Question: Does dissemination require physical actions or are one’s internal thoughts enough?

Answer: Those who only think without acting are called the impure spirit. In the spiritual world, there are forces, all sorts of spirits and demons; there are thoughts that are not accompanied by any actions.

When one goes through a restriction and obtains a screen, the reflected Light practically works with one’s spiritual vessels. In this case, one is capable of spiritual actions without being involved in materiality. However, it depends on the situation; we know that Baal HaSulam traveled to Poland to meet with workers who participated in a May Day demonstration. He published the newspaper The Nation in Israel, which caused a tremendous adverse reaction that continued till the last days of his life.

Our world is the world of actions. If you don’t do anything in this reality, you cannot even fantasize about it. After all, the practical implementation is confirmation of our thoughts, that we really are in this action.

So if you already have screens and can work with them, you can do without materiality. However, in this case one will undoubtedly seek any opportunity to connect with the general public and correction through this action. After all, one understands that “the Creator dwells among His people,” at the lowest level, and that from there you can start your correction.

The only thing that might stop any of you is an objective assessment that clearly demonstrates that approaching the general public may harm the dissemination of the wisdom of Kabbalah and the world’s overall correction. In this case one should stop and wait. However, this situation is not valid anymore today because everything is already opened. We are in a world that has been in need of a practical correction for quite a long time now.

You cannot just work on the Internet and assume this is sufficient. Even if your group decides that you are needed in this or that particular field of work, you still have to participate in physical actions and common work. Without physical activities that involve real people, we will never correct their souls. Period!
[130675]
From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/18/14

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Question: Our inner understanding of the Sabbath is different from the religious understanding in Judaism based on the materialization of the commandments.

Answer: The physical engagements that religious Jews observe on an everyday basis are material replications of spiritual actions, Kabbalah recommends following them.

However, Kabbalah doesn’t teach us just to fulfill physical actions in this material world, nor does it recommend sitting and doing nothing on Saturdays. Kabbalah teaches us to correct our ego during the six week-days, i.e., to connect with others. When we establish a clear connection with others, we will realize that we are incapable of connecting with them on our own on the seventh day.

We see that communism, socialism, communes, and kibbutzim cannot change the state of affairs in the world. This is possible only if we act according to the scheme that gives us the opportunity to correctly collect all the broken parts together during the first six days, resulting, on the seventh day, with all our desires and aspirations to assemble everybody back together accumulating and being glued together under the influence of the upper force that once broke them apart. Therefore, by gathering the parts of the common soul back together, we allow the Light that once shattered them to glue them together again.

By acting so, what do we achieve? When we work for the six days, we begin to understand exactly how exactly these parts can be assembled, we see whether they match, how they impact and help each other, how they self-annul in front of each other and then connect above their egoism.

But we are just trying! People are unable to do anything on their own, which is what Soviet Russia and other countries of the world tried to do; some societies are trying to do so now.

But this is impossible because we lack the force that is able to change things because we are only in our will to receive. But if we do it correctly, we will gradually accumulate the Upper Light, then after we finish constructing this system, the Light will influence us and completes it.

If we leave it as is or just neglect it, we won’t attain the right connection with the Light. In fact this is what the shattering was for, so that now from the broken lowest point, we should glue the broken parts together into a new whole. The breaking was in order for us to understand the properties of the Light, to connect, and to rise to its level. This is the purpose of creation, the reason for everything that happens with us and in the entire universe.

Therefore, the seventh day of the week is the cornerstone and is called “Sabbath – Shabbat” from the Hebrew word “shvitah,” which means exemption from work. We allow the Light to work instead of us and to be included in it. The six days are not about actual days; they are  actions that can be done, for example, in 15 minutes, but it could take you two months.

Every seventh stage should always be that in addition to your efforts, you  look to the action of the Light and begin to understand its properties. In other words, the Light’s qualities enter the system of mutual connection that we have created. And then we ascend the next level and attain the properties of the Light to the degree of our efforts made during the six weekdays.

This is how we work, week after week, until we reach the complete reunification of all the broken parts into a single unified soul and attaining the Light that acts inside the system, that is. the Creator:  the original force that made the entire universe. This is our work, our goal, our advancement.
[130710]
From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 10/10/13

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Preparation for the Lesson

Shamati #54 “The Purpose of the Work”

The Book of Zohar — Selected Excerpts, “Parashat,” “BeShalach“

Writings of the Ari, “Shaar HaKavanot,” Pesach

Writings of Rabash “Shlavei HaSulam,” “Come Unto Pharaoh – 1”

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Opinion (Nikolay Kobelev, PhD (Economics), Professor at the Russian Federation Financial University): “The development of production forces has reached the level that the 10 percent of the workforce is sufficient to provide for humanity. The agricultural production and industry of Argentina with a population of 40 million people can feed the whole world.

