The Magic Influence Of The Environment

Question: World War II veterans recall that during the early days of war they were uplifted, full of excitement and joy. However, when the real clashes began, all this changed to horror.

Answer: I myself watched the joy and turn to terror during the military actions I participated in, in this country (Israel). The exhilaration was quickly replaced by a desire to make it all end quickly. This is actually the case. And people can’t explain it.

Anybody can be transformed under the influence of the environment; one easily can be stopped from doing what he used to enjoy previously.

Take the anti-smoking campaign for example. I am a smoker too, so I can tell how it affects people. Many quit smoking. Thirty or forty years ago, everyone was smoking everywhere, in all public places: on buses, on the streets, and in buildings. It was normal and it caused no objections. Strangely enough, people didn’t even pay attention to the fact that everyone around them smoked!

Today, it’s prohibited to smoke even at bus stations, sometimes even in the street, not to mention cafes or any other public places.

In other words, we see that, if a society sets a certain objective, the environment influences a person to the extent that it can change even his firm habits such as smoking. Everyone realizes how important it is to a smoker to have a cigarette, and yet, people quit smoking.

If we only could “tune up” our society toward the changes that would lead us to integral growth and unity, we would certainly succeed! The problem is to make quite a stir—governmental and international programs—aimed at implementing integral liaisons among us. Otherwise, we will still have to go through this process but in a dramatic way.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/25/12

Like A Bird That Carries Everything To Her Nest

Question: Why does it say: “The reward is according to one’s sorrow?” Does it mean that we have to suffer?

Answer: Sorrow stands for exertion and efforts. According to the exertion we have invested, we receive the reward. The exertion is only with regard to one thing: choosing the environment. The more we are incorporated in the group, in its center, despite the different problems and obstacles, as it is there that we find the point of connection and then the adhesion with the Creator.

In everything that we study about the shattering of the vessels and their correction, in all of Rabash’s articles, in the practical work that we do with the public, we see that there is no other option but the group. Like birds that keep returning to the nest bringing more twigs each time, we too have to bring all our hopes and efforts to the center of the group because it is there in the center that we will discover the Creator.

To the extent that each one is incorporated in the center of the group and annuls himself, he will find the answer to all his hopes. Those who don’t do that and draw away will accordingly not succeed in anything. Let’s hope that they will be able to see this and refocus on correction.

There is nowhere else to discover the spiritual world, no other entrance to the spiritual world except for the center of the group which is as fine as an eye of a needle. When you reach it you don’t transcend to another place through this tiny hole, but you attain everything in that central point of connection. The more you focus on it, you eventually reach the actual point that has no space, and it’s there that you begin to feel spirituality, the next dimension.

So there is nowhere to run to or escape; you will find it all here in the group or you won’t find it anywhere! This is where the principle of “love thy friend as thyself” stems. It isn’t just nice words and not some psychological trick since it isn’t about an egoistic connection but about a corrected connection. Although the words may be the same, the meaning is totally different.
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All Work Must Finish With A Prayer

The most important task in this world is for a person to be constantly ready for prayer. This is the only action that can make a difference. We make efforts physically, mentally, in thought, and in desire, but in fact we needed all these thousands of actions for thousands of years only so that at the end of the matter we would reach the right prayer, cry, desire. When we can accept our desire in the right form, then we will succeed in attracting the higher power to us that does everything.

Only the Light acts and only we with a “point in the heart” are prepared to arouse the Light to action. Basically, all the rest cannot do this, only to the most minimal degree by way of “in its time” (Isaiah 60:22) and to the degree that we are integrated with them, yet no more than this. About this it is written that the “nations of the world” have no link with the higher power, with the Creator. The general desire for pleasure, according to its structure, cannot connect directly with the Creator, except only through those who have the spiritual spark.

Therefore, at those times and in those conditions where we cannot arise correctly for the world, we distance ourselves and the whole world from the Creator. Through the evil powers that rise, by means of the feeling of distance and recognition of evil, in spite of it all we advance, yet not in a desirable way.

Only we who have a “point in the heart” are ready to pray. All the rest do this either out of habit implanted from childhood or with simply egoistic motives. And the prayer of a simple egoist is better since the person screams about his pain. All dissatisfaction is already a prayer and a cry to the Creator, even if the person doesn’t think about Him. This is already some kind of turning upward. These turnings have been gathered for thousands of years from the screams of billions of people, and eventually collectively awaken them and the Upper Light.

Yet even though the Upper Light reaches them through us, the general structure is not changed. Even if we are not ready to work with the Light correctly, it is there and exists. And so it reaches us and bumps into us like a wall because we are found in exile and cannot think about the nations of the world.

