The process of correction is divided into several stages that determine the order of our advancement. If we were allowed to feel now in our vessels of receiving the pleasure that comes from the Creator, that He is good and benevolent, we will never be able to correct them so that they will be in order to bestow. They would understand what pleasure there is in the upper Light and it would be impossible to restrict and to correct them.

So during the first stage, a person must attain faith, which means to acquire the force of bestowal that is born in him by the influence of the Light if he makes efforts in working in the group, yearning for bestowal, to the extent of his understanding of this attribute. Then the force that suddenly obligates him to feel that bestowal is good is gradually stabilized in him.

It seems that he prefers bestowal for egoistic reasons too, but it’s not so. He enjoys the fact that he isn’t selfish. The Light, due to its influence gives him this inclination, such values, that force him to value bestowal. Then a person is ready to perform actions of bestowal for the sake of the actions themselves. He only asks to be able to perform such actions towards those around him.

To the extent that he acquires the force of bestowal, he begins to understand how to work with his vessels, which is called observing the 613 commandments, which means the correction of the 613 desires to which a person’s general desire is divided into. Then, of course, he uses his whole desire only in order to bestow.

To the extent that he can use his own desires in order to bestow, he begins to feel not the force of bestowal anymore, but the force of love. Thus, as a result of keeping the 612 commandments, he reaches the last commandment, the 613^th commandment, love of the Creator.

Then the permanent eternal pleasure is revealed to him by all these commandments, which was the goal of creation, by which the Creator initially intended to fill man.

It turns out that not one step along this path is possible without a person’s deficiency that precedes it. In that a person totally depends on the environment. So to the extent that it directs a person and increases his deficiency for bestowal, he raises his environment so that these deficiencies will be their common goal.
[94394]
From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/30/12

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If there is one desire to receive in us and nothing but that, then we operate like robots. The moment some pleasure illuminates for us, we immediately begin to chase it and the moment we feel sufferings, we try to escape them. It is the natural behavior of every created being: the inanimate, vegetative, or animate.

An ordinary person in our world is no different from animals when it comes to this, because the desire to receive also operates in him, but his desire to receive is simply more sophisticated and confused since a person doesn’t understand where it comes from all of the sudden.

Animals operate according to their natural instincts and there is nothing external that influences them. A person, however, is motivated by attributes such as envy, lust, and honor. He is impressed by the environment that can influence him to value things that are against his nature and which destroy him.

Society doesn’t operate in favor of the individual, but in favor of the general egoistic, broken society. If one person is an egoist, then he simply operates like an animal with his small ego. He tries to get along in this world as well as he can: to build himself a better home, with healthier, more comfortable conditions. He tries to do what is beneficial for his body.

This is how people developed in ancient times. But when their ego grew and forced them to connect, in order to make a greater profit one at the expense of another, this egoistic connection generated a phenomenon called “public opinion.” This environmental effect became harmful for the individual, since not only did the ego grow because of such a connection, but it also took on distorted forms that are far from the natural forms.

It wasn’t a natural connection, but a distorted connection of desires, since when many egoists connect, their desires are opposite to the other desires and it is impossible to understand how they can even connect. So the influence of the environment on each individual brings about such distortions and corruptions of the natural desire, such as: envy, lust, honor, and power.

This is how humanity developed: The individual ego grew, and as a result of the distorted connections of egoists under the negative influence of the social system on every individual, society developed in a direction that is opposite from Holiness, from the corrected state which we eventually have to reach in the future.

Our social values have drawn light years away from the natural human needs… and as a result we all operate according to artificial, egoistic values that only harm us. But we are compelled to operate this way since we are subordinate to the law according to which the environment affects a person.

The whole problem is in the fact that this environment is bad and our big, complex, and distorted ego has mutated in different ways from one generation to another so we don’t even understand that it affects us and leads us in ways that are opposite from the natural correct way.
[94386]
From the 1^st part the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/29/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot” 

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If a person comes to the wisdom of Kabbalah and studies it all the while for himself but not to reach the higher quality, then it closes everything to him. He understands nothing of what happens inside him if he does not tune himself to the connection with the group, if he does not seek correction, to change himself through the upper Light, and if he has no urgent need to change himself.

