Question: In what vessel does a person discover spirituality?

Answer: In the Returning Light, which means in bestowal, when he worries about the other more than about himself, when the other is more important to him than he is.

Question: What does a person have to annul in order to acquire the spiritual vessel?

Answer: Thoughts about himself. How can I, who can only think about myself, switch to a state in which I will totally change myself for the good of others? Where can I get such a desire? Where can I find the powers to make such an effort?

Here the Light that Reforms helps me. It’s called the “miracle of the exodus from Egypt:” I take my feelings (heart) and mind out of the control of my desire, of the caring for myself and put them into the other. Of course, I can’t do this by myself. A prisoner can’t release himself from prison, and you can’t pull yourself by the hair out of a swamp. After all, the desire and worrying about myself are all that I have.

But the Light comes and takes this concern out of the desire and puts it into someone else. Then I begin to care about him like a mother worries about her baby. After all, the same thing happens with her, but on an egoistic level: It’s as if she is hypnotized in her concern for her baby, looking at him all the time and worrying about him. If we didn’t know about such processes in this world we might think that she had lost her mind.

This is also the work of the Light, but a mother is not required to ask to be able to love her baby, she is simply given this love from Above. In our case, however, it’s different. A person is given a choice, “Do you want to remain on the “animal” level? Go ahead. But if you want to rise to the spiritual level, then you need to activate this force.”

You need to constantly improve, become wiser, and, in short, you need to acquire the Creator’s mind in order to activate Him. This is the difference between the two levels—the fact that you activate Him. It’s about this that it says: “My sons have defeated me.”
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/6/13, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”

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Question: What is a “prayer of an individual?”

Answer: A “prayer of an individual” is a person’s clarification. On the whole, one can pray a “prayer of an individual” or a “prayer of many.” A “prayer” is a deficiency that I discover in my heart. But I discover it intentionally by first clarifying the prayer, which is called “a prayer before a prayer.” On this preliminary level I make many corrections in order to reach the special inner deficiency that will be compatible with the amount of Light that is before me and which I want to acquire.

I acquire it; purchase it by paying with my exertion, my power, my deficiency, by my “appetite.” It’s as if I enter a bakery shop and “freeze” in front of a marvelous cake. But I am put on a scale, my deficiency is measured, and I am told:

– You have deficiency of only 150 grams and this cake is worth half a kilogram so you can’t buy it.

Then my taste buds are examined by a special sensor, and I am told:

– Your taste buds don’t work. You actually want fish and not a cake. The two can’t even be compared, come back another time when you have the right quantity and quality for a cake, and then you will receive it.

So I need a deficiency for bestowal. Where can I purchase this deficiency in our world in order to come to the Creator’s “store” with it and buy that “cake”? Where can I get the money to buy the ticket with which I can enter bestowal? This is already “a prayer before a prayer”; I constantly think about the deficiency in quantity and in quality that I must have, since otherwise I don’t have a real vessel.

If I understand this whole process, then there is a “prayer of an individual” and a “prayer of many” in it. But these are only names. In fact, I always pray by myself, I am always one, and there is nothing but me. But I want to attach and connect those who are seemingly external to me: all my desires and thoughts that were thrown outside by the ego and that seem to be scattered according to the corruption in my vessel. I want to work above this “thickness” of the desire, and thus I am drawn to “a prayer of many,” by wanting to see them as one whole unit…
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/6/13, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”

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Question: If I have to totally annul myself by remaining as one point while everything else comes from the Creator, where is the volume in which I feel my existence, my spiritual reality?

Answer: This is called the “spiritual world.” Think only about how to penetrate it. Your existence there begins after you cease to exist. When you cease to exist in your current form, you will appear there.

Now it seems unclear, but from this negative form you already begin to move towards the Light; you have the feeling that this place may actually exist and is real, but that it’s beyond the Machsom (barrier), beyond the border after which the “I” אוי(: aleph – nun- yod) becomes “no I” (אין: aleph – yod – nun).

This point of “no I” is in the new space that is felt by this negative form as a very solid, strong field, that fills it and that is essential. But with regard to the previous state, with regards to my egoistic “I,” it is called “no I” and this fills me with joy.

In our world joy is felt as a filling in the desire to receive, but in spirituality joy is felt as “in Him our heart shall rejoice.” I am very happy that you have such thoughts and that they make you suffer since you feel disoriented. Later you will feel the joy when you attain the goal. Now you have to be happy that you are on the way to it and that you have at least risen above your ego a little. The stronger the Light shines and the more the group strengthens you, the more you can rejoice that you have transcended yourself.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/4/13, “The Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Question: During the process of integral games, a new kind of social relationship is practiced. What does it mean to be “integrated in others”?

