns out that we have separate egoistic parts and a common altruistic part where we merge. On the seventh day of the correction it becomes one general whole and thus the correction is completed.

Question: What do you mean when you say: “Think about the center of the group, connect in the center of the group?”

Answer: It means that you should give what is most precious to you and pass it to the center of the group. A person doesn’t feel sorry about spending anything, but when he has to give a donation to the collective pot so that it will become everyone’s property he feels that he loses something; he cannot bear it! He can, for example, easily spend a lot of money in a restaurant, but when he has to give a small part of that money for a joint business his hand shakes.

Different forces operate here. It isn’t about a person being stingy but that he simply cannot do it since giving to others is against his basic nature! It’s only under the influence of the Light that he gradually changes, but on the whole it’s very difficult! I see my pupils go through this and I also felt it myself.

The higher you ascend, the more and more difficult it is to give the maaser as your part so that it would melt in others. On the one hand, you seem to understand more, you are more aware and you already have some nourishment, some confidence, but on the other hand, it becomes more and more difficult. It’s because the ego doesn’t disappear. You constantly work on it and it keeps on growing more and more.

Thus we gradually reach the attribute of a priest, when we are left with nothing. This means that we have the whole world and we have to give all of it! These are very high levels.

Question: What is the meaning of the seventh millennium with regard to the connection in the center of the group?

Answer: The seventh millennium is the general connection, when everyone merges together as the gold jewels that are melted in the vessel. They bubble and sparkle and become one whole. Then above it we begin to attain the Creator, the eighth, ninth, and tenth millennia.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 10/10/13

Inversions

If I yearn for faith above reason and make efforts to get closer to others and ask for help from Above in order to do so, I receive the hardening of the heart each time. The exile and the redemption arrive alternately. Exile is a descent and redemption is an ascent, so I am constantly either in a state of ascent or of descent.

Kabbalists explain that both the ascents and descents help us advance, as it is said: “The Torah will come out of Zion (stemming from the root “exits, descents”).” Redemption means that I adhere to someone else with all my heart ready to connect to him. And it is all above the repulsion and the hatred; I don’t try to erase anything, but advance along the middle line.

When I manage to reach a certain connection, I immediately feel the chilling cold in our relationship with any person or group, and they become indifferent to me. But I should understand that this indifference and the hardening of the heart already belong to the next level.

The faith and the inclination to connect, I had previously, turn into an inclination to separate. So I have to work on returning to connection again with the help of the group, with its support and mutual guarantee and the Light that Reforms, but later I will cool down again.

We know that in the descent from the top down Malchut of the upper Partzuf becomesKeter of the lower. So the moment I ascend, I attain my Keter, which is the maximum bestowal I can only imagine and want, and it immediately becomes Malchut of the upper, egoistic receiving. The ascent occurs according to this principle.

We can explain this only from the perspective of the Reshimot (reminiscences): if there are Reshimot of Aviut (thickness) of the root phase and Reshimot of dressing in the next level, then on the next level it is already phase one and two and on an upper level it is phase two and three. Thus, there is a constant reversal: exile and redemption, exile and redemption, like inversions as one develops at the expense of another.

The main thing is not to be impressed by the descents and ascents but to constantly be impressed by the pace of the changes. The more changes there are the better! Israel are those who hasten time, who sanctify time. Time, which means the pace of the advancement, is the main thing for Israel.

We don’t need to pay attention to the changes we go through. We don’t need to delve into a state and sink into it. On the contrary, the main thing is to go through as many changes as possible.
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From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/25/14