Question: If one person in the group reaches the Machsom, how can we make better use of him in the group?

Answer: It cannot be. One person in the group cannot reach the Machsom! A few people can, but not just one.

Question: What if this happens? What would be a better way to make use of this person in the group?

Answer: You should continue in the same way as before, to be included in each other. In this case, he will help you more intensely. But he will not tell you about what he has revealed! To the extent that he feels this, he will keep silent.

The person who really begins to feel the spiritual world does not talk much about this topic. The Tzimtzum, restriction, screen will work in him, and he does not need to advertise. For him, it is so dear and so internal that he just does not let it out. If he begins to teach, he will explain it clearly in certain portions. He will never show any miracles as they don’t exist, and he will know how to explain the method in portions. There are such people among us who are more or less in the feeling of this state. Of course, it must be still strengthened. But they will say nothing to you.
[85901]
From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/17/12, Lesson 1

Related Material:
When External Levity Helps and When It Harms
A Shield Against The Ego
Crossing The Machsom Together

Filed under: Conventions, Group Work, Q&A, Spirituality - No Comments →

Question: How is it possible to precede the acts of the Creator each time and to become more rigid in relation to the ego so as not to surrender to its treacherous schemes, and on the other hand, to be sensitive to the hints of the Creator?

Answer: Don’t think about the ego under any circumstances, not of how to surrender to it or the opposite. All of these games with the ego won’t help. It is more cunning than you and everyone else.

Egoism is a very strong nature that is completely opposed to the Creator and is equal to Him in its intensity. The entire egoistic system was created by the Light entering into the desire, which made its nature and all its attributes in all of its forms. Thus, the struggle against the ego won’t help at all! It is only rising above it and having the desire become similar to the Light that will help! But to face the ego head on is hopeless.

You don’t need to pay attention to it! Only yearn to move ahead! Don’t wait until it pushes us from behind.

Question: What should you do if you constantly think about this, and at the last moment forget about the ego and also about the Creator?

Answer: That is because there is no connection with the group and the environment doesn’t help you go forward.

Here there is a very simple system of forces. From the beginning you are given a point to lean on, you are given direction, pushes. It is said that the Creator puts your hand on good fate and tells you: “Choose this.” And then you choose.

Baal HaSulam writes, for this person it is constantly said to choose an environment for yourself that is stronger and stronger, one that will strengthen you, and in which you will not fall and not forget the goal.

The choice of a strong environment depends only on your investing in it. You don’t need to change people, you need to invest in them more, and then you will feel a greater influence from them. This is the point of choice of the new environment. It is not a matter of faces of people, but to what extent you can take from them that same upper energy that is in them, but they themselves don’t even know about it.

If it doesn’t succeed, then it’s a sign that you need to yearn to attain this. There is nothing to do. The work is only in that.
[85837]
From the Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend” 8/16/12, Preliminary Lesson

Related Material:
From Feeling To Reason, From Pleasure To Truth
The White Island On The Map
When You Start Looking For A Group

Filed under: Conventions, Egoism, Group Work, Prayer and Intention, Q&A, Unity - No Comments →

Question: What are we waiting for, what should we hope for, for all the friends who devote themselves for the convention?

Answer: You should hope to connect as a result of all your efforts that should be absorbed with the intention to unite. There are all the necessary conditions for that in the world today.

Every day articles by scientists and researchers, economists and politicians are sent to me about the globalization of the world and the mutual connections in it. They are actually using our words, although they don’t say everything since they don’t understand how they can change the situation in society. They do understand, however, that the world will have to reach unity, harmony, integrality, etc.

We are in an unprecedented state. We have been given a chance to change the world by uniting, and what is more, it is given to us in a country where the wisdom of Kabbalah has developed for many years and where today, too, there are the strongest groups and most faithful students. We can cause the force that we will discover among us to really help the whole world reach the Creator through it.

This is called a trinity: We, each of us, through the group, through all of us, through the world Kli (vessel), and after us the world community, yearn for the Creator and connect. This means that we, all the friends throughout the world, together with all of humanity, and the Creator make one general whole. This general whole should be revealed, felt, and created, since it doesn’t exist at the moment!

I do hope that our preparation will serve that.
[85594]
From a Virtual Lesson 8/12/12

Related Material:
My Circles In The Spiritual Network
The Prayer That The Creator Will Hear
When A child Does Not Want To Grow

Filed under: Conventions, My Similarity to the Creator, Prayer and Intention, Q&A, Unity, World - No Comments →

Baal HaSulam, the newspaper, The Nation: As also the love for the nation must be engraved in all sectors of the nation no less than the egoistic, individual love for one’s needs, in other words, also in the sufficient amount for the preservation of existence of the nation as a nation that is able to carry itself. And with the surplus of this minimum amount, it is possible to devote for the sake of humaneness, for the general humanity without any difference of nation or race.

