We must reveal a place in the heart and mind for genuine concern. All other concerns must become compulsory for me. I live in this world and tend to its matters out of necessity, but my true and sacred concern is about what’s truly important. After all, I am human and wish to achieve something. Something is precious to me in life, besides money and daily problems. This is something we must assign far greater importance than all the other twists and turns of life.

I can work, shop, and attend pleasant or unpleasant events. It doesn’t matter what I do, as long as in my heart and mind there is a place where I want to ascend. And if there is such a place, I must connect my friends to this inescapable concern. When we think about and support one another, that is what a group is. Everyone is concerned so that the others have the same thoughts, the same cares. I want them to care for the most important thing, and then I will care about it as well.

Our mutual care is to build a spiritual vessel, the right desire, to raise a prayer for correction. When it amasses a sufficient quantitative and qualitative intensity, then in this network that has stretched between us, we will reveal that which we wish to attain—the upper reality—and acquire strength, health, security, and prosperity….

Indeed, today the Jewish nation relies more on a miracle than a firm foundation. And all the while we have a special vessel, thanks to which we can drive away all hardships and troubles, and all the haters. We and only we have the keys to the success and good life for all. This is precisely why the whole world and our neighbors won’t leave us alone.

We were given an opportunity, and only if we achieve mutual guarantee will our unity become a global center of good. So let’s make it happen together, by caring for each other with joy.
[53410]
From Lesson 1, the Achziv Convention 9/1/2011

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Our work is to imagine precisely what the upper force is. And we will have to do many discernments on this path. At first, a person imagines the upper force as a multitude of different forces, godly images, and deifies different natural phenomena that he discovers around himself. A person attributes human qualities to them because that’s the only example he has, and endows different images with the divine power, which is called idol worshiping.

That is an important stage of our development because we exist in our egoistic desire with an inverted perception of reality, sensation and analysis. This way, we scrutinize upper qualities to the point of reaching the correct perception.

An example of that is our forefather Abraham who was initially selling idols. In fact, his story tells us about ourselves. All of us begin our path from worshiping different forces of nature and considering them either good or evil, or partially good or evil. We attribute them to certain people, our surroundings, blind fate, or various incidents.

All our life cycles are filled with these discernments until the point in the heart awakens in us. But even already having it, we still have to discern numerous definitions that draw us closer to the first perception of spirituality.

We still don’t know what the spiritual reality or who the Creator are. But on our path to this discernment, we are prone to the influence of the environment that can turn us the other way, mislead, or confuse because we don’t feel the Creator yet and can’t hold onto Him.

In the end, we reach a state, when all our multiple ascents, descents, and confusions somehow get resolved, accumulate, and combine, and we divide reality into two parts: I, one who feels, and that which I feel. There is nothing else besides it!

But I sense myself as being either in egoism, reception, or in bestowal—there is no third option. Existing in egoism, I relate everything only to myself and my world, and this defines my state. But if I exist in the quality of bestowal, it fills me with something called the Creator (Bo-reh)—”come and see.”

I constantly perform clarifications between these two qualities. Finally, I come to a conclusion that everything comes from the Creator who plays with me either by concealing Himself or by giving me exercises so that I build in myself more fine and precise definitions of who He is.

Essentially, this constitutes our entire work.
[52299]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/22/2011, Shamati #62

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The Creator created creatures in order to bestow them with good because His nature is goodness. By virtue of His perfection, He has the property of bestowal and wants to bring us to the same perfection, the same bestowal, but we have to want this bestowal, to feel the need for it.

A need is felt only from its lack, its opposite. I feel like I need something that I do not have; I want to be somebody else, not myself. This difference is called the need. This need comes not from the Creator but from the creature itself. It is called aspiration.

In order to reach an aspiration, that is, to reach a conscious desire, we need to put in efforts. If we work to achieve something we know of in advance, it is called “work within reason.” If we work to achieve some reward that is unclear to us, it is called “work above reason,” meaning, against the mind. That is why our work is to aspire to that state which we have to achieve. In order to enable us to develop this aspiration, we are confused by the impression that we want to achieve fulfillment.

