The anti-egoistic screen is first of all the force of connection between the friends in the ten and then between us and the Creator. It is built upon the fact that we want to rise above our egoism and unite. If we invest efforts in connection, then in this way, we begin to build a screen.

This connection is not just in thoughts but in the hearts, the cordial connection of one with another. We want to connect our hearts because the Creator is one for all, and He reveals Himself within the connection between all of us.

I make an effort in my heart that I want to direct it to a certain quality and begin to approach it. The main thing is the effort in the heart as there is nothing spiritual in the physical action. After all, I strive with my heart to the one I love, I want to be closer to him so that he feels this heartfelt closeness. This is called connection of hearts.

We want to give to each other. And of course, giving can be in an external form, in the form of a material gift, but by this I express my heartfelt feelings.

How can you direct your heart in the right direction? With the help of a thought. The heart is a desire, and I direct this desire with the help of a thought. Through the thought, it is possible to control the desire like a steering wheel if I rise in my thoughts to a prayer in which my desire is combined with my thought and with my goal. So, I find myself as if driving a car.

The thought comes to us from the Creator, but I can influence and change my thoughts with the help of actions of connection. We connect with our hearts but under the influence of thoughts.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/22, Baal HaSulam, Shamati 42

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Before reading The Book of Zohar, we must attune ourselves so that this reading will benefit us. The Zohar speaks about the correction of the soul, i.e., about the correction of the connection between us, and that is why, while reading it we must try to make the corrected states described in it come true in us. This means that we desire to reveal what The Zohar is talking about.

Revelation is not understanding in the mind. How can I understand at all what I’ve never seen? It is possible to see only on condition that new modes of sensation are formed in me; vision is a sensation in our desires, our vessels of perception. And the sensation can arise only according to my special inner state when it will correspond to what is described in The Zohar.

This can be achieved only if I rise to the level of the bestower as The Zohar requires. How is this possible? If I connect with the environment, I can express the measure of my bestowal with regard to it.

Therefore, even before we open The Book of Zohar, we should strive to connect together in such a state, at such a level, and with such power that will be suitable for the revelation of The Zohar in the connection between us.

To the extent that everyone annuls themselves and we unite together in mutual bestowal and guarantee, to this extent we can reach a state in which we already feel what The Zohar is talking about, at least to a minimal degree. And all this depends only on the strength of the unity between us that must be at the height of the first spiritual degree. Then we will feel what The Zohar is talking about.

Baal HaSulam talks about this in the Introduction To The Study Of The Ten Sefirot, “Through the yearning and the great desire to understand what they are learning, they awaken upon themselves the Lights that surround their souls.” In fact, all our work is to strive to be in this state, to feel it. Therefore, all that is required of us is a desire to feel the need for the revelation.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/24/11, The Book of Zohar “Mishpatim”

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Question: What is the danger of speaking critically in the Kabbalistic community?

Answer: First, different critical thoughts arise from within each person. This is natural because our egoism is constantly working, constantly growing, and constantly arousing a critical attitude in us toward the world, except for those who are truly close to us.

Relationships in a group require constant spiritual elevation; therefore, our egoism works at full capacity there. It is not surprising that egoism is constantly aroused in each of us. Let it get excited, as it should be. This is a sign of growth, but it is about what we do with it.

I must constantly tune my egoism to the opposite; that is, I must work in such a way so that without destroying it and above it, I can build the property of bestowal and love in relation to my friends in the group. I must show them the same thing and set an example to everyone. And they should act in the same way regarding me and everyone else.

As a matter of fact, it is a game above our egoism and contrary to it. From this game, we gradually arouse the surrounding light, which in this case affects us, raises us, and actually creates a common property of bestowal in us in which we will then feel the Creator—the upper, governing force of the world.

If instead of this, I tell my friends about the critical attitude that I see in others—not about that I should demonstrate love and affection for them, but about my neglect, that is, my reason from my own egoism—then by doing this I simply spread a harmful infection between group members. This is absolutely unacceptable! This is the worst thing that kills our spiritual advancement.

Among men this is not such a terrible thing because they initially do not have such a movement from within as women do. And if they want to be with us in a group, in motion, it must be uprooted, weeded, and nipped in the bud. That is why I am so harsh about gossip and speaking critically. There should be no place for this among us.

You can be critical of someone who did something wrong in dissemination, professionally speaking, but not of the relations between us. In no case can you criticize a friend.

In addition, you do not even understand that you are talking about yourself and not about others; that is, you are reasoning from your ego.

Speaking critically is the most terrible thing that can be in a Kabbalistic group, and we must fight against it with all our might because it is a poison that kills any of our advancement. That is why I am so intolerant of criticism from friends, and if such things happen, we must actively fight against them. And if someone is not able, then these people should simply be removed from the group.

I should not speak out about the fact that I do not like some character traits of a friend. This should never happen. I have to rise above this.

