In Mitzvot and transgressions, only the intention is what bestows on our general system, on the revelation of the upper Light, on the ability to resemble the Creator. Of course, it also includes the simple relations of the corporeal world relating to others, the world, humanity, nature, and ecology, since your attitude includes all of your feelings. But the Mitzvot and transgressions exist only in relation to the connection and resemblance or lack of resemblance to the Creator.

This is so at each level, inanimate, vegetative, and animate, whereas the last level, the speaking, is the one that executes all the transgressions. If the desire to receive at the level of speaking that is going to connect to the Creator, to resemble Him, does something that is opposed to connection, then that is called a transgression.

“Israel” who longs for the Creator, is the one who makes the transgressions, whereas the “nations of the world” don’t make transgressions. With them there exists only seven Mitzvot of the sons of Noah. The man who in the meantime does not enter the path of direct ascent to the Creator, which is called, “Israel” (direct to the Creator), also needs to relate kindly to others: to maintain nature, its balance and ecology, to have court houses, provide for justice at the level of humanity, not to eat meat of a still living animal, etc.

But the spiritual Mitzvot and transgressions belong only to the ladder of the spiritual levels, to the right and left lines. Without any feeling of a transgression, you won’t be able to discover your evil inclination and won’t feel your need for the Light that Reforms. Thereby you arrive at the middle line.

Thus it is said,” There is no righteous in the land who hasn’t sinned.” We need to discover all the transgressions of our ego, since without that we won’t have a need for correction. If it is written that “the righteous is as full of Mitzvot as a pomegranate,” this means that in the beginning he discovered within him that same number of transgressions.
[76525]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/02/12, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

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A person must check his reactions every moment. Maybe he asks the Creator to give him a good life? In this case it is as if he is saying: “You are sending me evil. Please, be kind to me.” This is what the “99 percent” do.

Or a person says otherwise: “I realize that I feel evil and I understand that the reason for it lies in my qualities, which are opposite to You. After all, everyone rejects according to his own flaws. And I ask You for correction: Give me the strength to correct myself.”

A person experiences burdening along the way (“I have created the evil inclination”), but he remembers that the Creator sends it to him (“I have created the Torah as a spice”). And then the person acquires the Light, which is concealed in the Torah and returns to the Source. He asks for the correction of his own qualities: They are directed towards egoistic reception and are opposite to the Creator—so let them become directed towards bestowal and then the person will feel that the Creator is kind.

But why do I need this? To feel good? In this case, I am still an egoist. Is it so I would stop cursing the Creator? “What if He punishes me for perceiving His goodness as evil?” No, this is also egoism. So how do I form my reaction? What state do I need to come to? This is not about words but the heart’s aspirations: What correction am I asking for?

I ask for a correction when I feel bad in my desire to receive, but in my intention, directed towards the Creator, I feel that it is coming from Him, Good, Who does good.

In this way a person divides into two parts that are connected: He is submerged in darkness in his egoistic, restricted desire for pleasure—and he feels the Light above it. And then he is sure that the correction that he receives is not to satisfy his self-love. No, his pleasure is above this, and he really is in a state of bestowal.

For example: Mom makes me porridge, but I do not like it. Mom knew what she was doing: She made the healthiest food for me. But I cannot see the value in it. Should I ask her for a different porridge? Or should I eat this one that tastes bad, and change my attitude towards mom above my sensations? This way I will begin to acquire her qualities, her view of the world, her desires, directed towards bestowal. This is how I grow as I acquire my spiritual image.

There is no other solution – it is written: “All will attain Me, from the small to the great.” And “attaining” means to unite above our egoism. This is the fundamental principle of spiritual work. And even though it might appear difficult, in reality it is very easy when I act in unity with the group, and it is impossibly difficult when I try to move on my own.
[76949]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/3/12, Shamati #8

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No matter what obstacles we encounter along the way, despair, helplessness, different opinions, thoughts and bad egoistic feelings, hate, unpleasantness, indifference, all this gradually accumulates and creates one huge desire that is called the feeling of the “exile in Egypt.” Only by discovering its full size, will we be able to imagine the redemption from its dark depths.

Thus the thought about redemption is added to the feeling of exile and leads us to freedom. The darkness that we feel standing in front of Pharaoh and the escape from this darkness, are all important clarifications within the Light that is revealed to a person who works in order to come out of exile.

The Light makes him feel an increasingly greater darkness and fear of the place he is in, of his own attributes. The main thing here is not to torture ourselves and not to let go, but to understand that we have to go through the full detailed feeling of exile. After all, this is the revelation of the nature of creation, about which it is written: “I have created the evil inclination.” Now our job is only to ask for the Reforming Light.

