There are the terms “staff and snake.” If I constantly try to keep the Creator above and myself below, then it is a staff; it is below in its importance (same root in Hebrew) so it supports me on the way. But if I don’t work this way and my egoistic desire makes all the decisions, this means that it throws the stick to the ground and it turns into a snake. Then I am under the control of my ego.

A person should constantly check to be certain he is not a partition in the sea of Light; thus he annuls himself, surrenders, and is included in the Light. He should constantly check himself this way and see himself in relation to the friends and the group. They guarantee that you won’t start imagining that you are completely corrected, completely righteous. This is why we are given such a specific method of measurement, so we can always correctly assess and check where we are in relation to the group.

I should constantly check whether I am “transparent” in relation to the group, so I do not disturb the group, but I participate in it. Thus, I build balanced and equal relationships. In this case, I will constantly find something in the work that will keep me in balance with the upper Light. This will go on until all this work becomes a habit for me, and I begin to feel the upper Light permanently.

This work is done in “exile” when we don’t feel the greatness of the Creator but only want to imagine His greatness, the greatness of the attribute of bestowal, above all the obstacles that disturb us from feeling its importance. I constantly check myself in relation to the group because in the meantime, I don’t feel spirituality, and I see myself as a righteous person who is totally transparent and doesn’t stand in the way of the Light.

It may seem to me that I am already on the level of harmony with the Returning Light, repeating its movements by bestowing upon everyone like it does. How else can I know whether this is true or not? There is no other way I can check myself, except in my attitude towards the friends.

If I succeed in being the connecting, balancing part that equalizes everyone and draws them to one collective center in which our connection exists, then there is no doubt that in this way I equalize myself with, and do not stand in the way of the Light, the Creator who fills all of reality.

This is possible only in the group, and there is no other way to check it. This is the reason for the shattering and all the preparation work—in order to create a system of measurement for us.
[74218]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/12, Shamati #59

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Question: How can I reach the Light of faith?

Answer: Our desire determines everything, but the Light does not change. All the changes take place only within a person: where he aims his desire at, and relative to this, what strength he needs. He receives according to this.

We are always under the influence of some light, but it is very weak. We do not match this light, but feel its lack, and that is why we do not notice it.

Light is a force, but it affects us either to the extent of our similarity to it or the opposite. That is why the light of the Passover holiday is a huge light, but it is not manifested openly.

We think that light is when it is light outside. But there is nothing outside—the entire world is inside us. And that is why light means the light of mind, the light of feeling, opening in our heart and thoughts.

A vast world that seems to surround us is revealed, in fact, in our sensations and mind. And Light is the force of revelation in the feeling or thought.
[74324]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/12, Shamati 59

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Preparation to the Lesson
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Shamati #151 “And Israel Saw the Egyptians”
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Zohar for All “Passover Shemot (Exodus),” “Why Exile and Why to Egypt,” Item 246
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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 15, Item 30
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Writings of Rabash, “Dargot HaSulam,” Article 924
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Listen to an Audio Version of the Blog
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Kabbalah for the Nation Introductory Lecture Series, “Laboratory of Freedom”
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It is very hard to explain what spirituality is because it is a matter of feeling. If a person shares such feelings, he will understand what is being described. But if he is not on the same level and doesn’t feel what the author speaks about, he won’t understand anything at all.

All our work takes place in “Egypt,” in exile, when we don’t yet feel the Creator, the upper force that can help us rise above our desire to receive. This is a time of choice and it is the best time because this is when we learn how to work against our desire.

I have to constantly imagine that I am already in bestowal, in the spiritual world, in sanctity, and I do not create any partition, barrier, in the way of the upper Light that fills all of reality. I annul my personality, my egoistic “self,” and although I feel different states that go through me and summon different reactions in my ego, I have to try being only in pure bestowal.

It is as if I am already in the spiritual world, I’m immersed in a sea of Light by being totally equivalent to it. This is because everything that actually separates me from the Light is my desire to receive, my ego, which resembles a box that doesn’t let the light through. I put obstacles for myself, I’m the only one who stands out with his ego in the Light. Except for me everything is corrected and ready.

Only I see that this reality is distorted, that I’m corrupt, and that the Creator is evil and treats me badly. In addition, it seems to me that there is another authority besides the Creator.

