Question: What does it mean to “increase one’s effort in the work” when you have doubts about the teacher and the Creator?

Answer: If you’re having such doubts, you cannot lean on the teacher or the Creator, but must seek help from the group! You must receive from them this support, meaning the importance of the goal, the teacher, and the Creator.

When you find yourself having doubts, meaning that you cannot tip the scale either way, you need an effort to tilt the scale to the right direction. But where can you get it? By delving into your doubts? That won’t help you resolve them anyway. You must understand that in this state, you personally have nothing to lean on, but need an additional force.

Presently you cannot receive this additional force from the teacher or the Creator because you doubt them. The only thing that can help you is the environment, which imparts to you a sensation of the importance of spirituality, confidence, and mutual guarantee that the teacher and the Creator are important for achieving the goal. And if you don’t heed their advice and instructions, you don’t advance because you’re working with your egoistic reason which will not let you go forward.

Therefore, Rabash writes that in the group, its members should talk about the greatness of the teacher and the Creator so that everyone would be impressed by it. Only under this condition will you be able to continue the work.
[49080]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/24/2011, Shamati #187

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Question: Essentially, the wisdom of Kabbalah gives a very precise technical description of the degrees of spiritual development. Why do Kabbalists present this description using so many stories, allegories, and names in which it’s so easy to get lost? Why don’t they give a clear set of instructions, including the order in which the actions are to be performed?

Answer: Say, I will write: “Take desire No. 28 and desire No.35, mix them up with desires No.43 and No.62, then multiply them by the coefficient, and afterward, build an intention for the result, consisting of certain components. Now, coping with the resistance, overcome, and so on….” It’s the same as getting a chemical formula that consists of unknown words with numerical values. Now try to combine all the ingredients in such a way that final unification will result in adhesion.

What would you do with this? Moreover, the term “adhesion” itself is unclear to you. The word is familiar, but the meaning isn’t.

And that’s why Kabbalists clothe their message in different forms so you have a chance to understand it. They only have one option—to bring it to you in the language of analogy using words that correspond to the spiritual roots. This language is called the language of branches.

If you only received technical instructions, you would not find anything to hold onto. But this way, although you’re confused, you at least make efforts to find the right path leading to the Light from the confusion of our egoism. Egoism is what confuses you, picturing a seemingly external world. On the other hand, it is exactly this confusion from which you go towards the truth; it is from it that you can reveal the true picture. First, you ask yourself a lot of questions, and only then you start getting closer to the answers.

Indeed, by means of the language of Kabbalists it is hard to understand the truth, but without it, it is simply impossible to reach it. Only later will we understand the integrity of this approach.
[49107]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/24/2011, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Baal HaSulam, The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1, “Table of Questions for Topics”: Question 93: What is the root of every corruption? The Shinui Tzura (the difference of form) of the will to receive from the Maatzil (the Emanator).

We always check ourselves against the Creator since we have no other standard. After all, in the beginning, the creature created “from absence” has no frame of reference in this void. The creature born “from absence” can test itself only against “existence from existence,” relative to the Light.

We have no other way to determine what is good and what is bad. And all the qualities we find in ourselves are deceiving; for the time being, they exist by themselves and are defined only by our own imagination.

Real evaluation is possible only by comparing two opposites which have inverse nature. And so, until the creature reveals the Creator, stands opposite to, and measures itself against Him, it will have no way of knowing what and where it is, and in what state.

All measuring is done relative to the image of the Creator, the image of the Giver that we are able to create within ourselves. But we can build this image within ourselves only on the condition that we perform a restriction and remain in bestowal and concealment relative to the others.

This is why we are given the group as a reference system, where we can do it all. And then we will at least be able to know what state we are passing through moment to moment. The way I wish to appraise the group (whether I think that I am greater or lesser than they are, what kind of relationship I desire to have with them, and whether I am seeking the Creator between or outside of us) determines my own state of existence.

It is my attitude to the friends that I should assess my current state by!
[48837]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/21/2011, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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The calculation which I made in the head of the Partzuf was as follows: You give to me and I give to You, and we are in agreement. Of course, these were spiritual actions for the sake of bestowal, but compared to what I reveal now, before Your special relationship, it looks like some petty calculation. And that is why I can’t stand this state with the screen in the “Tabur.”

