Question: How can I keep myself in the group although I feel that I hate them?

Answer: It isn’t terrible. Everyone experiences this hatred. See what it says about Rabbi Shimon’s students: such great people and what hatred was revealed among them. We need to look at it as a doctor treating an illness, and to treat it as a given fact not blaming anyone.

We have to accept the hatred as natural and essential, and we have to live with it. We have to know our nature and at the same time try to rise above it and build the spiritual relationships between us.

Wherever our mutual work with the help of the Light takes place above our ego, this is where we treat the hatred as a doctor treats a patient. When a doctor examines a patient, he doesn’t take his personality into account, but rather examines the illness and cures it. This is how we should act.

The ego is given to us from Above so that with its help, above it, we will build this connection with one another. If you don’t feel the hatred of friends inside you—you simply haven’t discovered it yet.
[67936]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/29/12, Writings of Rabash

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In the News (from Daily Mail Online): “Anonymous baby drop boxes have been introduced for the first time in Russia.

“The Krasnodar Territory in south Russia bought five of the so-called baby drop boxes in the beginning of November so mothers could drop off unwanted children anonymously.

“The first three were installed in Sochi, Novorossiysk and Armavir, and by the end of the month one child had already been left.

“The move was aimed at providing sanitary conditions for unwanted children, instead of ‘having them left in garbage containers’, health officials told Ria Novosti.

“The move mirrors steps taken in South Africa, where anonymous ‘baby safes’ were introduced by a children’s charity in Spring last year.”

My Comment: As the prophets predict, in the future, unless we correct our nature, we will reach a state when we will “utilize” the newborns, up to consuming them as a healthy product for food. This is what our developed egoism will bring us to.
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Question: Does the notion of “egoism” imply a certain desire or the realization of this desire? For example, I wish to take something from someone—this is my desire, I can work with it. But it is a whole other thing if I actually take it from them.

Answer: We are not talking about the action, but the actual intention. When you wish to take something from someone, realize something at the expense of another, and receive pleasure from it, for your own sake, to the detriment of others, this is egoism. But simply enjoying something is not egoism.

Egoism is when our actions are directed at pleasing ourselves and hurting others by doing it: people, nature—no matter whom or what.

Virtually any action that we perform is egoistic. It is always either realized in balance with nature, society, and people or against them since we do not exist on our own like in a vacuum, but in the surrounding environment.

I must always think about my kind attitude towards others, and this primarily comes during the upbringing process. My attitude towards the animate, vegetative, and the still world, my attitude towards all of nature, and the entire Universe becomes completely different: benevolent, compassionate.

We begin to understand and perceive forces and layers that are concealed from us in the past, in nature, and in the surrounding space. We reveal the matrix, the design of nature, its inner meaning, its plan, where we exist and develop against our will. A person reaches the level of realization of his own participation, fate, destiny, and purpose.
[67690]
From a “Talk on Integral Education” #7, 12/14/11

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Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of The Ten Sefirot“: One concealment means that he believes in the Providence of reward and punishment. Yet, because of the accumulation of the suffering, he sometimes comes to thoughts of transgression.

The egoistic desire pressures a person and the slight revelation of the Creator’s posterior isn’t enough for him. But he still restrains himself as much as he can.

This is because even though he believes that the suffering came to him as a punishment, he is still like one who sees his friend from behind, and might doubt and mistake him for another. And these sins are only mistakes, since, as a whole, he does believe in Providence of reward and punishment.

So what are these states? Suppose a person’s egoistic desire weighs 100 kg and the Light gives him only 50 kg of power of resistance. If we subtract the 100 kg of evil from the 50 kg of the power of the Light, the result will be minus 50 kg. These 50 kg of the ego operate inside a person and lower him to the level of mistakes. If all the 100kg of the ego were set loose in us, a person could find himself on the level of sins.

If I am totally under the control of my egoistic desire, it is the level of sins. Here all my vessels, the ones that receive and ones that bestow, operate with the intention of in order to receive. But if some of my vessels can restrain themselves fearlessly, then I am on the level of mistakes. It all depends on the revelation of the Creator, on the way He appears to me.

This mechanism doesn’t work in our world. Here only the threat of a blow to the ego restrains us: whether it is the feeling of shame, or whether our pride may be hurt, or even physical harm. On the other hand, in the spiritual world the punishment is the inability to bestow. The threat of the inability to bestow restrains a person.

On the whole, it all depends on how much the Light influences me, in how many of my vessels I want It to bestow. Accordingly I am on the level of a “righteous” or an “evil person.”

Do I have free will here? It depends on whether I can demand that the Light will influence me as much as possible.

