Question: How should a group, which strives to achieve the mutual guarantee, relate to its teacher? After all, the teacher is the one who connects us with the general system of the souls.

Answer: A teacher is a mentor, a guide; he is called Rav, which means “great.” Generally, I should relate to each of the friends as a Rav, and the Creator is also Rav, of course, since He is great.

The same is true with a mentor. In what sense are they great? If a person does not elevate the importance of the Creator, a friend, and a mentor in his eyes, then he cannot connect to them, receive something from them. He is unable to bow down before them, and only a small one can learn from a great one.

Certainly, we have to perceive the teacher as “great”. If he is greater than me, it means that whatever he says is more important than what I am currently thinking. It is important that the method of correction is taught by a mentor who has come to the end of that path and speaks from experience. Who else can I learn from if I want to follow the same path?

That is why I bow my head and accept the method from the teacher; I take his advice above my reason. Otherwise, I would be stuck wandering, unable to find the road. The spiritual path can’t be seen, and therefore one should rely on the teacher more than the books, which everyone understands differently, based on one’s own logic.

Actually, everyone hears the teacher differently too, but common work in the group increases the chances that the teacher’s words will seep inside. There is no guarantee either, but it is possible. Therefore, I have to fully annul my ego before the teacher, otherwise I won’t hear anything, and there is no other real source. The measurement of which is its implementation.
[25026]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/26/10, “All of Israel Have a Part in the Next World”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Learning “From Mouth To Mouth”
Laitman.com Post: Under Elemental Pressure
Laitman.com Post: A Teacher Is The Intermediate Degree Between The Student And The Creator

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Mutual Guarantee, Q&A, Spiritual Teacher - 1 Comment →

Question: Why do you compare rising to the mutual guarantee with a narrow opening that we still need to find? Doesn’t investing in the friends mean breaking down all the barriers and boundaries and giving everything, rather than trying to find a single point?

Answer: The passage between two worlds is always narrow. It is like a birth, like coming out of a mother’s womb into the world. It is as though we go through a gorge of misfortunes under the pressure of “labor contractions.” This is in fact that small point which we widen, making it a narrow passage.

In addition, the mutual guarantee is an extremely powerful concentration of thoughts, desires, passions, intentions, and goals of a person, when one suddenly sees that they all unite, revealing his dependence on a neighbor. It is precisely a neighbor, and not neighbors. Everything compresses and contracts into one whole. This point reveals an opening into the World of Infinity to us, but we need to go through it all together.
[24586]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/17/10, “The Arvut”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: A Single Opportunity To Initiate Changes
Laitman.com Post: Until The Worm Grows Into A Human Being
Laitman.com Post: Egoism And Arvut

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Mutual Guarantee, Q&A - No Comments →

The purpose of creation is to bring good to the Creator’s beings. The Creator is a good force that does good, and therefore, He gave us an opportunity to attain the most exalted state, to become similar to Him. We become equivalent with the Creator in two basic elements:

1. Independence. After all, the Creator is original, and man must be original in his actions; otherwise, he is not independent.

2. Bestowal. A person acquires the form of bestowal that must clothe in his nature opposite to the Creator. Thus, on the inside, man is opposite to the Creator, but on the outside, he is congruent to him.

By combining these two opposite properties within, a person builds his independence himself. Thereby, he doesn’t get out of the Creator’s hands, but grows independently. The rule of attaining independence is called the “covenant.”

This covenant means that I undertake building a human within me. The Creator provides all that is needed for it: a preparatory base, the fuel, desire of pleasures, the force of correction, and the power of fulfillment. I utilize these means. Contrary conditions emerge within me, a contrast between egoistic desire and the form of bestowal that I need to clothe in, and all of this together allows me to construct myself.

