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Question: If people feel good in their collective, then is it possible to enter there and say, “Friends, you have a lot of contradictions and differences?”
Answer: You don’t need to say anything “directly inside.” The people need to find the problem themselves and arrive at a diagnosis where contradictions and differences, lack of trust, and other shortcomings, exist among them.
In no way should you say anything negative to them. Rather, simply suggest they hold hands, sing a song, exchange opinions, and complete each other, not challenge each other, and then, through seemingly dealing with the question from the side, the people will ultimately connect among themselves. Specifically, from the point of connection, after you elevate them a bit, in this way, you cleanse them from all kinds of Klipot. They suddenly will begin to feel themselves to be defective, inferior. However, you don’t say this to them yourself.
When they independently reach particular conclusions, you express astonishment, “Are you really like this,” and, regarding what they say, “Look at what we clarified! Such relationships exist among us!” You answer, “This cannot be. You see, you said you were okay. Then, what happens?”
So, if you say something negative, then do so only with a very small hint and only after you previously explained everything that is positive, like a doctor says to someone who is ill, “Here is a remedy for a raging virus. We found this virus in you. Take a pill and be well.”
But it is still preferred that through receiving the remedy in a sweet wrapper, they will arrive at a diagnosis themselves and discover the bitterness of the illness through a sweet capsule—which is to say, to discover their shortcomings through love, through the good, new connection between them.
[118634]
From Kab TV’s “Through Time” 10/20/13
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Question: What is it necessary to do in order to carry out our work correctly: To sow seeds and harvest the crop, and not to cry over a dry field?
Answer: After you have checked that you have reached the right group and the right teacher, you need to go with “faith above reason.” Otherwise this egoistic mind will not let you do anything.
The problem is in this: a person arrives and seemingly agrees with everything, is ready to carry out everything, but agrees to advance in a group only with small steps, with a speed and a manner that the ego allows.
And so he will need 15 to 20 years in order to advance and attain something, if at all. For the rate of advancement is found in the area of his ego. In other words, he advances at a rate to the degree that the ego makes it possible for him and no more. To advance more rapidly is painful! He cannot, only to this limit. It is on this basis that one has to test the depths of his heart: how it fits with this path. You have reached some teacher, some group, and must clarify exactly: Is this for you? Nobody else will help you; you need to answer this question yourself. Is this truly what I have been subconsciously searching for all my life and I want only this?
Question: But in other places aren’t people also sure that this is precisely the right place?
Answer: Absolutely, each one needs to be in his place. “Just as they have different faces, so their souls are different as well”; so are their ways different too. Why don’t you ask and wonder why the whole world cannot be like Rabbi Shimon, the author of The Book of Zohar? Then there would be seven billion Rabbi Shimons in the world; what’s bad about that? But that should not be, because in a perfect Kli, no one is like another and all of them are found on different levels.
You need to check within your heart. And this is why you were given free choice: whether you will cook all your life on the back burner and nothing will be enough and you wait until they drag you to a cemetery, or you attain a perfect life.
[118624]
From 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/16/13, Writings of Rabash
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The “seven years of satiation” is the state when a person still hopes to get everything he wants for his egoism. Although he is willing to work hard for the sake of this and put forth a lot of effort, this fulfills him for the time being and satisfies his egoism. He thinks that there is fulfillment in Egypt and it will all belong to him: all the pleasures of this world and the pleasures of the spiritual world. He thinks that he will be able to reach this on his own for himself and does not set the goal to delight the Creator. He considers only his gain.
This can be assessed by how a person perceives problems. As soon as difficulties and troubles arise, he immediately starts thinking about himself. That is, the “seven years of satiation” are not over for him. He feels that he lacks something; there is some danger to his ego and he suddenly begins to feel uncertainty, to worry about himself.
This is what the “seven years of satiation” is because a person examines everything in his egoistic desires: whether he will suffer, experience some kind of harm. He is still attached to the egoistic result: How good or bad will it be for him? He begins to doubt and considers whether it might be worthwhile to run away from this path. What if he hurts himself? This is the way to check whether he is in the period of the seven years of satiation.
The “seven years of famine” begin from the point when he becomes indifferent to what he will get in his desire to enjoy; he rises above this feeling. To the extent that he is willing and able to rise above his feeling of hunger, to that extent he advances to bestowal. It’s at this point that the actual serious work begins.
I believe that we are entering these seven lean years now. Let’s hope that we will feel these sufferings of hunger and strengthen each other. The entire work inside Egypt is only in unity. The more critics, enemies, and haters we have, the more we will strengthen at their expense. It’s like wolves surrounding a herd of sheep and forcing them to huddle closely.
We can unite only because of it. Our ego does not allow us to get closer to each other. Only evil wolves running toward us, circling us, trying to bite us, and compel us like sheep to come closer together and unite inside. Israel is like a herd of sheep and strengthened only by wolves. Let’s hope that we are strong enough to ensure that the Creator sends us many enemies who help us become stronger, connect, and through our unity, reveal the need to get out of the bondage of our desire to enjoy to the desire to bestow.
