Baal HaSulam writes that even though a person has a yearning for the Creator, for understanding of meaning, the source of life, and connection with it, he cannot himself be conscious of the Creator as long as a spirit has not descended upon him from above, as long as Light has not descended upon him.

In the meantime we feel this as a source of inspiration, insight, fulfillment, and elevation. If the person feels a revelation from above, only then can he begin to hear what the sages are talking about in their books. And together with this, when he sees what they are truly talking about, he begins to believe them.

Faith means that a person is connected to their words through his inner sensations. Which is to say, he already lives in this and begins to feel, understand, sense, and be aware that always in all of his states, in absolutely everything, he is managed from above. And there is nothing in his life that was not sent from above and he reacted from below, all of his reactions also descended from above. Thus it was conducted through a variety of states that caused various sensations.

It is as if he did something, went somewhere, he ran around, something succeeded for him, something didn’t, and so forth. His inner efforts, moral feelings, physical actions, sufferings, and successes, he was simply passed through these states to create within him the possibility of feeling more and more subtle states that bring him to feel who manages them, for what goal they were sent, and so forth.

A person begins to feel that he has absolutely no freedom in anything and all of his actions are realized according to the movements of the Creator (the Light), and he is completely dependent on them. If they give him a great portion of consciousness like this, then he dissolves into it, and if they give him a small portion, then he is left with the awareness that this is what is happening.

But if he is found somewhere in the middle, then he is thrown into a divided state and doesn’t understand how he must act. At every moment he either condemns the Creator or agrees with Him and that is how it is all the time. They give him a feeling of complete inability to remain in a state like this.

It is as if he is cut in two and doesn’t know what to do with this life. Suddenly he is thrown into criticism and condemnation in the analysis of what is happening with him, his relatives, and friends. For example, he substitutes one of his relatives that drives him crazy, and he condemns the higher management, reproaching himself for his past, as though he is refusing to agree that in the past the Creator operated him.

Conversely, he agrees and understands that all this is done with the help of the Creator and only in order to sharpen his senses, so that with these feelings he can understand and feel the higher guidance.

These states pass through him for some time, gradually coming back and cooling, going to the “right line” or the “left line.” When he is inclined to the left, he begins to feel as if the past depended on him and he admonishes himself because of all of his problems, or because he cannot justify this, since this is done by the Creator.

And the opposite, when he is found in the “right line” with full awareness that all this is done from above, then what is left for him? Where is he in this whole process? Does free choice exist? In a state like this it surely doesn’t exist: not in action, not in intention, not in results, not in anything.

That is the way it happens until he is completely cleansed. Which is to say, all of his observations and all of his doubts pass through some kind of inner work until he reaches the conclusion that there exists a very subtle system here of cooperation between him and the Creator, the Creator yearns for him and vice versa.

Now it is necessary to strengthen this mutual yearning until it reaches its full amount. The moment that this happens, the person will begin to discover true cooperation with the Creator.
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From the St. Petersburg Convention “Day Three” 7/14/13, Lesson 5

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Question: Yesterday the Israeli Finance Ministry announced a cut in pensions of 10%. The economic situation is becoming more severe…

Answer: Since the day before yesterday we have not attracted the Light that Reforms which would correct our state to the same degree; instead of lowering 10% from the pension they would have added 10%. We are to blame because only we have free choice. If we had carried out a correction yesterday, today we would not hear about this.

What do you want from the government? The politicians and the government officials base themselves on facts: Here is the budget, here are the expenses, including the “hidden” manipulations, and this is what is left for the pension. And what will you do here?

Stop dreaming about a “fair budget.” We cannot come to them with claims. They are only arguing about where to get what’s missing. And understandably, they don’t collect taxes from the big tycoons and corporations. There is no nation in the world where they deprive the rich, rather the opposite, they only add more and more to them.

The authorities act according to their egoistic calculation and continue in the same way. Ten percent of the pension is nothing compared to what is standing ahead of us.

If you want changes, only the Light that Reforms can bring them. Therefore, understand—everything depends on you.

Behind the scenes the higher force acts and we are prepared to change its influence on us from negative to positive. It sends us the evil only so we will be “caught” in it, obligating it to be linked to us and correct us.

We need the Creator and until we understand this it is as if we are left in the hands of blind fate.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/14/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: How is it possible to maintain the intention “for the sake of the friend” most of the time and the intention “for my sake” only for a little time?

