Question: What do we need to keep in mind so that the group doesn’t turn into a bunch of mockers?

Answer: Each time, we deliberately fall under the influence of the Creator who taunts us and shakes us like babies so much He as if simply “shakes it all out” of us. Today we are so nice and “cute,” ready to love everyone and everything. But tomorrow we will once again be completely opposite. How can we forget that our path is made of ascents and descents? We can’t remember it if we forget about the Creator.

Why is it said: “Israel, the Torah, and the Creator are one”? Israel means “yearning for the Creator.” Hence the remedy for correction: our studies, the group, where all of this gets realized, and the Creator Himself have to be as one, in one place. There are the Creator, the group, and me.

We have to constantly link it all together into one unified whole; there can’t be any other view of the world! In order to focus and properly look at what is happening, I need these three points: the eye, the sight, and the target. Otherwise, I won’t be able to do anything.

Therefore, if we wish to keep the group in the right intention, it is our responsibility to keep in mind that our goal is adhesion with the Creator. Otherwise, what is going to motivate us, our egoism? Today I am willing; tomorrow I am not.

Here the Creator appears as the definer, the first to act, or the one who initiates our actions, who forms the group and everything that is happening to us, who gives us everything. All that we have in our hearts and mind right now, all that we hear and feel, all of it is His doing.

How should we, together, respond to it, based on the fact that we felt something coming from Him? From this moment on, our work begins. This is exactly the moment when all of us clearly felt that it was He who brought us together right now; He connects us all in one desire, one intention, and the same thought. It is He who arranged everything for us, so that we all together started to ascend to and strive for Him.

So how can we rise to Him so that we could consciously fortify among ourselves what He has created? What does it mean: “I now link myself with the group?” I link myself along with the others and the Creator into the common desire, one common goal, and common aspiration. If the effort that each of us exerts links all the others and the Creator together, this is precisely our active response. This is how we must act. If we envision that everything derives from the Creator and know how we should respond to it, then it will be very effective work, a very effective move.
[95564]
From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/8/12, Lesson 4

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Question: What does it mean to delight the Creator?

Answer: To delight, to bring pleasure to, the Creator, to love the Creator—these are all very beautiful words. But how can we love a force, even if it is eternal and governs everything there is? All these words are told to a person so that he can adjust himself in some way.

We come to love for the Creator only through love for others. In the article, “One Commandment,” there is an instruction: to come to love for the Creator. But how can we be ordered, obliged to love? It is possible when we work on love of another, make a common mass of our yearnings toward each other, build a common connection above our egoism, and cover it with mutual love. It is written: “Love will cover all transgressions.” When we build a collective property of common mutual connection and yearn toward everyone while cultivating love within, then in our internal egoism there arises a completely new structure: mutual adhesion, mutual inclusion.

Love means that I assume all your desires and care for them, thinking solely of how to fulfill them, while you think about mine, and so on. Love means to fulfill desires of another instead of my own, using them for this purpose. If I arrange such conditions within myself, then by doing so I grow a vessel there that works for the sake of bestowal. And this common vessel that all of us are creating together contains our collective component called “love for the Creator.”

We begin to experience not only the common vessel, our attitude towards the others, love for them, bestowing to them, but also we begin sensing what fills me along the way. This sensation is called the Creator, Boreh in Hebrew (“Bo” – come, “Reh” – see). When we create one collective spiritual vessel, the Creator is revealed there as a result.

Hence, the main Mitzva is very simple: “Love your neighbor.” Through love for another, in the vessel that you created, you will feel love for the Creator and, respectively, His love for you.

Question: What is the final goal of this work?

Answer: It is in the fact that you come to a complete likeness and adhesion with Him in our own reformed egoism. This is how you rise to the level of the Creator. This is the final goal of creation. You begin to experience a sensation that you are in total adhesion with Him, but you don’t dissolve in it, because your entire vessel stays with you.

In other words, the sensation of being opposite doesn’t get annihilated since adhesion with the Creator occurs above it; otherwise, mutual annihilation would occur. Hence, we must view our egoism as the matter with the help of which we move forth. We should treat it with respect since it is the reverse image of the Creator. Conversely, our whole world is His reverse image at our level.
[95561]
From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/8/12, Lesson 4

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Question: Egoism is the engine of progress. How do I get to the essence of it?

Answer: Start relating to it properly: Egoism is assisting you; it is “help against.” It unfolds so that you transform it into its opposite, and then it will become a helping hand. If we look at things properly, life will stop feeling like tough resistance and an “unbreakable wall.” On the contrary, you always keep playing with your egoism, constantly “juggling” it. You befriend each other, and it already knows that it’s the right thing to do.

