Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”: Thus, we are at the hands of these four factors, as clay in the hands of a potter.

We are surrounded by the influence from Above from all sides. The Creator rules over us in a very harsh and absolute manner as He controls all the channels, both internal and external, in our desires, thoughts, habits, and nature. We have nothing that is ours, and even the words I am saying now are arranged by Him.

So what is our free will? After all, we cannot attribute freedom to any object, action, thought, or the smallest particle of the desire to receive. The Creator created it, He influences it absolutely, so what can be free in it?

People have come up with theories about two authorities and polytheism, about which Baal HaSulam writes in his article “The Peace.” It is hard to agree that there is only one authority that “covers” everything. If the Creator is unified, if there is none else besides Him, if everything depends on Him, then I am under His absolute control, and it is as if I don’t exist, but rather dissolve in Him. So it is preferable to have two authorities: a good one and a bad one. This is understandable; in between them there is room for me, and I can affect things.

Still, at some point I realize that behind everything that affects me there is one Source. It isn’t an image that we can picture, but a mind, a feeling, something unified. I only have to discover the reason why it affects me, what it wants from me? What I should become according to its influence?

By knowing what He wants from me, I will know Him. What for? Is it just to make an acquaintance or in order to fulfill His desire?

What was His intent in creating me? What does He want by managing me this way? If He only wants me to obey Him, then it’s better not to know anything, but to simply act according to the instructions I have received. But if He really wants me to attain, to reveal Him, then I have to do everything to attain this goal and not to act automatically.

So there is a lot of work a person has to do regarding the initial cause of everything. This is our only work: to constantly sharpen and “polish” our attitude to Him. Who is He? What does He want from me? Why did He make me react this way? I constantly climb the levels of my attitude and clarify what He wants to give me by putting demands to me. What He wants is that thanks to bestowal upon Him, I will understand Him.

I continue this chain and constantly raise the level of His demands to me. Thus I have to justify the evil just like the good since they both come from one source. I have to understand why He splits His bestowal into two—thanks to this I will be able to check myself, to adjust my course. For Him this duality doesn’t exist, but my reality is divided into bestowal and reception.

Eventually, we must constantly reveal the concept of Unified, and not more than that. If I paid attention to that, I would see that there is nothing else in my life. Even in the corporeal world everything comes down to this clarification that discovers unity and reveals the Creator.
[63986]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/22/2011, “The Freedom”

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Question: The students of Rabbi Shimon hated each other in the beginning of their studies, but still they aspired to achieve unity. With experience, a person learns to view himself objectively, even when he’s in a state of hatred. Is it possible that the hatred could blind a person’s analytical point, or does his objective view always remain?

Answer: This depends on the state. Sometimes the emotions take us over, leaving no room for analysis. This is when we are capable of doing terrible things. And sometimes emotions are balanced by the mind, and I remain in control of the situation only to be amazed at my own emotions. In addition, I could also be aware that the current state is sent to me by the Creator. The upper force is the source of this state, and it is sent to me in order to advance me along the path.

Hence, everything depends on our awareness. How can we activate it today? Can we constantly remember that all of our states come from Above so that we would correctly overcome them and draw benefit from each one of them?

We can attain this state only through mutual responsibility thanks to which we maintain a connection with the environment or the group. If I’m constantly under the influence of my environment and I invest my effort whenever I’m able to, then I can constantly receive from my friends an illumination, the Surrounding Light. The greater our connection, the more Light I receive from them, whereas on my own I have absolutely no chances of achieving anything.

To the extent of my ability I participate in all of the group’s activities. If I don’t have the opportunity to do so, for example, if I wasn’t given the opportunity from Above to go to the convention, then regrettably I remain home with the understanding that this state was given to me by the Creator, and therefore it’s probably the optimal state for my development.

Most importantly, you should use each moment to ensure a proper environment for yourself. After all, what happens in the next moment is concealed from me.

In our world a person makes payments for health insurance, to social security, and other private insurances in order to secure his future. Whatever happened in the past happened, but we are always concerned with what will happen in the future. To the extent of my ability, I have to ensure that the future is better or at least not worst than the present. This means that I must remain in the correct environment and strengthen it if possible.

I have no other options. Unlike in the modern financial system, here we have no concessions: You get exactly what you put in. I invest penny by penny into my environment and receive the Light from it. Essentially, it is the Malchut of the world of Infinity. This is my cash register, and there is no other place for me to invest.

This explains the importance of dissemination. After all, by disseminating you invest into your environment; it is your broader, albeit still potential, environment. These efforts are also accounted for.

Ultimately my work creates “assets” (Zchut) that are registered in my spiritual “bank.” To the extent of my investment, I receive the Light from the group and become more pure (Zach).
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/30/2011, “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose”

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My goal is to constantly reveal the extent to which I am unable to connect everything together into “one man with one heart,” and to demand the Torah whose Light reforms. This Light reaches us from the source of AB-SAG (Hochma and Bina together).