“Industry and technology can receive all the necessary materials and products from natural elements, found in abundance in the earth’s crust and air. Energy resources (oil, gas, coal) can be substituted (atomic energy, wind, ocean waves, the sun); lack of energy and limits of resources do not threaten humanity.

“But political and social control mechanisms conducted according to the inadequate old models and theories hinder the management of the world as a whole. The rapid growth of the political influence of transnational corporations and financial-industrial groups led the government to losing control over the world economy.

“Global world processes are managed by money, large corporations, and a handful of people who own enormous financial resources. Each of them takes care of the object of his interest. Money has become the equivalent not only in economy and production, but also in education, science, medicine, which cannot be assessed by an amount of money.”

My Comment: If mankind doesn’t change, using the method of the Upper Force, of the Light, of course, the skeptics would be right. But precisely the same Ohr Makif, the Surrounding Light, produced our egoism and it will correct it. Therefore, there is no place for any other method.
[131997]

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Question: Do virtual students need to invest efforts to meet to feel each on a physical level? Is it possible to skip over this limitation and only exist in a virtual world, which is symbolic of our time?

Answer: No, this is impossible to skip. Regular people who don’t have a point in the heart are not required to have a tight connection with each other. But we must be connected to each other. I think that the convention in America, which will be held in August this year in New York, will become a place in which all of us connect for a few days in order to discuss and clarify something very simple: What are we lacking in order to open the spiritual world for ourselves?

This is the main question, which concerns all of us, and it should become the theme of this convention. And rightly so. Even though this is an egoistic goal, this is what specifically interests us now. We cannot pretend that we are enlightened altruists.

We want to reach the opening of our eyes in the spiritual world and we need to clarify exactly what needs to be done in order to realize our desires. For this we are organizing the convention. Therefore, we must go to it, we must enter and integrate within it, discuss this, and determine clearly once and for all, what we have already done and what we must still do in order to reach the desired result!

Therefore, I turn to the many thousands of our friends who are scattered all over America: Get ready for the convention! We must meet and clarify between us what else is missing for each one of us to reach discovery of the upper world, discovery of the higher power.

It must be clear to everyone that if he does the required actions: one, two, three, then the discovery will happen, and very soon. This is necessary so that we will not deceive ourselves and will not be involved in useless things that don’t bring results.

And then everyone will be sure  that even if somewhere in Alaska without a physical group, they will advance correctly and rapidly and will not be discouraged about sitting alone in front of a screen. Each one will know that he or she is acting for the sake of spiritual discovery, advancing towards it, and feeling it.

If we perform the right course of actions, then even if we are far from the target, according to our actions and reactions, we can see that we are advancing. Although the signs of advancement can be negative—feeling greater difficulty and heaviness, confusion, deeper descents—all this indicates advancement.

So, I am asking, let’s all get ready to meet at the convention in August. In anticipation, you need to connect as much as possible and start preparing ourselves for this call and these clarifications.
[131770]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/3/14, Q&A with Rav Laitman

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Question: What does it mean to be very connected to a group in the right way?

Answer: It is called seeing my future, all of the next steps toward the goal, receiving the reward; it is all of my realization that is only in connection with the friends. And friends are not physical faces.

In order to be connected with them, it is not enough to hug and dance together with them; rather, it is necessary to unite into one heart, into one desire.

And this desire needs to be found outside of us, as if the heart goes out of my body and is connected with all the other hearts. If a person has an inclination like this, then through it he can understand what the Kabbalists advise us to do.

All changes in the direction of connection of the hearts will be right, they will naturally, correctly, and appropriately show us the direction of connection.
[131864]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/6/14, Writings of Rabash 

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Question: What is the most prominent sign of being in exile?

Answer: We want to reach mutual bestowal and we have no power for this; we want to give contentment to the Creator, and it’s possible to do this only through mutual bestowal between us. Our goal is to build an infrastructure called mutual guarantee. From an inability to do this, we feel ourselves in exile.

Redemption means that our desires are organized, connected, fixed, and linked so that we acquire the form of pure bestowal. This means they take on the form of the Creator, the bestower and loving. We build from ourselves a model, an example, a form similar to the Creator.

There are 125 levels of resemblance like this, 125 portions in which we can resemble the characteristic of bestowal, of love, more and more in all kinds of ways with tighter and tighter guarantee. This is the work of Israel, and that part of it is done in Egypt, in the wilderness, until we reach the construction of the First Temple.