And at first he performs all the actions completely artificially, and only gradually under the influence of the upper Light this becomes a necessary requirement. But if he does not have the right direction and he does not want to participate in this even artificially, like a child in a game, then Kabbalah becomes poison instead of the “elixir of life.”

Why? Because he becomes even more egoistic. He wants to make money with the help of Kabbalah. He thinks he has already become great and big and he does not need anything else. Such people usually move to the side or open their own groups. But it is good. Everything will eventually become clear.
[94369]
From a Virtual Lesson 11/18/12

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Opinion (Steen Jakobsen, Chief Economist & CIO, Saxo Bank): “Policy makers are finally realising that social tension can overtake much needed reforms and financing needs by virtue of rallying the voters. Note that the groups of people demonstrating across Europe are no longer just unions or public employees. This is now a national issue for many countries. One generation of youth has already been lost, with all the negative consequences expected for productivity, innovation and pure outlook on life. …

“IF – the policy makers ignore this call for ‘change’, then the voters will be radicalised, moving to the extreme left and right politically. We are considering having an Outrageous Prediction for 2013 that include a serious move back to Communism in Eastern Europe and towards more autocratic states in Southern Europe. …

“In times of crisis people go to extremes – and this is now a full blown crisis, as we have a banking, economic, political and social crisis in place. It can’t get much worse actually, which is probably a good thing. … Is it time for change now? I doubt it, but this is a step in the right direction, and it proves, once again, that to create a mandate for change you need to see a serious crisis.”

My Comment: If Europe does not understand its only remedy—integral education—it will split not only into states, but even into smaller formations to match the ego.
[94403]

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The science of Kabbalah should be revealed to a person only when he wants to understand the meaning of life. However, if he doesn’t yet possess this desire, if he’s totally immersed in the life of this world and is only concerned with securing his life for the time of his existence, then there’s no point in telling him about the science of Kabbalah. It isn’t for him and it can only confuse him. Let him continue his egoistic development and not touch upon the science of Kabbalah.

It’s for this reason that the Kabbalists throughout the centuries have concealed this science, waiting until humanity reached a state in its development where it began asking about the meaning of life. We see this now in the great problems of the world, in the comprehensive general crisis that permeates absolutely every sphere of human activity.

This is evident by humanity’s current depressed state, reflected in the number of suicides, and by the fact that the world is on a downslide and can’t do anything about it. Everyone is on a downslide, the elite as well as regular people. There’s a gradual disappearance of the middle class, manufacturing industry is fading; we’re losing interest in life. We don’t know what to do. We realize that there’s a possibility of a third world war, but we view this calmly as though it’s our fate pulling us somewhere, because we realize that we have no strength, no knowledge or even desire to put up any resistance. Alienation and powerlessness reign in the world.

It’s precisely in this generation that the science of Kabbalah must be revealed because from it they will not only understand how to exit the current state, which has left them hopeless, but also to discover what awaits them in the future: an eternal, perfect, whole, exalted state, which is billions of time greater than anything we could ever feel in this world.
[94283]
From the Virtual Lesson 11/18/12

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Question: Why do we devote all of our attention to the dissemination factory? When will we devote our attention to the most important part, the spiritual work?

Answer: We have to be concerned with the factory because we must study the consumer: what is best for him; what’s the best way to disseminate the material to him, to serve him, and so on. You become involved with the outside world and therefore have to sort out a thousand different questions regarding communications and dissemination. However, what questions can there be in a group if we have love? If there is love, then there are no questions. Then the problem is that there’s no love. Attain love and there won’t be any questions.

After all, the questions arise from egoism. “How should we organize everything? Maybe we should separate or maybe join together? Is there a place here for women or not?” When there’s an understanding of the goal and that it is reached together, then there are no more questions. That is why we should elevate above our egoism, and all questions will naturally disappear.

