Question (from the Italian group): We want to pass joy onto our friends. Do you feel it?

Answer: It’s not just joy because joy can be frivolous and carefree.

I feel a long lasting joy that is based on facts, a solid matter, a strong group, on the current condition of the world. My joy is the joy of a person who stands on very solid ground. He knows that his joy is constructive, that it opens a new path for humanity. Surely, everything is done by the upper force, but we are involved in the process. We participate in it, and that is why I feel great joy.
[61328]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/21/2011, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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A person stops experiencing death on the level of universal integration. It dissolves internally in his desires, thoughts, and feelings in the one, common, enormous thought, the single desire that we all create, and he transitions into a different state in a smooth, quiet, and nice manner.

This takes place before the death of his body because he becomes something general, something that exists in one general idea, something that shares a unified existence with nature and society. His spirit is referred to as the “human within us,” and everything else is the physical body that exists on the animate level of development.

Man the level inside us that can connect into a single unified system with others. When you begin to experience that you are locked into this system together with everyone else in your thoughts and feelings, mind and heart, then you stop feeling your body, and you feel as if you were “floating” above it. You exist in it, but you do not feel it, like in the moments of euphoria or some special sensations when one slightly “comes out of his body.”

Mutual guarantee takes a person to the next level of existence. At the same time, we connect to the collective mind, the collective feelings, when the mind and feelings become one whole, closed in together with the unified mind and feelings of the entire universe, all of nature, the entire mechanism which drives the universe and controls it.

This is the law of the evolution of the universe. We enter this law and become its active part. The attainment of this unity between us is the “human” in us. We become one with nature, and this way we rise above everything that pertains to our body.
[61206]
From a TV Program “The Integral World” 10/30/2011

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Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee),” (abridged version): The role of the people of Israel is to prepare the world to a particular purification so that it could accept the principle of love towards the fellow man, similar to Israel. Everyone makes a contribution to this, and thus, each of the people of Israel brings the whole world to good.

The correction of Malchut of Infinity occurs in stages. Some of its parts are more “transparent” and others more “coarse,” as there are more and less important organs in the body. This difference is characteristic of the period of corruption, while after correction more corrupted parts may reach a greater height.

Now, we do not see the real situation. For example, the nations of the world are the most “coarse” vessels; however, after being corrected last, they will rise above the rest. And vice versa, the vessels that are starting correction today are simply purer, and that is why they wake up first. On the other hand, they are “coarser” than previous generations.

Thus, the process goes in stages. Baal HaSulam writes at the end of “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” that corrections are carried out from light to heavy, and they are started by those who came to this need, in other words, by Israel, which means “straight to the Creator” (Yashar-El).

If in the general desire there is an impulse to move forward, the point in the heart (•) that feels this calling, then this layer of desires is called “Israel.” The next layer feels pains in life and suffers from the lack of the meaning of life (?), but it still does not feel enough aspiration to reveal the purpose of creation. Finally, there is a layer that simply suffers, albeit perhaps not a lot, and that can be satisfied with little.

In essence, it all depends on the upper layer: If it corrects itself, the Light comes from it to others because AHP can be corrected only by connecting with the carriers of the upper force, with those who have the vessels of bestowal.
[61028]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/17/2011, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Question: What should I do when I feel elevated and awakened during the reading of The Book of Zohar? How can one request correction in this state?

Answer: During the reading of The Book of Zohar and any other authentic source (the articles, letters, and The Study of The Ten Sefirot), I first of all need to build the correct picture of where I am. The picture of the reality I exist in arises in my senses, in my desires. It is the Light that forms me so that I feel and think that this is reality: me and my world. This way I have a connection with the Light, with the upper force, that wants to teach me to identify exactly where I am. This is because from the beginning, I don’t know or see anything. I am like a baby that has just been born.

Therefore, I need to first of all design this picture correctly. There is the desire and the Light operates in it, which wants to awaken the desire within and to become revealed in it according to the law of equivalence of form. The Light is within the desire, not outside of it. In its relation to this desire, it is called the surrounding, inner, external, distant, circle, line, and so forth. These are the forms of the Light that are revealed in relation to the desire. After all, we are talking about everything from the side of the desire.

If I understand that the entire world, all of reality, all the worlds, all the Light, is in me, then I now need to rearrange myself correctly. That is, I need to clarify how and in which way do I act in order to arrive at the maximum understanding and consciousness possible in my present state, and each time to discover more.

Thus, when I read the various authentic sources, I want to perceive the picture of reality and discover it in its most true, correct, and powerful form. And it’s not important which sources to read and in which styles. If these are the books that awaken the forces of my soul from the side of the desire and also from the side of its fulfillment, then it doesn’t matter. It can be The Study of the Ten Sefirot, The Zohar, the letters, or the articles. The essence is to awaken my development.

And then I understand the importance of my involvement in the Torah: the Light in it reforms, that is, it brings me closer to the revelation of the real picture of reality, where I reach adhesion with the Creator—a state that is concealed from me.

