In the News (from BBC News): “Greek politicians have approved a bill on austerity measures needed for a new bailout.

“The austerity measures have been demanded by the EU, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Central Bank (ECB) – the so-called Troika – as a condition for handing over a further loan.

“The agreement will unlock the latest 130bn euros (£108bn; $171bn) in bailout loans and allow a further 100bn-euro write-off of the country’s debt to private banks. …

“Greece was told to agree to further cuts in government spending equal to 1.5% of GDP, cuts in pensions and thousands more civil service job cuts. …

“Despite the austerity measures taken so far, the Greek government still spends more than it receives in taxes.

“Some economists and Greek unions say the plan is doomed to fail. They argue that by making people poorer the measures will simply shrink the Greek economy, reducing tax revenues and increasing the deficit.

“But EU leaders argue that there is no choice, that spending needs to fall even if it hurts the economy in the short term.

“Further they argue that increasing competitiveness, by lowering wages for example, will attract business to Greece and thereby boost the economy and taxes.”

My Comment: Maybe the EU and the rest of the world will learn from this: Greece must develop an economy of reasonable consumption, and not take the course of growing consumption; Greece must take the course of reasonable and equitable distribution of necessities for existence, and educating the population in the spirit of integration and mutual guarantee. In this case, within a short time, the country will definitely show the way to the entire EU.
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When we speak about the Light we refer to the phenomenon that takes place in the desire. This means that I want to do good to someone without any personal accounts of self-profit. The more I check myself, the more I see that I really have no urge for personal benefit. This is the Light: It is as if some spirit is dressed in me and I want to bestow, to love others, and to want only the wellbeing of others, because by that I please the Creator.

When I work in a group, I summon the Reforming Light that builds in my “body”, in my desire, the phenomenon called the Light. Thus the surrounding Light (Ohr Makif) influences the desire so that it can feel the phenomenon of the Light internally.

Question: Where does the Ohr Makif come from?

Answer: It comes from a higher level. I can’t receive it inside me and so it “surrounds” me and prepares my desire, my vessel, in order to enter it later on. This Light is also inside me, but I don’t feel it yet. It is as if it is operating from a distance: Something ripens in me, but I feel it indirectly, according to the results.

One way or another, everything is inside a person: all the lights and all the worlds, including the world of Ein Sof (Infinity).

Question: In order to feel that, do I have to work in a group?

Answer: You have to follow the advice of Kabbalists, which we call the “faith of the sages,” and carry out their recommendations. You are brought to the group from Above, and you begin to work in it, even without asking any questions. Only later does the issue of freewill come up when you understand what is happening and can find your way around and realize: “So this is what I should do! I should love the friends…”

You approach the mutual work and from a “study circle” you become one whole, acquire one heart and one thought, make great collective efforts, and act in front of one another in order to evoke a deficiency in the friends and to raise the Creator’s greatness in their eyes.

Then people discover “the field that the Creator has blessed.” They don’t wander in the field like the sons of Jacob, but rather acquire the force of Joseph, which brings them together and takes them through the land of Egypt to the Land of Israel. This is all our work, and this is where our freewill begins.
[69564]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/12/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Our work is perpetual. The upper Light is in a state of absolute rest, and its rest is constantly pushing us towards the goal. It is the same with us: If we constantly “press the gas pedal” yearning for the goal, we are in a state of rest because there is nothing else but this and I only operate in one direction.

Here we might argue, but I am acting against my egotistic desire, which constantly confuses me.

Still, if you try to keep the right direction with the help of the group and the books, you are at least close to resting.

Actually, it is only a psychological problem. If we decide, if we determine for ourselves what is most important for us and we don’t divert our attention to something else, if we go straight towards the goal, towards adhesion with the Creator, and add everything we can glean from the study, the teacher, the books, the group, and dissemination to it, we lock ourselves on the target and we only have to keep the right course.

In order to do that, everyone must be connected. Only then can you choose the goal, because you don’t actually know it, and it is attained from within the center of the group. Where is that center? You are the one who draws the crosshairs on the sight. You pass through the circles as their diameter gets smaller and smaller, and in every circle, you better get to know the Creator and His actions, and eventually you find the center: and meet Him.

