The only way we can come closer to observing the principle of love thy neighbor is under the condition of mutual guarantee. And to reach it, we need to follow Kabbalists’ advice to the point; otherwise we won’t succeed.

Baal HaSulam writes in one of his letters that if a person even slightly deviates from the right path, the further he goes along, the greater his deviation and mistake becomes. It’s in this way that he completely deviates from the direction towards the goal, although he doesn’t feel that he has wandered from the path because he deviates from it a little bit at a time. But in the end, all these deviations add up and become one big, bitter mistake.

This is why the people who decide to go towards this goal must have an order, a charter. It is as Rabash writes: “We have gathered here to establish a society…” And the principle is for everyone to connect with the purpose of annulling oneself before the rest, above all the obstacles and disturbances that come from Above, the upper force, whether we see it or not.

Everything comes from Malchut of the world of Infinity where we are all connected: the Light and the vessel. All the desires and the Lights exist in the world of Infinity in absolute unity and adhesion, in the initial state created by the Creator, or the state of final correction (State 1 and State 3). However, we feel as if we exist in the intermediate state (State 2), either somewhere along the spiritual ladder or even beneath it, on its very last degree called “our world.”

This is why everything that happens to us comes from Malchut of the world of Infinity. That is the only place we must turn to for help—the form where we exist as one man with one heart, full of revelation of the Creator, the Light, according to our similarity to Him.

And the rule of “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is the law of existence of the collective soul which exists in the world of Infinity. This is why this law really is a “great, general rule” or, as Rabbi Akiva has said, a huge vessel for all the infinite Light that becomes revealed in it.
[50142]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/20/2011, Rabash’s article

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Purpose of Society

Each of us has but a single goal: [to unite] for Divinity [revelation of the Creator, the property of love and bestowal] to be among us.
– The Rabash, Rabash—the Social Writings, “Purpose of Society (1)”

We must remember that the society was established solely on the basis of achieving love of others, and that this would be the springboard for the love of God.
– The Rabash, Rabash—the Social Writings, “Concerning Love of Friends”
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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Purpose of Society

We gather here [under the guidance of our teacher]—to establish a society [a connection above our egoism] where each of us follows the spirit of bestowing upon [love of] the Creator [through love of friends]. And to achieve bestowal upon the Creator, we must begin with bestowal upon man, which is called “love of others.”

And [unselfish] love of others can only be through revoking of one’s self [the intention “for oneself”]. Thus, on the one hand, each person should feel lowly [in relation to the members of the group], and on the other hand, be proud that the Creator has given us the chance to be in a society where each of us has but a single goal: for Divinity to be among us [to reveal within ourselves the Creator, the property of absolute bestowal and love].
– The Rabash, Rabash—the Social Writings, “Purpose of Society (1)”
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My Good Environment – Dr. Laitman’s Advice for the Week

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Question: Regarding mutual guarantee, you bring in the example of the work of the organs in the human body, where each organ lives in mutual guarantee with the others. The system is closed and united.

However, there is no uniform system in human society. Here and there, people become united in various groups which, as a rule, fight against each other. However, there is no perception of human society as one general system similar to the human body. I do not feel the other person as part of my body and thus, do not provide him with mutual guarantee.

Answer: You are saying the following: All the examples that you bring in from scientific research, as well as what we observe in nature according to the principle of “a judge has only what his eyes can see” are beautiful examples. Everything is good and wonderful, but I personally do not feel it. I can understand it logically, but an understanding in my mind is not enough to compel me to exist in an integral form.

If it were in my sensations, if I knew that by not acting together with you, I do not succeed and that I need you in order to reach some life-important goal, everything would be fine. Yet, you are saying that a good life is possible on condition that you and I are connected. Then, we will reach a better life, the goal, and emerge from the crisis and all the environmental issues. However, I do not feel that. I can understand this as do the scientists.