When this whole situation is clearly clarified in a person’s perception, he understands that the changes do not occur on the physical level, but on the level of the attributes that reveal the relationship between them. There is a general system and all its parts are interconnected in total interdependence. This is how all of creation was created.

But since this connection comes from Above, only the faintest Light is revealed in it, the Light of Nefesh, and then the power of repulsion and hate, the ego, is revealed among all the separated parts and gradually grows. This is already the real creation that was created outside the perfect previous state. The created being was shattered and now we have to work in order to connect him.

Nothing changes in the corporeal world. We have to imagine a picture in which the internal attributes of things change, the relationships, which are totally detached from the corporeal forms of time, motion, and space. This is very helpful.

You should understand that a person has no connection to the Light he is in if he doesn’t yearn to connect with others. Only if he makes an effort to connect with others above the natural feeling of repulsion, does he evoke and draw upon himself the Light that surrounds him.

On the other hand, we may say that a person connects with the Creator only through the general system. To the extent that a person can connect with it, he has contact with the upper Light.

There is no other means to come close to the Creator, to the Light, but through the general system. If a person is partially connected to the system of the souls, then his connection with the Light will not be whole either. The order of the spiritual levels is determined by that. If I connect to others by 20%, then I connect to the Creator by 20% and rise to the height of 20% on the spiritual levels. Everything is measured in relation to the desires. So our work is to intensify the connections among all of humanity, in all of reality, and then we will be able to contact the Creator.
[76824]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/26/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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It’s said: “Every action leaves a mark.” Our advancement happens due to the Returning Light. It impacts us to the degree to which our desires are ready to accept It. Thus, their structure is gradually clarified.

The structure of a desire that is equivalent to the Light is in fact a connection through which we eventually start sensing the Light. It’s a permanent construction that constantly expands. Together it includes four (4) stages of HaVaYaH; that’s why it’s called the “revelation of the Creator’s names.” Numerous combinations of desires denote qualities of the Light. Within our desires we perceive the Light as if we’ve placed a screen before It; that is how we recognize what the Light is.

If we look through the tinted glass, we see that the Light acquires the color of the glass. This is how we get to know that the Light can have various colors. We need special tools to discover a new phenomenon. We also have to use additional remedies that will allow us to determine some qualities that are a part of the phenomenon that was just discovered.

This is what our work is about. The difference between regular scientific research and spiritual practice is that material scientific exploration involves using an external device, whereas in the spiritual search we use ourselves as a tool. We alter ourselves and try to apply the actions of creation to us to the extent of the level we have attained.

We do not develop our old properties, but rather reveal new ones; that’s why our work is called “spiritual.” Our effort should be oriented towards forming new properties that are similar to the Creator’s qualities; this is how we reveal His personality.

In the material realm, we tend to acquire practical knowledge about what’s going on around us and who we are. For that purpose we widen our existing natural characteristics through the development of science and technological progress. This is a basic difference: When we achieve a final stage of development on this plane, we will eventually see that we haven’t gotten anywhere. Moreover, we see that we have reached a dead-end. Our growth led us only to enormous egoism; we managed to reveal our evil nature to the extent that it became unbearable.

We have fallen to the very bottom of jealousy, ambition, hatred, and all sorts of evil conditions that we go through in relation to our neighbors. Previously, we at least had the illusion that we would get kinder and build a better society for everybody. At this time, we see that only fear of punishment stops us from using others selfishly and unsparingly.

The difference is that while working spiritually, we discover new properties, thus we get closer to the Creator; whereas when we work materialistically, we only get to explore the tangible nature of this realm. However, at this material plane, as well as during our elevation from here to the Creator, we still go through the same four stages of HaVaYaH, as it is said “I, HaVaYaH, do not change Myself.” This is why every action of ours brings us closer to the goal.
[75258]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/22/12, Shamati #190

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A person judges himself according to how he feels.

If I accept the conditions: “There is none else besides Him,” the Creator is absolutely good, He is the good and the benevolent, He totally fills everything, and I am in the Upper Light, then I feel Him according to my equivalence to Him, according to the law of the equivalence of form. And if I am opposite to Him, I feel like I am bad or I feel the Upper Light is bad; there is no difference. Whoever blames someone else, is actually blaming himself and his own attributes.

But if I have accepted the fact that “There is none else besides Him,” the Creator is absolutely good, He fills everything, and I feel good, then I actually am in this goodness, I really feel it.

How? In the connection with my friends. But what detector, what sense do I use?

We must clearly understand where we feel the appearance of the Creator, the revelation of His Providence, His attitude towards us!

