Question: Is there a difference between personal internal work and work in the group?

Answer: In spirituality, there is no separate personal and group work—it is all a single work. If I exist only under one authority, under the complete rule of my egoism, nothing can be done. Such a reality is called “this world,” and in such a state, I have no chance in changing my ego.

To change my state means to change “a place.” That is, I have to build a new place, new spiritual feelings and mind. And that is possible only by means of connection.

My personal work is to exert effort to connect with others. And for that reason, I select people who can help me—they are called “the group.” Thus, both my personal and group work take place, but essentially, this is one general work. It’s because I can’t be without them, and they can’t exist without me: This is the way we are arranged from the beginning.

There is no other work besides connecting and feeling new spiritual phenomena inside of that connection. To the extent that I want to attach their internal desire to me, I correct my desire. In fact, my spiritual vessel exists beyond my “I,” in all the others.

I have to connect what seems separate and remote from me in my consciousness, obscured by a wall of my egoism, envy, hatred, and ambition, meaning my desire to dominate the others, to disregard everyone, to rule and to use.

Thus my ego purposefully shows me different forms of my remoteness and neglect of a fellow human being so that I build the bridge of love towards him. And the further I advance, the stronger I will feel that I despise others, repel them, and want to use them for my own good.

I do that with pleasure or see that it is simply necessary, and I will suffer if I don’t use the other. We are being put through such states and placed before the need of using the other and neglecting him or her to save us from problems. Meanwhile, I have to realize that all of that is just an exercise or a joke that I have to rise above in order to overcome it and to connect to others, namely above it.

The egoistic force brings me to a state of total despair: “Look, if you don’t cause damage to others, you won’t be able to exist!” All our work is in rising above it. That’s why this principle is expressed in such general words: “Love the other as thyself”—above envy and hatred, above the desire to use others.
[54212]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/29/2011, Shamati #121

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Baal HaSulam, The Teaching of the Ten Sefirot, Part 2, “Inner Reflection,” Item 63:  We refer to the Hamshacha (attraction of the Light) by the Ne’etzal (the created being) as Hitpashtut (expansion) of Ohr Elyon (the upper Light).

At the very moment when the created being yearns to receive from the upper Light, he immediately sucks the Light. It is like one who lights a candle from another and the first is not lessened by it. By the same manner, when the created being extends the upper Light to itself, the upper Light is not lessened in any way because of that part that the created being extended.

Also, it is not affected or impressed in any way by the attraction of the Light by the created being. However, in order to simplify matters, we refer to this as the expansion of the upper Light.

Remember this in every place for we always speak of the expansion of the upper Light and mean the attraction of the Light by the created being by his Hishtokekut (yearning) alone.

There cannot be any movement or change in the Light itself—all changes occur in the desire of the created being. We don’t emphasize it every time and simply say that the Light descends from Above, however, the Light cannot come anywhere.

It means that we reveal this Light by the order of the vessels (desires) that descend from Above downward. They are like a chain of candles lit one after the other. We say about it: The Light comes. It means that a vessel appears and it reveals the Light, reacts to it.

The Light existed before and it exists right now; it does not change! However, each time we have new desires that reveal this Light, and hence we say it as if the Light changes. But there are no changes in the Light; they only occur in the vessel. The Light becomes revealed according to the vessel’s desire to do so.

Prior to that the Light existed, but it was concealed. Now it is revealed. However, it does not affect the Light in any way because the vessel decides in which form the Light will become revealed.
[54205]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/2011, TES

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Considering the world’s current state, our advancement will be quick. You can see by the news how quickly things accelerate. We will pass through this period quickly since the world also needs us to advance. This is why we must exert all our efforts to keep on our path and not stray off it.

Today the work we do locally and mass dissemination are extremely important. If you establish a connection with someone so as to bestow to them, all the necessary phases will flow through you quickly. I’m addressing all of our groups in Israel and strongly recommend for everyone to engage in dissemination work. This is what Baal HaSulam and all Kabbalists write about. Even without them we see that there is no other way. This is the only way we can reveal the upper reality.

The correction of 613 desires from reception to bestowal is our work. Everything else is a cover, customs that were necessary in the period of the exile. However, the actual method we had applied initially is inner correction. We applied it until we had fallen from the degree of brotherly love into unfounded hatred in the time of Rabbi Akiva. We have the Reshimot, spiritual genes, that have remained in us since those times, and it’s easy for us to return.

This is why we are presented with demands; this is why the whole world is pressuring us. They don’t even know what it is, but they feel that the problem lies precisely in us. Therefore, we need to act as fast as possible for this is how we can avert all the troubles coming to us. Our neighbors will come to our aid instead of bombarding us with rockets. That is exactly how things will go, and the Kabbalists write about it. In essence, our enemies are matched up to help us by pressuring us to reflect on life.

We must remember that everything comes from one Force, that there is none else beside Him. And we must react to what’s happening accordingly. What’s the use in shouting and bickering? Where is the correction in it? Our only correction is to unite and become “the light for the nations,” to light the way for the entire world toward correction.