I see that I did this petty calculation with regard to Him and I am ashamed. This departure from the previous state and the expulsion of the Light (Histalkut in Hebrew) is like a restriction. I cannot bear how I treated You. You treated me with such boundless love, and I counted how much it would cost me. You brought me a gift from the heart, and I looked up and said: “It’s lovely, and how much should I pay now?” Thus, I now discover Your attitude towards me in the Tabur, and therefore, I leave this state.

I see that I did nothing with respect to this absolute love! It doesn’t count that I did some part, having received for the sake of bestowal. Relative to this adhesion and the love which I felt in You, I have done nothing for You. On the contrary, I didn’t take into account that You love me so much.

Suppose that I didn’t know that, it still doesn’t matter; I must make a new calculation. I cannot say that I made a mistake because I actually had acted on another calculation, but now I see that it was wrong. Considering the relationship between us that was revealed in adhesion, the calculation now should be different, deeper, and more sensory; it shouldn’t be based on how much pleasure we gave to each other, but on feelings.

And that is why Partzuf AB is born, which is smaller than Galgalta, finer, weaker, but deeper, of Aviut (coarseness of desire) “Aleph (one).” It reveals the Light of Ruach instead of the Light of Nefesh. It is no longer dead, but growing (vegetative), that is, it is alive!

Why did it “grow up?” It grew up because by having felt the Creator’s attitude towards it, it took the property of the Creator and made a “plant” out if itself, instead of a dead stone. Thus, the desire to enjoy receives various qualities, meaning the forms of His attitude from the adhesion with the Creator, and thereby changes itself. This is a qualitative change.
[48904]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/20/2011, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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Question: What is mutual guarantee?

Answer: Mutual guarantee means that I act according to how I understand and feel my relationship towards others, my interconnection and interdependence with them within a single system where we are like organs in a body. There are many stages of our closeness to each other inside this system until we reach the stage where we start acting as cells in a body, when from what comes to me I take everything necessary in order to completely realize myself for the benefit of society.

The wisdom of Kabbalah says that there 125 steps of our connection with each other before we reach a perfect system. Thus, we correct ourselves, our ego, and obtain the property of bestowal and love towards fellow men to its fullest. This is called a complete correction of a person, when he or she becomes global and integral within all of nature.

Thus, having built himself with all of nature tied within and thereby affecting all the lower levels (the still, vegetative, and animate), a person achieves the level of all-inclusive nature. We can call it the Upper force or Nature with a capital letter. It is then that a person feels himself eternal and perfect like the whole of nature, which has no beginning and no end, no time, movement, or space. His perception of reality changes because a person perceives himself differently: He discovers vision and perception on a new level.

Mutual guarantee can be explained with the example of the interaction between all parts of nature: between the still and vegetative, the vegetative and animate levels, how they feed and support each other. There are plenty of examples of mutual help in nature: how bees and birds help plants reproduce, how all of nature is interconnected. This is a special, very interesting science. It is simply amazing how all the parts of nature depend upon, are interconnected with, and need each other.

The easiest way to explain mutual guarantee is through the example of the work of our body parts. When I don’t feel well and go to see a doctor, he examines whether I am in balance or not, what part of my body is out of balance and isn’t working properly. This is called an “illness.” If a part cannot perform its work relative to all other parts, for example, the kidneys cannot remove toxins, the liver cannot clean the blood, or the lungs cannot provide enough oxygen, this is an “illness.” According to this, we check whether people are healthy or not.

This is how we have to check human society, whether it’s healthy or not, according to how much each receives and gives, to what extent he is in connection with other parts because he must do so for the benefit of others. And it’s everyone’s mission.

That is, each gives up his ego directed at oneself and engages all his talents for the benefit of others. What does he get out of this? He obtains the perception of a higher reality, eternal and perfect, raising him to the degree which is much higher than his current animate level.
[48797]
From the talk about a new book 7/11/2011

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Question: What is the principle of mutual guarantee, and what is its role in the balance of things that you are talking about?

Answer: Mutual guarantee is the principle which operates at all levels of the still, vegetative, and animate nature and should also be carried out at the human level in the connection between us. Studying nature, we see that all its elements are linked by one rule regarded as a “guarantee.” After all, if one part stops caring about the other, the organism will die. Everything is mutually connected, exists in homeostasis, reciprocal relationship, and exchanges nutrients and information.

