The Torah, “Genesis,” 29:7- 29:8: And he said, “The day is yet long; it is not the time to take in the livestock. Water the sheep and go, pasture.”

And they said, “We cannot do that, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they will roll the rock off the mouth of the well, and we shall then water the sheep.” 

There are better times and there are less pleasant times in the history of humanity. Therefore the time that “all the flocks are gathered together” hasn’t come yet.

There were times in the history of humanity and the Jewish nation when we were very close to attaining the goal. There were several breakthroughs in the time of ancient Babylon, during the exodus from Egypt, and during the days of King David’s wars, until we finally have reached our time, which is exactly the time that “all the flocks are gathered together.” We have to reach connection because this is the only way we can influence the upper force and begin to change our reality.

The problem is in convincing ourselves and others and in actually realizing and feeling that fulfillment is only through connection. There is nothing but that. We reach a form that resembles the Surrounding Light only to the extent that we connect, and only then can we influence it, work with it, and direct it.

We begin to perform independent actions because we awaken the Upper Light and oblige it to operate in a special way. It is because we discover the need to unite in our connection and thus convey a perfect, ripe deficiency for the Light. Then the Light performs the last action and connects us.

We must convince ourselves that at this point our goal is to gather all the flocks together and to connect the people in the world in whom the desire to fulfill the goal of the wisdom of Kabbalah has ripened. This is the reason we were given the wisdom of Kabbalah, since we will discover everything else along the way when the Upper Light begins to operate in the connection among us. Then we will realize what the Light is, how it operates, discover its effect on us, and begin to ascend the spiritual ladder.

All of humanity has to go through this path but in an easier manner. Israel has to go through it first and then the whole world. People should understand that there is nothing but the connection between us that awakens the Light that Reforms to change humanity. To the extent that humanity changes, it will begin to discover a new world through its new senses that were corrected by the Light that Reforms.

It is because the reality that we feel is totally dependent on our perception. If our desires are egoistic and separated, we feel a shattered world in that shattered vessel, just as we see the world as it appears now. It is not surprising that the situation is growing worse to hasten us to reach connection.

To the extent that we begin to work in correcting our senses, we will feel a new reality. Just as we feel the shattering now in our corrupt vessels, we will feel a perfect world in our corrected desires that are governed by one force, by the Light that operates in our desires, connects, corrects, and fills them.

Therefore, everyone speaks about connection and mutual guarantee these days. It is because it is the only action we have to perform from now until the end of correction, and it must be performed by both the nation of Israel and the nations of the world. The sooner we do this, the sooner we will reveal the Light to humanity and thus fulfill the goal of creation.

It all depends only on the connection between us. We consistently and persistently have to work on this and constantly convince ourselves that this is our only goal. No matter how much a person knows, it has nothing to do with the true reality. The only truth is his yearning to connection and bringing others closer to connection.

“Every man shall help his friend!” We have to explain to everyone the importance of this action and that our future depends on it. Many years go by until a person begins to understand that his ego is doing everything to deceive him and divert his attention from this, as if it is a trivial matter.

Therefore a person listens, but doesn’t hear; so  one rejects and forgets this idea time and time again. But the time comes when we all have to start acting and telling ourselves and the Upper Light that we must reach connection no matter what. Then the passage for the revelation of the soul will open.
[151703]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/08/15, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
Unity Of Israel: Time Is Running Out
The Time Has Come To Awaken The World
War And Peace

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Israel, Kabbalah Study, Nations of the World, Spiritual Work, Unity, World - No Comments →

Shamati #8, “What Is the Difference Between a Shade of Kedush and a Shade of Sitra Achra”

The Book of Zohar, Selected Excerpts — “The Pleasure Is Only in Bestowal,” Item 138

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 12

Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 5, Item 22

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: At the time of the Exodus from Egypt the Creator hardened the heart of Pharaoh and sent Moses to him. Is it possible to compare this to today with the relentless military actions of the past few months? How can one explain this process to the public?

Answer: An introduction is needed here first to explain the principle of “There is none else beside Him.” Everything is sent and caused from above; everything comes to us from the upper force. It is from “There is none else beside Him” and the “good that does good.”

So why is that so bad for us?

The problem is that we, the people of Israel, are responsible for the world. And all evil happens because all the good and the pleasure that comes from above are not received correctly in our Kelim. We don’t prepare the Kelim, the desires of all of humanity, such that they will be in equivalence of form with what is sent and reaches us from above.

The Light comes from above in precise amounts as if some kind of “clock” is ticking and secreting the Light according to a precise algorithm, a little more and a little more, every moment more and more for three thousand years until the completion of correction. And we human beings, gathered from all the ends of the earth, are responsible for it in order to accept it specifically as goodness and pleasure, as great abundance that is meant to fill us on every level, at every moment, with heavenly delight.

And in the next minute, the “hardness of the heart” comes again and we must again go to Pharaoh. In this way, time after time, we must correct the hardness of heart and receive the abundance in it.

Ultimately, the troubles and plagues come and don’t pass over the characteristic of “Israel” in us but over the egoistic characteristics of “Egypt” and “Pharaoh.” What is called the “Sitra Achra” (other side) swallows them again. And that is how it must be, and later it will “vomit” out the abundance that it swallows, which is called, “He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again” (Job 20:15).

