Question: Why is the Surrounding Light attracted when I give friends gifts?

Answer: Because I give a present to a friend not because I want to deceive him, entice him, and obtain some simple earthly benefit from him, but only for the sake of the spiritual goal.

The point in the heart is important to me, and I work from that point on his desire to receive to fulfill his desire to receive; that is, I give him a gift. But I do it because it is important for me to attain the Creator; He is the root cause of everything (No. 1).  For this, I operate my ego (No. 2) and give a present to my friend’s ego (No. 3).

I can influence his ego with a gift, but I influence his point in the heart by the Light that Reforms (No. 4). I cannot influence his point in the heart; it is a spark from above, a part of divinity from above. But the Surrounding Light does influence it because starting with my first action I made this calculation that attaining the Creator is more important to me than pleasing my egoism. That’s why I do all these steps even though I would gladly remain lying on the couch and doing nothing.

My friend begins to wonder: Why am I doing this for him? If we study together, I could tell him directly that the intention of the gift is for our spiritual advancement, that I bring him the gift to buy a friend, and with his help to reveal the Creator. And when the friend is awakened by my words, my gifts, and the Surrounding Light, he will also make the calculation that it is most important to attain the Creator (No. 5).

After many such gifts (one is not enough), I “buy” the friend. In ordinary life, without the addition of the importance of the Creator, we just “bribe” a person and his egoism through giving him presents. As a result, he begins to show me favor too, to help me, as usual: “You give to me, I’ll give to you.” Or we have common interests and we help each other realize our egoistic desires: go fishing or play soccer together.

However, this scheme is very special because I, through the Creator, begin to start influencing the friend, his point in the heart. From this, his point in the heart is awakened and he is compelled to do the same actions toward me. He must do so! From his point in the heart, his egoism is influenced (No. 6), and, with it, he gives me gifts (No. 7). It turns out that he performs the same cycle of actions toward me.

Since we both work in such “cycles,” we bring our points in the heart closer together. They begin to work on the same wavelength so closely that they are as if under one blanket (No. 8). And then, due to the Surrounding Light, the “blanket” turns into a screen (Masach) (No. 9).

It is an inexorable law. A man can cry for a thousand years, but until he has fulfilled the laws, it will not work. If the requirements of the law are fulfilled, then success is guaranteed. It is called: “The law is fixed and cannot be violated.”

We need to understand that we exist within nature in its system of laws. We only need to learn these laws thoroughly and find out where we have made omissions until we obtain the desired result.
[122927]
From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/11/13

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Question: How can we defeat the Klipa of Canaan?

Answer: The Klipa of Canaan is the disrespect one feels towards the means for his spiritual advancement. It is revealed after a person decides to start the spiritual work and to come out of Babylon, which means of the general ego. This ego is revealed in the meantime as a person’s personal ego.

The ego is defined as the force of repulsion one feels towards the friends in the group that yearns for unity and mutual guarantee. When we begin to work on unity, the repulsion that I feel towards every friend is called my ego. This is already the ego of a person who works on himself.

But the first ego that was revealed in Babylon is a personal, individual ego that I feel I must exit. I feel bad and uncomfortable. I am not sure that it is the ego yet, but I simply want to exit the shattering, the shattered life in which nothing works out. I feel confused. The tower of Babel symbolizes the initial clarifications when we realize that if we connect we will feel good, just like in integral education.

The Klipa of Canaan is the egoistic force that appears in a person in the form of disrespect towards the spiritual work, the teacher, and the group. He is ready to connect to the Creator only: This is his goal. He wants to continue working individually, by himself, and doesn’t need the group. He even sees the teacher as a mere source of information.

This is all our work. Everything starts from Joseph who is the most important figure, which means the attribute that collects (Osef) everyone to this point. Neither the friends, the group, or the teacher demand respect or need any special treatment. It is only needed in order to focus us correctly on the attainment of the Creator like an elite military unit that operates according to this principle, according to these values.

Everyone should understand that no matter how much he lies to himself, the greatness of the Creator and the goal cannot be greater than the means, which are the teacher, the group, and the study.
[123322]
From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/16/13

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Baal HaSulam, “Igrot” (Letters), Letter 43: …Our sages have already said, “The fear of your teacher is as the fear of heaven.” This, therefore, will be the measure of exaltedness that such a man obtains by his sanctity, for his exaltedness will by no means exceed the exaltedness of his Rav.

