Opinion (Daniel Gros, Director of the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies): “At high-level gatherings of the European Union elite, one often hears the following type of statement: ‘Europe must integrate and centralize economic governance in order to defend its social model in an age of globalization.’ …

“But the claim that only deeper EU integration can save the ‘European’ social model from the onslaught of emerging markets is not true. Yes, globalization represents a challenge to all EU member states; but it is not clear how more integration would help them to confront it. More European economic governance is not a panacea.

“In fact, it is not even clear which European social model needs to be saved. There are enormous differences among EU members in terms of the size of their public sectors, the flexibility of their labor markets, and almost any socio-economic indicator that one can think of. The common elements that are usually identified with the ‘European’ social model are a quest for equality and a strong welfare state.

“But neither of the main problems confronting Europe’s social-security systems – slow economic growth and aging populations (a function of low fertility) – can be addressed at the European level. …

“The key to ensuring the future of Europe’s social-security systems, and thus its social model, is faster growth. And, again, it is difficult to see how more Europe would improve the situation. The obstacles to growth are well known, and have existed for a long time without being removed. The reason is quite simple: if there were a politically easy way to generate growth, it would have been implemented already.

“Moreover, most national policymakers have a tendency to blame ‘Brussels’ for all of their difficult choices, thus creating the impression at home that the economy would improve if economic affairs could be managed without EU interference. More integration is preached at the European level, but implicitly portrayed at home as an obstacle to growth.

“This double-speak on the part of national political elites is perceived as such by voters, whose trust in both national and EU institutions is naturally declining. The claim that Europe needs more integration to save its social model has long lost credibility. Integration is irrelevant to that question, and, in those areas where deeper integration really would benefit Europe, it appears to be the last thing that national leaders want.”

My Comment: It is necessary to look at the pressure put on us by objective natural forces of our development. No problem can be resolved internally within a country but only through their complete integration. But this assumes a preliminary change of general thinking from egoistic to integral thinking. This can be achieved within a few months by the method of integral education, which was not done before the formation of EU. But of course, the claim that integration will not save the EU is a profound mistake.
[98798]

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Rabash, Letter #29: But a person doesn’t have a need to bring waste from the outside, as is the case with fertilizing a tree. It must translate impurities from the world to the revelation, meaning, inside his feeling.

Question: What is “waste” for me and what is “fertilizer”?

Answer: It depends on your choice. You are given the ability to decide whether you prefer to eat from waste or good things from bad things? And you always choose something from the two possibilities, but gradually tip the scale in the direction to bestowal. You don’t have the strength to completely annul reception, but anyway, you advance in the right direction.

In your vessel, Kli, there are always three parts. In the upper part you can work for the sake of bestowal, in the middle part restriction reigns, and in the lower part is something that you want for yourself.

The right line can’t exist without the left line, and the left line without the right line. Everything needs to be diversified, until at Gmar Tikkun (the final correction), all the evil will operate as good.

Question: This means that if the friends create an obstacle for me, then they give me “fertilizer”?

Answer: It depends on your meaning of “obstacle.” If the friends show me how much they long to recognize the greatness of the Creator, for a higher level, for adhesion, for Gmar Tikkun, for unity and connection between them, for the revelation of the Light, then for me it can be an obstacle since this approach is hated by the ego, but it can also be a motivation that pushes forwards.

The upper shows the lower the Light, His bestowal, and the lower, by feeling this, must clarify if for him this is food or waste. It is written, “Straight are the ways of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.” I can decide that bestowal for me is specifically the Light that pulls me forward. I want to adhere to it and overcome myself in order to do this, even though it is not simple to receive it as food. And then, in this case, I am called “righteous.” But if I don’t want it, then I am called a “sinner”.

In this way, I examine myself according to the principle of “a person will always see himself as half-righteous and half-wicked.” The upper gives me the Light and I can feel it like light or like darkness.

For example, today in the lesson there were many people sitting there without a good mood. And I was very happy about that. Because that is how a disease is discovered. It is very good. Now what is left is to bring the treatment. But they don’t think so. They feel sick.

