In order to be in balance with nature, it is necessary to consume intelligently, meaning to the degree it is necessary, depending on every person’s needs. Baal HaSulam writes about this in the article, “Peace in the World” and in other articles.

However, this practice cannot be imposed through terror. It can only happen by means of education! Yet in their times the Russian revolutionaries took a different path, having discarded the principle of education.

In addition, this was taking place in an underdeveloped country, with the most underdeveloped population that to this day is used to living in practically feudal conditions. Today the people of Russia, who are good-hearted and kind, still agree to the feudal conditions in which Russia exists to this day. This is not a capitalistic, but a feudal country with its customs, structure, corruption, and all of its social relations. It is feudalism.

It might seem to us, “But how can that be? This, in modern society? Isn’t it long gone? In the West, Feudalism hasn’t existed for 300 years already.” True, in the West it hasn’t existed for 300 years, but in Russia it still exists. That is to say, every person still agrees to it. The people still haven’t developed above that level.

Only a small portion of the population, about 10 – 20%, cannot tolerate these conditions, while everyone else agrees to live in them. They don’t care that they have a master, that they have to submit to someone without law and order, that everything can be bought and sold, and that the rich are powerful and right. People agree to this! That is why it is still deemed a feudal level of social development.

Marx absolutely did not suppose that this kind of country would try to implement his idea. He practically laid out Kabbalah in the form of economic laws. But the egoism of the post-Soviet realm is completely different. This egoism is feudal and not yet ready for serious development.

However, when we work with each person individually or with our groups in Russia, we see an astounding result because the people have points in the heart. They are very responsive and goal-oriented.

The question is: Will the society be able to understand that it has to unite, but not by the laws it was brought up by in the Soviet regime? The unity has to happen by laws where everyone is equal, conscious, and unites consciously. The people of Russia are not used to uniting consciously. Will they reach this, will they be able to do it? That is, indeed, a question.

Therefore, our groups in Russia are very dear to us. I personally know this nation very well since I grew up there and my native language is Russian. But can we look at Russia as the country that has the ability to easily realize the Kabbalistic principles? That is something I do not know.

On the other hand, in Europe, despite the fact that the people are very different from the Russian image, all they have to do is overcome a certain external opposition, a certain shell or casing. After that, as soon as this idea penetrates into people’s thoughts, they realize that it is true and are able to realize it inside of them through their development.

In Russia it is easy to come close to the individual. But in Europe it is much more difficult! Yet I think that if we penetrate inside the individuals in Europe, they will find the forces and abilities inside of them to unite. Their conscious collectivism will emerge.

On the other hand, in Russia collectivism does not emerge despite this. There the society is not developed collectively. I think that it is not yet able to do this.

Nevertheless, notwithstanding all of these surmises, we have to develop Kabbalah and disseminate it everywhere. Of course, there is a great boundary in the countries that were once socialist. But this should not stop us. We shouldn’t give any thought to where it’s easier and where it’s harder, why, and how. We should work, and that’s all. I never make any calculations. We do not know what is better and what is worse, and how everything will occur.
[34050]
From the 3rd lesson at the Berlin Convention on 1/28/11

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Rabash’s articles start gradually becoming clear to a person to the degree he actualizes them. At first it seems like they are written gracelessly and incorrectly, that their separate parts are unconnected, and they lack order. In these articles we do not see the precise movement of the forces of the soul which develops precisely this way, and that’s because we do not know our soul.

If a person carries out his actions on his own and at the same time studies these articles, then he sees that they are written absolutely precisely and could not be written otherwise. That is because Kabbalists wrote their texts based on what they felt, and all of the souls go through the same path and the same states. Therefore, these articles become closer and clearer to a person with time; they are the “manuscript” of his soul.