Are you following the lead of the Creator or egoism? What is driving you? You must be aware of this and then everything will be easy. I have a lot of problems with our world Kabbalah factory, from morning to evening there are meetings, deliberations, and so on. In my opinion, when it comes to the group, there shouldn’t be any questions.

The relationship between friends should be aimed only toward love. I don’t want to talk to my friend about anything other than the love between us and the exaltation of the Creator, because precisely in this regard, he is my friend. And if not, then there’s nothing to talk about. Try to be specific. That way your time and energy won’t be wasted on irrelevant things, everything will move forward, and you will see yourself advance.
[94196]
From the Virtual Lesson 11/11/12

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Question: What is the difference between exile and the state of Lo Lishma?

Answer: A person feels that he is in exile after having been on a high level, and so he can understand that now he has descended into exile. Exile is a descent, after a person has understood something, felt something, has been in contact with the Creator, now he feels that he is detached from all this at least to some extent.

The levels of the forefathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, about whom the Torah tells us, are the levels of understanding, attainment, the feeling of bestowal, the attributes of the Creator, His revelation. While the descent into the exile in Egypt is already the hardening of the heart, which is felt after a person has attained a state called the “forefathers” (the most initial state).

While Lo Lishma is the initial level of a person who studies and tries to rise above all the states he feels, he is still in his egoistic intentions. He dreams about attaining bestowal and feels the value of this attribute and wants to detach from himself. But he wants this detachment for himself too, feeling how good it will be. This feeling of yearning for bestowal but still acting for his own good is called Lo Lishma.

But it is on condition that he values bestowal not because it helps him detach from the corporeal troubles or in the hope of receiving some spiritual reward or achievement. He wants to be in bestowal because this is how the Light operates on him. A person doesn’t even know what it means to be in bestowal. But new attributes are born in him and such vessels and inclinations are stabilized, which force him to value bestowal. He doesn’t even know where it comes from, but it is the result of the influence of the Light that Reforms.

Then this inclination becomes more and more conscious and a person begins to hold on to it by himself. Eventually he reaches a state in which he only wants bestowal, by cutting himself off from all personal interests.

In order to do that, a person must go through the hardening of the heart many times and encounter many obstacles. He is shown that there are things in life that are dear to him and from which he cannot detach himself, to what extent he still worries about them and cannot ascend above his egoistic love for some people or passions for different phenomena. At the same time, he sees to what extent he cannot ascend above his hatred towards someone or something.

The Light helps him clarify this, and eventually by much work and praying, a person tries to ascend above all that and nearly reaches bestowal. Then the upper Light completes this level for him, as it says: “I have labored and I found.”

The main thing is to hasten his advancement by intensively working in the group. Everything depends on the environment.
[94142]
From the 1^st part the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/27/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Question: Should we imagine the future state of the world group as an ascent above all contradictions, or as a state of harmony and wellbeing?

Answer: There will be no harmony!

Egoism will never get a single fulfillment. Malchut of the World of Infinity will remain dark and empty. Tzimtzum Aleph (the first restriction) doesn’t disappear, change, or return; it remains. Above this black emptiness, a new Kli, a new vessel, a new desire, is formed that functions only for bestowal. I never will receive any fulfillment with my egoistic desires. They all will remain empty and dark, and I will receive fulfillment above them in the quality of bestowal.

This is why our game differs from all other methods. Right now, we are playing the future world. Like the quote of Kozma Prutkov, “If you want to be happy, be so,” and do it all now.

Draw the picture of the upper world, and be in it. When you imagine everything this way, which is called “faith above reason,” you begin to need it to actualize. This action constitutes a prayer, when you wish for what you imagine to become reality, and, then, it happens.
[94028]
From a Virtual Lesson 11/11/12

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Opinion (Steen Jakobsen, Chief Economist and CIO, Saxo Bank): “We have been surprised how little impact the strikes on the streets of Greece, Portugal and Spain have had on policymakers. But this is finally changing: Eurogroup considers direct transfers to Greece.