A person who accepts these conditions and aspires straight to the Creator is called “Israel.” He decides to attain adhesion and is willing to walk through all states and spiritual rungs. While he is at it, he understands that he must always walk with faith above reason; otherwise, he won’t be able to take one step, ascend, and approach the Creator.
[24929]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/26/10,”All of Israel Have a Part in the Next World”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: I Am The Act Of The Creator!
Laitman.com Post: Has Everything Been Done?
Laitman.com Post: Wake Up And Look At Yourself

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Love, Mutual Guarantee, My Similarity to the Creator - No Comments →

Question: How can a person make sure that the Creator calls him to the Pharaoh?

Answer: This realization occurs gradually. First of all, a person senses detachment from spirituality, but doesn’t associate it with himself: “No, it’s not me who is deviating from the goal. I am simply going through a difficult time; it’s not my fault.” Then, a person applies more effort, envisions himself “a hero,” and, thus, advances.

Next time he feels even more heaviness of the heart. A black cloud hides his horizons, but he still doesn’t consider it to be “his fault.” However, this time, he connects the situation he is in with the Upper Governance and gets angry with the Creator: “Why is it so unfair? I don’t deserve it.” He applies effort again and waits until the new heaviness disappears. Once again, it does. Yet, a person doesn’t attribute this new change to the Creator: “Sooner or later, everything in life ends.”

The next descent brings him even stronger impressions. A person starts to better understand that this recurs once in a while. Now, his attitude is based on his prior experience since he knows that a descent always brings a certain change of states.

A person is helpless; he understands that he is not in control of his own descents and ascents. He screams and demands from the Creator not to keep him in the descent any longer. His helplessness gives birth to a certain mindset.

Eventually, a person begins to realize that he is “taken through” some sort of “therapy.” If he saw that everything that happens to him is done by the Creator from the beginning, it would have kept him calm: “Obviously, the Creator has a plan; even if today I am feeling very bad, tomorrow I will feel much better. I’ll wait.” This type of “acquaintance” with the Source of the Upper Governance can really promote our weaknesses and nullify our personal responsibility.

Therefore, it is worthless to plead with the Creator, the Law of Nature. We only have one option: to expose ourselves to the influence of the environment that is oriented toward the goal. Everything else is “rigid laws,” and only one formula in the system of these laws allows us to modify the coefficient: the influence of our environment upon us.

Consequently, we can achieve certain results by simple actions that we decide to do involuntary, out of despair. In the depth of my soul, I disagree with this situation, but I still demand from my friends to “wake me up” and prompt them to do it. This is how on this material level, we start modifying the whole system of laws.
[24604]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/18/10, “Come to Pharaoh”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Don’t Lie To Yourself
Laitman.com Post: Take The Creator’s Hand
Laitman.com Post: Spirituality Is The Measure Of My Equivalence With The Creator

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Q&A - 1 Comment →

Question: By what is our covenant held? After all, we don’t notarize it.

Answer: The covenant works very simply. Those who don’t comply with it are bounced from it at the speed of light since it is the Light that gives strength to our union when we have aspiration, agreement, and unity between us.

The union, the covenant of mutual guarantee, doesn’t need to be announced in words; it’s a certain level of interconnection. But, if a person has reached this level and is not establishing a connection, he is bounced off. To sign the “union contract” means for a person to complete the deal on his part. It’s OK if he is not quite ripe yet, but is already willing to restrict his egoism.

Let’s see, now, at the threshold of the upcoming World Kabbalah Convention to what extent everyone is willing to give themselves to this cause and think about only one thing: How do I become part of the collective desire and “lose myself” in it? Is a person participating in the preparation using all his potential? If not, he is deceiving himself and isn’t advancing.

Besides, we will certainly see it in him. The Light will expose everything like an X-ray. That’s when we will check everyone and see, if now, during the final run, he is prepared to enter the union. Everyone must answer for himself and examine himself. Can he do anything else for the common effort?

The time has come to engage the innermost forces of the soul. After all, it is right now when I have to decide whether I will pass through or not. There must not be any more delays; we are already lagging behind.
[24902]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/22/10, “The Matter of the Will to Receive”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Unity Of Hearts
Laitman.com Post: The Main Witness

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Love, Mutual Guarantee, Q&A - No Comments →

Question: Why is the zone of free will, the Klipot (shells), located between the sensation of the Internal Light and the Surrounding Light?