In a form like this, we are far from the Creator because we are not raising the prayer to Him, and we are also distant from the nations of the world because we have not conveyed their prayer upwards. It follows that we are at a double loss. We need to consider this! The problems and troubles will not cease as long as the people of Israelhave not realized their real task, until it will be the higher level for the nations of the world in order to convey the double prayer, theirs and that of the entire world, to the higher level.

We are supposed to make practical applications for our work with the general public, meaning, those who are not ready to awaken to connection with the Creator and are therefore called the “nations of the world.” As much as this work with people will be perfected, skillful, professional, it will not bring the right results and will not bear fruit if it doesn’t end with a prayer.

All our invested efforts, each one separately and all together, are imperative solely and only so that we will reach prayer. From the start we went out to operate because the Creator sent us (“I am first”) so that as a result of our action we would reach the double prayer after we absorb the desires of the people and thereby arouse our desire. Then we can ask to make us a part of the conduit only for their sake so we will be able to take care of people. After all, the Creator created us with a “point in the heart.”

Following work like this with the general public, we reach the lifting of prayer, that is, the work entrusted to Israel. Here there already exist the three components required for spiritual action: the lower level – the public, the upper level – us; and the highest level – the Creator. In this way we work together.

If we think about this before and after the action, and are prepared to link it to this state, then our action will be blessed and successful. About this it is written: “The firstborn… give him a double share” (Deuteronomy 21:17), for himself and for the younger brother.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/22/13

What Shall I Bring To The Creator?

Question: Man’s nature is such that he doesn’t wish to recognize his inner evil. Only when cornered does a person feel forced to admit the need for correction. What is this evil that hides within me?

Answer: Unfounded hatred; it destroyed Rabbi Akiva’s disciples. There is no other evil. Everything else is evil from the view of my ego. Only unfounded hatred represents the very evil that resists the good: loving others as we love ourselves. This is the only criterion that I measure myself and my corruption by. All other “vices” are not viewed as flaws by the Creator. They are not considered a good cause to appeal to Him. He expects an authentic plea. The entire system of correction is designed for the broken Kelim, or the desires that are unable to unify.

Question: So, we must constantly feel this evil and not sugarcoat or hide it from ourselves, correct?

Answer: From Psalms: “I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). Otherwise, what will I point out to the Creator? What will I require Him to correct? It is really very simple. I wish to participate in the life of the group; I am attracted to it, and at the same time I see that I am unable to do so. This is exactly what we experienced during a Kabbalah congress. Having gathered together, we immediately realized that we don’t want to and cannot unite. This is what is called discovering one’s own evil. It is great! Now we must keep this evil as our target and demand to be reformed.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/16/10, Introduction to The Book of Zohar

The Democracy Of Give And Take

Question: I don’t believe that it is possible to connect because everyone worries only about himself. For example, my car broke down so now I can’t get to work and make a living. If you call for unity, why don’t you collect the money I need to fix the car? Why doesn’t this happen?

Answer: This indicates that it is impossible to fulfill the connection in our world by certain individual actions. If I am in a shattered state, I cannot discover any corrected parts there. This is clear, so what else do you want? You will not find any signs of connecting for the benefit of others in this world.

It isn’t just a connection that is good for my ego, when I connect with someone else to profit at his expense. It is about a totally different connection that doesn’t exist in this world. So your complaints are invalid. It is true that our world is opposite to unity and that everything in it exists according to the laws of give and take, according to capitalistic principles. Modern democracy means that everyone is allowed to take care of his or her own welfare.

Democracy was limited in socialist Russia; there were limits to how much a person was allowed to think about himself, because he was otherwise obliged to think about the society. Capitalist democracy offers a person the freedom to do as he wishes and to profit in any way he feels like. If you aren’t directly harming society, then it is fine; this is democracy.

The first step towards the correction of the world is through the education of the people. Education should precede everything; otherwise, we will not be able to fix the system. Education should correct people so that they will want to change the social priorities by themselves to bring about social balance, a more or less equal standard of living, and to gradually organize everything. Changes should be according to the desire and development of the majority, and should meet the general agreement; this is called true democracy.

Without social changes you cannot change people and society. After all, in today’s corrupt society, if you are don’t have a car that you need in order to make a living, you will die of hunger. This is the world you are living in. if you want to start changing it, please start studying integral education. I am offering you a process of correction, but you cannot come complaining to me about the flaws of this world and demand that I correct them for you.

Besides, you don’t even want to correct them—you want to go on living with these defects—but only to steal for yourself from the united society that I am offering you, to take from it to your world with your shattered society. This of course will lead to nothing. This is precisely the case when the impurity (Klipa) wants to adhere to Holiness and exploit it.