For example, I have a “cruel” egoistic desire that weighs 100 kg and I am ready to correct it only by 10 kg because I simply cannot ask for a greater correction; I can’t resist all the pleasures and put them under the intention of bestowal. Even when I am incorporated in the group, I am not ready to get rid of all my egoism. At the most, I am ready to “cut the edges,” to get rid of the “excess fat,” and not more than that; that’s all I can ask for. So what’s next? Will my request be accepted in such an egoistic manner?

Everyone should try and answer this question by himself.
[67602]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/25/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Opinion (from The Independent): “The British people are becoming less honest and their trust in government and business leaders has fallen to a new low amid fears that the nation is heading for an ‘integrity crisis.’

“Lying, having an affair, driving while drunk, having underage sex and buying stolen goods are all more acceptable than they were a decade ago. But people are less tolerant of benefits fraud…

“The ‘integrity problem’ is likely to get worse because young people are more tolerant of dishonest behaviour than the older generation. The new centre will look at issues arising from recent scandals such as phone hacking, MPs’ expenses and the banking crisis.

“Trust levels in MPs from all parties slumped by 36 points to 4 per cent after last summer’s riots. People also lost confidence in the young and the police. Only 29 per cent of people believe the Government is doing the right thing, while 38 per cent trust businesses and a surprisingly low 42 per cent trust non-governmental organisations.”

My Comment: Obviously, only education can change society! A person is a product of the society in which he lives and develops. The only way to effect change in the world is to create a correct environment.
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Question: Why was there a need for the great move of all the worlds, when all the worlds rose together with Adam HaRishon (first man) on the evening of the sixth day of creation, if later on he sinned and fell even lower than the place where he was born?

Answer: After the sin of Adam HaRishon, all the worlds descended to the same place they are now, which is the world of Nikudim. Yet, as a result of all the ascents and descents, the environment where the souls are was created. From this point onward, the souls are placed in a world, in an environment, and thanks to that environment they can exist.

The levels of the inanimate, vegetative, and animate of the worlds, the worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya (BYA), allow the souls to exist in a “beastly form” and provide them with the necessary conditions for living. But after a person receives life, he can reach the existence of the soul on the level of the speaking in addition to the inanimate, vegetative, and animate levels. In order to do that, the souls have to connect, and then they build a network between them.

At first the worlds rise without a person’s participation according to the plan of creation. There is a plan called Beito (in its time) that ticks like clockwork and is fulfilled step-by-step like the movement of the hands of a clock. You can hasten the plan if you wish, and make the clock tick faster, but you have to make extra efforts for that. There is a preliminary plan, and everything moves according to the plan of creation and returns to its root.

The world of Atzilut by itself is Galgata ve Eynaim. If I insert Galgalta ve Eynaim into Awzen, the result is the world of Beria; if I insert the world of Atzilut into Hotem, the result is the world of Yetzira; if I insert it into Peh, the result is the world of Assiya. So the worlds of BYA are a copy of the world of Atzilut in Awzen, Hotem, and Peh (AHP), that is the incorporation of the attributes of Bina and Malchut. This is how the worlds of Beria, Yetizra and Assiya, which are the environment of Adam HaRishon, were created.

Now man is in the desire to receive in which there are different attributes of bestowal, different attributes of life. These attributes of life have no free will, and there are only levels of the inanimate, vegetative, and animate. It is exactly like in our world, where there are levels of inanimate, vegetative, and animate nature, which exist and are active around a person, creating for him an environment in which he can live.

We live by the world of Atzilut, by the Creator’s attributes that are around us in the natural forms of the inanimate, vegetative, and animate! Thanks to this we exist. But if I don’t want to exist by the level of the inanimate, vegetative, or animate, but rather by the level of the speaking, which is the world of Atzilut itself: I have to rise to it.

Then from the worlds of BYA, I collect the information about the meaning of life, from the attribute of bestowal (Galgalta ve Eynaim) that is incorporated in the attributes of receiving (AHP). I want to join the force of the attributes of bestowal (Galgalta ve Eynaim) and I express my desire for that by my attempts to connect the shattered parts and to raise them to the world of Atzilut.

I don’t raise the shattered parts of the desire to receive to the world of Atzilut, but only the shattered parts of the desire to bestow, the points in the heart that were separated from each other by the desire to receive (AHP) that entered them. I want the Light to come and to connect the points in the heart on top of the desire to receive. Then they will begin to work mutually with AHP. This means that I raise AHP to Galgalta ve Eynaim.
[57758]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/16/11, “Study of the Ten Sefirot“

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On the spiritual path a person discovers terrible egoistic desires which show him how deeply he is in receiving. Then his attitude towards others is described as mistakes. Baal HaSulam writes about this in the “Introduction to the Study of The Ten Sefirot“: “With this we understand the words of our sages: that one who repents from fear is rewarded with his sins becoming mistakes.”

