We must always consider the goal, which is to “do good to His creations.” If the evil inclination comes to a person and asks him all of Pharaoh’s questions, he should not reply with lame excuses, but say, “Now, with your questions, I can begin with the work of bestowal.”

This means that we should not say about the questions of the evil inclination that it came to us in order to lower us from our degree. On the contrary, now it is giving us a place to work, by which we will ascend on the degrees of wholeness. That is, any overcoming in the work is called “walking in the work of the Creator,” since each penny joins into a great amount.” That is, all the times we overcome accumulate to a certain measure required to become a Kli for the reception of the abundance (Rabash, Article 22, “The Whole of the Torah Is One Holy Name“).

Spiritual advancement begins with working on a very small egoistic desire—at the degrees of the inanimate, vegetative, and animal nature—because we have nothing else within us.

After many millennia of animalistic development, we reach a special stage where a question arises within us about the meaning and essence of life. This marks the beginning of the “human” degree. It is this distinction that separates the animal within us from the human within us.

With this desire we begin to search for how to continue existing. I can no longer live purely at the animalistic level, even though it still attracts me, holds me down, and prevents me from rising, as if tying my feet to the egoistic plane.

Every individual, as well as society and humanity as a whole, passes through these stages. We can see that there is no other way—the upper force, the program of governance, drives us into a state where we are compelled to begin our spiritual development. This can happen either through suffering, through being pushed toward happiness with a “stick,” or through being drawn toward spirituality with something sweet; there is no other path.

To advance without suffering, as humanity has done for ages through plunging itself into new wars, new problems, and dreadful conditions, we must preemptively attract the upper force. This force would not push us forward with suffering, but would instead draw us ahead with pleasures.

If we unite with one another, we will reveal the Creator—the quality of bestowal, the quality of love, and the quality of connection.

Humanity is now approaching this point as more and more people are becoming interested in the wisdom of Kabbalah. This wisdom is built precisely on the development of egoism.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam “There Is None Else Besides Him”

Related Material:
The Beginning Of The “Human” Level
Developing The Level Of A Human
Toward The Human Level

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