However, in reality, we must achieve equivalence of form, and this is an entirely different goal. We feel the need to fulfill ourselves. Everyone does their best, to the extent of their own abilities, to realize it at the still, vegetative, or animate levels, but the true contentment that comes to us is called “human” and is not simply to satisfy our desire. Desire at the human level is filled by a sense of similarity to the Giver, similarity to the Creator.

This is called the Light, fulfillment. The more I am like Him, the greater the feeling of fulfillment. This is no longer a little light, but the full Light of NRNHY (Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, and Yechida).

Our task is to look for this fulfillment, imagine it and the desire for it, and to discover the methodology that enables us to approach it. Instead of searching for contentment for your animal body via various pleasures beyond what is necessary, we need to aspire to fill the human within us by bestowal, similarity to the Creator.

If I ask to make myself similar to the Creator, I reveal Him. If I ask to satisfy my animal inside me, then, depending on the level of my development, I usually get the opposite effect in order to turn me toward the purpose of creation.

That is why a person always is between two forces leading him to one goal: the force of holiness and the impure, egoistic force. They both operate on a person and direct him, but most likely, we are driven by the evil inclination because our nature constantly forces us to look for egoistic fulfillment. Through all kinds of shocks, disappointments, and unpleasant adjustments, we hold to the right direction and, thus, advance.

Therefore, the impure force is called the “kingdom without the crown” because it does not aspire to reach the royal bounty and wants only to fulfill itself. It confuses a person and cultivates his egoistic desire along with his feeling of emptiness and helplessness.

Gradually, next to this feeling, our mind begins to grow. Eventually, a person sees that his desires, as well as his mind, have grown due to the fact that he has not gotten what he desired for a long time, and now he finally sees that this is not the path of advancement. He sees that he should go in a different direction. Thus, through the “opposite” force, we advance toward the purpose of creation.
[53602]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/2011, Shamati #17

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Only the last, fourth phase (Behina Dalet) is considered to be a receiving vessel because it possesses two qualities: It is “possible” for it to refuse fulfillment, but it “intends” to receive it. If the fourth degree received fulfillment as unconsciously as does the first phase, it would not have free choice. However, the fourth degree does choose to receive.

It is a common mistake to think that every one of the four phases exists independently from the others and that everything before it was forgotten. However, the third phase (Behina Gimel) is the result of the second phase and is even more refined. All the qualities of the second phase (Behina Bet) exist within the third phase and are added to it without erasing anything from the past. For this reason, if Behina Bet said that it was free and did not wish to receive, this quality, with all its definitions and understandings, exists in the fourth phase, Behina Dalet.

Before turning into the fourth phase, the third phase receives all the wisdom, Hochma. Then, as if it neglects this wisdom; it rejects it and wishes to become Zeir Anpin: have the Light of Hassadim (Mercy) with the illumination of Hochma (Wisdom). All of these definitions exist in the third phase at the moment it turns into the fourth phase.

This is why Behina Dalet can choose to either receive or not, but it makes the choice to receive. In other words, it is defined by the “possible” category because both are possible. Behina Dalet is able to do both, and it is not a will-weak robot like the first phase that automatically receives everything that Keter gives it. Behina Dalet says: “I will receive because I want to.”

In other words, it is not subject to this fulfillment; it chooses it. It has free choice as to whether to receive, and this is why it is called “possible.” After all, it is possible to escape without receiving. However, no, it wants to receive, and it does it “intentionally.” It is absolutely free in the choice of its state.

Every subsequent degree contains the Light of all the previous degrees. When it is said that the Light has disappeared, this means that it does not want to consider it as its main fulfillment. For example, Bina says that it does not want the Light of Hochma, but it does not disappear anywhere. After all, if it did not have the Light of Hochma, how could it say that it did not want it? Then, it would not be Bina. It is much the same way as a woman likes to sit her husband next to her and tell him how she does not need him at all. Such is the female personality of Malchut.

It’s only if you were rich that you could have the right to say that you did not want any of your riches and be in a state of pure bestowal, Hafetz Hesed. Otherwise, if you have nothing, what could you rise above, in bestowal? You cannot be a righteous one if you have not a penny, but talk about sharing with everyone as if you were as rich as Rothschild.

First, reach the degree of “Rothschild.” Receive all this power and might, all the money. Feel everything that you have, not like a little child without the understanding of bills, but attaining the full power in your hands that can buy all the pleasures of this world, everything but love.

