How can we achieve the quality of bestowal, as it is said: “Be merciful as He is merciful”? How can we come to a state of similarity of properties to the Creator? That is what prayer is for.

In my request, I must necessarily realize that if I simply ask the Creator for something, then I am asking for myself, for my egoism, no matter how I twist it. But if I ask through my friends, only in connection with them, then I can ask correctly from everyone in general and for myself.

That is, a person has no opportunity to ask correctly if he is alone. Only if he is in connection with others and asks for the group, including himself but for the group, then his request is to some extent spiritual.

And if he asks for them, they are the goal; he pushes them to the Creator and wants to see them merge with Him because he is like Malchut and they are like the first nine Sefirot, then his request is truly spiritual.

Therefore, we must go through several stages of preparation for prayer in order to ask the Creator correctly.

If we ask incorrectly, He will still hear us, we are in Him, inside Him. But then this field will react to us according to our egoistic desires and push us to greater and greater egoism as it happens when we ask unconsciously.

But with the help of these pushes toward egoism, we will reveal the Pharaoh. It turns out that he is evil and not so kind; we are in exile in him and must get out of this. Then we will begin to ask for others and not for ourselves. And we will see ourselves only as asking, as representatives of all humanity.

We must definitely do this. We must try to understand our request. What is it for: for ourselves, for the group, for all of humanity or for the Creator? If it is for ourselves, even for the group, even for humanity, this may still be an egoistic request, for the Creator too. How can we rebuild all of this in an altruistic way? It is when I really ask for others.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “Turning to the Creator”

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Question: I have heard you say more than once that concealment is an invitation to revelation. How can we use this message in dissemination?

Answer: Concealment is a wonderful state because when a person feels that something is concealed from him, he begins to search and eventually turns to us. That is, concealment determines the stage of creation.

A dog on the street searches for something to find. But the human in us (not the animal) searches for its source. The highest form of searching is for my source: “Where am I from? Why am I here? What is my purpose?” Where do I come from and to what must should I return to?

Thus, our dissemination is in search of darkness and light, and this is what we must awaken in people. A person who approaches us does so with some kind of inquiry, and we must ignite the corresponding questions in them through our initial publications.

However, this should not be done directly but through an alternative approach that ultimately evokes questions about the purpose of or reason for creation, which they will then bring to us.

We need to present materials in such a way that they always spark the next question in a person. In other words, we should not attempt to paint the entire picture in one article. Doing so might leave them confused and unable to piece it all together into a coherent mosaic or correct vision. Instead, we should create something concise, a short article, note, or tweet that leaves them with a question.

We will answer that question, but the answer must also lead to the next question. This step-by-step progression, this way of working with students, is the most reasonable approach. But it is not easy; it is art.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”

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Question: On one hand I have to imagine my friends as perfect, that the Creator resides in them, and that I have to absorb everything in them. On the other hand we must pray for them. What request can I have for them if I imagine they are in a state of perfection, and the Creator fills them?

Answer: On one hand I have to imagine my friends as perfect, be included in them, and remain in them, in their perfection. On the other hand I have to ask and pray for them. How can these two states be reconciled?

Indeed, it is impossible to reconcile them at the same time. Both states happen, and I need to exist in both alternately.

At the congress, I also must see which state I find myself in. But, in general, a congress carries more states of praising the group, the Creator, and the path of our rapprochement.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “Turning to the Creator”

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Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — Lesson on the Topic “Lishma Is Called ‘Truth,’ Lo Lishma Is Called ‘A Lie'”

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Question: You have said that an action has no meaning without the Creator. How can we do every action with the Creator?

Answer: An action without the Creator generally is not considered a reasonable action because instinctively you always relate to Him. The only question is whether it is conscious on your part or not.

A newborn also instinctively feels his mother and his attitude to her. However, he perceives her in such a way that she must supply him with everything he needs in life, and he demands it from her.

Such is our state in relation to the Creator. This is a small state characterized by the fact that we feel that everything depends on Him, we are tied to Him, He is everything for us, and we will be unable to exist without Him!

Do you see how critical we should feel this state within us? This is our life! I receive everything through the small tube of connection between Him and me, but without it there is nothing. This is the beginning of the small state; practically, it is conception, an embryo.

Then these states become more conscious. I understand that I do not simply fully depend on Him, but I can selectively request and receive depending on my attitude toward Him.

Therefore, I analyze my demands and somehow direct them in a special way to the Creator. In accordance with this, I try to receive from Him sequential actions upon me. This is when letters, words, and sentences appear, meaning sequential signals from me to Him and from Him to me. These sensations are the beginning of the spiritual work.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “Turning to the Creator”

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The Torah, derived from the word “Or” (Light), is a method of correction. It is written: “Better they abandoned Me but kept My Torah” ( Jerusalem Talmud, Chagigah 1.7). That means stop praying and asking as the entire world does for egoistic benefit and instead try to request a directed influence from Me so that I may draw you closer to Myself and make you participants in My actions.

That is what the Creator desires from us. To achieve this, we must change ourselves, become similar to Him, and then we will participate in His actions. Not merely participate but actually carry them out as His proxies and instruments. To the extent that our desires align with His, we will perform this work.

