Everything in the world is based on the interaction of two forces: attraction and rejection. All matter is subject to them, be it galaxies or atoms. This is how two spiritual forces, the Light and Kli (vessel) manifest at our plane.

The Creator’s nature is the force of bestowal, and the nature of the created being is the force of reception. The purpose of creation is to obtain the force of the Creator and attain the state of His being. This determines the entire program: the order of evolution and all its stages.

The Creator created us “without asking” and equipped us with a sole desire to receive. A spark of desire to bestow plugs into it, and this arranges a chain of states from which we understand what the Creator wants from us. As a result, the created being consciously joins in the process and promotes its development.

When a spark of the second force awakens in me, I start comprehending for the first time what is going on, and I start thinking and asking questions. The awakened point in my heart is the Creator in me. It gives me an opportunity to be independent: Being between two desires, I compare them and look for a chance to be born so that I myself can operate these two forces on my way to the goal.

I obtain free will, and now I ponder the purpose of my life, not how well it satisfies my egoism. And that is the moment when into the field of my consciousness steps the force of connection between the parts of creation. The point flickering within me begins leading me to unity.

Subconsciously, not knowing why, people with the point in the heart gravitate to seeing the world as integral. Without falling into mysticism and popular new age trends, they want to see and comprehend the common system of interrelations of all parts of reality.

This unified connection they are seeking is the spiritual life. Integral interaction of cells and organs gives birth to the common body, and it experiences itself as living to the extent that its parts are connected.
[25272]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/29/10, The Writings of Rabash

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Love is not only bestowal but also reception. After all, everyone performs bestowal in relation to me, and I must receive. Otherwise, instead of love, hate will burst out. If I reject the gift of someone who loves me, it isn’t love anymore.

Question: What do I receive and what do I give?

Answer: Your willingness and nothing more. After all, we must create a connection similar to the Creator between us. If we exist in love, then according to the law of equivalence of form, the Upper Light is revealed between us.

You must prepare the Kli, which is a type of connection, nothing more. Then, the law of similarity steps in and within this connection, the Creator is revealed. It is enough to start desiring it, for you are the desire. By doing so, you are preparing the network, a correct connection between the parts of the system, and as a result the Creator breathes life into it.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/29/10, The Writings of Rabash

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Question: How can the group escape a state that is called “a gathering of clowns”? What should we do if we manage to fall into this state?

Answer: It is impossible not to fall and become a “gathering of clowns.” There is no achievement of goodness without the preliminary revelation of evil. Goodness is built over the evil, over its realization and correction.

“I created the evil inclination,” the Creator says. In other words, goodness does not exist in nature. And if you think that I am good, then I conceal myself and reveal only my reverse side, only evil. So don’t search for anything positive in the world; the world is evil. And as far as we are concerned, our goal and our entire work are meant to reveal the opposite of evil – goodness (to switch from the reverse side to the front side, from Ahoraim to Panim).

Therefore, we need to be ready that any goodness that we will ever become worthy of will demand that we first reveal ourselves as evil. We hide, smooth over the evil, and run away from negative sensations in life.

Our egoistic protective force constantly draws false pictures to us only so that we will feel well, compensating the real state of things in our perception and not sensing or discussing the truth. Why should egoism suffer? From the very start it tries to prevent this possibility. In the same manner, a mother sees only good things in her child and only bad things in her neighbor’s child.

One can create an objective perception, independent of one’s egoism, only by accepting the opinion of the group instead of one’s own. Through it, I will be able to relate correctly to myself, the world, and the Creator.

In this manner, I receive a “device” in my hands with which I can aim an objective view in all directions. I have formed the “sixth sense,” and it allows me to establish an attitude to everything irrespective of my nature. Before I lay unconscious under the load of my own ego, and now I am realizing something and already returning to reality.

Building a Kli, mutual guarantee, and unity with the group means acquiring a “device,” a means that allows me to reveal true reality. I learn it according to my level, but I learn it the way it really is: I didn’t see it at all before because I was bought off, and that “backwash” of egoism glued my eyes and ears shut, distorting my whole picture of the world.
[25153]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/28/10, “According to What is Explained Concerning Love They Friend as Thyself”

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The world is getting ready for the Kabbalah Convention 2010!

