Question: I think egoism is a positive quality, without which one cannot develop. If a child has no egoism, he does not strive to learn and grow.

Answer: The quest for knowledge, education, culture, to see the world, to fly into space, this is not called evil egoism. The evil inclination is bad relationships between us, the desire to use others, to suppress them.

Just a desire to grow and become a great man is not egoism because by this I may want to bring benefit to humanity. Egoism is a desire to submit others, to enslave them.

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is the quintessence of all evil. This special power, inherent in every human being by nature, is called the evil inclination, which spoils our relationships with each other. We are talking only about it, not about the human desire for development.

Pharaoh is called the king of Egypt, because he reigns over us absolutely, without consulting our desire. He just orders us what to do—burdens us with hard work.

Pharaoh commands us to build, that is, to unite. But as soon as we want to unite, he stands between us and makes us quarrel with each other, and enjoys this.

Today’s human being is a slave of a special force called Pharaoh. In nature, there is a force that advances the whole world in the process of evolution. It leads to the overall development of technology, science, culture, and education.

But within this development, there is a force that make us treat each other in a bad, selfish way, to enjoy the fact that we are superior to others, are successful and can harass them.

Everyone wants to be Pharaoh and control others. If he has the ability to put down others so that they have nowhere to escape, he gets pleasure from it. This means that Pharaoh lives within each of us.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 3/24/15

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Question: Passover begins with the night of the Passover Seder (order)—a ceremony filled with many details. What does the night symbolize?

Answer: The Seder is the order of the exodus from Egypt, the course of action that a person must make within himself to break away from his egoism, to rise above it, and then come back to it in the days of counting the Omer (Sefirat Omer), to correct all his egoistic desires.

Question: If I were your grandson, what advice would you have given me in light of the holiday of Pesach?

Answer: Learn how to break away from your ego.

Question: But what is wrong with my ego?

Answer: It overshadows all your life, and you need to leave it and run away from it. If you do not learn how to do this, you will be getting blows that will nonetheless teach you to escape from it, but it is a very hard, bitter, and long study.

Question: What is the ego?

Answer: The ego is your bad attitude towards other people. You can have ten meals a day, have a family and children, build a palace for yourself, be a billionaire—this is not considered the ego.

The ego means that you want to use a person who is like you to his detriment, in order to rise above him, to suppress him. Ego is measured only in relation to the evil use of others.

Question: What is “the night of Passover Seder“?

Answer: The “night of Passover Seder” is a break, an escape from evil use of others. This night symbolizes that we come to life in the Egyptian darkness and get blows because of our ego. Pharaoh within us undergoes blows.

Imagine that your body receives blows, illness, disappointments, problems from children, from family, from relatives, from parents and grandchildren, from everything that exists. The unfortunate Pharaoh, i.e., your nature is suffering so much that you want to escape from it: “It is better to die than have such a life!” This is Egyptian darkness.

And suddenly out of this darkness, it is revealed that we can rise above it—and then I run away. I flee in a hurry and care about nothing. This is the exodus from Egypt. This is what we celebrate: the fact that the exit, like the eye of a needle, has been opened to us and through it we can escape from there. It is such a hardship!

But we can come to this hard life because we think, understand, and study, and then we can recognize great evil within a small one. Similarly, people listen to lectures about the danger of smoking, and they realize they should not bring themselves to poisoning and severe illnesses; they recognize this evil in advance and escape. We can do the same thing with “Egypt.” And if not, then we will feel our life in utter darkness, especially the people of Israel.

Let’s examine ourselves and reveal that we are in the grip of our ego, called “Pharaoh,” and therefore we will not have a good life if we continue to obey it. Let’s decide as soon as possible, that we must run away from it, escape from the power of Pharaoh existing within each of us, from the power of our ego, at least to break away from it.

If we accept this decision together, it will be very easy for us because all the people come out of Egypt. Let’s come to public agreement, run away, and rise above evil attitude towards each other. Then our life in the country will become completely different. Happy Passover!
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” 3/24/15

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We have a means that can help the whole world. When we come out of Egypt, from loathing and mutual hatred, we will see that the true human mutual connection solves all the problems.

Therefore today, Abraham’s method is needed everywhere. It is the present need and if we, the Israeli nation, do not fulfill and present it to humanity, the pressure that is put on us will grow. It is because the world subconsciously feels that we are hiding the key to happiness from it.

