The Torah, “Leviticus” 26:36 – 26:37: And as for them that are left of you, I will send a faintness into their heart in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as one fleeth from the sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. And they shall stumble one upon another, as it were before the sword, when none pursueth; and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

If the Israeli nation doesn’t choose to correct itself voluntarily, there is a need for a very tough external force that will suppress the ego and force it to behave properly. This is called the path of suffering. Along this path people realize what they have been through, how far they have diverted from their goal, and that they need to fully understand this in order to return to fulfilling their duty. But in order to do so, their eyes have to be opened so that they become aware of the two forces in nature and how they operate.

You can only demand something from a person according to his level of development. When does a child begin to understand that he is in a certain framework? First he goes to kindergarten where he is taught what is allowed and what is forbidden. This continues in school. It is only at the age of 14-15 that he becomes responsible for his actions and understands that there are certain laws of behavior that if he breaks, he can be arrested by the police. After the age of 18 he is an adult, although he is not yet fully mature.

In any case, we have to bring a person to the recognition of what he is required to do and so he must fulfill that requirement. Only then will it be possible to hold him responsible. This is the reason that we undergo such a long preparation period of thousands of years. The problem today is that even the sufferings we have undergone don’t help us.

The question is if they were enough. At the end of the 19^th century for example, the first settlers arrived in Israel. They were ready to live under difficult conditions such as a hot dry climate, swamps that needed to be drained, and the suffering of malaria in order to build the Kibbutzim. In 10 to 20 years, people began to forget all that. The second Aliya (wave of immigration) began and then the third, but they were different people because the ego kept renewing itself. A person doesn’t believe that what happened to him yesterday can be repeated today. It is not even his fault that it is all erased from his memory since he is a new person each day. Therefore, the main thing is education and the teaching of the principles of national and global unity.
[158205]
From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 12/10/14

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When a person goes to war against his egoism, he should just remember that the group is next to him in which he will discover all the strength that will help him to contend against himself, against his Pharaoh, against his nature.

I must imagine that I am found outside of myself and am looking at my beast, at myself, from the outside. Then I identify myself with the group, and from there I look at my body, at all of my characteristics, desires, and thoughts, and I consider it to be my Pharaoh. And that is how it is until my body is refined and hands itself over to the group, which is my standard for bestowal. That is how I reach correction.

I demand that I will be able to feel the power of bestowal within the group that leads and holds me. All of this is found in the center of the group. If there is no Arvut (mutual guarantee), then I won’t discover Pharaoh.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Rabash, “What is the Blessing ‘That A Miracle Happened to Me in this Place’ in the Work”: Therefore it says about the exile in Egypt: “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt,” which means that being a slave is so bad because Israel suffered in Egypt.

This means that on the one hand, they felt what it means to be Israel (Yashar-El, straight to the Creator) a little, and on the other hand, they realized that the opposite force governs them. Thus, they began to feel that they were enslaved, held there against their will.

Therefore, it says “remember,” which means that we should remember the sufferings that they suffered there. Then there is a reason to rejoice at the redemption from Egypt.

They should truly regret their slavery and really want to change the situation in order to change the domination of one force to the other force, to the domination of the Creator. As much as the Pharaoh rules, we want the domination of the Creator, and thus increase one with regard to the other until we pass through the 49 gates of impurity behind which the force of bestowal, the Creator, is revealed, which is called the exodus from Egypt.

It is impossible to come out of Egypt with little recognition of the evil that our ego causes us. It must be an unbearable state where  my death is better than this life. I am ready to jump into the Red Sea and to do everything so that I will not have to remain in my ego.

This is the reason that this work can only be done in a group where everyone works together and is incorporated in one another. Everyone collects all the efforts and the feelings of enslavement from all the others and thus feels that he must come out and that he cannot remain there. This is the reason that working on the connection gives everyone such a strong feeling of pain that he is thus forced to demand the exit to redemption.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/14, Writing of Rabash

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Everything begins with the feeling of exile. A person can study a lot, invest, but the question is when (if at all), will he begin to feel that he is in exile? It’s possible that he has a lot of desires, he wants to know the next world, wants to change himself and the world, but that still isn’t considered exile.

Exile is the lack of our ability to work for the Creator, to giveHim pleasure, and nothing else. This means that exile is a very honorable level, a high and difficult stage. As it is said, “One against the other was created by the Creator.” I begin to discover that I am in exile only with the help of the Light that bestows that shows me my situation and brings me to the feeling of exile.