All our work is to imagine our state correctly, the way it actually is, and not what is depicted in our ego. There is nothing except the Creator, but my ego tells me that there are many different forces that make decisions and there is also me.

It seems to me that I feel and decide something myself, but even this isn’t true. The Creator is the one who sends me all these feelings so that based on the impressions I receive from Him every instant, I will be able to do the work and to annul myself, my thoughts that I seemingly think and feel independently, that I receive something from the environment, the group, and the whole external world. Instead, I have to imagine that I am totally under the control of the upper Light that fills all of reality.
[74221]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/2012, Shamati #59

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Question: The holiday of Passover is coming soon. What should we focus on now? How can we use this time for unity?

Answer: Passover is a very special time when I discover that I am in exile. This is the beginning of the Egyptian slavery. Unless I feel that I am in exile, I am still not in Egypt, I am not Pharaoh’s slave yet. To put it differently, if don’t strive for unity, I haven’t started the process yet. But when I am drawn to unity and I feel that I cannot unite because my ego stops me and blocks the way, the ego is revealed to me as Pharaoh. It controls me and doesn’t let me reach unity and discover the Creator.

The exile is not feeling the Creator. I feel that I miss Him, then I continue to head towards unity, and the ego, Pharaoh, appears as tougher and tougher. Eventually I don’t know what to do, I see no way out, and then the point called “Moses” is revealed in me. It begins to draw me out, to the unknown, while I am confused and don’t know in what way this point is different from Pharaoh. Thus Moses grows in Pharaoh’s palace, in the ego, either separating himself from Pharaoh or merging with him in my eyes. He aspires straight to the Creator, but is nourished on self-love.

And so I advance: I want to build a vessel, but instead I build “poor cities,” Pithom and Ramses. Every time I want to get close to others, to unite, new problems come up: disputes and separation, detachment and indifference. The ego holds power and doesn’t let me free, doesn’t let me do anything. No matter how hard I try to draw the connection, it doesn’t exist. My efforts are for the good of “Pharaoh” and they harm “Israel.”

And so I arrive to the ten plagues of Egypt, I suffer because my egoistic desire doesn’t let me unite with the friends. In answer to all my attempts, it summons great suffering in me and pulls in different directions. It gives my “beast” everything it wants, but blocks the way to unity because otherwise I will escape from Egypt.

Then Moses goes to Pharaoh demanding: “Let my people go.” We try to unite even more and want to escape Pharaoh’s control. This is already a true revelation. So what can we do? After all, the Creator constantly hardens my heart.

Thus I go through the ten plagues, until I manage to totally break loose from my ego. In the dark I escape to unity, to the mountain of hatred (Sina) that is revealed to me and to mutual guarantee as the essential means against the ego. I don’t suppress hatred, I don’t annul it, but rather build mutual guarantee around it. After all, this hate is a priceless acquisition: Thanks to mutual guarantee, I will be able to turn this mountain of hatred to the summit of Holiness, the mountain of the Lord.

Today it isn’t only about us. The whole world is starting this process by discovering that the destructive ego that controls it threatens to erase all of humanity from the face of the earth.
[74225]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/2012, “Introduction to TES”

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Question: How should we prepare for the convention in Brazil in the best possible way?

Answer: First, I would like to say that in the beginning I will be having short meetings with the groups in Columbia and Chile. But this doesn’t replace the convention in any way. Therefore, I am inviting all our friends from South America and, in general, from the whole world to this convention. I strongly recommend that you come to Brazil. I think that we will have a wonderful “carnival” there.

It is very important to attend a convention at least once. I don’t know when I will visit South America again, and so let’s meet. It isn’t just any meeting, but another kind of contact, not like via the Internet. If it doesn’t work out, we will meet in Columbia and in Chile, but if you can, come to Brazil.

This convention will be multi-lingual. Perhaps it will be easier for those living in Australia or in the Far East to come to Brazil than to our other conventions, and it is worth it. It is a problem if a person has never attended a convention “physically.” After all, in our world we exist in a body and need this kind of interaction. We can’t form a virtual connection that leaves such a strong impression yet.

It isn’t by chance that business people fly to meetings all over the world, although they could call each other or use Skype. We may wonder why would a person waste so much time flying. It would be better if he sat in an office; he could get much more work done. But people still need direct communication, even if it lacks any feeling and warmth. Dry, cunning, and far from being honest, these contacts still require personal face-to-face meetings.