At first a person who studies tries to memorize the material. He remembers separate phrases, understands some of them, while some of them still remain unclear. He repeats them like a child repeating the words of adults without understanding their meaning. Gradually, to the degree he realizes these articles, he begins to see that these lines express his states with absolute accuracy and it is impossible to write them differently. That is exactly why Kabbalists use quotes from the Psalms, Talmud, Prophets, and other sources.

These articles are absolutely special. I grew up with them; they were written by my side. Later on, as I read them over the course of many years, I saw that they become closer and more real for a person so that eventually you no longer read them in a book, but from inside, from your soul, which becomes revealed to you together with these words. This will happen to everyone precisely for the reason that these articles were written based on the full attainment of the soul.

Rabash was great no matter how much he concealed himself. Yet he did succeed in concealing himself from everyone! However, a person who attains Rabash’s articles sees that this was a great person. In the entire lineage of Kabbalists preceding him, starting from Adam, there was no one who laid out the system of spiritual work so sequentially and in such detail while keeping the connection with the root, using the language of branches, and with the entire Pentateuch (Tanach). Moreover, he explained the system of spiritual work openly, making it accessible to all.

Rabash takes you by the hand and leads you through all the phases of the articles in such a way that you cannot make a mistake. He underlines every detail that you should pay attention to. In fact, we don’t have a teacher who’s closer for developing the soul. Baal HaSulam is very high, academic, and universal. He comes down to us from a high mountain, while Rabash is a close and tender mentor who gently gives us the method of correction with love and care.
From the lesson on 1/7/11, Writings of Rabash

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The transition from the present, internal sensation to the external one is the most challenging step on the path of evolution. In the corporeal world, it is egoism that makes us grow by providing a natural motivation for us to search. In the upper world, we feel how wonderful it is to step out into the new dimension. We start seeing and experiencing it, and sensing the forces that interact with all of its parts. We unveil the tapestry of forces that connect us, which naturally results in our yearning for spiritual attainment.

We have to move on from our present perception to a higher one, and reside in both dimensions simultaneously. This is a very difficult psychological transition because it is as if we are being reborn.

Just like a newborn comes out of its previous place of existence into the external world by way of its own efforts, as well as its mother’s, so we have to pass through the very same stages of internal maturation and necessity to be born. With our own effort, we “flip upside down,” which signifies that we completely switch our perception of reality. The pushing force of the mother works in sync with the moving force of the embryo, and as a result we come out into the external world.

This is the most serious state and a crucial point in our lives. For the first time in human history, we are undergoing it on a mass scale. In the past, the revelation of the upper dimension or the external world occurred on the individual level. The first person to do so was Adam 5771 years ago. After him, over the course of thousands of years, many others discovered this possibility, attained it, and described it in their books, which have survived to this day. That is how the method continued to develop.

However, today, it is being transformed from an individual wisdom to a mass wisdom. Therefore, it is undergoing very serious modifications. We are the groundbreakers of implementing it, and the process will be much easier for the rest of mankind. We will be born first, and then all the others will follow us by the same principle.

We should be aware how challenging, profound, and unique our path is.
[32957]
From the lesson in Moscow on 1/16/11, Writings of Rabash

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Question: During the Second Temple period Kabbalists would sit for two hours preparing to read the prayer, “Hear, O Israel.” Why is it that we, who are so small compared to them, are presented with a much more complex reality where we come to the lesson totally disoriented and confused, and struggle for a few minutes to get some kind of focus before reading The Book of Zohar?

Answer: In those times Kabbalists had to enter the spiritual states that The Zohar talks about. They had to ascend up the levels from a total lack of spiritual sensation because every level begins from zero. It takes time for people to unite in one intention, to reach unity at the appropriate level, and to enter this state through the common sensation.

This can be compared to how parachute jumpers prepare for a common jump: They wrap up their parachutes, get into a plane, fly up beyond the clouds, jump from there, and while in free fall, without opening up the parachute yet, they connect with each other, creating different forms in the air.