Answer: We are found in the world of Assiya, the world of action, because we don’t have the right intention and we can awaken it only by means of action, by way of all kinds of movements in matter. Therefore it is written, “Hearts are drawn after deeds.”

Friends in the group need to feel your aspiration, you must give them an example. After all, when you show them your aspiration, the importance of the goal, you try in all kinds of forms, even shrewd ones to awaken the friends as if playing with them and unintentionally showing them your excitement; this also helps you somewhat. But the greatest help is dissemination.

It is written: “I learned much from my teachers, and from my friends even more than from my teachers, and from my  students, most of all.” (Masechet Ta’anit 7a). My teachers, this is the highest level, from them it is possible to learn only when you are found like an embryo (Ubar) in regard to them, and in the fetal state you can acquire only the Surrounding Light.

You enter into them, cling to the walls of the uterus and remain in this state for nine months. This is called the “fetus,” which is to say, totally unconscious development.

Within the fetus it is as if emotion develops, but the fetus itself doesn’t feel anything. It reacts, yet this is not its reaction, rather the reaction of the body in regard to what is higher, in regard to the teacher. In a form like this each one is found within the teacher like a fetus.

Relative to the friend, you are on the same level and the only action between you is connection. So interaction like this cannot be carried out with what is higher or with what is lower, because the coupling, the connection, can only be if someone is equal. This is to say, the forms of the desires, the intentions of the friends complete each other as in a puzzle.

The third level is when you teach. Then the Light descends on you because there is a group of students in front of you (a Kli), they open their mouths like chicks and you must feed them.

In this circumstance you draw the Surrounding Light onto yourself (not even you, rather them). Therefore it is written, “From my students I learned most of all.” Why most of all? – Because in the first case you receive the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif), in the second case, you complete each other, which is to say Hassadim plus Hochma—a small illumination of perfection.

In the third case, you truly receive a great Light that the students attract through their desires, unconsciously, incorrectly, it doesn’t matter which, and this Light passes through you.

If we didn’t internalize this and would run to the world to disseminate, we would get tremendous results. And it doesn’t matter what is disseminated: integral education or the wisdom of Kabbalah. What difference does it make? The main thing is that in any case you must teach them what they want if they truly want this. Therefore, if we teach, disseminate, serve, bring connection, which is what we aspire to ourselves, then we get a positive result.

So what does the wisdom of Kabbalah exist for? To discover the Creator within connection. Therefore they do the same thing. So it is written that all the people who don’t feel the Creator will lift upon their shoulders those who have the “point in the heart” and will bring them to the mountain of the Creator, which is to say, they will elevate them. They will push, compel us, perhaps harshly, perhaps softly, so that we will be elevated and will provide them with the knowledge, the fulfillment that they require.
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From the St. Petersburg Convention “Day Three” 7/14/13, Lesson 5

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Preparation to the Lesson

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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Meaning of Conception and Birth,” Lesson 10 

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The Book of Zohar — Introduction, “Among All the Sages of the Nations of the World, There Are None Like You,” Item 166, Lesson 61

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Talmud Eser Sefirot Vol. 6, Part 15

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Conversation About the Tens

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Question: Do I have to be actively incorporated in the sufferings of others and to suffer too as a result?

Answer: Of course, you have to identify with the sufferings of others as if you actually suffer, which means to be incorporated in others. We shouldn’t fear that we will remain in these corporeal sufferings like society itself. Indeed there is such a risk when we begin to help others that we will drown in their sufferings and become like them. But because we have a rope that connects us to the group, there is nothing to fear.

We must only tighten the connection to the group, and then the lower you descend into the public and penetrate their desires, the higher you will be able to ascend. It says “I dwell among my people,” because when we raise these lowest desires to the Creator through us, we give them the right form for correction.

Then you begin to see that the whole world is one desire, the whole world is you, the lowest corporeal desires that scream in people are your personal desires. It is a very good thing that you perceive them as foreign now as long as you are not corrected, don’t love everyone as you love yourself, and cannot tie all of reality to one thing.

If you felt these needs as your own, then you wouldn’t be able to worry about them, you wouldn’t be able to relate to them objectively, you would feel too interested in them and wouldn’t be able to rise above these desires, and wouldn’t be able to ask for their correction instead of for the feeling of pleasure.