…I have already said and elaborated that the biggest Masach (screen) is in the work in the children of the land of Israel, since the domination of the Canaan Klipa is in this place, and each one is as low as the ground, his friend is even lower than the ground, and many others like him.

…Allegorically, you can say the words of our sages about the verse, “Leave Me and keep My law”—“I wish they would leave me,” mean that they were proud of the exaltedness. And although “He and I cannot dwell in the same place,” still, “Keep My law,” be attached to a genuine righteous with proper faith in the wise. Then there is hope that the righteous will reform you and will sentence them to a scale of merit as is appropriate for the presence of the Creator. What could come out of their humility and lowness so the Creator will not move His abode from them if they have no genuine righteous to guide them in His law and prayer, and lead them to a place of Torah and wisdom?

In this world, we are given the people who can become our friends so that we join them and study together about how to exit ourselves and rise by faith above reason, that is, to appreciate bestowal above reception. We need to connect between ourselves so that we do not just act by common efforts but turn into one force inside which everyone loses his personal image and connects to one whole, to one heart, together with everyone else.

To help us do this, we also are given a teacher in this world. It is very important how a person learns through his attitude to the group and the teacher to build his attitude to the Creator. It is impossible that a person establishes a higher form of the Creator’s greatness than the greatness of the teacher and even of the friends, the group. He needs all this to exit himself, to rise above his egoism.

It requires a lot of work. After all, if a person has been instilled with reverence for a Rav, which is called religious upbringing, then he would not have to work on this. He would have felt that he relates to a great person as to his father, together with many others from his environment. He would have grown in such an environment where everyone talks about that and relates in this way. This is called Hasidism. It is easy for a person to live in these conditions. He is not required to carry out inner work against his egoism: constant scrutiny, critical self-analysis. He relies on the opinion of the environment. Seeing that everyone behaves in the same way, he is inspired by them and advances with this.

So society supports the personal authority of some individuals. Of course, this does not raise him in relation to the Creator, but in this form it is possible to hold on smoothly, without all the ups and downs in life, feeling nice, comfortable, and confident. A person feels that he has someone to rely on; someone takes care of him, prays for him.

However, we come to the stage of human development when the majority of people cease to receive religious education from childhood. On the contrary, they are accustomed to despising others, not recognizing any authority, believing themselves smarter than everyone else, having no respect for anybody. This is called Klipat Canaan with which the forefathers fought when they entered the land of Israel.

It was not easy for those who left Babylon or for those who get out of their Babylon today to bow to the leader, Abraham. This is the degree of teacher that a person must have if he wants to approach the entrance to the spiritual world through the group and studies. This does not apply personally to a teacher or a group because a person sees them with his egoistic eyes and judges them according to his shortcomings.

Of course, everyone appears insignificant to him, one worse than the other. The teacher also seems so-so to him. He thinks that, if he had studied with the forefather Moses or Rabbi Shimon, then he would have advanced better. Similarly, he thinks the friends are weak and do not present anything. He does not believe the sages that every person judges to the extent of his own flaws, and that in reality, the world of Infinity in all its perfection, is before him. He himself lowers this divine perfection to his own low level and thus sees the world as despicable.

We need to realize that we will not get permission to enter the spiritual world until we begin to appreciate the friend, group, and teacher as highly as we imagine the Creator. As it is written, “Israel, the Torah, and the Creator are one.” With this condition, we rise from below to above, raising a human to the level of the Creator. The same condition acts in the opposite direction, from top down, that is, the same level, the same reverence, the same greatness we need to bring downward from the world of Infinity, the Creator, and extend it the group, teacher, and every friend. Otherwise, we will not succeed.

We need to thank the upper management that it has organized such a reality for us where we surely can see how far we are from the Creator according to our attitude to the teacher, friend, and group.
[123232]
From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/16/13

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Question: What is it like under the guidance of a spiritual teacher? Is it like a trip with a tourist guide in London or like dangerous mountain climbing where you cannot take a step to the left or to the right without a guide since you might fall?

Answer: In a tour of London you can listen with half an ear to the tourist guide and at the same time walk around as you like. But is this similar to the spiritual path, which you know nothing about?

