Question: Does stubborn persistence on the path help overcome all the obstacles in the work?

Answer: It isn’t just stubborn perseverance that’s required of us, but also persistent clarifications. My task isn’t to simply endure like a concrete block, unyielding to any changes and standing on my previously formed opinions and understanding. Naturally, this is not the path of advancement. The Creator wants us to be developing, to analyze our states each time, and to reach more and more qualitative, internal clarifications.

In spirituality, power is not determined by quantity, not by amplifying the “volume.” Greater power always means higher quality. In spirituality, there are no quantitative changes in a force, but only changes in quality.

Every higher degree is above not because it’s simply more powerful. There are three stages: embryo, nurturing, and maturity (Ibur, Yenika, Mochin), and each contains 10 Sefirot. How are they different from one another? In this world, we clearly see that a tiny baby first grows into a big child and then fully grows and becomes an adult. But in spirituality, everything is determined by the measure of understanding, the quality of clarifications.

At first, a person doesn’t know or feel anything and isn’t capable of discerning and clarifying anything. But at least he annuls himself; this is called the still level, NHY (the lower part of the Partzuf: (Netzach, Hod, Yesod). And after, in every state he is already able to remain in bestowal (Hafetz Hesed) – HGT (the middle part of the Partzuf: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet). When he unites with the higher reason, with the upper force above him, this is called HBD (the upper part of the Partzuf: Hochma, Bina, Daat).

All of these are qualitative clarifications and not mere stubbornness. Stubbornness is required for using every moment correctly.
[81747]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 6/27/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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