Then, give it all for love. Then, we really will see that all you wanted was bestowal, Hafetz Hesed. It will not work any other way.
[53421]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/1/2011, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Question: What should we do in order to connect with the desires of other people? Is it enough to simply want it?

Answer: We need practical actions to at least explain to every person why he or she feels bad. It’s similar to how we behave with small children. If a child hurts himself and is crying, we first of all need to explain to him the reason for what happened so that the next time he would stay away from it. Then we need to explain how to correct what has happened and how to achieve success specifically thanks to these mistakes.

Now the entire world has found itself in a peculiar situation whereby the upper force field is becoming revealed to it—the connection between us all. Meanwhile, humanity is not ready for it; it does not correspond to it in its qualities. Therefore, the network that extends over us evokes in us the feeling of the breaking, disaster, and crisis, and nothing works for us, nothing is clear; everything is like in a fog, in a state of confusion.

So first of all, we need to explain to a little lost child why all of it is happening as well as the entire process. Some will begin to understand sooner, the others later. In general, it is called the recognition of evil, the first stage of correction. A person is being told: Look, this is why you feel bad!

And now let’s examine what we need to do to feel good. If you remain in your present state and do not exert any effort to bring yourself to the correspondence with the network that is being revealed to us, you will not come to a good life.

And here the method, the wisdom of Kabbalah, comes into light, which explains to a person the reason of evil and how to avoid it. We gradually begin to realize that it depends on the correct and good connection between all people, on the so-called mutual guarantee because we thus bring ourselves to the correspondence with this network.

The better we will match it, the better we will feel. At least, from a bad sensation, we will gradually begin to approach a good one.

And if we advance even more, then, possibly, we will prepare ourselves for the revelation of this network so well that we will go from success to success. Everything depends on our preparation.
[53522]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/30/2011, Shamati #110

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Question: What do you do if you feel that you’re not giving enough to the group, as though you’ve exhausted your strength?

Answer: Indeed, strength does run out, decreasing with every moment. And it’s good when you feel that your strength is running out. Typically we don’t even realize it is happening, but simply relax and fall asleep, losing our desire. And it’s only because we don’t care about our awakening. We must help one another since that is the only way to wake up!

If you don’t invest in others so that they care about you, you will not receive the strength. And it doesn’t matter what level the environment is at or what they do. The key is for you to start acting and investing in them, and you will see the result. You won’t even believe how much this group and the friends can give to you. Everything depends on the investment of the individual and his sensitivity.

And if you invest in the group, you will suddenly discover that they have also awakened and are acting toward you. Even if you hadn’t noticed it before, you will now, thanks to your investment. And this is called the mutual guarantee.
[53611]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/2011, Shamati #17

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The difference between a “good eye” and an “evil one,” between a blessing and a curse, is that in the latter case, revelation happens by itself, without my preliminary efforts, and I lack the appropriate vessel. Alternatively, first I prepare the vessel, desire, and then whatever happens is revelation for me. In both cases, however, the same thing is being revealed.

If it becomes revealed without my prepared desire, vessel, I feel darkness, concealment. And if my desire becomes revealed first, I perceive the opposite: the Light, revelation. There is no other difference between a curse and a blessing.
[53525]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/30/2011, Shamati #110

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When a person attains his first contact with the Creator on some level, meaning the revelation of two opposites together, he immediately needs help from the upper one. The “covenant of circumcision” is merely the first action of the upper one over the lower one.

This is the Light that reveals the upper force as the bestowing and loving one, which stands opposite to the creature’s egoistic desire that wants to use it. But at the same time we now need to reveal a new level of connection between us, attained through the screen and the Reflected Light.

There is still a great deal of work ahead of us, before we attain adhesion. And all this is the work of the creature that evokes the force of the Light to work over it, creating a multitude of step by step corrections of various qualities. We need to understand deeply and thoroughly what we demand that the upper force does with us. After all, the entire meaning of our work is to reveal through it the plan of creation. The process we experience helps us become acquainted with the actual upper force, as it is written: “We will know You by Your actions.”

