Question:  When the addition of ego rejects and throws us off the goal, we go to the group to receive help. At the same time, how can we not erase or extinguish this new situation? Because it needs to bring us benefit.

Answer: It depends on the group: it should be like a commando, it needs to value the toil.

Question: What out of all this depends on me?

Answer: I am happy about my connection with the group, and I am sorry that I am not yet in adhesion with the upper. You need to imagine the desired state and then the lack of being in conformity with the current reality inside you; you will invite sorrow that should later become pangs of love.

Let’s assume that I attained some spiritual state, and then what we call, “I hit my head” and suddenly I forgot the goal and found myself some place, in the movie theatre. I enjoy eating popcorn, drinking Coke, and seeing an interesting movie; this is not suffering, but pleasure from disconnection from the main thing. Moreover, I enjoy not only beastly pleasures, but rather that I’m disconnected from spirituality.

But then the lack of meaning in my life again reminds me of His existence, and I begin to return. I go back to the group again, listen to the friends, and annul myself to them from lack of choice until they again begin to influence me with the importance of the Creator, the importance of the goal. They wash my brain with blatant propaganda that is mixed with a lie, but I intentionally go through all this and eventually the goal becomes important to me.

Then I receive with love everything I experience: the forgetfulness, the pleasure at the movie theatre, and the descent of the value of spirituality in my eyes. Whether I want it or not, this comes from the Creator and I had to go through this in order to be corrected.

Now I begin to collect inside me other sufferings, torments of love, because I as if want to reach adhesion and connection, but meanwhile I don’t have even suffering for that, I am still not even sorry that I am not there, I don’t have a real deficiency or even a lack for the deficiency. I only have a tiny bud of something, and from this great distance, I begin the path.

The question that arises is: What am I suffering from? That the Creator, so to speak, is rejecting and throwing me out? Or that that I still did not achieve the goal? And here the main thing is to worry that my suffering will always be sweet. Because whatever happens, I receive everything from the Creator; therefore, every state needs to be justified and joined to the goal where all these situations receive sweetening and correction.

Baal HaSulam writes in Letter 5: I am glad in those revealed corruptions and those that are being revealed. How much I complain and I regret the corruptions that still are not yet revealed, and will be revealed, because corruption that is concealed is hopeless, and a big salvation from Heaven is its revelation.
[98721]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/23/13, Shamati #9 

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Question: When one passes to the next spiritual level the aspiration for money is transformed into some anti-egoistic property called a “screen” (cover). Then into what does a sexual desire transform?

Answer: Neither sexual desires, nor desires for wealth, power, fame, or any egoistic desires of our world become transformed into the next level. All of them are only egoistic desires at the level of our world. Therefore, we simply perform a restriction on them.

At the next level, new desires appear: desires to become closer and their opposite desires for rejection. All desires directed toward rejection are those of egoism that have to be corrected. And if you want to eat two dinners or enjoy something else, these are not the desires that a person needs to correct.

Question: Do they have to develop to their maximum?

Answer: When you are engaged in spiritual advancement you are obviously limiting them. This means that when they awaken you have to realize them in some way. However, they are simply the means for your soul to advance forward, just as is your body.
[95843]
From KabTV’s “Talks with Michael Laitman,” 3/11/12

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Question: At what point does a personal relationship with the Creator appear in the created being?

Answer: It already was awoken in Ein Sof (Infinity), in the four phases of the Direct Light. Otherwise, phase one (Hochma) wouldn’t have given birth to phase two (Bina).

Question: Is that the point in the heart?

Answer: No, it is a result of those stages. The point that awakens in a person’s heart is a spark of the general Returning Light that was in the soul of Adam HaRishon (first man) at the time of the shattering.

Question: So, when does a person begin to feel the Creator’s attitude? Because then everything becomes clear.

Answer: Everything would be understood by the ego, and we shouldn’t let this happen. If I show you that I feel absolute, endless, unconditional love toward you, then you will begin to disrespect me and even hate me. Because you are a desire to receive, and, when there are no limits to this desire, when fear doesn’t limit it, it “goes wild.” Eventually, you would begin to treat me badly. It really is so. So, instead of love on my part, you would see what seems like a bad attitude and unpleasantness.

Question: However, still, we have a point in the heart with which we have to start the process, but we get stuck since we have no basis.

Answer: There was a general vessel of Adam HaRishon and it had a Returning Light. Adam HaRishon wanted to receive all the great Light in order to bestow, but couldn’t keep it in the Returning Light, and everything was shattered.