Just like in my beloved child, I practically do not see any negative qualities, and even if I see them, they overlap with love. I still love him and I do not tell anyone what is bad in him. This is a clear example of how we should treat all of our friends like my beloved little child. We should treat them like that.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Beware of Gossip!” 3/19/13

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It does not matter from which part and exact place we begin to read The Zohar. Even if a person hears a lesson for the first time, it doesn’t matter at all. “There is no time in the Torah“; it talks about spiritual states and all this happens inside us, but we do not feel it yet.

But it doesn’t matter. It is important for us to awaken the light that is in The Book of Zohar, which is the highest, most faithful and powerful source. No book can even compare with The Book of Zohar in its effect on the soul.

To summon its light upon oneself so that it affects us is possible only by becoming like it in qualities. Therefore, we read The Book of Zohar together, meaning, first of all, before we open this Book, everyone should prepare themselves for connection with others.

It is also written about the gift of the Torah that if you agree (it is clear that you are unable to, but only agree!) to become “like one person with one heart” and to achieve brotherly love (in the future), then you will receive the Torah, that is, the method of correction by the light that returns to the source, the Creator. Then this light will affect you and return you to the source, to goodness, to equivalence with the Creator.

Therefore, while reading The Book of Zohar, we must always try to meet this condition: to be ready to unite so that the light affects us, unites us, and in our unity, as in one soul, we will reveal the light, the Creator. After all, an individual soul can only feel our current reality that we perceive now.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/15/10, The Book of Zohar, “VaYechi“

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The flower buds are the patriarchs, who entered in thought and entered the next world, Bina, and were hidden there.

From there, they came out in concealment and were hidden in the true prophets. Joseph was born and they hid in him.

Joseph entered the holy land and erected them there. As it is written: Joseph was born, who is Yesod de Gadlut. (Zohar for All, “The Flower Buds,” Item 5)

Our entire connection with the spiritual world passes through the Partzuf of Nukva of the world of Atzilut. It is to it that broken souls raise MAN, a request for correction.

A person with a point in his heart yearns for the spiritual world, and spirituality is bestowal and unity. Therefore, he strives to unite with others, and he is given such an opportunity in the group.

If a person fulfills the condition of the ascent and creates a Kli, he connects with Malchut de Atzilut. It raises the common request of the friends to Zeir Anpin, and Zeir Anpin gives them the reforming light. Then the souls who want to become one ascend the degrees of unity.

First, to the state of an embryo (Ibur). Here they annul themselves before each other and unite. Everyone bows his head to the environment and becomes an “embryo in the mother’s womb.”

Then they reach the stage of nursing (Yenika), where their connection grows stronger. Now they are already able to work with their will to receive, to rise above it.

Then the souls move to the state of maturity (Gadlut). The level of their connection allows them to connect with Zeir Anpin, and this stage is called Yesod de Gadlut, or Joseph.

From here we can understand the story of Joseph described in the Torah, whom his brothers sold into slavery. These events unfold around the fight for our connection so that we achieve mutual guarantee (Arvut) to the extent sufficient to reveal the Creator between us.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/2/10, The Book of Zohar, “The Buds”

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Question: What should be done if a person hears slander against someone?

Answer: Say that you do not want to hear it, cut it off, and in this way you will teach a friend to do the same. This is a great correction for the group.

Question: If women are discussing someone, is it natural for them to group into cliques?

Answer: They can do whatever they want, but then they must understand that they are not walking along the spiritual path with us. The Kabbalistic group must be equal, absolutely homogeneous.

If someone slanders, then in theory he multiplies evil, this diverges like a virus. You can fight this only by having a good relationship with everyone and covering everything with love. If a person is in a group, then he was brought here and we must accept him as a closest one.

Question: How can I teach myself not to give criticism outwardly, not to utter it?

Answer: Through habit, example of others, constant self-criticism, and introspection.

Question: You said that before a certain period, a person is still learning. At the initial stage is it acceptable to gossip?

Answer: No. As soon as a person arrives in the group, we must immediately inform him about this and teach him like a child, and constantly point out to him the inadmissibility of slander.

There must be an awareness of the importance that without this we will not reach the goal. I hope that everyone will understand this, and in the end they will reach the goal. I will not be hurt so much that they themselves break the ties in which they can reveal their highest state.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Beware of Gossip!” 3/19/13

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From My Facebook Page Michael Laitman 9/9/22

This weekend, more than a hundred friends are gathering together for the 2022 Kabbalah Retreat in the Catskill Mountains in New York, and more than two hundred friends will join them online. I would like to express my wishes for the success of the retreat. These are great friends who are gathering there, I have seen what beautiful conferences they put together, and I wish for them to continue to succeed in their efforts. But most of all, I would like to wish them a strong and close connection, as close as possible to the final correction.

The wisdom of Kabbalah introduces us to forces that no other method does. Through these forces, we can unite between us and elevate ourselves above all the forces of nature. If we acquire these forces, which are forces of connection and love, we will succeed in anything we want. I truly wish for them to acquire these forces and use them correctly.

