We originate from the state of total perfection, called “the world of Infinity.” The only thing missing in it is the realization of this perfection. And it can only be revealed as “the advantage of the Light from the darkness,” meaning by first revealing the lack of perfection, and inside of it—the perfection.

In order to create the sensation of imperfection, many details of concealment unfold in the world of Infinity as a preparation for us. The greatest concealment is the one we are in now, in this world, at the last level of concealment after 125 levels of it. Therefore, these levels are called “worlds,” “Olamot,” originating from the word “Olama,” concealment.

All that we have to do is reveal the world of Infinity, the perfection we are in according to the plan of creation “to delight the creatures,” in order to understand that this state really is the most perfect, wonderful, and good out of every possible state.

At first it seems to us that our dark state of concealment is completely tolerable. We even enjoy it and do not want to move from it to any other place. But then, more and more, we reveal things in this life that do not satisfy us, and start discerning what is imperfect in our state and what can become perfect in the future.

That is how we find many things that we lack (meaning, imperfection): food, sex, family, money, honor, knowledge. And that’s how we reveal that inside of these sources of fulfillment, there definitely cannot be any perfection. Fulfillment is possible only if I come out of myself and fulfill others, thereby becoming equal to the Creator. That is, I have to reveal the Maker, my Creator, and become similar to Him.

After all, he is not present in my material state, in my current desires and needs. In order to find Him, I need a completely different aspiration—a need for bestowal. And as a result of my bestowal to Him, I will reveal Him inside of me and will attain adhesion. That is, I will acquire the same form, the same quality as He has. This will be my true, new desire—the only thing I lack, the thing that defines my imperfection. And there’s nothing more! There’s only the desire to reveal the quality of the Creator inside of me until I reach total adhesion.

When a person makes efforts to attain this desire, along the way he sees that he needs the means for it: the group, the whole world, the teacher, books, the study, and work above knowledge. But in the end he reaches the sensation of imperfection and understands that perfection means adhesion with the Creator, with the quality of bestowal that becomes revealed in a person. But now he does not have it!

This realization is called “I made efforts and found” because now he finds the right desire. And if he experiences his state as imperfect and lacks only the quality of bestowal (bestowal for the sake of bestowal, or even reception for the sake of bestowal), then a change occurs inside of him and he goes from a lack of perfection to perfection. And in this regard, everything is determined by his efforts.

However, the efforts shouldn’t be the ones he wanted to make from within his egoism, but according to what he hears from the teacher and carries out in the group. And on the way he sees many states like that, where he has to lower himself and carry out the instructions of our teachers, the guides on the path. That is how he tips the scale with his efforts, by lowering himself before the advice of the Kabbalists.

And then, from the “613 recommendations” (Eitin) he reaches the “613 instructions of the Torah” (Pkudin), meaning he corrects his desires and merits a “finding” – the revelation of the Creator inside of creation.
[49084]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/24/11, Shamati

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Question: What is the reason for the fact that when we read The Book of Zohar and keep a very tangible intention, it suddenly disappears, and we understand that it has disappeared only once we remember about it?

Answer: That’s obvious! This is given to us so we would demand the sensation. We are unable to keep two thoughts in our mind. What can be better than attuning myself correctly before reading The Book of Zohar, together with the friends, in a circle, and inside of it desiring to reveal what we are reading?

However, what happens is that I attune myself and start reading, and suddenly I become immersed in the text slightly more deeply. Then I no longer use it as “Segula” – the special quality of the Light, wishing to reveal it in the connection between us. Instead, I switch my attention to the text itself, aspiring to understand it and to attain it, the way I read regular books, wishing to find out what they’re talking about. I don’t perceive what is written there as something that happens inside of me, between us, inside of us, but as something that exists outside of me. I immediately shift to the external picture.

After that, all kinds of alien thoughts come to me and I start “traveling” in these fantasies and calculations.

This happens until a person sees that he is unable to come out of this and it deprives him of the right approach where he would literally be able to “latch on by the teeth” in order to hold on to the right attitude to the reading.

