All of the differences and all of the parts of the creation in general are contained in the division into the four levels: still, vegetative, animate, and human. Such a division is derived from the four phases of the expansion of the Direct Light, HaVaYaH, the tip of the letter “Yod” and “Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey,” the phases of development of the desire, called Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut.

When the development reaches the last step, Malchut, she begins to react to all of the stages, located before her; she performs various actions; she accepts them or she does not accept them; she agrees with them or does not agree with them. Everything that happens further is unfolded inside of Malchut; she cannot change what happened before her, the first stages, called the first nine Sefirot.

The whole of the science of Kabbalah is dedicated to the reaction of Malchut (the creation), to what happens to her. If Malchut does not feel anything and does not realize anything, then what is happening is called the zero stage. When she only receives and begins to perceive that she fully consists of the desire to receive, it is the first stage, the still level.

If she feels that she is in the desire to receive, but she does not agree with this, then this is already the vegetative level. A plant already has its own opinion; it is overcoming something; it wants to live its life. But it cannot perform its own movements yet, and it does not understand its internal urges.

When it starts to make movements relative to the environment, trying not to depend on it and to develop in the direction according to its individual character, this is already called the animate level. And such a person differs very much from his environment.

The next level is when he begins to actively use his desire to enjoy. And then he wants to be individualistic, as if the vegetative level does not agree to simply obey the orders of its nature, it searches for something more from life. He wants to come out from the rule of the environment and to become free from it, like the animate level. And if he also wants to come out from under the Creator’s control and become similar to Him, then it means that he has reached the human level.

However, it is also possible to look at the development of these phases of HaVaYaH from another point of view, from the way the upper governance is being revealed to the person above him.

If a person is under the full control of the Creator, it means that he is completely bestowing, just not realizing it. Every person in the world is working 100% for bestowal and is working for the Creator. He is not opposed to anything and he does not even know that he can resist. He is acting according to how the Creator is controlling him, meaning he is in complete bestowal.

Then, his egoism grows and he starts to realize it. And then he understands that he is opposite to the Creator. And the more a person develops, the more his egoism grows, it is as if he is coming out from the Creator’s control and begins to disagree with Him. Of course, he is still carrying out all of the orders from above, but the question is about how much of this he understands, realizes, and agrees with.

It turns out that the whole of our game is not in the actions themselves, and not in how we dispose of our lives, but about how much we agree or disagree with the actions of the Host above us.

The more disagreement is awakened in a person, the more claims he has towards the Creator about His rule, the larger is the growth of the egoism. And simultaneously, with this oppositeness being revealed to him, he needs to want to correct himself in order to agree with Him again.

That is why, “the higher the person, the bigger his egoism.” On the other hand, he is already carrying out the actions of a mature person and comes to be similar to the Creator and towards agreement with Him, completely giving himself up under the control of the Creator, regardless of all of the resistance of his egoism.

Such phases of development can be seen in our desire to enjoy and the desire to bestow: the direct and the opposite HaVaYaH, meaning in the desire and the intention, the mind and the heart. This is how the levels of development are developed in a person.
[52679]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/11, Shamati

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Question: If the Creator doesn’t exist outside, but is revealed within us, then what is the Surrounding Light? Doesn’t it come from the outside?

Answer: There is Malchut of the world of Infinity. Besides it, there is nothing else.

Once it was full of the Light of Infinity. Then a restriction was placed on, and it assumed a different form once the Light of Infinity left it. Then the same Malchut manifested itself in the form of worlds and souls, meaning its parts. Some of them pertain to external orbits, and others to internal ones.

Similarly, in our world the still, vegetative, and animate levels of nature represent the external part, and the human or speaking level represents the internal one. This determines spiritual development as well: Man is tasked with the intention, while the other parts of nature only carry out actions. Ultimately, Malchut of Infinity arrives at its final state: the end of correction.

Thus, there are many states, but no matter what they may be, they are all permeated with one desire and one Light. What changes, then? The awareness, the intention over the desire. In other words, changes occur only with respect to the creature’s attitude toward the Creator or desire for the Light. Nothing changes except for my attitude, understanding, perception—my acquaintance with the world I live in.
[52740]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/2011, “One Commandment”

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We are always at the mercy of the Creator, and He fills us, causing us to feel either Him or His opposite. This feeling may be vested in a variety of different images, but in fact, there are only two states.