If I feel it in me, it is an egoistic feeling, I simply feel good today, I am in a good mood, I slept well, I woke up and everything is fine.

We should understand how we feel this in the sense called the “soul.” A “soul” is adhesion, the connection of our points in the heart, our mutual yearnings in the group, in our attitude towards the world, to humanity, to everything.
[76214]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/25/2012, Lesson 5

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As a result of the process of correct interaction in the group, a person feels more that he is a great sinner and egoist, that he hates others, and he has all kinds of negative desires and thoughts, intrigues, etc.

He reveals this in himself to such an extent that he begins to cry to the Creator to correct him. He starts realizing that only the Creator can correct him because he feels that everything comes from the Creator, and there can be no other source from which this would have resulted, even from its very nature.

He reveals the Creator in the opposite form, as the creator of something bad. But at the same time he reveals that the Creator has created evil in him on purpose in order to force him to turn to Him, and then the Creator corrects him.

Why was it necessary to go this way—to create evil so a person gradually reveals it in himself and turns to the Creator with a plea for correction?
[76699]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/24/2012, Lesson 4

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Question: Looking back on the way, I see how Pharaoh is constantly walking by me. Not long ago a new trend has emerged, systematic vector psychology, and many think it is very similar to Kabbalah. This means that Pharaoh is becoming more cunning.

Answer: The Kabbalistic method is very direct. It speaks about one thing only, but gradually it reveals more and more. A person discovers greater depth and motion in the Kabbalistic text ,and if he operates accordingly, he reaches a point of adhesion with the Creator, with the one force that manages everything. Everything else was invented by man.

But in order to direct us to Him, this force constantly formats us more accurately, more finely, until we become as sharp as the attribute of bestowal, in order to enter the “needle’s eye.”

Throughout history man has invented different methods. 3,800 different methods, beliefs, and religions have officially been counted, but there can be more or less since they disappear for lack of believers. New theories are constantly emerging. Since the middle of the 20th century there have been many new methods based on different scientific findings. In addition there have been many methods that are used by secret services, for example, the development of a person’s internal mental powers. People don’t even know about it.

All these methods are based only on the ego and its development. If it seems that it is a development above the ego, it is still altruistic egoism that characterizes 10% of the world’s population who want to do each other good, to preserve the ecology, to protect nature, the animals, etc. In other words they deal with the altruism of our world, yet it is still the same egoism.

There is a very thin border, a struggle, clarifications, and examinations: “So what is the pure method for attaining the upper Light?” It comes down to the constant internal clarification of our direction.

I believe that all the other methods are very helpful. Everything in the world was created in order to help “clean” people from different confusions and mistakes.

On this basis we have to clarify what the truth is. This means that you don’t clarify psychology, not different methods of intellectual training and not ESP, but rather resemblance to the Light, by drawing the Light upon you. This is the whole difference between the Kabbalsitic method and other methods.

All the new methods that seemingly resemble Kabbalah are given to us by Pharaoh or by the Creator through Pharaoh. It is written: “I have hardened his heart,” and this is in order to sift, to sort out, the people who may be a burden on our groups.

So we shouldn’t feel sorry about the many people who come and that later 90% of them leave. The wisdom of Kabbalah chooses only those who belong to the Creator, those who can really mediate between Him and the rest of humanity. The spiritual world is built on quality not on quantity.

We are happy about every person who arrives, but everyone is free to choose. We don’t underestimate anyone in any way, but if a person leaves, it is his free will. This means that he still has to work on himself on other levels and he isn’t ready to come yet. He received something from us; he will later process it, and after a while will return to us. If he doesn’t, then he has his own way and he will end it in his next life, while we want to finish it in this life.

The wisdom of Kabbalah spreads knowledge, like a farmer who plants seeds while walking in the plowed field, and if someone picks up what falls, that’s good. It doesn’t depend on our desire. We can only hope that as many people as possible will hear about it and then it is already the Creator’s work.
[76632]
From KabTV’s “Foundations Of The Integral Society” 4/08/12

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Question: What is the spreading of the attributes of Bina downward, which helps the lower one?

Answer: Bina spreads downward and changes our attributes by enabling us to feel the Light of Hassadim, bestowal. The influence of Bina provides a person with protection, a shield, like a mother who protects her child. When a baby is in his mother’s arms, no one can harm him thanks to her Light of Hassadim that scares away the forces of impurity, the shells (Klipot.)

Egoistic forces retreat before the Light of Hassadim (Mercy); they are afraid of the mother. After all, she shines with the Light of bestowal that is totally opposite to them, and they cannot understand it and be next to it.