After all, we are unable to attain Keter itself, but only through our actions in the Light of Hochma and the Light of Hassidim. And all of this is revealed in ZON: in the broken and divided creature. Thus we correct ourselves each time.

This is why it is said that first of all there will be the correction of the world and only afterwards the final correction. After all, “world” means “muteness” (Elem), “concealment” (Alama), separation. The Light of One, which connects everything together and directs everything from one upper source, first of all carries out the correction and connects everything that I feel in my sensation of reality together.

And then depending on how opposite and scattered these poles are in my perception and depending on how much Light that Reforms I attract, which connects everything above their differences into One, to the extent of this gap between separation and unity, I discover the magnitude of my spiritual vessel or desire.

In this vessel I feel the power of the Light revealed as Nefesh, Ruach, Neshma, Haya, and Yechida. The kind of Light I feel depends on the difference between the broken and separated desires connected by the Light above themselves into one general intention to use themselves for the sake of bestowal.

From this we understand the meaning of “for the sake of bestowal,” which means that I can connect with someone in one action, with one goal. Egotistically, it isn’t possible to act together, with one goal. Indeed, each one wants to act for himself, to fulfill his private desires. Thus, within the ego, the concept of One cannot exist, only the concept of “many.”

If we are speaking of One, which means the connection into a single whole, the return to Him, the revelation of the One (since actually there is none else besides Him, and everything else is the worlds, “concealments”), then this concept exists only outside of the egotistic desire. That is, it exists in the desires of others, in order to connect them all by the intention to bestow together to that One.

From this picture it becomes clear that only through bestowal can we succeed in reaching common actions and reach one result from the numerous actions that aspire to unite together. This is impossible in egoistic reception, but only if we exit our egoism and move outside towards the mutual goal, outside of our personal egoistic interests.
[61871]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/27/2011, Shamati #69

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The Creator in defined by the concept of “One,” as it is said: “One, Unique, and Unified.” This is how He reveals Himself to us. When Kabbalists attain the Light of Infinity, the highest point we can possibly attain, they discover One concept that includes everything without any differences.

In the beginning everything was included into this single concept: all the created beings as one creation. Afterwards, in order to give the created beings a feeling of existence, understanding, and attainment of who they are and who the Creator is and to make them appreciate the complete and eternal state in which they exist, this single concept was divided into numerous individual concepts that are opposite to Him.

This is how the descent from the world of Infinity up to this world occurs, according to the rungs of the ladder, through the five worlds (Adam Kadmon, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya). Within them, a huge number of changes take place. This descent of the worlds goes on until it reaches our world in which we are completely detached from perfection and even from the feeling of the lack thereof.

But it is especially due to this that we begin to attain unity, the One. It is due to our efforts to correct our view point of the world, our perception of reality through our five senses and above them, as much as we can imagine it to ourselves, and to connect everything to the single One.

We have no other work: only to connect everything together into One concept. Each one connects his perception of the world to One, and everyone connects their perceptions together so that everything merges into One. And this work is applied primarily in the group, with the help of the efforts of the many who want to determine the concept of this One above all the differences between them.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/27/2011, Shamati #69

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Rabash, “Love of Friends” (abridged version): The only way to enter the spiritual world and obtain a new sensation is for a few people to get together who have a small desire to exit their egoism. However, they can’t do it independently without help from outside. Even if they try to get together to connect, they can’t. In order for them to be able to connect, they need the influence of the general Light. Since the Light comes from the One, Unique, and Unified, it unites our desires into a single desire. Each person senses a unified creation where we merge in our desires, and the Light fulfills us.

Each one of them has the potential to reveal the quality of bestowal, but they can’t realize it in action. However, each of them enters the group. If each person who enters the group lowers himself before the group by accepting its conditions, then this group becomes a single body, a single desire.

Do all that’s in our power and redemption will come in an instant from Above, as soon as we exert a certain amount of effort in uniting. The main thing that we are faced with today is the unity of friends. Our only goal is to obtain such unity, effort, and intention between us so that this would attract the Light’s influence, and the Light will complete the work by uniting us. Exert more and more effort in this matter for it will redeem all of your shortcomings. Ultimately, when you all unite, you become similar to the Light.
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From Sunday Virtual Lesson Series 11/27/2011

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Writings of Rabash “These Candles Are Holy”
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Beresheet (Genesis),” “Let There Be Light,” Lesson 19
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“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 12, Lesson 7
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Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Freedom,” “The Necessity to Choose A Good Environment,” Lesson 10
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Question: A global, integral system is being revealed in the world today. Is it putting a person in front of a real choice?

Answer: Yes, and only before a material choice. A person has to unite with others through a good interconnection in order to continue his existence.

