Question: How do I make a covenant with the Creator if I don’t know Him?

Answer: The question is: Why is it only the groom who signs the wedding agreement (Ketubah) and not the bride? Is there a kind of one-sided commitment here? The same happens when a person signs an agreement with the group or with the Creator.

This means that my signature on this contract is enough since the agreement of the other side is certain. So, only the one who hesitates and is unsure has to sign, and thus, he is obligated to sign the commitment.

There is an upper force, and in order to reveal it, there must be a lower force. The force of the upper is bestowal and the force of the lower is receiving. The force of the lower must attain wholeness in its deficiency in order to connect to the upper force that is eternally whole.

Wholeness is attained in the lower force by the connection of 10 people, for example, then of 100, and then of 1000. We always add another zero.

Unless I connect with 10 people, I cannot be called a spiritual “unit,” and, unless I connect with 100 people, I cannot be called a second spiritual “unit,” which means to rise to the second spiritual level. The counter only counts the additional zeros, and this is considered a leap to the next level.

In order to be adapted to the whole upper force, I at least must attain the connection of the first 10. This means that I must connect to 10 people since according to our inner nature, we attain the first, minimal measure of bestowal, #1, by the connection of ten people as one heart and one mind. Now, I have the first force of bestowal.

If I can connect to 100 people in a similar way as one heart and one mind by totally annulling myself, I attain the second force of bestowal, the second spiritual level. Thusly, I must go through 125 levels.

In order to connect with them, I sign a mutual contract. We must be connected so that each one will forget about himself and connect with everyone as one whole. It is impossible to do this alone and we must help one another. We must provide everyone with the greatness of the goal, connection, warmth, and positive examples. In order to do that, we sign a contract, and this is called a covenant.

Each of us goes through states of “+” and “-,” and we need the minus in order to rise to the plus, to “straighten” ourselves. This is possible if, while I am in a state of “minus,” the society intensifies my intention. My minus grows and the plus also grows; they constantly increase. After a small plus, there is a big minus, and after a big plus there is a minus that is twice as large.

This is why I never can overcome the minus that I receive and it always knocks me to the ground. I may be totally thrown off track, and I may continue to work, but without any inspiration and thought. When I fall into such a state, into such a minus, the society has to intensify my intention.

It is a good thing that I have received such a minus since I need a greater minus; I must reach its full measure to fill my measure. The question is how to turn it into a plus. In order to do that, I need an intention! If my deficiency and the society’s intention connect, I can change the minus to the plus each time and, thus, constantly rise. This is called making a covenant.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/25/13, Writings of Rabash

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Question: What is the meaning of the words of the Creator: “I wish they would leave me and my Torah would uphold”?

Answer: This means that man makes the wrong efforts, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reason. There are many conditions that must be joined together.

First of all, one must organize a group. Without a group a person doesn’t know how to exit his ego. He can talk about this with pretty words, but in actuality, will not realize anything.

And in addition to this, one must be patient, to understand that it’s an accumulative process to which all our efforts are added, which then bring us results. It’s comparable to a meter, in which there are spinning wheels, and at a certain moment, suddenly the number on the display changes and a “1” appears instead of “0.” And then again the wheels spin for a long time until outside again the number changes to “2” and so on.

We must understand that weeks or months could go by until the meter changes to the next number. But the weeks don’t pass if at that time we don’t invest efforts. Here the person begins to understand that he has no strength or desire, that he isn’t able to do anything, and just wants to leave everything. The body pulls him to empty matters, and the main thing is not to feel his state as being a difficult one.
We already understand how this happens. Here the person needs to find himself support, “Support of the Light.” This means the friends who help each other. Our weakness is that there is no mutual help, and everything is built only on it. Strength is only in connection, and if the connection stops, then no one will have strength.

The Light illuminates from the other side and slowly increases my desire to receive by just one gram, and I immediately fall. I am ready to forget everything, lie down and do nothing, just to be left alone. At least from a physical standpoint it is forbidden to let ourselves fall in this way. The environment should put pressure on me, they should call me if I don’t arrive at the lesson, and they should wake me at home.

I must make these arrangements with my environment so that it will work on me. Also at home, I build such a system that won’t let me miss the morning lesson. I do the same with the friends. I prepare myself in such a way that my conscience will suffer if I don’t arrive at a lesson.

But I must prepare all of this in advance and not at the time of descent. I must worry in advance for something to commit me to arrive for the lesson even when I lack strength. I arrange everything in this way so that I can’t stay home; otherwise, what will my family say? I can’t make excuses each day that I don’t feel well. And the friends would begin to call and ask what happened to me, where did I disappear to, and it would embarrass me.

If I receive a burdening of the heart, then only these measures will work on me. In those moments, I myself am not able to do anything, but I feel that I prepared support for myself and so it also stands in my favor.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/7/13, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 141:I am found nowhere but in the Torah. Therefore, keep the Torah and look for Me there, and the Light in it will reform you and you will find Me,” as it is written, “Those that seek Me shall find Me.”