The Light strengthens more and more and brings me the feeling that I am passing the way of the 49 gates of Impurity, because I am within the egoistic desire and can’t give pleasure to the Creator. And so I shout, “Let my people go!” I understand that I am not able to reach bestowing and giving pleasure to the Creator even though it was my only goal and passion.

Only then I reach the end of the exile and receive Kelim (desire) for redemption. After all, I went through all the gates except the 50^th gate, which I don’t feel and am not able to correct.

Thus, one has to exert great efforts in order to clarify the discernments that govern us as opposed to the discernment of bestowal and love of others. That will be the true state of discovery, which means the discovery of exile.

This means that “from the love of the created beings to the love of the Creator.” I don’t know what the Creator is, where He is located, how to relate or to be in contact with Him. We have no means of communication between us. Thus, instead of this I am given other people and the great rule of the Torah, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If I connect everything together, then I can attract the Light that Reforms, which is called “Torah,” which raises me to the level of the Creator.

This means that instead of the Creator, we were given the group, the work field where we can design ourselves in relation to the Creator. Numerous systems are built according to this principle. There are very simple systems where I see myself, see the goal, and the way to reach it. This system was created for simple, non-developed people or small children.

A more advanced person can make longer-term plans that realized in a few years. This is the way all the means of communication work. Even a rocket that is fired doesn’t see the target that is beyond the horizon. But I know how to calculate according to the present data and aim myself towards the goal.

And here it is the same. If I direct myself correctly, with the help of all available means—the Rav, books, group, and dissemination—then I direct myself towards the Creator and I will reach Him. Thus, it is said, “from the love of the created beings to the love of the Creator and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This means that in this world I always have exact means in order to direct myself to the Creator.

If I understand this, then I feel that I am in the correct exile. This means that I am lacking the contact point with the Creator. And even without any contact with the Creator and without knowing Him, without any hints, I can nevertheless, with the help of the available means at hand, reach the feeling that I am in exile, that I cannot give pleasure to the Creator, and I am far from Him. He is there somewhere! And then I clarify where that “somewhere” is, where the “49 gates of Impurity” are, and understand that the Creator is the opposite of impurity. From within this gap, between exile and redemption, the feeling of deficiency is born that I equip myself with and am able to exit Egypt with great possessions and to continue to work with them to transform the “49 gates of impurity” into gates of purity.

Thus, we shouldn’t think that we have no means. We have everything that is needed, except for the spiritual attributes of bestowal that we will receive only if we desire them. And we were given all the means to desire them.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/7/14, Writings of the Ari

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The level of Nefesh Ruach de Ruach (VAK de Ruach) is called exile and Gar de Ruach is redemption. Nefesh is not considered because it is only a motionless state, and Ruach is already the beginning of the work.

VAK de Ruach is our effort to do everything possible. However, in the meantime, there is no contact with the Light, and so this is called exile. It is impossible to feel exile on a level that is less than Nefesh Ruach de Ruach (VAK de Ruach).

A person comes to study and doesn’t understand what exile this is talking about at all. However, if we develop a connection between us correctly in which we discover the Creator, this is called redemption, and the lack of connection between us, because the characteristic of bestowal and love called the Creator is not awakened in us, is called exile.

That is how we can begin to calibrate the relationships between us. If the intensity of the connection between us is more than the level of the still and reaches Nefesh Ruach de Ruach (VAK de Ruach), this is considered exile. However, we already feel that this is exile. We really feel the lack of finding the Ohr HaRuach, meaning the Gar de Ruach that already indicates movement, meaning a feeling of vitality, an internal power.

The main thing is to get used to always speaking about building the ten Sefirot in the connection between us. During the process of this work, we constantly move through all kinds of changes and states, some of which are called exile. To the degree that we make an effort to draw help from above, we advance. This is the work in the Egyptian exile.

If we don’t ask, don’t pray, don’t try to connect, which brings us to prayer, then we don’t work through the exile and don’t advance toward redemption. This is because in spirituality time is the number of operations or changes that we are trying to make.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/26/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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The Torah, “Leviticus”, 26:36 – 26:37: And those of you who survive I will bring fear in their hearts in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a rustling leaf will pursue them; they will flee as one flees the sword, and they will fall, but there will be no pursuer. Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer. You will not be able to stand up against your enemies.   