Answer: It means that I don’t aspire to “enter “into another person, but I seek our integrated, mutual component.

I am interested in the group as an exit from the egoistic feeling of “I” to the altruistic “we,” where my ego gets lost, where I stop thinking about myself, and think about us, where I solve problems only according to our relations.

It is only an exercise and training to create the pre-conditions of these feelings, desires and mutual intellect within me.

During the discussions I am not involved in criticism of others or in analyzing their answers, but in trying to rise above my ego and above my understanding, and grasping everyone as “we,” which means, as if being integrated in everyone, so in this way to create an exit from myself.

It is not their opinion that interests me, but my exit from myself, achieved through practice in working in the group.

I listen to the opinion of everyone in the circle that is composed of ten people and try to connect with each person’s opinion, to grasp it as mine own. And the nine answers, except for my answer on some question, allow me to constantly be outside myself. During my turn, I give an answer according to the other opinions, just adding to them.

In principle, it isn’t important what questions are asked and what answers are given. This technique was designed to begin to feel how a person can rise above himself. I try to accept each opinion as my own, above my own personal opinion, and try to calibrate, to annul my analytical device.

It doesn’t matter what conclusion we arrive at. What is important is that each one of us rises above himself.
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From KabTV’s “Integral World” 11/27/12

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Preparation to the Lesson

Writings of Baal HaSulam “Igrot,” Letter 16

The Book of Zohar – Selected Excerpt, Parashat “Shlah Leha,” Item 248, Lesson 23

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 1, Lesson 4

Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Peace,” Lesson 7

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Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion for The Zohar“: The soul is like that, too: After it has acquired equivalence with Him, it knows His Thoughts once more, as it knew prior to the separation from Him due to the will-to-receive’s disparity of form.

Question: What are the Creator’s thoughts?

Answer: As it is written, “By Your actions, we shall know You” or, in other words, from my actions, I will get to know the Creator.

I try to act “in order to bestow,” to perform actions of bestowal, but I cannot. I ask for help and I get it. There are changes in me whose essence and root I don’t understand. I exert myself and become like the Creator according to my understanding of the sources and the examples that the group presents to me. Thus, I study the Torah, which means the method, the system, the actions of the Creator who is concealed in the Torah. By imitating His actions, I begin to know Him, to know His attributes of love and bestowal.

Today, I interpret the words according to my understanding, not knowing their real meaning. Then, through my corrected desires, I really will get to know the Creator. It is because the corrected desire feels a kind of an awakening inside called “Light.” Generally speaking, such desires create the Creator’s image for me in a way. It isn’t a figure and not a drawing, not a form, but I simply understand what the attribute of bestowal is, the attribute of love. I understand it as a result of my corrected actions.

Therefore, it is written, “By Your actions, we know You.” By my corrected actions aimed at bestowal, I perceive the concept of “the Creator.” In that system, I am connected and, later, adhere to Him; thus, “Israel, the Torah and the Creator are one.” “Israel” refers to the person who yearns for bestowal. ”The Torah” refers to my inner system of connection, the system of the soul, its 613 corrupt desires that I must correct by the Lights that evoke it. Then, the vessels and the Lights work together. When the vessel and the Light equalize in the direction of bestowal, it means that the Torah is revealed in me.

I work systematically on the five levels of Aviut (the “thickness” of the desire) and go through stages of attaining the Torah, by starting from Sod and ending in Pshat when everything is revealed and I have not only the Lights of NRNHY, but also the Light of Yechida, not different kinds of vessels, but the vessel of Keter. By that, I return to complete adhesion, but I return by myself with a Light that is 620 times greater than the initial Light, and, by that, I correct my vessels. I increase them 620-fold, and, by that, I know the Creator. First, I was in Him in the form of a point that He created as “something from nothing,” and now, with His help that comes as a result of my asking, I develop this point by myself from the “drop,” and stand in His place, equal to Him on the level of Adam (a human being).

Question: The Creator has one thought, which means that I must be incorporated in everyone and insert in them the one thought that is directed at Him.

Answer: Otherwise, I will not be able to put my soul together. It includes all the other souls in it. I am just a point, and, in order to build my soul, I need to attach everyone to it.

Question: What is hidden in my soul that is aimed at the Creator?

Answer: For the time being, I have a shattered Reshimo (spiritual gene), a spark, the posterior of Nefesh of Kedusha, which means a beneficial desire. The beginning of the previous connection with the Creator was revealed to me in a shattered form. I want to gain at His expense, to use Him.

