Question: What do you think about the current events and the current tendency, and in particular, how do you feel about the events that have unraveled over the last couple of days in England and Chile?

Unfortunately, the whole world will soon be enveloped in a fire of chaos because there is no remedy for what’s happening, and no one will find it either. Why don’t you wait it out until people see that nothing helps, and will then agree to listen to you?

Many years ago, during his post as Great Britain’s PM, the historian Gordon Brown along with many other influential individuals said that the world is one. They understood that only the unification of all people will give this world the solution to all of its questions and crises. Why, then, didn’t they resolve these questions through unification, by introducing a new kind of upbringing and promulgating the mutual guarantee, as you are doing?

Answer: Throughout all of history, humanity was nudged forward by the egoism that developed individually within every one of us. We aspired to realize and fill it. Our entire existence amounted to this. But in our time nature is not guiding us to develop our egoism further because it has developed to the maximum and has been showing us its emptiness for 50 years now.

Our egoism has become interlinked and that is why we are revealing that we are interconnected. This is what we call “the global world.” In reality, it’s not the world, but us who have become global. And therefore, as scientists ascertain, we should not develop egoistically, but globally, meaning we should correct the connections between us.

That is where all of the world’s scientists came to a halt because no one in the world knows how to do that. And the more disorder surfaces in the world, the more it will signify that the world needs correction more urgently.

Once the world became integral and interconnected, it started being governed by two forces: not just the force of egoism, which pushes us from behind systematically, by nature’s program, the way it did throughout all of its history; but also by the force of attraction toward the goal – to our unified state. However, we have to compel this force to influence us similar to how a child would remain an animal if he did not aspire to become an adult.

The method of Kabbalah is intended to evoke upon us the influence of the force that aspires “forward,” toward unity. Otherwise we will be pressured only by the negative force “from behind,” which will continuously evoke greater global suffering, down to wars. That is why Kabbalah is being revealed precisely at this time. All Kabbalists wrote about this. For example, see Baal HaSulam’s articles “The Revelation of Godliness,” “Mutual Guarantee,” and “Peace in the World.”

Besides, we have to understand that the more suffering is expressed in the world under the influence of the negative force that pushes us forward, the more it indicates that the world needs a force pulling it forward so our movement forward, toward unification will not occur as a result of suffering that chases us on, but by the good path, the good force that sweeps us forward.

Because the nation of Israel was created based on the method of uniting people, according to the principle, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” therefore, even after falling from this moral level it retained an “altruistic gene” that can evoke a force that accelerates progress and sweeps people forward, toward unity. But if Israel does not evoke this force and the world moves toward its goal pressured by suffering, then the nations of the world are right to assert that the nation of Israel is the source of all of the suffering in the world.

Although this nation did not choose to be the conductor of the method of correction, it is unable to free itself from this mission. The suffering of the nations of the world will evoke such great pressure from their end and such fury at the nation of Israel that this will obligate Israel to become the leader in the world’s correction.
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In the past egoism spurred us on from behind and from the sides, always leaving the path forward free. However, today the barriers are not arising along the sides, but in front of us. It’s as if a wall rises up before us, leaving us no place to run, nothing we can do.

This state is becoming more and more apparent: I don’t really want anything, I don’t feel that I can keep growing in my egoism. It is incapable of giving me answers to the questions that arise in me today. I have outgrown the previous phases and have entered the next level of questions, the level of adulthood and new necessities.

Food, sex, family—all of these are falling apart, taking on strange, “mutated” forms. Wealth, fame, and knowledge don’t seem to promise me a lot either.

Science is in a crisis and does not answer my questions, even though a mere 50-60 years ago it still seemed like it would give us answers to everything.

Power has become petty in our eyes: We see that its only objective is money. And money…. Is it really worth wasting your entire life on!? My questions have already outgrown any number of zeros that a bank account can display.

When a person loses the necessary “fuel,” emptiness emerges inside of him and he finds himself asking, “What is worth living for? For myself? But I lack fulfillment. For my children? But when they get older, they will leave the nest. And besides, why raise them at all? What bright future do they have ahead? Disintegrating families and a decomposing society?” A person does not feel attached to anything and does not have hopes for anything. That is the kind of impasse that our questions have led us to.