We need to feel all of these states. This is not talking about building a structure from clay and bricks. The construction is done from our substance, from desire, where we correct it and whiten it, and then from that grows a house of Kedusha, the Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash).
[131761]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/26/14, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Question: What do the 400 years of exile that the Creator promised for the descendants of Abraham symbolize?

Answer: Exile is the discovery of the desires to receive that must be corrected. They are discovered gradually through the Upper Light, layer after layer, to the degree that we can tolerate it.

One cries about how difficult this is, another says he sleeps in the lesson, the third totally flees from here, but in spite of all this, someone will remain and be able to discover his evil.

This is called 400 years of exile: clarifying and discovering that we are not ready for connection, but want it very much in spite of it all. Therefore, this is done in stages and not all at once.

400 years (year – Shana) symbolizes 400 changes. Every change is a heaviness of the heart and a new darkness that comes as a reward for my effort, the desire to connect with the friends. And now I feel even more difficulty, I understand that nothing will help. I reject connection, I don’t want it, I am entirely crushed inside and lack power.

I don’t feel any taste in connection; I have no relationship to and interest in this and everything inside is completely transformed for me! Once I was on fire because I understood the importance of connection, whereas now I am totally extinguished.

We need to see how the Creator works on us, how He is ready to break us apart in a moment, to empty us completely. Once I thought and dreamt about this; I was drawn wholeheartedly; I was ready to burn myself just to reach the desired goal. And now I am now ready to talk about all kinds of nonsense, even worse than the most primitive person on the street.

But if I overcome this descent through connection with the friends, mutual guarantee, and so forth, this is called that I have passed through one stage of exile. How many stages like these do I need to pass through so that this will be considered 400 years for me? I don’t know. Redemption takes place in haste, suddenly, like the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt.
[131757]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/26/14, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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The initial essence of the creation is the desire. The desire is actually neutral and can be aimed at any direction, toward itself or toward others, it can be anywhere and in any manner. But when an egoistic intention of in order to receive for one’s self is added to it, it becomes cruel and evil since it is focused not only on the filling for itself but also on the inclination not to give to others.

All of a person’s nature is the evil inclination. It says: “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” The evil inclination is called our desire that has the constant intention of in order to receive for itself.

Rejecting the egoistic use of the desires is a spiritual action called “bringing a sacrifice.” In other words we sacrifice our ego not by annulling it but by annulling the egoistic use of the desires.

Bringing a sacrifice is a person’s ability to actually cut off pieces of his desires on the levels of the still, vegetative, and animate nature.

All the desires are divided into four parts: the still, vegetative, animate, and speaking levels of nature. Each part has its own manner of the correction of its ego to altruism, to bestowal.

The simplest work is the work with the desires on the still level of nature. The Torah represents the construction of the Tabernacle, the preparation of different objects from gold and precious stones, the use of salt in the food, the water, and everything we obtain from the earth.

All the plants in nature belong to the desires on the level of the vegetative: grass, seeds, cereal, and the food that is prepared from these materials like bread that is made of flour, etc.

The different categories of desires on the animate level are described in the Torah in the form of birds, fish, and animals, and they are already sublime egoistic desires that have to be killed in a certain ritual and the carcass has to be freshened in a special way.

Each of the corporeal desires of a person has to be processed in a special manner so that it can be transformed from an egoistic use to altruistic use. This is what the laws of Kashrut refer to, which means that they are cleaned of the ego.

The last level of the desires is the human desires, when we already have to work on ourselves. This highest intention is called a priest (Cohen), a lower one is called Levi, and an even lower one is called Israel (the masses).

To bring a sacrifice means to change the desires from an egoistic level to an altruistic level. On the other hand it isn’t a sacrifice since in Hebrew the word “Eid” (victim) means getting closer, which means an action which brings us closer to the Creator.

On the whole all the laws and the rules that the Torah presents refer only to the correction of the ego. The main part, the sacrifices (“Kurbanot” – victims), are the levels that describe a person’s getting closer to the Creator and the correction of the ego to altruism—from hatred of others to love of others.

All the spiritual actions are performed inside a person in the group when he is together with friends who share the same ideas and with whom he clarifies the elements of his inner and external behavior: how to cooperate with them correctly and how the group affects each of its members.

Thus, each one, together with the general force of yearning for bestowal and love that is revealed among everyone, gradually reveals such altruistic attributes that can actually raise the group above the egoistic level. This is called the transition from our world to the upper world.
[131842]
From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 10/24/13

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