And suddenly, behind egoism the Creator appears. It turns out that He is pulling the strings, and now He becomes your partner. Try to view everything not only from below upward, but also from above downward as well, not from creation’s point of view, but from the Creator’s angle, meaning how He has to restrict Himself, what He should send to you and how.

Suppose you have received something from Him. Now you consider how to work with it from below; besides, you can take a glance from His point of view and visualize how He sends you certain conditions and how they descend downward until they form the exact situation you find yourself in.

And what am I supposed to do now? You must appeal to Him from below upward, give Him credit for everything, and patiently start studying while discerning how to arrange things so as to reinforce the awareness of two principles within:

1. There is none else besides Him.
2. Good Who does good.

This is the key. After all, no matter what the Creator is giving me, every case comes down to this, and this is what I must be aiming at all the time. As a result, each time, my response should be as follows: to carry these two principles (1, 2) from state to state, enhancing them more and more. This is the sole purpose of all that happens.

Clearly, in order to implement this, I need a guarantee, support, the Light that Reforms (Surrounding Light, Ohr Makif – O”M), and in general, the Kabbalistic method. But one way or another, everything occurs solely in order to give me a chance to come closer to revealing the Creator, as there in none else besides Him, who is Good Who does good.

[95582]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/14/12, “The Peace”

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Question: Do we draw the Creator by actions that are aimed at the revelation of spirituality? In other words, do we raise the actions or do we lower the Creator?

Answer: There are no such terms as “up” or “down” in spirituality in the simple sense of the words. We can divide them according to quality: Up means a higher quality and down means a lower quality.

I want to be connected to the Creator in all my actions; I want to feel how He manages me from the inside, I want to feel that all my thoughts, feelings, and decisions stem from Him. He is inside me, as the hand wearing the glove of the puppet, the puppeteer.

No matter what I do, it is Him, but everything depends on the extent to which I discover that “there is none else besides Him.” Therefore I ask and yearn for it in order to discover Him in me.

But I can do it only when I am with the group, because it is impossible to discover the attributes of bestowal alone. I am an egoist, an individualist, which means that I have to be with a group and to adhere to it.

I am included in a group, connect to the friends, and try to be with them in one desire, one inclination. Through them I ask for all of us, because I cannot ask for myself, since it will be egoism again. I ask for all of humanity—that the Creator will be revealed in us and that we will all feel Him and feel how He operates in us. This is how I want to see what joy and contentment we are bringing Him.

This is fulfilled by the law of “the end result is in the initial thought,” since in spirituality there is no time and no sequential actions. There is a static state, and it is only with regard to us that it is revealed this way, so that we will perceive it gradually.

We must understand the whole formula of creation from the beginning to the end, since otherwise it won’t work. We have to be moderately involved in it, since even our slightest participation is made of the same ten Sefirot according to the law of “the general and the individual are equal.” So we have to feel ourselves deeply, the group, humanity, and the Creator together in one general picture and to complete it.

Question: What is the Creator’s joy?

Answer: The Creator’s joy is the state in which we are all connected, adhered inside Him, enjoying the same wholeness that is actually the Creator Himself.
[95574]
From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/9/12, Lesson 5

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Instead of holding on to the principle of “there is none else besides Him,” my thought depends on different factors, which I see before me. Instead of looking ahead to see beyond people, beyond the mechanism, beyond all the natural phenomena, and to see just the Creator and myself, I, like a shortsighted person, look at objects that are close to me and see them as the factors my freedom depends on. Just like Don Quixote, I fight windmills, lifeless “scenery.”

As a result, the Creator has to intensify the evil and the sufferings, so that I will have to take a better look at what my life depends on. He does it so that I will not be able to stop this search.

We see this in the example of the state of Israel: Ahmadinejad, the Hamas, threats, missiles, Mubarak instead of Sadat, Mursi instead of Mubarak…the Creator constantly hardens the heart of Pharaoh. Why is that? Because the Jewish People don’t want to see the real reason for what is happening. In the meantime, all the minor reasons were only meant for one thing—to bring Israel to the Creator, so we have to be grateful to them for that. They are merely means.

Accordingly, the people are required to be a bit more clever in order to see who they are dealing with and who is managing the world. The troubles only remind us what the goal is, and it is easy to get rid of them if we turn to the Creator. But we don’t turn to Him in order to receive “rewards,” but in order to correct ourselves, in order to adhere to Him and by that bring Him contentment. Then the current “reminders” will be annulled, and then the “angel of death” will turn into a “holy angel.”

Question: So whom are we working with, with the group or with the external world?

Answer: All of reality, including the external world, including me and the group, are in the Creator. The external world gives me a negative impulse (1), by constantly evoking me to turn to the Creator (2). But I know that I cannot turn to Him directly. First I have to turn to the group, and then together with it to the Creator. Only then will I have a vessel, a desire for it, while nothing will help me if I work individually.