There are only Reshimot (spiritual genes) left from the desire and Reshimot from the Masach (screen), and they are the ones that awaken and are called “a point in the heart” (•). This point doesn’t come from the Creator; it is part or a spark of the Masach.

In spirituality, there is no difference between the state and its Reshimot, which is also a full picture of reality that is not yet clear to a person.

So, we must draw the Light that Reforms (the Surrounding Light) to the Reshimot, and then we will see the picture of the spiritual world. It is a very simple action. You are in a group and study from the sources, for example, from The Book of Zohar, and by that, you summon the Light upon yourself and it operates.

Question: Is there something concrete or visual for me in this work? Can I feel how our “points in the heart” are attracted to one another and how the Light unites them?

Answer: If you nullify your ego and the friend seems more important to you than yourself, if the group provides you with such importance that you want to jump inside it and disappear without hesitation, to be swallowed in it, if you exert yourself in that and make efforts “by the sweat of your brow,” then to the same extent, you summon the Light that operates on you and bestows upon you from the Reshimot and builds the spiritual level.

Question: Will we become one whole so that everyone will feel it?

Answer: Of course, whoever participates in this process, whoever does this, feels it.
[98564]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/23/13, Shamati #9

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Question: Due to recent changes (from the women’s convention), a big importance of women’s unity has emerged.

There are women who are more active and less active in our group. For the active women, we organize certain activities and separate workshops, thereby creating a few circles in the women’s community. As a result, there are many unhappy women who think that we have split this community. Is it right to do this in the women’s group?

Answer: I believe it is incorrect. The mass should be as uniform as possible. I do not divide anyone. Some women participate less, no matter for what reason, some more.  I never look for reasons, especially if we are talking about women, not men. Men can be pressed, but women should not be, and in general, women should be treated as equal to men. But they must not make any divisions between themselves. Absolutely no!

Question: So, on what principle could the women’s group be formed?

Answer: According to the principle of the circle—everyone is equal. If I want to advance towards spirituality, I do not need earthly levels: What honors I would be rewarded, how many stars they attach to me? What is important for me is spiritual ascent, and I do not ask anything for myself. If it is possible to invest my efforts, I invest them, if there is no opportunity, then there is none. But a person should wait for the highest reward for his invested efforts, rather than have power and position in the group. What for? This is incorrect!

There are people who have organizational skills; it is another matter. We appoint them to be responsible for this or that because we benefit if they are engaged in these duties or something else, but in any case, we should not divide the group.

We have people who work very hard for the group. So what? Are they supposed to get more? For what reason?

As for women, they are mostly not free; they have a husband, family, children, and parents. So, we cannot demand the same things from them as from men.
[98640]
From the Virtual Lesson 1/20/13

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Question: During the workshops and lessons at the Arava convention was the first time I was awarded with strong hatred for the group. It is difficult to overcome. How can I work with this; is it through work in the intervals between the congresses or work during the congresses? In other words, when we face this at a convention, do we overcome this by means of our work in between the congresses and there must be a constant effort to control oneself?

Answer: The effort should be in place. You need to prepare for falls in advance. There is nothing wrong with them. On the contrary, you need to meet these states with joy, despite the fact that you feel, “How can it be? I don’t want that!” This inner struggle is very good and essential.

In any case, do not try to remove it, do not erase it, but also do not dwell on it inside, do not beat yourself up, but rise above it correctly. It should be understood, in spite of feeling hatred, that the Creator sent it so that I recognize my egoism, how much more it is revealed in me now, and that is why, instead of love and agreement with the group, I feel hatred; I must rise above it and ask the Creator to help me. Don’t try to rise and get out of the pit you fell into by yourself, but ask the Creator to help you get out of it together with Him. Then you will have some contact with Him. This is why He arranged this fall for you.

We need to prepare for falls. Our workshops are especially good preparation for them.
[98637]
From the Virtual Lesson 1/20/13

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Question: If positive and correct surroundings ever emerge in Israel, what will it look like?

Answer: I spoke about specifics in Israel yesterday in Ashdod at the lecture that was dedicated to “What Awaits Us in 2013.” All we can expect is the result of our own work. Whatever we accomplish, we’ll get back accordingly. We are the masters of our destiny and all depends on what we choose.

If we know how this world is organized and governed and have some idea on what the upper force is, the way It acts and where It leads us, if we follow it and become Its partners, we will easily and quickly reach success. In this case, everybody will follow us and we will be blessed both in this world and in the upper world.

