Comment: You say that we should attribute all the suffering in the world to the fact that we are not working properly.

My Response: A person should say: “The world was created for me so that through my inner actions I would correct it. If the world suffers, it suffers because of me. If I were corrected, the world would not suffer.” In this way, a person gradually reveals the reality surrounding him. This obliges us and makes us responsible for what happens.

Baal HaSulam says that all the robbery and murders in the world occur because of “Israel.” If the people of Israel understood this, everything would look different. Imagine if we accepted this, we would feel responsible and guilty.

The world was not created so that we would correct it. The world itself is not damaged; we are damaged. What is there for us to correct in this world? Correction consists only of the intention for the sake of bestowal, which pertains to us.

A person should not correct stones, trees, or animals. Do they possess an intention for the sake of reception that I need to correct into an intention for the sake of bestowal? All of this exists only within us, inside each person. This is what constitutes correction. There is nothing to correct externally. A person cannot correct anything, even if it seems to him that he can.

I cannot correct another person’s intention into one for the sake of bestowal because this pertains to that person’s choice, awareness of evil, and understanding that everything depends on him and on his turning to the Creator. No one has access to this except the person himself; therefore, this is called the secret if the Torah.
[361368]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/26, Rabash, “What Is ‘The Concealed Things Belong to the Lord, and the Revealed Things Belong to Us,’ in the Work?”

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Question: What actions can we do for a friend in order to bestow?

Answer: Let’s say I like flowers, then bring me flowers. If I cannot get up to study, you will wake me up and you will bring me here to study. If you know I will feel good to hear from you, call me! If it is important for you that I too will think about the goal now, and this will also come back to you later in some form (an egoistic form, which is okay ), then call me. Remind me about it. Anything that can be beneficial in the context of the goal is good.

Comment: We see that egoism is what drives it.

My Response: Yes, now I want to reach the goal through my egoism, so what? If I don’t use egoism, what am I left with? Only this and I should not be ashamed about it; rather, I need to use it to the fullest and direct it correctly, as far as I understand. Then gradually,  the direction and power of my ego will be revealed to me, as well as its readiness (or not) to move forward. This is called Lo Lishma.

Lo Lishma means that my goal to acquire the intention to bestow is the spiritual goal. But I am going to do it with the intention to receive, meaning I want to acquire the intention to bestow with the help of the intention to receive. Do you understand how opposite it is? But I have no choice, so this is how I go.

This is what Rabash wrote about. Do you want spirituality? You want to work in this world and gain something in this world. Later you come to regret it and see that there is no point in working for that in our whole world, and then you develop even greater egoism. You look at other people and ask yourself: “Is this really a life? Is this what you live for?” Why finish this whole life and burn it away, what for? Even if you make millions, what is in the end? Will they build a statue out of gold for you?
You are aiming to acquire something greater. In other words, the ego grows, it gets bigger and bigger. That is good.
[359910]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/24/26, Rabash, “What ‘Israel Do the Creator’s Will’ Means in the Work”

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Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 243

What Does It Mean to Build an Inner and Outer System?

An inner system and an outer system need to be built so that our highest thought will be that we are connected with the Creator in every action, thought, and desire within us. How is this done? Through a thought, a desire, an action, or an activity on any level whatsoever.

How can we maintain this all the time? It is very difficult but possible only after the Creator illuminates it for us. However, we can aspire to remain in it constantly, and this is called giving the measure of exertion required by the Creator in order to open our eyes so that we may see Him. How can these exercises be practiced as frequently as possible? How can we return to the connection the very moment it disappears, without wasting time? For this purpose, both inner and outer preparation are necessary.

Inner preparation is constant reflection on this, to the extent that we are capable. Inner preparation is a kind of internal exercise. Outer preparation is to ensure that there are various signs around us that remind us whenever the connection has been severed. Every few minutes, there should be some kind of “gong,” something that awakens and shakes us, reminding us of this. The problem is that we are built in such a way that if we hear a gong every few minutes, we begin to ignore it and eventually no longer hear it. We forget what that gong was supposed to remind us of.

