The Only Ones Among Seven Billion

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe 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.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/24/13, Writings of Rabash 

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