Question: We have groups and tens in our community. What should a group consist of? Are there any key elements that characterize it?

Answer: A group means several subgroups or tens. Ten is a minimal association, what is called a Minyan, there is nothing smaller than it in spirituality. This is the HaVaYaH, a unit, a cell.

Our current task is to reach a state where we unite into such a ten. Then we will represent a unit that exists in spirituality; until then, we do not exist.

When there are many such units gathered, they represent a spiritual body. But this is already a great achievement. If such a state manifests itself in our time, it will be a tremendous accomplishment.

And a final correction occurs when all the tens that should gather from the shattered soul of Adam unite together into a single spiritual body called Adam. Therefore, a group means at least a few tens united by a common aspiration.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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Question: A couple of years ago, right after a congress, my friend and I had a big fight. We had such mutual hatred between us that we still cannot overcome it. What could you advise to overcome it?

Answer: Rise above it. You have to imagine that this is not your hatred, but something that is given to you so that you can overcome it together.

I have a student who periodically quarrels with his boss at work, and the boss threatens to fire him every time, although he is a very good specialist.

Once he came to me and said: “Probably, the boss will fire me after all. But I can’t do anything about that. I do not agree with him. What should I do? If I get fired, I will feel bad, but I cannot stay with him either.”

Then I told him: “As your spiritual teacher, I order you to go to him and say: “I hate you one hundred percent. But I have a teacher whom you know, and he ordered me to make peace with you and love you.” Since then they have been wonderful friends again.

We need to act the same way because, at each degree, we will uncover mutual hatred to rise above it into love. Hatred again, then love again. Hatred again, then love again. And that is how we rise.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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How do we correctly use obstacles that arise? Basically, we should not wait for them. It is best when we evoke them; that is, we artificially want to get closer to each other as much as possible, and in doing so, we strive to get closer to the Creator.

Naturally, in this case, we will feel rejection from each other, some obstacles, even major ones. It is the preferred path when we rush forward to the connection between us, although it causes us all sorts of problems.

But we do not fear them, we understand that it is precisely with pressure on ourselves and each other to unite that we can bring these obstacles closer ourselves. In this way, we can solve them actively and quickly, thus shortening our path. Then we have something with which to turn to the Creator for help, and will quickly complete the path of movement between ourselves and toward Him.

What do you mean, between ourselves and toward Him? By getting closer to each other, we create a place in which we want to feel the Creator, and He reveals Himself in this place in the connection between us.

Therefore, you should not wait for problems to come because if a person does not strive for connection, they may not manifest for years. But when one strives for unity, even artificially, not because of his desire, but simply because it is necessary, then this problem arises and becomes apparent. By invoking it, he begins to need the Creator’s help and thus advances.

It is called the “path of the Torah,” the “path of light,” when a person himself awakens obstacles, like an old man who walks bent over and searches as if he has lost something. This is how he accelerates his path because he asks the Creator to help him find what he lacks—new desires and their overcoming.

That is, both in the left line and in the right line, he needs the help of the Creator and turns to Him all the time. In this case, his path is fast, short, and rational.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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Comment: I go through different states during lessons of fear, hatred, and joy.

My Comment: These are very good states. You must go through them because this is the Creator speaking in you. In no way should you avoid these feelings by dismissing any of them.

It is through them that one must hold on to the Creator and figure out: “Why does He make me feel this way? What for?”

But the most important thing is that you accept everything as coming from the Creator, whether bad or good, pleasant or unpleasant.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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Comment: We have a small group where every member is invaluable. We deeply cherish each one. From the outside, it may seem like we maintain a certain gentlemanly decorum, that we don’t take off our white gloves. But, in my opinion, not taking those gloves off requires a great deal of inner work.

My Response: Then you will remain at the animal level. By avoiding conflict among yourselves, you avoid ordinary, everyday, and more importantly, spiritual challenges. Essentially, you stay at the zero level, like little children. You do not have an awareness or disclosure of egoism between you. I understand it may feel better to live like this rather than risk disagreements and separation. But you need to move forward somehow.

Therefore you need to strictly monitor that your gentlemanly relations remain friendly and loving, and at the same time combine them with the revelation of a common aspiration toward the Creator, which will cause all sorts of challenges that you will need to resolve together. Moreover, since you are afraid of splitting apart, it is essential to monitor this process closely.

I understand your concerns, but there is no alternative. You must keep striving to grow closer to one another, repeatedly, even in the face of various obstacles. And then you will incorporate these obstacles into an even greater closeness between you.