This means, the question is: It depends on how a person decodes what he receives. There is no evil in the world, but everything depends on how we interpret what happens. For me, the Light, the force of life, can be either food or waste. The tree, naturally, receives fertilizer from the animals, as a good thing, and we have to choose, because from the beginning the “fertilizer” that arrives from the upper doesn’t look good to us. This thing doesn’t look good to me to the extent that it looks like “excrement” and not like a treasure….
[98745]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/25/13, Writings of Rabash

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Question: It is said that it is not the smart one who learns in Kabbalah. Then, why do you always ask whether we understand anything we learn in The Study of the Ten Sefirot? Isn’t The Book of Zohar enough for those who only have to feel? Can smart people really study?

Answer: Interestingly, spiritual advancement doesn’t depend on the knowledge we accumulate. This is clear and certain. The point is that apprehension and comprehension, knowing, comes when I put effort into unity, into the desire to connect with our neighbors, and getting outside ourselves, when we convince ourselves that the visible picture around us is in fact my world, part of my soul, and my enemies and adversaries are the most useful and closest to me.

In turns out that the opposite is true. On one hand, our advancement depends on it.

But on the other hand, we see that the Ari started to explain Kabbalah as if it were science in the contemporary meaning of the word. It was the Ari who opened the era of correction to us; it starts with him. In the 16th century, he added a scientific nature to Kabbalah; he started to present materials in a scientific way and for the first time ever he accurately described the structure of spiritual worlds, Partzufim, Sefirot, Lights, vessels, laws, degrees, etc.

After the Ari, several Kabbalists wrote such books, then, Baal HaSulam appeared and continued the same trend; based on the Ari’s books, he wrote The Study of the Ten Sefirot. It is a full tutorial with precise definitions and responses to numerous questions. In addition, he wrote a commentary to The Book of Zohar using scientific terminology.

Why do we need this? Maybe, it’s indeed enough to read the Torah with all those stories of exiting Babylon and Egypt and other events of ancient history? Yet, it is obvious that we have no clue about what exactly is described in them. When materials are presented in a scientific way, it becomes very clear to us that we are dealing with the process of approaching the Creator; whereas, when reading the Torah, we simply cannot locate our place in all these stories, nor can we sense the need for our internal changes or determine the means to do so.

This way of presenting materials was very good for the period when people were seeking the Creator through affliction. We should keep in mind that in the era of the Torah, the Prophets and Holy Scriptures, the Creator could be attained as a result of pretty simple efforts, as it is said: “Eat bread and salt, drink water, sleep on the ground, suffer, and engage in the Torah.” If one read the source, the Tanakh, following the above conditions, wanting to come to the Creator through the reading, one attained Him.

But then the egoistic desire “jumped” to the next level, and from this stage on, the former method of revealing the Creator became impossible. That’s why Kabbalists started to search for a different form of presenting materials—in the form of Mishnah and Talmud. These books speak of the same things that are described in the Tanakh, but this time in the context of laws. Things that the Torah explains in the form of morality were framed in the Talmud as a rigid structure: We take and give; if we take something, we owe the same thing back, thus, we either go through afflictions or are entitled to a reward.

In principle, the wisdom of Kabbalah talks about the laws of interconnection between the vessels and the Lights. The power of the Light of Infinity (Ein Sof – ES) is unchanging, although there are five spiritual steps. At the first stage, the Light goes through without any filters (directly) and is called Yechida. At the second level, the Light goes through a specific “filter” that lowers it to the level of Haya. At the third step, two filters lessen the Light to the level of Neshama, and so on and so forth until it reaches the level of the Light of Nefesh.

Many other laws act in this system, but the main thing is the relationship of the Lights and vessels. This is what the entire wisdom of Kabbalah is about; there is nothing else to it. It can be described in various ways. The authors of The Book of Zohar use their own method of presenting the material, the language of morals. From the time of the Ari, a rapid development of science and technology began; new generations required different scientific languages. But, in fact, the Ari wrote about the same things—about the relationship between the Lights and the vessels, about the laws that act in this system. We also study the worlds, Partzufim, the steps, in other words, the desires that have the screens and the corresponding Lights. There is nothing besides them anyway.