[95523]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/12/12, Writings of Rabash 

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In the News (from news.com.au): “Scientists from the University of Washington are conducting experiments to discover whether the universe exists within a Matrix style computer simulation created by supercomputers of the future.

“The experiment could prove that we are merely pawns in some kind of larger computer game.

“So who created these super computers that may hypothetically power our existence?

“Professor Martin Savage, one of the physicists working on the project says it’s unclear.

“‘Imagine the situation where we get a big enough computer to simulate our universe, and we start such a simulation on our computers. If that simulation runs long enough, and have the same laws as our universe, then something like our universe will emerge within that simulations, and the situation will repeat itself within each simulation,’ he said. …

“In a nutshell the physicists will be looking at the distribution of the highest energy cosmic rays in order to try and detect patterns that could suggest that the universe is the creation of some futuristic computer technology.

“If it turns out that we are bit players in some sort of computer program, the physicist suggested that there may be a way to mess with the program, and play with the minds of our creators – all in the name of science, you understand.”

My Comment: Kabbalah reveals the program of creation of our world; we have to master it, and change ourselves according to it, to reveal the creator of this program—to understand his intention, reasons, and goals. And then, after the correction, meaning full mastery of the properties of the program’s creator, to develop outside the “matrix”—in the world of infinity, that is, unlimited possibilities.
[95602]

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Question: What is a group as a spiritual unit, spiritual entity? How can I properly interact with the group so that we derive the maximum mutual benefit for spiritual growth?

Answer: A group, as a spiritual entity, is the common desire that seeks likeness with the Creator, the property of bestowal. If people who are in the group act contrary to their egoism, then above it, over their general contradictions, they build the property of love and bestowal that they direct at the Creator.

This is called a group. Constant work should be carried out inside it. If a person joins the group, becomes included into it, dissolves in it, he loses his “I,” and he wants to disappear in the group, to give himself fully to what takes place in it; this means that he is a member of the group.

Our “I,” originally created in us, exists only as a black dot, above which I have to accept all external desires as my own. This is called “love your neighbor.”

To love means to perceive all his desires and properties as my own. I restrict my own desires, do not feel them. I exist only in order to feel everything that exists in others as my own. In reality, all our common desires are my field, my Kli, vessel. I will feel the upper world in it; I want to bestow upon the Creator through it, and in it I will reveal Him. And my dot will remain a black dot. In this way I should perceive myself in relation to the group.
[95353]
From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/8/12, Lesson 4

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In his article, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy,” Baal HaSulam writes that love consists of four parts, meaning that when one starts to feel that he is receiving “something,” one can divide this “something” into four levels.

Kabbalists call the pleasant sensation that comes to us under the influence of the upper Light a gift. When we receive a present, we start searching for who gave it to us; we explore what this quality is that is the reason He treats us like this, with what intention and so on. In other words, we don’t get anything but the gift, but we can learn about the Giver by examining His gift and the impact that it produces on us.

If we were presented with a little box as a gift, we are unable to determine much by only looking at it, but we would obviously think that the one who sent it to us treats us well.

On the other hand, if the gift penetrates into us and produces a certain action in us, then we can figure out what the Giver expects from us and why He modifies our internal states the way He does.

We know our prior states and we feel our current, altered state, and the difference between them in certain properties and aspects. Then, we can realize what He wants of us. From the differences between the past and the present, we can tell who He is. In accordance with the changes as they change, we feel His positive qualities. He always changes us for the better, to the positive, to more. It makes us grow, and we start to realize that that is His qualities and that He wants to raise us up to Him.

Accordingly, we are able to distinguish between the four levels of attainment and the four worlds.
[95007]
From the Fundamentals of Kabbalah 12/2/12

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Question: In what way is Hanukkah, which is related to the date of the Maccabee’s victory over the Greeks relevant today? What is its symbolic meaning?

Answer: This holiday symbolizes the fact that eventually unity wins. This is the reason that the Maccabees won, and we have to act in the same way.

The meaning of the holiday is very simple: If the people of Israel unite and draw the Light, they win. It isn’t by force. All the evil forces cannot be beaten but only by unity, although many are close to this approach. In essence, this is our message in mutual guarantee, but it leaves out one key factor. After all, our enemies are also united and even more so than we are.

In fact, Israel can win only if its unity draws the Light. Then through Israel it is passed on to the enemies and changes them from enemies to supporters. This is the real victory.

Thus the war takes place on a totally different dimension. We don’t operate external factors but rather nature’s internal forces and by that win the battle. Here we mustn’t forget that we are dealing with a force that holds all matter and suddenly begins to operate in an opposite way.