Today the whole world is helpless, and the brightest minds don’t know what to do. Namely today our time has come. Upon completing our work, we will merit universal respect and gratitude. Hence, we must disseminate more, explain more, and lead by example. We are entering a period of practical Kabbalah, the entire essence of which is the correction of humanity.
[54151]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/9/2011, “The Nation”

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Opinion: (Klaus Regling, the head of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF)): “‘One can justifiably expect the crisis to be over within two to three years. In all eurozone countries the fundamentals are improving,’ the chief of the EFSF, eurozone’s rescue fund, told the Spiegel magazine on Sunday.

“He argued that all of the euro zone states have already started to put their state finances in order, and some of those worst affected by the crisis – most notably Ireland – are getting back on their feet.

“Regling thinks that the situation at the Euro Area is better than the state finances of the USA. ‘The US deficit, for example, is three times as high as that of the euro zone,’ he is quoted as saying.

My Comment: Let’s note what has been said: The dollar will collapse, not the Euro. One thing is clear: Nature will force us to relate to money not as to a means of exploitation, but a means of unification and mutual help.
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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

Incarnation of Souls

There are no new souls, but only a certain amount of souls that incarnate on the wheel of transformation of the form because each time they clothe new bodies.
– Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”

The souls do not vanish in the process of changing the body, but move from body to body, from generation to generation, until the end of correction.
– Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”

With regard to the souls, all generations are as one uninterrupted life that has extended over several thousand years since the beginning of creation to the end of correction. And the fact that in the meantime each has changed its body several thousand times is completely irrelevant.
– Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”

A single created soul of Adam has been divided into many individual souls that perform corrections in the multitude of bodies and times and reconnect again into one soul.
– Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 22
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Miami Lecture
Download: WMV Video|MP3 Audio

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Question: We are at the threshold of a new state. Will the transition to it happen smoothly or will it be accompanied by shocks?

Answer: This is something I cannot foresee because it depends on our free choice. Things can develop in either direction. If we advance correctly, then we will move toward the positive by being attracted to goodness. Otherwise, nature will push us from behind with disasters, which may include a world war.

Let us hope that we will choose the good path. And for that to happen, we have to do “our homework” the best we can. Besides the study, we also have to give what we received by working on dissemination and explaining what is happening to people. We have to create content and place it everywhere, including internet and mass media.

Every person studying the science of Kabbalah has to think about how to pass it on. We have to understand how horrible it would be to have this opportunity but not to realize it.
[54543]
From the New York lecture #1, 9/11/11

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Question: Will the 99% of humanity who do not feel a need for spiritual development also have to attain the realization of evil at some stage and ask for correction?

Answer: Yes. This will be required of every person. The correction of the world lies in the fact that every person reaches the realization, understanding, and revelation in the specific measure inherent to him. And then, due to his inclusion in others, he attains all 100%.
[54526]
From the lesson on 9/9/11, Writings of Rabash

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Opinion: (Jacek Rostowski, Polish finance minister): “Speaking in Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza on Monday (29 August), the minister said: ‘European elites, including German elites, must decide if they want the euro to survive – even at a high price – or not. If not, we should prepare for a controlled dismantling of the currency zone.’

“He added: ‘We have a simple choice: Solidarity or the collapse of Europe.’

“The Polish minister said the long-term solution to the crisis is deeper integration.

“’The fundamental problem of the eurozone is not an economic but a political one,’ he explained.’The choice is: much deeper macroeconomic integration in the eurozone or its collapse. There is no third way.’

“He also diagnosed two forms of ‘dangerous populism’ at work in EU politics – a southern populism based on financial irresponsibility and a northern one based on lack of solidarity with southern countries.

“But he added that wealthy northern countries as well as non-eurozone EU members will suffer if it falls.

“’It’s hard to imagine anything that would hit the Dutch, German, or Finnish economy harder than the collapse of the banking system in any eurozone country,’ he said. ‘The collapse of the eurozone would [also] be catastrophic for Poland.’”

My Comment: More and more politicians understand that the circumstances compel us to unite. The only question is whether personal and national egoism and national antagonism let them start thinking and discussing tighter unification. Will egoistic interests not obscure the global catastrophe that awaits us if we do not start seeking mutual guarantee?
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Opinion: (Steven Weber and Bruce W. Jentleson, The End of Arrogance: America in the Global Competition of Ideas): “World politics has entered a new and distinctive age in which ideas and influence are linked in a vibrant and sometimes ferocious competition for ascendance.

“Core questions about how best to achieve world order and what constitutes just societies, seemingly settled at the end of the 20th century, have been re-opened in the 21st century.

“Governments are just one voice among many, and in some ways the least magnetic to many people simply because they are the least novel.

“The United States needs an actionable articulation of mutuality. Mutuality is not altruism or the abdication of national interest. No nation can be for others instead of for itself. But in a global age, it is more essential than ever to have a credible claim to using one’s power and position for seeking out actions and outcomes that serve shared interests.

“The United States will be tested by global audiences in the next decade and beyond as never before. But so will every other contender for leadership in the competition of ideas.

“That leaves us optimistic. Because if Americans understand the terms of this new international game, there really is no one who can lead more effectively.”

My Comment: In a new integral world, governments are the most obsolete forms of the old world, while the masses are much more sensitive to the form of unification humanity has to accept.

Therefore, namely the masses will bring a new form to the world, but the organization of the correct external environment needed for the correction of the masses is hardly feasible without the government since mass media is in its hands. Evidently, by pressuring governments, the masses will force them to create conditions for the correct environment needed to build the society of the next generation.
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