Thus, on our way to correction, we become more meticulous with the laws. For example, if my TV set doesn’t work, I explain what’s wrong with it using my sensations. I say, the colors are wrong: There is too much red, not enough green, and no blue at all. Yet, when a specialist steps in, he says: We need a special lamp that has certain characteristics in watts and lumens; we also have to solder this relay to that part.

When we go deeper inside, we start “playing with numbers,” with technical specifications. If one wants to talk about spiritual steps, he has to explain in detail what state he is talking about, what level, what desires, what screens, what Light. One has to use numbers that show me what he is talking about.

Vague definitions do not work. The same applies to modern day technologies; it requires ever greater accuracy in measurements settings. So, whether we like it or not, the scientific language of Kabbalah is closer to us, although we still cannot tell what’s behind it.

Let’s say, yesterday you were in one state, and today in another.

-“What is the difference between these states?” I ask.

-“Yesterday I felt a little better, although not quite well.”

– “I don’t understand. Give me more details, exact figures and more precise characteristics, the encoding that I can translate inside myself and feel the same. Give me the exact data instead of vague impressions.”

We have to unite with the general system, but how? How can we unite if there is no channel of connection that works at the ultimate frequency and that provides an ideal exchange of information?

Consequently, we have to become experts and know our “TV sets” properly, then we begin understanding the entire system. The system is ours. It is us!

The question is: What are the methods of acquiring this knowledge?
The way of achieving it is to nullify our personal understanding. This is called “faith above reason.”

Question: The school teacher told me that one plus one is two. I believe him, but then start checking it out. Do we apply the same method here?

Answer: No. In Kabbalah, a person acquires new properties and “weighs” everything on a new “scale”; we have to use a different type of intellect than previously. By changing internally, we transition to another sphere, into a different space, a new dimension; we have to use a spiritual arithmetic. Now, one measures and compares everything by its quality, rather than quantity; one plus one does not always equal two. It is an opposite world with a totally different “system of calculation.”

We begin acting in a completely different plane of reality that is still hidden from us. Why is it hidden? It is because it doesn’t correspond to our current sensations or intellect. It makes it impossible to apply conventional mathematics to the spiritual world.

It means that the one who is prone to changing one’s own properties is able to study, as opposed to the one who is smart and clever. As a result, our modified qualities “dress” into a new type of intellect. A person changes his desire and receives the “revelation” into it. This is an intellect of a higher level.

One shouldn’t be “smart.” On the contrary, a person has to cancel his current understanding and go against it in order to receive a new type of consciousness. One has to be smart enough to cancel one’s present understanding.

How do we do that? We have to understand only one thing: We need to depend on the correct environment and over and over again continue receiving its integral mind instead of having a mind of our own.

In this world, this approach looks totally unacceptable, whereas in spirituality, everything is exactly as it is described above: We unite with our very special group. The Creator brought us here and told us: “Unite with your friends.” We neutralize our mind and sensations and start uniting. How possibly can we agree to this? It is so hard to bow our heads and “loose ourselves” in the group.

We are brought to this state from Above, although we are still concerned whether we are capable of self-annulment. That is the question. Do we accept the destiny that is offered to us by the Creator? Do we run away from it? Do we continue using our energy in spite of everything that goes on with us and manage to put our mind aside?

Kabbalah is a difficult labor. It’s an exertion that influences our nerves, habits, and desires. It has nothing to do with the amount of knowledge.
[98555]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/22/13, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

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Question: What is the meaning of the words of the Creator: “I wish they would leave me and my Torah would uphold”?

Answer: This means that man makes the wrong efforts, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reason. There are many conditions that must be joined together.

First of all, one must organize a group. Without a group a person doesn’t know how to exit his ego. He can talk about this with pretty words, but in actuality, will not realize anything.

And in addition to this, one must be patient, to understand that it’s an accumulative process to which all our efforts are added, which then bring us results. It’s comparable to a meter, in which there are spinning wheels, and at a certain moment, suddenly the number on the display changes and a “1” appears instead of “0.” And then again the wheels spin for a long time until outside again the number changes to “2” and so on.