So we are responsible for the world. Nobody has freedom of choice except for us. We are the ones who left Babylon, who fled from there and were molded as a people who became connected among us and connected with the Creator. We transformed ourselves into a transitional link between the Creator and the entire world. This means that we need to become the “light” for the whole world and give it the method of correction so that at every moment what comes from above will be revealed truly as a paradise on earth.

But we are not doing this. And so we look at everything that is happening and we must understand that, in fact, it is all kindness; the Creator is still frightening us from a distance and playing with us. Thousands of missiles fall on the land of Israel with minimal consequences.

The problem is that this doesn’t wake people up; instead it relaxes them. Look at what a blow we can take. So come, let’s feel the blow as if it didn’t happen, and on the other hand, understand that the Creator is protecting us so that we will approach Him in a good ways, so that we will have the strength for it.

But the people are indifferent. So what else is there? What must the Creator do?

And so we, the people who understand this and have freedom of choice, must go out to the people and bring this message to the people with all our might. The message is that we must change, that through the connection between us we will bring about the connection of the whole world.

That is specifically what we are prepared to bestow to it. It is because we want everyone to be connected with each other well, the far and the near, including our enemies. So our connection is required for this, and we will see that it will pass to everyone.

Unity and the connection begin from the center of the group and will extend to more and more external circles. And then we will see how everything relaxes, as if a wave of calm passes over the world. And everyone will look at the people of Israel and will finally understand that they are prepared to bring goodness and pleasure.

“Previously the evil stemmed from them and so we hated them. But now they live with love. So let’s go and help them with this! Come, let’s carry them on our shoulders and bring them to the goal. If they have such an intention, then we are with them.”

This is what must happen, and we are the key for this.
[142106]
From the 5^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/22/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
Do We Need the Wicked Pharaoh?
Difficult But Very Clear Actions
Keeping Up With The Schedule Of Creation

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Dissemination, Group Work, Israel, Nations of the World, Spiritual Work - No Comments →

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Concealment and Revelation”

Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 4, Item 20

Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 4, Item 17

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 2, Part 6, Item 14

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash, “Shlavei HaSulam,” Article 4

Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 4, Item 19 

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash, “Shlavei HaSulam,” Article 31

The Book of Zohar  – Selected Excerpts, “Evil Inclination and Good Inclination,” Item 89 

Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 4, Item 17

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 6, Part 6, Item 94

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash, “Shlavei HaSulam,” Article 3

The Book of Zohar  – Selected Excerpts, “Evil Inclination and Good Inclination,” Item 27 

Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 4, Item 16

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Vol. 2, Part 6, Item 10

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash, “Shlavei HaSulam,” Article 44

The Book of Zohar  – Selected Excerpts, “Evil Inclination and Good Inclination” 

Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 2, Item 14

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

Writings of Rabash, “Shlavei HaSulam,” Article 3

The Book of Zohar  – Selected Excerpts, “Perception of Reality” 

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” Item 9 

Talmud Eser Sefirot, “Histaklut Pnimit,” Vol. 1, Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 9

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Zohar - No Comments →

If I don’t think about the reward I will receive from my action but only worry about the benefit of others, it is bestowal. It is a special action that doesn’t exist in our world and is not familiar to us.

We think that a mother who takes care of her baby is an example of bestowal in our world: She doesn’t think about herself and does whatever is necessary.

But a mother acts from her natural instinct and there is no ascent above nature here. She simply feels that her baby is dearer to her than herself. She doesn’t see him as a foreign body, but actually feels that he is inside her like before he was born.

But we are establishing a special connection between us that unites us all into one integral system and changes us so that we will be able to operate in order to bestow. Thus, our actions are divided into an intention and the actual action. The intention is altruistic, which means for the benefit of others, and it determines the action.

If the intention is not for the sake of others but for my own sake, then even if you bestow to others, you expect something in return: at least to be in a good mood, have self-respect, or receive praise. If I cannot calculate things only in order to bestow unto others, this actions is called a transgression and the breaking of the Mitzva (commandment) since I use an egoistic intention.

It is according to such signs that I can check whether my intention is clean and whether it is really for the sake of others or not. After all, I may be acting for the sake of others but expecting to receive something for myself as well. These are the accounts that determine my place on the spiritual ladder along spiritual correction. Accordingly, if my action is for the sake of others without any self benefit, as if I don’t exist at all, my action is more sublime in the spiritual sense.

Therefore, I should totally restrict my ego before every action so as not to expect any reward for myself, as if I don’t exist at all. Baal HaSulam says that we simply have to be a pipe, a channel, that conveys everything through it, and which passes everything onwards. Thus we build ourselves by restricting our ego.

But after the restriction, I can already plan what I can do for the sake of others, for the sake of bestowal. If I can come up with such a plan with the help of the Light that Reforms, it means that I build the head of the spiritual Partzuf. With this head I can already use my desire to receive by ascending above it.

Although the ego wants everything only for its own sake, I act above it with the intention only for the sake of others, without any account for my own sake. This action is called receiving in order to bestow, which is spiritual work.

The ability to perform spiritual work comes only from the Light that Reforms. This is the reason that very few people in this world can understand and fulfill this work, and in fact there is no need for many such people.

Our group will never be big. Most people will simply go through it: They will come and go. Therefore we will keep on consolidating as a group that leads humanity along the right path of our evolution. Our power is in quality, not in quantity.
[139601]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/14, Shamati #60

Related Material:
A System Of Reception And A System Of Intention
Receiving In Order To Bestow
Relocation Into The Other

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Dissemination, Group Work, Prayer and Intention, Spiritual Work - No Comments →