You have to enter spirituality. The guide tells you that in order to enter spirituality you have to keep certain conditions, but you say that you don’t accept half of these conditions but keep on following the group. How can that be? Can you climb a mountain if you don’t accept half of the guide’s instructions? You have to be as obedient as a baby and totally annul yourself in the arms of the guide.

Question: But I am not a baby I am an adult! I gained a wealth of experience in my life and I have studied with other teachers before.

Answer: You are even less than a baby! If you don’t listen to the guide’s advice, you are like a grownup with the tiny brain of a baby who doesn’t let others take care of him. There are strict laws here that cannot be changed. You cannot ask for mercy like in court. In court you can still cry and plead for mercy. But here there are no manipulations that will help: There is a law, “He has given a law that cannot be broken.” Choose: Do you accept it or not?

There are many people who climb mountains and there are always those who stumble and fall into the great abyss, back into the domination of the egoistic forces, the Sitra Achra. Only few reach the king’s palace that is on the mountaintop: those who have the patience, which means that they try as hard as they can to follow the guide, against any thoughts they may have and against their own mind.

These are the small differences that determine everything where you encounter the resistance of your mind and cannot overcome its demands and do the opposite compared to what the teacher or Baal HaSulam demand of you. It is because you agree with everything else in your ego, but here you encounter what is against your ego, and it is here that you need to ask for help and to ascend.

These are the points that you encounter and which you cannot overcome. They connect and become a line, a path that brings you to the Lord’s palace. It is impossible to advance any other way. You say: “But I agree to everything else!” It is wonderful that you agree, but everything else has nothing to do with spirituality. Spirituality is only in the points where you don’t agree!

You advance only through the points where you disagree: one point after the next. You have to agree on them, under the influence of the environment, the study, etc. but your agreement doesn’t have to be pragmatic. If you agree to disseminate as the teacher asks because you hope to receive a reward, then it is not working in faith above reason anymore, but for a corporeal reward.

We should be careful in using the points of friction and not making them worthwhile. You cannot agree to disseminate in order to feel that you are great standing before a crown or in order to make money. You have to follow these stumbling points in faith above reason and then these points will turn into a line.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/13/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Our entire problem is in the intention of our actions. A person’s actions are divided into physical and moral aspirations, inner desires that can be expressed in a particular form in his actions. We live in a world that is composed of two components: our inner aspirations and the outer actions. The most important thing is the inner aspirations to which, in general, we don’t attribute much importance.

It is clear that the world around us is directed toward a particular goal, and the form of our advancement doesn’t depend on us at all. We see that all our programs and projects lack value, and we cannot realize them. They disappear somewhere and in their place various other events arrive. You see that we don’t control anything. We make all kinds of revolutions, build something, aspire in a particular direction, but at the end, everything turns out differently and we cannot understand what is happening to us.

The wisdom of Kabbalah says that the world is under the influence of absolute laws that we must know and not just observe, and we must use them in the right way in order to reach the best state possible for us in the field of the application of these laws.

In any case the world will reach the goal. A person, whether he wants to or not, will reach a state that was planned from the start by nature and toward which it has led us for billions of years.

According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, it is possible to reach this final good state in two ways.

One of them is the way by the forces of nature. This way is unpleasant, bad, pushing us forward through suffering and influences our ego, our instinctive desire, which acts automatically to be in the most comfortable state that we can choose for ourselves, consciously or unconsciously, at each and every moment.

When nature develops us through suffering, it shows us the inferiority, baseness, and vulnerability of this state, and then through this state, we are forced to seek something else. However, the idea is that nature constantly leads us in this form so that we choose the next state according to its goal, and eventually we advance.

Thus we advance by the way of trial and error because we don’t know our next state and don’t understand what it must be in comparison to the previous state. We flee from the previous state without aiming for the next state; we move forward unconsciously: The main thing is to hide, to escape from the suffering just as every animal instinctively flees from danger.

This advancement, in any case, brings us to the goal, but by a long and difficult path.

As a result, we are invited to understand the whole chain of events we have been passing through over the course of thousands of years of our evolution.

In this way, we discover a very interesting truth: the need for the change in intention in all of our actions. In other words, our actions can remain as they are. The main thing is to work on changing our intentions, and this is, in fact, talking about a change in myself.

The most difficult thing for the person is to change himself. What do I want from what I am doing, from my life, from every state through which I am passing?

