Faith above reason is built precisely above reason, when I measure how much I managed to rise above my corporeal pragmatism to judge from the perspective of bestowal. This means to think about what I can give, what I can sacrifice, and what pleasure I can bring to my friends and through them to the Creator.

Faith above reason is a central theme in spiritual development because it determines the transition from the corporeal world to the spiritual one, from the lack of the feeling of the upper force to its revelation and perception of it.

We can pursue this for as long as necessary, just to step onto the degree of Lishma, to discover what is called the upper world. Therefore patience is required. Just like studying at a university with the knowledge that it takes five years to obtain a degree, so it takes five years.

The same applies to Kabbalah. We need to study for a long time until bestowal becomes a habit. But can this learning be completed much faster, externally? Yes, it is possible! If we strengthen our connection, we can greatly shorten our path and the time to enter Lishma precisely to the extent of our connection with one another.

Write this down, reflect on it, and recall it each time you hit a dead end. What should you do then? Strengthen the unity in the group, and the future will shine for you again.

From a state of despair, confusion, and helplessness, we have only one way out: connection, and from it we will see our next degree.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/19/24, “On the Verge of Lishma“

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Question: You said that “standing guard” means feeling at every moment that I am at the center of the ten.

Can you explain what the center of the ten means for me and what it means to stand at the center of the ten?

Answer: It means you must unite within yourself all the forces of the ten and feel responsible for its state.
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From  the 1^st part the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/27/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Love of God and the Love of Man”

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Question: What is that state when on one hand I do not feel myself, but I feel the friends, and on the other hand, we are ten as one?

Answer: These are different things, like two sides of the same coin.

On one hand, to the extent that we are connected with each other, we must also be internally separated, as if no connection or resemblance between us were possible.

On the other hand, we understand each other so deeply and are so similar to one another that it feels as though we are not just close but together as one whole.

Question: It turns out that when I do not feel myself but feel the friends, it is like the first degree before the state of ten as one?

Answer: Yes
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/28/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Love of God and the Love of Man”

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Question: What is the active mind that we reveal in our connection?

Answer: In our connection, we reveal what is above us and governs us. All these discerned qualities and revelations are what we call “the Creator” (Boreh).

Question: What should happen during a ten’s gathering so that, above our own qualities, we can reveal this governing force, this mind? How should we properly strive for it? What needs to be done?

Answer: To achieve this, you need to clarify among yourselves how to realize what is written in the Torah.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/20/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Acting Mind”

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Question: If the realization of a descent is an ascent, what is the state of joy when you want to inspire the group? Is it egoism?

Answer: Not necessary. It may not be ego. The fact is every state must be checked.

Let us say you are inspired. Is this inspiration from the Creator or you? Of course, in the end, it all comes from the Creator. No feeling, no thought can arise in us except from Him. The worst and the best thoughts still come from the Creator.

Your participation in this depends on the root of your soul and on the kind of relationship you have with the group. In general, connecting with the group and striving forward regulates the steps we must take.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”

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Question: The more we progress, the more our animalistic desires grow. How can a group or a “ten” help a friend rise above these desires to draw closer to the Creator? In what form is this help expressed?

Answer: In every possible way. How can a “ten” assist any friend in any state whatsoever? First and foremost, through example.

Beyond example, there is mutual support and unconditional assistance. But generally speaking, it is through example. Examples can be both positive and negative.

I can demonstrate my dedication and aspiration toward the Creator by providing a positive example to my friend. Conversely, I can unintentionally hint at a negative example. However, this is very difficult to define precisely. One must be cautious about this.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam “There Is None Else Besides Him”

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The more you invest in the group, the more difficult states you will encounter, states designed to help you rise above them. And you will come to appreciate these states because the group will create and sustain an environment where it is seen as positive when egoism reveals itself. This gives you a reason to turn to the Creator through your friends.

As for relationships with your friends, the law is very simple: “From love of your neighbor to love of the Creator.”

This means that you must first realize this in your connection with each other, and only then in your connection with the Creator. The connection with the Creator is revealed in the center of the group, in the bond between friends.

Where they feel their common center, the connection with the Creator will manifest from their shared state, from what is called a minyan. A minyan is a “ten.”
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”

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Question: On what basis is the Creator revealed?

Answer: The Creator is revealed in the opposition between darkness and light, when there is a certain condition of rejection of friends in the group and a certain condition of their rapprochement in the group.

In the difference between the dark and light forces, reception and bestowal, when we make a restriction, screen, and so on, the Creator begins to be revealed.

Attaining the Creator presupposes two qualities that are opposite to each other and coexist with each other, since they are necessary only for becoming like the Creator, only for His revelation.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam “There Is None Else Besides Him”

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Question: In which group is it easier to work, a physical or virtual one? I have both a virtual ten and a physical one. In my virtual ten, I do not know people personally, and their personal qualities do not bother me. It is easier for me to communicate with them spiritually than in a physical ten because a person’s physical qualities distract me from spiritual work.

Answer: A physical and virtual group are different things.

In a physical group, I perceive my friends as physical beings. This often creates a sense of rejection or regulates our relationships based on the perception of their physical traits. In a virtual group, I perceive my friends less as physical entities, which makes it easier to establish what can be called supra-material connections. Which is better for spiritual development?

First of all, it is excellent that you are analyzing how your perception of a physical group differs from a virtual one. You are correct that a virtual ten is more abstract and does not hinder your efforts to connect. However, this approach is flawed; it is an escape from egoism. Instead of challenging your ego, you are lulling it to sleep.

What you like seeing in others from a distance, you see; what you do not like, you avoid. But this will change. Over time, you will realize that if there is an opportunity to move from a virtual ten to a physical one, you should take it for more intense and conscious spiritual advancement.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam “There Is None Else Besides Him”

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Question: In the world group, there are people who have been studying for many years, and there are newcomers just joining the group. Does this mean that some third force above our level is needed to help us unite?

Answer: A spiritual force above our level acts upon us to the extent that we are capable of realizing it.

The Creator eagerly awaits the opportunity to draw us closer to Him. However, for this to happen, we must unite. The higher we aim to ascend, the more united we must be. One depends on the other.

If, according to the timeline of history, we are meant to already be united, but have not yet achieved this, the light from our future state of unity shines back onto our current lagging state. However, it shines from its reverse side, and we experience suffering.

All the suffering we feel in our time stems from the delay in our spiritual development. This suffering comes from the light, from the Creator, solely because we are not advancing toward Him at the required pace. Therefore, we must accelerate our progress, and we will see an entirely different life.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/19, “Questions and Answers”

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