Question: I want to escape “from Egypt,” from my ego. How can I stay in this fear of not falling back into my egoistic desires once again? How can I build an ever stronger screen each time, capable of withstanding the immense pleasure of bestowal so that it does not turn to receiving once again?

Answer: Invest in the Light as much as possible. This means to invest in the connection with others since the Light is revealed in the connection between souls.

Once, we were in a completely different state. We were together in a system of a single soul where all of our souls were completely connected with each other, and the Light of Infinity filled them without any limits. This state was called the “world of Infinity,” one desire called “one soul” completely filled by the Light.

Afterward, this desire broke apart and scattered into small fragments like a plate that smashed into bits, and there was no connection at all between them. That is why all of the fulfillment which used to be in this “plate,” all of this Light, disappeared. If you glue this “plate” back together, you begin to feel the fulfillment in it.

The whole problem lies in the fact that there is no vessel (Kli) in which you can reveal the fulfillment. The Light is around the “plate,” but it cannot be revealed because there is no connection between its pieces, and they cannot hold the Light.

Therefore, all of our work lies in connection. I must be ready to unite with others, and then I will feel the Light which is revealed inside our unity.

How can I reach unity? Just the thought of it immediately strips me of any desire. Suppose it seems to me that I want to unite with others. Then, I begin to realize that my desire is completely not toward this. First of all, I have to reveal how broken apart I currently am, how far from unity with others. I do not want it, and I even hate it.

In this whole process, until the end of correction (Gmar Tikkun), we reveal how opposite we are to unity, how much we hate it, and how we are ready for anything but this. Even if we are already in the spiritual world, over the Machsom (the barrier separating us from spirituality), at each degree there are states (Klipot, shells) when you hate the Creator, unity, and the Light.

That is why the revelation of evil is a necessary and essential state at each stage. When I reveal the evil, it means that I join into it. I cannot see it from the side; I must completely submerge into it. I must feel it inside me, including Pharaoh, and Moshe (Moses), and the fight between them.

That is why our work consists only of attracting the Light that Reforms.
[30694]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/24/10, “Perfection in Life”

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What constitutes the work of our organization? On one hand, we do inner work aimed at self-transformation performed by everyone in his heart (desire). This work is hidden from outsiders and the world, and although we talk about it a lot, it is done in the heart, invisible in matter or physical acts. The rest of our work refers to producing materials and media to circulate the wisdom of Kabbalah since we are an educational organization that mentors children and adults.

To accomplish this, we take materials from our daily lessons where we study articles written by Baal HaSulam and Rabash. What we produce becomes the basis of what is going to be used in the future as well. In fact, besides it, there is nothing else in the world that would relate to authentic spiritual work: the Creator’s revelation.

No one in our generation is working on creating a practical method of the transformation of man and the world except us. If we don’t structure this method correctly, according to its inner content and the form of communication, then we will not complete the task placed on us, our responsibility before humanity. We shouldn’t be scared away by these exalted words. Rather, this is how we must feel about our designation.

However, we can’t wait until after the lesson to draw messages from the daily lessons and send them to the world. It will not happen unless we thoroughly work on each lesson, writing notes down, analyzing them, and classifying them by topics, the degrees of exaltedness and perception. The evaluation criteria may vary, but the key is to organize the material and release it into the world.

At any rate, nothing will replace a book. It may have a different form, but it will still have text. We won’t escape that. If a person wishes to immerse himself in the content having heard the lecture on the television (or internet), then he must see letters before his eyes. After all, letters are spiritual forms to be read by the mind and soul.

Therefore, we should take working on creating texts very seriously and view it as top priority. A lesson must be written down, followed up by highlighting the key definitions, their classifications, and by using various types of text analyses. It is essential to have a well-written text to which people can refer. The more they can work with it, the more intensive their advancement will be.