We have to fulfill our role. This is our only salvation! What is more, it makes no difference where we live; we have a mission that we have to carry out with regard to the nations of the world, and therefore not everyone has to live in Israel. But we have to engage in fulfilling our mission! If it requires the physical return to Israel, then we will also have to do that. The main thing is to fulfill our mission.

However, I don’t believe that we can completely fulfill our mission somewhere abroad. But in Israel, we have to do everything in our power so that the people will know of our mission and will understand the reason for it. Even if they are seemingly in their right place, the situation isn’t right; we are surrounded by both external and internal enemies.

Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer. You will not be able to stand up against your enemies. These words refer to our internal state. Although we will be affected by external problems, it will not be to such an extent, but we will begin to feel that our situation is scary, flawed, shaking, and dependent without any real basis, because we have actually brought it upon ourselves.

This is actually what a person has to understand. The most interesting point is that we can offer ourselves, our nation, the whole world, and the Creator, who is waiting for it, a bright future. But we don’t want to do anything and are ready to sit and shake with fear like scared rabbits. It is because the sound of a rustling leaf can hardly be heard, while we hear it and shake.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 10/12/14

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Baal HaSulam, Shamati #86, “And They Built Store – Cities”: There is yet another saying in The Zohar, that the serpent bows its head and strikes with its tail. This means that sometimes it lets one take upon himself the burden of faith above reason, which is the bowing of the head, but it strikes with the tail.

At first, the ego allows a person to advance since the Sitra Achra (other side) needs Light. If a person doesn’t advance, he will not receive anything. Therefore, the evil inclination operates in a devious manner and seems to free a person, allowing him to run ahead in order to attain success, to understand and to feel more.

Then, the ego grabs the person and swallows him again. Then it releases him in order to swallow him once more. This is how the ego plays with us like a cat with a mouse.

This is the meaning of Pharaoh bringing them near. It is explained that he deliberately brought Israel to repentance, so as to afterwards take everything from them into his own authority. This is why the Ari wrote that Pharaoh sucked all the abundance that came down to the lower ones. He sucked from the Oref and from the throat, which is considered the head of the body, meaning it would take everything in its vessels of reception.

The main thing is not to despair. After all, a person sees that he doesn’t attain anything despite his great yearning for connection, understanding, feeling and working in dissemination, and doing everything he was required to. Suddenly, he falls into the ego again and even to a worse state than before.

This reoccurs many times in the duration of 400 years. The main thing here is the support of the group, taking on a regular duties he ties himself tightly. It is better if the group notices his work so that if he falls, the group immediately pays attention to that and begins to take care of him.

A person works like a piston: He advances, yearning to reach bestowal, and wants to do anything in order to attain that, but then—boom—everything turns the other way around, and he falls into egoism; the snake strikes with his tail and swallows all the results. Then, a person runs forward once again, full of strength and the spirit of life hoping to feel and to attain everything, and, once again, falls powerlessly, despairing that the desire to enjoy took everything.

A person must go through many such states, and no one knows when they are going to end. After all, the darkness of Egypt awaits us at the end. First, we advance from the seven years of satiety to the seven years of hunger and then to the plagues of Egypt, after which comes pitch darkness. In the darkness, we suddenly and hurriedly come out of Egypt.

We cannot know what is about to happen a moment before the exodus at midnight. Therefore, we must grow stronger. Everything is based on one simple principle: “…that he swallowed riches, and then he vomits them up again…” The desire to enjoy swallows the attributes of bestowal that a person wants to reach time after time. The ego takes all that and pulls a person inward.

Eventually, the ego is suffocated and cannot contain everything that it has swallowed. After all, the desire to bestow reaches a critical point in the desire to enjoy, and then there is an explosion, and a person is freed of the domination of the ego.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/8/14, Shamati #86

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Our work is divided into two parts: clarification and correction. Both the clarification and correction are done by the Light that reforms, but no operation, neither the clarification nor the correction, can be carried out without our demand.

The demand is called prayer, the elevation of MAN, desire. The desire is required so that the Light will influence and implement precisely what we ask for, in other words, that the creature discovers a greater and greater desire to resemble the Creator, to rise level after level.

With the help of more and more precise clarification of all the details, a person can bring himself to accommodation, meaning an even greater closeness to the Creator. So, if there were no changes at every moment within the person, he wouldn’t turn in the right direction with the right request, so he wouldn’t get a response, an answer, a discovery, and a change; that is how it is throughout life.

