The Ability To Manage Good And Evil

 

Question: Can I manage good and evil if I work in the group?

Answer: Yes, and it is actually because you are in a group. It can be a virtual group and not necessarily a physical one, but you must be connected to others. By establishing the right connection between you, you can operate in mutuality with the Creator. The Creator is the upper force that affects us regularly, while the group is the minimal system that can perceive His impact correctly.

If there are imbalances in the relations between the friends in the group, you will feel the Creator’s impact as negative. If you don’t establish the right connection between you, you will always be under such an impact. But if the connection in the group is correct, you will feel the Creator’s impact as good, as an impact that leads you toward the goal.

You will reach a state in which you, the group, and the Creator are in continuous contact, in mutual connection, moving toward the goal. This is your common spiritual work.

The group changes all the time as a result of all the impressions of the friends in the group, which always stem from the Creator’s leadership since “there is none else besides Him.” This is how you constantly draw closer to Him by trying to connect as much as you can each and every moment in order to justify the Creator’s impact on you.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 10/14/18

The Years Of Plenty And The Years Of Famine In Kabbalah

Question: It is written in the Torah that when the Jews descended to Egypt, they passed seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Is it possible to compare the seven years of famine with the descent; and seven years of plenty with an ascent?

Answer: In a manner of speaking, yes, although it is more intense and more mixed up these days.

Comment: It turns out that when a person studies Kabbalah and everything seems fine, then one is in ascent with almost no feeling of descent; these are the seven years of plenty. This person then begins feeling a certain dryness without any desire for the spiritual. In general, what will this state give me in this world?

Some other methods at least help somewhat such as a person gets more money, health improves, etc.

My Response: Other methods do not oblige you to destroy egoism. They do not humiliate you. On the contrary, you rise and grow up. And here you reach a state where you are just a zero. Who am I? What am I? For what reason? This is a problem.

This is why you need a group. You have to do it all the time, make an ironclad schedule for yourself, grab onto your friends, and they grab onto you, and so mutually pull each other out, climb and not just go along a bumpy road, but climb a mountain together. This is possible in a group. You will then quickly reach the goal.
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From a KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 3/27/19

How To Solve A Problem Correctly?

Question: How is a joint decision on a corporeal problem made?

Answer: Suppose we decided in the group that we should construct a building. Based on our vision, from our connection in the ten, we draw all the conditions of the project: what should this building be like, why do we need it, etc.

By the way, at one time, in an article about the Third Temple, Ramchal described how he sees it and even made a drawing. That was 600 years ago. I hope that in our time, we will soon be able to begin its implementation. Although we are not at the level of Ramchal, but as far as we can understand the drawing, as far as we can read it, we will implement it.

Question: But still, let’s say we decided to build a center somewhere. You think that it should be in one city, I think in another, the third one thinks that it should be a different size in general. What should we do? Everyone has their own opinion. How is the decision made in Kabbalah?

Is there a voting method when a decision is made either by a majority vote or unanimously?

Answer: Not unanimously but in full conjunction with each other.

Question: Should I ignore my opinion?

Answer: No. If we are talking about a Kabbalistic group, then first of all we must solve the problem of the connection between us so that we unite into one common whole, when all our feelings, qualities, and thoughts are united in one system, and in this system, we begin to solve everything.

Indeed, in it, we become similar to the Creator, similar to a single force in which all opposites are joined together, mutually complementing each other. Then our problem will be solved correctly, in mutual satisfaction, as the power of the Creator will be in it, absolute equivalence and balance with nature.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah,” 12/25/18

Enrich Yourself Through The Desires Of Others

Question: How should I grow my desire for spirituality? You are saying that it is possible to attach to myself the desires for spirituality of the others. Is there some kind of mechanism on how to do that?

Answer: Only in the form of self-annulment. You will not be able to acquire anything without annulling yourself. This is how you will suddenly begin to feel that this action allows you to absorb completely new qualities within yourself.

Question: How can one distinguish what desire it is?

Answer: Let’s say, you see a friend whose behavior you dislike. Annul yourself and begin to associate with his behavior, with his actions. Act as if you agree with and go along with him. Try to work on yourself in this way! Then you will begin to receive completely new, previously unknown sensations to you. This is what is called connecting with friends.