So trust me that for us it is very important. By creating such contact we will be able to carry it through, and without it, it is very hard to advance.

The collective preparation is just as important. This is a collective convention, and so we should feel it. Disregard will cause great harm to all of us. We mustn’t sit and wait for someone else to organize things. If this happens you will not benefit from the convention in any way. Without preparation it is even worthless to connect via the Internet because it would be stealing, actual stealing. You have to make efforts and you will benefit accordingly. If no one thinks about it, no one worries about it, no one cares, the convention will only bring harm.

Everyone has to take an active part, at least in some way according to one’s abilities. One should be concerned at least in the heart: “What did I do for it?” Without participating, you will have no vessel. So what will you be able receive? In what will you receive it? Clearly, it is only by our joint work that we are creating this vessel.
[74230]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/2012, “Introduction to TES”

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Our approach to replacing the current education method includes both theoretical developments and practical work, and pertains both to children and adults. Today there are many others in the world who conduct similar research and practical work either parallel to us or based on our work.

Presently the situation in schools has become so complicated that it’s dangerous for kids to be there. Too often they become victims of peer pressure, bullying, cruelty, and violence. It seems that the only reason kids attend school is to learn bad examples.

In contrast, we are implementing a new system of education and upbringing. The integral method rules out a form of education when children sit opposite an instructor, who stands before them and demands of them certain knowledge, which ultimately results in exams. First and foremost, we turn studying into a game, a discussion, or a conversation. Children sit in a circle with an instructor on equal terms, and not as lesser individuals against someone greater than them, and discuss some topic. Through this mutual discussion they begin to understand the material and naturally and easily absorb it within.

Having gone through such education, our children enter universities as early as 13-14 years of age. They perceive the material completely differently: freely and easily. They recognize all the particular items they study as parts of one integral whole.

Additionally, we have great success with younger children being taught by older ones, like when 12-13 year olds teach 9-10 year olds. This practice has proven to be very beneficial for both. The older kids are proud of being able to teach the younger ones, and this pride raises their self-esteem. And the younger kids are proud that the older ones pay attention to them.

This way we solve many psychological problems and issues by removing all conflicts and tension in the classroom and school.
[74242]
From a lecture at Siauliai University 3.22.2012

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An embryo annuls itself and that’s its only job. It gratefully accepts everything that happens to it and always perceives the upper one as good and benevolent.

My work is only to annul myself no matter what happens, whatever changes take place from one end of the world to the other. I keep myself in a state of bestowal, Hafetz Hesed, no matter what. This means that I exist in the upper one, annul my personality, my independence, and I don’t disturb the upper one as He influences me—let Him do with me whatever He wants. I’m like a baby in the arms of his mother, who doesn’t think about anything.

If you were carried in someone’s arms, how would you feel? Imagine that ten people are holding you now and lifting you up in the air. Although they will undoubtedly be strong enough to hold you, you will tremble and feel afraid to find yourself in the arms of others. You will be afraid that you might fall and will doubt whether they have enough strength to hold you.

A baby has no such doubts. Have you seen how peacefully a baby sleeps in his mother’s arms? This is the attribute of self-annulment in relation to the upper one. A baby does it naturally. But thanks to these forces an embryo grows in its mother’s womb. This means that being in the AHP of the upper one, it annuls itself no matter what happens: for better or worse, no matter what state it is in. An embryo only increases its loyalty and annulment.

This is called the the root level of the desire (Aviut Shoresh), and this work isn’t simple at all; it’s actually very hard. By that you sculpt your first form. No matter which Light comes, you only annul yourself, no matter what you feel: pain or pleasure, shortage or abundance. Thus you form yourself and become similar to the Creator in your first form called “an embryo.”

An embryo is in its mother’s waters and shapes itself into the spiritual Partzuf: the 10 Sefirot that are filled by the Light of Nefesh. When it ends its self-annulment and there is nothing else it can do on that level, on the root level of desire, it has to move forward, and this is called birth.

The difference between these states is immense since by being born, a spiritual embryo begins to work with the vessels of reception. He feels that he is detached from the upper one. The birth is the most significant change of all the changes on our way.

An embryo is each of us who annuls himself before the others, who become a mother’s womb for him. Our collective embryo is the field that connects us, which we want to create between us. If we all connect, the mother’s womb becomes the general revelation of the upper force where we all exist.
[74085]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/29/2012, TES

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