This presents exact boundaries to the Jewish nation, and if it crosses them, if it cares for itself more than is needed in order to serve others, then this worry damages it and again enters breakage. One needs to take for oneself only as much as is needed for connection for the sake of others. It’s not only the exaggerated need that causes damage, but also excess connection beyond need.

Question: Does this mean that according to the measure of advancement, man needs to determine limits for himself for worrying about his personal needs, and following them, begin his investment in the society?

Answer: In the meantime, we have no basis for similar calculations. Today all of us, in general, need to concentrate only on how to attain the connection between us. And afterward, when the connection is discovered, we’ll work on strengthening it, and then we’ll see and feel the limit. It’s like my worrying about my health in order to serve others in bestowal. But if I worry about being alive and healthy above what is needed in order to serve others, then it is already a Klipa (shell), ego.

In that you constantly maintain this limit, you “sculpt” yourself, make a form of yourself. You maintain the intensity and the health of all your Kelim (desires/vessels) only for the sake of the opportunity to bestow. And this is called to receive for the sake of bestowal.
[85584]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/15/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam

Related Material:
Economics Of The Future Society
US Poverty Level Hits Record
The Power of The Spiritual Level

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Egoism, Mutual Guarantee, Q&A, Unity - No Comments →

Question: You said that the unity between us will awaken a special force in us that is found above our lives. What is this force, and how can it serve us as a shield or a weapon?

Answer: It is the same force of life that exists in our body when all of its organs operate mutually in general harmony. This is what is called life, and if the organs stop working in balance and harmony with each other, this creates various health problems from the absence of mutual guarantee in the body

When the force that connects the organs in working together is lacking, then the body begins to lose its force of life, until complete death. Death is a state when the person stops understanding others. This means that one organ doesn’t work in harmony with the other organs, and in this instance, the body collapses.

It is exactly in this critical state that the society of Israel is found: One doesn’t understand the other and is not even interested in understanding. Each person thinks that he is right about everything. Last year, the separation reached its peak, but when a mutual threat appears on the horizon, it helps the nation to connect. Thus, I now appeal with this call.

Although the force of unity is essential for our lives in all events, and not only under threat of security, it also will help us correct the economic situation and the health situation, and will get rid of separation in society. The force of connection, the Arvut (Mutual Guarantee), balances and arranges everything in a perfect way and brings you to the feeling that you are in a family.

Thus, if you receive more or less, it won’t be important since it will be under general agreement since in the present situation, it is best for everyone. You will understand that it is the optimal solution for the present moment.
[85528]
From a “Talk on New Life” 08/12/12

Related Material:
The Life Of Bestowal: Easy And Beautiful
Our goal Is To Reach Harmony With Nature
The Main Principles Of All Courses Of Study

Filed under: Mutual Guarantee, Q&A, Society, Unity - No Comments →

Question: How can we check what our intention is while reading The Zohar?

Answer: The Book of Zohar is the source of Light that comes to us if we want to use it correctly. Thus, while studying Kabbalistic books, I always summon some illumination upon me, but it comes according to the intensity of my efforts and my readiness. If I study in order to gain something corporeal or to gain the next world as a personal privilege, then the Light, by its influence, creates in me even greater darkness. I grow further away from the understanding of what this system was given to me for, what I have to do with myself, and how I should treat others. Even when I read wonderful words about love and connection, I don’t feel a sense of belonging anymore, I don’t see the connection and I don’t know how to perceive the text: Whether to let it enter my heart or not, this means that I study like a bat that is nourished by the night and doesn’t expect the dawn.

But if I try to connect with others and this is the reason I learn the method, by keeping and observing the condition for accepting it at Mt. Sinai, yearning together with everyone else to be “as one man in one heart,” to enter mutual guarantee, to attain brotherly love and through it the love of the Creator, then the Light begins to advance me. This isn’t the ordinary path that is overcome in stages anymore, but I gradually begin to discover the bad shattered state in it.

The egoistic study conceals my ego from me, and I see myself as righteous. On the other hand, by the right study, I discover that I am immersed in evil. The first thing that the Light reveals to me is my evil attributes, and I have to work accordingly. By discovering the evil, I feel even worse feelings than before. So what can I do? After all, according to my nature I want to escape when I feel bad.

Perhaps I should stop studying and withdraw from the group? Perhaps I should feel despair? Or perhaps I should be happy that I was allowed to discover the recognition of evil? It should be a law for me, an invitation: If I can rise above this unpleasant feeling, I will yearn for bestowal above receiving.

