Question: What efforts should the group make in order to attain correction in the same lifetime in which its members discover the wisdom of Kabbalah?

Answer: The efforts should be not to judge any member of the group according to the state he is in. We are all “rags,” as Rabash used to say; we are all uncorrected. All the sins and negative attributes are in each of us.

A person who attains the high spiritual levels discovers on the way disgusting and repulsive desires that he has, and he is shocked by the fact that he can have such desires. It is even impossible to imagine! As a result of the shattering, everyone has all the kinds of desires inside him. Therefore, we mustn’t see anyone as corrupt.

“It takes one to know one.” If I see a flaw in someone, it is only because I am corrupt. If I were corrected, I could see the other according to my level of correction, as totally corrected, because all these degrees already exist. What I see now is the reflection of my ego. It is my ego that depicts this picture for me.

So the main work in the group is to accept every member as your beloved baby. No matter what he does: If he doesn’t let you rest, if he makes a mess, if he breaks everything, you know that it is your baby. This is how you should treat the friend. It is a sign of love.

I speak about a friend and mean that a person can treat others this way too and not someone who just came in and joined the group. Mutual help means to consider the personal states of every individual.
[77624]
From the One Convention in New Jersey 5/12/12, Lesson 2

Related Material:
A Bridge Of Love Over An Abyss Of Egoism
Don’t Be Afraid, We’re With You!
Whom To Judge And Why

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Inner Work - No Comments →

Question: After the convention I have a feeling that it was all like a dream, and it’s difficult to realize what happened. How would you sum up the results of the convention?

Answer: This is not easy. If you had known Rabash, you would know how closed he was, concealing himself and not wishing to give any explanations besides the most necessary ones. Yet it is clear that he wanted to give as much as possible to his students, since it is written, “A cow wishes to feed more than the calf wishes to suckle.”

But the problem is the student’s readiness level. The teacher cannot give him an “unripe fruit” since instead of being help, this will harm him and bring him to a halt, a descent, confusion, and then it will take him a long time and great efforts to get out of this state. Everyone will pay dearly for that—both the teacher and the student, as well as those who have to unite with him into one system. This is a very complex calculation.

That is why it is written, “Raise a lad in his own way.” That is to say, the teacher should not give to the student according to the student’s infantile demand, “Give me!” But should do so correctly and deliberately, as befits his level of development.

Clearly, this constantly evokes pressure in the relationship between the teacher and the students. They are shouting to the teacher, “Give to us!” They don’t understand that he can only give them the method but not the actual fulfillment. They will have to receive the fulfillment themselves by realizing this method upon themselves.

Therefore, some people do not think that they are advancing well. Some cannot justify this method and perceive it. Or they might even understand it with their mind, but are not ready to agree with it in their heart. As a result, they start to disregard the teacher, the method, and the sources. And nothing can be done about it—that’s how life is.

I think that we already overcame very difficult stages, and whoever has stayed after this, out of the thousands of people who have gone through here, will go forward. And whoever left might still come back. We are waiting for everyone, the whole world, to join us.

But in the future there won’t be a choice either: all new levels will always be revealed from the side of the vessels, empty desires. Therefore, you must only strictly carry out the advice of the sources and teacher, and after realizing this advice you will receive answers and fulfillment yourself! Fulfillment cannot come from above to an empty place, if there is no vessel.

Let us hope that we have now gained a better understanding of these principles and the order of our work. Many new people took part in the Convention, who do not have the experience we do yet. But by tuning into the common unity, they will be able to learn these principles quickly, just like any new generation relies on the experience of the previous one and receives from it. And we will be happy to give them everything we have so that by tuning in to our world group, they will immediately become just as experienced and knowledgeable as us, and even more so.
[77945]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/15/12, Writings of Rabash

Related Material:
Ask Yourself!
The Teacher Is A Spiritual System
The Creator – The Teacher

Filed under: Conventions, Kabbalah Study, Q&A, Spiritual Teacher - 1 Comment →

Question: Under what condition can we demand, draw, and reveal the force of the Surrounding Light, the Reforming Light that will connect us in mutual guarantee so that we will reveal the Creator, the spiritual world? How can we demand this force so that it will correct us? What is needed in order to do so?

Answer: Three conditions must be met:

1) the greatness of the goal,
2) despair from one’s own powers,
3) connection with all the friends.

Then, all together, we will reach the feeling called “the payer of many” after having done everything we can in order to connect.

The Light comes and reforms us. What does it mean to reform? It means a true request. It is the Surrounding Light that brings us the true request.