You see that the intention I am now maintaining, either consciously or unconsciously, is only for my own good or for the good of others. In this case, I must change in some way! How can I rise above my nature, change myself, my intention?

The Kabbalists say that this is the main thing, the most important thing for the person. There is no need to do anything else. We try to change our lives, our society, and the wisdom of Kabbalah says that everything changes through a change of intention. If we change our intention, we change everything. If we can control our intentions, we control the entire universe, all the worlds!

Therefore, if, today all of the intentions in all of my actions are only for my own good, I must transform them so that in every activity they will be only for the good of others.

Is this possible? In principle, no. If we look at the reality that surrounds us, we see that everything acts only egoistically. In other words, we and the nature around us—human society, all inanimate objects, plants, animals, and humans—only act for their own benefit, for themselves, and cannot change in any manner.

However, if we continue to act this way, we will cause even greater suffering. And now it is evident in our world at an increasing rate: All kinds of troubles are coming upon us that are becoming more and more threatening.

On the other hand, in each and every generation, there are a number of people (in our generation they are many) who are beginning to understand that they must reach something else, to go out to another level of existence, to another level of intention, to understand what is happening and rise from the level of the activated to the activator.

This desire acts in the subconscious of all of us. Among a part of us, it is revealed less, among another part, more. In other people, it is revealed in various, unique forms. We see the ways in which people come to us, how they find us. You see that we exist in the field of our intention, and they are attracted to it and join our groups.

Many of them disappear after this, returning to their world. Many of them certainly don’t understand why they came as it seems we didn’t explain this to them in a good way and in our lessons and workshops about Kabbalah. Therefore, we must advance and correct ourselves in this also.

However, in a general manner, in our time, there are already many people who aspire to change their intention so that, through the two intentions—for their own good and for the good of others—they can begin to manage their state and the state of the world that surrounds them.

Therefore, even though our first intention is absolute egoism, an intention for our own good, we can correct it. For this, intelligence and control were given to humanity.
[123133]
From the Moscow Virtual Convention “Unity Without Boundaries” Day One 12/13/13, Lesson 1

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Question: How can one not fall for the pride of the friend to whom I nullify myself? And, how do I myself need to relate to this when they praise me so that the praise doesn’t stop spiritual work?

Answer: It is truly possible to destroy a person through praise. For the most part, I relate to my students with a little mockingly, a little derision, and sometimes rudeness. Sometimes, I push some individuals away, holding them at somewhat of a distance, not allowing myself to get close to them, and they to me. There are people who also behave this way toward me or toward other friends.

The entire idea is in the intention: why we do it.

If, in this way, friends begin to be arrogant, then you must solve this problem among you by discussing it in the workshop circles. I very much recommend behaving specifically this way. Everything that accumulates in you that you cannot resolve personally must be introduced in workshops.

You arrange an anonymous discussion there without relating to a specific friend, but you pose the question in such a form that the problem will be clear to everyone. If, after that, the behavior of the friend doesn’t change, return to this in a workshop in another few weeks, and gradually the person will understand what is happening to him.

I don’t see another way to influence a person and explain to him what is impossible to explain directly. We don’t have the right to do this, except through the workshop. This is an amazing opportunity that is given to us in a group. This is why we exist in this world where while we are still in an egoistic state, “for my own sake,” we can negotiate some altruistic interaction, and in such a manner, go forward.
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From the Moscow Virtual Convention “Unity Without Boundaries” Day One – 12/13/13, Lesson 1

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There are no coincidences in life because we operate in a system of forces. There was a shattering and now we discover its results, which have to be revealed. It is only by our work that we can determine the pace of their revelation and how ready we will feel when we receive all this data, the shattered Reshimot (reminiscences).

If we are ready for the revelation, then we accept it gladly since the revelation allows us to rise above it each time. But if we are not ready for it, then we feel the revelation of the Reshimot as a descent, as bad and unpleasant states. It can be in the form of troubles with friends, the world, or even disasters and wars. The way the Reshimot are revealed depends on us, but they must be revealed since the shattering already happened and now everything is revealed according to this.

For the time being, a person should understand that everything is according to plan, but a person is given a chance to prepare himself for it and to sanctify the new states, which means to accept them in the form of “I shall hasten it” (Achishena), as good states. His preparation determines whether he understands that everything that happens is for his own good, and whether he will immediately overcome the obstacles, rise above them, and continue his ascent. Then he will be happy about what is happening in each and every moment, no matter what is revealed.

