Question: What does it mean to open oneself to the group?

Answer: On one hand, it means to want to bestow onto them, like someone who is greater than them, who fills them with everything they need, not by pressure, but according to their will. This is similar to ZAT de Bina, which acts according to the desire of the lower one. Thus, you also become greater than them.

You open yourself in order to receive all the deficiencies from them, like from children. You incorporate them into yourself to such an extent that you feel pain if they don’t receive what they want, and you are ready to fill them again and again.

On the other hand, you should have an opposite mechanism. This means that you have to sail against the wind, zigzagging to the left and to the right. You also feel that you are lower than others, you are ready to serve them and to do anything in order to receive spiritual uplifting from them, the spiritual attainment, the Creator in them, the One you want to discover in the connection between you.

This is how you advance: once on the side of the deficiencies and once on the side of the spiritual uplifting in working together with the group—until you exert to the full measure.

The main test of your work is to what extent you see the structure in which you will attain spirituality. This structure is the connection of all the friends’ and the whole world’s desires for spirituality. The Creator is revealed in your mutual yearning for spirituality. This is called Shechina, the collection of the souls that yearn for the Creator (Knesset Israel).
[55642]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/21/2011, Shamati #232

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We cannot make a beeline for the goal, but we can build an environment that will exert an influence upon us from both the positive and negative sides. With regard to the positive side, it means that the environment reveals additional desires within a person, jealousy, and the urge to reach what others have attained.

As for the negative side, the environment shows a person how much less than others he is, how unable he is to be together with them, and how against everyone he is, torturing a person with the feeling of his insignificance and anxiety about his future.

This is how the environment pushes a person both from the positive to negative sides, moving him forward in a “zigzag” path against the wind in the direction of the goal. It is how he reveals the additional urge to the original desire instilled in him from the side of creation in the informational genes (Reshimot), awakened in him by the Creator. This is how he advances.

For the most part, this work consists of building the environment that influences the person. As it turns out, he is the one building this influence, and to that extent, he opens himself up to it. If he doesn’t invest his strength into the group, he will not open up to it.

This can be seen in the example of a person who is taking care of his children or pets. The more we invest in someone, the closer and more loved they become to us. And that is why we begin to react more sensitively to his feedback, opening ourselves up for love and connection.

The same thing happens to the environment. The more we invest in it, the more valuable it becomes to us. And then we open ourselves to the influence of the environment, having built the means that moves us forward on a zigzag path against our egoism towards the purpose of creation.

With this, we complete our efforts to the full extent, about which it is said “I labored and did not find, do not believe.”
[55280]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/21/2011, Shamati #232

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It is important to explain in our round table discussions that mutual guarantee isn’t attained by itself, but rather as a result of serious study of nature’s system of mutual dependence, in order to introduce man into it as an integral component. Only a connection between nature and all people, when everybody is in perfect balance, that is, when a person gives and receives in human society in perfect harmony, as it is done among the cells of the body, only such connection is called mutual guarantee.

But first we have to study the elements: mutual guarantee, mutual yielding and connection, above all the differences that separate us, which the ego purposefully presents to us. We should see the differences between us as exercises above which we have to ascend and thus grow namely in this way, just as children grow as a result of the games they play. This is the essence of our progress towards the state of mutual guarantee—the full mutual connection, just like in one healthy body.

This is the purpose of the entire creation, and therefore, to the extent that we reach this connection, we feel mutual bestowal, love, participation, the merger of our desires, the joining of whatever used to stand in our way. Nothing disappears. All the differences remain, and it is above them that we build our relationships.

We have to patiently explain this method of connection despite all contradictions. Then, people’s consciousness will gradually evolve, to the extent that they master the general mutual connection above the contradictions that manifest.

It is a long way of restoring the broken ties among us. We advance this way and reach the end of correction of humanity and its connection with nature into one.