But why do these scientists not go out together and shout? What prevents them from doing this? Don’t they see the facts? They do! Why do they not unite, go out, and begin shouting: “Friends, a bit more of this, and the world will explode! The Earth will collapse and crumble into pieces!” Why do they not scream about this, foreseeing the very unpleasant events in the future?

This is because they all have the same problem. I can give you a list of thousands of scientists, sociologists, political scientists, leading economists, and many clever people who observe our problems and see that we must pursue only unity. Why do they not unite? It’s because they do not feel it, but only see it.

There is a difference between feelings and the mind. What exists in the mind does not oblige a person. How many times does it happen in our personal lives that we see and know that we should not do something, but we still do it. Let’s use smoking as an example. Although they say that smoking is harmful, the pleasant sensations or laziness leaves me under the power of this habit.

What can I do? I do not see other people besides us who would be able to realize this. We must organize this environment by force. When the environment artificially begins to talk about the need for unity, for global and integral interconnection, this environment will bring a new sensation to everyone.

Then, everyone will feel: “I really need this! Why don’t I have it?” In the same way, we are impressed by advertising flickering before us. It will pass from the mind to feelings. A feeling is a desire, and the mind is a thought. I have to be impressed within my desire and plead to obtain it. A desire should be an intense longing for something.

This is possible only through envy, lust, and a desire for honor, when I see that everyone talks about this, that they value and advertise these facts to me. Otherwise, it means nothing to me. This is how they advertise a new mattress: “You must buy it! Without it, you do not know what good sleep is!”

If this ad is working all the time, I have no choice. As a result, I will recall the name of that company, and on some occasion, I will go to a store and buy it. If not I, the majority of people will succumb to this ad. It works in this way. Therefore, up to 70 percent of the cost of goods is put into advertising.

We can see how much advertising directs us at its object. That is why we have to deal only with advertising. And it’s not because of someone’s interest, but because we have no choice. Let’s start to advertise this important message to ourselves.

Then, through real brainwashing, we will come to understand the importance of integration, unity, and mutual guarantee. Then, we will miss this; we will suddenly desire this. Why? It’s because the general awareness of the importance prevailing in the environment will rule over me since I am under its influence.
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From the Talk about a New Book 7/11/2011

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Question: How can the reading of text that I do not understand help me connect with the group or to desire this?

Answer: By itself, the reading of text is not effective. The thought of what it is exactly that I desire does help. It is like a source of strength.

Suppose you are given a medication, and you cure what you intended to cure with it. The medication affects the entire body, and you have to decide exactly what you want to treat, be it the leg, arm, head, a wound, or whatever you wish. The medication itself is universal.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/31/2011, The Zohar

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Purpose of Society

We [those who sense the point in the heart] have gathered here to establish a society [a connection between us above egoism of each] for all who wish to follow the path [towards the revelation of the Creator] and method of Baal HaSulam, the way by which to climb the degrees of man [“Adam” from the word “Edame” or similar to the Creator] and not remain as a beast [if one remains in one’s natural egoistic property].
– The Rabash, Rabash—the Social Writings, “Purpose of Society (1)”
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My Good Environment – Dr. Laitman’s Advice and Principles for the Week

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When we are reading The Book of Zohar, we always ask ourselves the same question: Why do we need this book? After all, it’s totally incomprehensible and speaks about some magical, unrealistic things and actions that sound like commandments we’ve learned from this world, and about people, animals, or landscapes, such as rivers, hills, or mountains.

We have to understand that The Book of Zohar has to become the revelation of the upper world for us, and our lower world is merely an imprint of the upper one. Suppose I am building a tower from a piece of clay, pour plaster into it, and then it hardens taking the shape of the tower. Next, I lift this cast off, and I get a patrix and a matrix, a stamp and an imprint.

The upper mold is the upper world, and the mold that remained on the ground is the lower world. Thus the upper and the lower worlds correlate with each other. Hence, although we are speaking about the lower world and all that is happening in it: the hills, seas, roads, animals, people, or sun and moon, we should still constantly remember that they point at its projection: the upper world.

