Lesson Preparation

Lesson on the Topic “Bnei Baruch” – Spiritual Pipeline to the World” (Preparation for the Convention in Bulgaria)

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Lesson Preparation

Lesson on the Topic “Love Covers All Crimes” (Preparation for the Convention in Bulgaria)

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Lesson Preparation

Lesson on the Topic “The Benefit of Moving into a World Ten – Contraction and Expansion” (Preparation for the Convention in Bulgaria)

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Real bestowal is unlike bestowal in our world, which can happen even against our will—out of fear or for another reason. That is not bestowal. Bestowal is when I have no personal benefit or satisfaction from it. A mother takes care of her infant because it is in her nature and she receives contentment from it. But this is not the bestowal that the science of Kabbalah discusses. Spiritual bestowal brings me no reward, no material satisfaction, everything is directed toward the one I want to bestow to.

If we really think about it, we will understand how far we are from true bestowal and what vast distance separates us from it. Feeling the limits of bestowal and trying to keep pushing it further and further each time is beneficial. Thus, through prayer and effort, through work in a group, and through examples shown by the friends, we will advance in order to bring this bestowal out from within ourselves. Obviously, it is quite complicated, but if we make an effort, the light that reforms will come and help us.

This is a whole process because we receive a new, spiritual desire. In the corporeal world, we understand bestowal in relation to our loved ones, out of fear, out of duty, that is, from various egoistic motives. However, through these examples, we can draw parallels to the desire to bestow that is independent of our state, which is further removed from our desire to enjoy.¹

The exercise in expanding the limits of bestowal is the work in a dynamic ten, which keeps expanding and contracting. Thus, we can control the limits of bestowal ourselves: to either expand or contract them. We bestow to the Creator, to the world Kabbalistic group, and to the Creator. We must try to bring it together, which is called “Israel, Torah, and the Creator are one.”

The Creator can only be found inside a spiritual vessel (Kli) and in order to create a Kli, we must become fully integrated into our friends and feel ourselves as one whole. To the extent that we disappear inside this Kli, we begin to transition from feeling ourselves to feeling the group, and from feeling the group to feel the Creator.²

Bestowal in our world takes place for satisfying one’s desire, like a mother taking care of her baby. It can be a lioness, a woman, or a bird, every mother takes care of her young because it is in her nature to do so. But we must feel how the most distant people will become our closest friends. Nature will not obligate us to love them, but only gives us examples of how to care about the whole Kli so that we will care about the Creator from it. I am trying to obtain the will to bestow that I have no desire for so that it will become my intrinsic need, as in the examples of this world, and not allow me to rest.³

This world gives us the ability to perform physical actions against our will. I do not want to work, but I am embarrassed before others so I go to work. Although, as I begin to work, I see the others’ example and get inspired. I want to be like them so that I too would be respected. This is all based on egoistic motives; the whole world operates this way. But if I am a part of a society that aspires toward a spiritual goal, then we are influenced by the upper force that is shining on us and changes us.

Whether I want to or not, I begin thinking about bestowing, unity, the purpose of life, and the goal of creation. By changing the structure of society, we can bring ourselves to a new level of existence. By getting involved in society by means of simple physical actions, I can rise to the spiritual degree since I received the importance of the goal, unity, and efforts.

All thanks to the fact that the upper force dwells in this society. The Creator has purposely gathered those with sparks of spirituality in their souls, people who have a point in the heart. Therefore, even if we unite over physical work for material, egoistic purposes, the upper light begins to affect us and change us in such a way that we begin to feel pleasure from uniting and getting closer to the spiritual goal. At every level, we change our previous material concepts about achievement into more spiritual ones.⁴
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/13/19, Preparation to the Europe Convention

¹ Minute 0:20
² Minute 6:30
³ Minute 9:20
⁴ Minute 13:54

Related Material:
Spiritual Bestowal
What Is Bestowal?
Coefficient Of Bestowal

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Lesson Preparation

Lesson on the Topic “The Benefit of Moving into a World Ten – Contraction and Expansion” (Preparation for the Convention in Bulgaria)

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 94

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Today is a special day—the anniversary of the passing of Baal HaSulam, our teacher, from this world. This is the soul that connects us with the Creator, the man who opened the gates of the wisdom of Kabbalah for the last generation in which we live. Without his teachings, we could not be rewarded with what we have already received and can still receive in the future. The knowledge, the whole approach and methodology, the stages of attainment—all this was prepared for us by Baal HaSulam. Of course, everything comes to us from the Creator, but through this great soul.

One of the reasons that the science of Kabbalah (receiving) has such a name is that it is transmitted from generation to generation. Each student must have a teacher. Only exceptional individuals can, with special help from above, directly reach attainment of the Creator by themselves. Therefore, we must always be connected with the sages who attained spirituality, the great Kabbalists, and thus advance generation after generation.

