Question: They spoke about altruism on the news and about social organizations that organize mutual help among people: exchanging things that people don’t need, holiday apartments, etc. Are they already implementing what we speak about?

Answer: That is too bad because Pharaoh is playing with them saying: “I have everything that you need! Why should you escape from me to the desert? Worship the Lord here in Egypt!”

We shouldn’t incorporate into such societies, but rather follow our own way. Surely nothing good will ever come of this. We can make our lives a bit more comfortable this way and paint them in brighter colors, but this isn’t the goal of our world. Therefore, such initiatives will not last long, but will collapse like all the other nice ideas humanity has tried to implement.

Why do organizations like Greenpeace fail? Because it is impossible to correct the ego this way. A person doesn’t change, but only does everything from the perspective of his ego. Even worse, it is like Bina that enters Malchut, the seven years of satiety, when they want to enjoy all the attributes of bestowal, Bina.

These are the children of Israel who enter Egypt and bring about its development, guard it, and make sure that all its granaries are full. All this is thanks to the attribute of Bina, which means Israel enters the shattered attribute of Malchut, Egypt.

First it brings the seven years of satiety, when we give. I give to you and you give to me and life is beautiful and good! Then this euphoria ends with a terrible blow, the seven years of want. These are not the years that lead to the exodus from Egypt, but the years that lead to the real shattering.

Question: But when we go out to the public, we offer them the same thing.

Answer: But we are the ones who offer that, by serving as a mediator between the Light that Reforms and the people. We bring them the remedy; we bring them the tubing  through which the intravenous fluid will flow and heal them.

We are not the actual intravenous fluid, but the tubing delivering this remedy. The altruistic organizations that you hear about on the news simply operate within the boundaries of this world, “Let’s behave nicely! See how much our Pharaoh enjoys! How good he is for your ego and my ego!” This doesn’t go along with the goal of creation, and so there is no way it can be fulfilled or carried out.
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From the  1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/27/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Throughout our history we have advanced thanks to the development of the ego. This is what makes us different from animals, plants, and inanimate matter in which the desire to enjoy hardly develops.

A person must be given the freedom to choose, or at least to be taught, that this freedom exists so that the ego will grow and he will come closer to it. The greater efforts he makes in preparing and correcting it, the greater the evil he discovers.

Therefore, when a person studies and makes efforts in the group, participating in its work, trying to lower his head as is required of him, he establishes different kinds of support. This is called seven years of satiety.

Then the seven years of famine are revealed, since he has prepared his vessels and now he can cope with the unpleasant revelations in his desire to enjoy. This happens so that he will be able to work with his desire and discover that his egoistic nature is his enemy. Therefore, Moses complains to the Creator that when he begins to speak to Him and reaches the desire to enjoy with his spiritual mind and heart, with the wisdom of Kabbalah, this desire becomes even worse.

Before he thought about his correction, there weren’t so many ascents and descents. There were only slight movements as a result of being incorporated in the group, but later he began to understand that it was possible to get closer to the Creator by connecting and establishing a nation. The closer a person gets to the right line, to the Creator, to the value of bestowal, to the awareness that the upper force is the most sublime attribute and there is nothing but that, the more strongly the left line and Pharaoh awaken in him.

This happens so that a person will remain balanced, will be able to stabilize his state in the middle between these two lines, and will find out who and what he is. Therefore, Moses rightly complains that the people feel worse since he came to the Creator. The reason is that the moment Moses comes closer to the Creator, Pharaoh grows in order to keep the balance between the Creator and Pharaoh. We must not forget that.

Moses comes to Pharaoh to speak on behalf of the Creator, which means that he understands that his goal is to get closer to the Creator. As a result, everything becomes worse, and only the balance between these two forces can help out here. This means that the two poles have to be connected and we should realize that they both come from the Creator, that there is none else besides Him, and that we have to follow both, which means the middle line.