Look at the others—you dislike one thing about this one, another thing about that one. Try to annul yourself, to agree with the friend, to be together with him in his action, and you will see how this enriches you, how you are connecting with him. This is how the common Kli (vessel) in which the Creator appears is gradually revealed.
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From Lesson 0, World Kabbalah Convention in Moldova 9/5/19

Be The Conducting Channel For Him

Therefore, it is a must for every nation to be strongly united within, so all the individuals within it are attached to one another by instinctive love. …This does not mean that all the people in the nation, without exception, must be so. It means that the people of that nation, who sense that harmony, are the ones who make the nation, and the measure of happiness of the nation and sustainability are measured by their quality. (Baal HaSulam The Nation)

The force that strengthens the nation depends on its similarity to the upper force, which is oneness; that is, it is able to unite. Such a nation can overcome any difficulties as they manifest as breakings and imperfections that require correction. Therefore, we will have to encounter many problems so that we can cover all crimes with love, strengthening and uniting more and more. This is the way that perfection will be revealed.

Every time greater crimes are revealed, we must build an opposite state, with love above it, and with no despair or retreat. This is how the world is built and how it must reach correction.

How can the European nations achieve unity with the staggering number of refugees? The refugees only help the European countries understand that unity must be established above all differences. We need to see the wave of refugees as sent from the upper force: destruction for the sake of correction.

Fifty years ago, it was impossible to imagine the current refugee situation in Europe. Europeans protected themselves considerably, they preserved every nation’s uniqueness: Germans, French, Italians… . The borders were rigid and distinct.

Suddenly, everything began to change swiftly. According to the upper program, everyone must reveal the shattering they are in. How else can the necessity for correction be revealed if not by the introduction of a foreign force? Thus, several million people enter Europe who are foreign in culture, education, religion, and behavior. There is no greater opposite force.

As a result, the Europeans are beginning to understand that there is no choice: the only thing to do is to unite. They are yet to reveal how to come to such unity. No matter how unrealistic it may seem due to religious differences, the most acute and irreconcilable, there is no other option.

Europeans realize that they have to find the key to connection and unity. This key is found, first and foremost, in the integral method of connection explained by Kabbalah: covering all crimes with love. This is realized with the help of the upper force. We cannot achieve unity on our own; we can only create conditions where through Israel, a connecting channel, we will cause the upper force to act on masses of people.

In order for this to happen, we need their compliance: the way they talk and act will start to change. It makes no difference that only yesterday they were fundamentalists, no matter what religion they were practicing, the way they thought, or which of the seventy nations they were a part of. Everyone will become as one nation.

The main thing is that Europe is undergoing challenges and we must provide a solution. Therefore, uniting is very important, all the Kabbalistic groups across Europe and the entire world, especially now before the Bulgarian congress. This is how we will be able to bring the light of unity and oneness to Europe. Europe is becoming more and more engulfed in darkness, in the feeling of helplessness, despair, of being faced with no way out. But we will see how contradictions will begin to subside, opinions will start changing, as will thoughts and desires. Everything is resolved in thought and the thoughts will become new.

How is it possible that those who were fierce fundamentalists, nationalists, unwilling to talk to anyone who differs from them in the slightest would suddenly change? The upper light is able to reform anything. As He is intensifying the darkness right now, so will He correct it. The main thing for us is to be the conducting channel for Him—this is our work.¹
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/13/19, Unification of the People (Nation)

Responsibility To The Creator And The Group

Question: Is there any personal responsibility in the work toward the Creator and the group?

Answer: Toward the group, I commit myself to reach, together with them, the quality of complete connection and bestowal.

My responsibility to the Creator is to reach connection with Him because it is for this purpose that He created me. By doing so, I reach my most comfortable, best, and highest state.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 7/7/19

Disturbances Are Blessings From Above

Question: Can there be a physical rejection of people in the group as a disturbance from the Creator for realizing my spiritual potential?

Answer: I would say that that is a blessing from above. This is good! You are given an example of your egoism—how much you cannot stand others.

That is, you have an absolutely clear discernment of where and how you should correct yourself and, at the same time, how to measure your progress in relation to your friends, qualitatively and quantitatively. It will be clear to you.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 6/23/19

Appreciate States Of Descent

Question: We are trying to work with friends, we want to bestow, to enter the ten. There is a feeling that we have a great desire for spirituality and that all thoughts are directed toward it.

Then suddenly this sensation is lost; we forget about everything and have nothing left of this state. Why does that happen?

Answer: It is because only one small portion of your egoism is revealed to you, which you rose above and began to, at least, listen to what is happening in spirituality. In order to reveal greater egoism, you have to add it. Therefore, egoism is added to you, and this is accompanied by a feeling of descent.

Suppose we go through a certain state, talk about the group, feel something. In order to rise to the next level, we need an additional bit of egoism. If at our initial egoistic level we had 10 kg of egoism, then another 10 kilograms are added. Since this egoism is not yet corrected, we feel a descent of minus 10.

But actually it is a plus. Is it possible to grow without egoism? Now, working in the group, I turn this egoism into an ascent, and so I grow to the next step.

