In November 2010 we will be holding an International Kabbalah Convention in Tel Aviv, Israel where all those studying Kabbalah with us in Israel and the whole world will come together. It will be three days of unity!

The main reason why we organize such conventions is that the Kabbalists instruct us to hold meetings and conventions in order to unite. Rabash and Baal HaSulam write about this, but it follows even from the compositions of the Ari and Ramchal, as well as the writings of Rabbi Shimon and Abraham.

Correction takes place only by virtue of a connection among the souls, and connection starts with communication. Yet, there is one idea present in the communication: to attain the kind of unity that is called “the Creator,” bestowal, or the spiritual world.

Within this kind of unity we reveal the worlds (Olamot). They go from being concealments (Alamot) to revelation and therefore the Creator becomes revealed more and more instead of hiding behind the worlds or concealments. In other words, in the connection between us we reveal bestowal and love more and more, and that is called the revelation of the Creator. When this quality becomes revealed between us, we begin to feel that we live and exist inside it, and thus we ascend above the sensation of this world.

The revelation of the Creator can be attained on the condition that we carry out actions within the framework of this world. We start here and then continue the actions in the spiritual realm which becomes revealed in the connection between us. That is why it is necessary for us to meet and unite in this way using all the opportunities that this world has for us, physical or virtual, in order to build closer connections.

We would like to announce this event to everyone and to connect as many people as possible to it without any limitations. Any person from any corner of the world can attend and participate if he feels attracted to this idea. The task of those studying with Bnei Baruch is to prepare this convention, but the convention itself is intended for anyone wishing to attend!

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/12/10, A Lesson About the Role of the Nation

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After the Mega Kabbalah Congress, many complain about experiencing heaviness and “hardening of the heart.” This is the Pharaoh, our ego, awakening in us. If we now use the power that we have received during the Congress in order to correct the heaviness that descended upon us, we will benefit!

We need to relate to the entire reality as to a single whole. Both ascents and descents are the stages of the same path. Advancement is impossible without these two forces acting one upon the other. The state of excitement is not yet advancement. This is not yet a step forward but only the force received from Above. Afterward, we need to realize it “below.”

If you receive this force and do not wish to realize it, you resemble a clogged pipe that is being pressured from within but is unwilling to pass this pressure further. Next time, you won’t receive anything! You will be forced to leave this path, and someone else will be chosen for this mission from Above.

We should understand that we received a force, and by itself, it doesn’t self-realize. It is our duty to continue working with it by ourselves. If you don’t utilize whatever was given to you, you won’t receive any additional strength and will become increasingly passive.

And on the contrary, anybody who now will quickly invest all the received forces into circulation of Kabbalah will feel himself receiving more and more from Above. We need to open the pipe and let the energy flow freely through it!

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/4/10, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

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Pictures from the concluding lecture and concert of the Mega Kabbalah Congress that took place July 25, 2010 Tel Aviv, Israel.

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Question: If you were to choose from the three different times: the time leading up to a Congress, the time during it, or the time after the congress, which is the most effective time?

Answer: One period is impossible without the others! If I don’t receive great inspiration during a Congress, and if I don’t descend after it, then I will have nothing over which to ascend and no strength to ascend. I am talking about an ascent to the next degree.

Every ascent is based on 1.) receiving the strength from the environment, receiving the greatness of the goal and the Creator during a Congress, 2.) revealing new egoistic desires (descents) right after a Congress, and 3.) making the effort to rise above the desires and finding the strength that we receive, drawing closer together, getting involved in the routine of the work, and preparing for the next Congress as quickly and intensely as possible.

Before a Congress we are constantly preparing ourselves for the forthcoming meeting; we get ready to unite. We prepare to receive an impression from such a great number of people around us during the Congress so that they can influence each of us as much as possible, and so that everyone will be in awe from the impressions they receive. After all, the only freedom of will consists in absorbing the strength from the environment.

The influence of the environment is the only means for a spiritual ascent. The more inspiration I absorb from the others during a Congress, the greater the degree that I can then ascend to by realizing this inspiration. It should become my own, constant sensation of belonging to the common desire (Kli).

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/28/10,"Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot"

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Question: After experiencing such a great inspiration and unification during the recent Mega Congress, now some friends feel separation and indifference. How can we help them?

Answer: It is a good omen. If a person falls from a high mountain into a deep hole, it shows us that the Congress has come to an end, and we have entered a new state. We can help our friends in two ways: through inner and external care.