But if we do what we have to do and set a good example, the world will receive it with gratitude and respect. On the whole, this is exactly what the world expects of us.

I wish a holiday of unity and connection to all my friends!
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We must be concerned about fuel for advancement and the quality of the work, and not just run after the quantity. Otherwise, this will lead to a great fall. We must sit together and think about a method for approaching people. The moment you seriously begin to take care of the general public, you will get a second wind. Now, you feel tired after a long run. Even though you had great success, this no longer excites you and doesn’t give you the same vigor as you had before. You have gotten used to being successful and there is nothing new about it. Everything comes to an end and you have begun to get sick and tired of it.

It is like the four phases of Ohr Yashar (Direct Light). Why can’t the first phase go on forever? This is because, after it (Aleph-Lamed-Peh) finishes, the second phase (Bet-Yod-Tav) begins. After that finishes, the third phase begins.

The Light influences the desire and constantly changes it. Eventually, it becomes qualitatively new from reception to bestowal, from Hochma to Bina. So, the same thing will happen in our work as well. It is impossible to play the same game until the end of life.

When people fall in love, they swear that they will love each other until the end of their lives, but it is clear that love will fade before we die, for we evolve quickly. In our day, development is very rapid, so people marry and divorce a number of times in their lives.

It means that each state will end and we shouldn’t wait for it to happen. Already, in advance, we should understand that even though our dissemination work is productive, correct, and good, and we cant diminish its importance, it already requires additions. It is up to us to think about the quality of the work, for every new level is attained by improving the quality.

It means that the connection with people must be more qualitative. The next stage is precisely the same as the previous one, but with a greater level of connection. We need to meet with the same people we already have contacted and begin to teach them the method of correction. It is necessary to send explanatory material to them, to have workshops and unification evenings with them, and to teach them through the television channels and the Internet to continually keep them interested. It is as if we enrolled them in a school, and now it is up to us to begin the first grade.

As a result of this, we will become a conduit that connects people with the Creator. We are not yet this conduit, rather, we have only reached the first point of contact.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/21/14, The Book of Zohar

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Question: What is the role of the Israeli nation? Is it to be experts in connection and to teach the nations of the world, or is it to connect first between us and thus set an example for everyone? Which is more important?

Answer: Our unity is within the borders of Israel. This is the most important thing. This is where the examples and the method of connection will reach others. Moreover, it will draw the Light that Reforms for the entire world.

Only we can do that. If we fulfill the connection between us, even without disseminating our message all over the world, it already will bring about the correction of the entire world. Accordingly, our groups disseminate in different countries so that they will be able to ascend, to connect, and allow the Creator to be revealed in them. This, of course, is done together with us.

Therefore, if all the groups in the world gathered in Israel, it would be enough for us to disseminate within these boundaries. After all, when we disseminate, we unite here, and it spreads all over the world.

Baal HaSulam says in “The Introduction to Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” “When the children of Israel are complemented with the complete knowledge, the fountains of intelligence and knowledge shall flow beyond the boundaries of Israel and water all the nations of the world…”

In addition, Rabash says in Letter 18, “The Lord will bestow the abundance unto the nations of the world by the nation of Israel who are more capable than all the nations of the world of getting close to the Lord.”

So, we cannot come to the nations of the world with any complaints, no matter how they treat us. That is something else. Don’t come to anyone with your complaints. It is you who give birth to Hitler and all our other enemies by your actions.

We are the ones who tilt the scales to one side or another, and it is a very serious matter. Therefore, our work is only in connecting. If the Jews were connected and united, there would have been no persecutions, and no one would have expelled them from Spain or from other countries, and their life could have been totally different even in exile.

Every movement a person makes in this world is like a movement of an electric charge in a force field, or of an iron rod in a magnetic field. The Light operates me, and, accordingly, I manage everything in my life.

All we need is connection and from this connection to turn to the Creator. It also works in politics, in the economy, in every area. Thanks to this we will bring order to the entire world. Then, we will begin to understand the reasons for anti-Semitism and the increasing general pressure that we feel.

The point is that it is not the PLO or Hamas, or Teheran. Everything depends on us. When we disrespect connection, we bring about such afflictions.

These forces are not a punishment but help so that we will improve our ways, unite, connect, and operate correctly. Therefore, we must justify them and use them as fast as we can, according to our goal.