We should be grateful that we have this kind of work, that we are concerned with things above this world and are not absorbed by the issues of animate existence. We disseminate knowledge about the Creator in the world, and it is good if we experience difficulties from time to time and feel uneasy and confused. Evidently, He wants us to be concerned.
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From the Talk about Renewal of the Morning Lessons 12/17/10

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Question: Baal HaSulam writes that in order to advance by way of the Light (“Achishena,” ahead of time) I have to take my evil properties and turn them into the properties of love. But you said that I will discover my evil qualities or the evil inclination only after I cross the Machsom (the barrier separating us from spirituality).

So at the moment, it looks like I do not advance by way of the Light, but by way of suffering (“Beito,” in its time)?

Answer: In either case, to a certain extent you already recognize your evil since you are in the preparation phase. You can exist at four levels of development:

1. As all regular people in this world;
2. In the preparation stage;
3. In the property of “Hafetz Hesed” (wishing nothing for oneself);
4. In the property of love.

“Hafetz Hesed” and love are spiritual levels; “As all regular people” and “in the preparation stage” are corporeal ones. Corporeality means the intention “for oneself”; spirituality means “in order to bestow.” The spiritual world is separated from the material one by the Machsom.

When you are in spirituality, on one hand, you have an evil inclination, the matter of creation; on the other, you have a good inclination and the Light that Reforms. Below, in the material world, they don’t exist.

But even now, being in the preparation phase, you still have some reflection of spirituality, an approximate understanding of the left and right lines, ascents and descents. This is why it is call preparation. And that’s what you are working with.

Either way, you are advancing. You have some idea about what is written in the Kabbalistic texts, although for now, just in its projection on your egoistic substance. Yet, you do understand and feel something. It is a great achievement! Is preparation time worthless? It can last for decades. So what? But you pass it and enter eternity!

Therefore, do not demean the time of preparation. You are undergoing a very intense, great, and powerful process. And you should value it! If a person doesn’t appreciate it, he is deprived of all his power. We must constantly remain in this process and each time add to it a little more by organizing conventions, more powerful ones, accompanied by deeper discernment.

Even descents become clearer, sharper, and you are able to better comprehend their causes and recognize the inner properties. And that’s what matters.
[30647]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/23/10, “Peace in the World”

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Question: Will any person who dropped in at the Kabbalah convention feel joy?

Answer: We are inviting everybody. Anyone may come and join us. There are people who have been participating in this process for 15 years; they have reached higher levels already. However, there are those who will be new to this, and, perhaps, they don’t even realize why they came.

I am very happy for them and envy them. They can, so to speak, “find their world in the blink of an eye.” They can come and join the others, similar to how a child who was born in the 21st century receives everything that our civilization has prepared for him in the last twenty centuries, ready-made to enjoy. Why is this so? It’s because he was born just now and it is his right.

The same goes for people who find themselves at the convention for the first time. They don’t understand anything, but since we had prepared the entire infrastructure for them, laid all the necessary conditions, and established a connection between us, they connect to us like newborns, having no idea what is going on, but receiving all the benefits nonetheless.

This is why I am happy for them and envy them. I had to exert tremendous effort, sweat, and suffer until I achieved something, and I see how easy it is for a new person to enter this process and understand it. Where does such understanding come from? It comes out of thin air, just because he connects with the others.
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From Kabbalah for Beginners, “Happiness” 10/28/10

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It is very difficult to connect the two worlds together. How can we establish such a connection between us in this world that will help us to reform our soul?

Today, through our unification, we put Kabbalah into practice. Generally, Kabbalah is known for invoking spirits, amulets, or manipulating some hidden forces. But in reality, practical Kabbalah is our collective attempt to increase the value of unity between people in order to achieve revelation of the Creator, the force of bestowal between us.

We are all egoists, and none of us has the power of bestowal; yet, we wish for it to descend onto us and fill the space between us, which is presently full of resentment and hatred. We were born this way; we didn’t have a chance to choose our nature. It is written in the Torah: “The inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.”