If his state is not changed, he is found on the animate level. Only if changes happen in him as a result of the previous states in which it was clear to him that he raised MAN (a prayer), is he then called an Adam (man). After all, he builds himself with the help of the Light that Reforms, with the help of the Torah. This is, as it is written, “Torah was not given except to those who eat the manna” (Midrash Tanhuma, BeShalach, section 20).

So, through common effort with the help of the Arvut (mutual guarantee), responsibility and mutual support, we constantly need to help everyone, not just ourselves, and we always must be concerned that the entire world group will be raising MAN, in prayer, with a feeling of the need and the imperative for the right direction and the right form.

To turn correctly, many conditions must be met simultaneously. It is written, “…none might enter within the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth” (Esther 4:2); and we need to precede the request with a blessing, for this opens the person and organizes him correctly toward the upper Light, toward the higher level. It is up to him to arrange his relationships with the group so that his request will be adjusted to the higher level, to what the King is ready to hear from him.

The prayer must go out from the depths of the heart, must rise to be a general prayer for all, full of praise, thanksgiving, and happiness. For any bottleneck and sorrow there must be joy because this unique situation was given to him from above, and he wants to connect even more with the Creator, and all of this is not for his personal benefit, but to be concerned for the collective soul and to make the Creator happy.

Ultimately, our work is concentrated on raising a prayer, MAN, and we prepare the prayer through all the previous processes, through the changes in the human characteristics, beginning from Adam to Abraham. After that, the Avot (Fathers) are awakened in him, even though he doesn’t feel this and, after that, reaches a particular feeling of exile. All of this is so that, ultimately, he will get the method of correction and will know how to turn toward the Creator.

Each time his appeal has to be more precise, right on the same wavelength that the upper one is ready to absorb. All of the conditions are always arranged according to a person’s level; he is required only to perform work he is capable of. It is according to the internal and external conditions that he gets—group, teacher, books and study—that the person is ready to design the right demand. And, in response to the right demand, the MAD (Male waters) comes. If he raises a deficiency, then he gets power from above, Mayin Duchrin (MAD), overcoming clothed in water. That is how the person acquires the power with whose help he will be able to realize himself.

Precisely according to his previous request, according to the raising of MAN, in response, the person receives an answer (MAD), and he knows exactly what to do with it. So, it is written, “…his seed is blessed” (Psalms 37:26). That is how the person advances from the realization of the MAD to clarify an additional, greater deficiency, and he searches for new opportunities to bestow to the Creator, meaning to make it possible for the Creator to bestow to the creatures.

So, the person again searches for how to think about the creatures and not about himself and how to think about the Creator not about himself and about the creatures. That is how he organizes the next MAN.

Every time, he will understand, feel, and adjust himself more and more to the higher form. The person and the Creator become partners, and they work together to benefit the souls. The person asks for their sake, and the Creator implements his request. The request, the deficiency, comes from the side of the person, and the fulfillment comes for all of the souls from the side of the Creator.

Therefore, the person adheres to the Creator with his point in the heart, thanks to their common work. After all, all of the intentions of both of them are directed only toward the benefit of one soul that they see as a place for common concern, connection, and love. All of this is revealed within all of the souls.

So, it seems that a man, the Creator and Divinity, the entire community of souls are found in adhesion with each other.
[131991]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/7/14, Writing of Rabash

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Baal HaSulam, from the article, “Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 14: Now we have found the opening to the above study regarding the four sects, Mercy, Righteousness, Truth, and Peace, which negotiated with the Creator regarding man’s creation. These angels are servants of man’s soul; hence, He negotiated with them, since the whole act of Creation was created according to them, as each and every soul consists of ten Sefirot in Ohr Pnimi and Ohr Makif.

• Mercy is the Inner Light (Ohr Pnimi) of the first nine of the soul.
• Righteousness is the Ohr Pnimi of the Malchut of the soul.
• Truth is the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif) of the soul.

And Peace is the integration between the three previous characteristics that are impossible to attain. Peace claims that the person “is all strife.” In other words, the opposition between Ohr Pnimi (Inner Light) and Ohr Makif (Surrounding Light) is so great that it is impossible to overcome it.