Within ourselves, we should continue feeling that we are one common Kli, a spiritual vessel, no matter what. Those who descend expose a new layer of egoistic desire in themselves, which is revealed now in our common world Kli. They are the carriers of this new desire (a greater thickness, Aviut).

On the other hand, those of us who do not feel this heaviness of the desire wish to ascend together with them even higher, in a single embrace. Then we all will win. We will bring the screen and the Reflected Light, and they will bring the intensity of the desire (Aviut), and together we will create a ready Kli, with which we will be able to ascend.

Therefore, particularly now, when the Congress has already ended, we can make a considerable step forward. The time of a common meeting simply tallies up our whole previous work, and now, after the Congress, the next stage in unification begins. In this stage each person should desire to raise everyone else.

This is what happens in the common spiritual vessel: One supplies the desire, another supplies the screen, and then they switch places. In this manner movement occurs. This is a very good and beneficial period, and under no circumstances should we view this time as dead and await the next Congress! On the contrary, all the work and advancement consists in this time as we rise above the interferences.

The Congress itself is unification, and no work is required there. A common inspiration of all the participants and annulment of each person before the others are in effect there. At Congresses we receive the strength precisely for the periods of ascent between congresses.

From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/28/10, “Introduction in the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

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Question: What does “crossing the Machsom” mean?

Answer: To cross the Machsom (the barrier separating us from spirituality) means to feel the reality within. The “point in the heart” emerges and gains the minimum “volume” (10 Sefirot). In these Sefirot, I begin to perceive and feel a new reality. I feel how the Light enters and exits me and causes various sensations. It starts with minimal changes in perception and understanding, but I’m able to see what’s occurring “within.” With regard to our world, I begin to see it on the background of the new (spiritual) world.

Such duality of existence is not an obstacle. On the contrary, it allows me to feel and understand the relationship between the two worlds, the branch and the root. Within my point in the heart, I sense various actions no matter how small. I still don’t understand what it means when the Light enters and exits, but I feel that something comes and goes repeatedly. I don’t yet comprehend exactly what is happening just like a newborn who feels but doesn’t know what is going on.

Suppose a light turns on and off. A newborn doesn’t know that it is called light and dark, but he observes some phenomenon. To me, as the Light enters and exits, it gives a sensation of the Upper reality (as the Light enters) and our world as its mere imprint (as the Light exits). Further on, I begin to orient myself in it better and better to the degree of my ability to develop similar properties.

From Mega Congress Lesson 5, 7/25/10

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As a consequence of our spiritual work, we should reach a state in which 1) We all desire to reach the same goal and 2) We all are united. However, we unite not because this is our initial state that comes from Above, but because it is our common goal.

In a best case scenario, when we correct something in our world, we return the object to its former state. However, when we correct the broken connections with other souls, we acquire much more than we had prior to the breaking of the common soul. This is due to the fact that we reveal and endow independence to every part outside of ourselves.

Within my egoism, I relate to everyone as though they have no independence and they all should service me. As I begin to love them, I wish to relate to them like every one of them is great, independent, and special. This is also how we want to see our children. Then each of the friends that surrounds me suddenly becomes a possessor of freedom of choice; each of them takes his place and level. And then, when we unite and I adjoin all these friends to myself, it turns out that each of them has grown and become just as great as me.

As a result, I do not re-adjoin the same seven billion parts to myself; rather, seven billion worlds of infinity unite into one. This means that I increase the scope of my spiritual vessel (Kli) by 620 times. However, all this works only in relation to me. After all, everything exists within me and depends only on the extent to which I relate to my friends in the right manner every time. I do it only in order to increase my Kli, to make it worthy of the Creator’s revelation.

Therefore, I see them in a three-fold way:

1. As higher than me, so that they would be great in my eyes,
2. As lower than me, in order to bestow to them,
3. As equal to me, in order to unite with them.

Then I acquire a huge, powerful Kli called my true soul. It becomes several billion times bigger than it was prior to the correction. After all, before the correction, I was in the World of Infinity as one point. Now I return to it with a “620” (Tarach) times greater sensation of perfection and eternity. The difference between these two states is like the difference between a drop of semen and a grown-up person who attains everything.

From Mega Congress Lesson 5, 7/25/10

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Rabash, Article “Purpose of Society (1)”: “…the whole world was created for the fear of God.”

There is an exalted goal, which we do not perceive in our egoistic sensations, in the aspiration to absorb everything “into me.” The exit “from me” into concern for “outside of me” is called spiritual fear (Yirat Hashem).