He is not afraid of the future since he has prepared himself for it; he has a group, a connection to the Creator. He has prepared the vessel, and now he only needs to reveal the deficiencies, the shattered Reshimot. He asks: “Where are they?” which means: “I awaken the dawn.” This means that he waits for the shattered Reshimot in order to cope with them and climb the mountain of the Lord.

So he doesn’t complain about any event in the present, he is ready to accept everything and understands that it has to be revealed since parts of his shattered soul are being revealed. He shouldn’t regret the past either, although many regret their past, feeling despair, suffering, feeling disappointed, and torturing themselves: “Why did we do this, why did we fail?” They look back and regret the mistakes they made in life.

A person doesn’t understand that this was a predetermined revelation of the Reshimot and whatever happened, happened. He should accept it as coming from “There is none else besides Him,” from the uniqueness of the upper Providence. A person goes out to work in the morning and should work hard all day long, as “if I am not for myself, who is for me?” but in the evening when he comes back home he should say, “There is none else besides Him,” whether he worked or not. The Creator has arranged everything, which means that no matter what he finds himself in the same state in the evening.

So we cannot regret the past. That’s the way it had to be and everything is predetermined. No matter if I made any efforts or not, the outcome is not up to me.

It turns out that we have to worry about the future and have to prepare ourselves. But then again, everything that has to be revealed will certainly be revealed since I have to reveal all the parts of my soul. But everything depends on me: on how I accept the revelation and whether I am ready or not. I need to bless everything that is revealed, as it says: “I am happy about the wicked that are revealed!”
[123435]
From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/18/13

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Strengthen yourselves, and He will give your heart courage, all who hope to the Lord. (Psalms 31:25)

The further we advance towards the spiritual world and gain experience, the weaker we feel. We discover that we are not capable of anything. Why is it said that you need to “Strengthen yourselves, and He will give your heart, all who hope to the Lord?”

How is it possible if, on the contrary, a person reveals his utter helplessness? He sees he is not capable in any action to cope with himself, he cannot overcome any disturbance. If he really advances, then as a result he reveals that he is completely made of egoism, and makes his calculations only on this basis, each moment choosing something more profitable. But he never makes calculations “outside,” relying on the Creator, for the sake of bestowal. He is just incapable of this.

In the end, we begin to realize that if it is possible to make any changes, it is only through the environment. We have freedom of choice only in choosing an increasingly stronger environment every time, one that will affect us more powerfully, more precisely, will influence us in a more focused way, and will push, pull, and organize us more correctly, orienting us towards the goal. The power with which the environment pushes us forward is also increasing as well as is the accuracy of direction. That is, the environment is improving both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Baal HaSulam, Shamati #225 “Raising Oneself”: One cannot raise oneself above one’s circle. Hence, one must suck from one’s environment. And one has no other counsel, except through much work, and Torah—that is, to draw the Light that Reforms, which will correct the evil inclination. This is possible to realize only through the environment.

Therefore, the condition for receiving the Torah is a person’s readiness for unity. That is, he has already realized this evil and understood that he will not be able to do anything without connection. All his hope, his future, his life, are in this circle that he builds around himself.

That is why we need to understand that due to dissemination, we connect a huge, strong, massive circle to ourselves. You can be a hero in quality and in quantity. The strength of our group is in its quality, and that is why we can establish connection with the Creator through it, through the top of the pyramid. We specialize in this, different from everyone else for whom this connection is obscure and will never become clear.

But if we connect ourselves to the Creator, “relying on Him” from our little circle, then “He will give your heart courage,” due to the large circles. This requires also a “hero in quantity,” that is wide dissemination that will push us forward.

We are not able to advance by ourselves but only due to the large circle surrounding us which will expand more and more. Similarly, as a person has to be inside this circle, the environment, the group, the group is inside a wider circle. This is the environment that we need to build for ourselves: circle after circle.

To the extent that we take care of the public, they will push us as children who oblige their parents to advance in life, to arrange it. Thus, the circles that we form due to our wide dissemination of integral education will push us forward.