If we don’t do that, we will have to go through very harsh adversities, mostly in the fields of safety, healthcare, unemployment, anti-Semitism, etc. We will be subject to very strong pressure that will obligate us to do our job anyway and give the method of correction to the entire world.

The world has always hated Jews without any clear understanding of the reason for this animosity and they blame the Jews for all their troubles. Today, we have to explain to others why they hate us so much. Actually, unless we fulfill our mission, there is reason to hate us. However, hatred by itself won’t help. Other nations should be assisting us in the mass distribution of the wisdom of Kabbalah masses; it will bring all of us to correction.

The time has come; there is no point in waiting for something particular to happen. Whatever comes about will be an outcome of our desires. This is what I talked about at the lecture.

We have to move in this direction, and Israel will become the center of the worldwide education where the Light will spread to all.

This means that there will be a large integrated education academy. It will be based on a strong and solid ideological platform; thousands of people will learn how to act together in connection with each other. For without connection, there is no force. They will be similar to the Sanhedrin, and unity will let people develop new and innovative methods of educating children, adults, and various sectors of society and will provide answers to their questions.

So the method of correction will spread from here all over the world, and our regional groups will become major educational branches that will adapt and translate the study materials to suit their countries and regions. They will hold workshops, lectures, discussions, and broadcasts in the media so that the methodology will quickly spread everywhere and the world will see it as the only way to achieve a good and comfortable future and satisfaction.

And then, thanks to integral education, people will see that there is another “dimension” behind it. People will see that unity offers them the possibility of a special uplifting, and they will aspire to it. This is the way they will attain the Creator. It is said: “All shall know Me from the least unto the greatest.” The wisdom and general desire to unite with the upper force and nature, to achieve harmony, universal integral relationships, internal connection, and worldwide community based on the principles of mutual guarantee will spread throughout the world.
[98008]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/11/13, “The Peace”

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Baal HaSulam, Shamati, article 25, “Things that Come from the Heart”: In other words, all the concepts upon which he builds his building, saying one must always follow in the path of the Creator, is founded in the Dvekut with his teacher. Thus, if he loses the foundation, then all the concepts are powerless, since they will now be lacking the foundation.

Hence, one must not rely on one’s own mind, but cleave once more to books and authors, for only that can help him, and no wit and intellect, as they are lifeless.

Question: What is adhesion?

Answer: On the whole, adhesion is when two people have the same desires, the same thoughts, and the same values. In that case they are “adhered” to one another.

The question is how can two people who are so different be adhered? They are different in every sense and do not match in any way. There cannot be perfect adaptation in nature, so can they attain resemblance and become “adhered” to one another?

If each side rises above himself and doesn’t want to use his attributes for himself, but rather gives the other everything that is in him, and the other also wants to rise above his personal interests and to act in favor of the other, then they resemble one another. In what way? In giving, in bestowal, which means that they are “adhered.”

How can this be attained? They cannot do this on their own, the Light is needed here to connect them. This means that in order to be adhered, two people need the Creator between them. It is a kind of a “sandwich” with the Light in the middle, and this is called a spiritual unit. You can also compare it to a small dumbbell.

Question: So how can we draw the Light so that the adhesion will be realized?

Answer: First, each one has to rise above himself and ask himself: “Why should I adhere to someone? What is adhesion? Could it be that I want to connect with others to achieve something in this world, like in socialism? Or do I want it in order to attain the Creator? Who is the Creator?”

In short, in order to reach the simplest action, I have to renew the whole system since there is no halfway in spirituality; everything in it is integral. Just like in a holographic picture where in order to change a small line I need the right scale to change the whole picture.

So every question that we have actually includes everything in it. If you ask what we have to do, the answer is simple—do it all. We need to clarify who the Creator is, what we need this for, what the act of creation is, what freewill is, and what “each one shall help his brother” is, what the group is, etc. Everything should be included in this. We can see this picture in different resolutions, but one way or the other, everything is in it.

Question: Can we rise above our general, “round” desire to receive like in a hot air balloon, and keep this general state between us?

Answer: Each of us is an egoist, and spirituality is what is between us connecting and bringing us together.

What I feel inside me now is called “this world,” and what I feel between us is called “the upper world.”

If you and I are close to one another and differ only by one measure (1), then I feel the Light of Nefesh. If the difference between us is doubled (2), I attain the Light of Ruach between us since now I have overcome a greater distance. On the one hand, our ego grows and separates us, but on the other hand, we adhere to one another despite the ego, and by that attain a greater intensity.