We must understand that weeks or months could go by until the meter changes to the next number. But the weeks don’t pass if at that time we don’t invest efforts. Here the person begins to understand that he has no strength or desire, that he isn’t able to do anything, and just wants to leave everything. The body pulls him to empty matters, and the main thing is not to feel his state as being a difficult one.
We already understand how this happens. Here the person needs to find himself support, “Support of the Light.” This means the friends who help each other. Our weakness is that there is no mutual help, and everything is built only on it. Strength is only in connection, and if the connection stops, then no one will have strength.

The Light illuminates from the other side and slowly increases my desire to receive by just one gram, and I immediately fall. I am ready to forget everything, lie down and do nothing, just to be left alone. At least from a physical standpoint it is forbidden to let ourselves fall in this way. The environment should put pressure on me, they should call me if I don’t arrive at the lesson, and they should wake me at home.

I must make these arrangements with my environment so that it will work on me. Also at home, I build such a system that won’t let me miss the morning lesson. I do the same with the friends. I prepare myself in such a way that my conscience will suffer if I don’t arrive at a lesson.

But I must prepare all of this in advance and not at the time of descent. I must worry in advance for something to commit me to arrive for the lesson even when I lack strength. I arrange everything in this way so that I can’t stay home; otherwise, what will my family say? I can’t make excuses each day that I don’t feel well. And the friends would begin to call and ask what happened to me, where did I disappear to, and it would embarrass me.

If I receive a burdening of the heart, then only these measures will work on me. In those moments, I myself am not able to do anything, but I feel that I prepared support for myself and so it also stands in my favor.
[98317]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/7/13, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Preparation to the Lesson

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Writings of Baal HaSulam “Letter 2”

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The Book of Zohar – Selected Excerpt, Parashat “Shlah Leha,” Item 141, Lesson 14

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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 3, Part 9, Question 136, Lesson 26

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“A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar“

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[media 10]

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Baal HaSulam, Shamati 34, “The Profit of a Land”: It turns out that all the suffering he feels is because he slanders Providence. It turns out that what hurts him is that where he should have been praising the Creator, saying “Blessed is He who has created us in His Glory,” meaning that the creatures respect the Creator, he sees that the world’s conduct is unfitting for His glory, since everyone complains and demands that first it should be open Providence that the Creator leads the world in benevolence. Since it is not open, they say that this Providence does not glorify Him, and that pains him.

This is all that pains him since by being in a state of separation, he cannot justify His guidance. This is considered hating the state of separation. And when he feels this suffering, the Creator hears his prayer, brings him near Him, and he is rewarded with adhesion. This is because the pains that he feels due to the separation make him be rewarded with adhesion; and then it is said, “As far as Light excelleth darkness.”

We already know, understand, and feel these things. On every degree only between two opposites can we find the correct details of perception, choose the quality of bestowal over egoistic self-interest, and refocus the criteria of “light” and “darkness” from reception to bestowal. Then in inner efforts, in doubts, and with the help of the group and studies, we can demand correction so that the Light comes and, first, shows us what “light” and “darkness” are in reality, as opposed to our current notion according to which we call material, egoistic fulfillment “light,” and the absence of it “darkness.”

Thanks to the Light that Reforms, I rise above these measures to the spiritual measures. Then, light for me would be distancing from myself and getting closer to the other, to the Creator. Moreover, this scale should be based on the antithesis of the former approach. If earlier I hated someone, enjoying his difficulties and my advantages over him in anything, then now, with the ascent to the property of bestowal, everything turns out the opposite: In my feelings he remains hated, but I overcome myself, enjoying his well-being and bring him pleasure, which in reality becomes my fulfillment. I enjoy what the one I hated enjoys and, in general, the fact that he enjoys. I am pleased to give him pleasure, rising above my hatred for him.

Every detail of this perception consists of many nuances, but in general, all this is achieved only by the efforts in the group. Along with studies and the Light that Reforms, we eventually come to transformation, to an internal revolution…
[98846]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/27/13, Shamati #34 

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We have completed the convention, “have come to our senses” a little. Someone experiences ascent, someone else descent, it is hard to say, everyone is in his own state.