This is a huge preparation for new unification on high spiritual levels. That is why it takes so much time, in accordance with the height of the level. The level obligates them to this.

On the other hand, if you are playing around here below, by yourself, without feeling others, then it’s enough for you to grab on to some thought “by the tail,” and that’s all. Let us hope that we will come to need the same preparation as the Kabbalists of the past.
[32704]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/13/11, The Zohar

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We want to make our lives better, more comfortable. And that is the correct tendency. The only question is: Do we attach the right intention to it? Do we correct the “human” in us with the help of the Light that Reforms?

On the still, vegetative, and animate levels we can do whatever we want on the condition that our aim is to correct the world, meaning to correct ourselves. But if that is not the case, then no matter what we do, it will bring about troubles, wars, and disasters.

Humanity always developed due to lack of any other choice, fleeing from suffering. Every generation aspires forward because “the press of development” is always about to catch up to it and “squish it.” Thus, man is compelled to run ahead. He does not manage to get things done and doesn’t know why, but he is always rushing ahead.

This happens on the first three levels of development: still, vegetative, and animate. That is how we have rushed ahead over the course of millennia. But today we have reached the limit of development and we see that there is no longer anything or any reason to keep rushing ahead. Technologically, we still have a multitude of opportunities, but what do I need them for? The nanotechnologies are at my service, but what for?

What do I need all of this Internet for? What does it actually give me? It only shows me that I am empty and am wasting my time on garbage. 99% of the “clean” traffic are the troubles that the world would like to get rid of, gossip and sleaze. And does science add anything good to all of that?

If we look at all of this with a focus on development, we will see an excellent means that swiftly reveals our inner emptiness. We must only understand that our problem is not technological.

Technological development has not been exhausted yet, but we have nearly come up against a barrier, the question: What for? Man does not need it and that’s all.

We did not see all of these things during the hippie period even though back then people were already asking the question: What do I need all of this progress for? What’s the use of it? It waters me down and crosses me out, turning me into a machine. This mechanical life does not give me anything. To be born, to grow up, to work, and then to die – that is the entire formula.

Looking at life from this perspective, a person loses all desire for anything and lives unwillingly. And unless the human level in him develops, technological development is also nearing its end.

Even if everything is fine with culture and upbringing, we need deeper results. We need essence, the human grain. Reshimot awaken in us, stimulating the unsatisfied desire, the emptiness that is not filled by all the gadgets of the Internet and all the technology of the world.

So why is it so difficult for us to solve this problem? It’s because technological achievements create an illusion that we will be able to modernize the “human” in us just as easily so he will become better, kinder, and happier. But that is incorrect. In this area we will not achieve anything without the upper, spiritual force. All the “earthly” means of correcting a person will obviously fail.

Thus, humanity will not change the situation until it realizes this.
[30525]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/22/10, “Peace in the World”

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Question: It is written that Rabbi Shimon cried while writing The Book of Zohar because he feared to reveal the secret. "Woe if I tell it and woe if I don’t. If I do, then the sinners will learn to work for their master. And if I don’t, then the friends will lose this great asset." What is the great secret concealed in The Book of Zohar that Rabbi Shimon cried about?

Answer: The secret of The Book of Zohar is that by relating to it the right way, it is possible to draw Upper Light from it that returns us to the Source. This Light can become the elixir of life for us as well as a deadly poison, depending on our attitude to The Zohar and to the Torah in general.

However, we see that there was no prohibition on studying the Pentateuch or Talmud even though they were also written by Kabbalists. Only The Zohar was concealed and prohibited for many years, and that is because there is a very powerful Light concealed inside this book which we are able to attract. Of course, the Torah also contains Light, but it is nearly inaccessible because of it’s exceeding height.

The Light of The Zohar is closer to us, but if a person is still inside his ego, he will want to use this Light egoistically. Then this Light will turn into a deadly poison for him.