The integral system is leading us to a balanced material life in this world so we would properly satisfy our animate needs, rising above our own egoism. On the new stage, people will have to consume as much as they need and no more. They will have to abide by a balanced, rational approach. They will have to provide for their vitally necessary needs, agreeing with the fact that from now on, their entire life is life in society, in cooperation, in a balanced society, in social justice, in mutual guarantee. That is the only way we will create the right conditions for our existence on earth. This has to be the common law for the whole world.

Thus, our first worldwide task is to provide everyone with food so not a single person in the world is left hungry. Then we will go on to the following objectives, such as providing everyone with a roof over their heads, with clothing, heating, medicine, and so on. This way, we will create acceptable boundaries for people’s material life.

Why is this so important? It’s because a person has to annul his egoism. He has to take care of the neighbor, of the whole world. He has to take away from himself and give to others. He has to feel the common system in which we are all together. It turns out that this is spiritual for him.

The only thing missing in this picture is the Creator, the upper force, Nature. And that is where we come in: We must give the world the method of material existence, by virtue of which the spiritual force will flow to them as well. Then, in their activity to work together and take care of one another, to distribute resources and products, they will immediately feel something else – a new force, a spiritual essence. That is how it will happen.

On the other hand, without us people are simply unable to start moving in this direction. They simply have no way of finding out about it, unless we spread this message all over the world, like “the Messiah’s horn.” The process has to unfold precisely in this way – from above.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/25/11, “The Freedom”

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Question: Today we are holding a Unity Day in the World Kli, which includes a special lesson, a seminar, and a friends’ assembly. On this day, how can we maintain the place of unity that we created at the Convention?

Answer: We have to renew this sensation on the background of the new conditions. We have to imagine the net of our interconnection, the state of unity we are in. We have to feel that this unity is working. I want to live it, and this sensation has to become constant for me. By being in it, I want to discern the feeling and the mind in it: how much we unite in feelings and intentions. I want to feel mutual guarantee from within, mutual support among everyone.

When being inside this net, I don’t have to yell to be heard. I demand from it that the friends, whom I imagine as its parts, won’t forget about me. After all, in essence, I am the one who needs help. Therefore, I want to join them, who are already united into one.

And let the Singular one be revealed in our unity, besides whom nothing exists. He created this system, formed and activated it so that in the end, by making our efforts we would reveal Him and reach unity with Him.

These thoughts must occupy a person constantly, until he sees this system with his own eyes.
[64217]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/25/11, “The Freedom”

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The first condition based upon which I can become a human is to rise above my desire and begin to observe it from an external point. This way I see this desire from the side, I verify, examine, and clarify it by means of a special analysis from the side of the upper one, the Creator. After all, I always have to attain the advantage of the Light from the darkness, meaning on the contrast of my desire relative to another desire.

It’s for the purpose of giving me this other desire for comparison that this artificial structure exists, called the group, the friends. Relative to them I can verify my desire, and at some point in the future I will be able to do this relative to the Creator Himself.

However, at first I need to rise above my own desire and begin to clarify it, observing from the side, from my point in the heart, which is called faith above reason. This is how I receive the objective, unbiased point inside of my desire—at first one point, but gradually I will be able to make a full restriction.

This does not mean that I am restricting my desires, but rather that I feel separated from them, as if they are losing power over me. This is not a suppression of one desire by another, more beneficial one, but the acquisition of an independent point that really is on the side of the Creator, or at least on the side of the group. If I relate myself to the group, I can see myself from the side and control my desire from above.

The more I get separated from my desire and relate to it as a researcher, the more of a human I become. This is because the desire is on an animate level, and the development of the relationship is higher than this desire, which requires the human level. The whole difference between a human and an animal is in the realization, understanding, the feeling and the mind, which allow one to correctly control one’s desire.

Desire is the matter of creation, and control over it makes me similar to the Creator. This is because I take control out of His hands into mine, and I begin to rule over my desire in accordance to the Creator’s program, uniting with Him and fulfilling His desire.

So it turns out that my desire, consisting of the still, vegetative, and animate levels, thanks to my control takes on the human form. All of these levels are only needed for the sole purpose of supporting the human level, giving them form and existence inside of it, rising and descending together with it.

We need to clarify this with the help of the environment for at first we don’t have any contact with the Creator. And since we are talking about serious scientific research, and not about fantasies, we are given the work in a group through which we are working with the Creator and on our desire.

If I separate from my desire and relate myself to the group, then the group becomes the level of Bina for me, from which I connect with Keter and with Malchut, and thus I control the entire structure of the universe. That is why unity with the group and love towards thy friend are the only means for us to work effectively and consciously, a unique possibility to realize oneself and to reach the goal.
[64056]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/19/2011, Writings of Rabash

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