Thus, we first of all design the picture: There’s me, and everything is concealed within me. I must awaken the forces of my soul and in them discover the real reality in which the Creator and I merge into one.

After I have molded myself in this form, I work on the next step: How do I awaken myself through the studies? And then everything that I read speaks to me about my advanced states. They can be distant from or close to me, it doesn’t matter. What is important is that with the help of the story that I read, I try to identify these forces within me, these forms.

And I don’t forget that it talks only about my desires, about my soul’s inner forces: reception and bestowal. It isn’t important if they are called strange names or names that are familiar with my present reality. I constantly think: How do I discover all these forces as components of my connection with the Creator?
[60899]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/16/2011, The Zohar

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Question: You’ve mentioned that the environment is the only means for keeping a person in the correct intention. Does this mean that the only way one can advance is by creating an environment like at the desert convention, which will constantly motivate him to remain in the correct intention and in the quality of bestowal?

Answer: This is correct. Without the influence of the environment a person loses himself. There are lots of people who simply burn their time by sitting home and watching soap operas or reading suspense and romance novels. Time passes by…. They feel that they fill their time with empty things, but they can’t do anything about it.

I receive complaints from people: “I am not doing anything! How can I break out of this state?” A person promises himself that starting tomorrow he’ll take charge of his life, but then tomorrow comes, and he is still in the place he was yesterday. Day after day goes by, and the clock can’t be turned back.

What can a person do? There is actually nothing he can do. This is how he’s being shown from Above that without the influence of the environment he won’t have the strength to advance. He must immerse himself in a correct environment, like a child who enters an adult environment. By doing this he will receive strength from them.

Rabbi Jossi Ben Kisma said: “What will I do without my students?” Did he need to receive knowledge from them? No, but he did need their general desire toward the goal. Did he not posses his own desire? After all, his desire was much greater than all of their desires! This is true. However, without connecting to them, he wouldn’t have his “billion times greater desire plus one.” Without them he wouldn’t be able to advance a single degree further. If he was left without his students, starting the next day he would go from reading The Zohar to reading the news.
[61011]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/17/2011, The Zohar

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Many sparks have gathered here, each of us carries a big spark—so let’s try to connect them! The Light is waiting to connect us into a single soul, one Kli.

As soon as we attain the first degree of unification between us, the lightest and the weakest one, the very first step on the spiritual ladder between here and the world of Infinity, at that point we’ll be able to reveal the Light, the presence of the Creator between us.

We’ll hope for it to happen! Everything depends on our efforts. Our goal here is to rise above our physical bodies, above all our personal thoughts and desires, and begin to exist together above them in one desire and one thought. We need to constantly try to let go of the sensation of our body and instead sense only the higher reality where we are all connected.

The spiritual world is connection and unity. The fact that such different people have gathered here can actually make for a faster and more successful connection.

We are extremely happy that our friends came from abroad just for one day. They show just how important and special this event is to them. We must put in the effort. After all, there are millions of people out there who are connected to us and who are looking at us.

We are the central group, and the Light that we attract will spread everywhere and reach everyone. Just feel the importance of this mission, the intensity of this moment. There are no outside disturbances and no outside world; there’s only us, united into one heart and one thought for the sake of revealing the upper force between us.
[61177]
From Lesson 1, Arvut Convention at the Arava Desert 11/18/2011

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Question: We have pledged to take care of one another in order to uphold the standard we achieved in the Arava and to keep moving further. But what should a person do if he suddenly discovers that he has “fallen out of the loop”? Should he feel that he is drilling a hole in the common boat?

Answer: Of course. And this should be a source of great distress for him. First of all, it’s not simple to reach the sensation of unity, but he should at least regret the fact that he is separated from it. Secondly, let him feel bad from knowing that all the friends are already there. Thirdly, his absence harms others, and this entire harm is recorded in his account.

This way, he misses out on much more than his personal concern because his part is idle in every one of the friends and does not complete each one of them. It turns out that his harm is multiplied by the number of members in the group.

Until now we talked about the egoistic calculation, but now let’s look at the problem from the other side. A person does not support his friends with mutual guarantee, does not become similar to the Creator, and does not attain bestowal to Him by working in the group. This spiritual damage is not as obvious, but we have to remember about it as well.

Question: Can we say that by doing so a person shifts not only the whole group, but also the whole world to evil?

Answer: If you have received the opportunity to enter mutual guarantee with your friends, then by participating in the common work, obviously you shift the world to goodness. After all, every person is part of the common network and we are its central part. Therefore, by strengthening the group, I strengthen the whole world in its spiritual ascent. And the opposite is also true.
[61337]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/21/11, “Mutual Guarantee”

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Baal HaSulam, Letter No. 13: You should believe that there are plenty of sparks of bestowal in each friend, and if we gather them all in one place, in brotherly unity, love, and friendship, of course, it would be enough to reach a significant spiritual level now and for life.