It is exactly like reading an article impatiently, wanting to move on. The reason for reading the article is forgotten. We need to constantly create signs for ourselves, seek supports (which is called giving the measure of exertion), that will return us to the point of connection with the Creator through some external sign.

Inner and outer practice enable us to reach the required measure of exertion. Through these repeated entries into the connection with the Creator, through returning again and again to that point, in all kinds of thoughts, actions, and desires, in all kinds of ways, we continually press on that point. On page 70 of the book Pri Hacham—Letters, this is called desiring the same woman, in the same place, at the same time, until time itself brings the person Kedusha (holiness). That is, until it is opened to him and he enters spirituality.

The message that Baal HaSulam conveys there is that we should revolve around this point all day and all night. He writes there that a person desires connection with the Creator the way a lustful man desires only that love, and is blind to everything else. All of Baal HaSulam’s examples are taken from physical, animalistic life because they teach us from the plane on which we currently exist.

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Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — Sukkot 2003, Lesson 7 (10.14.2003)

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2nd part of the Lesson — Awakening from Below

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Question: How does fear of the future allow you to add something extra, that is, to look at this fear from the outside?

Answer: I can view my fear from the outside only if I acquire some quality of Creator. We are not talking about animalistic fears, although there is a certain reflection of it even there. I need different Kelim to see and determine my state.

Had the shattering of the Kelim not occurred and had new foreign qualities not entered the soul (the desire to receive), we would never have been able to react, think, or look at ourselves at least somewhat objectively. But now, a person can see himself a little bit, as if from the outside.

This is a consequence of the shattering of the Kelim. Animals do not have this, but humans do. The more developed people are (I am referring to the animal level), the more they can see themselves from the outside and analyze. Psychology and other sciences are based on this. You do not have to study Kabbalah for this.

But where does it come from? As a result of the breakage in us, our animalistic Kelim acquired qualities that make us human rather than animals.

We feel the past and future from the present, and we can look at ourselves, examine ourselves, as if objectively, from the outside, much like psychologists do. For example, Freud wrote about himself, as if observing from the outside, exploring his own behavior from childhood to the moment he became a psychologist.

This approach can be developed for the entire creation and for all humankind from a spiritual perspective, from the perspective of the Creator. When one crosses the Machsom and acquires a spiritual Kli, in which he separates himself from his desires, from caring for himself, from attributing everything to his own “I,” and instead accepts the Creator’s view of himself, this is the most objective form possible.
[361357]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/27/26, Rabash, “What Is the Work of Man, in the Work that Is Attributed to the Creator?”

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One of the powerful symbols of Yom Kippur, clearly pointing to the mission of the people of Israel, is the story of the prophet Jonah. A prophet is a person who has revealed the higher force to such an extent that he can seemingly speak with it.

The Jewish prophet Jonah receives a special task from the Creator: to go to the non-Jewish city of Nineveh, which is immersed in vices and crimes, and bring its inhabitants back to the Creator, that is, to love and unity.

Since the time of Abraham, the Jewish people have been given the mission of being a “light to the nations.” Although this small group left Babylon for the land of Canaan, it was clear that it would eventually have to return to Babylon in order to unite all its inhabitants.

The people of Israel left Babylon only to learn the method of unification. Then this small group was to return to Babylon and work on uniting it. Just as Abraham once worked to unite the Jewish people, the people who received his method were expected to work on uniting all of Babylon, that is, all humanity, and bring it to solidarity and unity. This is what it means to be a light to the nations, to those who remain divided from one another.

Jonah received this task from the Creator, but did not want to fulfill it, and he fled. He boarded a ship that set out to sea. A strong wind, heavy rain, and a storm began, threatening to sink the ship. The sailors (described here as the Creator’s angels) realized that everything was happening because of Jonah. He did not deny it and agreed that they should throw him overboard. He understood that he was responsible for what was happening and had to save at least those who could still be saved.