Thus, the spiritual awakening appears in a person. I want to gain something, and, at a certain point, I cannot find anything satisfying in the entire world. How long can you play in this “sand box?” I want to grow and do real stuff, and then I search egoistically for a partnership with the Creator on equal terms. “You are for me and I am for You. I know that I must pay. Oh well, I agree, but what will I get in return?” This is already a state of Lo Lishma (not for His sake).

Question: So, what is our general corrected thought?

Answer: It is total identification with the Creator, an “embrace,” a “kiss,” “coupling,” which, on the whole, is called adhesion.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/5/13, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”

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Baal HaSulam, “Letter 34”: Even those who were awarded with forgiveness for their sins, which turn into rights, in which it turns out that there is no flaw, will still need more power to stand in the King’s palace, which means to stand and pray and wait, without getting tired… until they acquire a complete desire from the Creator.

And so we have to learn this art before we enter the King’s palace, which means the palace of power and might, and stand as an iron pillar…

Question: Why does Baal HaSulam say that a person must stand like an iron pillar if we know that, on the contrary, we should reach a state when we despair of our own powers?

Answer: If a person despairs of his own powers, it doesn’t mean that he becomes weak. He doesn’t cry out of weakness, but is rather joyful as a hero for having risen above all his egoistic powers (the “shells“) that used to confuse him and draw him in different directions. After all, he is standing in front of the Creator now, asking for help!

So, why does it seem that he should reach total exhaustion? He understands that he cannot enter the spiritual world by his own powers since it is a totally different nature. However, he knows that he was helped from Above every step of the way and, thus, brought toward the spiritual world, and he actually is standing at its doorstep.

He is sure that, with the help of the Creator, who gave him the power to overcome the egoistic forces (Klipot – shells), he is now totally free.

If he doesn’t have the power to take the step into the spiritual world, it doesn’t mean that he is weak; it is just the realization of the fact. But the fact that every time he tried to advance with the Creator’s help means that he is a hero. A hero is not someone who foolishly fights using his own powers.

Overcoming is a war against myself, against my desire to do everything by myself, to determine everything by myself, as if there were other forces besides the Creator. It is the greatest foolishness to think that we should win by ourselves. Then, a person feels happy that he has fought and won this war.

He has won not because of his own powers. The reason why he wanted to start this war didn’t come from him, and the request for help from the Creator and the situation that was created afterward also is not to his credit.

So, why is he called a hero? It is because he has passed through all the stages along the way and, thanks to them, has adhered to the only Upper. This is what it means to win this war. Being a hero is to discover that “There is none else besides Him,” despite all the disturbances.

So, it depends on what we call “weakness.” A person clearly doesn’t have the powers to fight against himself, but he attains that he has no powers and that everything is done with the help of the Creator who has given him the powers with which a person builds himself the image of Adam (human), which resembles (Domeh) the Creator.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/5/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: If a person must be ready to remain in a state of “smallness,” where can he get the desire and the motivation to advance?

Answer: But I want to advance in order to be more like the Creator! The Creator is an example of humility for us. I must reach a state in which I feel as if I don’t exist, just as the Creator does not exist for me now. Thus, I become like Him.

It seems that I really must fight myself in order to attain this, but this a wonderful war since in it, I need the Creator so that He will fight in my place. If I fought this war by myself, I would be in a critical situation.

However, since I need the Creator’s help, it makes me extremely happy. It is because, now, I have the reason to turn to Him.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/5/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: Tomorrow is international “Safer Internet Day,” and it is dedicated to the problems of the virtual environment which online users surf. Surfing the net today involves many problems and threats both for children and for adults. Can we light up this labyrinth of dark “alleys?”

Answer: We are talking about labor pains. The Internet is indeed a common meeting place, everyone’s “common market.” I think that it should go through the recognition of evil, through a cleansing process; it should understand itself better and the reason it was created. In the meantime, this virtual labyrinth is like the Wild West, but people are gradually maturing and gradually systematize this “territory.”

Generally speaking, humanity is getting acquainted with itself on this network. It is like a mirror, and so on the whole, I suppose that it is a positive process. Perhaps it should be hastened, but we should be careful of corrupting it. The corruptions on the way will only generate new problems. People want to enjoy this tool, but they cannot manage it. Eventually they will reach the recognition of evil and will understand what they should actually do.

But if the network is limited and regulated according to the old way or if it is cut off, it will not help. Humanity is used to external limitations, while we contend that people should be educated, that the limitation should come naturally from within and not artificially from the outside. Unless people understand this, no measures will help to bring about any positive change. The Internet will still be a place where people vent all the evil they have on one another. However, if we take care of people, then this global network will undergo a healing process. There is no other means; it is the only solution.

So let’s hope that people will reach it as soon as possible, and then the Internet will really be a safe place.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/4/13, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”

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