When we go through all the actions He has prepared for us, we reveal His thought, intention, and the plan of creation through it. This is why every action is followed by another, a more complicated one. There are no actions in the spiritual world that allow you to sit, rest, and enjoy the fruits of completed work, such as the way we allow our egoistic desire to rest a little after the attained pleasure in our world. There is no such thing as breaks in the spiritual world.

There is no notion of time there because we are continually under the pressure of the constantly increasing force of bestowal. There can be periods of weakness and confusion, but it’s impossible to fall from this path and stop doing what’s required.

This is why there is no time. Time is made by alternating swings back and forth, like a clock pendulum that counts interruptions: It stops and hovers in order to swing back. Such breaks do not exist in the spiritual world. The entire spiritual process consists of us connecting Light and darkness together. There are no descents as all the “descents” only happen in order to ascend!

And even when we feel weakness, it is not our fault, but a mandatory condition to reveal a deeper desire. Look how much feeling, weeping, fear, and pleading there is in King David’s Book of Psalms, all this together with the revelation of a new desire that he perceives with joy. Otherwise, it would not have been spiritual.
[53296]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/31/2011, Shamati #95

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Question: Why is egoism related to “teeth” in spiritual work, as it is written that we need to “break egoism’s teeth?”

Answer: We have 32 “teeth” (Lamed–Bet), the fundamental qualities that “grind,” meaning explore food or fulfillment. This happens after we learn about the kind of fulfillment we can and cannot accept, the amount we can accept for the sake of bestowal and its form. This happens after the final evaluation done by the “lips” (one on top, the other on the bottom) and the tongue in the middle (called the “holy tongue”) that is in the middle line.

Our entire structure reflects the distribution of forces that examine our desires and thoughts. This determines the human form in this world, the imaginary form.

Examination of the fulfillment that we can accept for the sake of bestowal is the “teeth’s” special work, which separate and masticate the desire to receive pleasure as they collide. The mouth is located in the middle between the heart and the mind; it examines and works with thoughts that come from the brain and the desires that come from the heart. And we learn through the proper relation between them what we can accept in the form of the Inner Light as “flavors” (Taamim).

The heart contains desires that have not yet been evaluated finally for correction. The place where correction happens is the mouth. But its most special area is the throat located above the body but below the head, in the place of transition from one to the other. This is why the throat (Garon) sounds like the word “Ger” (one who crosses and joins Isra-El).

It is as though the entire difference between animal and man is contained in the throat, the so-called “speaking” degree that follows the still, vegetative, and animate levels. It’s as if this part I use to speak, the throat, separates me from an animal and makes me human. The entire mind, clarifications, thoughts that stem from the reason, as well as the desires coming from the heart eventually land in the throat, where the entire human essence is concentrated.

The throat contains a special mechanism controlled by the brain by virtue of which we perform clarifications, speak, and sing—essentially, we thus  express our human degree. Everything that exists in our heart and mind is expressed through speech, meaning the throat. One could think: What’s so special about it, considering it simply consists of a pipe, several strings (cords) and muscles?…

But it’s not as simple as it seems. This mechanism of speech needs to understand everything that exists in our mind and heart, and execute it by expressing it. It’s activated by the “five lung areas” from below upward, then it reaches the “five sources in the mouth” (tongue, palate, throat, teeth, and lips). It’s a very complicated spiritual mechanism.
[53323]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/1/2011, Shamati #101

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Question: If the Creator is my inner property, then who do I raise my prayer to?

Answer: You are raising it to that perfect property which you need to reach. To pray means to desire to obtain some connection with something you want to become closer to. A prayer is a desire, a need for connection, as it is said: “I desire!”

The connection can be external, meaning from a distance, or it can be close and more internal to the extent that there is no difference between us. In either case this is connection. There is nothing else in our reality besides being further or closer to something. I want to distance myself from something bad and be closer to something good to the extent that I become included in him or he becomes included in me.

The way that we feel our connection depends upon the spiritual degrees where we exist. If we sense the upper degree, then it is a more inner connection, where the AHP of the upper one exists in the GE of the lower one. If we sense the lower degree, we enter its inner part and act there.

However, there is nothing other than drawing further away or closer. My entire prayer and all desires are about this: to either become closer to something or distance myself from it.
[53310]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/1/2011, The Zohar

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