Currently I am worried about how to fill and protect myself, which is called fear about oneself. Subconsciously we are constantly concerned with attracting that which is beneficial to ourselves and distancing what is harmful to us, our egoism. In contrast, spiritual fear means that I experience fear about what exists outside of me. I am worried about others, about the Creator, like a mother worries about her little child, thinking about him and identifying with him all the time.

In this fear and concern for the neighbor, outside of the self (one’s egoism), I feel the Upper reality.

From Mega Congress Lesson 1, 7/23/10

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The desire that we need to rise above is as great as the Light that created it in terms of volume, depth, breadth, energy, and might. We are not able to correct it alone. For this reason, the Creator divided it into multiple parts so that each of us would have an opportunity to correct our individual part in this immense desire. As a final result, all parts come together.

At the same time, Kabbalah relates that we were separated in order to learn to rise above our hatred (separation) and love each other so that we would learn to love the Creator in the same way. That is, the purpose of our division into individual souls is to raise in us a new, caring attitude to others, not to make our work with the will to receive easier.

Both assessments are correct. The purpose of our separation is two-fold. We must attain love for others before we attain love for the Creator, as it is written, “From love of others to love of the Creator,” and the division into multiple parts makes our work toward the correction of the ego easier.

Actually, the Creator could have created two Adams instead of one so that they would learn how get along with each other. We have heard that the “minimum quantity is two,” so two would have been enough to learn how to step outside oneself toward the other. Still, the Creator divided the collective desire into the multitude of souls of mankind according to the density or mass of the egoism so that each of us could correct his individual part of the collective ego, restrict it, rise above it, and use it in order to bestow onto others.

Therefore, our work in correcting this massive ego is divided into multiple parts relevant to the number of souls (or people) in our world. Hence, the population on earth decreases or increases to match the density of egoism in this world at any given moment.

Beside the fact that this work is divided between a great many people living today, it gradually gets completed by each of us with every return to (reincarnation in) this world. Each time, we correct our ego in small portions, day by day, during our entire lifetime and multiple incarnations.

From Mega Congress Lesson 1, 7/23/10

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Question: How can I awaken fear of the Creator inside me if I only see our material world?

Answer: Once I’ve been in the group for a long time, the time comes when I suddenly "hear" that I have to unite with my friends in order to attain the spiritual world. Yet, I don’t understand why and for what because I still don’t feel the connection between the following components:

1. The Upper Goal, which I don’t feel or realize, but which I have to attain;
2. The Upper Force, which I have to attain and feel;
3. My attitude to the friends;
4. The state of unity with friends which we have to attain.

There is a chain of inner revelations of feeling that have to take place within me. After all, our entire life is sensations. We are made of a matter called "the will to enjoy." This is a desire that feels pleasure or suffering and nothing more than that.

Therefore, my entire attitude to anything amounts to my sensation. It is either present or absent. If I don’t have this inner chain of feeling, the connection of how I will attain the goal of creation from this moment on (through love for the Creator, worry about Him, fear of Him, care for the group, and unity with friends as one man with one heart), if I still lack the inner responses to this, the impressions and reactions, then I still have to do more work on myself.

What should I do? The condition for revealing the Creator is just like at Mount Sinai: having the desire to unite as one man with one heart. Then He will become revealed to you in your unified desire. Moreover, you only have to desire to unite, and the Creator will carry out the unification. We have to try to acquire a desire for unity.

But how can I try to do this if I don’t want it? You can develop a desire through action. This is the meaning of the verse, "We will do and we will hear!"

This is exactly why our false world was created, where we exist in bodies. You can perform false physical actions of bestowal to your friends and speak about unity with them without any desire for it.

You don’t have a desire for it? That doesn’t matter! You don’t live just in the desire. You also exist in an external shell called the physical body. So make physical actions of bestowal to your friend, acting as if you love him instead of yourself.

That is why it is written, "Buy yourself a friend." Bestow to him in all sorts of ways and you will feel how your attitude to him changes. Why? Because you invested your energy and efforts in him. You did not want it, but by acting this way you gained a special attitude to him.

This is called "We will do." Actions that you make without a desire bring you to "we will hear," to the quality of bestowal.  (“Hearing” is the quality of Bina). Then you already begin to hear the things the Torah speaks about. It is the instruction manual on the path to the Light. (Torah comes from the words Ohr – Light, and Horaa – instructions.)

Therefore, let’s try to unite all together even if we don’t have a desire for this. Let’s ascend above our feelings and then we will experience everything in a new way.

From the 1st lesson of the Mega Congress 2010

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