It isn’t by chance that our big global group is divided into two parts which are necessary in order to express our prayer, our deficiency for correction correctly. Because of different reasons, the first part is given the chance to connect physically during the convention, while the other part cannot come to the convention and connect physically.

This is why there is another important element in our prayer where we must ask for the friends who are not physically with us so we will feel as if they are here with us. We shouldn’t feel any distance between us, but rather that the distance between us is meaningless since there is nothing but the connection with the friends.

We ask the Creator to bring the friends who had to stay at home closer to us and to convey all our feelings to them and their impressions to us. There shouldn’t be virtual communication lines between us, but heart to heart communication lines which are so strong that we will feel that the friends are not just beside us, but inside our hearts!
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From the Preparation for the World Zohar Week 2014 1/29/14

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Right now we need to clarify which problems must actually be solved before and during the convention. Otherwise this will not be called a “convention,” a convening, a connection.

Question: It is understandable that we need to feel happy about connection. But must we also be afraid of not attaining a connection?

Answer: There is a particular age below which the child is exempt from commandments (Mitzvot) because he is small. After that we begin to educate him and say to him what he is allowed to eat and what he is forbidden to eat, or that one can do something this way and is not allowed to do it that way.

The first commandment is called “fear” in the presence of the Creator. I am afraid of whether or not I will be able to give Him contentment, will this action make Him happier, what will make Him less happy? For this, I must reach an age of maturity, “Bar Mitzvah,” meaning a level when a person is aware that he is responsible for his thoughts, intentions, and deeds of correction. A “Mitzvah” is correction. The question is, have we reached this age?

If we were already like this today, we will feel the fear, the apprehension: “Friends, the goal before us is to give contentment to the Creator! If we don’t do this, it will be very bad.” This will be very bad not for ourselves, but bad for another, for others; otherwise, this is not called a “Mitzvah” if I am thinking about myself. But if we succeed in giving contentment to the Creator, this will be good for the entire world! What will be with us doesn’t matter to us.

This means that we must make many preliminary corrections before we reach realization of this first commandment of fear, of apprehension, of the thought, “Am I giving contentment to the Creator or not?” It’s forbidden for you to get some kind of benefit from this in return for this will no longer be a commandment, this will not be bestowal, this will not be giving contentment to the Creator. It’s possible to bring contentment to the Creator only if there is no self-interest, if one is making Him happy without considering personal loss or gain. We must still rise to this level by making a restriction on our ego so that the result will not be considered in relation to ourselves.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/27/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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We should feel that we are in the desert and that we will remain in the desert, in desolation, in emptiness, if we don’t reach the state in which we can delight the Creator. We will only have the idea that we did it, that we are trying to do it, and that we are getting close to it. Then, there is a higher level, and we don’t want to know it since the exertion itself, delighting the Creator, is our reward.

The emptiness that is created between us always will be the place that the Creator must fill according to our state. The higher we ascend the spiritual ladder, this emptiness will take on a new form, a new essence, a new identity, until finally we will reach a state in which we will ask for nothing except for the opportunity to make an effort in total darkness. This darkness becomes a place full of Light for us.

It is said:.”Darkness will illuminate as Light.” But how can that be? After all, it remains darkness! For us, it isn’t darkness anymore. If we bring the Light of Hassadim (Mercy) into it, our impulse to bestow, the darkness turns into Light and night turns into day.

If we turn ourselves into a vessel that can work only in order to serve all of creation, this vessel becomes a conductor of the Light. We actually are ready for this transition which is a totally new phenomenon that never existed before. Therefore, we can reach the right action by our mutual effort. Our action isn’t in feeling and understanding the Creator but rather in discovering the right deficiency. This is the only thing that is required of us.