Hence, when we start to unite in the smallest degree, not for some other reason but to find the Creator, the universal force of oneness, then we are implementing the wisdom of Kabbalah. This action is beneficial for the transformation of souls.

One can learn all the texts by heart and be successful in everything, but it won’t help. Until a person starts taking serious actions by bonding with the others despite the reluctance and resentment, he won’t understand how evil the inclination of his heart is.

The Book of Zohar describes the friends of Rabbi Shimon, who represented the ten initial Sefirot of the upper system in the head of Arich Anpin, at the exalted degrees of the very foundation of the world. In their own words, before they undertake studying, before they start revealing the Light, they hate, resent, and can’t look at each other. They are appalled by all of it. And yet, they sit around the book because they know that this power of hate has come to them from Above.

They are given The Book of Zohar to be employed as the means of unification above hate and rejection, as it is written: “Love covers all sins.” Love isn’t supposed to annihilate transgression, but rather to rise above it, that is, to be so powerful as to overrule hate.

We have an enormous desire for pleasure within us, which is completely egoistic and boiling over, and so it remains. And above it, we cover all hate with love.
[31359]
From Lesson 1, Convention at the Arava Desert 12/30/10

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At Kabbalah conventions, during Unity Days, and at other such gatherings, we do very serious work, and it affects us every time. If we spend the three days correctly, then during the lessons you will begin to understand and feel much more than now.

Such unifying events elevate a person since he becomes saturated with spiritual forces while participating in them. We receive them solely by way of unification and will never find them within or obtain them directly from Above. We gain the strength to ascend solely from the environment. The more tuned-in and immersed I am, the greater our collective benefit is.

From a person’s initial desire, from the “point in the heart,” he appeals to the group, gains additional desire from it, and employs it to raise MAN, the plea for correction. Then, in response, he receives the force of bestowal, which in essence is his soul.

Every one of us has only a seed of a soul, the point in the heart. Later on, we must face our evil inclination, our mutual hate and resentment. My evil inclination resists unification with people who are willing to come with me to the Creator, to the purpose of creation.

There was a time when we were all linked as one whole, until the breaking occurred, cutting us off from each other. True hate emerges precisely between us, not in each of us separately. I don’t need to dread the character I was born with or my inclinations. It is all nonsense. What matters is that while striving to unite with the friends, I discover that I don’t wish to do so and am appalled by it.

I get to see the whole mountain of hate, Mount Sinai. I transform it with the Light that Reforms; in other words, I receive the Torah and merit “the land of Israel,” the spiritual desire aimed directly to the Creator. Finally, I get to know Him and reveal spirituality.
[31356]
From Lesson 1, Convention at the Arava Desert 12/30/10

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We along with the entire world are undergoing a special state. The time when the wisdom of Kabbalah gets revealed is critical for the history of mankind.

During gatherings such as Kabbalah conventions, we desire correction of our soul, and nobody thinks about the rest of the world. And yet, let us ponder for a moment that we affect the fate of the world with our actions. I can sign this claim.

We wish and are trying to unite, thereby shifting the world to the scale of merit since the world, in itself, is a formless, lifeless matter which has no power. And we reside a few rungs above it, at the human level (Adam) that yearns to become similar (Dome) to the Creator. Therefore, the fate of the world lies in our hands.

This is why it is worthwhile to spend money to come to such Kabbalah conventions and place oneself in the environment unlike his home. This consideration is also necessary; after all, a person receives the right to affect the entire world and his own destiny.

At the first glance, what are we, really? And still, the Creator picked specifically these people, having given them an opportunity and a desire to come here [the Kabbalah Convention in the Arava Desert] in order to unite. It isn’t easy; hence, I have respect for every attendee whom the Creator chose and endowed with the strength. Likewise, I respect him for his desire and willingness to come and contribute. Every person present here is great and unique. And this is the way we should view each other.

We must value this special opportunity to affect our own destiny and the fate of the world. And it doesn’t matter that we ourselves barely recognize the profound meaning of the moment. Even though our desire is simple and naïve, it still reforms the world.