Today we have to work on several planes:

1. All the friends are equal; there are no great ones or small ones.
2. Everyone must do his best and act in front of the others and show them how much he wants to love them. The friends should see only this yearning in him. We must constantly set an example for everyone so that no one will be able to avoid an equal attitude towards others. This is our obligation.
3. We do all this on purpose, so that we will be able to connect, and in the connection among us, discover love: first conditional love and then absolute love, until we reach the end of correction, Gmar Tikkun.

The whole process takes place in the group. There is nowhere to run to: You have a place for fulfillment, you have friends who yearn for the same thing, and you have the evil inclination, which actually constantly helps us look for the center of the circle. We have all that we need and we should support one another and constantly rise above the interruptions, as it says, “Love will cover all the sins.”

Let’s hope that we will advance this way, from success to success.
[69561]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/12/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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There is nothing but the soul, the one “round” desire to receive, that is full of Light. The Light begins to operate inside; it spurs the desire and “warms it up,” puts it out of balance, and is revealed to it gradually. Throughout the process, the Lights and the vessels influence one another and descend from Ein Sof (Infinity).

Let’s take a system, any system, mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic. If it receives an electric shock, it is put out of balance in “one blow,” and begins to gradually quiet down until it returns to the previous balanced state.

This is what happened with Malchut of Ein Sof: the system received a “blow” when it discovered the contrast between the Light and the vessel, the horrible gap between the infinite minus (vessel) and the infinite plus (Light). This nightmare is terrible for the desire, and it cannot bear and digest this. Therefore it restricted itself and moved on to the next chain of actions. The desire won’t calm down until it performs them. After the decision that has been taken in Ein Sof, all the other decisions come automatically, all the way from top down, until our world.

Now our work begins; the work of ascending back to Ein Sof. The way back totally matches the descent that preceded it: We go through the same stages, but in an opposite order and according to our will, as we request the correction (MAN) first. This is the whole difference.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/12/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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When the group attains spirituality, revealing the Creator and having a certain connection with Him, its actions become opposite to what they used to be: It begins to show a disregard for the goal and show levity to give the friends light disturbances in the work even before the Creator puts obstacles before us. When a person has a connection with the Creator, these disturbances will help him strengthen it.

Rabash writes that out of modesty it was a custom among friends to not show their strong aspiration towards spirituality externally, but in reality, there was a burning flame inside their hearts.

But this happens after crossing the Machsom (the barrier to spirituality) when the group achieves a spiritual connection, and its growth needs to be accelerated every moment. Then I need the disturbances to come as quickly as possible, and the group sets them up for me, helping me advance faster.

But before we enter the spiritual world, before people attain the revelation of and connection with the Creator, showing any levity is unacceptable because it will destroy everything. A person needs to try to see his friends as high and great. And on its part, the group needs to appear great, special, and strong to “pull the person out of this world” by awakening “envy, lust, and ambition” in him.

If the group will present itself this way in relation to every person, then he will see that he needs to attach himself to it, connect with it, be with his friends whom he sees as great people: This is how the group will help him so we quickly achieve a connection between us and the revelation of the Creator to the creatures.

There is no need to speak about it much. But you need to understand that your work is to awaken the desire of your friend. You work on him, presenting him with a spiritual image as if you and the entire group were high up in spirituality, displaying your devotion to and enormous desire for the goal, a greater than you actually have.

You must hold yourself this way before your friend so that you awaken him like we do in playing with a small child pretending and even deliberately making faces to take him through different states and help him grow.

If everyone needs to arm himself with a desire for attaining spirituality, we need to create the conditions for him to form a great desire. Naturally this is a game, but this is why we create the environment, which inspires everyone with the greatness of the goal.
[69544]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/12/12, Writings of Rabash

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Question: I do not recall a similar rate of holding conventions. What is so special that is now happening in the world and is influencing the events?

Answer: The world is accelerating a lot. Our state is changing very fast. We have come to a critical barrier. Even if a part of us were to cross it, everyone else would gradually begin to squeeze through this barrier following the thread of our connection. So it is very important for us to do it.

Essentially, we need to have yearly conventions on every continent. And the convention we are now having in the desert is just our personal trip. We are not doing this for all, but our group needs a shake-up, and you with us. But there is no need to come here from overseas for this.

Conventions are an opportunity for everyone to meet, see each other, to communicate. They are necessary.