We must not forget that the two lines have to be incorporated in the middle line until a third partner comes, connects, and completes them. This means that there is a constant war.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/27/14, Writings of Rabash

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Question: What does the millstones of the system that grind the grains of the ego in the spiritual correction symbolize?

Answer: It’s a very complicated system that processes and corrects our desires. What is more, all this takes place inside a person. The shells of the grains or the husk is the external egoistic wrapping from which we have to totally detach ourselves and spread to the wind.

It protects us for a while, like it protects all of humanity today, gradually bringing us to a state in which we begin to feel that the ego is bad. This disturbs us in many aspects of life. It’s time to correct it and to start treating ourselves and life differently. We have to send the ego into the air, which means that we have to change its form.

First we choose the grains, when we understand that these are our egoistic attributes, and then we beat them and thus clean them of the husks, and take the grains out of the stalks. These are all internal processes that a person goes through.

Then the husks are carried by the wind and only the clean crop is left in the granary, and then we begin to process the grain, which means to grind it. Grinding is a process of recognition of the desire, which has already lost its egoistic wrapping. But how and with what should we do it? A person’s thirty-two teeth also symbolizes the actions of grinding, since when we chew food it becomes usable for eating.

But the most important thing for us are the millstones. By grinding our desire, we begin to understand what it is made of. Then we add water to it, which means to the desire to receive that is now clean of the intention for itself, and we add the intention for the sake of others, for love of others, and through them, for the Creator. This is called making bread, and if we operate this way, our desires become food that makes a person grow.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 11/27/13

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Question: Offering a sacrifice was discovered after the consecutive entrances of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob into Egypt.

Answer: Offering sacrifices was also common in Egypt to some extent, but in a totally different way; Abraham, for example was told: “Offer Isaac as sacrifice.”

After the exodus from Egypt, there were direct instructions to come to the Creator, to build the Tabernacle, to post the priests, etc. This became a movement of a nation that did not exist in Egypt.

Therefore, we can understand how the Hebrew custom of offering sacrifices of animals that they slaughtered was hated to the Egyptians. It is because the ego sees how it is being destroyed and sacrificed in order to acquire the opposite, most hated attribute, the property of love and bestowal.

The ego cannot bear any form of sacrifice, and is against it, but cannot do anything about it.

Question: Certain counties have banned the kosher slaughtering of animals.

Answer: We often encounter this phenomenon since the normal ordinary ego doesn’t understand that offering a kosher sacrifice, even on the corporeal level, is the most humane and merciful way, because in that case, the animal doesn’t feel that it is dead. In fact, it symbolizes correction.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 11/20/13

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There isn’t a more important state than our current state, since this is where our spiritual evolution begins. It is in our situation, in our condition, that the exit to the first spiritual level is possible. It cannot be any other way. Everyone starts off this way. We are given a special opportunity and we have to use all the means that we are given in order to bring ourselves to the feeling of exile, to feeling that we are in chains and in the worst possible state under the domination of Pharaoh.

Pharaoh controls even our smallest thought, our smallest desire, wherever we turn and whatever we do. Every impulse and every move we make stem from him; every thought and every stream of consciousness, every desire and all the desires that stem from it, are all determined by the ego. No matter which way we go and how far we try to move away from evil, we remain in the ego.

A person determines that he cannot leave exile, although he really wants to exit it and makes many attempts, many great efforts, and exerts himself, but it leads to nothing. When he cries out desperately with the last powers he has left for only this last cry, a miracle takes place and he comes out of Egypt.

Now he begins to understand and to feel what it means to be under the influence of the Light. He comes out of his enslavement to his desire and voluntarily becomes enslaved to the Light, by choosing to be under the domination of the attribute of bestowal, above reason.

He knows that he is becoming a slave, that he is enslaving himself, and that he isn’t free anymore, but he is free of the desire to receive and from his beloved self, about whom he constantly worries. He is under another kind of domination and actually wants to be under this domination.