What should he do? Eventually he reaches a demand that he needs the sensation—not to get to know the text or hear it, but to enter this picture, to attain it. He wants this to happen, for this picture to become clear to him. Just as he is in this earthly reality now, so he has to find himself inside of that spiritual reality.

Therefore, this entire confusion, all of these states have to bring us to such despair that we will desire only the sensation, while clearly realizing that we are incapable of anything on our own, even of keeping the intention. But nevertheless, we will clearly discern exactly what we do need.

Then, on one hand you understand that there is nothing you could do and there’s no point even in opening up the book. You reach total despair. But on the other hand, you know that you are unable to leave this path because your entire life is in it. And then, you receive it….

This point is truly critical because from it, you can enter the spiritual world. And that is what really happens.
[49094]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/24/11, The Zohar

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In Malchut of the world of Infinity, in the creature created by the Creator, different desires are distributed over five levels of coarseness (Aviut). Further, these levels manifest into five worlds. Each world consists of five Partzufim, and each Partzuf consists of five Sefirot.

Therefore, in the integrated Partzuf of Malchut of Infinity, there are ten Sefirot of HBD-HGT-NHY (Hochma, Bina, Daat; Hesed, Gevurah, Tifferet; Netzah, Hod, Yesod). They are divided according to their proximity to or distance from either Keter or Malchut.

In other words, they are sequenced along that line. In terms of achieving the quality of bestowal, the Sefirot of Malchut of Infinity are in a linear relationship. They are closer either to Keter’s desire to give or Malchut’s desire to receive.

Consequently, Malchut’s desires stand in different places in a general sequence of correction. After all, correction is always done from the easiest to the hardest. First, we correct the lighter elements. Then, those elements help us fix the heavier elements.

Those parts of Malchut of Infinity that come to correction first are regarded as Israel, “straight to the Creator” (Yashar El). They have the necessary inclination or tendency. They are transparent, so to speak, while other desires are coarser. In other words, in Malchut of Infinity, the elements related to HBD emerge first, followed by the elements related to HGT, and after that, the elements related to NHY.

As we know, the elements of HBD and HGT are regarded as “forefathers” and “sons,” respectively. They refer to the area from the Galgalta ve Eynaim (GE) down to Chazeh. HBD is the Rosh (head) of the Partzuf, and HGT is the “head of the body.” However, the body itself relates to the area TNHY (Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, and Yesod).

Certain souls awaken to correction at certain times. The first souls corrected are regarded as the “forefathers”: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The souls corrected during the periods of entering and exiting Egypt are regarded as the “sons.” Over the course of the Egyptian exile, Jacob died. In other words, the phase regarded as “Jacob” had ended, which resulted in the transition between the phases.

The phase of the “sons” was completed during the destruction of the First and the Second Temples, when the forefathers’ descendants fell to the level “of the nations of the world” and joined them. This fusion was taking place over the course of four exiles, but mainly during the last one. Now, upon its completion, NHY (the ending part of the common Partzuf of Malchut of Infinity) can begin its correction since by now, the integration of the HBD-HGT parts into it, which was accomplished via the breaking, has finished.

Today, we are standing at the end of this integration and at the beginning of the correction of NHY, the ending part of all the levels. Our corrections move slowly, according to the coarseness of the degree at which we are. We need many devices to have ourselves corrected.

Our forefathers had a different approach. They could correct themselves even without working in “the Torah and the commandments” because they were at the root level of desire. All they had to do was cancel themselves, while “the Torah and the commandments” implies working with the desire to receive and drawing the Light that Reforms.

Later on, their sons received the method of “the Torah and the commandments,” but it was still based on the level of our forefathers. We, however, are disconnected from it today, and we are beginning the realization of the enormous, authentic egoistic desire.

However, at our TNHY degree, in the final stage of completion of the integral Partzuf which is divided into three parts, each 2000 years long, as Baal HaSulam explains in “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” even here, there is a local division into HBD-HGT-NHY. NHY, in turn, also divides into three parts that retain the same correction sequence from easy to difficult.

