Nature is a circle; it’s perfect. At this time, nature impacts us integrally. This conclusion derives from laws of nature and is supported by sociology, physics, and other sciences. Therefore, our society must reach the same condition and become global, closed, rounded, and integral. Everybody must depend on each other.

Look at what is happening in the world now. Today, it is enough to isolate any particular country, and it will perish. It will not endure on its own. Look at Iran or some other countries. They completely depend on everyone and everything. We are unable to break these liaisons.

Afflictions push our society from behind toward integrity. It should become as rounded as nature itself. Integrality means that we must reach balance and equality with each other.

Practically, everyone must live at the same financial level and work hard on making equality and mutual interdependence stable. Nature will push us toward it quite strongly. So far, we haven’t realized it. Therefore, we will be getting more impediments until we come to understand this fact.

How do we achieve this? If we continue using only the remedies that currently are available to us, this process will be very complicated. However, if we approach the problem from the point of view of Kabbalah, then it will be relatively smooth since the Kabbalah methodology allows us to achieve it without too much trouble and makes it almost effortless. Kabbalah explains and vividly demonstrates that the current state of affairs in the world obligates us to live according to standards of reasonable consumption.

By all means, a person must have a house, a family, a job, a car—everything that a normal human being needs at this time—but anything that is beyond this level is extra. We should not allow lavishness any more.

Nature will force us toughly by setting up catastrophes. It is obvious, and we have almost exhausted nature. Soon, all natural resources will be drained away, and we won’t be able to satisfy our needs any longer, not to mention those of our children and grandchildren. For them, there will be nothing left at all. The integral laws of nature tell us about it.

Nowadays, integral upbringing should replace our current paradigm, our current perception, of the world through integral education. We must begin to educate people to understand in order to see the world differently. Since we all are at the mercy of one another, we should naturally change our nature to the fullest interaction with each other.

Here, the Biblical appeal, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” comes to mind. It is obvious that we simply cannot abide without this verse. It is inevitable that we eventually will achieve this state, but it is important whether we will get there forcefully or voluntarily, consciously and smoothly.

The wisdom of Kabbalah is meant to help us realize these things and, thus, avoid severe blows of destiny. It helps us move ahead in a kind and mild way, which eventually will allow us to win.

What, in fact, shall we win? We will transition to a new level of existence, to another dimension. At this time, we all are at the animate level. Animals take care of each other and of their bodies. We also take care of our relatives, friends, and of our bodies as well.

In other words, we do not rise above the animate level, whereas the “speaking” (human) level—called Adam, from the word “Domeh” (similar to the Creator)—is analogous to the force of bestowal and love. This level is quite different from the one where we are currently, and we still must ascend to it.
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From the Georgia Convention 11/5/12, Lesson 1

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The latest written source of the wisdom of Kabbalah is dated approximately 500 years ago. These are the books by the Holy ARI. About 20 volumes of his writings disclose in detail the entire system of governance of this world and its interaction with the upper world.

The ARI’s books explain not only the way this world is controlled by the upper forces, but also our impact on them, the reverse influence, and how this influence once again triggers the actions of the upper forces upon us. The books by the ARI describe all these interactions between the upper governance and us, our freedom of will, our destinies, previous reincarnations, and so forth. They provide a very serious and detailed description of everything there is.

However, it turned out to be insufficient. In the 20th century (400 to 500 years after the ARI), another Kabbalist, Baal HaSulam (“master of the ladder” in Hebrew), appears. Why? It’s because he described in detail the “ladder” that one must ascend when climbing from this world, the current state in which an ordinary person finds himself, to the peak of his development.

It’s not about physical growth, nor does it talk about intellectual development. We see that there is nothing much to boast about in this world. Rather, it is about the advancement that each of us must accomplish: to attain the upper world, the system of governance. It is about our attainment of the eternal, perfect world that still is beyond our perception. Baal HaSulam presented a modern-day methodology that we are using at this time.

His son Rabash has developed his father’s method further and made it more practical. He created a concrete, step-by-step instruction described in numerous articles. These articles clearly show how by changing ourselves, expanding our organs of perception, we can begin perceiving the hidden Universe concealed from us by our own limitations.

It’s common knowledge that we are limited. We can hear only within a certain range of sounds, we see a limited spectrum of light, and so on. In other words, all our senses—vision, hearing, smell, touch, and taste—are limited. While here we are talking about other organs of perception, not the ones that we currently have.

In order to widen our organs of perception, we invented multiple devices, such as telescopes and microscopes for the eyes, numerous types of radars, locators, and so forth. However, most important for us is to figure what additional organs of perception we need in order to sense the world around us.
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From the Georgia Convention 11/5/12, Lesson 1

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Question: If I understood you correctly, Kabbalah is a science that helps us advance. Can we say that everything is in our hands and what happens tomorrow depends on us? In other words, life doesn’t depend on chances, but rather on our efforts, intentions, and work.