People need to be shaken up; they need to unite. I hope that at the upcoming conventions all of us will gather ourselves internally, achieve the common point of our unity, adhesion, unity. And the contact with the Creator that we will discover there will clearly guide us forward with open eyes and open hearts.
[69524]
From the talk “To Acquire a Desire to Give” 1/29/12

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Question: What is frivolity when it comes to inner work?

Answer: Frivolity is a very wide notion: It ranges from my stopping my work completely to a state when I change from a more beneficial activity to a less beneficial one, but one that is more pleasant, convenient, and easier.

Frivolity may be manifested in doing things that completely contradict the path, to the extent of minor transgressions or even allowing myself a little “freedom” in thought, analysis, and desires.

Where does the expression “frivolity” come from? A “heavy head” means that a person is constantly judging himself, analyzing, and is full of thoughts. And easiness of mind means that he frees his head of proper activity, and then it becomes filled with different worthless foreign thoughts.

It can even be something that does not contradict the Creator in any way, when a person simply allows his head to be filled with thoughts of this corporeal world.
[69538]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/12/12, Writings of Rabash

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Question: What can women do to help the men prepare for the congress in the desert and over the duration of the congress?

Answer: The women need to “pressure” the men without mercy. They need to evoke a very clear feeling inside that unless the men bring them what they desire, it’s simply a disaster. Suppose that a man has a job interview, and the outcome, whether or not he will be hired, is absolutely critical for the family. If he doesn’t get the job, the family won’t have the money to buy food or pay rent, and will immediately fall from a more or less modest living standard to being homeless. This is how a woman needs to feel: If the man doesn’t bring home the paycheck, we will have nothing to live on. It must be felt like a terrible crisis, like a breaking!

If the women decide to influence the men with this feeling, the men will have no other choice than to make it happen. It is therefore written that the exodus from Egypt is actualized on account of women. And the subsequent reception of the method of spiritual ascent into Mount Sinai is also done thanks to women. This pressure toward men must be gentle, rather than rough, lest it trigger strong resistance on their part. Everything must be done simply, in the way a wife can pressure her man without uttering a word. That is precisely what we need.
[69531]
From the talk “To Acquire a Desire to Give” 1/29/12

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Question: What is the connection between the four upcoming conventions? What can be the result of them? How can this build a world group when we will be preparing for them as one?

Answer: The main thing is to properly prepare for them.

It is not in organizing a convention. If you want the convention to really be spiritual, for spiritual advancement, you must completely exclude your egoistic demands: your desire to have the convention at a place convenient to you or any other reason.

There is just one very simple reason: for as many of our friends as possible to participate in the convention. And this is why it needs to be organized in a way that is most convenient for those people who are always with us.

A convention is by no means organized for newcomers or people waking in off the street, or for special guest personalities. By no means!

The convention is only for us! If there is an opportunity to invite someone from outside to attend an evening event, this is a whole different story; this is extra and absolutely unnecessary.

This is why the main thing is to make it convenient for everyone: the elderly, parents with children, the disabled, small children, people with health problems who need rest during the day because they cannot attend an entire day, and so on. All these things need to be foreseen and taken into consideration. After all this will be three whole days!

The convention will be a success if the organizers take this into consideration, because the very first condition is thinking about everyone, making things comfortable for them and not for you. You need to completely cancel your opinion and do what is best for everyone.

This is the approach that needs to exist anywhere in the world. I do not care where the convention is, in any village with any conditions, as long as it is convenient for everyone. And convenience means affordable and easily accessible. And that is it. This is the first condition of a convention.

And the second condition is for everyone to participate in the convention, for everyone to send their wishes, songs, and video clips. Do everything you can and be with us.

Believe me that I get more inspired sitting behind a screen than being at the location, because the distance that separates us gives me an additional desire and aspiration because I was there but here. I prepare myself for this and the screen for me becomes an absolutely ideal connection with those who are there at the actual convention.
[69527]
From the talk “To Acquire a Desire to Give” 1/29/12

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Question: Should the friends who are still undecided about coming to the convention in the Arava desert make an inner effort and make this decision?

Answer: I cannot advise! This is a person’s choice. Everything depends on you, not on me.

But, the last trip to the desert had a greater effect on people than all other conventions. How it works this time, depends on everyone.

This is a state where we can really advance forward and make a breakthrough; it’s like reconnaissance through an attack.
[69534]
From the talk “To Acquire a Desire to Give” 1/29/12

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