Policy makers are finally realising that social tension can overtake much needed reforms and financing needs by virtue of rallying the voters. Note that the groups of people demonstrating across Europe are no longer just unions or public employees. This is now a national issue for many countries. One generation of youth has already been lost, with all the negative consequences expected for productivity, innovation and pure outlook on life. …

“What comes next is one of two things: Radicalisation – Fascism & Communism?

“IF – the policy makers ignore this call for ‘change’, then the voters will be radicalised, moving to the extreme left and right politically. We are considering having an Outrageous Prediction for 2013 that include a serious move back to Communism in Eastern Europe and towards more autocratic states in Southern Europe. …

“In times of crisis people go to extremes – and this is now a full blown crisis, as we have a banking, economic, political and social crisis in place. It can’t get much worse actually, which is probably a good thing.”

My Comment: But is it possible to cause the necessary need for change not by suffering, not by crisis, but by increasing awareness of the need for change long before it manifests itself, according to the rule “The wise see beforehand.” The wisdom of Kabbalah encourages this by offering the method of how to change man and society long before nature forces us to do so by suffering.
[93830]

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If we stayed at the still, vegetative, or animate level of nature, we would follow all the laws of nature instinctively. But there are desires on a higher level within us and in them we don’t feel an obligation to act in a certain way. Things become unclear.

This is felt especially in our times. Throughout history men in society rose according to the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature; we developed gradually, in stages, not thinking about who or what we are, or where we’re headed. We were pushed forward by different urges and they all brought us to one simple clarification: How do we make the most of the current state? In other words a person keeps the laws of nature in a more or less organized way relative to animals because of conditions that are much more complicated. Accordingly, there are wise men who know how to take advantage of these conditions for the benefit of their ego and others have to “settle for less.”

But today we are losing the ability to advance this way. I would like to advance as I used to, to choose what’s best for me, but these attempts never succeed. It’s as if another element has appeared in my perspective which is concealed for the time being, as if someone who is invisible constantly puts sticks in my wheels. I want to fix the financial system, the economy, education, the family, but nothing works out. I’m very logical, I have scientific data, I have experts and advisors, but I can’t arrive at anything. So, what’s going on?

A new dominion is revealed here, a new law that has been unknown until now. We have to learn it, but it’s obscure and incomprehensible. What’s more, that which is gradually being revealed about this law is something that we don’t want to accept. We want to carry on like before and to succeed in everything that we do, and instead we have to agree to a condition that will turn our egoistic nature around. The condition is that we are connected and that if we make a decision it has to be in everyone’s favor. Here we stop, not knowing what to do, throwing our hands up in despair.

This is the state we are in today, like slaves in Egypt who “have a new king,” we feel that there is a new dominion. Previously the ego helped us advance in spite of obstacles; we conquered nature and space, we took care of ourselves in different ways and suddenly we despair of everything. It has been several years now that we don’t find the old goals attractive anymore. Why? Because our instincts tell us: There will be no compensation for our egoistic desire here.

It’s as if I am going to make a million dollars now, but there is man with a gun in my way. “You are going to make a million,” he tells me. “But you will leave yourself only a thousand and bring all the rest of the money to me.”

I have to make an effort worth a million dollars and I only receive a small part “to cover expenses.” But my desire doesn’t provide me with enough fuel for this work. So what can we do?

It’s either fear that will force me to do it or I need to see that the man with the gun is my best friend, my dearest friend, my closest friend. Then I’ll be ready to receive only a thousand dollars to cover my basic needs and I will gladly leave him all the rest. What’s more, I will thank him, since without his gun I would have continued to take for myself. Thus I reach something new and am happy to give you what I have made, since by that I get closer to you and to the new goals that are revealed to me.

How much does a person have to go through until he reaches the recognition of this state…?
[93715]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/22/12, Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot

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