First the egoistic desires are revealed to a person as sins, and now he passes them to the level of mistakes, to an easier level. On the whole, the correction is always gradual: First we raise the desire to the level of Bina, and then to the level of Keter. First, in the level of Bina, we neutralize the desire.

We cannot bestow with it yet, but at least we don’t let it cause harm. At the same time, we are in single concealment, while before we were in a double concealment: “that the sins one makes extend to him from the reception of Providence through double concealment.”

If both the face and the posterior of the Light are concealed, I am in a double concealment. Then I have to sin because I am under the control of my egoistic desire, the desire to receive in order to receive, until a Light appears from Above and corrects my desire.

But there are states in which the Light is concealed. It is present, but it doesn’t correct. This is single concealment. The presence of the Light still makes me fear to receive: it is as if it warns me, guards me, and keeps me on the level of mistakes, but not sins.

But if the Light is totally concealed and doesn’t deter me, then I lose control and am under the domination of my egoism, which does whatever it wants with me.

On the whole, I am between the force of bestowal and the force of receiving. The account is very simple: Which of the two forces pressures me more strongly? If the force of the Creator, the force of the Light, influences me more strongly, then I will undoubtedly bestow. But if the force of the Light is weaker, then I will undoubtedly carry out the orders of my egoistic desire and move on to the level of “sins.”

It is the same with us: If society, the police, or the family hold me and prevent me from doing bad deeds, then I am okay. But if there aren’t such restraining factors, I begin to “go wild.” One way or another, there is no choice: A person is under the influence of one of the forces.
[67606]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/25/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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The difference between male and female, between the Creator and the creature, is their oppositeness. We don’t even understand these contradictions. Whatever is natural for the male, can be expressed in the nature of the creature only in the intention, which he gained through his efforts.

The nature of the Creator (Zeir Anpin) is bestowal, and in the creature (Nukva) bestowal can only be in the intention. And if this intention is correct, then the bestowal occurs by the fact that it receives, and the more the better.

That being the case, the spiritual Kli (vessel) that we must develop is found above the desire, in intention. Thus, we don’t understand how it is possible to calculate it.

When a person begins to study, after a certain time he sees that there is a mountain before him and on its peak is the temple of the Creator, the place he must reach. However, the more he advances towards this, the more he is rejected by it and the more confused he becomes. In this way, the knowledge of the Torah is opposite to the knowledge of the landlords. Indeed, whoever advances with the help of his ego constantly strengthens his powers, his knowledge, his security, his understanding, and he feels more support.

However, whoever really tries to climb the mountain of the Creator needs to detach more and more from the stable ground, thus he experiences more confusion and lack of understanding. He needs to accept this rejection specifically as assistance that he needs in order to build his spiritual vessel, the female, Nukva, to be similar to bestowal, the male, the Creator, making an example of Him.

The difficulty in real advancement is that it isn’t compatible with our common understanding, but demands from us to convince ourselves and to accept the conditions placed on man by the Creator. It is the only way to progress.

Therefore, on the way to the temple, uncompromising guards and police constantly appear with greater strength and power, and they throw a person from the height he has reached. Indeed, each time a person reaches some kind of change in himself, he begins to understand it. This understanding destroys his spiritual vessel because it lies entirely in faith above reason! Understanding erases it.

And in order to help us not to get caught up in our knowledge, but to advance more and more in faith above it, we are thrown from the mountain and are forced to begin again from zero. But each time we reach a greater height. This means that we are able to renounce our ego, in one way or another, with the help of the Light that reforms.

Thus, until there is nothing left for the person and he completely rises above his desire to receive, he will reach real devotion. Then his desire (feminine Nukva) will invert from its outer form to be completely similar to the male nature, to the inner attribute of the Creator, and will merge the male and the female. Our desire will externally clothe in the Creator.

The ascension is concealed with subjugating ourselves and receiving the form of bestowal. If I am prepared for anything that comes to me from Him and agree to annul myself, then I can become His outermost clothing. And then from Him will come bestowal in the form of the surrounding Light and will begin to build me anew. This is what is spoken about, when each day the Nukva becomes a virgin again, and the Creator builds from it a new Kli. This means that the form of bestowal builds from a person the desire that is suitable to it, the correct intention.
[66708]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/17/12, Writings of Rabash

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Question: How do we prepare for the convention in the desert as it says, by “cancelling ourselves completely.”

Answer: First, you have to figure out what it means, “to eliminate oneself.” Does it mean to stop existing? What will happen afterwards?