Therefore, according to the wisdom of Kabbalah, there is the clarifying Light called the Light of AB-SAG, and there is the correcting Light. Here, too, everything takes part in two phases.

First, we do everything that we can. We hold conventions, work in a group, and try to connect, thus summoning the Light that clarifies where we actually are. It lets us feel the greatness of the goal.

At the same time, it shows us how low we are, in a state where we don’t take even one step toward it. However, these two points, the greatness of the goal and the despair from our own powers, create two poles between which there are ten Sefirot.

Then, the potential between them activates the Light of correction. This state is called “prayer” since, in a prayer, there are the two points, the greatness of the goal and the recognition of our lowliness. This internal cry brings us the Light of correction that connects these two points through the ten Sefirot and presents us with the whole vessel.
[77627]
From the One Convention in New Jersey 5/12/12, Workshop 3

Related Material:
Reach The Limit
The Best – For The Friends
New Flavors In The “Creator’s Kitchen”

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Inner Work, Prayer and Intention, Workshops - No Comments →

Question: Is there a difference between man and woman in spirituality?

Answer: No. In each one of us there are two parts: female and male, and with them we advance. However, with respect to the unity in the group, the male and female souls are a little different in their approaches. Women unite according to their strength, whereas men must connect and unite with all their hearts, in the strongest brotherly bonds.

Here, the entire matter is the uniqueness of the soul: The male soul belongs more to GE (Galgalta ve Eynaim) and the female to the AHP (Awzen, Hotem, Peh). But both of these need to attain the most upper level, and along the women’s way, there are no special obstacles.

I very much suggest to and ask the women to worry about the men, push them to unite and connect, stand in a circle surrounding them in order to prevent them from withdrawing. After all the men stay as children all their lives. They don’t have the mechanism of giving birth and worrying about others. He doesn’t change, only grows in size.

On the other hand when a woman becomes a mother, she goes through very serious hormonal changes in one way or another. In her is concealed the same potential, the same longing, the same understanding. Thus she is more connected to life, to nature. She is more logical, more realistic. The ups and downs touch her less than they do a man since her body is used to “swallowing” these blows regularly.

This is the reason that women need to help the men, and this is spoken about a lot in the wisdom of Kabbalah. Without the help of women, the men won’t attain the goal. So take care of them like mothers who cherish their babies.
[77360]
From the Brazil Convention 5/06/12, Lesson 5

Related Material:
The Power Of Women And Men: A Condition For Spiritual Ascent
It All Starts With A Woman
Due To Women’s Desire

Filed under: Conventions, Q&A, Spirituality, Women - No Comments →

Question: I have been studying Kabbalah for several years now, and this week I will participate in my first convention. How do I prepare my heart and mind for this event?

Answer: We do not have another place, another source, another possibility to receive the spiritual force. The group and studying, conversations, lectures and dissemination—these things are the daily “prose.” Naturally, it also contributes to our unity, however a convention (Kenes) represents something else, a convocation (Kinus) of hearts.

In spirituality, everything correlates with unity, where we draw our strength. Every day we try to speak about it and realize it, we build intentions, have gatherings of friends and special lessons every week; however, these are not the states where it is really possible to receive a big and powerful force that will push us forward like at a convention.

Malchut of the World of Atzilut is called the “gathering of Israel” (Knesset Israel) because it gathers and unites all our desires directed towards the spiritual goal. Essentially, a convention is the building of Malchut of the World of Atzilut, the creation of a corrected, united spiritual vessel. There is no alternative to this.

And this is primarily why I recommend everyone to participate in the convention and to make sure you do not miss it. A person has no other chance to receive the strength for spiritual advancement.

Moreover, based on experience, we know that conventions are followed by not very pleasant times, periods of descent. You need the convention to stock up on strength and gently pass this descent as if it did not exist. It is as if we were leveling the pressure between two poles. We receive the “plus” by gathering together and giving enormous strength to one another, and every one of us receives the “minus” individually after the convention; this negativity divides and separates us. However, I work with it with the help of the common force, which I have received from everyone else, and in the end I correct it.

I do not have another opportunity to correct my minus, my egoism, my “poison” my “angel of death,” my evil inclination. The only thing I can do is become inspired by the common ascent and use it to correct my personal descent. The same happens at the lessons and gatherings of friends; however, conventions are unprecedented chances to draw strength from friends, correct the private evil in you, unite, and support a unified connection with everyone, trying to bestow to them. Thus we advance.