This is how we reach Malchut of the world of Infinity, where all the differences and contradictions come together: utmost egoism and above it, utmost altruism—and the recognition of the Thought of Creation is revealed in us.
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When my egoism becomes revealed to me, I have to catch it by its tail like a snake. And then I start playing with it, untangling all of its cunning ways and the connections that it wanted to build step by step, with great wisdom. This plan opens my eyes, reveals my corruption. I acquire wisdom, eyes that see far. I can’t grow wiser without this.

It’s like playing chess with somebody who’s as clever as a snake. He builds an unusual, tricky, and complicated combination of 20 steps in advance, calculating all the possibilities, building a real trap for me, but suddenly I catch the very end of his thought.

Instead of the chess figures on the board, I see his thoughts contained in them—the tail of the snake. I pull that tail and begin to reveal his intention, his abilities little by little. This is how I play with the Creator. He teaches me how to prepare my desires to the required level of fulfillment in order to reveal Him in this game.

If I don’t go through this entire game, I will not become smart and sensitive enough to reveal Him. In fact, He is revealed now, but I am unable to see Him. I am like a little child standing next to a chess board, watching a game without the ability to understand how to play.

Our entire life is a game of gaining the mind of the Creator, revealing Him. Our egoism is incredibly cunning and tries to bribe us by all means. It catches us in one or another opposite direction—and this is great help coming from the Creator. Whoever wants to reveal His crafty designs will understand that the life he sees in front of him is only a game. At every moment, the Creator gives us an opportunity through our thoughts, desires, and actions to meet Him as our partner in the game. And then our whole life becomes an exciting adventure.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/2011, Shamati #152

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The whole problem is in the approach. If I’m trying to correct this crisis using my old means, looking for solutions and trying to fix the economic systems I have built, this is called Amalek (the greatest, most ferocious will to receive in us), our main enemy.

But I have to realize that this revelation comes to me from nature. There’s nothing that can be done using the old methods as this change is happening inside human nature. This change is not in each of us individually, but in our relationships, in the connections between people. I didn’t want this to happen, but it has.

We have to begin seeing this and to understand that each one of us is an egoist and will remain an egoist. At the same time, the connection between us has grown stronger and is different than before. I will not be able to establish this connection according to my ego’s demands.

For the time being, we are all like marbles inside one system, and each marble is an egoist. However, the connections between us aren’t egoistic anymore. They are not the way we built them in the old economic system, which was a direct imprint of our old ego, an accurate demonstration of the egoistic relationships.

But nowadays, a different kind of connection is revealing itself, and that’s why we’re unable to control the network we have built. This is called the revelation of the Creator, and we’re not treating it appropriately. We don’t understand that we must include ourselves in the new nature.

We’re egoists, but the connections between us are not egoistic; they are changing. We have to be more sensitive to these changes and always adapt ourselves to them, to agree with this new connection. By doing this, we will “obliterate the memory of Amalek,” our worst enemy.

This way, we erase our indifference, disregard, and carelessness. We overcome our careless attitude toward the changes and start to examine what is going on here. Then, we’ll need the wisdom of Kabbalah because otherwise, we can throw all the powers we have, all the scientists, and all the means in the world into an analysis and still not draw a single correct conclusion.

It’s because we would remain like impenetrable marbles, everyone inside their old egoism. Now, we have to receive the instruction (the word “Torah” comes from the word “Oraa” or the instruction manual) that will teach us how to act correctly in order to perform such actions down here, and this will give rise to changes Above.

The Creator Himself reveals the new network, the new connection between all of us. To us, however, this means a crisis because we have built a certain system and He is imprinting a different one over it.

There’s nothing we can do with this new system. All we can do is change ourselves according to this newly revealed system, to adjust these marbles to this new connection between us. This means that I must raise a prayer, meaning that I have to ask for a change in myself, to ask for something that’s missing from me, that’s preventing me from connecting with this new network properly.

This new network will keep revealing itself more and more; this cloud will keep coming down lower and lower. Our work is in trying to recognize this network and to desire to adjust ourselves to it by our practical actions. Thus, we will invoke an influence from Above that will realize this within us.