If I want to attain bestowal, then this Light will be the elixir of life for me and will help me attain it. If, however, a person studies the Torah without intending to achieve bestowal, then he becomes more egoistic and starts to consider himself special, greater than others, and righteous. The Torah becomes a poison for him and increases his ego. Instead of lowering himself and feeling that he is smaller than others, he starts to feel the opposite, pride.

For the most part all of this happened recently, over the last century, when egoism reached a new level. That is why Kabbalists feared that people will start studying the science of Kabbalah egoistically as well, taking pride in it, and turning it into a business that sells "magical means" such as red strings, holy water, and blessings.

This will confuse people and push them away from correction, making them lose many life cycles until they finally reveal that this approach is a swindle and lie. But how much time and suffering will it take to get there!
[29759]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/10, “A Handmaid that is Heir to Her Mistress”

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It is dangerous to study The Book of Zohar with a desire that is not ripe yet, meaning a desire that still hasn’t exhausted itself in this world. This kind of desire still doesn’t understand that there is nothing to be done in this world other than to ascend from it to the world of correction.

A person can only reveal Kabbalah if he looks for the meaning of life and has to find what to live for. However, if he still does not have this question, then he begins to interpret Kabbalah egoistically and to adapt it to his own benefit, deceiving himself by thinking that he is correcting himself. He starts selling it and using it as a weapon for his ego. Instead of using it against egoism, he uses it to conquer things for the ego, and that’s how he turns it from the elixir of life into a deadly poison for himself and for others.

That is why Kabbalists feared revealing the science of Kabbalah and invented many prohibitions, such as first reaching the age of 40, the need to first learn the whole Torah, as well as total observance of the commandments. They even scared people off by saying that you can go crazy. All of this was done because egoism was still undergoing the process of its development.

The Book of Zohar itself states that it is destined to be revealed only at the end of days. Then this wisdom would be revealed for the correction of the world, which is now ready for correction. That is when Kabbalists come out, telling us that the time has come!

That is why Rabbi Shimon cried about how to write The Book of Zohar in such a way that even if it were to become revealed at the wrong time, it wouldn’t cause harm. This is why he wrote it with the help of Rabbi Abba in a special, secret code. We read The Book of Zohar without understanding where Rabbi Shimon is concealed behind Rabbi Abba, who wept so much about the revelation of the great secret.

Rabbi Shimon used Rabbi Abba as a "shield," an external shell, an opportunity to write in a concealed manner. A person can reveal the secret that was hidden by Rabbi Shimon only on the condition that he penetrates inside Rabbi Abba’s protective shell. Then he can accept Rabbi Shimon’s secret message, but he is unable to read it before that time.
[29762]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/10, “A Handmaid that is Heir to Her Mistress”

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We are all outcomes of the Light, and therefore, we have to attain it. All of our strongest desires, prayers, and yearnings are aimed toward the Light.

We subconsciously desire this alone, and, in truth, throughout our entire lives we are after nothing but it. All of the other fulfillments and sources of pleasure, such as food, clothes, new cars, and whatever else all come from the Light! We only perceive them in a certain form, as some type of pleasure, such as a car, a child, family, warmth, rest, a beautiful landscape, and so on. However, in fact, there is only Light, which depicts all of these objects for me, and I feel only it.

Therefore, people will gradually cease being interested in of all these things and will instead try to find their source: the Light itself and not its derivatives. I won’t desire to have a certain car anymore because what does it actually give me? It gives me pleasure. Yet, in truth I wish to get this pleasure in its “pure form,” without the actual car. Why do I need this chunk of metal? After all, it pleases me only when I drive it, and when I don’t, there is no pleasure. So, when I get tired of driving, it just stands by the house. But I still seek pleasure!

While we were undergoing our historical evolution, we constantly aspired to find things and "waves" that were more subtle and elusive. That is why everything in the world today is becoming smaller in size; quantity is becoming quality. We are the same: Instead of investigating the corporeal world, we are starting to yearn for spiritual attainment.

