The Creator created everything to give pleasure to man. But we need a vessel, desire, to receive the good that He wants to give. He wanted to give the pleasure that He enjoys Himself: bestowal. There is no other pleasure in the world!

However, to feel this pleasure, we need to have the opposite quality, the lack of fulfillment because the opposite of the desire to bestow is the desire to receive pleasure. That is why the Creator creates the desire to enjoy, an artificial creature that did not exist before, as a reverse imprint of Himself.

And now, the creature feels these opposites in itself. On one hand, it feels that it is possible to enjoy the fulfillment of its desire. But then, it makes a calculation and begins to desire bestowal. That is, it no longer seeks fulfillment.

Bestowal is not fulfillment, but a property, a desire to give. In bestowal, a person does not get pleased by what he receives in return, but the very action of bestowal becomes fulfillment for him. Whereas in reception, an action is separate from fulfillment. And when fulfillment enters me, I feel pleased. That is, my desire and fulfillment are two opposite things, and I need to toil hard to receive fulfillment since it is opposite to me.

However, in bestowal, I need only to feel somebody else’s desire and satisfy it. And this very action, relative to the other person whom I satisfy, becomes my fulfillment. I do not expect to receive any reward in return. My pleasure is in the action of giving.

Due to this difference, a person working with reception always has to check and evaluate: How much have I given, and how much they will pay me? It’s because the payment depends not on me, but on the other, on how much he would like to pay me. But if I work in bestowal and want only it, I do not depend on anyone and can decide myself where my boundary is!

Therefore, the one who walks the path of bestowal establishes himself to what extent he wants to be in it. And the Creator agrees with him! There is only one general law of bestowal and love, which envelopes and fills the entire creation. There was no restriction or ban on bestowal! That is why each creature can decide for himself at what level he wants to be in relation to this quality, thought, the intention to bestow.

Here can be no calculation of how much I have done and how much I will be paid. There is no need to fear that if I did less, I would receive less. I am in this general law of mutual bestowal, enveloping the whole universe and filling it, as “there is none else besides Him.” I myself establish at what degree I want to be. According to this degree, I experience the revelation or concealment of my ability to bestow, and to that extent I enjoy.
[49673]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/29/2011, Shamati #61

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The Book of Zohar talks about the connections between us because there is nothing else to talk about in all of reality. Reality is one. We are inside of the Light, the Creator, the Maker, and we have to reveal our true state.

To the extent that we make attempts to reveal it, we are given the sensation of internal darkness, which we can disperse, cast off, with the help of mutual efforts in the connection between us. With these mutual efforts, we help the Light to become revealed.

This is exactly what we have to do. There is nothing besides our efforts, desire, concern, request, and aspiration to the state of revelation. So what’s the problem? The problem is that desiring this revelation means desiring the state that’s opposite to us. We find ourselves between two aspirations: the natural pull toward ourselves, and the artificial aspiration outwards, outside of us.

Therefore, through different efforts, by any means possible, I have to be inspired by the environment and attain a state where the aspiration outwards will become more important to me than the natural pull toward myself.

If I am able to acquire this importance with the help of the efforts and the request for the Light, for it to become revealed and help me, that means I am able to reveal the connection between us. And to the degree I reveal this connection, I reveal the Light, the Creator. That’s because the Light becomes revealed inside of our connection, but I cannot reveal it—I lack the detector.
[49942]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/1/11, “The Zohar”

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Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”: People divided and separated each of the general actions for itself, meaning strength, wealth, domination, beauty, famine, death, disorder, and so on. They appointed each its own supervisor, and expanded the system as they wished.

I want to attain all kinds of things in life. To accomplish that, I weigh every quality that is good for me and look for nature’s support when trying to obtain it. I ascribe a specific force to nature that will help me. For example, I lack valor, so that means I need the god of war. In order to have a lot of money, I need a god responsible for wealth. That is how I “find” auxiliary forces in nature for myself.

If I don’t succeed in something, then apparently there are bad deities in nature that should be indulged and cajoled so they would respond the same way. The egoistic desire constantly grows and brings me more and more disappointments, while in response a person develops this type of “mythological” attitude to nature, ascribing independence to its different forces and calling them deities.

Humanity has already gone through this stage to some extent by means of religions; however, it is still immersed in superstitions. People believe in all sorts of forces, signs of fortune and misfortune. How does buying a red string differ from making a sacrifice to some god by a “sacred” tree? This is the same thing, the same level.