[Show slideshow]

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If the will to receive acts without restrictions, it is regarded as “a circle.” If the will to receive establishes the order of importance in relation to bestowal, the Creator above and itself below, then it is called a “line.” The circle is the fully corrected desire that has no restrictions because everything is corrected, or this is the state of desire before correction (without restrictions). This is why our world is regarded as round: The will to receive acts as it pleases.

Our work is to perform actions in a line. It means that, in the work related to the goal, I not only utilize all my qualities, but I also organize them correctly. This inner order is called the line that measures equivalence between the desire and the Light. In accordance with this equivalence, the will to receive can illuminate as the Light, and the Light is the appearance within the desire.

If there is no oil in the lamp, it will not light up. The wick is a kind of measure of the equivalence of the oil or wax to the flame. After all, nothing can start burning without the fueling matter. There has to be a vessel that contains the Light within itself. What the Light inside me is, I don’t know. The Light is the Kli (Vessel) that has equalized itself with the Creator. To the degree of this equivalence, it illuminates, and we call this phenomenon the Light.

So far, I am only matter, oil or wax, and there is no Light in me. However, if I become a wick, I will illuminate; I will feel the appearance of the Light within me. In order to equalize my qualities with the Creator’s, I must construct a line, and to accomplish this, I am given the group.
[25018]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/22/10, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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Our work is divided into three parts which don’t seem to be connected: the relationships between people, the relationship between a person and the Creator, and the relationship between a person and the friends. When we have attained the corrected state, then all of the above will be united: a person with the whole world, a person with the group, and a person with the Creator.

All of reality must become inseparably merged together so that nobody has a greater or lesser importance in comparison to the others. This is what we call equivalence of properties. But since we don’t know how to arrange all these types of relationships correctly, how to measure each of them, we keep getting confused; so the Kabbalists explain that the most reliable thing to do is to work in a group.

After all, the Creator broke the collective Kli specifically so that each of its parts could work on its personal quality in relation to the others, so while separated from the Light, the relationships with others would replace the relationship of the creature with the Creator. This allows us to constantly examine whether or not we are working correctly.

According to the works of all Kabbalists, we need to extract this main principle: There is no Creator, creating being, or mankind; there is only the group. If I see a group where I can realize the laws of Arvut (mutual guarantee), then I must unite with them; I must do so.

Our unity must be such that no differences or distance will remain between us. We are together as one in the same sensation on the path towards the goal. And we understand that the spiritual world will be revealed only in this connection between us.

Then, to the very essence of our connection, I add the Creator because He defines exactly how to unite so that we do not become a gathering of scoffers, but an authentic group.

We don’t know what bestowal is, but we must demand that the Creator be our witness, model, and the connecting link. Hence, a person, the group, and the Creator become one whole. We will all work until we demand the revelation of the Creator among us.
[25035]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/27/10, “Make Yourself a Rav, Buy Yourself a Friend”

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A question that is arriving from all around the world now: How can we attain the right connection at the upcoming Convention and receive a good influence from the environment?

Answer: Every person is coming there without any obligations. There is no pressure. The most important thing is to feel as free as possible. I am coming to the Convention having left all my worries behind. When I am there, it’s as if I don’t have any problems. You should prepare as if you’re going on a picnic or on vacation, without a worry in your head.

Of course, it’s good to learn the songs and familiarize yourself with the preparation to the Convention site. But the most important thing is to come there feeling completely free. You should arrive at a place that does not pressure you in any way and promises you only pleasure and freedom. And in fact, that is exactly the state that signifies being close to the Upper Light.

In the spiritual world there is no pressure, problems, or difficult responsibilities. There’s nothing! Therefore, a person has to come to the Convention open to being happy!

Right now I am receiving many questions and letters from people who are experiencing difficult states and feeling stressed. They are unsure whether they should attend the Convention or not and whether it is the right thing for them. Some people get scared when hearing about mutual guarantee, thinking they aren’t capable of it. Some people have heard that it’s the place for receiving “Light” and they don’t know what that is.

People don’t understand that it is talking only about unity, which the whole world now has to reach! We wish to accelerate it before nature’s blows come down on us. The unity between us that we are trying to reach will enable us to reach the sensation of the Upper Light, the Upper Life. This unity will heal us of all the afflictions and problems.

Baal HaSulam writes at the end of the “Preface to the Book of Zohar” that our separation from one another is the source of all evil, suffering, diseases, and misfortunes. And vice versa, when we start to come closer to each other, we will purify ourselves of all problems on all levels, material and spiritual.