These days, we are witnessing a great imbalance in nature. Using the forces of nature in the way that Kabbalah teaches, balances these forces and mitigates their ferocity. Kabbalah teaches how to balance the negative forces overpowering the world today with positive forces that we engender between us. It is my hope that we will achieve this and complement the negative qualities that are inherent in us, with positive forces that we create between us, and the whole world will benefit.

Good luck to the friends at the retreat, I will rejoice in your connection, and I wish you success.

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Comment: Many students go through states where they are unable to get up, they oversleep and do not come to the lesson.

My Response: I also went through such states; I stayed in bed and could not move. So what? Everyone has to go through them in order to understand one’s true nature. You must discern it in yourself.

This is good! When you go through these states, you eventually begin to understand the real nature of everything that exists. No matter how it happens, a person must feel for oneself what is given to him and with the maximum effort for and against.

Without it, a person will have no awareness of evil, good—nothing. One has to go through all this because otherwise he will remain a small animal.

I had huge difficulties, but I did not miss lessons. I drove myself into fear all the time so that I would not doze off. This is my life; I must be a Kabbalist, I must learn everything, understand it, and pass it on to others.

I was given such an opportunity: “I live and study with the last greatest Kabbalist from the entire chain of ancient Kabbalists and I am obliged to take everything from him and pass it on to others—to all of humanity. This is such a great mission and I am obliged to fulfill it.”

I took on this mission on purpose, without trying it on like a small child, and drove myself into this position. “I am obliged,” l took it so seriously. All in all, it is a huge responsibility to collect all Rabash’s notes, books, and notebooks; maintain his archive, write down every word, accept it all, and pass it through yourself, that is, to invest as much as you can, invest in getting a cast from all his thoughts and desires.

Question: Is it right that when people in a group see a friend in a difficult state, they try to help him somehow?

Answer: Right! We must help! We must play the importance of the goal in front of him as much as possible and pull him out of this state. It is not an easy method, not an easy way. You are working with your own nature. There is no such thing anywhere.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. The Whole Truth About Kabbalah” 3/14/13

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Inner work begins with our desire to get out of ourselves, to connect. And the way out of the connection is measured by how much it contradicts our desire and what forces interfere with the connection and fight against it.

These resisting forces just serve as help against us because they show a person where one still needs to make efforts to correct oneself.

And so a person gradually moves on and on. He tries to connect with his neighbor and bestow, and every time he receives rejection and correction of the direction, difficulties, burdening of the heart, and awareness of his mistake. But repeating over and over again gradually accumulates “penny by penny into a large sum,” and one day comes the “reckoning”; that is, he really reveals the power of bestowal, the power of faith.

And the main thing here is not to despair! After all, we start this path completely egoistically (Lo Lishma) and think only about how we can win big. We do not associate this with other people in any way and do not feel who this “neighbor” is.

These are still similar actions like a newborn baby who does not understand what he is doing at all and does not feel what is being done to him. But over time, he begins to feel a little, to hear, to see something, to react somehow, and so he grows! In the same way, we grow in spirituality! Only we are obliged to make efforts at every moment of our life, just like a child who is naturally pushed to grow by nature.

In fact, a person is not required to do more than what he is able to give. The main thing is to try! The main thing is to want bestowal, at least in some measure. And it is clear that this desire is not for real bestowal, but it doesn’t matter! The main thing is to want, and from these efforts a genuine desire will be born. Like a child who wants to be an adult, and thanks to his efforts to become big, to understand, to feel, and to do something he grows.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/08/14, The Book of Zohar – Selected Chapter “Hukat (The Statute), “Moses, Aaron, and Miriam”

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Question: Very often disagreements arise between several friends in a group, sometimes even of a purely corporeal nature. Is it possible for a person to insure against this?

Answer: No. Not in any way! We need to increase disagreements. A person will have the strength to overcome them if he has a strong ten that will hold him and secure him like climbers secure themselves. But all the same, he will always fall into an egoistic abyss.

If the group does not break up and holds on, it will pull him up, it will help, and he will again get hold of the goal with his teeth and pull himself out. The ten helps, but it cannot work instead of him. It gives the importance of the goal and throws the end of the rope: “Please, be strong,” and he has to pull himself up on his own.

But it happens that everything is in your hands, just latch the carabiner! But the friend does not want to tie himself to the others because that is it: “They will drag me, and I will no longer be able to detach myself.” He cannot. Here, latch the carabiner—but no! And he will move away, tangentially, on his own. There is a special trajectory along which a person moves away from the group: along a parabola, gradually, not abruptly.

He begins to be interested in some other similar things to be fulfilled with money, fame, power, knowledge; he is under some other stronger influence. In general, this is a problem.

But the crisis that is developing around helps a lot. People have nowhere to go, they begin to understand that we  are talking serious business, that we are sober, normal, rational people, that we actually know nature, both man and the world around us, and that we are not mystics, but, on the contrary, realists. And they see they are the mystics.

In the end, they will see: “No matter how much we despise them, hate them, and are ready to crumble and grind them, it turns out that they are right.” And they will have to agree.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Forecast for Next Year” 2/20/13

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