That is where humanity is in our “progressive” epoch. People began this practice thousands of years ago and they have not changed to this day. In the same way as before, they still believe in the help of special objects that are sold to them and in the effect of monetary contributions that will apparently go directly into the account of a certain god so he would pay back with miraculous help. All of the faiths and religions are built upon these schemes.

Without man’s inner correction, which will lead him to the level of connection with the upper force of nature, everything else is essentially “idol worship,” in the terminology of the science of Kabbalah. After all, I don’t want to change myself, but some external force, so it would become more gracious toward me.

That is how we have successively gone from materialism to faiths, which ascribe a thought, will, and plan to nature. And I seem to be able to change all of this by means of certain external actions. It turns out that a simple ceremony allows me to “modify” the goal and the program of creation.

So what is this god that can be changed? What kind of “almighty” is he if his kind attitude could be bought with “cash”? That is how low humanity’s current level is.

Only if a person obtains forces and uses an entire complex of means to change himself, rising to the level of God, the Almighty, the upper force, then this method is practical, authentic, and correct. Only it is truly realistic. There are simply no other paths besides it.
[49946]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/1/11, “The Peace”

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Question: If I study in a virtual group and do not experience serious obstacles, am I able to form a plea to the Creator based on regular daily corporeal problems at work and at home?

Answer: There is no need to look for disturbances neither in a virtual nor a physical group. Obstacles come by themselves from our desire to truly come closer and unite with one another. Then the problems begin! And if you do not have any problems, connect with the others and start figuring them out.

Disturbances come in accordance with the state. When people hold a distance, problems do not arise between them. We see our world moving closer to democracy. “Democracy” is the biggest deceit, when I become further from you, and you become further from me. And now we almost do not touch one another, and we say that everyone has freedom: “This is mine, this is yours; don’t touch what’s mine, and everything will be fine.”

But this is no order of relationships because essentially, we are not connected with one another in any way! Whatever little we are to receive from one another, we pass it on to each other through some kind of buffer. But in every other way, we do not touch one another at all. And when we don’t, there are no problems—our ego is ready to agree to this, and this is the most convenient option for it. This is why the modern world has come to democracy, the protection of individual rights, and so on.

But if we begin to act like this in a group, we will never attain unity. Democracy will not be able to lead to unity if everything is being done wearing gloves and keeping a distance.

We were able to do this until now. But now, no matter how much we resist, there is no choice: Nature is pressuring us, forcing us to unite and establish a connection. And even though we are still trying to keep a distance and the same democracy, nature is showing us that we are connected with one another. This is where the problems begin!

I cannot get any further! Greater distance is impossible according to the form that nature is showing me. It is showing me that I am connected with everyone else, and at the same time, I do not want to be connected to them. Basically, this is the essence of the modern crisis.

But in the group, we do need to work in the heart. It does not matter whether we are together in one room or behind computer screens in a virtual class. The key is to avoid misleading ourselves about having attained connection. This is a big problem since a person convinces himself, due to the egoism’s defense ability, that everything is fine and he has a sufficient connection with others. He forgets about it completely and experiences many disturbances.

But when we want to figure this out and we do it together, we begin to work with it and reveal the force of evil, which separates us, our hearts. This is no easy work.
[49532]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/28/2011, Shamati #218

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Question: We have the basis of correction: the question about the meaning of life. What basis do the masses have?

Answer: We attribute our question about the meaning of life directly to the lack of unity. The Light is manifested in unity, and therefore, we have to take care namely of our unity. It turns out that the meaning of life for us is to be connected with each other.

As for the others, the meaning of life for them is still in various egoistic goals. At the first stage, they should understand that a means of achieving these goals is unity. By becoming united, they will get what they want.

And then, on the way to this, they will gradually begin to understand, to realize: “Affordable housing is important, but unity is more important.” Then, they will come to correction.

Our explanations start from the point that unity should be used as a proper means to succeed in life. Hence, it becomes clear that we talk about the most important, the best tool that we have. In the language of Kabbalah, this intention is called “Lo Lishma”: We want to use the power of our unity for egoistic purposes.

Then, beginning to appreciate unity, we find in the connection between us an “added value,” which in itself provides a special, incomparable status, an unprecedented feeling. Thus, we reveal the “addition” in unity: We suddenly begin to like taking care of each other; we find a unique charm in mutual bestowal, in mutual guarantee.

