Question: What is the power of mirror conventions?

Answer: If a good group of women, strong, cohesive, sincere, and open gathers at a mirror convention, then it should feel unity in their getting close to each other. They are not just getting together to look at us; they should unite with each other. Then they will have an “antenna” with which they will pick up what is felt here. Otherwise, the convention will be an ordinary performance for them: They will listen to the lectures, watch workshops and presentations, but they will not feel the internal pressure, charge, warmth of love, the Light that in principle should bring us closer, break and destroy all the walls that divide us. If they do not strive for unity among themselves, they will not be able to catch this wave from us.

The most important condition is to create, where you are, the same atmosphere we want to create at our general convention. Then according to the law of equivalence of form, you will not feel the distance, and you will “flow” in the same state with us.

Question: How can I create an atmosphere of joy and seriousness at the mirror convention?

Answer: It doesn’t matter. You will feel exactly the same thing as us: the same state, the same spiritual intensity and sensation of ascent. We need to understand that the world is accelerating, as predicted by Kabbalists; everything comes true precisely. We should definitely rise to a good level because the world demands it. It has lost its control, it has nothing to aspire to, nothing to live for; it’s as if in a suspended state.

And here we must show the world our strength, our drive to move forward and that there is a goal worth living for; there are wonderful intentions and possibilities; in fact, a bright future is open before us. Whether we can realize it depends only on us, not on anyone else! Unlimited possibilities are open before us. After all, only we are the masters of our state, and the whole world follows us.
[97631]
From the Virtual Lesson 1/6/13

Related Material:
The Women’s Convention: What Should Mothers Of Young Children Do?
Convergence Of Two Desires
To Break Through The Cocoon And Enter Into The Spiritual World

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Q&A, Unity, World - No Comments →

Question: How can you “exit yourself”? Do you connect with everyone through internal concentration, in thought, or by physical contact and interaction?

Answer: Everyone is different, but rejection is manifested in everyone according to his egoism, and according to this, he is given the opportunity to make efforts. You should not think that it’s easier for someone and more difficult for someone else. Even if everything comes easy for someone, it’s only at the beginning. So, nothing comes easy to anyone; it’s weighed out equally for everyone.

There are people who are more open and expressive, and conversely, some are more reserved and introverted. But in the end, no one can say that he should make more or less effort than the other; this measure is equal for everyone; there are differences only in the expression, in the style of the external manifestations, but not more. That’s why there is no one we should be envious of. According to the nature of man, with the conditions that are always set for him from Above, he is given strength and ability to overcome obstacles.
[97622]
From the Virtual Lesson 1/6/13

Related Material:
Women’s Congress – Laitman Unplugged
The Power Of Mirror Conventions
To Break Through The Cocoon And Enter Into The Spiritual World

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Inner Work, Q&A, Women - No Comments →

Question: What should you contribute to the group so that it will later help you come out of a descent quickly?

Answer: We should accumulate efforts in the group before the descent comes, to convince the friends that we have to worry about everyone. There should be the spirit of mutual help in the group. This is called the greatness of the goal that is constantly among us in the air.

A group is where you fulfill the goal, a pool of powers, a pool of exertion. You receive the Light that Reforms through the group and the Light that Reforms connects you to the group. Eventually you discover that this network of connections already exists in the group. You discover the right connection in it and according to the equivalence of form you discover the Creator. All this is fulfilled in the group.

In fact, we constantly correct the group or discover its real form. Now we see it the way it is depicted in our corrupt attributes, as it says: “One judges according to his own flaws.” From above, on the Creator’s part, it’s a whole system, an ideal one. We need to attain the same perspective as from Above. We haven’t met by chance and we have been connected from Above into one group: Someone may enter or leave; someone may be near or far. In such a way, above us, we build the spiritual structure, which gradually becomes one desire that was created by the Creator.