I prefer to receive a blow, since the sufferings that are revealed in my ego show me that I don’t work for it. Although I experience unpleasant feelings, I overcome them and aim at unity. I don’t escape in order to sweeten the bitterness; I don’t close myself, I don’t descend, and I don’t stop studying. On the contrary, I accept all the troubles that come from every direction on the way to unite with the friends, as being sent by the Creator and that there is nothing besides Him.

I accept every state as beneficial for my advancement. I don’t want to annul them and I continue to study in order to neutralize the bad feeling. I actually want it; I want it to stay since it focuses me exactly on how to rise above it, to be above reason. I gladly accept all the problems and interruptions, the pressure of the circumstances, the external mockery, the different sufferings, since they all help me focus on the goal correctly, creating such limitations, such frameworks, that by working within them I undoubtedly advance forward.

Thus build inside me the vessels of bestowal above the vessels of receiving. They continue to grow and to suffer, while I, being one level above them, want to hold on to the connection with the Creator until I attain full faith, the attribute of Bina, and begin using my vessels of receiving in order to bestow.

But then too I don’t intend to calm myself, since I have risen to such a degree that there should be no thought of complacency. On the contrary, I yearn more and more upwards and am even ready to receive pleasure, but not in order to fill myself, but in order to fulfill the Creator’s desire.

This is all our work. Along this path I need a real source, an egoistic desire that provides me with the force of bestowal thanks to my overcoming the problems and the sufferings that are revealed in it, and it’s clear to me that it all comes from the Creator.
[85707]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/16/12, The Book of Zohar

Related Material:
The Unlimited Power of The Zohar
In A Toy Store In A Size Of The Universe
Measuring The Power Of Our Intention

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Egoism, My Similarity to the Creator, Prayer and Intention, Q&A, Suffering, Unity, Zohar - No Comments →

Question: In what state and with what thoughts is it better to go to bed?

Answer: We have talked about this many times. A person should go to bed with such thoughts so that in the morning he will wake up with the idea that all the time he was in adhesion with the Creator, not so much with the group, but with the Creator.

There is a little “but”: If you think simultaneously about the group and the Creator, everything will become blurred for you. Before going to bed at night, it is necessary to try to find a personal contact with Him and fall asleep with this in order to wake up with this.
[85842]
From the Preliminary Lesson 8/16/12, Kharkov Convention “Uniting to Ascend”

 Related Material:
The Law Of Adhesion With The Creator: 1+1= 1
Desire And Adhesion
We Don’t Understand Him

Filed under: Conventions, Inner Work, Q&A, Spirituality - No Comments →

Question: Have there ever been people who listened to Kabbalists and followed their advice?

Answer: In ancient times, it was not about one Kabbalist or another, but about a whole period of development: the era of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Joshua…Those are periods, rather than people as such. The spirit of the person was active in that time and made what it did. For example, Moses built the nation and contributed the methodology of correction to the desires that were unveiling at that time. As a result, he brought the nation to the Land of Israel, that is, to the revelation of the Creator.

Everything is carried out by the Kabbalists, although we cannot see it during the exile. Kabbalists are the ones by whom the world is being “charged,” which allows it to exist. Without a sparkle of Light, this world would never have appeared in the first place and matter could not have existed. There always are the Kabbalists who, according to their Kelim, belong to the generality of humanity as well as to a spiritual degree.

It is said that “the tail of the lion,” the nine lower Sefirot of the world of Atzilut, together with the Light of Hochma descend to the worlds of BYA and become “the head of the fox” (shualim), in other words, those who ask questions (shoalim). After all, that’s where the broken vessels are located, and so, the question arises: How do we correct them?

We need this connection as well as a permanent opportunity to transition between the levels. In this world, it is ensured by the Kabbalists. On one hand, they are dressed the same as others so that they can teach us. On the other hand, they are a part of a higher degree. There is no other way to achieve this because we are a part of the general system that lives in accordance with rigid laws.

Returning to the question:. After a long exile, Jewish people listened to the advice of the great Kabbalists during the time of Baal Shem Tov and his disciples. They led the nation, guided it forward, and gave birth to generations who lived in accordance with spiritual attainment—to people who connected “the ground” of this world with the height of Ein Sof (Infinity). It was a period of great Kabbalists who were operating in both worlds at the same time.

As to the severe detachment (interruption) of the spiritual connection that was created within the last one hundred years, it is probably something that was supposed to happen. The situation is really critical at this time. And yet, it is said: “I have not forsaken Israel.” Even today, there are Kabbalists who convey illumination from the spiritual world to ours.

Our world is a tiny dark spot in the center of spiritual universe. It is essential to bring the Light into it, otherwise it won’t be able to endure. Throughout all the worlds, the Light descends directly to this plane, to our corrupt desires, and Kabbalists are the ones who safeguard this ray of Light.