Our mission is to hold on to this state and to constantly return to it, and if you want, you can take it upon yourself. What else do you have to do in this world except for that? Take a decision where your life should flow and whether you want it to flow in the spiritual dimension. I cannot dictate this to you. At the Arava convention I gave you an example of what you should do. If you want to fulfill this, then do it and the results will be according to this fulfillment.
[98494]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/21/13, Shamati #25

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Question: I think that we proved at the Arava convention that everything is possible. What’s next?

Answer: The problem is this: In this world when I see a goal and it is important in my eyes, I have enough energy and vigor to attain it, but if the goal isn’t obvious or isn’t important, then I have no strength for the work: “Really, why should I work hard?”

In the end, our problem is recognizing the importance of the goal. This importance is deliberately diminished so that we will create new importance each time, so that there will be a new creation for us, a new spiritual world, everything new.

And we, with the friends, need to build this ourselves. They need to tell me how important the spiritual path is even though they themselves don’t feel it. But we are committed to each other, and this is called Arvut (mutual guarantee). This means that we constantly need to tell each other how important it is, as a mother or grandmother tells the same bedtime story to a child.

Tell me, what was so special at our convention? What were your deepest impressions? Was there something tangible there? No. Did you receive something in your hand? No. Do you feel, hear, see, or taste spirituality? No. Actually there was nothing there, simply “you were filled with hot air” like a balloon, and from your swelling, you began to fly upwards. That was your entire convention.

So what is stopping you from doing that now? Why can’t you rise even higher? Specifically now when you feel heaviness and lack of interest, when all kinds of calculations appear to you, and you begin to think in a more “realistic” way—specifically now begin to act.

Question: At the convention, we, as if, banged our heads against the wall in that we tried to attain something impossible until we discovered that it is possible, albeit at a minimal level. And that means that everything is possible.

Answer: Excellent. Now continue. But don’t think that a spiritual sensation was revealed to you to a small degree to give you a solid basis for further steps. The opposite is true, your heart will be burdened, difficulties will be added, you will be forced to forget it, as if it doesn’t exist at all. They will take back from you all the “advance payment,” otherwise it will turn into an egoistic basis for advancement: “It is worthwhile to go forward since it is pleasant and wonderful. I want that kind of life.” This isn’t spiritual anymore, but Klipot (shells). Previously it wasn’t there, and now it appears. It is also, of course, an attainment, but not the one you were waiting for.

In short, continue. It is especially now that we begin to work with spiritual discernments: a little virtue, a little self-annulment, importance… we passed the hardest period, and now each time there will be something real, concrete. You will feel these things, “in your hand,” you will “ taste” them, you will feel them as internal heaviness, as resistance. In a while, you will even begin to measure them.

We passed the hardest stage, where we didn’t know where we were, what is happening, like a baby who just was born and still doesn’t really hear, or see, or respond…. and now begins the new stage.
[98491]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/21/13, Shamati #213

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Question: At one of the Arava congress workshops there was a question about the point of no return that we have to pass through on the path. How are we supposed to pass through it: individually or together with the entire group?

Answer: As it advances, the united group overcomes all stages of the path. Although everyone may be undergoing a particular state at his level, in fact, we all are going together.

Question: So, is it possible that the group will “drag” me through a certain state?

Answer: The group doesn’t act selectively, choosing him and only him; it “pulls” everyone forward. No one advances alone; our entire way is by the group. No matter how much a person puts in, he still “eats” what the others do. It may be in a lesser degree, but he still moves along with all the others. And hence, everyone passes the Machsom; everyone comes out of Egypt, including the “children,” “women,” “men,” and “elderly.”
[98488]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/21/13, Shamati #213

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Question: What is the relationship between quantity and quality of a congress? When there are more of us, how does it reflect on the quality?

Answer: Today, considering what state the world is in and what this puts before us, it is our duty to admit everybody and in this broad audience preserve ourselves as the nucleus. We need both factors together.

We can’t screen out those who don’t attend lessons daily, do not pay maaser, and so on. The congress will not be more powerful because of it. We should be guided by what Nature demonstrates to us. The Creator opens the doors to everyone, although the public is not in a hurry to enter. I hope that in the coming year, people will “digest” and understand the events of the recent years, including the crisis, despair, and all the rest. It takes time: A person reads something, hears about something, and little by little, it settles down in him until he sees how the world becomes “bleaker,” and “dissipates” without more to offer.

I hope that in this year, along with the broadest dissemination, we will be able to accomplish something…
[98482]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 1/21/13, Shamati #213

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