As in our body, the heart, lungs,  kidneys, and all of its organs are servicing the entire organism. No organ works for itself; they are all bound together. Each of them serves the others, not itself; it takes from the body as much as is necessary for it to work for the benefit of the entire body. Other than this, it does not require anything.

How many calories,how much  information, and what certain abilities do I get? Just as much as is necessary in order for me to use all that I have to bestow to the organism in a special, form inherent to me so that I give to it what it needs. All that enters me is multiplied by my ability to render special service throughout the body, and this is what I bring out of myself. As to me, I do not keep anything for myself and only use everything to carry out my mission with respect to the entire system.

But what do I get out of it? After we start to live at this level in total harmony, in a perfect integral form, each of us earns the right to belong on a higher degree, a completely different level of existence. Then we reach a state where we do not simply dwell in a biological, protein body, but also feel the emotions and mind of the human degree.

Why is it so? In animals, the body works naturally, in the instinctive connection between them, in balance with nature. It’s because at the still, vegetative, and animate levels everything acts according to homeostasis.

But if a person enters the same integral picture of still, vegetative, and animate degrees in a harmonious, integrated form as well, he does so against his will, by doing a lot of searching, experiments, and self-analysis. He raises himself to the integral level and takes his mind and senses along. And then he studies this system from above since he attains it. After all, without attaining it, he cannot exist as an integral part, along with all other people.

Then I step out of myself and begin to experience this very system. I do not view myself apart from the others, but perceive us all as one, and this is the highest system called “Adam” or “Man,” identical to omnipotent nature. Thus, we rise to this level, not each of us individually, but all of us together in our common system. We can see how bound we are and reveal a new dimension called “Human.”

But today we have not reached the human degree since we are governed by our ego, programmed in us by nature. Hence, we are viewed as animals. Today, we cannot be regarded as humans since we don’t have anything authentically our own. We live and act instinctively, inside ourselves, within our desire to enjoy.

But when we go against our wishes and build our relationship, the mutual guarantee, we then rise to the level of the integral system, omnipotent nature. Whereas today, we act below this level.
[48805]
From the talk about a new book 7/11/2011

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The period of preparation is called the period of “sins and transgressions.” You can object and say: How was it a transgression if I had no understanding or knowledge of anything?

Yes, you didn’t know but you acted. And even though you tried to follow the instructions of Kabbalah, you studied and were in a group, you did it all for your own sake. This is why unknowingly, you carried out the actions in the group and studies egoistically, instead of performing them for the sake of bestowal. You tried to use your friends and Kabbalah for your own sake, and these sins are called either “intentional transgressions” or “unintentional mistakes, negligence.”

Later, when we rise to a spiritual degree and acquire the strength to act for the sake of bestowal, we correct these sins. At first we correct the “mistakes,” and by doing so we rise to the degree of Bina, bestowal for the sake of bestowal, trepidation. And then we correct the “transgressions” for bestowal and acquire the degree of love, absolute faith.

Where do the transgressions and negligence which we correct for bestowal and love on the degree of Bina and Keter come from? They were once saved in our egoistic desires, as it is written: “The beast will swallow and spew out.” And this is how we have collected a number of transgressions that we can now correct.

But a person who doesn’t enter the group and doesn’t begin to study to attain the goal with whatever intention he is capable of, doesn’t commit “transgressions” or make “mistakes.” He has nothing to correct at all; he lacks the “evil inclination.”

This “egoistic inclination” that Kabbalah speaks about is a special quality. We form it while in the group, when we study, when we aspire to bestow (Lishma), when we are certain that we currently exist in egoism (Lo Lishma), and when we commit horrible transgressions by wanting to attain spirituality for our own sake and to reap rewards in all the worlds.

This is how we accumulate transgressions and mistakes within us. And until we gather a full measure of them over the “400 years of the Egyptian bondage,” we are unable to escape them and begin correction.
[48586]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/19/2011, ”The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”: But the role of Israel toward the world resembles the role of our holy fathers toward the Israeli nation….

If it were not for our forefathers, there would be no nation of Israel, meaning the group who yearns for the Creator and correction. In the same way, we now have to take care of the world because without our help, people will not be able to correct themselves. Their desires are not capable of ascending by themselves, and people cannot even think about correction for the sake of bestowal.

Today, we see this in the work of scientists and prominent experts in various fields. They write correct things about the world, but they cannot utter a word about the solution. They have no aspiration “straight to the Creator,” no spiritual spark. Thus, they do not realize that this is the only possibility. They are helpless before the need for correction; they have no means for it.