The four angels are four parts of the Kli that want to receive in order to bestow and resemble the Creator in this way. The Ohr Pnimi and the Ohr Makif act within the first nine Sefirot and within the Malchut of the internal and external.

With the completion of correction, all of these angels will become absolutely satisfied and until then, all of them will not be pleased. This is because the Kelim are not filled with their intended Lights. Ohr Pnimi and Ohr Makif oppose each other and come to beat each other.

The angel of peace is intended to assemble the entire structure with the help of all the components, but he cannot understand how to do this. There is no way to solve this problem. This is our situation. All of the states described in the books of the Kabbalists are about the relationships between Zeir Anpin and Malchut, the ascent of Malchut and its descent, the seven periods of the Nukva, the states of Katnut (Smallness), Gadlut (Adulthood), and so on; all of these are states of the yearning of the person for connection with others.

We go through states like these, and the book says what we must do with our inner characteristics to connect with others with their help. With connection, we reach the ten, complete Sefirot and attain divinity.

The angels are the forces that are active within us. There are forces by means of which I can connect slightly, and they are called mercy and righteousness. There is a force with which I cannot connect between them, and its name is truth. I am not prepared to reach truth because I am living an absolute lie. It is impossible for all of the Ohr Makif to enter into me.

Even with the angel of Peace, I don’t know what to do. What kind of peace can there be in me if there is no completion and wholeness within me? These states are discovered in my relationships with the group or with all of humanity. To the degree of the discovery of the right relationship, I clarify that the group is only the wrapping in which I discover the higher power, the power of bestowal, the Creator.

All of The Study of the Ten Sefirot talks about what is happening within us, within our desires and in relationships with others, but in terms of a high psychology. We don’t feel what is happening with us inside, and the Kabbalists want to explain this to us to help reveal our inner characteristics and forces and begin to work with them.
[131953]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/25/14, Writing of Baal HaSulam

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From an article by Rabash, “What Is the Blessing, ‘…who has made for me a miracle in this place’ in the work?”: As it is written, “We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 6:21), being that they endured suffering in Egypt and it also says, “…and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage….” (Exodus 2:23), so the idea of the Mitzvah (commandment) “Remembrance of Egypt” was given to us, as it is written, “…that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life” (Deuteronomy 16:3).

This is not saying that the slavery in Egypt was difficult; rather, the difficulty was in the inability to bestow. I am ready to work and do everything necessary, but I don’t see that in some way I will at least bestow to the Creator through this. This is called, “exile” and “slavery.”

Pharaoh siphons all the results of my labor from me; everything goes to him. This doesn’t speak about the difficulty of the work, but about its result. After all, I cannot give the Creator any satisfaction. “The children of Israel sighed” because of that, and not because their work was difficult.

Without any connection to the difficulty of the work, it is difficult for me to see that I am not ready to bestow to the Creator in at least some way. This is a very important discernment. The cry was not from fatigue and exhaustion from the work; rather, this is only speaking about the relationship with the Creator. After all, I see that my sworn hater takes all of my effort.

This is a very strong feeling. Imagine that everything that you earned in this world went to your most hated enemy. Let’s say that you saved up some money for a period of time; you dreamed of buying a limousine and suddenly you see that there is no money and your neighbor is driving a new limousine.

Comment: The greatest frustration in the seven years of famine is that you continue to do the same work; you invest in the group and in dissemination as in the seven years of plenty, and you know that Pharaoh will get all the results and you will be even more discouraged.

Answer: No, you think that you are working “for the sake of bestowal.” And in the end, when you vigorously did all of this work with love and devotion, it suddenly turns out that all of this was for your sake and the Creator didn’t get anything. Nothing is considered to be bestowal and you are an even worse egoist than before. This is the slavery in exile.

And the problem is not that this cost you a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but rather that the result didn’t reach the right destination, that the Creator didn’t get any satisfaction. And I am not sorry because He didn’t get any pleasure from me; rather, it is because through my action I didn’t succeed in giving Him satisfaction (even though I am in concealment from Him). A person climbs the ladder of detachment from himself and sees how much Pharaoh doesn’t let him bestow.

Question: I can’t imagine how it is possible to be detached from Pharaoh so that all the fruits of my labor will go to the Creator.

Answer: If part of your heart is found with the Creator, then you will feel this, like with your children and people who are close to you. Therefore it is said, “As one person with one heart.”
[132181]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/2/14, Writings of Rabash

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