This pleasure from mutual bestowal is that very pleasure that the Creator originally desired to give us at the Thought of Creation. Baal HaSulam writes about this in the book Ohr Bahir (The Bright Light) that the purpose of creation is to bring pleasure to His creatures by the Light of mutual bestowal between them and the Creator.
[49557]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/28/2011, “The Peace”

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Shamati #18 “What Is My Soul Shall Weep in Secret in the Work”
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The Book of Zohar – Selected, Chapter “Truma (Donation) 2,” “Three Watches of the Night,” Item 861, Lesson 38
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Talmud Eser Sefirot Part 2, “Ohr Pnimi,” Item 80, Lesson 5
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The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Truma (Donation) 2, “Three Watches of the Night,” Item 861, Lesson 30
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Rav Yehuda Ashlag “The Peace,” “Second Method: Two Authorities,” Lesson 4
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Question: The protest movement in Israel is expanding. What would be the right course for its development?

Answer: Of course, at this stage it is necessary to take care of the average citizen.

But generally, the problem is that the whole world had put great hopes on the middle class. There are simple workers who are satisfied by simple pleasures in life, and opposed to that, there is a higher layer, which comprises a very big part of the population. It includes youth who still haven’t chosen their life path. As a whole, we are talking about people who want to live, to experience the world, and to live a normal life by the modern standards.

However, due to the crisis, which has actually gone on for about twenty years now, the world is starting to lose the impulse of gradual movement. Japan, which once made a gigantic leap, has reduced its turnovers a long time ago. And everyone else is also slowing down and even rolling backwards. These are the systematic processes that correspond to the program of creation, and you cannot do anything about them.

As a result, the middle class is losing hope of a good life and is descending to the level of the simple worker. This was caused, in part, by technologies, and generally, by the new turn of development. But the main reason is that we have found ourselves in a global world and societies are now being permeated by an integral interconnection. Today a family is barely able to raise even one child. All the areas of our lives are immersing in a crisis which demands new investments in order to avoid total collapse.

Thus, the middle class, including students, has no hope for the future. And this is a very big mass of people. For example, in Spain unemployment has enveloped up to 50% of the youth. Upon returning home, graduates of European universities discovered that there is nothing for them to do. They cannot get work or create a family. The time for this has come but there are no hopes. Moreover, they do not see an improvement happening now, nor in several years. They don’t even have a chance to put something away for the future because instead of economic development, we are shifting to a decline.

So what should we do? There is just one way to achieve success at the next stage: by directing the world to integral relationships. This is the only thing that will bring us success in our earthly activities. After all, we are all in an integral system and therefore it is necessary to give everyone the appropriate upbringing. People should be told, “Here’s the country’s budget. This is what we can do. We will gradually correct the situation, starting from the bare necessities, but on the condition that you begin to study.”

People have to be taught about the integral world in a form that’s accessible and clear to them, using examples and obvious illustrations. This learning has to happen over the radio, television, and Internet, through literature, theater, music, and cinema, so everyone would understand what kind of world humanity has entered. It is necessary to make use of culture and arts so people would become imbued with this and would feel where they are.

Then, no matter what we do in the nation and in the world, success will come our way. That’s because our actions will be aimed toward correction. On one hand, we will calm people down, providing them with the necessities, and on the other hand, we will educate them, and a few months later they will become different. They will become aware of what is happening and will start feeling the world’s globality, which does not leave any other solution besides a change in relationships.

When masses of people learn this, the results will correspond to the new conditions because every person is mentally connected with others and everyone influences one another even without saying a word. Besides, this message is heard everywhere. It permeates all of the mass media and conquers the Internet, “Everyone is global and you must also become global. Otherwise you don’t have any chances to succeed in anything.”

Thus, if we are talking about the right way for the social outburst to proceed, then at the next stage everyone will come home from the demonstrations, receive additional means from the government, without which they cannot do for now, and begin studying. This can’t possibly harm them, so let’s see whether the science of Kabbalah is correct. Let’s see whether we will really change as a result and by virtue of that, so will the whole world.

After all, society and the world are a product of our attitude to one another. It’s enough to work on yourself, and everything around will transform as well, becoming more effective and blossoming. So let’s try it, especially seeing that humanity has no other solution.