The change will not be in the system, but in us. We will change in accord with it.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/2/2011, Rabash’s article

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There is no division between individual and group or collective work— all this is one work where I can see parts of my own soul as foreign and hateful to me. And I have to overcome all this haze and fog that deceives me, picturing them to me as my hateful enemies or at least, my slaves.

This is not a simple work for I am working on my spiritual vessel until I gather all of it and join it to myself. This is only possible by the power of love, raising above all hatred and resistance that I feel toward them.

All of this opposition remains like the resistance generated in opposition to an electric current. Together, the electric current and the resistance do the work to spin the motor. As a result of this action, the Light, the spiritual world, is being revealed.

However, now, we are completely separated from each other like a broken chain. This is not even an opposite kind of connection. I don’t love or even hate others—I simply don’t care about them. However, when we begin to work in order to get closer to each other, we then feel how the hatred, the opposition, is being revealed.

Only after the hard work in the Egyptian slavery of our own egoism, we come from the level of Jacob (from the small state) toward Mount Sinai (the mountain of hatred). From this mountain of hatred, it is possible to receive the Light that Reforms, which is called the Torah. Now, we already have something to work on.

However, he who has not started to unite, who is still under the control of the feelings of this world and tries to use his friends in a petty way as in any other place, this person has not even started his work. Perhaps, he is not trying to use them because he may have a kind character and wants to be friends with everyone, but this does not do anything toward his development.

As it is written, “She bringeth her bread [faith] from afar,” namely from distancing and rejection. There is no personal or group work here. You need to join within yourself all of the seemingly foreign parts of reality, until you reveal in the connection of these parts that the entire universe is in inside of you.
[54210]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/29/2011, Shamati #121

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Question: What does it mean to ask the Creator? Do I have to acquire His attributes for that?

Answer: To ask is to search, demand, and even ask for my own transformation. After all, I have to express my own desire for it. I sentence myself (this is the meaning of “to pray” or “Lehitpalel” in Hebrew), I investigate which attributes I lack and how I can attain the force of bestowal.

This force exists inside the society. Therefore, if I enter the society, develop a desire to “clothe” in my friends with all my heart and soul, and connect with them internally so as to totally dissolve in this connection, then I will find the power of bestowal there. This is exactly what I pray for.

I pray to reach such a state in which I will see that everyone is perfect and connected. This situation is called Shechina (Divinity), the general gathering of souls (Knesset Israel). I want to be there, and I pray for the connection that brings together all the souls yearning for “Yashar-El” (straight to the Creator) to be realized in me.

I don’t turn to some external power or desire that exists independently, or to some imaginary figure. All the prayers are aimed at Malchut (of the world of Atzilut or the world of Infinity), to the connection between us, in which we discover mutual bestowal. I want this state to be revealed to me, and this is what is ask for.

This is a very delicate point, and we have to be careful not to start imagining some statue or figure, but only the state in which we are connected and incorporated in each other, tied together in complete bestowal. More correctly, it should be called an attribute and not a force because a force may seem as something distant, while an attribute is what I intend to acquire myself. These are very slight differences, but they determine the cleanliness of my attitude, and hence they are so crucial.

It says: “There is none else besides Him,” however, we have to imagine this as our state in a perfect system. Then we can be sure that we won’t be mistaken.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/2011, Shamati $#240

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Our problem is that we cry out from the pain that our egoism has caused us. But the Creator is deaf and unreceptive to this kind of cry. We can cry as much as we want. We have witnessed terrible suffering throughout history, but the upper force doesn’t seem to pay attention to it.

This is because the purpose of creation, the Thought of Creation, and its entire system is built so as to bring the egotistic desire to correction, to the intention to bestow. If we don’t cry in order to acquire the attribute of bestowal, but on the contrary, we demand good for our egoism, we get the opposite result and only make our situation worse. We invite a much stronger negative effect, from which we will learn how to cry out correctly.