Answer: Internal Light is the light that enters me. The Surrounding Light is the light I am aware of, aware that it exists but don’t clearly feel like a person who can comprehend what is going on. A person feels as if he were in the twilight zone where he cannot recognize a familiar image or distinguish a friend from a stranger. (A friend is the desire attached to you, and a stranger is the desire you can’t work with; yet, specifically from these states, later, we gain the opportunity for correction.)

During the day, nothing needs to be done; everything is already clear. At night, there isn’t much to do either since I can’t see anything. Both of these states have been discerned, but it is the “evening” which gives an opportunity for work, a place where desires can blend (“Erev” – evening derives from the word “Eruv” – blending).

After the breaking, all desires blended with each other, but when some part of these broken desires falls into the state of evening and reaches us, we can discern and attach them to the “day.” In this manner, we gradually study our desires. Therefore, the major discernments occur at the border between the Internal and Surrounding Light.
[24944]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/26/10, “Beit Shaar Ha-Kavanot”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Walking The Tight Wire Straight To The Creator
Laitman.com Post: The Middle Line Lies In The Connection Between Us
Laitman.com Post: Spirituality Is The Middle Line

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Perception - No Comments →

When a person realizes how important the group is for his correction, he opens himself up like the hood of a car and lets his friends “do maintenance” inside. In the same manner, a patient gladly stretches himself on the surgical table with the expectation that the doctors will save his life. A person feels that he depends one hundred percent on the good will of the friends and that only with their help will he change, get corrected, and recover from a deadly ailment.

Then, the environment begins working on him. The more he sticks to the friends, the more clearly he is shown how hard it is to turn to them, how appalled he is by it. On one hand, a person understands that he simply must turn to the friends because all his life depends on it, but on the other, egoism and stubbornness don’t allow him to do so. These two qualities are called “hate,” “impure side,” and “filth.”

For example, sometimes we have to apologize to someone and can’t force ourselves to do it. In this situation, I discover two opposite forces: I must do it in order to save myself, yet I can’t. However, I later recognize that my incapacity is caused by a foreign force and, as a result, I gain strength.

This happens at every new degree. I begin to realize that the Creator has arranged everything so that I would hold His hand like a little child who clings to a grown-up. Then, with His help, I will be able to go to the Pharaoh.

This is how we advance until the very end of correction: I recognize the evil of my nature, separate from it, and see that is the Pharaoh, my rival. Then, I desire to get rid of it and ask the Upper Light to do it.
[24607]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/18/10, “Come to Pharaoh”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Grab Onto The Creator’s Hand
Laitman.com Post: Bound Together
Laitman.com Post: There Is Only The Group

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work - No Comments →

Question: With the help of The Book of Zohar, we wish to feel our interdependence in attaining spirituality as much as possible. How can we increase our internal demand during the remaining days before the convention? What else can be done?

Answer: We cannot remain in a constant, intense demand during an entire 24 hours. It is understandable. This is instilled in nature since all corrections occur due to the entering and exiting of the Light, as it is written, “For out of Zion shall go forth the law.”

Therefore, on one hand, the question is correct, “How can we feel, each minute, that we are ascending?” However, it also written that “The Creator’s angels ascend and descend.” During ascents as well as descents, we should realize that this is how advancement occurs. Hence, the process is correct.

If a person sees that for most of the day he does not cling to the goal, unity with the group, that he is not wholeheartedly striving to finally unify with the friends, to step “out of himself,” out of his ego, and to attain love of the created beings and the Creator, then this is how it has to be. After all, leaps forward, ascents, and contacts with the Upper One must, later, start working in the lower one and modifying multiple systems within him. Hence, this is how the work occurs.