Answer: There are no accidents in life! The more we penetrate into this world the clearer we see that nothing is accidental. As little children, we simply don’t know the laws of nature when we exclaim, “Oops! It suddenly fell and broke!” It’s not an accident; it’s a lack of knowledge since we are unaware of the circumstances that caused this occurrence.

So, there is no such thing as an “accident” in nature, starting with the smallest particle and ending with the most complicated structures. Everything is predetermined and compliant with the laws of nature. We should learn and follow them and then everything will be good.

There is a very simple solution to this problem. Nature shows us the problems of our imbalance with it in the form of crises. Problems! Let’s say, I have high blood pressure; it’s a problem. There is a normal condition and there is an abnormality that I can measure and compare with normality and balance them out. We call it treating a disease or regaining balance, even if it is done artificially.

Same applies here. We are in a state of imbalance with nature, which we regard as various crises: in science, culture, finances, economics, human society, terrorism (you name it!), including the ecological crisis. We have to balance ourselves with nature, it’s absolutely the same system: “What is inside, same is outside.”

Kabbalah teaches us how to stay in balance with nature. We certainly observe harmony in nature, but Kabbalah helps us learn faster, nothing more than that. “Cutting” off (getting rid of) afflictions is the only problem being solved here. We’ll arrive at this point anyhow. However, the problem can also be resolved in a very dramatic way that’s much more intense than the hurricane we just survived.

Imagine that a hurricane happened in some other place, not in New York, but let’s say in one of many underdeveloped countries. How would that country cope with its aftermaths? It would be thrown back to the middle ages and it would be impossible to help them. Maybe they would get a couple of airplanes with flour, that’s it.

We should think about these issues. It’s a pity that people do not realize how effective “spiritual medication” can be in fighting serious symptoms of the disease.
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From the Georgia Convention 11/5/12, Lesson 1

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When a person carries out spiritual work, he usually doesn’t feel that he is really performing it, that he is investing efforts. They somehow get lost, as if into space, into a hole, which afterwards slowly, slowly becomes filled. A person doesn’t see it, and only when his efforts reach the edge of the hole, ready to spill outwards, then he begins to feel the results of his work. Thus in filling this space, mutual support is very important.

Baal HaSulam gives a very good example, when a person enters the treasury of the King and gradually takes out a certain amount of coins, as much as they give him, and then the guards knock them from his hands, and then again he enters and again they spill them, etc. This means that constant and most serious efforts are required.

A person is not able to work in this way. He needs to see results; either the troubles push him from behind or some kind of intentions pull him, some worthy cause. And when none of this exists, he finds himself as if in space, he makes movements, but there’s no energy. And here the group needs to give him this energy. Also it isn’t important if it was correct or not correct, or if it was real; the important thing is that he will receive inspiration.

Thus the main thing in our work is to constantly discover the greatness and to show to the others that you are already there.

When a person sees that others have some kind of intention, suddenly think, suddenly show him that they exist in inner tension, then he is also forced to wake up: “What is happening with me? Where am I?” In this way he returns to the intention. Gradually these intentions connect together and give their influence, the results. Thus, there is no need to forget this, but from necessity to see it.

In this sense, women can do even more than men, since from the beginning, from their nature, they were created in order to create desire and in that to push the men to implement it. Thus they need to work together and not to forget that during all our activities.

It doesn’t matter what we do. We can add our intention to everything.
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From a Meal at the Georgia Convention 11/7/12

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Question: How do we achieve freedom of will from our egoism through the connection with each other? How can I consciously be free and develop freely, not pushed by a stick towards happiness or by being attracted by a candy to the same happiness? I want to become aware, understand, and realize myself and my free will, independent of these motives. How is this possible to implement in the group and by what conditions? After all, this problem exists even after the Machsom when I already know and understand everything.

Answer: A person attains independence from the Creator when he asks the Creator for the sake of the group and asks the group for the sake of the Creator. If he is one-on-one with the group or with the Creator, this cannot be achieved. This is a triangle.
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From the Georgia Convention 11/5/12, Workshop 1

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Question: Nature is built and balanced on the principle of “plus-minus.” The Creator is a completely positive property. After the whole of humanity reaches unity, after the adhesion with the Creator, it will also be able to advance with a positive property. How serious will this change be? Due to what will the change of properties happen? Will the balance with nature be restored?

Answer: We don’t do anything ourselves; we produce nothing but one thing: the desire that the Light does everything for us. That is why, there is no opportunity to spoil anything, somewhere to go wrong, to bring harm.