The force of receiving, dominance, and cruelty rules our world. In our world, the strong take over others and use them to their advantage in their understanding and feelings, according to their own concepts.

But there is a small, weak group, small and weak according to usual standards. No one takes this group into account, although it can be like a magnifying glass and pass the Light through it—the great force of bestowal. This force will illuminate not the group itself, but its enemies, and then they will calm down, and be corrected; for example, they will suddenly feel that they have to deal with something else in a totally different place.

The nations of the world think that Israel makes the world go round, and Israel really can do that—for the good of the world, of course. If it doesn’t do that, then it is bad for the world. So it turns out that the people of Israel always bring the world either good or bad. By that they have freewill: Like “switchmen,” they direct the Light of Ein Sof (Infinity) one way or another, determining by that its influence on the world and the form it will take.

The question is whether we can dress this Light with the right intention of in order to bestow, or whether we don’t have the right intention. It depends on us, on the Bnei Baruch organization (BB). The Light drips, and we are with it—but are we holding on to the right intention?

If we do, the Light that Reforms reaches everyone and the world is corrected. Then, of course, our enemies also disappear, or, in other words, the hostile desires and forces disappear. This happens if we are united, since then we give the Light the right attire of unity.

If we are separated we don’t give the Light that goes through us the right “wrapping” and it turns into darkness for the world, to its opposite from. It is bad both for the world and for us, since humanity turns back to us, feeling that we are the source of all its troubles.

This response will continue until we finally understand that there is no other way and that we have to correct ourselves to make ourselves and the whole world part of the Creator and to bring Him contentment.

[95287]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/12/12, Writings of Rabash 

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We need to understand that the eternal particle of the soul exists in its potential in every one of us if we unite with the others. It is one for all of us and is initially created as such. If, however, we don’t feel that we exist in one collective whole, this means that none of us has this soul and all we have is just our animalistic nature.

The soul is also called “Adam”—from the Hebrew word “adame”—similar to the Creator.

The desire to receive is totally opposite to the desire to bestow; it wishes to receive, not give, but at the same time, if it realizes itself against its own nature, it becomes similar to the Creator. Its similarity lies in the core of its action, not according to its nature, but according to how it transformed itself. This is its inverse, corrected state and is called the soul or Adam.

It is also called “Shechina.” This is a special word, from the Hebrew word “Shochen,” meaning a place of dwelling, settlement, residence. It is the place where the Light descends to and fills it up.

Thus, there are various names for the soul depending on which of its aspects are being discussed. But generally, no matter what is being discussed, it is the only subject matter: this collective soul, the only one that exists, besides the upper force. And we are its corrupted part and don’t understand where we are. We are in this soul but in a broken state, and that’s why we can’t say that we have it in us. Respectively, all our work is aimed at one goal: only to correct and find ourselves in this reformed state.

There are many people in the world whose parts in the collective soul have been corrected. These parts are called “particular souls”, and they are assisting us.

There is circulation of souls: Every instant a person passes through certain states even if he hasn’t yet entered the spiritual world, meaning that he hasn’t found his part in the common soul and hasn’t become Adam in general, hasn’t linked with this whole system; that is, he is not yet its active part.

This is an enormous egoistic system containing all the egoism of the universe and working on bestowal, in sync with the upper force, with the Creator. They connect, receive from each other and bestow to each other, and between them, a complete contact occurs, a so-called adhesion. One way or the other, we are in this common soul in everything and always, although we are moving toward our goal either willingly or unwillingly; that’s the difference.

People who live in our world without any understanding of it, move around unaware of and yet according to the program of creation. There is nothing that could break the confines of the law of the collective creation. This program is concealed from man, but he doesn’t understand where he is going and what he is doing at any particular moment in time. Suddenly something pushes him, and he acts, instinctively or seemingly conscious. None of us can see what strings we are being pulled by.

Why did one suddenly wish to act this way, think this way, or got into this trouble—we don’t understand. Only having risen over our state of existence and observing ourselves from aside, like a mother watches her child, will we be able to work on ourselves, on our egoism. Then, we will feel when we are being pulled by the strings, and maybe we will be able to pull them ourselves.

This is our development; I come to a state where before I am pulled, I will pull myself. Thereby, I engage the Light to affect me instead of the Light coming to play with me. This is a crucial turning point in a person’s work on his transformation, when he begins controlling his own development.

This, essentially, is what we are striving for: to be handed the governing force and to govern with it on our own. When the Surrounding Light is in my hands, I can engage it and make it affect me as necessary. In that case, I govern my soul; I am equal with it. This is the aim of our development in the group. Because essentially, the group represents the soul for me in a “material” form. If I connect to the friends, I connect with the collective desire, which, actually, is the soul.
[95247]
From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/7/12, Lesson 2

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