Before the stages of the shattering, the created being was totally adhered to the one and only force that exists in the world, and was in the world of Ein Sof (Infinity) knowing everything, in the feeling of absolute perfection, in eternity.

From this state, he began to gradually descend to our world, was shattered and expanded as its parts drew further from one another, through the repulsion of the constantly growing ego, until they descended all the way into our world. So in our world we actually feel that we are totally separated and distant from one another. We cannot even imagine what true connection and unity between us is.

Throughout human history there were individuals who yearned for unity, but it was natural for them. As Baal HaSulam says, in every generation up to 10% are altruists in whom this attribute is naturally rooted. Even in our times there are different movements that fight for certain humanistic values, for adhesion and connection, and politicians and others take advantage of that.

But this is not what is meant as the goal of creation in nature. The goal of creation is the ascent above our ego with the unity that follows. We have to work on the unity and it needs to be implemented against our ego, not our natural ego, but the ego that appears when we aspire upward.

Our corporeal desires match the level of our corporeal development. The head and the body of an animal are on the same height, which means that its desires and aspirations are on the level of the corporeal needs. This is how nature operates on us. A human being’s head, however, is above the body, which means that his thoughts, dreams, desires, and aspirations are higher in quality and in their importance. This differentiates the levels of the animate and the speaking.

We know that our advancement can only take place under sufferings and different problems that we encounter when our nature simply pushes us forward and doesn’t let us exist quietly and peacefully. This has been clearly revealed since the end of the 20^th century.

So until the world reached the phase of complete egoism, which we are already beginning to feel as the bad side of our nature, the wisdom of Kabbalah, which considers it necessary to change the nature of man himself, was concealed. There was no need for it because people might distort it as happened with religions.

Instead of advancing to closeness according to the principle of love thy friend as thyself, which is the greatest and most important rule of the Torah (what the Creator requires of a person), every religion began to engage in something of its own, egoistically claiming that everything depends on the mechanical fulfillment of its actions and that those who follow them blindly reach Heaven and those who don’t reach hell, etc. The wisdom of Kabbalah is totally against this approach and therefore it is totally different from all other methods and religions.
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From the Bulgaria Convention “Dawn Of A New World” Day Two 11/2/13, Lesson 3

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The wisdom of Kabbalah is discovered when people feel that they are found in a blind alley and nothing on the face of the earth can help them. Therefore, specifically in our time, and only in our time, can we talk about this.

Basically, they began to talk about this a little earlier, from the days of the Ari (the 16^th century), when humanity was entering into an early period of correction. Therefore the Ari is considered the founder of the spiritual movement for correction.

One of the successors of the Ari was the great Kabbalist Baal Shem Tov who disseminated the wisdom of Kabbalah very successfully in wide circles of the population. For several centuries people advanced by working on themselves, and during that time they wrote very deep, profound books.

But after that, everything gradually faded away because humanity, under the process of development, had not yet tested this development. It was hoped that all kinds of technological and social developments would bring us something good. Fifty or sixty years ago people dreamed of the conquest of space, dreamed about penetrating into matter, ventured, and searched, but today all this is already a thing of the past.

Even though humanity had always aspired to advance in its development in egoistic ways, today everything has become empty and has failed. One and only one means is left in our hands—the wisdom of Kabbalah or for the general public, the method of Integral Education.

What must we reach? The Kabbalists explain this very simply. The Creator created a perfect condition, which is called the world of Infinity (Olam Ein Sof), where we are found in an absolutely different dimension, with sensations different from our current ones. We descended from this state and were shattered into fragments like a puzzle that now must be assembled.

Now we must return again to a state of the world of Infinity, to absolute connection and unity, bringing everyone towards one unified whole so that the feeling that I exist separately from others will disappear; so that the need and desire to escape somewhere, to move to the side, will disappear; so that all of my desires, characteristics ,and feelings, everything that I feel, will absorb the entire world into them. Then all the separate fragments of the puzzle will be consolidated into one collective picture and only that will be felt.

So the biblical commandment “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” will become materialized, as Abraham proclaimed even in ancient Babylon, from where all the damaged religions and faiths later came. And today we must realize all of this.
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From the Bulgaria Convention “Dawn Of A New World” Day Two 11/2/13, Lesson 3

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In the News (from Pravda): “The indicator of the level of GDP is increasingly criticized. According to experts, this is not a good indicator of social welfare. GDP cannot estimate the international flow of income, production of services by households, destruction of the environment, quality of social relations, economic and personal security, health and life expectancy.

“GDP increases when growing crime, pollution, disasters and public health threats entail costs for protective or remedial actions. Economists suggest using the ‘happiness index’ instead of GPD. The UN has adopted a resolution that happiness should be included among development indicators.

“Despite the broad public interest in the happiness index, this indicator is purely subjective. From the point of view of each individual, the state of happiness is considered the highest achievement, which include all the other desired acquisitions: intellect, wealth, health, fame, love, peace, children, joy, and so on.”

