The Zohar, “Introduction of The Zohar,” Chapter “BeLaila De Kala (Night of the Bride)”: Rabbi Shimon was sitting and studying the Torah on the night when the bride, Malchut, unites with her husband. …all the friends, who are the members of the bridal chamber, must be with her on that night and rejoice with her in the corrections that she is corrected….

In order to connect to the text of The Zohar together, it is important not to forego the aspiration to unity. The Light of The Zohar can only enter our unified desire. It does not penetrate one’s individual desire.

We should realize that everything that we read about in Kabbalistic books describes the connection between us. Hence, first, as the preparation for the lesson, we need to imagine this connection for ourselves and only then consider the words of the Kabbalists who describe it to us.

This is how I study the wisdom of Kabbalah, the purpose of which is to correct our broken interconnection. First of all, I awaken the connection that we need to correct in my imagination, and then I attempt to comprehend what kind of connection is being described to me.

We are immersed in pitch darkness of the night and have no idea about our whereabouts. Nothing is clear to us, but we toil in order to prepare the bride, Malchut, our Kli, for “daybreak.” At the break of day, meaning at the end of our efforts and corrections, the shape of our interconnection shows through the dreadful darkness (egoism), and we see increasingly clearer (in the morning light, the property of bestowal) where and how it has to be revealed.

When our interconnection finally shows through the darkness, the morning comes. The state becomes clearer, and the Light, the property of bestowal, the Light of Hassadim (Mercy), is revealed in our connection. Then, the Light of Hochma (Wisdom) clothes the Light of Hassadim, and the day breaks. The connection between the groom and the bride, between the Creator and the vessel of our interconnection, our common desire, gets established.

For the time being, we are in a state called “the night of the bride.” We are preparing ourselves. We lack unity in which the Light could manifest itself.

However, we try to find the place of our breaking, groping for the egoism that separates us and the means that we can use. All of this is the work at night, the preparation for the first rays of sunrise.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/14/10, “Hakdama, Laila de Kale (The Night of the Bride)”

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Question: Many years ago at a convention in Sitrin (Israel), you said that in order to break the Machsom, we must be in one thought at the same moment and have a very big, single desire. During that entire time we tried many times, we did a lot of actions, but we were not ready.

I feel that at this moment now everyone is ready. I spend the entire lesson trying to break this membrane in me, the egoistic Klipa, I want to make “an opening in my heart.” I lack everyone’s synchronization. I do not want this tomorrow; I want it right now, at this very instant! Please help us become synchronized right now so that we would be able to break this barrier!

Answer: Once I turned to Rabash with almost identical words, and he responded that he is not standing between the Creator and me. One must find this connection himself. He himself must demand it. And mainly, he needs to understand that he does not break his own membrane, the Creator does it.

If you are trying to break it and find yourself unable to do it, then it is a good thing, but you need to stop trying to do it on your own. Which forces are you using to do this? The same force of egoism? How are you breaking it – are you using a big ego to break a small one or vice versa?

Only the Creator can do this, and no one beside Him! A teacher is a guide on the way. He only brings you to this state, but he cannot do anything for you. And the Creator cannot do it unless you demand it from Him. This is because your desire for an inner change must precede His action.

From this follows:

1. Stop attempting to break the membrane, the egoistic Klipa of the heart, on your own.

2. Stop awaiting anyone’s help but the Creator’s in responding to your request.

We have been studying this for many years in all the Kabbalists’ articles: Everything is only done by the Upper Light. It created the desire, it changes it, it prepares it for changing the intention, and just like it broke the desire, only the Light is capable of correcting the intention over it, if the desire were to demand it.

There is no one in between; everything depends only on the desire itself: the request, the raising of the MAN. And the action from this is only realized by the Upper Light. Begin to only concentrate on two actions: I ask, and the Creator executes.
From Lesson 4, World Kabbalah Convention 2010, 11/10/10

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The Zohar, Chapter “BeShalach (When Pharoah Sent),” Item 441: It is written about that, “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together,” meaning one should not give room to the evil kinds because man’s actions awaken what need not be so. When they mate together, it is impossible to stand up to them. A Klipa called “dog” comes out of their side, and this is the fiercest of all….

The Zohar also says that our every effort and action immediately exposes the Klipa (shell), and a person fails, immerses into the Klipa, and then gradually performs a correction and comes out of it. In this way, he clarifies the Klipa and does not need to be in it any longer.

That is, ascending the spiritual degrees always starts with confusion, the mixing between good and bad. At the beginning, any state is unclear to me. Undoubtedly, there is both good and bad in it.