When we have the right deficiency, we immediately will discover that we are already on a certain spiritual level. Even now, we are already in the world of Ein Sof (Infinity), but we discover only part of it according to our deficiency and one day, we discover all of it.
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From the Preparation for the World Zohar Week 2014 1/29/14

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I am very glad that we have such an extended convention, long meetings between all the friends around the world. This allows us to be integrated with each other, to connect, and unite. First of all, it says that from Above we are allowed to do that. All the forces of the Creator are intended to help us, to give us a chance to unite. The rest is up to us. 

Somewhere between two and three weeks before our convention, a new attitude came to us from Above: focused, aimed at us, the desire of the Creator, Who waits for us to rise to Him. Therefore, we have to take this challenge and begin to work with it. We are in a state when everything has been already transferred to our hands and depends on us. 

I very much hope that we will not miss this chance. You noticed that shortly before our convention, we suddenly had an opportunity and readiness to explain the direction to the goal more clearly and openly. The lessons have risen to a new level and have become more accurately directed at it. So, I am very glad that we are on the threshold of correct connection. We have the power for it. I am very proud of you, of our chance to get together and bring great joy to the upper force that cares about us. 

We just have to thank the Creator for the opportunities presented and quickly realize the chance provided. We received it and not accidentally. Why have we all of a sudden received such a connection with the upper force that we have the opportunity to reveal it as managing everything, enveloping, and filling everything? Why does It want to raise us and make us its partners? This is huge luck. We are just the lucky ones! 

Therefore, we must accept every friend as a great special person in his generation, chosen by the Creator from many millions of people and brought here where our friends from around the world gathered. This is a great state that has a huge impact on all of humanity. 

Neil Armstrong once said, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Indeed, this is what is happening to us only in a spiritual sense, and it strongly advances the world. Therefore, we need to honor every friend and collectively thank the Creator.
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From a Talk During the Meal 1/29/14

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We have already experienced the first feeling of connection, but the question is how do we continue using our experience? If we simply enjoy the pleasant feeling and the tranquility, then we are clearly using the illumination that comes to us. As a result of the loss of the illumination, we feel a descent. As Baal HaSulam said: “Shame on he who does not constantly step up his efforts, but makes a complaint, separating himself from the Creator.”

Therefore, we must constantly work on increasing our desire and efforts on this inclination in different forms among the men and the women, in different circles. We know that Ramchal’s students took turns in studying continuously from The Book of Zohar. There was always a small group that was responsible for keeping the general state every hour of the 24 hours in a day. We may also have to do something similar in the future. We have an opportunity to organize this duty around the clock all over the globe, in all our groups on every continent. It makes no difference whether it’s a big group or a small one, any small effort that one small individual makes is like a great effort that a grownup makes.

Now we should fear the descent back to the domination of the ego. We feel good and pleasant; we have experienced some unusual feelings and we are starting to enjoy and to analyze them, but no matter what I feel, what is important is to constantly remain above my feelings and my calculations and to yearn only for bestowal. When I am in bestowal, I don’t feel myself and I don’t even think about it. I only ask for bestowal: For whom am I doing all this?

I live thanks to the intention to bestow and not in the state itself. In the spiritual world, the state itself is not included, only what you add to it, the acceleration, and the derivative.
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From the Talk at a Meal 1/27/14

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Raising the Heart by the Paths of the Creator

To achieve real unity, we must attract the Light that Reforms. It’s possible to attract it only by giving respect to the greatness of the goal, the group, the friends, and the upper force that takes care of us and to which we are heading. Thus, we come to the relationship with the Divine.

Having achieved that, we act together as commandos (like all those in our world who unite in groups), and from this point we begin to aspire more to the Creator. In order to come to the Creator, we need to raise our own importance. There is no other choice, not because we want to walk arrogantly turning up our nose at everyone else, but because it’s necessary. We need forces in order to connect even more deeply, we need a stimulus that will give us energy and an urgent need in compromises and unity.

Where do we get this stimulus? The answer is “to raise the heart by the ways of the Creator.” This means that we must rise above everyone, certainly not above the group, but above the whole world, all the ages, and all the generations. We have to be proud that we are the pioneers, the last generation that paves the way for all of humanity. We have to cultivate group pride, purposeful, positive pride.