When we begin to connect here, within the boundaries of Israel, we will feel how all the bad things melt away and fade like clouds that disappear from the sky.
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From the 5^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/1/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Baal HaSulam, “The Inheritance of the Land”: Israel will not return to their land unless they all become one bundle.

Land (Eretz) refers to desire (Ratzon). We want to acquire the “land of Israel” which is a special desire that has to be aimed at the Creator, Yashar-El (straight to the Creator). This means that we have to focus our desire on the Creator, in order to bestow, and this is expressed when we focus ourselves on love of others.

How is all that related to the geographic location of the state of Israel? Is it about branches and roots? The Jewish nation can live on their land only if they are compatible with the laws that operate between the nation and the spiritual land of Israel.

This means that when my desires are focused on delighting the Creator, it is expressed in delighting others according to the principle of all of Israel are friends and are  mutually responsible for one another; don’t do unto others what is hateful to you; love thy friend as thyself; as one man in one heart, etc.

If I am attracted to that, it means that I correct all my desires with the help of the Upper Light, and then they change from foreign desires to internal desires; they turn from a dry land to a desire to Yashar-El. Then, as I enter the spiritual land of Israel in spirituality, I am attracted to the land of Israel in corporeality.

This is the reason that the Creator sent Abraham from Babylon to the land, which was the land of Canaan at the time, so that he would correct himself there and feel the true nature of Yashar-El. It is about both the internal work and about corporeal actions. The families of Abraham’s students collected their belongings, their camels, their sheep, and goats and travelled to that place. This transition was according to their work of connection, according to what Abraham had taught them.

The people in the world don’t understand the law of compatibility between a branch and a root. But it was expressed even in Babylon, when its people scattered all over the globe. First they were as one nation, although they were many tribes and extended families. Then when the ego erupted between them and began to expand, the signs of separation appeared.

People connected to one another, drew away from another, and thus they divided into groups that eventually left Babylon and scattered all over the world. This is how the nations of the world were created. They were formed according to the egoistic desires that determined their uniqueness and who could get along with whom. Consequently, we see that today every nation has its unique mentality, customs, traditions, etc.

In addition, people from all of Babylon who had a point in the heart gathered around Abraham regardless of the tribes or the extended families to which they belonged. When they heard the message that Abraham spread they felt that they wanted to belong to that group, which headed towards Canaan according to the law of branch and root.

The rest of the people didn’t know why they were attracted to different places. It is the same today: A person doesn’t feel that it is the Creator who sends him everything in life and that He guides him in a certain direction or another. It seems that everything happens by chance, without a cause, although nothing is random in nature. The reasons are simply concealed from us.

On the other hand, Abraham’s group received a clear order: “Go to your land.” In other words, the students felt very clearly the connection between the spiritual root and the corporeal branch. They were in a state of Canaan and therefore reached the land of Canaan.

Later they connect more strongly to one another until they reached the state of the “house of Jacob,” meaning unity in smallness (Katnut). Then they discovered that they lacked an additional inner drive, resistance, or in short, an addition, material for work.

Thus, their egoistic desire began to grow, which is called the exile in Egypt. This internal process was accompanied by an external process: They went down to Egypt. There they underwent different experiences according to their internal states: seven years of satiety, seven years of hunger, the plagues of Egypt, although all this took place externally and not in complete accordance with their internal states.

We cannot discern this connection; therefore, there is no point looking for definite parallels. In the spiritual exodus from Egypt, for example, all of Egypt, which means the whole egoistic desire, fell. After all, the children of Israel broke off from the big ego. It existed between them and didn’t let them connect despite all their efforts until they had a chance to rise above it. Generally speaking, this connection was possible only above the ego and not inside it or together with it.

But something different happened in the corporeal world. Egypt didn’t fall immediately after the children of Israel left it. After all, this world exists although there is nothing spiritual about it. This is where the lack of correlation between the spiritual destruction of Egypt and the spiritual branch stems from.

We establish our reality among us on the spiritual level, and the corporeal level, which is perceived by our five senses, remains the same. There is no spiritual content in it and it doesn’t have to become desolate according to spiritual events. This is how the difference between the levels is revealed as the corporeal Egypt remains in its place although it has been destroyed in our internal states.

It says that the spiritual root has to touch the corporeal branch, but only to touch it. It isn’t dressed in it and doesn’t operate in it.
[133998]
From the 5^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/30/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: People who survived the Holocaust ask how such a thing could have happened if “There is none else besides Him.”