Therefore, when the vessels (desires) come out of the breaking and begin the correction process, it starts with souls that are drawn to spirituality. They are the ones regarded as “Israel.” After all, in exile, everyone is separated from the Light. Therefore, those of the community who first awaken to the discovery of the Creator are called “Israel.” They constitute a group designated to guide all of humanity.

This group, in the current stage, is a group of “forefathers” in the NHY who act for the benefit of the community. Abraham wanted to correct all of ancient Babylon. We, too, have to act this way and acknowledge the responsibility that rests upon us.
[48612]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/19/2011, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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After the Tzimtzum (Restriction), when Malchut (the 4th phase, Behina Dalet) decides that it must reach similarity with the Creator, it starts checking itself to see which parts and levels it consists of. That’s how it divides itself into the worlds, Partzufim, and Sefirot, until it fully realizes itself as a vessel that descends into this world.

Every time it gets to know itself more, it hides itself by the same amount. That’s how we get to this world, the lowest and the darkest of the worlds, meaning the most hidden from us. And from here, from this darkness, we start to reveal desires and the Light in order to ascend back.

Malchut has two desires: to become similar and adhere to the root, but at the same time to stay independent and self-reliant. And independence is only possible when there is resistance. That’s why this action is called “mating while striking” (Zivug de Haka’a).

The desire to reach the root means mating (Zivug). And the strike (Haka’a) results from the desire to preserve one’s independence, not to fill oneself with the Light for one’s own sake, but only in order to bestow. Then, it is considered to be bestowal rather than reception.

We need to identify ourselves with Malchut of Infinity as we are its parts. This means that we need to want to act just like it, to give pleasure to the Host just like He wants to bestow pleasure upon us. We should never forget about Malchut of Infinity because we are included in this point and exist in it permanently.

No matter where I am (alone, in the group, or during dissemination), I’m always in the point of Malchut of Infinity, which has decided to be a giver, like the guest in relation to the Host. That’s why no matter what we do, we have to adhere to this point. And all of our actions are in order to please Him, just like He pleases us.

But how do I know that He’s giving me pleasure? There, in this point, Malchut has revealed this. And as I aspire towards it, I will include myself in it and reveal this too.
[48596]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/19/2011, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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Question: How do we build concealment in the period of preparation, and how do we conceal the Creator if we don’t even sense Him?

Answer: I’ll answer briefly: This entire work is done only with the friends, in the group. Friends are also concealed from us, and none of us knows the true degree of another. The group, in its true form, is also concealed from us, as is the teacher.

Our task is to build the concealment, that is, to finally begin to clarify that I perceive everything to the extent of my lack of correction. Therefore, I need to make corrections to my ego and picture everyone as the greatest of their generation, existing in a state that’s beyond me. I must attain a state where I have tremendous respect for concealment, wishing for it to turn into my attitude toward everyone else.

It is on this screen of concealment that I must build a new picture of the world, and this whole picture will be drawn or molded from the importance that I impart to each phenomenon. If I do this, then gradually, I’ll begin to work against my ego and learn to perceive the spiritual world, that is, to draw the picture of the spiritual world. After all, it doesn’t exist outside of me, but only within.
[48820]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/21/2011, Shamati #174

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Question: If I try to direct the world toward the goal of creation, could you say that I give the guarantee for the people? Is there a unilateral guarantee?

Answer: Yes, you move people forward. They cannot show reciprocity in return yet. Nevertheless, this is progress, and it is very important.

We should understand that our mission is to advance the world, and our progress depends on its steps. Of course, this dependency is not direct, but moving the world forward requires serious effort. We don’t do this at the expense of our inner efforts; however, we will not be able to develop internally without making a contribution to the development of the world.

Everything is arranged in the form of an integral system. I, the group, the world, and the Creator have to be a single complex. This is why now we need to take care of everybody. As Baal HaSulam writes, the entire world is one family and nothing can be done. Focusing on a narrow range, remaining in one niche, we will not achieve the desired result.

On the other hand, in going out into the world, we have to be cautious because we can lose our principles and slide into a purely psychological approach of “Let’s be close to each other, let’s be friends.” No, it will not work. As in Russia or in Israeli Kibbutzim (communities), it will be a connection devoid of internal force.