Either we accelerate the process of our development and make it gentler, or it proceeds on its own, and it is evil, bad—one of the two.

The more we affect the Light, the better we will be, and the faster we can achieve a good state. The less we affect the Light, the slower we will advance, and the more troubles we will have.

It all depends on our efforts to draw the Light. And It performs all the actions. That is why, it is impossible to make a mistake here.
[92993]
From a meal at the Georgia Convention 11/05/12

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Question: What is the influence of the women’s group on the men’s group? Where can women get the desire to have an impact on men?

Answer: A few years ago I was in Chile where there are much more women than men. I remember I asked a couple, our friends from the Chilean group: “Who commands at your home?” The husband answered: “Of course, when we are in public, in the street, at a party, then of course, the woman. But at home…!” The wife looked at him like at a small child, nodded a few times, and everything became clear.

This is given by nature that the woman commands everywhere. And that is correct. That is good.

That is why the women’s part of the group is the most reliable thing that exists in life and in the world. It is stability, balance, very strong support. And that is why it is necessary first of all to take care that the women’s group is strong. It is necessary to give women the opportunity to live, work, and take part in everything. Women’s voices must be taken into consideration when making decisions. A good future of the general group lies in this.

We are all adults and understand how impossible it is to be alone, how much we need support. And just because we are different, we reach the right decision and correct life.

So, it is necessary to solve the problem seriously, like adults. The women’s part of the group should be no less right than the men’s part.
[92990]
From a meal at the Georgia Convention 11/05/12

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Throughout history, for many generations, we have been going through a period of the realization of our material desires until we reach the question about the purpose of life. We are looking for the answer to the question about the purpose of life, and, through it, finally, have come to the group.

In the group, we are “washed” like rags in a washing machine, not knowing where, what, and how, like little children who do not know where they are. We remain in this state for some time, sometimes for a few years, until we begin to get ascents and descents.

Then, we are shaken. We suddenly forget what was yesterday, as if we become forgetful. Sometimes, we are possessed by joy and, suddenly by sadness. The Creator begins to drag us to the right and to the left, shaking us from side to side. We feel like that emotionally and mentally.

This happens until a person understands that he can go straight only if he clings to the Creator through the group because the Creator is always in the center of the group. For this purpose, He shakes and will shake us a lot for a long time, until we understand. The science of Kabbalah explains to us in advance why we are given all these states so that we strive for the Creator consciously.
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From the Georgia Convention 11/5/12, Workshop 1

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It is needless to say that we all need to unite and especially in Georgia where a desire for unity, peace, and being good neighbors is considered the most exalted human desire. I think it is clear that we need to be together, study according to one methodology, and not look for anything else. Later, we will discover that all of that is one, indeed, but we shouldn’t dig into that or go away.

First of all, it is important to reach the level of attaining a spiritual world where we see its roots. Then, there will be no problems. I really want our friends who are in various searches just to put it aside until the time they can understand.

Then, it will be clear that all of us come from Babylon, and Kabbalah comes from there as well. Kabbalah embraces all the teachings. Then, there will be no more conflict and no searches.

When a person begins to study the science of Kabbalah—when he still hasn’t entered into it and doesn’t realize what a spiritual world is and begins to match words and various expressions—all of that is not serious. He is sorry for the time and, most importantly, for bringing discord, dissention, and separation into a group and the entire world Kli.

He doesn’t even understand that by doing so, he creates a point of sickness that spreads this disease across all of our enormous body. Thus, he will suffer, not to a small measure due to the violation that he did, but to the extent of dissonance that he caused in the entire group. I feel sorry for these people. They just don’t understand why they are getting carried away somewhere.

Trust me; it is not worth doing anything except working on unity. Any theory and any direction that causes separation do not lead to holiness.

Thus, we need to put all of these attempts aside and hold onto each other as if for dear life! As in the ocean, if there is anything that disconnects us, we will sink immediately, and, if we stick together, we will stay afloat. That is how we need to see this.
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From a Meal at the Georgia Convention 11/7/12

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When I studied with Rabash, we had our meals in absolute silence. It was simply a state of silence; no one said anything to anyone, people didn’t even look at each other, but simply ate and drank in great inner tension, and it was absolutely quiet. He always demanded that and was very strict about any disturbances if someone suddenly made a noise or an interruption occurred. At that time we didn’t have many opportunities to gather, only during a lesson or a meal.

Today we have many opportunities. This may be the reason we forget the intention. It becomes such an ordinary event. We have to pay attention to the intention. Every action that is performed together, even if it is by two people, already leads to an immense outcome if it is with the right intention.

This is especially true when we gather in conventions in different places and make so many efforts to be together. So it is a pity if a minute goes by without an intention.
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From a Meal at the Georgia Convention 11/7/12

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