“I”: This is my reason, emotions, mind, and heart. If I am deprived of them, only my corporeal body would remain. So, what’s next? My intellect and emotions do not depend on me either. This is the way I was born and brought up; I was carved into some form: Is this me? Is this what I really am? What can I eliminate here? Where is the “I” that I am rejecting?

If you don’t sense that you have anything to cancel, but if you are working through the group to cling to the Creator (as it is written: “from love of creatures to love of the Creator”), and if you discover rejection and hatred, then you know what to eliminate. This is what we call “I,” the revealing of its true essence, resistance, and unwillingness to connect with others.

It is the force of shattering that hides in me, the same Reshimo, the information that descended to me after the shattering occurred. Formerly, I used to be connected with others; now I detect my former connection and make sure that it still exists. Depending on whether I feel connection with others or not and whether I still possess a desire to connect or not, I start to elucidate my broken Reshimot (informational genes).

My discovery that I am in opposition to others is the first revelation of the Pharaoh. However, if I don’t apply effort I’ll never discern it. Maybe I haven’t come to Egypt yet, or I am already there but my “seven years of abundance” are not over yet? So, I still enjoy common meals, assemblies of friends, pleasant surroundings, and spending time with my loving friends.

When the seven years of abundance are over, problems, troubles, arguments, and disagreements emerge, but a person realizes that this is given to him on purpose and he doesn’t try to run away from them. He tries hard to overcome his detachment, hatred, and contempt towards his surroundings.

At this point (if the person doesn’t abandon the path,) he starts realizing the importance of such conditions and understands that there is no choice and it is the way it should be.

Now, he finds himself directly across from Pharaoh. It is all about internal work that cannot normally be traced from outside. It’s a whole period of effort and realization of the fact that there is nothing he can do about it because it is the Creator who reveals the force of shattering to him; as it is said: “Let’s approach Pharaoh, since I hardened his heart.”

The Creator shows a person how weak he is and his to love his neighbor.  At this time, a person is ready to do anything to achieve brotherly love. He is ready to go through all “ten Egyptian plagues”, to cross the Red Sea (Yam Sof – Final Sea), and to accept mutual connection and responsibility in order to bring closer the power of the reforming Light called Torah for the sake of self-correction and attainment of love of the created beings, because by doing so he will eventually attain the love of the Creator.

Can you imagine, how much support and care one has to get from his environment and from Above so he doesn’t run way with his egoism that is getting stronger and always pursues him? He has to understand that “the Creator made one against the other”: There is either “a stick or a serpent” (bestowal or egoism) and there is nothing in between—one or the other.
[66932]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/19/12, Shamati #59

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We have to go through a long process of clarification. From the beginning of creation to its completion, all we do is clarify how we can be pleased relative to the giving force, the source, the Creator.

We go through some of our clarifications unconsciously, without our sensations and understanding, as a preparation to the states that will follow and will require our understanding and feelings. This is in the same way a small child grows or any other development happens. You have to go through several steps and all kinds of calculations and remain in them for quite some time until you start sensing that there is a new level of sensitivity, comprehension, and clarification, and you ascend to a next level.

Later, the novelty of a new step as if is erased and slips from our memory: We get used to it, and as we know a habit dulls the flavor. Over and over again, unconsciously we try to break through and move ahead as much as we can until new sensations arise and we arrive at new conclusions.

The major discernment is who will rule over us: the Creator or Pharaoh, the staff or the serpent? Obviously, on the surface each of us is ready to rise to the level of the other bestowing nature. But how do we get there?

That’s where the struggle between the Pharaoh and Moses or Aaron within a human being takes place. It happens within a person. The dispute is over for whom do I strive? When I am told that no matter how hard a person tries, it won’t help, why should I bother trying?

On the other hand, it is said “No one can help me except myself” and “I have labored and found!”  The problem is that a person is unable to realize that changes have to be of an internal nature and have to occur from within. Only due to inner changes does a person enable himself to make a new round of calculations.

Any change totally depends on the mercy from Above: it will either happen or not. But we still have to continue working, and our job is to find mercy in the Creator’s eyes that gave us this support.

In fact, it really proves the phrase: “I labored and found!” That is, our request is not a request per se, but rather a test of the intensity of our work that is split half and half.  One half is completed by us, which makes the Light, the other half, comes from Above and makes the correction.

The staff must not be dropped to the ground because it will turn into serpent, which means that we shouldn’t give up on our knowledge; on the contrary, we have to hold it up high. “Faith above reason” stands for the work that we perform with our intellect to the best of our capacity letting the Light manifest and correct us.
[66935]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/19/12, Shamati #59

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