But there is also a completely different reason for the dead-end state: We are exhausting the natural resources. Today it is already clear that human progress won’t be infinite, both from the point of view of our demands and from the point of view of our existence as a whole. If we continue squandering the natural resources at the current rate, then very soon we won’t have any raw materials left even for the vitally necessary products.

90% of what we produce today consists of oil, be it energy, plastic materials, and so on. When the oil reserves end, we will be left with nothing. But nevertheless, we still keep on squandering it.

Thus, on one hand nature places a barrier before us in the form of ecology, climate, and resources, and on the other hand, egoism no longer pushes us forward. It asks questions that we cannot find answers to here, in our world, in this small children’s room where we had so much fun playing until now.

Today the situation already resembles suicide: We are irrationally using up the last remaining resources.

We have to understand that because of this, we find ourselves in the zone of choice. This is where freedom of will emerges, the freedom for us to start understanding the program of our development: “Who are we? Why are we here? What for?”, and together with us, the rest of the world. Now is exactly the time for us to solve this challenge. Otherwise humanity will find itself in a truly hopeless impasse.

In reality the gist of the problem is not the financial crisis, the technology crisis, or the crisis of families. We are in a crisis with ourselves. We have to understand who we are and what we are here for, both from the point of view of nature, which obligates us to this, and from our own point of view. Only then will we be able to set things right inside of us and in the world.
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From the Talk about a New Book 7/11/2011

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There are two contrasting states constantly alternating in creation: darkness and Light, separation and closeness, oppositeness and adhesion, a reverse form and an equal form. Our path unfolds through these opposite states and the essence is always: Are we “for” the Creator or against Him? The only difference is: What is creation’s level of awareness of its own state?

At first we go through these states unconsciously, which is called the “still” level of development. Then, on the “vegetative level,” we start to gradually understand them. Next, on the “animate level” we already attain ourselves in a certain way, but we still don’t know in relation to Whom we change and how. And when I already understand that I change in relation to the Creator and according to Him, this is already the “human level.”

Our entire history lies in this kind of development, based upon constant opposites: on our polar difference from the Creator or our similarity to Him. All of these states are already instilled, determined, and fixed in the plan of creation, connecting into one cause and effect chain that we have to go through.

There is nothing we can add to these states besides our awareness. And finally, we begin to realize that this process is aimed toward a specific goal. We aspire to discover and attain it on our own, to understand what is happening to us, what is this film we are living in. That’s when we start having the freedom of choice to participate in this process consciously, out of our own desire—to aspire to this goal or to resist it.

In our days, all of humanity is entering this very interesting phase of development where we have to gain awareness and to participate on our own, to decide whether we want to accelerate it or do not want to. We have to find how we can participate in this process on our own, influence its speed, and express our agreement or disagreement with the states we go through.

If I connect every state to the realization of the plan of creation, inside of which I develop, then I thereby accelerate my development, since it depends only on my awareness of my state. And the more I push myself to find out who I am in relation to the One who develops me, the only force that exists besides me, that is to say, the more I develop my participation, the more I strengthen my independence, my own thought, understanding, and desire.

That is how I create my “I,” which is born inside of creation—the goal for which this entire process is intended. And the final point is to feel the force of the plan in which we exist, and to cling to it. As for our independence, it lies in asking this higher thought to reveal to us the opportunity to participate in its work independently.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/1/11, Shamati

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Question: What does it mean that “Above, they always agree with a person’s choice as to what spiritual degree he desires to reach”?

Answer: Above, they always agree with how high a person wants to ascend, what his desire and intention are. The Creator lays down the law and does not change it, as it is written: “The law is set and cannot be broken.” It creates the desire to enjoy, and these two forces, bestowal and reception, begin to work in the universe. And it is the created being that sets the balance between them.

The force of bestowal that comes from the Creator is absolute, unlimited, and invariable. The Absolute cannot change; He is always ready to serve you. To what extent? He is ready to serve you as much as you want, but only to the extent that you want it.