Try to stop a person on the street and tell him that he must love others. Can you imagine the negative response you would encounter because this is a most hateful and repulsive thing for a person? Thus, Bina protects us.

Can you see how the spiritual world guards itself from us, the egoists? If you really want spirituality, please, come and bestow! But if you want to receive spirituality, these two things don’t go together. Spirituality is bestowal.

So, until we are ready, it protects itself from us with a shield. We cannot even get near the spiritual world because it repels us like the two poles on a magnet.

Why should I get near something like that if there is no benefit in it, only losses? How can I get close to something that means death for my ego?

So, by spreading in the lower Partzuf, the mother (Ima) covers all its vessels, thus ensuring that they will remain in holiness. The intention of “in order to receive” cannot be evoked in such a place when the mother protects us this way.

Then, the mother’s beauty is revealed, Hochma, and it becomes attractive, like a woman, a bride, a sister. However, this is when Hochma is revealed within Bina. Bina, itself, isn’t attractive; it only provides protection.
[76316]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, 4/23/12, The Study of the Ten Sefirot

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By eliminating our own “I” and giving the opportunity for the upper Light to flood everywhere, fill everything, and manifest everywhere, we are bringing enormous joy to the Creator, attaining our purpose, and starting to become equivalent with Him. We overcome our old nature, annul it and become nothing. This is what our spiritual development starts from, as a beginning, as a seed inside a mother who begins to develop it.

Right now we need to think about what pleasure that we bring Him so we would receive delight from that, so that the aspiration to please Him would become our fulfillment.

In this manner, we gradually enter the upper Light. It’s still barely discernible, but we are already figuring out which occurrences in our sensations we will go through in order to begin to reveal Him in action.

If my fulfillment will come from providing a place for the Creator to appear and reveal Himself, from delighting Him, from pleasing Him—then this will be all of my joy. Our work begins with this. From this starting point onward, we find ourselves in a state of “There is none else besides Him,” annulling ourselves and creating an opportunity only for Him to fill all of our feelings, all our thoughts. And indeed, in this case only He fulfills us.

We need to be confident that by moving in this way we’ll gradually start to enter into even greater contact with Him, we will begin to feel more clearly that which fulfills us. Out of nothingness, out of concealment, His properties and His ruling over us will be revealed more and more. We will begin to feel how desires and thoughts are created inside us. And we will go along with these desires and thoughts, understanding that everything comes from Him, and agree with it. The main thing is to show and reveal the Creator within us more and more through our common unity, through everyone in the world. We’ll try to bring up the whole world toward this state. And we’re confident that we’ll achieve this.
[76350]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/24/12, Workshop 2

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When a person begins to stabilize himself with regard to the Creator, he sees that all the reality that he feels is inside him, including the group and all of humanity. All of creation, everything, takes place in his desire to receive. Except for this desire there is only the Creator.

While reading The Zohar, we discover different states that exist in our desire to receive that are more bestowal oriented and are aimed at the Creator.

First, our desires are totally separated and dispersed: all the inanimate, the vegetative, the animate and the human levels of nature. This is how a person perceives reality. But gradually we begin to see that the system is more organized, more integral, and closed. We even feel that it pressures us and that it is totally in mutual connections.

So there are two processes here, one approaching the other. A person discovers and realizes more as he develops. On the other hand, the system itself seems to be more stabilized externally, to be connected with all its parts, and to pressure us so that we will begins to perceive it as unified and closed. This means that at the same time there is both an “awakening from below” and an “awakening from Above.”

There are two ways we can develop, by the “way of the Torah” or “by suffering.” By the Torah, we advance as we hasten ourselves, trying to discover the system as more round and mutually connected, and by that we can understand the upper force, the Upper Providence.

But the system shows us that it is one organic and connected body that pressures us by these connections, making our life more difficult. We have to try to perceive reality only as one system, no matter what, through which the upper force wants to be revealed to us. The Creator is waiting to dress Himself in this system and to fill it according to the equivalence of form.

The Zohar describes very high and advanced states, but when we read about them, we lower them to our level, just like children with their naïve perception of the world. A smart grown-up understands the internal connection between things, what stems from what, and how everything is arranged, while a child looks at the same thing and sees the world differently, by perceiving only a narrow part of reality.

The Zohar too, reveals all of reality to us, but we perceive only a very small part of it. But each time when we try to stabilize our internal world according to what The Zohar tells us, by our efforts and our attempts to discern where all the attributes that are described by The Zohar (the “inanimate,” “vegetative,” “animate” and “speaking) are inside us, we advance.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/25/12, The Zohar

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