Therefore, come to the Convention freely and joyfully; no one obligates you to do anything! You don’t even have to bring a smile; we will organize that for you there. You just wait and see.
[25304]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/29/10, “The Freedom”

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

Concerning the Obligation of Each Person to Study the Wisdom of Kabbalah

The direction of revealing the secrets of the Torah is the ideal goal in life and reality [because in this case a person acts optimally].
– Rav Kook, The Lights of Sanctity, 1, 132

The secrets of Torah bring the redemption [from egoism and, thus, from all suffering]; they bring Israel [those who desire to reveal the Creator] back to its land [desire – “Ratzon” comes from the word land – “Eretz“].
– Rav Kook, Orot [Lights], 95

Precisely at a time of great peril [to solve the problem as usual, by a world war] and crisis [global, complete interdependence] we should take the best of cures [the path of Light instead of the path of suffering].
– Rav Kook, Igrot [Letters], Vol. 2, pp 123, 125

The young, or those who find themselves heavy [from this world] and of little desire [a point in the heart, an aspiration to the Upper world that arises in the heart, the egoistic desires] for the Inner Light [true nature of the world], must, at the very least, make it a rule to dedicate one or two hours a day to the wisdom of truth. In time, their minds will broaden.
– Rav Kook, Letters of the Raiah, 1, 82
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Question: What is punishment? Is it the suffering in this world, a lack of desire to unite, or just an unpleasant sensation?

Answer: This always depends on the person. We need to realize that the four levels of nature – the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking – exist by means of the Light that pours on the desire. Out of these four types of the desire, only the speaking (human) level is able to purposefully respond to the Light.

As the desire grows, the Kli (vessel) begins to feel how it does not correspond to the Light. Nature suffers on all of its levels due to a lack of adhesion and an inability to reach it, and, naturally, man suffers the most. First of all, his desire is bigger and more susceptible, but most importantly, the end of the string is in his hands. He has the ability to go towards adhesion and pull the rest of the levels after him.

The suffering of the human degree gradually brings us to the realization of choice. And once man begins to understand that the problems are caused by his inactivity, it will be possible to speak about reward and punishment. Everything that previously happened does not play a part in this because the true categories of reward and punishment always correspond to the goal: the correction.

Man begins to understand that the Upper Governance operates in the world and uses reward and punishment in order to correctly direct him towards the goal and teach him through positive and negative consequences, just like parents teach their children in our world. Then everything that happens acquires a purpose in my eyes. Punishment, just like reward, is a correction, and the way I accept it depends on me.

However, I will only be able to accept it correctly in a group, the place where the Upper Governance needs to be realized. Reward and punishment are inseparably connected to my participation in the group, the mutual guarantee. I scrutinize reward and punishment as precisely as possible and relate to them the same way: I need them both in order to keep correcting the course time after time. Essentially, they are both rewards.

At the end we discover a simple thing: There is no punishment, and every state is given for the purpose of using it to the fullest extent in order to come closer to the Light.
[24407]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/21/10, “I Am the First and I Am the Last”

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With each step, we must exercise a balanced approach to the occurring events and not deceive ourselves in how we perceive reality. If, right now, the Creator and the Upper Governance do not exist in my eyes, then it is one of the mandatory states on my path of advancement. After all, the Torah is a practical method based on what I see with my own eyes.

In my feelings, I may or may not see the Upper Governance, but I am not required to believe somebody’s word. If a new egoistic desire overtakes a person, then he places himself first, just like Pharaoh: “Why should I listen to the Creator? Why should I listen to Him if He doesn’t exist?”

Without lying to myself, I must admit that I am in this state and examine myself closely. What instruments will allow me to reveal the Upper Governance under these circumstances, to reveal it with my entire being so that the corrected desire will bring forth the image of the Creator inside me?

Then I will see for myself that the Upper Governance exists and that the Creator had given me that state where I felt that I was the only power. According to the law of equivalence of form, the Upper Force will become revealed to me. And thanks to the corrected will to receive, the Upper Force will emerge in me, and the Creator and I will exist in Zivug (adhesion).

Then I will see that He is the first and He is the last, which assures me that I have completed the act and corrected the broken will to receive (desire) that was certainly given to me by none else but the Creator.
[24415]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/21/10, “I Am the First and I Am the Last”

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