This pride should be born through force: I am not happy about it and not wholeheartedly proud, I just have no other choice but to increase pride. And it’s a lot of work.

We should look for opportunities to strengthen and maximize mutual guarantee. Where can we get the “appetite” for it? As a rule the appetite for mutual guarantee comes from a wider environment. For this we have to work precisely on the awareness of the importance of our environment relative to a wider environment.

In other words, we work with our group and raise its importance above each of us. After that, we need to raise the importance of our group above a more external environment. Only then can we connect the desires of humanity and strengthen mutual guarantee.

We cannot strengthen mutual guarantee if we close ourselves within the group. This is possible only by connecting external vessels and opening the internal ones. “The fool folds his hands together and eats his own flesh”; this is not about a person who does nothing but about a person who does not care about expanding the vessels (Kelim). That’s why he is a fool.
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Preparation for the Integral Convention, Nine Stages On The Path To Unity, Point 4

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Question: To what level do we need to rise today? What exactly must we emphasize in attaining connection between us?

Answer: The first task is: “Love covers over all transgressions.” All evil that is revealed is discovered within the entire system and doesn’t depend upon anyone personally, even if it seems that this comes from someone or is discovered in someone. Everything that is revealed comes from the general integral system even if I see it locally and attribute it to a particular person and not the Creator. This is a defect in my comprehension.

All of the problems and defects are revealed so that I can rise above them again with faith above reason. If I discover negative characteristics in a friend (a friend who is with me on the path), this is a sign that I can accept him with faith above reason, with love.

All of the troubles and all of the joys, everything that happens with all of us, we must register this in our shared account and not attribute it to someone or something separate. This is all a game from above that the Creator plays with us.

The second task: We are not gathering in order to connect among us! We are coming to discover the Creator! And in order to discover Him we connect between us. Don’t confuse what is secondary from the essence.

Regarding everything that happens, we must feel first that this comes from Above and “If I am not for myself who will be for me?” and ultimately everything that happens is happening according to the program of creation. But in the middle, between these two points, the beginning and the end, I must reveal full devotion, nullify myself, and beyond this nullification, help everyone also to become like this as well.

First I nullify myself completely. And when I finish totally nullifying myself, then above my nullification, I begin to help others to do everything that they want. This is called reception for the sake of bestowal. Remember that our convention is not a convention of connection between us; instead, it is a convention of connection with the Creator.
[126426]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/27/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”

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Question: How do I feel the friend’s ten spiritual Sefirot inside me and how they develop when I penetrate the friend?

Answer: If you penetrate the friend you begin to feel his ten Sefirot. They are felt as different tastes, as if you are in a good restaurant and received the main course, and next to it many other dishes: different salads and desserts. You begin to feel many flavors in the friends, different attributes.

When your connection continues to develop, nothing disappears from you. In the corporeal world we usually forget the weak flavors when we receive some great pleasure. It’s very common with small children who immediately throw away an old toy when they see a new one. But it’s different in spirituality where the Light of NRNHY operates and which includes many levels.

It says: “Love will cover all sins.” This means that we have to feel the sins, the conflicts and the love simultaneously, and there cannot be one without the other. This is the structure of the ten Sefirot of the Direct Light and of the Returning Light that are dressed into each other that we have to feel in all their opposite forms and attributes. One doesn’t extinguish the other. This is the wonder of the spiritual world where there cannot be “a little bit” of anything but rather the maximum. There is no past, no present, and no future; everything connects simultaneously into one feeling.