Between Two Creations

Question: What are “practical commandments?”

Answer: Practical commandments are corrections that we are capable of making today. The entire Torah and commandments are corrective actions that are made with the help of the Light.

As it is written, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah as a spice.” The evil inclination is the “material,” the egoistic desire. The “Torah” is the power of its correction. A man, me, should be positioned between them.

It is I who organizes a liaison between the Torah and the evil inclination. As it is written, “Whoever attains the Light hidden in the Torah can see with it from one end of the world to the other.” I am the one who defines egoism as evil and the Torah as a spice. My main duty is to initiate the impact of the spice to correct the evil inclination, so I build the whole system, and by doing so, transition from an evil inclination to a good one, which means that I am following the commandments.

There are practical commandments that are possible to follow right away, and there are commandments that are not available to us as of yet. In general, it’s about the methodology of the fulfillment of the commandments (corrective actions) with the help of the Torah (the Light).

“Commandment” is a transition from evil to good, from receiving to bestowal, from egoistic intention to altruistic in each given desire. It is done by the Light. Accordingly, before anything else, I must identify evil with the help of the Light of the Torah. Then, I will be able to make a request that will lead me to a good inclination.

I cope with all stages of this path due to the Light. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is the general, great rule of the Torah, the corrected form. The corrupt form (the evil inclination) signifies hatred toward our neighbors. Therefore, the Torah is not a scroll of parchment that is kept in a special bookcase but the Light that Reforms.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/12/12, The Zohar

The Methodology Of A Spiral Takeoff

Something that a person does on their own is never taken into account because he alone is not capable of spiritual actions.“Spiritual” means that it’s directed towards correction of the shatteringand is oriented towards connection that requires the participation of the common force. If one does something on his own, he always acts out of egoism since he’s not capable of any other actions.

So, this kind of effort is not taken into account. One imagines that he puts in a lot of effort and deprives himself of so much and he thinks that he engages a huge power; however, there is no point to his endeavors and they will not be taken into consideration. In the course of time, one becomes indignant because he doesn’t see any advancement nor does he move anywhere; he gets disappointed in his ability to attain spirituality. However, it doesn’t mean that he is not capable of achieving it; he simply hasn’t done anything in the right way.

Sometimes it can take up from 10 to 15 years to understand where we are and to eventually hear what we were told so many times from the very first day of our study. Only after quite a number of years does a person realize that spiritual power can be obtained only from the group, the environment, and only to the extent of one’s self-annulment. One is able to nullify himself even if it does not involve his thoughts or desires, but only at a simple level of physical actions. The more he bows his head, the more he’ll accept other people’s thoughts and desires that are oriented towards spirituality. Those will be spiritual thoughts and desires, since a person receives them by suppressing his egoism! Thus, he’ll advance one step at a time; it is said that a many pennies accumulate into a large sum.

So, love of one’s friends is the necessary and only prerequisite that serves as the leverage and springboard to achieve the goal. If a person doesn’t make a “zero” of himself in relation to his friends’ “one,” he won’t attain the spiritual force and proceed with its help.

To proceed means that with its help he can annul himself once again, then he gets inspired by the group once more, and through this inspiration he comes into contact with the Creator. So, it looks as if there is a small child compared to the group of adults. I get a sensation of the greatness of the goal by relating to the Creator through them. This is how I advance over and over again by ascending in a spiral, that is called “in circles.”

There are no other opportunities to move forward. The network, the only vessel that was shattered, is right in front of us at this very moment. Even though we can’t actively work with 99% of the vessel because they don’t want to become our partners in this kind of work, we still have friends given to us by the Creator who gathered us together in order to help each other by annulling oneself in front of others in order to get strength from each one of us. With the help of this force, we’ll continue our advancement to the Creator.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/4/12, Writings of Rabash

The Film Projector Is Within Me

In fact I am not in the world, but the world is in me.

The process of “reading” the external reality as internal is divided into four stages and immediately at the first step I should be guided only by what I see.

And I see that the Creator is making this “projection” for me. It’s as if a projector is placed in me and it shows the whole world and all that happens to it. The light from the “bulb” of this “projector” passes through the “film,” divided into “frames,” and falls on the “screen,” i.e., in my mind; as a result, I see a current picture of the world. Well, the Creator Himself is the abstract Upper Light, the Light of Infinity.

So, in fact, the “film” is my Reshimot that create this or that picture for me. And if it were not for this mechanism, I would have not distinguished what is happening because theReshimot would have remained inside. However, the Creator, illuminating them, reveals my inner world as an external reality.

Baal HaSulam writes about this in “Introduction to The Book of Zohar.”
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam