In our world “pretense” sounds like something dirty. We scold people for this, “Why are you so unnatural? Why do you pretend and lie?”

But in our case, we are pretending or playing with the most natural and authentic actions because they help us to rise above the material world. As I “play” spiritual states, I imagine myself there and elevate myself to them.

I don’t just want to entertain others by transmitting my joy to them. Joy is not simply laughter, but fulfillment by confidence and the correctness of the path, the goal I believe in. And this joy gives me strength.

This is the same fulfillment that has to reign inside all of us by virtue of our unity, meaning in the true, corrected state, in the world of Infinity. By playing it, I make efforts to fulfill our common desire (the spiritual vessel or Kli) just like in the state of the world of Infinity.

This is a very exalted and worthwhile game which is reminiscent of the Creator’s game with the Leviathan (the mythological whale). The Creator, the desire to bestow, plays with the creation He created, the desire to enjoy, spinning it in all the different directions and filling it with the Light of Hochma.

That is how I want to fill our entire group’s common desire to enjoy with the Light of Hochma. That means I am playing with very exalted things, even though it appears like a very simple action that any person is able to make.

We have to understand that from a person’s perspective, this game is a very serious action. And our ego does not allow us to lower our pride in order to become part of this game and start carrying out these actions in relation to the group. Granted, there are people who find this easy to do externally, as well as others who find it easier to express themselves internally. But the inner work is every person’s obligation and has to result in an elevated mood being maintained in the group.

Externally things might vary. There are times when externally you have to pretend to be inspired all the time because if you are surrounded by “little children,” you cannot allow yourself the liberty of showing them the true state. However, if it is a group of advanced students, they can do the opposite; instead of playing externally, they can remain serious and even express their sadness in order to create an opposition between the internality and the externality. That is how the great Kabbalists of the past behaved. However, we are still small and have to play or pretend externally, expressing joy.

Naturally, all of our dissemination must consist of programs that bring joy and leave people in a good mood. There should be fewer songs that are sad and sorrowful, and more happiness! We have to feel the heart of the friend or of the wide audience and take care not to bring them down or cause them to feel deep sorrow, but instead, to let them feel joy and unification. This is the entire wisdom.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/22/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention

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Question: What does it mean to feel that you are already at the convention right now, while reading The Book of Zohar, so the convention would happen in the best possible way?

Answer: Prepare yourself. If you are about to attend a wonderful, pleasant, and joyful event, then you prepare for it in advance. You anticipate it and enjoy this beckoning illumination of the future. And you receive great inspiration from that.

Therefore, as we get closer to the worldwide convention that will be held in New Jersey, we have to prepare ourselves already now. Everything depends on preparing the desire, “What do I plan on correcting? What do I want? What will I get out of it? How do I want to appear there?” I have to imagine all of this in detail, as if I am already there. Therefore, we have to make all the songs available on the website, as well as everything that will happen at the cultural programs and the other events so people can become familiar with it, understand it, and already be able to imagine how it will happen.

A child grows by imagining the future, and then it comes true. If a person does not experience this reverent desire at all times, if he does not increase his desires, and even his worries and fears, then he does not gain anything. He must already now wait impatiently, wondering, “How will this happen? When? In what way? How will I be inspired? How will I participate?”

This is necessary in order to grow up. If children did not receive the aspiration toward the future from nature, then they would not be able to grow. But for us, this aspiration is given as freedom of choice. Do you want to grow up? Then find a way to receive the greatness of the goal from the environment, and then you will grow. There is no other method! If we don’t learn on the example of small children, if we don’t implement these actions in practice, then it would be a shame to let our lives go by wasted.
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/24/11, The Zohar

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The difficulty lies in the understanding that the group, the environment, is not a temporary setting that won’t be necessary after a while. The group never disappears, and it is impossible to gain spiritual fulfillment by any other means. From these strangers, people I once resented, from their internal world, I have to construct my own soul.