The Zohar describes the upper world, while the lower world is its imprint. What in our world is regarded as the desire to receive pleasure, in the upper world is the desire to bestow. As we seek to enhance our desire to bestow and to reach spirituality by unifying during our studying together with the group, we will become not the individual points scattered throughout the world, but make a certain, albeit material, form, part of our lower world. This is our group in the lower world.

But in fact, there is such a group in the upper world, and we are already there, in mutual bestowal and oneness, in a completely correct state since the initial (1) and the final (3) states already exist in Infinity. We should think solely about how to draw the force, desire, and means from the state where we are corrected, in order to actually reach it, to make it real—to ascend to that upper dimension in our sensation and understanding, in our life.

Therefore, here in this world, we must get to feel our unity and visualize our being in the upper group, above, as fully corrected, in unity and mutual bestowal, in our higher state. Besides, as we desire that from Above, from that very upper degree, the Light will expand to us, affect, and pull us up.

Thus, The Zohar speaks of our upper state by using the words of this world, the language of the branches. And I, while reading it, should constantly think about my being in total union with the group, in mutual bestowal, since that’s where I find the upper world.
[49665]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/29/2011, The Zohar

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In the articles “The Giving of the Torah” and “The Mutual Guarantee,” Baal HaSulam explains that the rule of “love thy neighbor as thyself” is the formula of our correction. We can correct ourselves only in the connection with others.

Conversely, without this connection, you have no opportunity, no place for correction. What can a person deprived of the connection with others do? This is exactly why the breaking occurred and the evil inclination was created so that above it, we would extend our threads to one another. This is all that is required of us.

In the first stage, we unify as Hillel, the sage, taught: “Do not do to the friend what is hateful to you.” And then we move on what Rabbi Akiva advised: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Thus we reach the end of correction and realize ourselves according to the Thought of Creation.

“The Torah,” the method of correction, is given to us if we agree to become as one man with one heart. With this method, by working in a group, we can demand correction from the upper force, the Light, or the Creator.

Essentially, the process of correction can be called attainment of the mutual guarantee, which is a certain connection between all souls. “Souls” are the giving desires in people. If people forge a bond and desire to bestow to each other, the form of this connection is called “mutual guarantee.”

There are people in the world whose desire lights up with a spark, a seed of altruistic desire. If they unite to blow these sparks up in each and all together, if they support and help each other to grow the sprouting forces in order to tie them together, then they form a system that fulfills the conditions of guarantee. In this interconnected, integrated system, all of them are as one man with one heart, according to the condition on which they had received the method.

Thus they reach the property of mutual guarantee, and in it, the upper force is revealed. It was specifically this force that gave them the desire, planted the sparks in it, and presented them with the method of correction that enables the friends to become similar to it in properties. It is revealed in them precisely according to the magnitude of this equivalence.

Hence, in the collective work to correct the world, some people wake up before the others. These people aspire to correct themselves, to achieve the unification and guarantee, a fusion between them, and merge with the upper force accordingly. They are aspiring directly to the Creator (Yashar El) and want to realize their desire in their relationship, as well as all together before Him. This is why they are called Israel; they are special and must lead by example, as an education force for the rest of the world.

In all other people this spark, the impulse to bestow, does not emerge from within. Only sorrows of life will make them realize the necessity of self-correction, but even then, they cannot do without those who are called “Israel,” those who attain some degree of connection, who implement the method of correction. That is why at the end of the article “The Mutual Guarantee,” Baal HaSulam quotes the Bible that the sons of Israel must become the “kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation.” Priests do not have possessions: They only nurture the people, assist, and organize it.

Thus we, those yearning toward the goal of creation, have to understand that by transforming ourselves into bestowal to each other, we are merely preparing ourselves for the real job, for bestowal to the world. This is our destiny, and for this we were awakened before the others.
[49747]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/27/2011, “The Peace”

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