Answer: It is impossible to answer this question on the corporeal level. A person asks simply: “if the Creator is good, He has to do what I think is good, but if I feel bad, it is sign that He is bad or that He doesn’t exist at all.” Then he reaches the conclusion: “Well then, the Creator doesn’t exist.”

In order to give a different answer, we need to explain that Israel has to manage the world and because they cannot manage it properly the world suffers, and of course the first to suffer are those who brought the world to this condition.

There is no other reason for the sufferings. The ball is always in your hands, from the days of Abraham onwards. And don’t say that you couldn’t and that you didn’t know, you have always known and always could. It is all very straight forward.

But if I say that to people, they may think that I blame them and that I am against them. It is like a child who is told that he did something wrong and he cries that daddy is bad. Why is daddy bad if I explain to you and show you your mistake so that you will not go wrong again? No, daddy is bad in any case! This is what he feels in his ego.

It says: “He has given a law that cannot be broken.” This is the reason that the Creator is called nature. Can nature change? If a volcano erupts, is it that the lava destroys someone and someone else is spared? would it hit someone and spare someone else? If it rains, everyone gets wet. Here there are no questions.

If the nation of Israel does not begin to do what they have to do, all the atrocities will repeat, and even more than once. If during your lifetime you repeat the same mistake over and over again because of your weak character you receive blows each time. The same thing happens with the world.

The atrocities of the Nazis we underwent during WWII can be repeated as many times as necessary until you will realize what you must do and do it. If you don’t, then Nazism will never end. We are facing this state right now and nothing can be done. Only our internal unity and our dissemination outward can prevent the adversity, not only for the Jews but for the whole world.
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From the 5^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/28/14, Topic: Holocaust Memorial Day

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Question: Why does Baal HaSulam write that after democracy and socialism comes a fascist regime?

Answer: Because democracy is incapable of satisfying the desire for pleasure. The desire for pleasure grows and demands progress. The person himself wants to be more connected, and democracy brings him to this. Yet what kind of benefit does he get from connection; how do we realize it?

The realization of unity can only be either for the sake of our personal benefit or for the sake of the Creator. One of the two, there is no third. If we advance in a simple and natural way, then the connection comes about for the sake of our benefit. And this means that we are connected against everyone else and we try to turn them into our slaves, subjugating them.

An approach like this can be seen all over the world, more or less following every democratic government. After people get at least a little freedom, they immediately begin to feel that they lack connection. Yet they don’t know how to use it: “So we got connected, and what’s next?”

We are compelled to exploit this connection for the sake of someone or something. Ultimately it is realized in fighting against the others and showing how strong, unified, and consolidated we are among all of the people. This emerges naturally and inevitably. Today this tendency can already be seen in the world. From month to month the world approaches Nazism more and more.

It is enough to look at what is generally happening in the common European market, their decision-making, events happening in the United States, in Russia, and in many nations. It could be that you don’t feel this very much, yet I see that Nazism is becoming acceptable in society.

We are beginning to talk about it as something legitimate. We begin from a distance with the fact the we must discuss it so that it won’t return. But in the meantime, until we begin the discussions, we arrange conventions and printed material and people get used to the subject. This is the first stage.

Although it is said that Nazism is a negative phenomenon, but researchers and historians supposedly should discuss it. After that philosophers and futurists join this discussion, they investigate and examine how and why this happened. As a result of this, they reach the conclusion that this behavior is inherent in human nature and the Nazi regime was a natural and valid stage in the development of humanity. That is, it is embedded in our nature and cannot be avoided.  And so the legitimization of fascism is made.

After that begin the speeches about the necessity of the unity of the people, the need for sanctions against immigrants, the necessity of uniting against enemies because we are weak and losing. It would be like talking about steps necessary for survival. The idea gradually spreads. For this purpose there exists a special technology with whose help in a few years it will be possible to sell people anything.

Hitler didn’t immediately come to power either. Many years passed from World War I until World War II. He had some kind of a base upon which to stand; he was truly elected by the majority. Today it is even easier to do this because connection in our day is even more in demand, an even more sensitive topic. There is even greater disappointment in our development.

We as humanity have stopped developing. A new mobile phone every half-year doesn’t testify to technological advancement. These technologies are already old; there is nothing new, just a change in the external shape to sell the product. We have reached the limit of development of technical thinking and soon the same thing will happen in biology and everything else.