There have been conventions, which were not really followed by descents. But lately we really started “to fall,” and we now understand that there is nothing artificial here. This is necessary for existence; otherwise, we will die spiritually.

The time has come: All our conventions are intended for collecting strength, which later allows us to correct ourselves. I am not going to have fun and enjoy myself, attend lessons and concerts with my friends. No, I need this unity to immediately following this unity, correct my evil inclination, the forces of separation that awaken in me.

This is why it is so important to go to the convention and also very important to maintain a maximum connection between us after it, trying to feel the fight that we are leading. If, after the convention, full of tension and torn by contradictions, I can still evenly pass this stage, keeping the strength I have received from everyone and maintaining myself in the group, if, when I experience a descent, I rise above it, then the “plus” and the “minus” merge into a single whole: The evil inclination—a big egoistic desire—manifests in me, but a screen—the power of unity, which I have acquired—reigns over it.

Let us hope that this is how we use our conventions.
[77442]
From a Lesson in New Jersey 5/09/12, Shamati #25

Related Material:
The Necessary Step
The Waves Of The Convention Are Washing Away All The Dirt
The Guiding Thread Of Conventions

Filed under: Conventions, Egoism, Group Work, Unity - No Comments →

Question: The Creator made the evil inclination and the good one. It is written, “I created the evil inclination.” So where does the good inclination come from?

Answer: In reality, there is no good inclination. There is just the evil inclination, which was initially created by the Creator. That is why He informs us that He created the evil inclination. But we correct it with the help of the Torah and turn it into the good inclination.

“Inclination” is desire. The desire remains. But “evil” means that I constantly want to receive for my own sake, and then it harms me because I close myself off in this world like a small animal, living out the years I have to live. This is the most miserable kind of life that is possible in reality.

The good inclination means that we try to unite in the group and see that we are incapable of it, and begin to scream in a common prayer. Then the Light that reforms comes and creates unity between us, and inside of that unity the intention to bestow, the Light becomes revealed. Then, instead of the evil inclination, we have the good one, the same desire, but with the intention to unite with the neighbor.
[77693]
From the 3rd seminar at the New Jersey Convention, 5/12/12

Related Material:
A Screen Is Very Simple…
Checking The Connection With The Group
The Levels Of Ascent

Filed under: Conventions, Prayer and Intention, Q&A, Unity, Workshops - No Comments →

Question: Can one person acquire an anti-egoistic screen if it can only be acquired through the group? Or is the Creator the only one who can give us a screen?

Answer: The Light comes through the group in response to my request and builds a screen within me, which helps me rise above my ego and connect to the group. A screen is a connecting link between myself and the group, or between myself and the Creator, which is the same thing. It helps me rise above egoism and, once I rise above myself, to connect with the Light, with the Creator, with the essence of the group that is revealed at the group’s center.

We don’t need anything other than the screen. There is my desire and there is the group within which the Light and the Creator are found, and the screen helps me connect with them. That is how I enter the spiritual world: at the center of the group.
[77696]
From the 4th seminar at the New Jersey Convention, 5/13/12

Related Material:
Turning Good To Evil
The Team Of Stage Builders
Who Owns The Screen?

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Q&A, Workshops - 1 Comment →

Question: Can a physical desire, for example, sexual desire stand in my way on the spiritual path?

Answer: Physical desires for food, sex, family, money, honor, power, and knowledge cannot stand in a person’s spiritual advancement. We shouldn’t deal with what belongs to the body separately.

We should only be worried about the hatred we feel towards the friends and then toward the whole world.

If you want to eat five servings instead of one, it is harmful for the body, but it doesn’t interfere with the spiritual path. The same goes for sex.

So think only about the connection with the Creator through the friends, and you can stop worrying about all the rest.
[77366]
From the Brazil Convention 5/06/12, Lesson 5

Related Material:
The Law Of Universal Balance
Progressive Double Vision
Get Down To Pure Egoism

Filed under: Body and Soul, Conventions, Q&A - 1 Comment →

Convention in New Jersey, Lesson 4

Convention in New Jersey, Workshop 4

Convention in New Jersey, Lesson 5

Filed under: Conventions - No Comments →

One Convention in New Jersey, Workshop 1

One Convention in New Jersey,  “Balance Through Connection Between Us as a Solution for the Crisis and Rising to the Higher Dimension,” Lesson 2

Convention in New Jersey, Workshop 2

One Convention in New Jersey, Lesson 3

One Convention in New Jersey, Workshop 3

Filed under: Conventions - No Comments →