And instead of seeing their faces, personalities, and behavior, I must see only their internal desires so that I build a “spiritual body” from them, which I could bestow to and get inspired by. And if we do our mutual work in this manner, we will provide the guarantee, a sensation of support, the forces for development and bestowal for everyone.

Then, you will feel as though you are protected from evil in this group, as if you are in “Noah’s Ark.” We often find such “sanctuaries” along our path. It is similar to the mother’s womb where we develop in stages: embryo-feeding-maturity (Ibur–Yenika–Mochin), until we are born on a new spiritual degree, in the new world.

This is how we view the group until our connection with it is so strong that we begin receiving the Light through it, the properties for our new development, as in Noah’s Ark, the mother’s womb. And later on, we are born and start developing a connection with this environment as with the Upper Mother (Ima Ilaa): We receive through it the influence of Aba ve-Ima and even higher.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/23/2011 Preparation for the WE! Convention

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The final result of our work is the establishment of the connection with the environment which becomes wider and stronger all the time, and this strengthens our bond. In the beginning I am just like a drop of semen that attaches itself to the wall of the womb. Then I develop by annulling my egoistic desire at the degrees of embryo-nurturing-adulthood of the first phase, that of an embryo. This is called the development in the three sections of the spiritual womb, whereby I rise from one section to the other.

Then I undergo the spiritual birth, meaning that I establish a new type of connection with the environment and begin to interact with the group consciously. I already check and analyze our relationships, try to make them more effective, as much as I am able to reveal my environment.

Indeed, the environment is always a degree higher than me. Depending on the stage of my development, it is either the mother’s womb for me, or the Mother (Ima), or the Mother and the Father (Abba ve Ima), or Arich Anpin. This is how I discover all the spiritual systems described in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, which become revealed in my increasingly stronger connection with the group.

And later I will reveal that it’s not just my current friends: The souls of the great Kabbalists of all generations also participate in the same group, who have already corrected themselves and join the same system, encircling us.

And if I previously judged everything “according to my own flaws,” now, as I advance, I value this group increasingly more. At each degree I undergo all the stages: embryo-nurturing-adulthood, that is, I first develop my upper part, GE, realizing my Reshimo (spiritual gene), and then AHP, until I complete my correction.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/23/2011 Preparation for the WE! Convention

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We live at the time when the entire world is entering the phase of spiritual development. And the group we are building is like the Noah’s Ark, our common mother, where we could all join in and grow ourselves. That is, the group will be the mother’s womb for the entire humanity: It is Shechina which we build between us.

The same place will accept us when we will be “exiled” from the mother’s womb and will be born. And by bringing it ever new “garments” of the Light of Hassadim (Mercy) and corrections, we will raise it higher and higher, till the very end of correction, until it will turn into the bride ready to enter the wedding canopy (Chuppah) with the Creator.

Hence, the group relative to each person and also the entire humanity is that same place which is always a step higher than us. This is the upper spiritual object, in relation to which we constantly reveal our next, higher degrees—in the extent that we are able to rise above our ego.

Egoism remains a force that separates and therefore helps us. After all, by overcoming the ego in particular, we are able to establish a tighter connection with our environment: or like an embryo with the womb, or like a nurtured baby, or like a grown-up who receives the Light for the sake of bestowal.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/23/2011 Preparation for the WE! Convention

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Our mood defines the connection with spirituality, with the Creator, with the Light, the fulfillment we had in the world of Infinity. But when we aspire to a good state, we naturally think about fulfillment and forget that this fulfillment presupposes correction, the intention “in order to bestow.”

In other words, we first of all need to acquire the intention to bestow; fulfillment will follow. Hence, we are given a feeling of emptiness, lack of fulfillment, so that we focus not on it, but on the intention, meaning on fulfilling others and not ourselves.