In other words: “The upper one always agrees with the decisions of the lower one.” The Creator doesn’t interfere in our decisions; in fact, everything is done solely by Him but because you engage Him. He does everything, but always on your demand. It is as if you are always writing and sending your demands to Him: Do this or that, for the benefit or detriment—and it is so constantly. And He carries everything out.

It is said: “The shop is open, and the hand is writing,” meaning that we enter His store and take anything we want on credit regardless of whether or not we wish to repay. This is the way the Creator set up the universe: He works according to the law of absolute love and bestowal. And to whatever degree you are “for” or “against” this law, you will feel accordingly. And this very feeling will push you forward.

If you act in order to consciously bring yourself to bestowal, then the law will affect you positively, and you will feel less and less difference between it and you. However, if you don’t want to get closer to it or you move even farther away, you’ll feel worse and worse. But this feeling will still push you to return.

However, on the Creator’s part there is no change. After all, if He could change, he would not be called the Absolute as it would mean that He could be better or worse. And so it is said: “I do not change my HaVaYaH,” that is, “the law is set and cannot be broken.”
[49759]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/29/2011, Shamati #61

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Freedom of the Collective and the Freedom of the Individual Are Equal

The benefit of each and every person within his collective is evaluated not according to his own goodness, but according to his service to the public. And vice-versa, we assess the attribute of evil of each and every individual only according to the harm one inflicts upon the public in general, and not by one’s own individual value.

This is because what is found in the collective is only what is found in the individual. And the benefit of the collective is the benefit of each and every individual….

It thus turns out that …the individual is not harmed because of his enslavement to the collective since the freedom of the collective and the freedom of the individual are one and the same, too. And as they share the good, they also share the freedom.
– Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Freedom of the Collective and the Freedom of the Individual Are Equal

The collective and the individual are one and the same. And there is nothing negative in the individual’s enslavement to the collective because the freedom of the collective and the freedom of the individual are one and the same. And as they share the good, they also share the freedom.

Thus, good attributes and bad attributes, good deeds and bad deeds are evaluated only according to the benefit of the public.

The above applies to those who receive no more than they deserve. But if a part of the collective does not behave accordingly, it turns out that not only do they harm the collective, but they are also harmed.

The drawback, the place that needs correction, is that each and every individual has to understand that his own benefit and the benefit of the collective are one and the same thing. In that, the world will come to its full correction.
– Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Freedom of the Collective and the Freedom of the Individual Are Equal

In our generation, the well-being of every individual is secured by the whole world, and hence the individual becomes enslaved to the whole world, like a wheel in a machine.

Therefore, the possibility of making good, happy, and peaceful conducts in one state is inconceivable when it is not so in all the countries in the world, and vice versa. In our time, the countries are all linked in the satisfaction of their needs of life, as individuals were in their families in earlier times. Therefore, we can no longer seek the well-being of one country, but only the well-being of the whole world because the benefit of each and every person in the world depends on the benefit of all the people in the whole world.
– Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
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Baal HaSulam, “Arvut”: “A holy nation” is the reward in its final form of Dvekut [adhesion] with Him, which includes all the rewards that can even be conceived.

There is a part of humanity that receives spiritual awakening—the group (Bnei Baruch). These people are obligated to carry out the correction inside of them, to acquire the force of the mutual guarantee, and by virtue of that force, to begin bestowing to everyone else.

Besides, they have to observe the law that is described by the verse, “You will be a kingdom of priests unto Me.” Stated differently, this is talking about the state of Hafetz Hesed: Priests do not have their own property. Like Bina, they aspire only to bestowal. This is the quality we must acquire as well.

As for the quality of “the holy nation,” this is already a receiving desire that we use and raise to the level of holiness. Thus, it acquires an intention for the sake of bestowal and reaches adhesion.

This unity, this force, or this state has to reign in the group. There are no other possibilities here. We are talking about the laws of nature. If we don’t want to carry them out the good way, we will be forced to do it the bad way—through suffering. There are no compromises here, but a program that becomes realized with just one parameter of free choice: You can accelerate your development before you are obligated to this by the special, systematic force.