In the corporeal world we want to forget the family quarrels and to start a new leaf as if nothing happened, but this isn’t correction. The correction is actually when all the disagreements remain and nothing is forgotten and on top of it we establish an even greater state. This is actually the reason that everything flourishes. We have no such opportunity in the corporeal world but only in the spiritual world. When two opposites exist together in order to bestow, they amplify one another.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/27/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

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From Shamati #4, “The Reason For The Difficulty Of Annulling Oneself For The Creator”: If one can magnify one’s vessels, to that extent he magnifies the luminescence. Yet the question is, with what can one magnify one’s vessels? The answer is, in the extent to which he praises and gives thanks to the Creator for having brought one closer to Him, so one would feel Him a little and think of the importance of the thing, meaning that he was awarded some connection with the Creator.

As is the measure of the importance that one pictures for oneself, so the measure of the luminescence grows in him.

At first, it seems to us that our task is to feel the Creator. It is like an egoistic desire: to see Him, to attain, to reveal. It is not understood how one can aspire to this reward because one has to work selflessly: without feeling and attainment, like slaves who are dedicated to their master no matter what they get. If it is bestowal, it should be pure.

Feeling the Creator already seems like a reward. But this is not so because in order to feel the Creator, one must become like Him, achieve the same properties, desires, and thoughts. Thus we are allowed to strive to reveal Him.

Kabbalah is the method of revelation of the Creator by created beings in this world,

meaning, correcting them to a state of equality, to similarity to the Creator. According to this similarity, the created being reveals the Creator and adheres to Him, feels that “the whole earth is full of His glory.” Every desire of a person is filled with the property of bestowal and love, which is called the “Creator.” A person takes this structure, the form of complete bestowal and love and this means that the Creator is clothed into him.

There is no Creator without the created being that would come from somewhere and become clothed into us. “This will be one’s entire work, meaning all the vigor that he puts into the work will be only to achieve that, and not for any other things”—in this correction that allows a person to achieve adhesion with the Creator and be grateful for that. That is, he puts efforts into work in order to adhere to the Creator, to reveal Him, changing and becoming like Him. He should not think of anything, meaning that the only reward that he wants for his work should be to be rewarded with faith in the Creator.

Faith is bestowal; that is, a person looks for an opportunity to bestow.

We must know that there is no difference between a small illumination and a great one, which a person attains. There is complete unlimited abundance in the world. Take whatever you want from creation—only use it correctly in order to build yourself in the corrected form. This is because there are no changes in the Light. Rather, all the changes are in the vessels that receive the abundance, as it is written, “I the Lord change not.”

Hence, if one can magnify one’s vessels, to that extent he magnifies the luminescence. Yet, the question is, with what can one magnify one’s vessels? The answer is, in the extent to which he praises and gives thanks to the Creator—that is, he values the property of bestowal and love that becomes high and desired for him; he feels grateful for having brought one closer to Him.

A person is grateful for the entire path: for all the bad and good. He understands that his life has not had a single state not aimed at the goal. It does not matter whether a person realized that or not, but the Creator steadily advanced him to the goal. Any event in human history was intended to strengthen our unity with the Creator.

The Creator all the time attracted a person, “so one would feel Him a little and think of the importance of the thing, meaning that he was awarded some connection with the Creator. As is the measure of the importance that one pictures for oneself, so the measure of the luminescence grows in him.”  If a person is constantly thinking only about this, then he feels the greatness of the property of bestowal and love; the state that he has to achieve, being detached from his “I.” To that extent, he attracts the Light that Reforms, which advances him in the desired direction.
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From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/28/14

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Question: On the way to the convention, how do we keep from losing the approach and the guidance that we received while preparing for it?

Answer: I don’t think that a person loses his concentration when he is on the way. He yearns to be here, to be together with everyone. People are sending me emails or SMS that they are on the way and will arrive soon from all kinds of places. Their hearts are already here with us.

I am very happy that this time we are arranging a convention of true connection. We have reached such a state of ripening where it is possible to talk about love that has been built over hatred, about connection over distance. This indicates our ripening, our first level of maturity.

It is impossible to advance without being stabilized, without balancing the two forces within a person: the positive and the negative. The realization of the first spiritual level is to stabilize these two forces opposite each other and to be aware that this is precisely the way that we advance.
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From the Talk at a meal 1/26/14

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