This is needed to build within us a “neutral” attitude free from egoistic pleasure when we can use the fulfillment for the sake of others and not ourselves. Just imagine what it would be like if we were given the ability to fulfill ourselves with the upper Light egoistically! We would dream about it all the time instead of thinking about how to fulfill others!

Hence, the upper Light is hiding. Thereby it gives us the opportunity to think about the upper fulfillment unselfishly, free from our egoism which does not distinguish the concealed spiritual pleasure. Even if I’m not exactly happy, and the friends, too, don’t seem particularly joyous, this is the only opportunity to lull my egoism and thirst for pleasures to sleep and use this empty space for building my relationship with others.

This is an exceptionally valuable help, and we have to be thankful for it! Otherwise, we would probably remain in the slavery of our egoism and wouldn’t have any chance to tear away from it. And here, I’m given a chance to search by myself and artificially, meaning not according to my desire but virtually from zero, start advertising joy, the importance of the spiritual goal, of the environment, of everything that I lack!

I myself awaken this joy and importance, build them artificially, and bring this into my environment. I act like a child who plays with a toy and thereby introduces it into his life. He pulls a toy car and hums, and it seems like a car is indeed driving and the engine is working in it.

This is how we activate the upper system with our desire. This desire—the only thing we need to reach—is our plea (MAN). We express our desire so as to realize it without any readiness from the side of our ego, without any preliminary sensation, but purely artificially. This is how we start building a new form from a zero.

We shouldn’t be ashamed of it being seemingly artificial. Surely, it’s not an authentic form in a sense that it does not derive from our previous desire. On the contrary, we should be proud of it not being our true, natural (egoistic) desire and of us playing a game of bestowal!
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/22/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention

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In the final state we have to return to where we came from at the very beginning, where we were united together, as one man with one heart. The Creator created only one creature, one desire.

When this desire divided into parts, the separation occurred only relative to us: This is how we feel it. But coming back to the state of unity, we feel as if we were in a dream. We perceive this separation and the entire world, the entire reality except for the world of Infinity as a dream.

By descending from the world of Infinity into this world though the five worlds or concealments (“world” or “Olam” comes from the word “concealment” or “Alama”), we gradually lose the sense of reality, similar to a person who gradually drifts into a dream, until falling asleep completely. And now, in the same gradual fashion we have to wake up from the dream.

However, the only, perfect state exists even now, and we live in it. We only need to clarify that our separation is just a dream and to shake it off from us. It only seems to us that by intending to bring joy and inspiration to everybody we care about others. In truth, it is an opportunity to work with myself. But it’s very hard to wake oneself up, and besides, in that case I will be driven by a small egoistic goal of this world and nothing more.

This is why, essentially, bestowal to friends, uplifting their mood, returns me to that same state of unity. I care about my own soul, aspiring to unite it with the rest of the parts, with all other souls. This in particular is each person’s mission, by fulfilling which he realizes his soul.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/22/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention

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Question: A part of me really wants to go to the Convention, but another part of me opposes it so strongly that I don’t want to see anyone. What should I do?

Answer: You have to make your free choice. You should understand that both parts of you, like all of the thoughts and desires that awaken in us at every moment, come to us from the Creator. These are conditions which are set for us; it is not the actual me.

What makes the decision is not my body, which gets sick and does not want to go to the Convention, and not my mood either. We act like a mechanism where all of the internal electrical signals are controlled by the upper force according to the program leading us to a certain state.

Life, death, and all of the states in between are determined from above and there is nothing accidental about any of it. Therefore, in every state I have to detach myself and look at this “mechanism,” meaning my body, its mood, and everything in it, from aside. The purpose of this is to see that this is the Creator’s work and to understand what He wants to give me right now, and to what state does He want to bring my “donkey” (Hamor, donkey means Homer, matter). Then I will understand how to work with it and will not identify myself with this “donkey.”