Here, everything depends on how much a person is able to follow the teacher. Everyone has their own difficulties in this and this is natural because this is how the steps from top to bottom are arranged. It is difficult for the lower ones to overcome their egoism and contact the upper ones. In our world at the animal level, there is no such problem because nature obliges a child to be dependent on adults. But at the human level on which it is necessary to study the science of Kabbalah, this is no longer easy to do. There, we need to bow down and maximize the greatness of the teacher in order to learn from him.

Of course, this is not in order to honor the teacher but only for the benefit of the student. If a student feels himself less than his teacher, then he will be able to lower himself more and receive from the teacher. In the sciences of this world, this requirement is not so categorical because the student must be critical of the teacher and test him. But in the science of Kabbalah, a person cannot attain anything if he has not bowed down before the Creator. And therefore, to the extent to which he bows down to what he receives from the teacher who teaches him from the primary sources that came from teachers of all generations, he gains attainment. Only in this form can a small one receive from a great one.

Therefore, we need to understand what an exceptional and great man Baal HaSulam was. We are obliged to accept all his works, all his legacy, without any criticism and then we can hope that we will begin to connect with his soul and receive through him the upper force from the Creator.
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/10/19, Baal HaSulam Memorial Day

Related Material:
Baal HaSulam
Why We Need To Understand The Greatness And Uniqueness Of Baal HaSulam
Studying According To Baal HaSulam

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Lesson Preparation

Lesson on the Topic “Arvut – The Network of Connection Between Us” (Preparation for the Convention in Bulgaria)

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 91

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Lesson Preparation

Lesson on the Topic “Arvut – The Network of Connection Between Us” (Preparation for the Convention in Bulgaria)

Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Item 89

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If today it is harder for us to concentrate and we do not have the same sharpness of mind and sensations as yesterday, we must be happy about it. It means that additional will to receive was revealed to us, which we need to attach and see it not as a descent but as an advancement in the left line. In our connection, we must overcome this additional egoism and reach a new sensation that is even stronger, deeper, and sharper than the one we had yesterday.

Yesterday we had an incredible sharpness of feeling and understanding and today I am in some dumb state, half asleep. And here we need action, a common effort of all of us together in order to connect even more. The Creator has pushed us away from each other, expanded our Kli, added one more drop of egoism to us, and we must perform contraction. Thus, we will gradually learn to control our expansions and contractions through prayer. We ourselves will want to add a desire  to us in order to later work on it, and so again and again.

Therefore, now we should try to think about everyone and connect everyone in order to quickly bring back at least the same sharpness of feelings and mind that we had yesterday. And it is better to think not about yesterday but about the new state.¹

What is the difference between the Reshimo de Hitlabshut and the Reshimo de Aviut? Reshimo de Hitlabshut is when I can only imagine how the Creator is clothing in me and Reshimo de Aviut is when I already can feel Him and work with Him. Reshimo de Hitlabshut is above my desire and Reshimo de Aviut is within my desire.²

I want to not simply reveal the Creator, I want Him to clothe in our connection. That is, I want to feel the Creator as a correction of the relationships between us: unity, love, connection, mutual help, and warmth, in order to reveal Him in our substance, in our connections.

I want to feel the deficiency for something I absolutely do not need. I have no need to bestow to others, and this is my problem. However, I want to feel the urgent need for bestowal as if I suffer from hunger or thirst. And for me to be filled with the very desire to bestow like the first love that overflows the heart with romantic dreams and does not require anything else.

I want to be sick with love for the Creator, but the problem is that I do not feel any need for Him. The deficiency is the fulfillment, and I want to be filled with yearning, desire, and longing for my beloved.³

Before receiving pleasure, it is necessary to develop a desire for it. Deficiency is an integral part of fulfillment; without deficiency, it is impossible to feel it. Therefore, we must take care of the deficiency. In the corporeal world if I feel the need for love, I connect with the one I love and love fades away. After all, I received what I wanted. Then we even begin to quarrel.

This does not happen in the spiritual world because I do not connect with my beloved. Our connection is determined by the similarity of our qualities: how much He loves me and I love Him. Therefore, our desires do not fade but only expand. The method of constantly increasing one’s love is called the wisdom of Kabbalah. It is a science! The science of receiving, when we receive and want more all the time.⁴
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/13/19, “Preparation to the Europe Convention”

¹ Minute 59:48
² Minute 1:08:00
³ Minute 1:14:40
⁴ Minute 1:24:10

Related Material:
Concentrate on Intentions, Not on Physical Actions
Evolution Of Desires, Part 7
What Is Understanding?

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A person goes through several stages in regard to his efforts to study the science of Kabbalah and their results. At first, I will inevitably relate to my studies according to the rules that I am accustomed to in the corporeal world; that is, I want to gain understanding from my studies and reward for my efforts. We cannot imagine another way because this is how we operate.