Jonah finally accepted the Creator’s assignment when he saw that people were suffering because of him and could perish. He decided to save them even at the cost of his own life, hoping that the sea would calm if he were thrown into it. In the sea, a huge fish swallowed him, and he lived inside it for three days, reflecting on his actions and regretting that he had acted against the program of creation and had failed to help humanity reveal a beautiful, eternal world, a life of paradise for everyone.

He deeply regretted fleeing from his mission. After three days, the fish brought Jonah ashore, directly near the city of Nineveh. Jonah entered the city, conveyed the Creator’s warning to its inhabitants, and taught them how to relate to one another. The Creator gave him the power to persuade them. The people of Nineveh united and stopped fighting, killing, and deceiving one another. Nineveh became a beautiful city whose inhabitants attained the Creator, eternity, and perfection.

According to tradition, the story of the prophet Jonah is considered especially important, and many people are willing to pay large sums for the privilege of having it read publicly during the Yom Kippur ceremony. People believe that this brings good fortune.

Indeed, if the people of Israel fulfill their mission toward the nations of the world, and, first and foremost, toward themselves, if they recognize their responsibility and show everyone an example of positive unity, the entire world will also unite and reach a happy life, the promised shore.

Everything depends on the way the people of Israel relate to one another, on establishing peace and love among themselves, which can become an example for the entire world, a light for the other nations. This is what Yom Kippur teaches us.

If the people of Israel fulfill their mission, the whole world will reach a day that will be “like Purim” (Ke Purim): the most joyful holiday, when one may drink “until one no longer distinguishes the difference” between this world and the upper world, and everyone will live an eternal and perfect life.

Everything depends on the people of Israel accepting this mission and learning from the wisdom of Kabbalah how to fulfill it.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 626 – Yom Kippur: Self And Social Realization” 10/8/16

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Question: What do you recommend thinking about on Yom Kippur?

Answer: Let us think about the story of the prophet Jonah and the obligations of the Jewish people. Reading this story is the culminating point of Yom Kippur.

Perhaps then we will understand that it is worth paying any amount of money, our entire fortune, for the opportunity to practically realize this story in our lives.

Question: The prophet Jonah found it very difficult to realize that he was responsible for all human suffering. How can we arrive at such a difficult conclusion?

Answer: This is possible only through the explanations provided by the wisdom of Kabbalah. The Torah and the entire Pentateuch speak about the same thing, but they express it in such allegorical language that it is difficult for a person to understand, let alone implement.

Our evil, egoistic nature is so stubborn and fiery that stories alone cannot tame it. Only when we begin practically uniting in groups, like those formed by us throughout Israel and in more than one hundred other countries, do we plant the seeds from which an increasingly strong connection between people can develop.

I very much hope that we will manage to stop the negative trend and turn it into a positive one. Therefore, on Yom Kippur, it is worthwhile to reflect on the need for us to unite. This should be done not only to achieve a good, secure, and prosperous life in Israel, but also to bring this well-being to the entire world.

On this holiest day of the year, we hear from the Creator the message of the mission entrusted to us.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 626 – Yom Kippur: Self And Social Realization” 10/8/16

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Talks about the Steps of the Ladder, Part 242

What Can We Do to Prefer the Connection with the Creator at All Times?

We need to constantly understand that, apart from the connection with the Creator, everything else—good and bad feelings, good and bad events, everything that happens—is intended to strengthen our connection with Him. At the higher degree, we need to remain constantly aware and at the very heart of the search for a connection with the Creator, holding on to that point. We must know that everything happening is intended to add more to that connection with Him. In order to maintain this, we must build both an inner and an outer system.

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Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — Sukkot 2003, Lesson 5 (10.13.2003)

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2nd part of the Lesson — Studying with Friends

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