A question I received: The World Zohar Convention will start in New York in just two days, and it seems like everything has already been said about it, such as how to prepare for it and what will happen there. Still, could you provide some final summary instructions?

My Answer: The summary is to attain a connection among our hearts. This is the only thing we have to correct and this has to be the most important thing to us.

You should not worry about now being able to see and hear everything, or not being able to understand everything. The most important thing is your heart: You have to worry about connecting it with all the other similar desires of the people participating in this world assembly.

There will be over a thousand people present at the actual convention, and they will be joined by hundreds of thousands around the whole world. If these hearts desire to unite in a single desire to attain the revelation of the Creator, to attain bestowal and love through their unity, then it will happen! This goal is attainable. It can be achieved, and it will happen one way or another in the very near future.

In previous years I did not talk about love and unity, but now we are already at the threshold of practically revealing the Creator, the quality of bestowal and love, in our world. Therefore, we are entering this Convention with hopes for great success.

From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/5/10, “Matan Torah”

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A question I received: This weekend there will be a convention in North America, titled The World Zohar Convention, where our friends from the whole world will gather. You once said that when you were in a similar situation of general inspiration, you asked Rabash, “What do we lack for attaining the goal?” He answered, “An attack!” What is an attack and how can we attain this state this weekend at the Convention, or even now, at this very moment?

My Answer: During a spiritual attack, one does not think about when will it finally be completed. An attack is when I gather all my forces and act with them.

In our world an attack is a concentrated blow, followed by a chance to rest. However, spirituality is perfect and therefore it cannot be transient. If your desire is authentic, then it is eternal! Therefore, a spiritual attack means a mobilization of forces, where you must continually concentrate them more and more, without a break or a breather. (Actually, you do receive a “breather” from Above, such as the state of “Hanukkah,” which comes from the words “Hanu-Koh,” stop here. This happens during a shift in one’s means for further advancement.)

This Convention offers great opportunities of advancement to all the students all over the whole world. Although we are getting together at the Convention in North America, there will be a direct broadcast of all the lessons. And of course, they will be devoted to the unification of this entire great desire, the spiritual vessel (Kli).

Let us hope that everyone will understand that the science of Kabbalah speaks precisely of this unity, rather than red strings, spells, and so forth. Through the unity of our desires we attain life in the eternal dimension. Let us hope that we will succeed!

From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/5/10, “Matan Torah”

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A question I received: The World Zohar Convention is starting in just a couple of days. In relation to this, many people write to us about various obstacles that prevent them from coming, and about their fear and sudden reluctance to come. What can be done about it?

My Answer: If a person has an opportunity to come to our meeting, no reason should prevent him from doing so. One should come even if it involves spending a considerable sum of money or sacrificing vacation time. I can’t imagine what could be more important then spending a few days together:  It is a purely spiritual investment.

We don’t realize how such unification among people furthers our spiritual progress. Now we are experiencing the “hardening of the heart,” and receive an additional portion of egoism. And that’s great! This is precisely the state in which we need to act.

That is why one has to be aware of the reason for which he cannot come. Herein lies his or her free choice to advance spiritually or not. Only if someone is locked up in a prison and can’t get out of it, then it’s possible to understand his not coming.

People ask me, “What if I ‘ve been studying Kabbalah only for 2-3 weeks and there is no group nearby, isn’t it too early for me to come?” Even if a person encountered Kabbalah just by finding out about our convention, it’s still worthwhile for him to come. Who knows what will happen to him tomorrow? At least he will manage to get something out of this life.

From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/3/10, Article “Matan Torah”

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New York, May 7th – 9th

You’re invited to join friends from all around the world to discover a new reality together. The World Zohar Convention 2010 is an intensive 3 days of studies and workshops on The Zohar with Dr. Michael Laitman and the Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education and Research Institute, open for all who wish to sense the eternal, complete reality.

The Zohar holds the key to discovering the complete, eternal reality, where humanity is united in perfect harmony as one soul, in the shortest time possible. The World Zohar Convention is aimed at giving its participants a taste of this reality, and by doing so, accelerating everyone’s advancement toward it.

The World Zohar Convention 2010 is for anyone with a desire to change oneself and better the world we live in. Students currently studying with Bnei Baruch via Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Learning Center on their own or through Kabbalah TV or the Kabbalah Academy are especially welcome.

REGISTER

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A question I received: It’s been said that if one goes to a convention their spiritual advancement is about the same as what they would have advanced between that convention and the last convention. Why is that? Why does someone advance so much during that short, little period of three or four days?

My Answer: Because we come together, we are leaving our work places, our homes, and our families, we take vacation from work, and we spend money for that effort in order to bond. We make efforts in order to acquire something that is beyond this level of life, something higher. It is a fulfillment that is beyond this life.

People, who are willing to give up on so many things, in order to bring themselves to spirituality, simply deserve it. Besides that, they come to unite, so everyone absorbs the strength and forces of everyone else. That kind of embrace is worthy of months and months of studying and even then it is impossible to attain it. I don’t think that a person who doesn’t come to a convention like that is capable of achieving a similar result. It doesn’t matter what he tries to do in life unless on the condition that he is, let’s say in prison or in some situation that doesn’t allow him to come. I have a student, for instance, that is in the North Pole; so, he works from there, and he can’t, really can’t come. Some people are really even in prison and they study with us. They are in prison (because of mistakes they made in the past), so they really can’t come.

But because they are incapable, they will receive whatever we receive from that convention. But if a person has the opportunity to come, even if it requires meeting difficult conditions, if he has the opportunity, I don’t think it’s worthwhile to stay home. It’s just a shame to miss this kind of intense opportunity to make such great advancement.