Only if we ourselves begin to participate in the actions of the Upper One within us, does it mean that we are no longer in a state of an embryo (Ibur) or even nurturing (Yenika), but that we have reached a mature state (Gadlut) where we identify ourselves with the Upper One and act as partners, together. Then, I can say that both in descents and ascents or in any other states, the actions of the Upper One are not concealed from me anymore, and I work with them in the appropriate manner together with Him, dividing the work between us.

However, in the meantime, the Light is working on me, and I don’t know why I stopped feeling it and no longer know what is happening with me. Suddenly, for a few hours, I fall into an unconscious state and then wake up again. All these states should be viewed as correct.

When we become truly able to participate in this work, we will come to it. But torment, the desire to remain in this state forever, always pushes us toward advancement.
[24138]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/18/10, The Zohar

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Inner Focus Is What We Need
Laitman.com Post: The Seal And The Stamp
Laitman.com Post: About Punishment

Filed under: Conventions, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Q&A, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: Why did you say that participation in the convention gives a person spiritual advancement equal to that of a minimum of a half year’s work?

Answer: The convention is a place where we all fall under the concentrated impact of an exalted spiritual force. Clearly, it affects us greatly. The Light resides there “clothed in the society,” and if I annul myself before this society, I receive their desires (spiritual vessels), enthusiasm, and aspiration to bestow.

Hence, the Light starts affecting me through them, through their vessels. It turns out that I advance by receiving their vessels and the Light.

Let’s hope that everyone will experience this; I am looking forward to it myself! Everyone benefits from it, whether they are a beginner or a Kabbalist with attainment since the Upper Light knows no limits. “The Creator dwells among His people,” and if such a huge mass of people gets together and desires to reveal spirituality, then thanks to their great quantity and despite their small desire, everyone can gain the force of life!
[24144]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/18/10, “The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence”

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Mega Congress 2010: Unity Despite The Differences Of Time And Language
Laitman.com Post: How A Kabbalah Convention Convention Affects The Correction Of The World
Kabbalah Moments: “Convention Preparation – Adventure”

Filed under: Conventions, Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Group Work, Inner Work, Q&A - No Comments →

The system of the Upper Governance called “The Tree of the Universe” comes down to us from Above in its ideal form where all of its parts are properly interconnected. Each element is united with all others in absolute harmony, it receives nourishment from everybody and nourishes everybody according to its degree and the common strength of the system, which results in the formation of one common sphere symbolizing perfection.

Everything is permeated by the “illumination of Shechina”; the Light fills all the desires which exist in mutual harmony so they may supplement each other. The law of this system is for everyone to act only in its common interests, consciously and reciprocally. It is created from the side of the Light, bestowal, or the Creator.

We find ourselves in the very center of this system as a broken part, and we need to become aware that this system is broken and opposite to its true form. This is how we reveal our breaking.

Our form is opposite to that of the system. It turns out that I exist in a wonderful world of Light and spiritual harmony, but because I am in my own egoism, I am opposite to the system and see the world in a completely different way.

The Upper Light purposely conceals from us the perfect reality only because it would feel horrible to feel its perfection! Therefore, I see merely a small part of the true reality around me, the part that I am able to absorb with my minute egoism, but I see everything in the opposite form, as bad or evil. I perceive it to the extent and in the form that I am able to accept and live with it.

To the degree that I become corrected and acquire the desire for bestowal, this sphere is revealed to me more and more. It widens and shows me that I am worse and worse! But meanwhile, I am already receiving the force of bestowal and correcting myself and my reality. This continues until my perception broadens and encompasses the whole sphere, the whole “tree,” the entire system, and then I can tune into it correctly and with full force.

However, for the time being, we exist in the center of this whole universe, in a form opposite to it, locked inside our own tiny world like a worm in a bitter radish.
[24189]
From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/19/10, Beit Shaar HaKavanot

Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Developing A Human Being within Ourselves
Laitman.com Post: Learn To Be A Human
Laitman.com Post: Building Myself

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Inner Work, Perception - No Comments →