The truth is that there is one point left in the desire that was created by the Creator. Everything else, by which this point was blown up, by developing different connections, manners, systems, all this is a result of the Light’s influence on it. The point of the desire itself remains as it was, but the Light that enters it blows it up and fills it with its attributes. This is called Malchut of Ein Sof (Infinity).
[97561]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/7/13, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

Related Material:
Your Personal Invitation Of The Light
Descent Is Only In Ascent!
What To Do If You Have Fallen

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Mutual Guarantee, Q&A, Unity - No Comments →

Question: What state does a person go through at the lowest point of the descent and what is he supposed to do then? What is our mistake?

Answer: If I fall to the bottom of the descent, then at this lowest critical point I cannot do anything by myself. It is as if I am neutralized by all the Light that operates on me.

The Light operates on me during all the phases of my development (the Surrounding Light 1), and under its influence I descend. Its action leads to my descent by adding a corrupt desire to me. Eventually I find myself at the lowest point in which I cannot do anything. There are no means by which I can ascend; I am under the total influence of the ego.

But the moment I begin to rise, at least a bit, thanks to the gap between the new state and the state I was in, I already have to do something independently. I rise to the first state with the help of the group, but thanks to the level I rose to, I now have to start doing something by myself: to raise MAN, a prayer, a request, to exert myself. I have to draw the Light by myself in order to start its influence according to my invitation and not through someone else.

I cannot wake up and pull myself out of the lowest place independently and without help: “A prisoner cannot rescue himself from prison.” But the moment I rise a bit with the help of the friends, I can already carry on by myself. I am not a prisoner that is chained down anymore! I have a friend who helps me on the outside to get out of this pit.

But if after I have been helped to rise a bit, I am too lazy and don’t exert myself, if I don’t immediately turn to the Light that Reforms, but wait and rise simply with the current of time, with the help of the environment, then I don’t draw upon myself new spiritual powers.

The moment I get an opportunity, I immediately have to start working by myself. Otherwise the Creator will help me get out of the pit once or twice and then leave me since I don’t do anything on my own. He sends me help: through the group, through the friends, in different ways, but if I don’t respond to it enough, He leaves me.

It turns out that He has to add evil and sufferings down below where I fell, different corporeal problems, so that I will finally understand that I have no choice and that I have to rise. I understand that it is worthwhile to exert myself a little and to advance for the lowest corporeal reasons. I will try to escape from corporeality to spirituality because I feel bad in my ordinary life.

In that case I don’t rise by drawing the Light that Reforms but because of ordinary animal sufferings.
[97558]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/7/13, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

Related Material:
We Haven’t Met By Chance…
The Fall Must Be Earned!
Separation Brings A Descent, Unity An Ascent

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Egoism, Group Work, Inner Work, Prayer and Intention, Q&A, Suffering - No Comments →

Question: What kind of inner preparation needs to be done prior to the Women’s Convention?

Answer: In order to break the barrier between us, to somehow soften the situation, we need to hold a workshop with the group or some kind of event, in order to feel that to some extent it is possible to facilitate the trend towards building a relationship: not to sit distanced from each other and delve within yourself, but to exit yourself, somewhat rise above yourself, outwards towards the others, and then we will find our spiritual vessel, Kli.

It is a clear female emotion when I am inside myself, “I within myself.” With the men it doesn’t stand out so much. On the one hand, women overcome this with more difficulty, and on the other hand, more easily, since it is easier for them to determine where this “cocoon” within them is. A woman feels very clearly that it is “I within myself,” whereas a man doesn’t. Until a man reaches this “cocoon” a lot of time has to pass.

Thus, I suggest for women to hold several meetings, discussions on this subject. It could be a workshop. I think it will be enough to at least begin to exit ourselves. And afterward, during the convention, we will talk about it and deal with it.

Question: What would you advise women who understand the importance of their presence at the convention, but prefer not to physically go there? How is it possible to help them overcome this “cocoon”?