These are necessary states which must be passed on the path. The world demands this from us, and we have no choice, we must do it. We are in a very special state before the exit from Egypt. It’s about this that the entire Torah speaks.
The “49 impure gates” of our egoism are revealed in us and urges us to escape and hide somewhere in a quiet corner, shut ourselves in and become invisible. But we don’t agree with it! We will still come and stand up against Pharaoh to tell him, “Let our people go!” and we will become the workers of the Creator.
[118702]
From the Talk during the Meal 10/18/13
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There are a number of checks on the path that are completely clear of material signs by which it is possible to evaluate whether you are advancing or not. The first test is whether you strive to feel yourself in the center of the group. Not at the center of everyone’s attention, presenting yourself as the most important, but in the center of the common hopes, in the center of unity, bestowal, and mutual concern, at the very foundation, “on the one leg,” meaning on the pillar on which unity rests: “What is hateful to yourself, don’t do to another.”
First of all, don’t disturb others! That is, restrict yourself to the state of “Tzimtzum Aleph,” as if you do not exist or use your desire to enjoy, so that there will be a place for others beside you, and you yourself will not occupy any place at all, will turn into a zero, like a ghost. You just provide a place for others, like a manager, arranging chairs and taking care so that everyone has a seat. This is called, “What is hateful to yourself, don’t do to another.”
That is, you occupy no place at all but provide it for all the friends. This is the first condition and that is why it is called “standing on one leg.” Indeed, one must stand on this principle and various actions can happen above it, but as a consequence of it. That is why, if you manage to achieve this feeling, getting up in the morning or before each action, this means that you advance in the right direction.
[118621]
From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah lesson 10/16/13
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Opinion (Parag Khanna, senior research fellow at the New America Foundation and author of The Second World: How Emerging Powers Are Redefining Global Competition in the 21st Century and How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance): “Every five years, the United States National Intelligence Council, which advises the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, publishes a report forecasting the long-term implications of global trends. Earlier this year it released its latest report, “Alternative Worlds,” which included scenarios for how the world would look a generation from now.
“One scenario, ‘Nonstate World,’ imagined a planet in which urbanization, technology and capital accumulation have brought about a landscape where governments give up on real reforms and subcontract many responsibilities to outside parties, which then set up enclaves operating under their own laws.
“The imagined date for the report’s scenarios is 2030, but at least for ‘Nonstate World,’ it might as well be 2010: though most of us might not realize it, ‘Nonstate world’ describes much of how global society already operates. This isn’t to say that states have disappeared, or will. But they are becoming just one form of governance among many.
“A quick scan across the world reveals that where growth and innovation have been most successful, a hybrid public-private, domestic-foreign nexus lies beneath the miracle. These aren’t states; they’re ‘para-states’ — or, in one common parlance, ‘special economic zones.’…
“The broader consequence of these phenomena is that we should think beyond clearly defined nations and ‘nation building’ toward integrating a rapidly urbanizing world population directly into regional and international markets. That, rather than going through the mediating level of central governments, is the surest path to improving access to basic goods and services, reducing poverty, stimulating growth and raising the overall quality of life. …
“Our maps show a world of about 200 countries, but the number of effective authorities is hundreds more. … This is why weaker states must band together into regional groupings, or risk succumbing to the equally ancient principle of divide-and-conquer. … The Arab world will not be resurrected to its old glory until its map is redrawn to resemble a collection of autonomous national oases linked by Silk Roads of commerce.”
My Comment: But this is a short-term step to eliminate states and borders, and further there will be greater unification with equalization, by the path of suffering or awareness.
[118742]
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Question: What movement of forces does The Book of Zohar describe?
Answer: The changes occur relative to the central axis, the middle line. It passes from the souls that reside in the worlds of BYA (Beria, Yetzira, Assiya) to Malchut of the world of Atzilut. From there on, it expands to Zeir Anpin and from Zeir Anpin to YESHSUT, the lower part of Bina. Further on, it travels to the upper part of Bina, to the upper Aba ve Ima, and finally, to the head (Rosh) of Arich Anpin, its Keter and Hochma.
We don’t discuss what is even higher since above this everything follows the laws of the first restriction (Tzimtzum Aleph) through Atik and the five Partzufim of the world of Adam Kadmon to Malchut of the world of Infinity. After that, along the same line, from Malchut of the world of Infinity, abundance descends to Malchut of the world of Atzilut where all souls reside. Whatever it receives goes further down since its structure includes everything.
This is how the spiritual motion occurs: through the ascent of MAN (a plea for correction) from below upward and the descent of MAD (a response) from above downward. This movement includes all created beings and the entire system of the worlds. Beside this movement, there is an inner process which occurs according to the program of creation: An awakening from Above in its various forms happens in order to bring the creatures to equivalence with the Light.
In some cases, they are affected by the Surrounding Light—the general management. In others, individual management affects them “along the line.” The roots of all these events lie in the world of Infinity where the first and the third states of the common cycle are merged into one, which defines the entire order in Malchut, the whole course of action that leads each of its parts to the common correction at the right pace.