There is no neutral state on the way between egoistic Egypt and complete bestowal. A person immediately moves from one kind of domination to another, but he wants it and yearns for it even when he is still in Egypt. Besides the repulsion, the hatred, and the rejection he feels towards the state in Egypt, he also yearns for the total domination of the Light so that it will totally rule him, guide him, and manage him.

This is how we should prepare ourselves internally. Let’s hope that we are somehow ready for that and as for all the rest – the Lord will complete the work for us.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/13/14, Writings of Rabash

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Question: In our world we clearly see the trend toward separation and isolation. But where is the second trend here, the yearning for connection? I don’t see it.

Answer: The second trend is revealing my dependence upon everyone. It turns out that two forces are acting upon you: on one hand, you reject everyone and on the other hand, you depend upon them. These two poles are constantly in front of you.

If from above they want to advance you then they will always influence you with the help of these two forces. Just as the Creator promised to Abraham, (Genesis 21:12) …it is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued. Through him will be born many grandsons will be born that will grow to a huge family, and on the other hand, He adds, (Genesis 22:2) …and bring him up there for a burnt-offering.

If the Creator had just told him to kill Isaac, it would have been more understandable. And even if he blessed him with a multitude of descendants, this also would have been clear. But, how can the two statements be realized together?

Mankind is in this state now. On one hand, total mutual dependence between everyone is evident and on the other hand, the separation is so great that no one is able to talk with the other. Thirty years ago the relationships between people were much better; today European countries cannot reach an agreement between them.

Question: But where in the world do we see an inclination towards connection?

Answer: There is no inclination towards connection; rather, there is only a discovery of the picture of how much we depend upon everyone. And on the other hand, according to our inner feeling, we want to disconnect.

For example, Scotland wants to break away from England even though it’s clear that both of them would be worse off because there are a multitude of joint enterprises. One has coal mines and the other has coal fueled power stations; one nation has fish and the other restaurants that serve fish; this dependence is recognized by all. Why should they be separated?

If this assured them monetary gain, then it would be understandable, but it doesn’t. They would gain only one thing: quenching their hatred. That is, for the sake of the natural desire that has no material justification, they are even ready to lose economically, provided that hatred will win out.

This inclination exists throughout the world, soon we will return to feudal fragmentation. For example, in Germany two hundred years ago, there were dozens of small principalities. We are returning to those times again because we cannot correct the mutual hatred.

But we won’t return exactly to that past condition because of the mutual dependence. One has water, a second has bread, a third has meat, a fourth has fish, a fifth has cars, a sixth has medical equipment, and so forth. In spite of it all, I depend upon everyone; so why do all of these borders exist?

Hatred obligates me to establish borders and to close them. And life shows us that we are within an integral system that we have reached as a result of the development of our desire. So what can I do if they obligate me to connect with everyone? In this case only war can solve the problem; it will destroy the borders and the entire world. Then everything will be just the way I want it: rigid boundaries, separation, and my hatred could pour out in full. When we have no choice, we will begin to fight. This is the result if we let the ego run wild.

On our level there is no other solution. The solution is found above, above the two opposites. Hatred and convergence are incompatible with each other; there is a short circuit between them. It’s impossible to connect them directly; we must put some kind of adapter between them and transform the hatred into love. Then it will be possible to connect them.

But how do we transform hatred into love? In our world no power exists that can transform our egoistic desire into a desire to bestow. Therefore we need the science of connection, the wisdom of Kabbalah. It teaches us how to organize our environment in order to attract the inner power of unity through its exercises. This force will gradually correct us.

And then, from the corrected power of connection, we will begin to feel new relationships, a new perception of the world, because we have been changed. Within this new comprehension, within the relationship of love instead of the relationship of hatred, we will see a new reality. In the previous reality, I pulled everything towards me; my view was to derive personal benefit from all.

But through a change in orientation to caring for the good of society, I discover completely different properties and powers that act in reality that are called the upper world. All this will be discovered within my new relationship with the others.

Just as I now discover this world through my egoistic relationship with the others, I will discover the upper world within the altruistic relationship with the others until all of the worlds, all of the levels, will reach a state of Infinity. Everything depends only on changes in the perception of reality.