The more times a day a person is able to detach from himself in this way and look at himself from aside, like at a body in which some kind of forces are being awakened, without identifying himself with it, but rather using it as a means to attain the goal, the faster he will reach success. That is also how we should treat the friends in every regard. Don’t look at their faces or personalities, but at their inner desire in the pure form, which does not depend on anything external. This is the friend of my point in the heart.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/22/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention

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Yesterday while watching our TV channel I saw a broadcast of the cultural program that was held at the big Convention in Israel last fall. It included performances by different groups and special dances of different nations from all parts of the world where people came from to attend the Convention. There was a huge audience and a very special atmosphere, making it impossible to take your eyes away from the TV screen. I had to watch it until the very end.

I didn’t see any disappointed or dejected faces there because every person was influenced by the common inspiration and the entire hall was filled with joy, hope, excitement, and inspiration. And it wasn’t even because any special spiritual revelation was taking place there, but simply because the mood of the society influenced every person in this way. Every person that was part of it felt happy and joyful at that moment.

That is the power of social influence and it is the only thing we lack in order to advance at every moment in time. On the path we cannot demand any revelation other than the revelation of bestowal, meaning the correction that enables me only to bestow, to connect to others and not to demand anything else, like Bina which does not desire anything for herself (Hafetz Hesed).

The Creator demands for us to become the same as Him: To bestow for the sake of bestowal, and then to receive for the sake of bestowal. That is why our advancement always happens “above knowledge,” meaning we cannot ask for any other quality or fulfillment to manifest in our sensations besides the quality of bestowal. Moreover, I don’t even care whether I will be given the opportunity to bestow. I don’t expect anything in response form the Creator besides the very aspiration for bestowal which will always develop in me, more and more.

The world does not understand this attitude yet and we, too, are only gradually coming closer to being able to hear and understand what is the essence here. But there is no other way to go. All of humanity has already entered this process of correction and we have to understand that there’s no way back. We cannot stop history. The whole world is undergoing very swift development in the direction of this new quality – the quality of bestowal that will begin to rule the world.

That is why Kabbalists say that we don’t have any other means besides organizing an environment that will support us on the path to the goal and will give us strength, inspiration, and joy. We cannot receive all of this from the Creator and especially not from ourselves, but only from the society.

That is why our dissemination should emphasize inspiring events such as, for example, the cultural programs at the Conventions. This means “joining the good,” which is our motto of choice. The more programs like this we will have, which convey joy, unite, and might that has been acquired, the greater is the life force that this will give to every person.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/21/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention

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Question: How can we ascend above all the quarrels in the group before the convention?

Answer: When preparing for the convention, you have to see how all of these conflicts are given to you as “help against Him,” how Pharaoh rises up and asks, “Who is this Creator for me to listen to His voice?”

The Creator tells you to unite with the friends, while the Pharaoh tells you to disunite! The Creator says, “Give in!” While the Pharaoh says, “No, you have to rule over them with an iron hand!” The Creator says, “Work joyfully,” while the Pharaoh says, “No, you will work dejectedly and enslaved to me.”

These two forces argue within a person when he reaches the “ten Egyptian plagues” as he discerns which of them is right. I have to understand that I determine which of them will take the upper hand and rule—the Creator or Pharaoh! Everything depends on me.

This is the most decisive point, and I am standing in the middle between these two parts of reality: the positive and the seemingly negative, which were prepared for me in this form in order to give me the freedom of choice. I have to decide that I want for the force of bestowal, love, freedom from egoism and ascent above it to assume power.

I am ready to accept the blows falling on Pharaoh and egoistic Egypt, and I am happy about them. Let the blow fall upon me because it is hitting my egoism, helping me to be freed from it, to ascend above it and no longer be inside of it. After these blows, I already come out of Egypt and am no longer enslaved to it!

Yet, a person shouldn’t work on himself, but in relation to the environment, the group. He shouldn’t correct some kind of qualities inside of him, but his attitude to others. The most important thing here is not to get confused and not to change the direction of one’s efforts.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/22/11, Preparation to the WE! Convention

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