Now, each of us must give an account, “What will happen to my soul?” and try to start to rise with all the weight that we have gained as a result of the convention. Where are all the discernments regarding a person’s relation to the group, to self-nullification, to the assessment of the importance of the goal, which is already close, and we begin to feel the first spiritual qualities of perception in practice?

How can we quickly get prepared for the next convention? We have two upcoming conventions:  the European convention in Düsseldorf, Germany, and the feast of Passover in Israel, and we have to work hard, intensely, so that this unity brings real spiritual ascent.

We have to move so that through our effort we can enter into real spiritual attainment, not just lightly feel it from the outside. Therefore, we have to learn, take lessons from the past, and prepare for the future. As many inner discernmenst of spiritual properties we can go through now, this will be our preparation for the next convention.
[98843]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/27/13, The Zohar

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The Writings of Rabash, 1984, Article 2, “Concerning the Love of Friends”:

1) The need for love of friends.

2) What is the reason I chose specifically these friends, and why have the friends chosen me?

3) Should each of the friends disclose his love for the society, or is it enough to feel love in one’s heart and practice love of friends in concealment, and thus not need to openly show what is in his heart?

These questions are obviously important. Indeed, on the whole, I don’t feel any need for the love of friends. Where will I find the powers? How can I convince myself? And most importantly, where is the reward here?

If I were promised something real, then perhaps I could convince myself, but I am only told that by love of friends I will get a reward that is above this whole world: not money or gold, not health, not different entertainments, but something that is much greater. But because I don’t see that reward, I don’t really value the love of friends.

It would be better if I were told, “Love your friend and you will feel good.” If I depend on someone, for example, who can take me out of prison, then I would clearly be ready to do everything for him only so that he would help me escape. But here too, I don’t see any way out of prison; I don’t see a real big reward for the love of friends. I am told about the upper world, but for some reason I don’t find it so attractive.

Later Rabash says that I have chosen the friends, and the friends have chosen me. But when did I really choose them? And really, would I choose them if I had a chance to choose from many other candidates? By what I see here, I would choose one or two, not more than that, so it turns out that no one has chosen his friends.

We haven’t chosen the teacher either. I am sure you would prefer someone more solid and respectable, so where is our freewill?

It seems that by the connection in the group I have to feel that each one is so special that from all of humanity, I would really choose only these friends. This stage is in front of us: to feel the friend, his soul, to get so close to him that he becomes the only one of the seven billion, and the same for every member in the group.

In addition, Rabash is asking whether we should express our love by some external means, for example, to act before one another, to give each other gifts, etc. Or should we rather work modestly, since the real work is internal, whereas the “decorations” as we well know are not worth much, because they can turn out to be flattery, hypocrisy, and false. I don’t really love anyone, so can I express something that I don’t feel? After all, this is a lie.

However, if each of them does not show the society that he is practicing love of friends, then one lacks the force of the group.

We must understand that we are small and weak, and since we lack the understanding, we are impressed by external acts and so we have to use them. Each one should behave in a way that the friends can see: He performs serious internal work, makes efforts for the love of friends, and indeed already attains a high level. Thus we advance forward.
[98788]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/24/13, Writings of Rabash 

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I am divided into two parts: GE and AHP. The important part in me is GE, and in it I am in a fixed state.

On the other hand, I operate my AHP only for the needs of another: It is as if I “swallow” his desire and begin to serve him. The Light comes from Above, and I pass on this Light to the other through my AHP, which is the only way I use the AHP.

If, however, the other doesn’t need anything, then my AHP does not exist. It is folded into my GE, and I return to the state of smallness, to the fixed state.

It is because I actually don’t need anything, except for my GE, and I need them only in order to be ready to bestow upon others. In every contact I immediately check what the other wants and when I find unfulfilled desires in him, I allocate and develop in me only the part that will provide what he desires from Above. Only to that extent do I operate my AHP.

This is called the spiritual world: I don’t exist. I exist only to the extent that I bestow upon others. As long as there are no others, I am nothing, a zero. It is because my GE are not myself, they are only the state of readiness, searching—who needs my bestowal?
[98785]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/24/13, Writings of Rabash

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