If a person tries to remain in this assessment of the Creator continuously, while being aware that he is working only against Him, it saves time. Then one understands that during the ascents and descents, during the times when he praises or criticizes the Creator, loves or accuses Him, that all the while he is in the hands of the upper force that either knocks him off the path or assists him on it.

This is considered a success or a transgression only in terms of a person’s point of view. And for the Creator, everything is holy because it is necessary for the clarification of the properties of bestowal, and there is nothing wrong in the process a person undergoes.

But still, you should try to get things clarified swiftly and soundly. You need to play against the Creator the same way He plays with you, to neutralize this game. The Creator raises or lowers you, but you should use the environment so as to soften the ups and downs by giving and then receiving from it.

Amid these ups and downs, you should employ the environment to find some kind of intermediate, stable state for yourself that wouldn’t change. That is, use the environment as a regulator, a spring, a power generator, which helps you maintain balance during an ascent and descent. You use the environment to transfuse from one state into another, the strength, intentions, and desires, when you are at rock bottom or at the greatest height.

Thus, the environment will work like a rectifier of alternating current, and all your ups and downs will come in one state: the revelation of the Creator as one force.
[52296]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/22/2011, Shamati #62

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Today, we are in a special state, when for the first time humanity no longer understands its desire. A very important change is taking place: All of humanity is shifting from the first, “still,” degree to the second, “vegetative,” degree. For now, this is not clear to us, but it’s only the beginning.

Gradually, we will understand that nature, our desires, the upper governance, and our usual, familiar life, everything is relative, dependent on some factor that is unknown to us, that we cannot feel or take into account. We call this factor society, the environment, the global and integral humanity, a new connection between us that is being revealed today. But in reality, a person is shown that he is completely dependent on all of humanity; we are entirely in its hands.

We are currently exiting the unconscious subordination to the upper governance, under which we meekly existed at the “still level,” believing that this was the only way of life and that we must get used to it because there’s nothing else. But now, we are being shown in this life another component, another factor: the environment. In fact, it’s not an external environment, but the upper force that is being revealed to us. A person begins to feel that he depends on the environment, the environment depends on him, and they mutually influence each other.

In essence, this is the revelation of the Creator’s governance with respect to a human being. And according to this, a person will change to escape impending problems and troubles since he remains in the desire to enjoy. Various phenomena are starting to unfold before him, and he feels that he is a receiver. He sees that there is someone, a big giver, the environment, the world, that he depends on. Thus, the revelation of the Light, the upper governance relative to man, occurs.

And when a person understands that everything depends completely on the environment, he enters the second stage of development: “vegetative.” He has to give to a community which he receives from, realizing that the law of reciprocity exists, and that it won’t be good for him or the society if he only receives.

He no longer rigidly divides the world into two parts: himself and “them,” meaning everyone else. Being at the “still level,” he sought only to receive, but because he was unaware and did so instinctively, it did not count as reception; he was only obeying his nature.

And now, when he rises to the “vegetative degree,” he must perform conscious actions and give in return. That is, he has to change his behavior, which at the still degree was considered 100 percent correct, even though he stole and took for himself since his nature obliged him to do so.

Now, he is given a little bit of freedom from his own nature, and accordingly, he must give to the environment. The whole world must come to this; we must learn to not only receive, but to give as well.

Thus, we fulfill the still degree of our development. All of the other degrees: vegetative, animate, and human will add to the first, still, degree. To the extent that I reveal my egoism above the still degree, to that extent, I will correct my egoistic inclination and return to the still degree to carrying out the laws of nature like a slave, but voluntarily.

Therefore, everything is based on the still level. Inside this HaVaYaH is the entire creation and the attitude of the upper force towards it.
[52675]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/2011, Shamati #115

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Question: In the beginning of September, we are having a convention in the north of Israel. Today, with all our efforts directed towards external dissemination, what is the importance of such “internal” gatherings?

Answer: One does not exclude the other. As a group, we are studying the science of Kabbalah: the roots of creation and its correction and the spiritual actions of a person that stand behind his corporeal acts. In his interaction with others, willingly or unwillingly, a person activates an enormous mechanism that he is not familiar with. We study this mechanism and learn how to understand and operate our internal actions by means of external acts. Essentially, this is the purpose of our study.

We are studying the system and find the points where we are connected with it, where the spiritual system ends, giving a way to the corporeal one: the bodies and forces of our world. The connection of these two systems lies in my desire: If I cancel it in relation to the other, I see him or her in spirituality. If I lower my head before the other, he or she becomes my spiritual Kli (vessel). This is how I ascend to spirituality.