This process is what the wisdom of Kabbalah studies since there is nothing outside of it. Without a question, there are multiple systems with infinite details and elements that are very complex and interconnected. But we don’t study them because they are not directly related to our work.
From the common system of worlds and managing mechanisms, Kabbalists select a very narrow area that not only refers to us, but can also serve as example in studying our relationships with Infinity. Moreover, from this sphere, the Kabbalists illuminate only that territory, the form of relationships that will provide us with the Light that Reforms in the greatest degree. They reduce the omnipotent spiritual world to its very essential minimum, to fifty grams of “baby food.” In this extract, everything is calculated precisely: the amount of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and the feeding instructions.
They could write thousands of books about the spiritual world, but they would only create more confusion rather than good. The Kabbalistic texts were only written in order to help us to draw the Light.
[29149]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/8/10, The Zohar
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We constantly encounter different problems along the spiritual path. No one has promised us that it would be an easy journey since we are actually working against our nature, against our ego, and it is very difficult. We don’t understand what we are doing since we are in our ego while the forces that correct the ego are external to it and are called the Creator. We have to summon their influence upon us so that they will correct our ego.
But how can we ask for forces that are opposite from our ego and contrary to it in order to correct it while being in our ego? It is impossible, since we cannot operate externally. In order to do so, we were given a point in the heart, which means minimal contact with the external force, with the Creator. However, this contact is minimal and merely a point, we have to develop it.
A whole system was created in the ego for this purpose: a group, support, and the friends. Thus we can somehow find the connection with the external force that should manage us and sustain us.
[118688]
From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 6/29/13
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Question: It hurts when a person works for years and all of a sudden after 12 to 13 years and even more, he leaves the spiritual path.
Answer: In such cases we should check why a person cannot go on working and what the reason is for his leaving. Perhaps he found himself in a situation where he had to annul himself before the group but couldn’t do that. This is the most difficult thing.
Question: But he has heard about it every day for 13 years.
Answer: He probably didn’t hear it. This can happen even to people who have been with us for even longer than 13 years. I know it from my experience of working with my students.
The main thing is to constantly focus on the goal, to check it every day and to see whether you are using the means that lead you to it. If you do, then you should concede despite your doubts and against your desire.
Question: If a person tries, has searched, has been to different places, and then came back to us, he still has to hold on to something. I know from my own experience that our work is not easy.
Answer: The point is that today this type of work is not so complicated any more since the world is showing you that there is nothing it can offer anyway. This is the first point
Second, there are already hundreds of thousands following this path.
Third, it is a logical path since it develops in your heart and mind on every level that you go through, revealing the whole wisdom.
The most important thing is that today you can start fulfilling it directly on yourself, but only if you truly understand that everything depends on the connection between people, on the law of “Love thy friend as thyself.”
If you come to another place, you have to check this immediately since the revelation of the Creator can only be in the attribute of “love thy friend as thyself,” as we read in the sources. What can we do in order to attain this attribute? Do we follow the instructions of our teachers? Do we actually perform what they say, even if it is merely mechanically? If we do, we can go on checking. If we don’t, then we should immediately leave all that.
Question: A person still looks for some mechanical support in the Mitzvot (commandments) that he observes.
Answer: That is his own business. No one forbids him from doing that. But if we work for the whole world, we cannot afford doing so in the form that exists in the religious environment and we cannot necessarily observe the Mitzvot so scrupulously as they do. After all, when a person engages in internal work he is more inclined to put an emphasis on the inner work rather than the external work; it is inevitable.
If a person knew the people who seem to be observing the Mitzvot from the inside, it would be easier for him to understand that their actions are empty. But he only sees the externality and believes that there is something there.
[118685]
From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 6/29/13
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Question: On one hand, the spiritual system is subordinate to unshakeable laws. On the other, there is individual management. How does it all work?
Answer: The general and the individual management are divided only in our perception. In truth, it is not so. Our reactions, the personal journey of each one—everything is programmed into the system and is predetermined. However, in our view, these acts unfold gradually and require our effort in finding our freewill.
All of this is due to our inability to harmonize the two opposites. Originally, they were revealed to Abraham. The Creator told him that his seed will be named Isaac and commanded him to lay Isaac on the altar. These acts are as far from each other as day and night. However, for the Creator, there is no difference. Light and darkness are one.
He brought the point of desire out of Light by creating darkness, but only in relation to the created beings so that they could feel having been created and existing separately from the Creator. In truth, the desire to feel pleasure, which we feel independently simply doesn’t exist.
The general and individual governance in our eyes are as different as the following two principles: “If I am not for me, who is for me?” and “There is none else besides Him.” All of this manifests before us as a game, like an exercise, so that while we are ascending the rungs of our desire, we are able to see how different they are, to see the rivalry of the right and the left lines and make up the middle line. Until the very final correction (Gmar Tikkun), we will be experiencing the imbalance of these two constantly colliding opposites.
[29143]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/8/10, The Zohar
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