Nothing was created in the world but one soul. The parts, sparks, of that one soul wake up from generation to generation and achieve correction. All the generations, which have completed their correction, unite in the last generation, which begins with us.

Our generation is special. It should connect within itself all the previous generations: from Adam HaRishon, through Abraham and Rabbi Shimon, the Ari, and Baal HaSulam who have performed big corrections in one soul and have prepared its significant, special, and lightest part for us. But besides that, we must connect to ourselves all the future vessels or desires (Kelim) that complete correction.

We connect within ourselves those who are behind us, our forefathers, and those who are ahead of us, our sons, all of them together. We have reached the condition when the world begins to demand correction; souls begin to awaken. And although people do not understand this, it is not necessary because they belong to the part of the collective soul that reaches correction unconsciously, thanks to the connection with us.

Our duty is to unite, to connect within ourselves all the holy sparks of bestowal, which corrected this system before us—and to complete correction.

This is an extraordinary time; we feel that this is a special state. And we see how the Creator helps us, that is, makes it possible for us to unite and purify ourselves so that what we desire so much becomes realized.
[61183]
From Lesson 1, Arvut Convention at the Arava Desert 11/18/2011

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Question: How can we bring our common prayer into the study?

Answer: Everything that we study is revealed in the connection between us. We reveal the picture of our connection, the one soul.

The soul is the connection between all of the parts, which we can only imagine. The soul is everything that was created, all of creation together, the whole of reality, including our world. Even though our world is “imaginary,” it is also part of the same unified soul.

There is nothing except this one soul, which is the vessel that the Creator, the Light, created. But we can imagine this soul and discover its inner power only by connecting all of the parts and turning it into a living organism.

The Light is the life animating force. To feel life, we must connect all the internal parts into one body, putting each part in its place: the brain, the heart, the liver, the kidneys, the legs, the arms, and so on. If a person is able to perceive all of them as one body, even in the simplest form where most of the organs still do not function, but all of it connects properly, then the spiritual picture on the first degree is revealed to him.

We cannot discover half or a quarter of the soul. In the spiritual world this does not exist. There is no “partial” in spirituality, but only a whole structure of ten complete Sefirot, not nine and not eleven. So I must reveal the full picture.

In this complete picture I reveal every part of reality that I see before me. I see the place of all nations and the entire universe, all the first ten Sefirot, what belongs where, and what force operates everything. I see all this within myself. I discover myself and nothing besides that.

The wisdom of Kabbalah is the study, the discovery of oneself. In this way, I reveal reality. All of creation is me.

Through the study, we need to accept this picture and imagine it correctly. Then it will become clear to us that Kabbalists write about what’s going on inside them. After all, a person is the whole world. Everything you see now is portrayed from within, and it is only an optical illusion that it exists outside.
[60923]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/16/2011, TES

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Question: How can we explain to the friends that it is impossible to attain correction by oneself and that we need a group?

Answer: This is what our sources say. I only have a shattered vessel, so what should I do with it? I have to absorb my friends’ desires in order to draw the Light that Reforms.

Together with the friends we raise a common prayer, and as a result we receive the force of correction. I will not be able to receive this force if I am alone. At least ten people are required in order to attain it. Only then will we begin to connect to each other and to build the common vessel between us.

It seems that we are together now, but actually it isn’t so. So how can we unite? We activate the force of the mutual prayer for that. No one operates on his own. The common desire to correct ourselves connects us, and in it we want to reveal the special force that will dwell between us, to reveal the Light, the Creator. When He is revealed, we each will disappear as an isolated entity, and one desire filled with one Light will arise.

Can I reveal the force of bestowal by myself? What or to whom will I be able to bestow? I must simply have someone else there too. My point in the heart (•) is my first urge for correction, in other words, for connecting with someone. This means that I have to absorb his desire. Then I have two desires: a desire to draw away from egoism and a desire to draw closer to bestowal.

So I have to receive my friend’s spiritual desire and to attach it to mine. Without this I will not really want to bestow. This is the only way I can raise MAN, a request for correction.

“The minimal multitude is two,” but actually, two is not enough. The more friends there are around me, the more chances I will have to be impressed, to attach their powers to me, and to demand correction. By that, I demand namely the connection with them. I supply the “territory” in which the connection will be realized, my wishes about what needs to take place here, and our common force. In short, I have to prepare the most possibly correct “mold.” It can be done only together. All our work takes place in the group.

Besides, women also support this group, and human society surrounds it on the outside. These factors also have either a positive or negative effect in pushing us towards connection.

Question: What does one feel when the Light fills our desire?

Answer: One of the points is me. All of us together is we. The yellow part in the drawing symbolizes our connection, and the red color symbolizes the upper force, the Creator. We have to unite Israel, the Torah, and the Creator into one, and this has to be revealed in our feeling. The Creator is the upper force, the source. The Torah is unity, the vessel. And we are the parts moving toward unity.

Let’s hope we will succeed in this.
[60797]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/15/2011, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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