“Otto von Bismarck said about happiness: ‘For happiness one needs to be healthy, to be rich and to be a fool. Without the latter, the first two qualities do not matter!’”

My Comment: The method of integral development of man creates a feeling of happiness outside ourselves, collective, and the quality of being a fool is no longer necessary for happiness!
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As long as a person has not seriously begun to work, he doesn’t feel great opposition. But to the degree of advancement, and especially in the last stage when I approach the stage of the exodus from Egypt, then intense opposition from the egoistic Klipot begins, up to the 49 Gates of Impurity. It is impossible to exit Egypt unless the Klipot compel the person.

On the one hand, I feel a very great heaviness in even making one small step forward. And on the other hand, I see that if I do not make this step forward, then everything will disappear and I will lose everything. All of my effort will have been in vain, as if I hadn’t done anything.

Therefore we are obliged to strengthen the group, we are obliged to strengthen the mutual support and not fear any disturbances. For the 49 Gates of Impurity must be revealed in all of their intensity.

And there is no need to fear that the egoistic disturbances fall upon us and will weaken us. In other words, we must get up again and again. The problem is that we forget the reason for our descent and wonder why it is suddenly so bad for us, why don’t we wake up? Only yesterday I was all on fire, I worked in “high gear,” and today I woke up like a dumb animal—I don’t remember anything, don’t understand anything, and cannot think about anything. I feel tired and distracted, and don’t understand that I need to wake myself anew every day. And all the time there is another new clarification of new “Kelim” that I have not yet clarified.

And it could be that in the middle of the day suddenly some kind of unpleasant news arrives that simply stuns me. And were it not for the support of the friends and the group, I would fall. Alone it is impossible to hold onto something like this if the balance of forces tips in the direction of the bad. The group needs to nourish the person all the time with renewed excitement and awakening. It must become a source for the spirit of life.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/30/13, Writings of Rabash

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Question: The work in the group becomes tasteless without dissemination. But the moment we approach dissemination there are immediate conflicts and arguments. How can we disseminate and keep the unity in the group at the same time?

Answer: Of course we cannot live without dissemination. It’s like a family without kids. How much can you learn and study? Naturally there is a need for something fresh and new, some other news, like a couple that constantly engages in just themselves suddenly feels a need to have a child. So there has to be the right combination between studying and dissemination. We must never forget about the study!

The study changes according to what we engage in. Dissemination is the most important thing for our advancement, since we grow by transmitting the Light through us to the public. Otherwise we would remain in the state of Hafetz Hesed, when we actually don’t need anything. So it is dissemination that primarily determines our personal spiritual growth.

On the other hand, by engaging in dissemination, we also need to look for materials that will help us both theoretically and practically to expand and to deepen our dissemination. We have to locate the necessary materials and accordingly design our study.

According to our dissemination we study the material differently and find the parts that are relevant for our times, either from The Book of Zohar or from Talmud Eser Sefirot, when we choose certain articles by Baal HaSulam. This means that we actually choose the material that relates to dissemination and that helps us.
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From the Talk about Group and Dissemination 10/20/13

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An event like a Yeshivat Haverim, brings a very strong closeness between us and has a positive influence on everyone. Imagine if we could always rely upon each other in this way and be excited all the time, then if we fell into some bad state a person would immediately realize that it is the ego that intentionally brings him down and he would feel the necessity of connection and inclusion in the group.

And it would be easy, as if he floats on the waves: a little below, a little above, below, above, and thus rising all the time. Every time the ego grows, he rises above it without forgetting that all that is happening to him is given intentionally by the Creator in order to ascend.

He would always feel encouragement and the help of the friends, and it would be easy and simple for him be in a state of ascent all the time, where he would really direct a ray of Light from himself onto all problems and all unpleasantness. In doing so he would transform them into something opposite, to spiritual elevation and excitement, to everything being wonderful and good.

Baal HaSulam writes about this in his article, “Concealment and Disclosure of the Face of the Creator.” When a person is found in concealment of the face, he sees the world as we all see it. But when he transfers to the revelation of the Creator, then he comprehends everything completely the opposite: Those people who seemed sick before, now seem to him to be completely healthy, the pauper becomes rich, the person who is despicable in the eyes of society transforms to be respected and loved by all.

And all this doesn’t depend on anything else other than our view of reality, for under the influence of the Upper Light the world is changed in a person’s eyes. And this is not a lie, it’s a completely different reality that we begin to feel as we transition from the negative to the positive, from seeing the world before the Light influences us and after this takes place.

It’s also the same now. It could be that before the assembly of friends that a person was not in the best state, it was difficult for him, unpleasant, and unhappy. But gradually, under the influence of this event, everything is changed. Spiritual elevation, strength, excitement, another view of the world, and the acquisition of confidence suddenly appear. Everything depends only on the influence of the Light that passes over each one of us through the group.

Therefore the main thing is to be included in a group, to lose one’s self, and to be found under its influence all the time. This is the only salvation and the only opportunity to hasten our development, to attain a state in which we begin to look at the world with different eyes, through another force, another program.