Therefore, we go through states of descent and we should appreciate them! The most important thing is to appreciate our egoism. If it were not there, we would not be able to rise, we could not feel the Creator. We need to reach a state of minus infinity..

We must feel the entire Malchut of the world of Infinity, the whole huge Kli (vessel of the soul), everything the Creator created. Can you imagine the great egoism we must reach? Otherwise we will not feel ourselves against the Creator. After all, the connection with Him goes only through our ego.

It is said that Pharaoh brings Israel closer, that is, people directed to the Creator, to Him that gives them their egoism. Therefore, we must be able to overcome all the states of the descent in order to most effectively implement the revealed egoism.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 4/4/19

Help In Spiritual Work

Question: Virtual means of communication are very well developed now. Are they revealed at this time because the ego erupted so intensely that we wouldn’t be able to do without them?

Answer: Naturally. Currently we have all kinds of devices that let us be in constant communication with each other. We can correspond, send pictures, talk—anything we want! It erases the distance.

We can see our friends, our Ten, on a phone or a computer screen, and at them same time talk to them as if we are in a constant physical connection. In reality, this connection is physical because we feel it as normal connection.
Therefore, a lot of attention is paid now to the quality of communication. Distance does not matter, it all depends on us.

Of course, the most important thing is internal communication, but it is insufficient. It must be supported by physical connection. Without this, we will not be able to continuously produce internal efforts.

We must listen, see, and understand our friends, admire and  envy them, and feel it all. Otherwise, how are we going to work?
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From the TV Program “The Last Generation”, 6/27/18

Time Of Joy

Rabash, “The Agenda of the Assembly – 1,” Article No. 17, Part 2, 1984: Hence, after all the calculations comes the time of joy and love of friends. At that time, everyone should feel happy, as though one had just sealed a very good deal that will earn him lots of money. And it is customary that at such a time he gives drinks to the friends.

If a person has sincerely invested in spiritual work, he will have absolute satisfaction that everything ended well. When you expect special conditions, it means that you are neither in bestowal, nor in prayer, but just in your egoism.

Question: How should I feel when I leave the gathering of friends?

Answer: As if you remain at least at the same level and now you advance. Friends gave you an elevation and you received strength for further advancement.

Because now he is happy, he wishes his friends to feel good, too. Hence, the dispersion of the assembly should be in a state of joy and elation.

Joy is a sign that the gathering of friends went correctly. You are glad that in this way you performed a certain spiritual action, practical work.

As much as a person can keep himself in a state of excitement, this is progress.
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From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 6/13/18

Why Is The Importance Of Friends Necessary?

Question: When one talks about the importance of the society and friends, is it already a connection of the points in the heart?

Answer: The importance of the society and friends is necessary in order to simply know that it is your soul. One can even imagine it purely egotistically that there is nothing else beside the inclusion in them. Everything else is pure illusion. We do not understand this.

The soul is your inclusion in others. This is where you begin to truly live outside of your present self.

Question: Is this the connection of the points in the heart?

Answer: It is achieved through the connection between us.

Question: Should I come to lessons and gatherings of friends with this preparation?

Answer: Yes, during the whole time that you are not in connection with your friends, you should think about it, that this is actually the way you want to realize yourself among them.
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From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 6/6/18

Commandments—The Laws Of Connection Between Us

Question: Should there be laws against empty talk or gossip in a group advancing toward the goal?

Answer: All the commandments only speak about the internal connection between us. In our world, however, they are described in the form of mechanical actions: a certain way of eating, washing hands, and other corporeal actions that a person performs with his body when working in the field or with animals, etc. In reality, all these desires either facilitate or impede our connection. We have to understand and realize them correctly.

Therefore, the revelation of our various qualities along the path to our unity, some of which are for and others against the connection, is necessary in order to align ourselves correctly. This way, we observe all the positive and negative commandments, understanding what to use for connection and what to abstain from, and we reach the goal.

This is the observance of the commandments, which is carried out with the help of the upper force called the Light, or the Torah.
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From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 4/8/18

The Game Is The Constant Work Of The Group

Baal HaSulam, The Writings of the Last Generation: Just as we expect actors in the theater to do their best to make our imagination think that their acting is real, we expect our interpreters of religion to be able to touch our hearts so deeply that we will perceive the faith of religion as the actual reality.

We have to play a game, until “faith in this methodology will gain strength in our hearts.” Playing a game is the constant work in the group. If this is not the case, it is unlikely the group has a chance to advance.

Question: Is the agreement to act out a contract between us or is each of our contract’s in relation to the Creator? Is there a difference in these definitions?

Answer: There is no difference. The cause and the consequence change all the time: I work with the Creator for the sake of the group, or I work with the group for the Creator.

Question: So the concepts of “contract with the Creator” and “contract with the group” are the same?