Therefore, I strongly recommend that you use this time to the fullest so that everyone could open his heart and wish to bond with the others. After all, this meeting brought very special people together. Let’s give it our best.
[31349]
From Lesson 1, Convention at the Arava Desert 12/30/10

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We begin to work with each other, and everyone wants to feel the others close, connected. Start to examine and analyze: How long can we go on like this? Can you keep thinking of the others this way for a while? A minute? Two minutes? Or maybe even five or ten minutes? It is already quite long. Usually, it ends in a second.

And it’s good. It is called guarantee. Everyone almost instantly forgets that he must bond with the others and see them as great, and that’s an opportunity to immediately remember to do it again.

If, in our thought, we are concerned with everyone, wishing that nobody forgets it, we will remember indeed. A person will feel how the others pressure him with their thoughts. Desires in the hearts of the others will affect everyone.

Baal HaSulam wrote a very special, profound article about mutual guarantee. After all, it is the condition for receiving the Torah, the Light. We support everybody so that nobody forgets about unity, which isn’t dancing in embrace, but rather the inner unity of hearts. If we care about one another, we will definitely not forget about it, constantly returning to it in our thoughts. Thereby, we will accomplish great work.

Each second, everyone keeps forgetting and remembering over and over again. Together, we will complete many acts, by entering this connection and stepping out of it again, in order to return to it again. And every time, while doing so, we actualize the Reshimot (spiritual records) that remained in us after the breaking of the souls.

Finally, after a few such actions, we arrive to the Light. It is written: “The Torah will go forth from Zion.” In other words, we receive it thanks to these departures (Yetziot) from oneness, each time resisting them and rushing back in.

So, let us think about our unity, about nobody abandoning these thoughts, about everyone here being a magnificent and unique individual. He was chosen by the Creator; hence, I honor this upper part, the Creator’s part, in him. Thereby, while assisting each other from within, we gradually arrange ourselves into one common Kli (vessel), a single soul.

When this Kli comprised from multiple parts bonds in the minimal required degree, we will immediately feel the Creator’s, the Upper Light’s, presence in it. Let’s hope that we will reach this state today or tomorrow, or, at the latest, the day after tomorrow.

In fact, it happens when you least expect it, and even the instant before a person doesn’t see it coming. It can, indeed, occur after the efforts we have just described.
[31344]
From Lesson 1, Convention at the Arava Desert 12/30/10

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Question: How do we unify with each other?

Answer: I have a desire to reach some exalted purpose, to ascend to the upper world toward the Creator, the root of my soul, to something unknown. Every person has this longing for attaining the root, the purpose of his or her life. It has been planted in everyone, but in one person it emerges in the present incarnation (Gilgul), in another it manifested in the previous one, and in the third it will awaken in a future lifetime.

My root resides in the Creator from where I descended down to this world. And now, finally, you and I have started to aspire upward. The root of the soul, the point in the heart, awakened in both of us.

Neither you nor I can achieve anything with our points in the heart. But we will if we unify them, if you attach my point in the heart to yours and I do the same with mine. How do we do that? We have to strive to connect in our hearts. Unity per se will come from Above, by way of the Light that Reforms; but in order for that to occur, you have to collect the spiritual desires of all the people sitting here.

You acquire them by asking for it. Everything is driven by desire since it is the matter of creation. I wish and long for their desires aimed to the Creator to be mine. I want one great desire comprised of all individual desires to appear within me.

Start thinking about it and you will see how much closer you feel to people, not physically, but internally. You will start feeling what their hearts desire, and your own spiritual desire from a point will grow to a sphere, a “globe,” a “vessel.”

Finally, in this pieced together desire, you will feel a spiritual current, spiritual life. Hence, demand: “I want your desires! Do you need mine? I am willing, take it. But first let’s make a group where everyone wants to connect his heart with the hearts of the friends.”
[31341]
From Lesson 1, Convention at the Arava Desert 12/30/10

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