Therefore, they avoid answers in their search and discussions. They cannot see further down the road; they only see what is happening. They understand the necessity to create an integral world, and they stop there. Consequently, their reasoning is vague. It ends in nothing or falls back on completely unrealistic proposals.

I do not reproach them. This is not a sign of their limitations. It’s just that without the addition of a spiritual spark to human desires in our world, people cannot see the future, the only development possible.
[48609]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/19/2011, ”The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Question: We see our friends from Los Angeles and representatives of different nations on the screen. How well do they understand our Biblical language?

Answer: Both we and they must interpret this language in the terminology of desires and understand it according to the inner way of reading.

I have my inner truth. For example, in this world I am of Jewish origin, and sitting next to me there is a Chinese friend. I am separated from my truth by the confusion of the first order, and he—by the confusion of the second order.

Let’s detach from this material world. We both have a specific egoistic desire. According to his level of desire, he is called a “Chinese” person and according to my level of desire, I am called a “Jew.”

Thus, he and I both have to perform certain work in order to get to the truth. This is what the notion of “70 nations” points to. Each of them has its own work, but it is absolutely the same for everyone to a specific measure. We think that this is not so, but in reality, the work differs only slightly by its external style, although it is entirely identical by the inner specifics, by the relative depth and the phases of the path. We all have the same work.

It seems to me that it’s very difficult for another person, that a third is not making it at all, and a fourth was already born an angel and is attaining the goal offhand. But in reality, nothing is known to me and I do not see the general picture in which everything works equally.

Thus, the great egoistic desire is divided into the “70 nations of the world” and Israel. Don’t think that Israel has an easier time than others. It’s just that every person makes efforts from his own layer of the common desire.

The real work of Israel lies in coming out of all the “70 nations” to the truth. After all, it is included in them by means of the breaking. It is written about this, “You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation for Me.” That is why representatives of different nations come to us—desires that aspire straight to the Creator from the common receiving desire. They express themselves as Israel and are now called precisely that.

Everyone else who are not awakening are called “the 70 nations of the world” and will have to correct themselves later on. But one way or another, all the qualities and opportunities of every person are precisely “optimized.” Not one nation has precedence in spirituality.

You might object, “But the common ‘body’ of Adam HaRishon contains some organs that are more important and some that are less?” That’s true, but this relates to the order of correction: At first the purer desires start the correction, and then the “coarser” ones. However, perfection erases all disproportions.

Therefore, it’s enough to have a small wound, the absence of just one cell, and the whole body is devoid of perfection. In this sense, everyone are equal, by the principle of equality of the general and the particular.
[49103]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/24/11, “Arvut”

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Inside of the head of every degree (Rosh) a collision occurs between the Light and the screen, meaning between the intention “for the sake of bestowal” and the pleasure that is directly felt inside of the will to enjoy. Direct pleasure is as if I feel something tasty in my mouth, and this taste is directly connected with my desire.

But now I have to inflict a blow, meaning introduce a new calculation, implant myself in between the pleasure and the desire which are inside of me together. I have to stand between them and give them a new form of connection, because out of the two of them, I want to build the Creator so they would treat each other with bestowal!

This is called a blow (Hakaa) because I come forth against this direct connection between pleasure and desire. And by virtue of that, I build the head of the degree.

The “face” of the Partzuf is the form of its bestowal which a person has built out of the new relationships that he wants to establish between the pleasure and the desire. He stands between them and does not let them come into direct contact because he wants them to relate to one another only in the form of bestowal. That is how he builds the form of the spiritual Partzuf.

That is, the form of the Partzuf is built on the basis of the new relationships between the pleasure and the desire. And after that, the Partzuf does not want to accept all the others parts of the pleasures and desires which were unable to take on the form of bestowal, the form of the Creator. It turns out that he is left with an excess of desires and Lights which are beyond his calculation.

That is when a clash arises between this remaining direct form, this additional, separate Partzuf in which the desire and pleasure are connected directly – and the new, holy Partzuf that has been built, which contains the right connection between the pleasure and desire, creating a “face.” And the person senses the clash between these two forms: between receiving everything for himself, as the Creator persuades him to do, and the new form of bestowal that he has just created. The mutual collision of these two forces is called “the collision of the surrounding and inner Lights.”
[48914]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/20/11, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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