I have to attract the Light that Reforms to this state. By manifesting in this state, the Light pulls the evil down, and I rise upward using the good. Hence, in any state I reach, I first sense a lack of clarity, and only the Light splits it into two.

At first, the Light helps me reveal the evil, as it is said, “I created the evil inclination,” and I throw it down. Then, there is “…and I created the Torah for its correction because the Light (Ohr Makif) in it reforms.” Then I rise upward to the good desires.

Hence, “There is no righteous man who does good without first having sinned.” We always need to reveal the evil first and “cast it off,” meaning to be immersed in it, imbued with it, realize that it is evil, and only afterward get rid of it and reach good.

This happens with any clarification, with every tiniest detail. So don’t be frightened if it happens with you every second. On the contrary, the more often it occurs, the better.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/14/10, The Zohar

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Question: What is the inner work in the group between circles (Igulim) and the “straight line” (Yosher)?

Answer: Before I was satisfied with success in the corporeal world, but then I suddenly felt that something was missing in my life, and I began to search for a place where I would feel better. Thanks to this sensation I have come to the science of Kabbalah, but who was it that pushed me to it?

My questions are called “the desire for fulfillment” (Hissaron). I (my “point in the heart”) had existed in some “round” place and suddenly felt bad. In other words, a certain tension had emerged between me and my environment, a difference, a “delta.” I felt this delta (difference) as evil, as I was tormented by the question “What am I living for?” because I do not feel satisfied and balanced.

From this sensation the Surrounding Light had already begun to influence and move me since the preservation of balance is a law of nature. The Surrounding Light is what is pushing me to a state of balance.

I had begun to move and had transitioned into my next state; I began to look for answers in say mysticism, then came to some philosophy, and ultimately arrived at the center of the circle: the science of Kabbalah.

So who was it that has been leading me along this entire path? It is the Surrounding Light! I have always existed in it, only I didn’t always realize it. Thus I pass through the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th states.

In the 2^nd state, I was calmer with respect to the Surrounding Light because I felt less pressure than in the 1^st state. But after spending some time in that state, I was influenced by the Surrounding Light and began to feel that this state is not very good. That is, I increased my sensitivity to the Surrounding Light, which caused me to feel bad again! And again I began to search.

Thus I am pushed by the Light every time. In essence, I don’t do anything myself; it’s the light working on my desire, until I reach the very center.

At the center is a totally unique quality called a “group.” In this point the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif) and the Inner Light (Ohr Pnimi) cease to influence me entirely.

I exist in the central point of all the “circles” (Igulim) where they do not function and also at the end of the “line” (Yosher) where it does not function. So what am I to do?

And here is where I need to act independently, for I find myself at a point of free will. Presently Light does not act on me, but waits. To the extent that I can bring myself out of this state of balance, the Light will begin to influence me!

I connect to the group, and all the additional desire that I receive from it elevates me! This desire pertains to the line, for I have received it from the group.

When my desire falls within the line, I find myself once more under the influence of Igulim (after all, I do not yet have a screen [Masach] and do not belong to Yosher), and once more I feel a difference between myself and the circles.

This leads to the Surrounding Light influencing me. It is not the general Light, but one that belongs to the Light for I have received my desire from the group, which is the line. This Surrounding Light in the line wishes to elevate me for the two of us to be in balance.

Herein lies the Segula (remedy), the miraculous power of the Torah, for this light influences me and elevates me in this straight “tube.” I rise on account of the Surrounding Light, but this Light influences me to the extent that I actualize my freedom of will in the group, by connecting to it in collective study.

Herein lies our entire work! Baal HaSulam explains it in the book, Beit Shaar HaKavanot, which is the foundation of all our intentions to reach bestowal. Therefore, I can only ascend “in the line” with the help of an additional force, which I receive from the group. According to the desire received from the group, the impression of the goal’s importance, the Creator’s greatness and the paltriness of my own ego, the Surrounding Light begins to influence me.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/14/10, Rav Yehuda Ashlag “Beit Shaar HaKavanot”

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From Baal HaSulam’s article “The Last Generation”: If all the nations of the world agree to that, then wars will no longer be in the world, for no person will be concerned with his own good whatsoever, but only with the good of others.

This teaching of equivalence of form is the teaching of the Messiah…It is then said “and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.”

The Messiah is the biggest Light of Yechida that corrects everything when it descends. When we obtain a strong desire to reach the final correction (Gmar Tikkun), this Light will appear with all its might and will correct all desires.

Even much lesser Lights that we receive now create a connection between us and allowed us to organize a huge Convention which is the result of help from Above rather than our own achievement.