If you put yourself in the shoes of these people and feel their sufferings just as they feel them, then you would focus on the pain like everyone else, or cry out to the Creator so He will save you; you wouldn’t be able to relate to these desires purposefully in order to use them only to bring the Creator contentment, but would only think about yourself.

The division of the general soul into so many parts allows us to work with these desires, as if externally and independently. We can gradually become incorporated in these desires and feel them as if they were our own, but it is only to the extent that we are protected enough by a Masach (screen),  we can be impressed by them as if they are our own but we can ask for the right correction for them.

This means that we shouldn’t ask to get rid of the troubles, but should use them as help in getting closer to the Creator, to bring Him joy. Then we will be able to thank Him for the bad feelings since it is thanks to them that our desire to receive pleasure is spurred towards bestowal.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/14/13

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Question: A friend of mine was faced with a string of troubles that caused him pain and anger at the upper force. In this situation, it is difficult for him to hold onto the idea of bestowal. How can we help him relate the “blows of fate” to the goal? What does he lack for that?

Answer: He lacks the force of overcoming.

Having found myself in trouble, I begin to blame myself for past mistakes and thrash about in the grip of misfortunes. And the following chain unfolds:

1. Can I “cover” all of this with accepting the higher management? After all, the essence of trouble is “help against the Creator” that is designed to make me think about Him, recall that even unhappiness comes from Him.
2. I understand that they are goal-oriented.
3. I “cling” not to them, but to the goal, to which they lead me.
4. I am aware that they direct me upwards so that I rise above them and adhere to the Creator because in adhesion with Him, I will achieve the best possible conditions, will join the Good That Does Good.

I have to go through all of this. And if I am not in troubles, my desire, my egoism, my nature, will not give me even a second to think about the goal of life. Is it possible to wake up egoism without troubles?
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/14/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: What is the correct pressure a group can exert on a person to compel him to develop spiritually? How is it different from the pressure that can shatter a person? What is compulsion in spirituality?

Answer: There is no coercion in spirituality, there is only an example. Only example!

I suggest bringing up children in an identical manner. Until I understood this myself, years went by, I aged, my children grew. But essentially this is how it is.

Only through example can you educate, interest, help someone internally, and change someone spiritually. Just showing him that you make an effort and do some kind of work awakens jealousy in a friend and this gives him an example: This is the only way, nothing else!

This is not pressure. Typically we exert pressure on a person only in a case where he is harmful. The harm is the intentional disclosure of frivolity: “Ah…it is possible to think…,” this cannot be forgiven.

That is to say, it is impossible to look at this, to hear, and to see this. It is impossible for this to exist! If there is a person like this in a group, get rid of him immediately! I advise you! This is a terrible virus! It could be that by nature he is a serious person. But if he permits something like this outwardly or seems to be intentionally boastful, then he has no right to remain in a group! All the rest is not so bad, other than revealing frivolity.

A person should show positive examples to the group. If he arrives and begins to brag that he has earned millions or he begins to inflate all kinds of goals that we don’t want, then he must leave the group. He must be excited only about our goal, the abilities of our group, and what is found ahead for us, within our attainment.
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From the St. Petersburg Convention “Day Two” 7/13/13, Lesson 4

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Opinion (from DailyMail): “American scientists have transformed people into cows using immersive virtual reality programmes with the aim of persuading them to eat less meat.

The University of Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab allows people to step into a cow’s hooves for a surreal experience.

“The hi-tech computer software subjects humans to being virtually poked with cattle prods and eventually dragged to a virtual slaughterhouse.

“Researcher Jeremy Bailenson hopes that participants find the experience so moving that they empathise with the cattle and choose to eat less meat as a result. …

“It is not the first time the researchers have used virtual reality technology to make people aware of their impact on the environment.

“Individuals who virtually cut down trees said they thought about the experience later and reduced their paper usage. …

“The Virtual Human Interaction Lab is designed to ‘harness the emotive power of empathy’ and although it uses modern technology, the theory is not new.

“It is thought that animal sanctuaries are much more successful as they not only rescue farm animals, but encourage people to interact with them. …

“The same is true with this latest experiment. The scientists said that becoming the animals in a virtual world and stepping into their hooves was a natural extension of this idea and a new way of encouraging people to empathise.”

My Comment: In our case, it is stated simply,  “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” i.e., all the changes in ourselves have to be based on the understanding of ourselves, our attitude to ourselves. All that a person needs to do is an experiment on himself. That is why the wisdom of Kabbalah is called the internal (hidden) part of the Torah.
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