This is the problem of humanity, which doesn’t understand the upper governance. All the heaviness that we feel, all the hardships, and our disagreement with the Creator stem from the fact that we don’t understand His plan and expect Him to change and to do something for us. But He won’t do anything! There is a plan for the correction of the shattering, and I need to use it. That’s all.

If I don’t do that, I can cry just as everyone has done for ages, and whom did it help? By our crying, pleading, and attempting to fill our ego, we only increase our desire to receive and we receive harder blows until we reach total despair, which we are starting to feel now. This is so that we will finally understand that salvation will only come from our correction and not from egotistic demands. There is no one to ask from!

It is only possible to turn to a corrected system, which is one level above me and which I perceive as total darkness since it is a system of bestowal. If I want to adapt to it and be like it, I can ask for that. This is what I will receive—if I really ask for this.

My request will be fulfilled if I ask to bestow in order to be the one who bestows, and not in order to feel better.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/2011, Shamati $#240

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We already understand that we are all connected by a close mutual bond and that this connection works in the world differently than in the past. A new condition, a new coefficient, has been added to our interrelationships, which we still cannot take into account because of our nature. We are not familiar with the system we have been hurled into, and so we cannot do anything about it.

Therefore, Kabbalists say: We should first learn what the system is and understand the situation. Then will we know how to arrange our life.

We cannot continue to advance by our own powers. If we refuse to learn, we will learn by terrible blows that will show us how stubborn and ignorant we are. In any case, we will have to “go back to school” and study the science of Kabbalah. It wasn’t given to us without reason—it is about the system of reality opposite to us, about the upper world.

We should not delude ourselves: By studying this system, we will not be able to correct the financial system or find new business management methods under the new conditions. With the study of the science of Kabbalah  we will only realize that we must ask for the power of correction.

The method of Kabbalah will not enable us to continue “improving” the world by our merciless egoism. It will only enable us to acquire a new power, the power of bestowal, in addition to our power of receiving. Only when the power of bestowal dominates the power of bestowal will we know what to do with ourselves and with the world.

The wisdom of Kabbalah is not a practical manual for solving all problems by using the usual egotistic approach. The studies will only show us how to ask for an internal change. Only having changed internally will we understand what to do with the world.

This is why the method of Kabbalah had to be revealed externally, artificially. It doesn’t grow in us naturally from within. It is given to us from the outside so that we will exert effort and ask to correct ourselves.

Here we are given free will: I am facing a new system, a new method, and now I have to develop the will to change inside me. I am in my ego facing a new system, a new world. The science of Kabbalah is what adapts me to the new world. It helps me reach a state in which I ask for correction. Then I will change: Besides my egoism, I will also have the attribute of bestowal, and I will understand how to approach the new world correctly.

[55364]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/2011, “The Nation”

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Question: How can I reach the demand for the Creator if I feel that I am nothing compared to Him?

Answer: Our work is not to engage in soul-searching, but to focus on our environment. There is nothing more we have to work on but our attitude, our coming closer and connecting with others, which stems from the shattering of the vessels.

The Creator is what is revealed in our corrected vessels. We should worry about the vessels because the upper Light is at absolute rest. The more the vessels become equal to the Light, the attribute of bestowal, the more they reveal this attribute, and this is called the revelation of the Creator to the created beings.

How can a radio receive and transmit signals? After all, these sounds do not exist in the air? It is because we “arouse” in the radio the same radio wave that exists outside. According to the equivalence of form, these two waves unite and begin to resonate. Thus they produce the result of their unity in the radio, which we hear as sound.

Clearly, we cannot hear radio waves; our ear does not detect such frequencies. However, this main, “carrying” wave has some extra element, harmony. And if we reach equivalence with the main wave, we begin to hear this extra element, the hidden voice inside.

All our senses work according to this principle, and this is how we have to tune ourselves to the connection with the Creator.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/22/2011, Shamati $#240

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