You call them “people,” although it has nothing to do with a body, but rather it is about certain desires or states (Kelim). They act deliberately, so that they can descend even lower and be closer to us. For example, Baal HaSulam asked to be lowered in order to be able to write and help those living below.
[85330]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/12/12, “The Nation” 

Related Material:
The Kabbalistic Revolution And The Darkness Before Dawn
When A Child Does Not Want To Grow
The “Adaptor” For Connection With The Light

Filed under: Daily Kabbalah Lesson, Q&A, Spiritual Teacher - No Comments →

Question: How can one imagine the group in its ideal state?

Answer: A group is one whole. This is its model, its image. Suppose we have some common desire, a common intention, common thoughts, and ideas. Where are they? They are between us. This desire, intention, thought, begins to guide everyone. We begin to support it, and we see that our existence is in that.

With the help of creating this image, we then will transform the whole of our life in order to support this image. We will relate to each other differently, build family and social connections, transform industry, and relate to nature, based precisely from the fact that we have created this united whole, the image of Adam, the image of one person.

Humanity will become free of excess work, will cease polluting the Earth, will stop messing with being a society of consumption of completely unnecessary things. It will be forced to free many people from unnecessary work since nature is purposely leading us toward our dedicating five to eight hours of our time per day to the studies of integral connection, the creation of an integral society.

We will be obliged to do that, and, on the scale of the whole of humanity from young to old. Absolutely everyone, from pensioners to small children, must go through this level of re-education.

Question: In order to build this image, some kind of energy is needed. Where can we get it from?

Answer: Nature gives us energy! It pushes us with a stick toward happiness. Of course, we need introductory explanations, courses, understanding the necessity of these transformations, realization of the fact that, otherwise, each one of us will enter his or her own personal crisis and the crisis of society.

See how the ecological crisis is approaching. The Earth is being depleted. How will we warm ourselves? What will we eat if within the coming couple of decades, we will completely deplete Earth, including uranium, fuel, gas and other natural resources? We must stop at the right time, and nature is slowing us down in advance.
[85180]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/29/12

Related Material:
The Perception Of A Single Field
The New Image of the New Man
A Mysterious “Assent Above One’s Self”

Filed under: Collective Soul, Education, Group Work, Integral Upbringing, Q&A, Unity - No Comments →

Question: Could you give an example to show what the economics of the future society should be like, what we need to come to?

Answer: This is very simple, and there is really a lot to think about here. To begin, we need to take such tangible things that gradually will help us come to more abstract communication and definitions.

We see that our economics is going through a serious crisis. It must “deflate,” become the economics of reasonable consumption. This will happen whether we want it or not. If we really wanted it, we would begin to restrict it gradually and to free ourselves of excessiveness and things we do not need.

At first, we would eliminate all advertising. There should be no advertisements, but announcements about reasonable, useful things that people need so that people would know that here are the normal things that make life easier.

Even now, every country and every society has a necessary basket of consumption that every person must have to support themselves, such as food, medicine, necessary accessories, and so forth. We also must keep a basket like this, but not a minimal one, a basket of extended consumption for a normal and reasonable existence. All other production needs to be restricted.

By gradually restricting unnecessary production, first of all, we will receive an abundance of energy, which is a very good thing. Why waste it? We will have an abundance of natural resources. Let us leave them for our children and grandchildren. In other words, we will come practically to a point where we will be able to dress, feed, and equip all of mankind on a reasonable level.

This is the economics of the future that we gradually must come to, in other words, on one hand, the deflation of excessive consumption and, on the other hand, the raising of all of mankind to the level of normal existence. Achieving this level is our initial objective. This way, we take care of our animal existence, making sure that it is equal for everyone.

Imagine the psychological revolution we must create in people, but this cannot be done without the integral upbringing of people. Before taking care of economics, it is necessary to show people the need to rise to the next level. This next level where we form a society—which we call the human level, Man, Adam—determines our voluntary descent to the level of reasonable consumption.

It is necessary to create a program of gradual transition toward this because the main thing is not the final result, but a smooth, multi-level transition. Here, we simultaneously must have integral upbringing, integral education, and gradual reduction in unnecessary production, as well as a gradual increase in serving the population with integral education and upbringing; in other words, the restructuring of all mass media to do educational work. When mankind is occupied with transforming themselves, it is like an enormous world machine.

Finally, mankind will be occupied with itself, but not to show off before their neighbor for having a billion more or humiliating someone by showing that they are stronger, but with the purpose of achieving integration.
[85299]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 2/29/12

Related Material:
The Economics Of Happiness
Shifting To The Economy Of The Future
State Security Agencies Out Of Commission

Filed under: Crisis, Economy, Education, Integral Upbringing, Q&A, Society - 2 Comments →