Answer: I think one simply needs to decide and to work on yourself without paying attention to those around you: “We must do this now!” and begin to operate, constantly trying to break through the shell of isolation. You will see how much, on one hand, it is difficult, but on the other hand, the constant blows from within from this “cocoon” will break it in the end. But inevitably one must do it! Without that, we won’t feel that we are in the spiritual world that is found outside us, beyond the boundary of this “cocoon.”
[97543]
From the Virtual Lesson 1/6/13

Related Material:
The Women’s Convention: Nothing Comes Easy
The Unified Women’s Desire
Convergence Of Two Desires

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Q&A, Unity, Women - No Comments →

We will have to go through many states in the spiritual work. The first, easiest, and most essential step is to invert from “I” to “we.” After all, “we” still includes me, and in it is included our general pride. Everybody disappears in this concept, not only me. We see in our regular lives that it’s relatively easy for a person to identify in such a way with a group, with a military unit, with the family, to tie himself with other bodies.

Later on, greater and more difficult discernments will arrive, more personal correction. I begin to worry precisely about the most hated people who cause me the most troubles and problems. And it is not even just hatred, I open the highest degrees of hatred and repulsion that an ordinary person cannot even imagine and feel. I, however, must rise above all my ego and reach such a state that this most-hated person, whom I would want to trample, becomes more dear than myself, and I prefer that he will get all the best, and nothing will be left for me.

It’s not easy to attain such a correction, but certainly in the end it has to be like this, and not just in general, but towards specific people. At first we go from my personal “I” to the general “we,” and afterwards, in “we,” the elements begin to reveal, meaning “Him.”

And in all these actions, the rescue is only the greatness of the Creator that rises above my self-importance, in order to help me happily get rid of my “I” for the sake of another’s benefit. I will be thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to turn my hated ones to the Creator’s beloved ones, because from them He will get greater pleasure.

This is such terrible “masochism” that can’t even be imagined, but it’s all based on the greatness of the Creator. We are required to raise this greatness to such a degree that nothing will remain from my feeling of “I.” This is called “existence from absence,” and we are returning to this absence. But this is still not the limit to self-nullification! But we will talk about the next steps later …
[97424]
From the Preparation the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/6/13

Related Material:
Life Is Good If You Know Its Meaning
Stages On The Way To Bestowal
Self-Sacrifice Above Love And Hate

Filed under: Collective Soul, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Egoism, Group Work, Inner Work, Unity - No Comments →

According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, the “body” of the Partzuf is called a desire to receive in order to bestow, and the “soul” is the Light that fills it. In order to acquire a soul, we are building a connection between us, which means that we make a desire to bestow from the desire to receive. In order to do that, we connect with the group above the ego, give up the desire to receive, and turn it into the opposite use; thereby the desire to receive works in order to bestow.

The switch from the ego to bestowal is done by the Creator, I obligate Him to do so by my work in the group, in the environment, like it says: “My sons have defeated me.” He operates on me and then my desire to receive can work in bestowal.

Accordingly, I now treat the friends this way and we establish the connection among us by building forms of bestowal from the thickness of the desire to receive, which turns it into the purity of the desire to bestow.

The desire to receive is divided into five layers of “thickness,” from the root phase to phase four, and there is also a “spiritual embryo” in it, a point in the heart (•) that constantly evokes me, “shakes” me. In order to fulfill the “point in the heart,” I enter the group and summon upon myself the Light that Reforms, the Surrounding Light. First it performs “the first restriction” in me, according to which I cannot take my desire to receive into account. Then I can even work with my desire to receive in order to bestow, not in thickness but in purity, which is also divided into five levels. Accordingly I acquire five Lights: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, and Yechida, from the bottom up NRNHY.

Thus my desire to bestow is formed by the desire to receive that was in me before. This desire to bestow is called “a vessel for the soul.” Why for the soul? Because up to this level we receive the Light regularly, by using the thickness of the root, the first, and the second phases (NRN), while the Lights of Haya and Yechida cannot receive the Light regularly and so they reach us only as an illumination (HY).

So the vessel of the soul is the purity of the desire to bestow, and the Light that fills it is called the Light of Neshama (the soul). On the whole, it is my soul that gradually turns my entire ego to its side, to purity. This means that the desire to receive doesn’t disappear, but we only change our use of it.
[97495]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/6/13, “Body and Soul”

Related Material:
Avoiding Sophistry
The Question That Everyone Is Concerned About
Living For The Body Or For The Soul?