A fellow human being is above my current “I,” beyond the Machsom (the barrier separating us from spirituality). If I treat him the way I treat myself, I ascend to his level and we become one whole. This is how I cross the Machsom.

I transfer new pieces of my evil inclination, which I have down here in this world, to the other. First of all, I saturate my attitude towards him with bestowal for the sake of bestowal, correcting the so-called “mistakes.” And later on, I switch to correcting the “transgressions.” This way, I move my point in the heart upward, revealing the evil inclination in me. As a result, by proper connection with the other, I raise myself to a higher degree.

The “other” is humanity. The rule of loving thy neighbor as thyself applies to the regular people. It seems like I was given an exercise: to change my attitude towards them. Without their knowledge, I’m transferring my “I” into the spiritual world, realizing the transition stage. The science of Kabbalah explains this using special terms, but to put it simply: In this way, we acquire a good and safe life for ourselves and our children.

Getting back to the question, the benefit of our conventions is in the study and, most importantly, in internal connection and unity. Only when we connect, become closer and closer, and cancel ourselves before one another, only then do we have something to address the world with.

First and foremost, we bring the spirit of unity. This is why we need unity events, when the friends gather together for a few days. We plan to hold such a big international gathering in December. Without that, we won’t have the power of unity to pass on.

I hope that our December convention will take place on a new level. Then, all the friends who come here from around the world will get so much strength that they will be able to lead the dissemination of Kabbalah worldwide as all the events that are happening in Israel now will eventually come to their countries as well. There will be a need for the method: Even if unconsciously, the despair that will overwhelm people will open their hearts towards unity.
[51691]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/18/2011, “The Nation”

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Question: Two forces act in the world: the force of bestowal and the force of the desire to receive, created as existence from absence. What is my “I,” my intention? Where does it come from?

Answer: We do not feel the Creator because we are in one desire: the desire to enjoy. Even if I want to give, it is just for fun. In reality, I am confused in intention and action. My action can be either reception or bestowal. And it can be accompanied by the intention to receive for myself or the intention to give to the other. There is nothing else, and this is our whole life.

In our world, there is an action to receive and an action to give to the other, as well as the intention to receive for oneself. But the intention to give to the other is non-existent; I do not have that ability. I can give something to somebody or receive something from somebody, but my intention is directed exclusively at receiving for myself, whereas the intention to bestow to the other belongs to the spiritual world, but I cannot reach it. It is not my fault: I am created like that.

There is no confusion here at all: My entire routine is aimed at self-enjoyment.

What I need is an intention, and it is the most important thing for me (!), regardless of what action I perform: giving or receiving. I perform bestowal to my child, to those whom I love, to friends, and even to my employer because I receive a reward in a natural way or in money, in the form of respect, power, and so on.

The key here is the intention, according to which I operate. How can I achieve the intention for the sake of bestowal to fellow human beings? And what will it give me?

This is where the problem occurs. If all of reality exists outside of me, then what I currently receive inside is only its tiny part called “this world.” It is terribly small, tight, limited in time, space, and everything else, but by crossing to the other side, I will get rid of any limitations.

This is the difference between the intentions. If my intention is aimed at myself, I will not be able to feel anything greater than I perceive today. If my intention is directed at unity with the other, to be in him, then I save myself from this horrible life with its fatal end and ascend to the next degree of life; I live outside the body. The only difference is in intention.
[52692]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/26/2011, “One Commandment”

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Man begins with the unity of our thoughts and desires into the smallest possible vessel. And then it keeps growing larger as a result of the addition of newer and newer parts. In this way, he becomes man, Adam, stretched to the ends of the universe. And his connection, his mind and heart, is being built from all the broken pieces contained in each of us because each piece contains the mind and the heart inside of it.

The connection of these forces is similar to how matter forms in our world throughout the whole of the evolution on the still, vegetative, and animate levels. Matter started to unite in the same form. And when we start to unite our parts, we also go through the same steps, the still, vegetative, and animate, in the unity between people. These are called the spiritual states: embryo – nurturing – maturing (Ibur – Yenika – Mochin).

That is why all of our work depends on for the sake of what we are uniting—for the sake of the quality of bestowal to rule in us, meaning for the sake of the Creator, for the sake of His pleasure, or for the sake of ourselves in order to make it better for ourselves when we only think of our own condition in this world and about our bodies. Meaning that we are concerned with our bodily existence and not about gathering the image of man from our pieces.