This is what we try to do, striving to connect as one man in one heart, attaining mutual guarantee and “love your neighbor as yourself” by showing our readiness for such a connection during the study. And then in each moment, we reveal how much we are incapable of this, and then again we try, despite everything, to think about unity and connection.

We hope that our study and connection will help us reveal the Creator in order to bring Him pleasure. This becomes the prayer during the study, an action of correction, and it draws us nearer to the goal. If the friends try to connect in the right way, raise their points in the heart above their ego, free from its control, and connect them, which takes place during the lesson, which tells about such states, then in this we attract the Reforming Light. And this is actually our exertion.

There will always be disturbances, more and more. Therefore, we need to strengthen each other, and precisely then, when the despair comes and big obstacles appear in the path, a person is helpless before them, doesn’t know what to do, wants to escape, gets tired and falls, falls asleep or the opposite, becomes angry and cannot bear this state. But precisely these states are the most beneficial for adding one more drop of work, another ounce of effort, by which we attract the Light on us.

One who does not despair and give up is the one who succeeds. Here neither wisdom nor force will help, only patience. Time will do it.

“Time” symbolizes numerous efforts that a person does in each moment, even the smallest ones. These efforts accumulate, connect, and in the end, bring a solution.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/7/13, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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If I experience a real descent, within my bones, for more than one moment, then it is a sign that I didn’t make the correct effort! I must fall to the bottom for a moment, like Rabbi Shimon who changed from a great sage person to a simple market vendor. But this descent should not last more than a moment; this is enough. And then, I need to start using the connection with the environment, mutual guarantee, and all the means that I prepared in advance.

At the time of descent, when I have fallen to the bottom of the sine wave, I cannot do anything, I become dead. From this hole, the stores I accumulated in the batteries of the group need to pull me out. But the moment that I exit a bit from the deepest descent, from the dead state, from the “ bottom,” I must ascend by myself, as much as I am able to participate on my own in this work.

If I ascended by one or two millimeters from the lowest state, then to this extent I am able to scream. If I rise three millimeters, then I can already yell even louder, etc. I am not allowed to wait for time to pass by itself! I must try to rise, no matter how difficult and futile it may seem. It is specifically here at the bottom of the sine wave, at the exit of the descent, that I must invest the most efforts. It will show that I truly long for the goal.

The main effort is in clarification, self-analysis: what for, why, what is the goal, who can help me, where is the Light that Reforms, how I can use that Light? I’m not going to pull myself out of the descent. I know that “a prisoner cannot liberate himself from prison”. Only the Light can help me, and I look for it.

The problem is that we try to correct ourselves by ourselves. It should be clear that this is impossible. But if I know that the Light can do this and that It operates according to my efforts, according to my equivalence of form towards Him, then I begin to work with it mutually, like partners. I only need to prepare myself each time, so that the Light will operate on me, and it acts. And again I prepare myself, and again it acts.

And in this way we alternately work together and I already have a common language with Him, understanding, and closeness even though we are opposite to each other. I do something and also He does something in response. In this way we begin to understand each other and connect.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/7/13, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Question: The conventions force us to connect and to unite, to act quickly and efficiently, to reach incredible results. What can help us do this everyday?

Answer: A feeling of responsibility. Imagine tired parents or even sick parents whose child is crying and asking for something; they still get up and do everything for him. It isn’t easy since no one wants to do that; there is only the obligation. It’s the same in the group where everyone must feel the obligation and the responsibility. I have to feel that I am in the same boat with them and I can’t drill a hole in it.

Of course I can say, “Friends, I don’t feel well today, please excuse me I am sick,” and sleep some more, but how can I do that if I know that they are waiting for me? If you think that no one will notice your absence since you are not that important and not outstanding, you are wrong.

I am telling you this from my own experience of feeling the upper world: Each of you is no less important than I am. So your inaction is a lack of investment in the general vessel. You should understand this, and not forget; remind one another of this responsibility so that it will always be your priority.

It’s the first condition since the Creator created one man, me and all the others, only so that I will be able to stabilize myself with their help. On the other hand, the Creator created my friend and me so that I will help him and only will serve as a means for his ascent to the Creator. It is indeed so!

Therefore, we must mutually complement one another and constantly hold on to that since by that we create mutual guarantee among us. We mustn’t forget that. I can’t allow myself any concessions; I can’t pretend that I am sick or make up any excuses for my inaction. On the contrary, despite the obstacles that the Creator places before me, I have to participate as much as I can in everything. On His part, He will add different excuses for my ego, of course, but the group must remind me that this is how the Creator plays with me.
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From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/9/12, Lesson 7

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Question: What is mutual guarantee between women? Is it expressed in external actions?

Answer: The term mutual guarantee (“Arvut” in Hebrew) originates from the word “Learvev” (to mix). That is, mutual guarantee is such a mixture of opposite properties that they are indistinguishable from each other. In other words, people who want to be connected, and finding completely opposite qualities in themselves, interconnect with each other, “enter” each other: I am in him, and he is in me, and we exactly fit each other.

Everything in nature is created in this way. For example, a bee that sits on a wild flower is built exactly according to its form so that it can enter the flower without damaging it, gather all the pollen, and carry it to another plant. Everything is created precisely. Only Nature, the Creator, could invent in this way.