Answer: Yes and no. It depends on what is the cause and what is the consequence.
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From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 2/8/18

The Uniqueness Of The Method Of Kabbalah

Question: Are members of a Kabbalistic group comprised of people who have a lot of abilities?

Answer: A Kabbalistic group is complicated in the sense that those who enter it have a big ego directed toward attaining the Creator. Their egoism crosses the boundaries of our world, which indicates how big their ego is.

They have to work on their ego without killing, lowering, or erasing it, but instead construct the opposite property through a unique ascent above the ego. The ego grows all the time, but a person builds the property of bestowal and love above it: the ego grows, one builds the property of love; the ego grows more, and more of the property of love is added. This is how a person constantly pulls himself up.

Therefore, the Kabbalistic method is complex. First, it works within a person who exists in two states: one state is egoistic and the other one pulls him to the altruistic part. The person is torn between these two states not knowing exactly which one he should attach to. Big descents, big ascents, and a huge tension between them.

The method explains to him what he should do, while he constantly works on discerning his freedom of choice. This is not easy.

Question: Where in this work can one give a good spirit to the other person?

Answer: In all the states, but only through the correct environment.
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From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 2/8/18

According To The Highest Plan

Rabash, The Social Writings, “Concerning Love of Friends”: What is the reason I chose specifically these friends, and why have the friends chosen me?

On one hand, we came together accidentally because we were looking for the meaning of life, the possibility of understanding existence, and we are guided by our common goal.

On the other hand, everything happens from above. As we later understand, it was the higher plan that led us to come together. It unites and brings us closer to each other despite the fact that we are egoists, especially those who come to study Kabbalah. These are people who have never really been drawn to each other or to others, everyone felt themselves as individuals.

Therefore, when they come together, they have a special job: to show love to each other, to organize meals and various activities together, and so on. Generally, this is not for them because such behavior is contrary to their nature. But they have to do this in order to become closer to each other.
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From KabTV’s “The Last Generation” 1/18/18

The Secret Of Happiness

Question: The secret of happiness is the internal connection of the hearts into one whole, but what is the internal connection? How can you describe it? What should I yearn for?

Answer: Internal connection is possible only through the group. In a friends’ meeting, for example, you should imagine that you are in a corrected spiritual state. For this purpose meetings with friends are held to create this state inside you, to sculpt it, and to remain in it for a whole week until your next gathering.

The whole Kabbalistic method is aimed at recreating the proper structure of man, which means that everyone should connect wisely, emotionally, consciously, consistently, by trial and error, in an attempt to resemble the Creator.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 6/19/16

What Is Pain?

Question: You claim that if you hurt a friend, then you hit the whole system. What is pain?

Answer: Pain is a sensation of lack of filling in a desire. There are different thresholds of the sensation of lack of filling. A serious threshold causes pain.

Question: What does it mean to hurt a friend in the ten.

Answer: If it is a good ten, then you hurt your friend if you do not realize yourself in it.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 5/21/17

What Determines The Frequency Of Spiritual States?

Question: How can we accelerate the frequency of the change of states during a convention?

Answer: That depends on many parameters, but mainly on the group, on the ten you are in.

If you are ready for a breakthrough, you will be able to do it even independently of others. It is very important to know that and to try to fulfill it.

Question: What does the pace of the transition from one level to another depend on? Does it depend on our degree of despair or on our sensitivity? How can we go through the states of despair faster?

Answer: That depends on your merging with others.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 2/19/17

New Life #816 – Conflicts In Relationships

New Life #816 – Conflicts In Relationships
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Nitzah Mazoz

Summary

Why are conflicts essential in a relationship? What is the right way of coping with opposing opinions in a relationship and how does it build a new level in the relationship?

We become equal when we reach a mutual agreement that the importance of the connection between us is above everything.
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From KabTV’s “New Life #816 –Conflicts In Relationships,” 1/24/17

Video: Play Now | Download

Audio: Play Now | Download

What Is Unity?

Question: What does it mean to unite? What is this state?

Answer: To unite means to identify with the friends who have the same goal as I do, the desire to discover the meaning of life.

Baal HaSulam tells us in The Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot that the search for the meaning of life is the main factor that brings us to the wisdom of Kabbalah.

I organize a group with the friends and we unite because without them I cannot ascend above my ego and begin to feel the upper world.

We understand that we cannot manage without each other because we have to establish a system of mutual actions between us that will have the attributes of the upper world. Then like in a magic mirror, we will see a new world, and it will gradually be revealed in the connection between us.

This is the reason that I am looking for people who share the same views as mine; together we establish a connection that is similar to spiritual connection, and in this connection, we gradually feel the upper world, which means our complete interaction up to the revelation of the Creator in it.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 10/30/16