And how can you grow closer? Only by rising above the obstacles, in spite of them. This is what is meant by the right and left lines.

Comment: I can see how there is an internal struggle in my friends. A person clenches their teeth, wants to speak their mind, but puts all their efforts into keeping their gloves on.

My Response: That is very good. And you shouldn’t remove them. Each person, on an animate level, should understand that they criticize others because of who they are, and at the same time strive to come closer to others despite the tendency to maintain gentlemanly relations.

When you attempt to draw even closer, true spiritual challenges, rejections, will arise between you that you will have to rise above.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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Preparation to the Lesson

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1st part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of Ten Sefirot,” Item 132

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2nd part of the Lesson — Lesson on the Topic “On the Verge of Lishma“

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3rd part of the Lesson — Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Vol. 1, Part 1, “Inner Observation,” Chapter 8, Item 30

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Selected Highlights

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Question: Is the correct prayer made up of thoughts, actions, feelings, or all of these together?

Answer: When a person asks from the heart, he does not make a calculation: 20% of thoughts, 30% of feelings, 20 to 30% of experiences. He simply asks from the heart.

Question: How can a ten come to one united prayer? We are all different. We all came to Kabbalah at different times, and each one has his own opinion. One wants to study, another wants to pray, a third wants to answer, one hisses at the other: “Be quiet, I can’t hear the teacher,” and so on.

Answer: It is precisely this discrepancy between people in the ten—when one is in one state, the other is in another, and the third is in a third—that gives the correct result. This one wants to pray and that one wants to study; this one wants to disseminate and that one believes that the most important thing today is to make a film for dissemination.

Each one has his own states, so everyone should understand that merging them into a single direction toward the Creator will bring the correct result. Each one from his own point.

So there is no need to worry that all people are different. They will always vary more and more in the ten. But if they strive toward the Creator, then He unites them together.

That is why it is said: “In Him our hearts will rejoice,” meaning in Him we unite. This is very important. We will not be united until we are incorporated into the Creator.

Comment: But when I look at others, I see that they are not in the Creator.

My Response: We do not check who is in the Creator and who is not. We all strive toward the Creator, each one as much as he can and in his own way.

If we try to unite outside of Him, it means a unification of egoists, and nothing will come of it. The Creator will make us even greater haters of each other. But if we try to unite in Him into a single whole, then we will succeed. Simultaneously with the feeling of unification, we will begin to feel the Creator and reveal Him in the connection between us.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, Questions and Answers

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“What does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear Me?” (Rabash, Assorted Notes, 31, “How I Love Your Teaching”).

This means that a person feels stress, like before an exam when the examinee is asked and must give an answer. He understands that his future depends on this answer. This state is called “awe.”

Question: What does it mean that a Kabbalist is in awe of the Creator?

Answer: A Kabbalist feels he still does not meet the expectations of the Creator, and therefore trembles. It is like he is passing an exam to see if he meets the Creator’s aspirations.

After all, the Creator wants you to be successful students, to understand the Torah and its laws correctly, and to try to implement them in your relations.

Question: How can we create a feeling between us that we are genuinely standing before the Creator right now, that He is watching us, that we feel it, and are under strain?

Answer: It depends on the person, on how seriously he takes the Creator’s attitude toward him, and on his response to the Creator.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/10/24, Writings of Rabash “How I Love Your Teaching”

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Question: It is said that “The Creator is good and does good.” But you are saying that the Creator is both good and bad. How should I envision the Creator?

Answer: That is an excellent question. After all, is there anyone else besides Him? There is nothing in the world except the Creator, the only one, who is kind, positive, and loving. So where do all the evil, hatred, and suffering come from? They stem from the concealment of the Creator. Only from that.

Therefore, the Creator said: “I created evil.” This means, “I created concealment of Myself.”

This concealment is what we must remove, and we can do so only through the connection between us.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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Question: It feels like we have run against some kind of wall. The evil inclination has already been revealed, beyond this wall lies the Torah, but breaking through it seems impossible. And we are running in circles, lending shoulders to one another to try and climb over the wall, ready to dig underneath it, helping our friends. This even fills us with pride: “Yes, it is hard work, but we are doing something important.” How do we stop running in circles and simply ask the Creator to let us through?

Answer: You have actually answered your own question.

Question: The problem is that the evil inclination clouds our consciousness.

Answer: Well then you have something to work against.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/28/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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