As time passes, I become disillusioned with the path, seeing that years have passed and there is no result in sight. I studied many sources: articles, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” Talmud Eser Sefirot (The Study of the Ten Sefirot,) The Book of Zohar, I worked in a group, but I still fail to understand what the correct result should be. I do not evaluate my changes in relation to bestowal, in my attitude toward my friends, or in a closer connection with them, that is, the external indicators of the correction of our broken desires, which we need to connect. Instead, I look for personal gain, which the egoistic nature obliges me to do.

Even if I agree that we must connect, my primal concern is still my personal accomplishment: I want to reveal spirituality, to know and understand it, to see and feel it—it is all about me!

Here, it takes serious effort to reach a true calculation. From bitterness and disappointment, obscurity and misunderstanding of what is happening to me, I begin to make the correct calculation, guessing that the goal is not to attain, but to acquire the properties of bestowal, the desire to connect with others, and love.

When I change the purpose of my work, I begin to move toward a prayer, correctly forming my request to the Creator. If I am after acquiring knowledge, wisdom, and success, as is customary in our world, then everything depends on my efforts. The smarter I get, the more time I put into the work, the more I will succeed. But if I change my goal from material to spiritual, wanting to transform myself from a receiver to a bestower, then the result does not depend on what I do in this world, but rather on how the upper light affects me.

This is a totally different approach. Therefore, I curb my pride and do everything the group requires of me. Because I have no choice—this is the only way one can draw the light that reforms. Only with a prayer can I attract the upper light to myself and truly transform.¹

If one comes to the lessons, is involved in dissemination, and in group work, and teaches, and still feels that each day he is losing strength, at risk of completely breaking away, he begins to criticize the path. But the fact is that he is not evaluating himself correctly. He feels as if he is falling every day, but maybe he is actually ascending? Everything depends on what is measured. He is indignant about not receiving the sensation, the attainment, the understanding. He is looking into his egoistic desires and does not see any fulfillment in them. Why does he feel that this is a loss and not a gain?

This is a great success because another day has passed and I have received nothing for my egoism, and another day, and another. And there will be many more days like this. To what end? What am I trying to achieve? I want to reach despair from my way being wrong, and I should not get that at all.

I must reach complete disillusionment in the calculations that I have made in my desire to enjoy. How is it possible for me to find anything spiritual there? The fact that with each day I see a bigger and bigger zero is help from above. This is how the Creator is showing me that my path is the wrong one. As if He is telling me: “You can keep trying all you want, but you will not achieve anything until you become completely disappointed.”

I have to think carefully: I work with desires to receive, but acquire no spirituality in them. And what is the spiritual reward I am trying to receive? A spiritual reward is love for another to the point of loving the Creator, bestowal, coming out of oneself. Is this what I am striving for? If not, what success can I be expecting?

I need to decide if I want such a reward. If so, I must ask the Creator to change my desire for me, to become a giver like Him, to love others, to connect with others. Only then do I realize that I have never felt further away from this goal.

I look at the friends around me and realize that they are infinitely far from me, as if in another universe. I used to feel them somewhat before, but now I cannot feel them at all, as if they are not people but ghosts. It turns out that I already see my desired and my actual state. I must raise the importance of spirituality. It doesn’t matter if I like this state or not, it is a very important one.

For this, I apply efforts to listen to my friends who are assuring me of the importance of spirituality, and I tell them the same thing. The truth is that I have no idea what it is and do not feel any importance of it. Who in this world finds it important to love his neighbor? Do we have any respect for such idealists? There aren’t any left in our time.

Long ago there were humanists who propagated love for animals, people, and nature. But today we see financial or political gain behind all such calls. We have to work on making spirituality an important goal for us. The more my friends tell me about it, the more I will absorb it and feel it as truly important. I cannot neglect what is important to others. If my environment values the quality of bestowal, I too will value the spiritual world that operates on the basis of bestowal.

It is another realm, the anti-world that runs on the law of bestowal, and I have to draw near it.
We can never use our egoistic desires, mind, feelings, and rationalism to measure spirituality. This is something that exists above us. If you read a clever book to a cat a thousand times, the cat will not get any wiser. But we are susceptible to the light that reforms, which gives a person new, additional desires. One begins to feel spirituality in these new desires.

So, let’s calm down and think of how to attract the light. This is the whole point, and for this we must connect with our friends. I may not want to, I may not love my friends, but there is no choice: If I make an effort to go above my rejection, I will attract the light that reforms and succeed.²
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/8/19, Writings of Rabash, Article 33 “The Felons of Israel”(1985)

¹ Minute 21:45
² Minute 30:45

Related Material:
Without Intention There Is No Result
Striving For The Ideal Connection
Striving For Rest

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