People don’t yet understand it yet, but the number of suicides and terrorist acts, the rise in drug abuse and the divorce rate are all indicators of man’s enormous lack of fulfillment. It is so great that, in fact, man is unable to fill this lack in his life. And that is a sign of man’s need for the Light itself, rather than all the other substitutes that the Light can depict in us.
[29227]
From the program "Kabbalah for Beginners" on 12/08/10

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Question: What should we do this Hanukkah so that the spiritual world becomes reality?

Answer: All of us around the world have reached the point of breakthrough. We are approaching the exodus from Egypt, from the sensation of just our world inside our ego.

On the one hand, we feel that the Pharaoh, egoism is holding us by the toes and stubbornly refuses to let us go. On the other, we understand that we must break out of our ego. These forces are fighting one another.

Every day brings us greater understanding that the spiritual world and its perception are above the ego, which is called faith above reason. However, when we attempt to reach the spiritual world, we feel that we still lack the forces to make the breakthrough and escape from Egypt.

Therefore, we need more events such as the recent Unity Day, which was held by all the world groups with great success. Our world group is already big and diverse enough, giving great power of unity to our Kli. Therefore, we have come to a state where we are fighting against the “Greeks” in us, wishing to be free of them.

The difference between the Pharaoh and the “Greeks” is the level of the struggle: The Pharaoh represents the passions of the material world such as the desires for food, sex, family, wealth, fame, and so on, while the Greeks represent the struggle between materialism and Kabbalah. A person who stops being tempted by these things despite having all of them, and who realizes that other things are more important in life, wages the war for ascension above this world since his life lacks meaning. He doesn’t know what to live for.

Thus, the Maccabean War is a spiritual war. The ancient Greek philosophers argued that our world is real and that we have to live in it and develop it. This approach is opposite to the wisdom of Kabbalah, which says that we must rise above this world because it can no longer fill us; we have to realize the thought of creation.

We have reached a very advanced level, although we always want to achieve more. I think that all of us, including those who are advancing together with us in groups, as well as individual students all over the world, will quickly prevail in this war.
[28571]
From the lecture on 11/30/2010

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There is Israel in the inner sense (Isra-El, Yashar Kel, straight to the Creator), which is a person with a point in the heart or one who aspires to spirituality. Besides, there is an external meaning to the nation of Israel. However, they also aren’t just people, but souls who were chosen in Ancient Babylon by the force called Abraham (the force of Hesed, bestowal) out of the general breakage called “the Babylonian confusion.”

Back then this confusion took place on the first degree of desire and it was from there (from Babylon) that Abraham chose these desires, which desired to correct themselves. Later they attained the level of Mochin de Haya – the First Temple, meaning that they already ascended to the level of AB and SAG, and then broke.

Now these Kelim are included in the general desire and it’s clear that compared to others, they contain a preliminary preparation, which helps them begin to ascend. These Kelim are called Israel in our world.

That is why there is a difference between a person who was born a Jew and one who was not born a Jew but who belongs to Israel by virtue of his point in the heart. A person who was born part of Israel probably has an inclination to ascend inherent from the previous breakage.

However, if a person does not belong to the nation of Israel by birth, it is unknown who he is because we do not know where the ten lost tribes of Israel are located, as they were dispersed after the breaking of the First Temple. They did not take part in building the Second Temple and therefore did not reach “unfounded hatred,” which was the reason for its destruction. They only went through the first breakage, not being able to “receive for the sake of bestowal.” However, it’s as if they kept the degree of “bestowal for the sake of bestowal” in an unbroken state!

That is to say, now as we ascend from below upwards and attain the level of “bestowal for the sake of bestowal” in the general mass, we will reveal the ten lost tribes! We will attain equivalence of form with them and then they will be found.
[28802]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/5/10, Introduction to the Book of Zohar

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