The problem is us: How quickly will we be able to explain to the nation and the world that this is the salvation? One way or another, all the countries are at risk and the situation will only get worse. No one besides us can give the world an explanation of the reason for the crisis and the way to come out of it. No one will reveal the actual opportunity to change the situation and show that the current breaking point is part of the program of human development instilled in us from the beginning. Kabbalists have discerned this point a long time ago and have described the exact timetable of its realization. So let’s listen to them.
[49863]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/29/11, “One Commandment”

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Question: What can force people to start studying the laws of an integral world?

Answer: They should be advanced by the environment aimed at that direction. Today, you can get people into the streets because of high prices of cottage cheese or housing. When the protest exhausts itself, you will have an opportunity to explain to them what the problems is.

But they will not be able to achieve anything because to meet their demands, the whole country has to be shaken up. It is not easy to begin constructing affordable apartments. Here, you have to break whole systems, carry out laws, and turn everything upside down.

The current situation is contrary to justice, but it is very difficult to correct. Each person is an egoist; each pulls to himself, and as a result, everything will remain as it was. Not a single government, not a single member of parliament is interested in anything else but his own career.

And that is why it is impossible to get anything real from them. They will throw a trifle, the effect of which will be cancelled by other factors. It cannot be otherwise: Such is our world. In reality, people in power are no worse than us, ordinary citizens.

And therefore, our task is to educate the people. General changes among the population will lead to correct changes at all other levels.

You should not think that it will take too much time. If the process unfolds on a large scale, it will gain completely different power. Another law is acting here: the law of a closed system. And the need here is different—the need to live a normal life. But here is a trouble: The modern state is organized in such a way that it does not care about this.
[49564]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/28/2011, “The Peace”

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Question: Is the intention Lo Lishma (for oneself) a necessary step in spiritual advancement?

Answer: Naturally. Every time we discover that we are acting with the intention Lo Lishma, meaning for our own benefit. And then we demand the Light that Reforms, for it to correct Lo Lishma to the altruistic intention Lishma (for the Creator’s sake).

I have 613 desires, and if in any one of them I act for my own benefit, that is called Lo Lishma. However, if I act for the sake of bestowal in this desire, that is already Lishma. We’re dealing with two necessary states, where one is stemming from the other. First the evil inclination is revealed, and then the Torah (spice) corrects it to the good inclination. As a result, the egoistic intention becomes altruistic.

It is written: “There is no righteous man on earth who has done good and did not sin first.” We must come to Lishma from Lo Lishma. And the same goes for the correction of all our 613 desires.

And if I don’t correct my evil inclination, don’t utilize the Light that Reforms according to the method of Kabbalah, I don’t reveal then even my own evil. Whatever bad things I may do in this world, it’s not the same evil that we’re talking about here. If I don’t discover within the intention to receive, I have absolutely no connection with the matter of desire that needs correction. I remain nothing but an “angel.”
[49642]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/6/2011, “Matan Torah (The Giving of the Torah)”

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Question: All strata and sectors of Israeli society are unifying to protest against high housing prices. Are they working in the right direction? What else does such union lack?

Answer: You call this “union,” but I don’t see anything of the sort. In my eyes, there is no real union. It is rather similar to a plot between two men who united in order to beat the third one up, or an alliance of thieves, conspiring to rob a bank. They have great solidarity and really care about each other.

So, from the perspective of Kabbalah, the people chanting slogans on the streets are bonded much like two egoists who want to make some extra money at the expense of the third. They lack a correct form of unity, and therefore they will get nothing. We cannot appeal to them yet, but in fact, we have to explain to them that the union must be integral, for the benefit of the entire nation. It is impossible to act in unison while everyone pursues his own shallow selfish interest. In this case, one will always benefit at the expense of the other.

After all, we have one “treasury” for all, and we can’t use it for our personal needs. If we do, someone else will lack afterwards. So why should you be the one to receive a “gift”?

All this must be taken into account. Today, around the world, such initiatives will meet positive results only on one condition: if we care about the welfare of society and are committed to mutual bestowal. Then we will begin protecting the interests of all layers of society and thereby succeed.

If we don’t think in terms of integration and do not feel concerned for the whole society, we will fail, and no-one will benefit but rabid egoists. But even they won’t gain pleasure from this and will keep limping from crisis to crisis together with everyone.
[49465]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/27/2011, “The Peace”

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