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Egoism, Group Work, My Similarity to the Creator, Spirituality - No Comments →

Our real existence develops in the desire and only in it. There is nothing but that. But, besides the desire and the picture that it creates in our feelings, I was given another temporary imaginary picture, an imaginary addition in the form of a physical body that is in a corporeal world. This reality doesn’t actually exist, but now it helps me be in an illusion of existence. When a real urge to use my initial desire will be revealed in me, I will approach it.

One way or another, everything takes place in the desire, with the physical body that is simply an “animal” that has no freewill and is not required to do any work. This body is an opportunity to approach the real work in the desire and not more than that. The picture that is depicted by my corporeal senses is the imaginary world.

This is why philosophical approaches and other methods of sophistry are so far from the truth. It is because they take the body into account, its actions and its imaginary potential, allegedly raising it above the animal level.

Now I have only bodily desires that create the illusion of the existence of a live body. As a result, I have to take care of the body of this desire, to guard it, and to provide it with different things. This corporeal desire lives and dies.

Besides that I have a point in the heart (•). I develop it by connecting with all the other points in order to attain love, and then in contrast to it, I feel aversion and hate. Then from zero to 100%, according to my exertion, I begin to develop the real ego inside me, the spiritual desire to receive. This happens when I enter the group, the right environment.

Until then, I only have an “animal” and a point in the heart that may have appeared. There are people who remain in the system of the body with the point for a long time. Even if they study with the friends but don’t involve love, the group, and don’t keep the first condition (1), they don’t reach the second stage, the feeling of hatred (2). The point only stimulates them a little. Later when they start the real work with the group, they leave the previous system and move on to a new system, which becomes the only important thing for them. Everything that happens with the bodily desires is totally irrelevant. It should be satisfied with the basic necessities and not ask for more.

We build a group among us, a network, and fill it with our mutual bestowal. On the whole this exertion is our desire to bestow upon one another. We raise a request (MAN) for correction, and in response the Surrounding Light comes and corrects and connects us, and then provides the filling, which is called the soul.

The main thing is actually the transition from one system to another. This is the difference between philosophy and religions from one side and the wisdom of Kabbalah on the other.
[97492]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/6/13, “Body and Soul”

Related Material:
A Vessel For The Soul
Living For The Body Or For The Soul?
Where Is The Microchip Of The Soul Within Me?

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Perception, Philosophy, Prayer and Intention, Religion - 1 Comment →

During our studies of the wisdom of Kabbalah, we shouldn’t pay attention to how much we understand in the books of Kabbalah. The Sefirot, Olamot (worlds), and Partzufim aren’t important because we still haven’t attained the spiritual worlds and don’t know what is going on there. We are just juggling words.

However, the work in the group is first and foremost; the connection between us leads to the correct studies in which we, like children, want to rise to the next level. Some kind of mutual desire for the next level attracts the upper Light onto us, the force that develops us.

It develops us to the same extent that we yearn to be above. That is the only law of nature. Thus, we need to operate within this law and not forget that we unite and connect in order to discover within us the connection between us and the upper world, the Creator, in at least at the initial, minimal manifestation.

The great students of Rashbi, before they began to describe their feelings and the discoveries in The Book of the Zohar, felt such a great hatred between them that they were even prepared to burn each other. This means that they were at such a high level of attainment where the left line, their ego, manifested in such a terrible way. We need to grow a lot in order to reach this.

Thus, before us there lie many more great trials, and if we aren’t ready for them in the correct manner, then we simply will leave this way. Some of our friends have already left the way, and more are likely to drop out. Thus, we must always remind each other that we are involved with the Creator who gives us all kinds of states and determines all the relationships between us, along with the hatred, and if we ask, also the love.

The main thing is that the group must take upon itself the commitment to remind each friend before the lesson about what to concentrate on. What was discovered today in our relations concerning one another? Apathy? That’s good, and tomorrow it can be that we will reach such a state where we will begin to feel rejection for each other. This means that we understand that everything comes from the Creator, that purposefully He reveals our ego and the intellect within us! Just a small person is given small opportunities so that he won’t deviate from his path.

