This is the meaning of a prayer in public, that one must not exclude oneself from the public and ask for oneself, not even to bring contentment to one’s maker, but only for the entire public. It is so because one cannot extend one’s boundary while the boundaries of the rest of the buds of the flower remain where they are, for as smallness blemishes the beauty, so does greatness, since the boundaries of all the lines and circles of the flower must be related.

This is the meaning of (Psalms 22:21) “Save my soul from the sword, my only one from the dog.” One who departs from the public to ask specifically for one’s own soul does not build. On the contrary, he inflicts ruin upon his soul, as in (Midrash Rabbah, Chapter 7, Item 6) “All who is proud,” etc., for there cannot be one who retires from the public unless with an attire of pride. Woe unto him, for he inflicts ruin on his soul, for one who takes from the flower, not only does he condemn the beauty of the flower in general, that there is a flaw in their value, but even that specific part has no glory or beauty whatsoever, and no color in the eye will regard him (Baal HaSulam, “Not The Time For The Livestock To Be Gathered“).

Imagine how many useless or even spiritually harmful actions we perform when we ask the Creator for ourselves: “Give me. Help me. Do this for me,” and so on.

There is nothing more harmful to the spiritual elevation of a person, because in this way he asks for himself and not for the common soul. By doing so, he completely separates himself from it without understanding what he is doing.

Therefore, the most important thing is to clearly include several very serious, cornerstone, fundamental rules. The first rule: Never ask for yourself.

The second rule: Ask only for the Creator to gather the group. That is, ask not for each of the friends individually, but for the whole group, the assembly, the Kli, in which the Creator can be revealed, in order to bring Him contentment. This is bestowal on our part opposite the bestowal on His part. Thus, to the extent that these intentions coincide, we will reveal Him.

As an individual, one cannot leave society and ask for anything for oneself: to bring contentment to the Creator, to correct the world. This is all nonsense, which is only intended to distract us. Do not do this under any circumstances. Always ask only for unification into a group. Then, through this, everything will go right.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/24/20, “Preparation for the Convention”

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