Thus, the hero in quality and the hero in quantity unite. We are directed towards the Creator, “All ye that hope in the Lord.” And “He shall strengthen your heart” with the help of the wide external circle. Let’s hope that we will be able to realize both of these conditions—both “heroes.”
[123310]
From the Preparation for the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/17/13

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Question: Do I have to hug the friends as is customary here?

Answer: There was a time when I also very much rejected hugging men. In general I don’t relate to people who express their feelings outwardly. This was very difficult for me. For a long time I didn’t know what to do.

But after that, I pulled myself together and began to think: “Why is this necessary? Where is this leading? Why is there such a huge inner struggle appearing inside me? What if I were really to feel that these were my children or very close relatives?”

If you want to hug a girl, then this is understandable, innate; natural desires attract you to her. But with the friends, you don’t have desires like this because you don’t feel them as being close to you.

But if you were to find a man who is truly very close to you from an internal aspect, then you would be drawn to him in an absolutely natural way without overcoming any rejections. Therefore everything depends on this: how much is this person close to you.

With a girl, relationships like this come and go; this is our nature. But with a friend, this is different. When you begin to feel that without him  you cannot attain the greatest goal in life for which we have descended into this world and that only he can help you, like with a team who is climbing a mountain, he holds you and pulls you upward, then you relate to him in another way.
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From the Moscow Virtual Convention “Unity Without Boundaries” Day One12/13/13, Lesson1

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Question: The friends are trying to convince me to change my opinion and agree with the group. This upsets me because I forgive them their mistakes and am ready to continue our path together with them. Why don’t they admit that I may have an opinion different from the group? It is unpleasant.

Answer: Of course, it’s unpleasant. Tomorrow, the friends may come to you and say that the group has decided to wear the same uniform: a clown hat and waistcoat, one half blue and the other red. What would you say?

It’s not some kind of a rational argument about what path to take where opinions are divided and both parts include many people. So you could agree with any of them, and in any case you must not follow the opinion of society: one or the other, if not with the “communists,” then with the “capitalists.” There is no problem because society accepts both.

But what if tomorrow the group tells you something that generally is not accepted in society? You say that you cannot walk around in a clown hat, then what can you do? It’s impossible that some are wearing caps and others are without them; the group should be homogeneous. My actions must get closer to the goal. If according to Baal HaSulam, the goal requires such a path, then we will have to do it.

Comment: I would continue to be your friend but without a cap!

Answer: But then you are not a friend to us. The word “friend” (Haver in Hebrew) comes from the world “connection” (Chibur). If you do not agree with us, then you cannot be our friend. As unreservedly as you accept the duty to walk around in a clown cap, you have to accept the duty to disseminate integral education.

In general, this should not be a question for you. There is a mentor who decides, and this mentor is not me but Baal HaSulam. I just explain his ideas and we should just carry them out. If a person does not do that, then why should he be with us and waste time? He will gain nothing because he goes with us only where his egoism allows him. As soon as egoism protests and it’s necessary to advance a bit above reason, he cannot overcome this.

I do not disregard these people because they have a strong opinion. If they conquer its resistance, they will make good progress. But if they do not conquer it, they will just be a nuisance for everyone else. This is drilling a hole in the shared boat. Thus, they have no place in our boat of mutual guarantee.

The path is built from a set of points, each of which does not stand out from the rest, but is connected with the previous and the next. Thus, together they form a line. Only in this way will this trail take you to the entrance to the royal palace.

In everything else where your egoism reigns, on the left and on the right sides of the path, you can agree with the group. But all this does not belong to the spiritual path. You only need these disputed points from everything that there is in front of you. Therefore, Baal HaSulam writes that he is glad that sinners are revealed. It would not be possible to advance without this revelation. Precisely it’s the revealed sinners that come to the holiness of the day. Due to the Light that sanctifies the path, you suddenly see obstacles in front of you and rejoice in their revelation.

I am therefore delighted to see how these sinners are revealed in the students, because without this, they would have nothing to work on. If you do not want this work, you can go to a different place, the religion of Hasidism. There, you would not be required to overcome in faith above reason, and you would just study.

Here, you will not manage without the power of the group and the force of the Creator in order to attract the Light that Reforms. You are obliged to stand with friends around Mount Sinai, the mountain of hatred, and despite it, desire to unite. This is the condition of receiving the Torah, the Reforming Light that shines from the top of the mountain.
[123227]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/13/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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