This different higher, spiritual, altruistic program is already found in us, but it needs to be activated. Sometimes it’s as if it is turned on a bit and we see another world. But in fact this is only a small illumination that flows from it. But when it will be completely turned on, we will see a bright, happy world in a state of complete correction.
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From the Bulgaria Convention “Dawn Of A New World” Day One 11/1/13, Lesson 2

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If I accept the group as a means for my advancement, I should correlate my whole path to the group. I begin to see the revelation of the Creator in the group: that He presents to me what I see in my friends.

I have no opportunity to evaluate them objectively. Thus from now on I maintain the principle: “Each rejects according to his own flaws.”

This does not mean that I close my eyes to everything. Our relationship now simply exists in two planes. On one hand, I accept the friends above reason as the best, genuine, and perfect group. I see them as great, and I see myself as adhering to their environment. On the other hand, I perceive them according to my logic and see that we all need to change for the better in order to help the group. Both sides of my approach are built on a real foundation: Either I see myself as uncorrected, or I see all of them as uncorrected.

I understand that my outlook depends on my inner state, and thus I work on both levels: At times I bow my head before the greatness of the friends, and at times I advance equally with them in an aspiration to unity and a common ascent.

Meanwhile I know that I never see the real picture, since until the final correction, everything is relative, and I lack firm criteria.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/24/10, Writings of Rabash

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Preparation to the Lesson

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Shamati #3 “The Matter of Spiritual Attainment“

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Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 1, Part 2, Item 3

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Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Baal HaSulam, “The Essence of Religion and Its Purpose”: A more developed person recognizes in himself a greater amount of evil, and hence repels and separates the evil from within to a greater extent. The undeveloped senses in himself only a small amount of evil, and will therefore repel only a small amount of evil. As a result, he leaves all his filth within, for he does not recognize it as filth.

Suppose that I am faced with evil in my life. However, Kabbalists say that this “evil,” as everything else, comes from the Creator. It turns out that I experience bad feelings and they come from Him. Accordingly, they seem like punishment to me and bring about fear. In fact, most of our efforts we devote to ward off such “punishment.” It happens that we do not even dream of good, but at least try to avoid evil, to escape from “punishment.”

A more developed person understands that he must do good, not so much because of possible punishments, but simply because it is good. It’s worthwhile to bring good to others and oneself. This level of being no longer allows him to simply to do wrong and hurt others.

An even more developed person begins to tie his relationship to the world with the concepts of reward and punishment. In other words, he sees the system’s attributes: some deeds lead to an award, another to a punishment. As if there is a judge, Nature, the upper force, no matter what its name, and He shows His attitude.

And some go even higher and realize that there is no punishment at all. On the contrary, if bad states seem to me as punishments that come from the Creator,  this is actually a punishment and a mistake. After all, only good comes from the Creator, and my bad feelings are caused by the fact that I am opposite to Him. I need to change my oppositeness, to become similar (Domeh) to the Creator, to become a human being (Adam). Then, being similar to Him, I will feel myself in goodness.

But then the question arises: Why do I need this? Just for the sake of good feelings? In this case, I am a “savage,” not a human. It’s even possible that I could become worse than I was before, turning into filth, wanting to take advantage of the Creator. Or I have no choice: I have to have good feelings because otherwise my desire will not let me do anything.

Maybe, I will ask the Creator to still help me do good things but not because of a reward or punishment. I want to disconnect from them, disconnect from them so much that even in my vessels (desires) I am experiencing “punishment,” darkness; nonetheless, I will rise above this feeling and remain in bestowal upon the Creator. There is darkness in the desires, and above them I will give Him the Light, my good attitude to Him.

But how? Do I have to kiss the stick that beats me? No. I want to really change my nature, I don’t want to pretend to love, not fake love, but to truly rise above myself, over the “material” of my desire.

How can we do this? What we call a “miracle” will work here: I begin to live in what is happening above the screen and the Reflected Light, above my “body.”

Question: And am I shrouded in darkness until then?

Answer: Until then, I go through the stages of analysis until I decide that the darkness in me is the Light coming from the Creator. It’s no coincidence that the Aramaic word “Orta” means “night,” the opposite side of Light (“Ohr” is light in Hebrew). Each stage begins from the “evening,” as it is said, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” I always start with the darkness, with the breaking, and this leads me to a new analysis, a new dawn.

So, what is the darkness that I feel? Is this darkness or not darkness? This is the Light that appears as darkness in my corrupted vessels, desires.

But wait, is it only in mine? Didn’t King David “get up at midnight,” when the “north wind” was playing on the strings of the “harp” that hung over his bed (see the treatise “Brachot”)? Doesn’t he write in Psalms about his misadventures? Hence, he felt darkness, didn’t he?

That is correct, Kabbalists also experience these states. May God grant us experiencing them, to come to the Light through them. Anyway, these are not the “blows of fate,” but rather the calls that draw us forward. There are no troubles; there are only appeals, calling us to come to the Creator as soon as possible.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/7/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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