A connection requires the force that unites us, the upper Light. You have to address the world with Baal HaSulam’s materials, not necessarily with the texts, but with these messages, with these principles. Gradually, little by little, you have to explain to people that this comes from the science of Kabbalah.

The path is long, but you should be clear on this by now. You have to be immersed in the method, saturated with it. If you do not constantly study Kabbalistic materials, if you do not absorb it, digging deeper and deeper, you will feed people only nice words, New Age or mysticism. You, yourself, won’t notice how you will slide down.

If a person does not dedicate a few hours a day to serious studies in a serious group, if he does not work on this in the morning and in the evening, he loses his path. Religions, beliefs, mystical traditions, and the like stem from this. Everything came from Kabbalah.

Moreover, our egoism, our world call for concessions, saying: “It does not cost you anything. Add a little here. Change a little there. You may miss something, but you will reach people.” No, you will not reach people. You will come to them without your strengths and without a spiritual force, already corrupted.

This is a very big problem. That is why when a teacher leaves, good, strong groups lose their way, lose strength and wither.
[48812]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/21/2011, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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Question: We are now in something like an interim period, idle time, between conventions. How can we strengthen the mutual guarantee to move forward?

Answer: You need constant work. What is the difference whether we hold a convention now or not? A person does not know when he gains the required measure of effort. He has to yearn every new day in his life in anticipation of the moment when he will able to perform bestowal to friends, and through them, to the entire world, and through it, to the Creator.

I have to analyze my inner states, what my thoughts and intentions are, to what extent during the day I try to reveal the goal, whether my heart is imbued with this aspiration, whether it wakes up, whether I can commit myself to this, and whether I can hold this thought against the background of all other actions, whatever I do. From this, I can see how much I have moved forward.

We have only one possibility to reach the spiritual world: by constantly working on our desires and increasingly bringing them closer to the feeling and our understanding of bestowal. Changes should happen within us, in our desires. Therefore, every moment that is dedicated to this advances us along the path.

Then, everything depends on the person. In his opinion, what kind of movement forward should it be: individual or worldwide? If he wants to reach the goal of creation, this movement is possible only on a global scale. Everything below this benchmark does not work nowadays.

In the past, the group or the teacher was enough, but today, we are tied into the whole world. The one whose actions, day after day, move our world group and the entire world toward correction at least in some way can see that this stimulates him and his own progress. In essence, individual progress is an investment into others.

Besides, you should try every day to add some quality to what you give to others in your correspondence, blogs, and internet projects. We can bestow to friends only when we merge with them, when we understand them, rather than try to foist onto them something that we like. In addressing people, we should hand out, disseminate, that which is as close to them as possible. We should “clothe” in them.

Love is when I take the other person’s desire and fill it according to what he or she wants. Otherwise, we will not be able to approach anybody.
[48817]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/21/2011, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”

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The group operates the same way as any other person by using the “miraculous force” of the Light (Segula). To do this, it needs to listen to the directions of the mentor and carry them out within itself. However, the main thing is unity and connection, the “circle” the group members create between themselves. There, they are all equal. No one is big or small, neither in relation to any particular quality nor in terms of one’s advantage over the other.

The small and the big, the beginner and the veteran, are equal. The group must be completely even and homogeneous. It must strive toward unity and mutual guarantee.

When they overcome all the problems and difficulties and desire to build themselves in such a form so as to really feel the quality of bestowal that is being restored between them, this connection is called Shechina (Divinity), the common desire that arises from foreign, separated parts that wish to connect. They attract the Light that Reforms to the extent of their desire and need to connect.

Then, the Light of AB-SAG comes to them and clarifies and corrects their desires. Thus, they advance until they see that they are basically beginning to build a spiritual vessel within the group. Malchut of the world of Atzilut is between them in this common desire that they are building through mutual bestowal to one another. This vessel becomes filled with the quality of bestowal and its fulfillment, referred to as the upper Light or the Creator, that dwells between them.

This work is personal for every individual as well as common for the entire group. It also applies to the entire humanity that is now entering this state against its will. Humanity simply lacks the initial spark that awakens in the heart and attracts one to itself: A person is simply pushed forward by suffering.