If people, leave the group anyway, it’s a sign that it didn’t work enough, that we didn’t explain to others the method of advancing in two lines: “We must advance in spite of the growing ego. In the end, we will rise together with it and transform, on the one hand, from being completely opposite to the Creator according to our developing ego, and on the other hand, to receive His same attributes.”

This means that there will be seemingly two states within us: one that is opposite to the Creator and the second that is similar to the Creator, and together they will stand facing each other, to be more precise, one under the other. Below, there will be the vessel, the Kli, that is completely under Tzimtzum Aleph (the first restriction), and above it, we will build the second vessel, Kli, the attribute of bestowal, and in this way, we will work with it.
[97477]
From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/8/12, Lesson 4

Related Material:
The Beginning Of All Beginnings
It Won’t Help Us To Play Love
Playing For The New Truth

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Kabbalah Study, My Similarity to the Creator, Unity - No Comments →

Question: What does it mean to ask of the Creator? Where is this Creator? How can I ask for something from Him, if I know nothing about Him?

Answer: You should look for Him! Everyone should imagine Him in his heart, or perhaps in his imagination, although Kabbalists don’t deal with imagination.

The Creator is called the general force of nature. Why do we say that we turn to Him? This is really very confusing. But there is a force that I can discover according to my desire. In our corporeal life I also discover different phenomena according to my desire. If I had no desire, I wouldn’t see, I wouldn’t breathe. For everything, there is first a desire and then you experience, discover, hear, and understand it, open your eyes more, and make a breakthrough. It is all according to the desire.

It is the same here. The spiritual world is merely a connection that is concealed from us for the time being. In it we discover our life that is independent of the body; the body is dead, while we continue to live in this connection. This is called a “soul“. Now we have to discover it. Our body doesn’t interfere. If we annul it—which means that we live in it because we are alive, without giving it any special attention, without glorifying it, using it as is, feeding it, letting it drink, washing it and putting it to sleep, and taking care of it as we take care of an animal and not more than that—and invest everything else in discovering the soul, then we will discover it.

A soul is the connection between everyone. In order to discover it, you have a point, a beginning of a soul. If this point is missing, there is nothing we can talk about, you are free, go deal with your body, enjoy life. But if you have a point in the heart, the beginning of a soul that evokes you, that doesn’t let you rest, then you come to a Kabbalistic group and you are told how to start revealing your soul, your connection with others. It isn’t a connection between humans, between their bodies, but a connection between individual desires in which there is a point, a beginning of the soul.

Imagine that there is a concealed network among a million members of our global group (although there are many more). This is what we have to discover. The moment I discover the 1/125^th part of this connection, I am already on the first level of the spiritual world and in that network, I discover the spiritual world, my self, eternity above time, motion, and place, the whole spiritual dimension, and the source of all this that is called “the Creator.” This is what we are attracted to.

There are people who have already discovered spirituality, written about it, and told us accurately and in great detail how to fulfill this revelation gradually, and what we should do. All this is called “Torah“, the book of instruction. It doesn’t speak about any physical actions or movements with our body; we can leave it alone. It is only about how we can develop our sensitivity through the connection with others, toward the upper force, and then you will attain eternity.

Question: I am sitting here with the text of The Zohar, trying to feel something else that is here as a result of our collective efforts, but I can’t. I continue, and I fail over and over again. You are saying: “Ask the Creator!” but I know nothing about Him, I have nothing to hold on to!

Answer: My advice is that if you have hit your head against the wall a thousand times, then perhaps something has “moved” in your head as a result and you can think a bit more deeply about the Creator: “Who is hiding there? Who is standing in my way? Who has put this wall before me?” You are not just hitting your head against the wall anymore, but you are adding thought to it. A person grows wiser as a result of the blows, right? This is what I expect of you.
[97414]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/6/13, The Zohar

Related Material:
To Ask The Creator
The Key To The Connection With The Creator
The Zohar Becomes Revealed In Love

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, My Similarity to the Creator, Q&A, Zohar - No Comments →