So there are many reasons for the development of Nazism. These trends are continuing to grow in all nations: France, Ukraine, United States, Russia, and it would be worthwhile to think about this before it is too late.
[133847]
From the 5^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/28/14, Topic: Holocaust Memorial Day

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Question: From a spiritual point of view, Passover is a separation from the evil ruling in me, from my selfish motives in relation to others. Many homes have a special cabinet, which holds a separate set of dishes for Passover. What does this custom to change all the dishes for Passover symbolize?

Answer: In fact, a special set of dishes for Passover is a modern trend. Previously, before Passover people just made new dishes—from clay, wood, or animal skin.

New dishes symbolize new vessels, i.e., our desires, which we previously used for our own sake. Now we cannot use them in this way but only in order to bestow. I have to change the set of my desires in relation to others.

Question: What does it mean “a set of everyday dishes” that we use throughout the year and “a set of dishes for Passover?”

Answer: “A set of everyday dishes” is an egoistic desire to enjoy at the expense of others, and then you repress and use it.

“A set of dishes for Passover” represents, on the contrary, using altruistic desires for the good of others.

You have to replace one set with another—to use your desires in love for others, in bestowal. This is called “new vessels.” And after you use these new vessels for a week, you can begin to return to your old vessels because you already know how to correct them, i.e., to use in the correct way.
[156807]
From KabTV’s “A New Life” 3/24/14

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An article written by my student , M. Brushtein:

The Passover Seder (festive meal) is not far off.  Many people know that this holiday is dedicated to the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, which occurred about 34 centuries ago.

Since then, this momentous event is celebrated every year for the whole week. If we consider that it is preceded by a lot of laborious activities and accompanied by all sorts of restrictions, there is a fair question, “Why is such special attention paid to this holiday?”

The tragic events that preceded the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and that subsequently occurred during the wanderings in the desert are well known. Along with this, one event stands out from all the rest. The fact is that nothing like that had ever happened to anyone else.

For the first time in history of humanity, the Jewish people decided to raise the bar of interpersonal relationships to the level of “as one man with one heart.” If we look at the holiday of Passover from this point of view, then much if not all of what that we know about Passover and the Jews may have to be radically reviewed.

Imagine for a moment the situation of those days. The Jews under the guidance of their leader Moses are leaving Egypt – a country, where they were enslaved for centuries. It would seem, what do former slaves need? – To settle quickly in a new place to live safely and enjoy new found freedom. But in reality, something strange took place.

After a long ordeal in the desert, the Jews gather at the foot of Mount Sinai and take on themselves, frankly, an unbearable burden. They agree to guarantee for each other. We know that this is impossible in principle. Didn’t people have other things? Who needed this mutual guarantee anyway?

But in fact, the answer is obvious: “In order for a people to live, thrive and grow, it must be united, and it is unlikely anyone will argue with this.” Question: “On the basis of the principle, ​​through what idea can this be done?”

Of course, you can unite the people on the idea of ​​universal equality and brotherhood and on the idea of ​​national superiority; it is also possible to unite the people by the American dream.

There is a practical question – “How and for how long will these principles and ideas work?”  We know the answers. With all that, these principles are rational and understandable, but the idea of ​​”mutual guarantee” or even worse – “love thy neighbor as thyself” – is irrational, that is, essentially impossible.

Why then, has the idea of ​​”love thy neighbor,” irrational at first glance, lived for more than 3,000 years and is perceived with understanding by anyone in the world, but rational ideas – “national ideas” are always taken ill and die within a generation?

And yet, how could the Jews implement this idea in reality? Let’s not talk about such things as the upper force or the Creator. Let’s talk about where we started – mutual guarantee.

It says in the Torah that the Jews, one and all, decided unanimously to guarantee for each other. It can be said it was a matter of the whole people, with all the consequences. Obviously, this was the reason for success.

Later, as we know and due to various reasons, the people became indifferent towards this idea in order to then return to it again.

In both cases, the Jews thrived and prospered. Having united as one man with one heart in those ancient times, the Jewish people became a model for many nations and the founder of the ethical values ​​that underlie the whole of civilization.

Today, the Jewish people as one, can give an example of correct relations. If all the people becomes engaged with this and if this idea becomes nationwide, as in the days of Moses, then without a doubt, the Jewish people will be able to realize it.

The choice is ours.
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