We need to become this enticing spark for them. Moreover, public opinion will figure out very quickly the main principles of this path and will make progress. Our objective is to provide humanity with the method of correction before they are ready to take a step forward. So far, the problem has been that they are advancing faster than we are providing them with this method.

We think that we are advancing while everyone else remains somewhere far behind, but this is not true. They actually are advancing very fast, and they are ready to accept the method of correction from us. We are late to address them. This is a big problem, and we really need to hurry.
[48445]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/18/2011, Shamati #122

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Only one desire exists; only it had been created and then began to develop. It is not divided into levels or parts: It is divided by the states of awareness of itself. All the time, I reveal the first state more and more.

The spark of Light created the point of darkness, and creation was over. Now, this point of darkness, the point of desire, begins to discover: Who am I, who created me and with what purpose, what should I do, and what do I want from the Light and from myself? It keeps digging into itself and clarifies, learns more about itself and through self-realization, discovers the Light that created it.

There is nothing else in the entire universe except the creature who learns more about the Creator. But the reality does not change. The Light filled the desire, and now the desire perceives this single state more deeply.

All the changes occur only in consciousness, sensation, reaction, but inside the same substance. That is why I feel a little bit in my very first state; I only begin to sense myself existing in it, as if I am waking up. This is called the Light of Nefesh in my desire, existing at the zero level (Shoresh or root).

Now, I start to wake up more and look around. What I see at this degree, next to me, is not familiar to me yet; hence, I perceive this in the Light of Nefesh. But I already realize my previous state from which I woke up; I understand that I was asleep and now I have woken up.

How do I know that I was asleep? I learned about that because I woke up, found out about the next state, and now understand the previous one better. Therefore, the Light of Ruach clothes in the previous state, although I have only the Light of Nefesh in the current state.

I will never have anything more than the Light of Nefesh at the most advanced state. Only all the previous states become more and more clarified. That is why a person who advances correctly will always feel like in a fog, confusion, and misunderstandings; he will face incomprehensible forces and calculations and will always have doubts.

However, he already understands more about the path he has covered, all his history, and looking back on this history, the future perspective as well. That is, on one hand, he is accompanied by confusion, fog, and helplessness, but at the same time, he becomes smarter about the past, by seeing the whole path, its causes and consequences, and thereby revealing the Creator.

This is called the “reverse order” of the Light and desire. Our desire develops more and more and becomes “smarter,” educated, specific, high, and closer to the Creator, but only the Light of Nefesh is felt in it. However, in the previous desires, which we perceive deeper as we advance, we feel the Light of NaRaNHaY (Nefesh-Ruach-Neshama-Haya-Yechida). As it is said: “Wisdom comes only with experience.”
[48708]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/13/2011, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

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Usually we make a very common mistake, thinking that we have to reveal the Creator Himself. We wait, “When is He going to be revealed already!?” As if the most important thing is for Him to appear.

But that will never happen. What has to appear is precisely the restriction, our desire to conceal Him from our will to enjoy, from our understanding, so we would have the opportunity to work with Him only on the condition that we give Him pleasure in return.

Then concealment, the aspiration for true bestowal, called “Lishma,” becomes our vessel. Inside of that concealment, we will be able to build the image of the Giver and to understand what bestowal is. Because we will aspire only to bestowal, without any other vestment of pleasure into our desires, we will therefore begin to really attain what spirituality means.

Every person would like to reveal the Creator in the depth of exile. But the issue is how to ask for none other than His concealment while we are in exile, how to preserve this concealment ourselves and elevate it. All the levels of ascent are separated from one another by how much we desire and are able to contain ourselves, to hold us back from revelation, and to reveal ourselves only for the sake of bestowal.

And inside of this attitude to the upper one, our desire to conceal Him, we build His image. The greatness of the Creator that is born inside of us by virtue of this concealment enables us to value him and start feeling His form. That is, the form of the Creator is determined by the form of the importance that we are able to give to Him.

This explanation does not lend itself to being understood easily, but it already directly touches upon the relationship between creation and the Creator in the spiritual world….
[48823]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/21/11, Shamati

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