All that we see around us, our friends and the whole world, is the image of the Creator who stands in front of us and shows Himself through this picture. Even now, the power that we call “Messiah” is already here; it pulls the whole human race from its current state to the end of correction. These processes are called “the labor pains of the Messiah;” they represent the revelation of the power of the Messiah in the world, the very first state in the process of “birth.”

One way or another, by going through stronger affliction and wars or because of the growth of our understanding and desire to become corrected, this correction must be completed by the year 6000 according to this world’s calendar. This term is defined by six Sefirot of Zeir Anpin (VAK) and is divided into three periods, which are two-thousand years each, reflecting the influence of ZA (Zeir Anpin) onto the three worlds: Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. Thus, we are obligated to achieve the state of correction.

From now and further on, we enter the era of the Messiah, and therefore the wisdom of Kabbalah is being revealed. This gives us a chance to become corrected right now rather than continuing to wait for the end of the given term.

Egyptian exile continued for only 210 years instead of the “determined” 400 years; similarly, we shouldn’t wait until the calendar indicates 6000. In spirituality, we can accelerate time and bring the final state closer so that we can implement it right now. It means that “Isra-el” (someone who strives directly to the Creator) “accelerates” time and moves it forward. This is why we can already (as we speak) be present in the time of liberation, at the arrival of the Messiah; it all depends on us!

The preparation period has ended and the informational genes (Reshimot) of the final stage have begun to emerge, revealing the method of their use: the science of Kabbalah and The Book of Zohar; now everything is in our hands.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/7/10, Baal HaSulam “The Last Generation”

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Question: I came to the Convention with an enormous desire to break my egoistic shell. I keep having thoughts that I am able to do something right now, yet I am not doing it. I am afraid that this Convention will go by, but nothing will change in me; only impressions will remain. What do I need to do right now, right this minute, right this second, at this precise moment?

Answer: First of all, all of us ask ourselves this question. Right now you are connected with everyone, you have the same aspiration, anticipation, and this is what will remain from your entire life. Nobody knows how your life will be spent, but this moment is inscribed on your “spiritual account” for good.

It is written that when a human soul lands in the divine court, two questions are asked of it: “Did you study the Torah (did you want to attract the Light that Reforms?)” and “Did you await salvation (to rise above your ego and ascend to your second nature)?” This is exactly what we are trying to realize here. And it is good if every one of us feels that there is something that he must do, but he is incapable of doing it.

This is very unpleasant and reminiscent of birthing contractions because we want to birth our next state, but we are unable to do it. But a new degree is born within us from Above precisely thanks to these efforts.

So what should we do? Open our hearts a little bit more, connect with others a little more, feel that the Creator must be revealed between us and manifest in us slightly stronger, thereby bringing us closer together and lifting us to the second nature.

This is exactly what the Kabbalists write about. Today we are in a state when all Kabbalah material has been revealed to us, everything has been explained dozens of times. We need to do a little more, but not in studying or circulation, but specifically in unity like the one we have now, at this Convention.

Try to feel everyone in your heart, and let the Creator do this job! Pull Him where you feel that you are incapable of doing it! The Creator tells Moses: “Come to Pharaoh!” same way we take a small child by his hand. This is because Moses in us, the point in the heart, is afraid of Pharaoh. Naturally!

We are incapable of doing anything against this monster, our ego. I feel that I want to conquer it, but I am unable to. But a moment after I do not want to conquer it at all for he rules over me. And this goes on over and over.

This tiny spark that remains in me from the previous spiritual state is unable to do anything. I must grab on to the Creator with the help of this spark, and then I will be able to resist my ego. Our ego is such a monster that we are unable to do anything against it.

I just hold on to the Creator’s hand and want to be with Him like a child who pulls the adult by his hand and asks him to get him what he wants. This is how we should advance: “I want to connect with others! I want to achieve our unity! I want to achieve the desire where the Creator will be revealed!”

I grab on to the Creator through this tiny spark, but it is merely a spark, while I must catch Him entirely, unite with Him. And then suddenly the ego, Pharaoh, begins to gradually vanish and disappears… Yet I stay with the Creator united with other points in my friends’ hearts, and this is how the spiritual degree becomes revealed.
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From Lesson 4, World Kabbalah Convention 2010, 11/10/10

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The Book of Zohar – Selections, Chapter “Hakdama, BeLaila De Kala (The Night of the Bride),” Item 2
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The Book of Zohar — Selections, Chapter “BeShalach (When Pharaoh Sent),” Item 463
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Baal HaSulam, “Beit Shaar HaKavanot,” Lesson 17
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag, “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose,” Lesson 2
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