It is written (Shabbat 151b): “There is no difference between this world and the next world except how the governments will work,” meaning that everything depends on the orientation of the desire to receive: concern for the self or for the other. The nations have already discovered how much they depend upon one another and understand that it’s impossible to fight against a nation that supplies it with oil or produce. If I eliminate it, what will happen to me? This is like burning a neighborhood grocery where you buy all of your needs. Where will I get all that I need in order to exist?

But the hatred is so great that it doesn’t allow us to think logically, “It makes no difference if I will die, as long as it will happen to my neighbor first!” That is how the law of hatred works, and the intellect is left powerless. Emotion has precedence over intelligence. In sum, the intellect is a slave of desire. First the desire is awakened and then the mind helps to realize this desire.

The intellect helps me to get what I want, not what I planned and decided! This is the whole problem. All of creation is a desire for pleasure and all of our thoughts are directed only towards this. Therefore, I don’t see a millimeter beyond the limits of my ego; it makes no difference how wise I am. Only the science of connection can help, meaning the wisdom of Kabbalah.
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From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/25/14

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Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Book The Tree of Life,” Item 3: When the generations have lessened and their sages themselves had started to crave both tables, meaning a good life for their corporeality, too, their views drew near to the masses.

The desire to enjoy was constantly growing, a meter was continuously turning inside, increasing its temperature more and more, until the desire to enjoy flamed up completely. Greater and greater Reshimot were becoming revealed. And that’s why scientists, who used to be idealists and only wanted pure science, as it was until the end of the Middle Ages, suddenly reached out for wealth and praise; they wanted Nobel prizes. This is how they started to sell their science.

And besides, research demanded so much material resources, such great investment, that scientists didn’t have so much money and were forced to sell themselves to the ruling circles, the mighty of this world. It became possible to approach a chemist and order a new drug, stronger than any existing ones.

And the scientists had no choice but to fulfill the orders–this is something that didn’t happen before. First of all, a scientist didn’t need money and was drawn to pure science. Secondly, the clients weren’t that corrupt, ready to destroy the entire world for their profit. That’s how the world has changed and the generations have lessened.

We see today that people need science to get control over others and earn money. Science is not used for the sake of pure science; no one takes interest in this any longer. Nobody would give a penny for pure science, and no one is engaged in it any more.

Scientists are engaged in applied disciplines that can bring real financial profit and as soon as possible. Therefore, thanks to science we reveal that we are slaves of the evil inclination. But for now, only Kabbalists realize this, while those who control scientists pay those whom it’s worthwhile to pay and utilize science only for the sake of profit.

Egoistic desire develops not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively. And now we starting to realize that the entire problem is our egoism that rules over us. Some 50 years ago we didn’t think so. We conquered space, dreamed of trips to other planets and stars, and were proud of humanity’s great achievements.

Then disappointment came, and in our days all the programs in general fell to the ground. The example of today’s conflict in Ukraine, that Russia and Europe found themselves involved into, shows how everyone is dependent on each other. It’s unclear what to do, how to influence each other, since all systems begin to stall.

How can one apply any sanctions if everyone is connected to each other? One state would like to cut itself down from the other, but cannot. Everyone is tied by mutual responsibility, bad connections, and can’t do anything about it. Ultimately, complete chaos and mess begin. They start to realize that it’s impossible to do anything against each other.

If Europe refuses to receive oil and gas from Russia, how will it subsist? And if Ukraine ceases to supply foodstuffs to Russia, who will lose more? The connection is so strong that it’s impossible to cut it off. One depends on the other because it receives from it, and vice versa. Is it possible to fight under such conditions? Only wag a finger and go home?

That’s the result of the development of science thanks to which we acquired dreadful weapons and tied ourselves through international trade.

Question: So it follows that we have rolled back to the cold war?