We are made in the same way: Male and female parts enter each other and interact ideally, unite, and complement each other.

Mutual guarantee is such mutual care, it is when I make a commitment to be everything for you, and you do so for me, that is, everything for everyone, because this mutual contact is necessary for each of us. By understanding and recognizing this movement towards each other, we thus enter into mutual guarantee.
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From the Virtual Lesson 1/6/13

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Question: What should you contribute to the group so that it will later help you come out of a descent quickly?

Answer: We should accumulate efforts in the group before the descent comes, to convince the friends that we have to worry about everyone. There should be the spirit of mutual help in the group. This is called the greatness of the goal that is constantly among us in the air.

A group is where you fulfill the goal, a pool of powers, a pool of exertion. You receive the Light that Reforms through the group and the Light that Reforms connects you to the group. Eventually you discover that this network of connections already exists in the group. You discover the right connection in it and according to the equivalence of form you discover the Creator. All this is fulfilled in the group.

In fact, we constantly correct the group or discover its real form. Now we see it the way it is depicted in our corrupt attributes, as it says: “One judges according to his own flaws.” From above, on the Creator’s part, it’s a whole system, an ideal one. We need to attain the same perspective as from Above. We haven’t met by chance and we have been connected from Above into one group: Someone may enter or leave; someone may be near or far. In such a way, above us, we build the spiritual structure, which gradually becomes one desire that was created by the Creator.

The truth is that there is one point left in the desire that was created by the Creator. Everything else, by which this point was blown up, by developing different connections, manners, systems, all this is a result of the Light’s influence on it. The point of the desire itself remains as it was, but the Light that enters it blows it up and fills it with its attributes. This is called Malchut of Ein Sof (Infinity).
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/7/13, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Question: What should we care more about: a friend’s physical health and his material well-being or the greatness of the goal?

Answer: We have to show a friend as much as possible what you think about his material and spiritual wellbeing. The problem is that we are in a particular state where our resources are limited: We are separated by distance; we are surrounded by a lot of outsiders, and we have different possibilities.

However, a friend should feel that you care about all his material and spiritual life. You are all ready to make him free from any concerns. Then, his egoism dies and there is a state when he feels as if he is on a hovercraft created by your care.
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From the Virtual Lesson 12/30/12

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Question: Now the whole global group is anxiously preparing for the Arava Convention and there is a great emotional intensity in the air. A while ago, you advised us to try to rephrase the mutual guarantee declaration in one paragraph, so that it will touch the heart of every individual. What would you write in the declaration?

Answer: The meaning of mutual guarantee is that we must give each friend the feeling that he will automatically, naturally, having no choice, stop feeling the need to care about himself. By that we neutralize his ego. Therefore, the sources say that mutual guarantee is essential for spiritual advancement.

Clearly, the spiritual field is above our ego, and we have to be above it, in the attribute of bestowal. But we cannot imagine how it is possible to be in this attribute of bestowal. Time after time we encounter the same ego, but in different variations. It constantly surrounds us and does with us whatever it feels like, and we cannot get rid of it and rise above it.

This is intentional, so that we will be able to attain the attribute of bestowal only through connection and unity, since that’s the main thing. It isn’t the ascent above the ego, but the connection and unity between us that’s important. When we connect and in this connection influence the friends, they begin to lose their ego. We care about them like a mother who cares for her baby, and they feel fully confident and don’t think about themselves, feeling no worry. What is more, this bestowal that is focused on the friend automatically denies him of his ego and allows him to focus on the spiritual work. This is the power of mutual guarantee, its wonderful attribute.

So if we develop such mutual cooperation among us, by making each other feel mutual guarantee, people who receive this feeling from us will simply start “jumping” out of their ego, ascending in “faith above reason” and will immediately start feeling the upper world.

It is not up to a person, but rather to his environment, which we create by ourselves by mutual guarantee by totally focusing on filling one another until we reach this state in which each of us feels the collective support.

So mutual guarantee is the guiding, mutual cooperation among us that summons the absolute feeling of confidence and the natural exit from the ego.
[97058]
From the Virtual Lesson 12/30/12

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Question: How can we give our friends the feeling that we care about them as a mother cares for her child?

Answer: You should show a person that you care and think about him. Send him a text message or e-mail showing interest about how he feels, whether he feels that you are thinking about him, etc. We need to show our concern for others. This example is contagious; then the friend will have to do the same. He will be ashamed that he is behind and is not involved in this.

Question: Wouldn’t this excessive concern stop a person’s development?

Answer: On the contrary, this excites him, annoys, focuses, and directs him to do some work.

When a person sees how his friends take care of him, then it gives him an example and awakens envy: Why isn’t he doing this?

If this happens in a regular, non-Kabbalistic group, then a person, so to speak, “washes his hands” and starts going with the flow. And we have the opposite situation. As it is written in Rabash’s articles, such actions awaken envy and set an example. That is why we have to show this quite clearly and induce a sense of caring in him.
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From the Virtual Lesson 12/30/12

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