At this stage, our work will be called “the work of the Creator.” We will not merely recognize that everything is done by the Creator; we will begin to adopt His actions and perform them. It is not that we will become independent in this state, but we will appear to be so.

This feeling of autonomy is marvelous; it elevates us to a state where the Creator gradually, step by step, entrusts us with the governance of all creation. We will, as it were, govern it in His stead. That is the state of “receiving for the sake of bestowal.”

I believe these states are more or less clear to us theoretically, but practically they can only be realized in a group. This is why the convention is so essential to us. Learning at home and listening to these teachings is not the issue; the challenge lies in attempting to integrate with others and come under their influence despite our egoism.

When I come to a convention, my focus is on whether I can absorb, like a sponge, everything that others possess. That is precisely what I want, not egoistically, but to absorb everything so that I can become like them and reflect back everything I have received. These two actions are what we must strive to perform.

To achieve this, we need to open ourselves. Everything else should be set aside for the duration of the convention. I must include within myself everything that the convention can influence me with, include everyone within me, and strive to fully absorb their aspirations, desires, and everything else.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “Turning to the Creator”

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Question: What is bestowal?

Answer: Bestowal is the sequence of actions where you first completely nullify your own desires and opinions, immerse yourself in the desires of another person, and then apply all your abilities to fulfill or satisfy their desires.

For example, suppose you want to buy a new iPhone, but your mother does not understand why you would spend so much money on another “toy.” You start explaining to her how amazing this phone is, listing all its features: Internet, video, and photos.

Essentially, you are trying to get her to connect with your desires, to feel what you feel, and to admire this new “toy.”

You want her to share your desire for this new phone so much that she becomes “lit up” by it and wishes to gift it to her beloved son. This is called “love for one’s neighbor.”

Similarly, I must feel the desire of the friend and feel obligated to fulfill it with all my abilities, even before fulfilling my own desires. It is as if my personal desires no longer exist within me!
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/24/11, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Introduction to the Book Panim Meirot uMasbirot“

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We are coming to the convention so that this common gathering of people will influence me, an egoist, and I will begin to understand that it is precisely this influence of society that will bring me out of my stupid egoistic, individualistic state, and convince me that I need to rise above my egoism. This is the meaning of a convention.

Otherwise, what is the point? To hear? I can hear it on the Internet too. In fact, it is all just for the sake of feeling the enormous power of your friends. Therefore, let’s try to get together so that this force affects us.

Frankly speaking, this is exactly why I come to a convention. You may say: “Is this a purely selfish, egoistic thought?” Yes, it is an egoistic thought! I hope to get more from you than you get from me. That is why it is said: “I learned from all my students.” This is what the great Kabbalist said two and a half thousand years ago. Such is the impact of the group!

We often return to the example of Rabbi Yossi Ben Kisma, a great Kabbalist! I am nowhere near him! Also, each of his students was many, many times greater than us. It does not matter, he learned from them.

So all the work is just about unification. Therefore, at the convention, try to prove yourself to be as immersed in what is happening as possible. Maximum dissolution! Forget about yourself! Feel others as if they exist within you, in your mind and in your heart. This is already the beginning of the spiritual degree.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “Turning to the Creator”

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Question: What should a prayer be directed toward in Lo Lishma and what should a prayer be directed at in Lishma?

Answer: All prayers must be directed toward the Creator, only to Him. He will respond to one of them, but we do not know in advance which one.

Question: I feel that the Creator hears my prayers, but often I do not know how to align my intention toward love for the Creator through the ten. How can I correctly set this intention?

Answer: Consult with the ten; they will guide you.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/4/25, “Connecting to Lishma“

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Question: Does the power of mutual guarantee cover all of a person’s desires or only one desire, the desire to enter the spiritual world?

Answer: Mutual guarantee means unity, but it is a kind of unity that indicates integrality and active cooperation of all parts.

A machine, a mechanism, also represents a single system, but we do not attribute mutual guarantee to it. After all, a machine is motionless, it does not work, and therefore, does not exist in mutual guarantee.

Mutual guarantee means that each part takes into account the work of all the parts and activates itself in accordance with them. Here we are talking about an action, about the result of unification, about the degree of our integrality, our mutual work, our interaction, and our common movement toward the goal.

Mutual guarantee means that we are interconnected, that we pass information, strength, understanding, desire, upliftment, and awakening to each other.

Therefore if you are in mutual guarantee with others, you have nothing to worry about because they will provide you with everything you need. Everyone provides for everyone, and no one does it for oneself. Each one acts only for the benefit of others. To the extent that I provide for others, they provide me with what I need.

Exactly the same condition is set as the law of life in a living body: each cell receives nutrients from the single organism, and in no other way. In other words, if a body, an organ, or a cell is able to bestow and release forces for the whole, then it has the opportunity to receive life from the whole.

Otherwise, any part remains blocked and sealed. Only by bestowing to others can it receive life forces from them. It works like a piston: it receives and bestows, receives and bestows, and leaves for itself exactly as much as is required to perform this work. This is what life means.

“What kind of life is this?” you may ask. “After all, I only transmit forces, only conduct them further through myself.” However, in this work the Creator is revealed to me, and I adhere to Him. There is nothing in the desires and actions themselves, but they reveal a new depth of attainment.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/24/11, Writings of Baal HaSulam The Arvut [Mutual Guarantee]

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