At every phase, this obligatory force descends to us and begins advancing us forward. However, we can move faster than it, and in that case we will reach the goal by the good and fast path, without blows from behind.

Thus, we have two possibilities to choose the means of advancement. But the advancement itself is immutable because in the final state, the program of development is already realized in full. The two phases of this realization are “the kingdom of priests” and “a holy nation.” They demand for us to attain mutual bestowal, love for the neighbor as oneself, and thereby, adhesion with the upper Light, the Creator.
[49347]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/26/11, “Arvut”

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Freedom of the Collective and the Freedom of the Individual Are Equal

An individual in a society is like a cogwheel in a machine. And this single wheel has no freedom of movement in and of itself, but continues with the motion of the rest of the wheels in a certain direction, to qualify the machine to perform its general role. And the breakdown is not evaluated relating to the wheel itself, but according to its service and role with respect to the whole machine.
– Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”

The whole world is considered one collective and one society because each person in the world draws his life’s marrow and his livelihood from all the people in the world, and hence he is coerced to serve and care for the well-being of the whole world.
– Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”
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Baal HaSulam, “Arvut ”: It is written, “You shall be My treasure from among all peoples.” This means that you will be My treasure [a special quality, Segula], and sparks of purification shall pass through you onto all the peoples and the nations of the world.

Segula is a special action by which we correct our egoistic intention to an altruistic one. I do not know exactly how this action is actualized, but it enables me to change, to acquire a second nature, to enter the next dimension, a reality that lies above my current self. And I don’t know exactly how this occurs.

That is why the exodus from Egypt is called a “miracle” and why the force of correction, the Light that reforms, which is contained in the Torah is called “a special quality”—Segula. I don’t have any idea about how it works. I only see the results, as if a certain “illumination” effuses upon me or a certain force works on me, and I become different.

Thus, even though I don’t understand how Segula works, I activate it by carrying out the conditions I am told about. “Do this,” write the Kabbalists, “And you will receive that.” I cannot trace this connection. It is not within my power. I simply know that specific actions on my part will bring about a specific reaction, although the cause and effect chain remains unclear to me. That’s because it originates from the Light, from the Giver, while I am still in the egoistic desire and do not see or feel Him. The contact with Him is still unclear to me, just as I don’t understand the mechanism of the return connection by which the Giver influences me and changes something inside of me.

That is why this kind of action is called “special.” A child has this same “special means” while playing and growing in our world. What actually causes his growth? We are so used to seeing how children develop by playing that we don’t notice how it happens. What force is activated by a child’s contact with a toy, with pictures in a book, with animals he sees, or with the cars that pass by him on the street? How do the images of the big world that he wants to come closer to, form something new inside of him? To us this is the regular routine, but in essence, this is the same “special means” at work.

A child wants to grow and is drawn to all sorts of forms of the adult world, and that’s how he really grows. Likewise, if we want to advance, we have to carry out several actions in order to activate the upper force that raises us. In a child the yearning to grow is instilled naturally, while we have freedom of choice: We have to organize an environment, the study, and ourselves, and attach the intention. That is how we develop.

Thus, “Segula” is the result of certain actions a person makes, even though he does not know exactly what he activates and how he is activated in response. With us this is expressed in our relationship with the upper Light, while in children—in their relationships with the surrounding world. The same principle operates in the interactions between the “nations of the world,” meaning all those who do not aspire to the Creator, and “Israel,” meaning those who do aspire to Him. Our relationship with the Creator is similar to their relationship to us. After all, they do not have a spark, a connection with Him, an aspiration for Him, or a desire to reveal Him. Only troubles push them to search for something better. That is why we bring them the science of Kabbalah in an adapted, accessible form.

The invitation to reveal the Creator does not say anything to them. They need a good life here and now, and nothing more. Accordingly, we reveal our message gradually to them, in the appropriate form, and they use us as a “special means,” as a “treasure from among all peoples.”

By being connected to us, they “suddenly” start acquiring forces, understanding, and desires that they did not have before. These “sparks” come from Infinity, from the Creator—through us to them. As a result, the “special quality” operates on all the levels.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/25/11, “Arvut”

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