Answer: This is not the cold war—it’s no longer possible. The cold war means applying all sanctions but firing at each other. But now it’s also impossible. Even sending a spy and exposing an enemy is pointless because if we are so interconnected, we won’t be able to do anything anyway. It’s the same as to install a video camera and spy and listen to yourself.

We we are tied together, you are not an enemy any more, but a partner. I receive foodstuffs from you, while you oil and gas from me, and we can’t make it without each other. What difference it will make if we denounce one another? If I depend on you, then on the contrary, it’s in my own interest that you strengthen your weak spots. Say, Russia will reveal some weak spots in European industry, but it’s not interested at all in harming, rather in fixing these shortcomings.

Indeed, if European industry stops, to whom will Russia sell its oil and gas? And without these sales, it won’t have money itself. Do you see where our mutual dependency leads us to? This is why so many different alliances are made, for everybody depends on each other. Only the exploding egoism prevents them from understanding this entire dependency till the end. And all of it is the consequence of modern science.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/9/2014, “Introduction to the Book The Tree of Life”

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Question: Why doesn’t the desire of an animal grow with time and only a man’s desire grows?

Answer: The human is that animal in which the desire to receive grew. A human is some kind of unnatural mutation from the animate level, and in truth, he is called Adam (man) only after he attains the Creator, and before that he still belongs to the animate level.

Man is a form of bestowal that we acquire by resembling the Creator. Before this we call ourselves “human beings,” as with an eye for the future, because there is a potential power in us that we can develop and transform to be the true spiritual people.

Look at the disorder and rioting that is happening in the modern world. Is it worthy to call them Adam (Man)? It’s more like animals that have gone crazy. According to their behavior it is possible to say that the human has not changed at all from ancient times and he is no better in any way than the primordial savage man, and even worse. Since then, the desire to receive grew and brought us even more damage. None of our development went in the right direction and Adam is what is called only that part of us that is similar to the Creator.

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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/6/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Opinion (Stanislav Drobyshevskiy, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology, Department of Biology, Moscow State University): “It is not a fact that we are smarter than people of the Upper Paleolithic, who lived 40-10 thousand years ago. They were generalists.

“Every Cro-Magnon knew how to make and how to use all the necessary tools, how to light a fire, what he could hunt and from whom and how to flee, what could be eaten, and what would hurt the stomach; he was a builder, and a physician, and a historian and a hunter, and a master of all trades.

“Now it is the time of professionals. Everyone knows his narrow task, but is helpless in general. Humanity is rapidly turning into an ant hill – is it a sign that we are becoming smarter?”

My Comment: We do not have to get smarter; we need to become aware of our helplessness in the egoistic rejection of each other so that we will want to cooperate, connect, unite, and reveal the higher existence in complete unity.
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Question: All new social systems develop in an egoistic way. How will the integral society develop?

Answer: The material and our sensation of it develop in an egoistic way, whereas the spirit develops in an altruistic way.

Altruism in nature exists only between people. When we begin to develop it and aspire to complete bestowal, to complete mutual connection between us, then in our mutual bestowal, a new balance appears. It carries us forward, raises us above the material level, and then we begin to develop in it. The movement and development in it is infinite, because precisely in bestowal we begin to reveal its depth because each one of us does not work with his egoism but with the desires of all the seven billion inhabitants of planet Earth.

Infinite spaces of other people are being revealed to a person, which he can fill through himself. It turns out that when he bestows and fulfills others, he contains the entire universe in himself. Along with this, everyone begins to feel that he is one, the only one that exists, and it does not bother him. Each one has his own dimension. This is how we advance forward.

Afterwards, all our dimensions unite mutually to one new infinite reality, and then again we work for each other. Elevation of the integration level occurs. Suppose that I united with everyone, someone else united with everyone, the third one also united with everyone, and now each one of us constitutes his own universe in itself, and begins to unite between us once more and then again, and so on.

Therefore, this process is infinite, but in each place it is done only altruistically because otherwise the ego fills, restricts, and blocks us.
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From Kab TV’s “An Integral World” 11/27/13

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