That is why the “prayer of the 18 blessings” describes the spiritual path so well, the direction, the intention, the urge towards the next step, onto which the world, the human society has to rise to now. That is why the necessity for unity is being revealed. The only question is: For what sake does it happen?

And here, humanity divides into two parts. Those, who understand that unity is necessary for reaching the human level, the image of man. They are actively building this image. And the rest are related to the desire, and unite for the sake of a good life in this world.

This is the way they divide: the screen is called Israel and the desire is called all of the people who only need to connect to those who will do the work that is laid upon Israel.
[52557]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/25/11, Shamati

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Depending on a person’s attitude to his ups and downs, on the extent he is able to view them as one state, you can assess how well he uses the environment and how close he has come to the Creator in correcting his desires. At each spiritual degree, we attain that “the Light shines as the darkness” to the degree of that state. And this is possible only through connecting with the external desires, which serve as a reserve where you deposit desires obtained during a descent, or inspiration and revelations that were obtained during an ascent. That is how one alternates the work during ascents and descents by compensating them.

To the extent I “charge” my environment during my ascent, I can now take it back when I fall so that instead of a descent I would remain in some middle state. When I rise, I fill my entire environment with my inspiration and am able to to use it later on. With every step, I strive to “rectify” myself so as to benefit from the ascents and descents: during the descent, I gain new desires, while during the ascent, I get filled with new impressions, Light, revelations, and meanings.

Then I am able to work steadily, like a circuit with a capacitor that is charged and discharged, or an engine where one piston rises and the other falls. We see that in nature there always are two forces at work, and the pressure difference causes the wind and other phenomena. But in man, these two forces must eventually join into one. The ups and downs, gratitude and accusation toward the Creator—it all links together into one whole, into relating to the Creator as the good who does good. That is how a person reveals the spirituality—the property of bestowal clothed in him.

All the properties that one can consider spiritual clothe in him—they are not somewhere else, in some other far-off place, and there are no objects apart from man. If we want to reveal spirituality, we must find it within ourselves, between the various states, which we classify as ascent or descent, reception or bestowal. If we can combine these two forces correctly, then we will discover Him! But we will do so only within ourselves, as a form clothed in matter, the property of bestowal dressed in the receiving force.
[52292]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/23/11, Shamati

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If, having heard even one word, a weak hint from the Creator, I am able to increase it to huge suffering due to my opposite nature to the Creator or even from the fear of a greater pain, I will be careful and begin to behave so as to not get into a confrontation with Him. It is worth doing even if it comes from egoistic motives, for your own sake.

However, if I use all of these states for the sake of reaching bestowal and I take up His hint, a soft warning, as a reminder about my uncorrected state, then I can turn it to the direction of bestowal. The question is only how much of my own fear, my own desire to direct it towards bestowal can I add to His light warning.

In other words, everything depends on my state. Perhaps I am ready to run immediately and search for correction with all of my strength, to unite with others, to study, and to attract the Light that Reforms as if I have gotten into a terrible misfortune. And perhaps I think that it is not so dreadful: Something is not working out; maybe I am tired or sick, and I can do something else instead of correction for now.

By doing this, I am stretching time and attracting even greater misfortunes upon myself because I am unable to wake up from a light hint. As a result, we suffer twice as much: both from the stretching of time and from heavier blows. This will continue until the situation worsens so much that it will simply force me to move from my position. However, how much time would I lose in vain and how much would I suffer? How much would I have to work on myself in order to come out of this state?

Each time, my state is lower and lower, further away from the spiritual world. That is why the work from the side of the environment is needed here in order for us to awaken in each other the ability to perceive and sense the calls that we hear every day, each moment.

You have to hear how the Creator is appealing to you, how He is constantly warning you to awaken, whispering something in your ear. You constantly have to try to listen to it, and then inside of you, you will develop a sensitivity to His language, to the way He works inside of you, and awakens you to the “thickness of a hair,” as it is said. No more is necessary!

A righteous person perceives this thin piece of hair as if it were a thick and heavy pillar. This is how much importance he gives it. Everything depends on our sensitivity.

To increase one’s mind means to increase one’s sensitivity in order to perceive more and deeper. We do not perceive the spiritual world precisely because it is too subtle for us. It is as if it is slipping away from our coarse organs of perception. However, as a result of such exercises, we will begin to pick up and to feel the spiritual reality.
[52151]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/21/2011, Shamati #9

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