From an Interview with the Learning Center Director 4/5/10

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A question I received: Students experience the practical side of Kabbalah at the conventions. What is the practical side of Kabbalah?

My Answer: We were born, created in a state where the ego separates us. According to the plan of creation, we must become connected in brotherly love. This is something that is impossible to realize using our own strength because we’re all simple egoists.

Egoistically we can feel only this world. It is whatever each individual perceives in their small egos. Once a person comes out of the ego and actually starts feeling the others, he starts feeling, in this new attitude towards them, a reality called the spiritual world, or the next world, or the upper reality.

This is precisely the very practical thing that we can do together in this kind of convention. It is through that connection between us. We can tangibly feel it. To actually realize that is what we intend to do.

I really hope that it will happen, and if not in this convention then maybe the next one. But we are going towards that and what we’re going to do are really tangible, practical things that the wisdom of Kabbalah writes about, that The Zohar writes about, here and now, on the face of earth, between human beings.

From an Interview with the Learning Center Director 4/5/10

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New York, May 7th – 9th

You’re invited to join friends from all around the world to discover a new reality together. The World Zohar Convention 2010 is an intensive 3 days of studies and workshops on The Zohar with Dr. Michael Laitman and the Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education and Research Institute, open for all who wish to sense the eternal, complete reality.

The Zohar holds the key to discovering the complete, eternal reality, where humanity is united in perfect harmony as one soul, in the shortest time possible. The World ZoharConvention is aimed at giving its participants a taste of this reality, and by doing so, accelerating everyone’s advancement toward it.

The World Zohar Convention 2010 is for anyone with a desire to change oneself and better the world we live in. Students currently studying with Bnei Baruch via Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Learning Center on their own or through Kabbalah TV or the Kabbalah Academy are especially welcome.

If one is new to The Zohar or the wisdom of Kabbalah, then we recommend going through the free introductory course we have available at the Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Learning Center. Sign Up For A Free Introductory Course

REGISTER

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A question I received: We have the World Zohar Convention that’s going to be meeting the second weekend of May. What makes this convention so different from the past conventions considering both the time we are in now and what we are being taught this time?

My Answer: We have already had many conventions.  This time it is very unique because first of all we’ve grown a lot; many people are beginning to hear about us. We’ve reached a point where people realize that they’re not really capable of exiting this global crisis. We reached a global crisis in every human engagement. Now we see that everything is broken: Family, education, the relationships between people, the way we relate to nature, to the ecology and our economy, the industry and what it does, even a person himself. This crisis is really global.

This state is actually a good state which we had to reach because only from this point of crisis can we find the point from which we can ascend to a really good life. Not just a good life here in this world but eternal life, a life of feeling and sensing the Upper World where we even transcend the point of life and death in our current perception and feeling of life. We actually rise above this feeling of life within the body.

It is not just getting out of the crises, it is acquiring a life that is essentially, fundamentally different then what we experience now. All of this is done by a very unique Upper Force that is hidden in The Zohar.

Everyone has heard about The Zohar. People have heard that it is some sort of special, unique book, a hidden book, or a book that contains secrets. People have heard about The Book, but in general, people are still just talking about it; they don’t really know what it is.

Today, we have the opportunity to actually use The Zohar; to use the power that it gives us; to raise ourselves above this crisis, to raise all the people from the situation they’re in whether it’s depression, or problems with children, problems with health, education, ecology, or the economy- everything that happens.

All of this can be corrected only by this Upper Force that is within The Zohar. This is why I am very happy that soon there will be a great  World Zohar Convention in America.

You know, “Zohar” literally translated means Light. And I hope that as a result of this meeting, of this conference, we can really bring the Light to all of America.

From an Interview with the Learning Center Director 4/5/10

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A question I received: I have already participated in virtual Kabbalah Congresses and felt the unity. Why should I leave the comfort of my home and my living room couch, and why should I make efforts to personally attend the World Zohar Convention that will be held in New York at the beginning of May?

My Answer: It’s impossible to unite with others without “getting up from the couch.” We don’t live in the virtual world, but the material world. Therefore, a person who attends our physical meetings understands how necessary it is in order to advance. A person who has never left his computer screen is unable to imagine what it means to unite with other people.

There is a rule in the science of Kabbalah: a spiritual root has to touch its material branch. Therefore, we have to implement the connection among us, both in the virtual form and the material form. This is required by our world. Therefore, if a person never attends one of the Congresses, he is not really participating. It only seems to him that he is together with everyone while he is sitting by his computer screen, but in reality, this is a delusion.

Once a week we hold a virtual assembly of friends, and once every half a year we hold a “live” assembly where we meet together with people at one of the continents. People definitely have to participate in these Conventions.

A person cannot advance without participating in a Congress and without receiving an impression (Reshimo) from it. The Convention is the place where his unity with others transpires, and this connection remains. It’s as if he plugs into the electrical outlet and stays plugged in.

We did not make this up ourselves. Our great teachers practiced this for centuries, and if we want to attain the same thing they did, we have to follow their example.

From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/11/10, “Exile and Redemption”

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A question I received: How can our participating in a Kabbalah convention affect the correction of the world?

My Answer: It will inevitably affect the correction of the world, since it will be an act of unity. Any act of unification among us is an additional step toward contact with the Creator. Every such action attracts the Surrounding Light that draws us closer to Him. And through us, the Light will spread over the entire world.

The more we think about our mission and responsibilities in relation to the world, the more effectively it will work. It is because it will bring contentment to the Creator and contribute to the good future of creation. The stronger the point of unity between us, the closer we draw to the Creator.

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