Question: The financial sector, including the banks, the stock markets, investment firms, and others make up a great industry. In the US, for example, the financial industry makes up 8.5% of the GNP and averages 33% profit. It is accused of causing the current global crisis, and at the same time it is flourishing even today. How can that be? After all, the economy is a copy of the mutual relations among us.

Answer: This is exactly the reason that the financial industry is flourishing. It lives in a lie, and it is aware if it and doesn’t want to change anything.

Let’s take the banks for example: Can we believe them today? There is no one who is closer to bankruptcy than they are. In fact, they are already bankrupt because they lack the assets that are registered in their names. But we are still filling our bank accounts happily. Why do we believe them?

We are aware of this fallacy, and still leave everything the way it is because we love to live in a lie; we like to be deceived and to have others lie to us. This is our life: We enjoy the shell.

Question: Could it be because people have no alternative?

Answer: It is all a psychological matter. People think that a bank is a safe place even though they know it isn’t so. The lie began when the financial means were disconnected from their value in gold. Since then the banks have multiplied their “virtual” financial debts, which have no backing. They are not connected to anything that has any real value anymore.

In spirituality, “money” is a cover, a Masach (screen), the real power to overcome. The financial professionals, in contrast, have turned money into a “phantom.” This is a big mistake, but they did it on purpose in order to be superior to others.

Today everyone lives in this lie. What’s more, we’ve already discovered it, but we don’t know how to get rid of it. The lie is the crisis. How can we solve it? The whole world is surrounded by a network of wrong mutual connections and it cannot break loose. it doesn’t know what to replace it with. Without it everything will come to a halt, including the provision of basic necessities for people. So eventually we are compelled to support this false system.

So what is the solution? I am for a gradual descent, instead of a sudden fall. In the meantime, by education, we can turn this evil into something good, without totally destroying the system. If we destroy it, there will be wars and total chaos.

We don’t need a global collapse. The recognition of evil this way will really be a terrible catastrophe, so it should be done wisely. What do the billions who suffer know? They won’t understand anything and in the meantime they look for scapegoats….
[63826]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/21/11, Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”

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Question: What is the meaning of the miracle that the holiday of Chanukah celebrates in the inner work?

Answer: There are several miracles that occur in the inner work. The first miracle is the exodus from Egypt. The second miracle occurs on Hanukkah, and the third—on Purim.

A miracle is a revolution in one’s perception of reality. The actual reality I am in is unchanging, it is the world of Infinity. But such revolutionary changes take place inside of me that I receive a new perception, a new nature, such a drastic change that I see the whole world in a different way.

This is similar to a baby that comes out of the mother into a great, light, world, which is signified by his birth. And this is a miracle because it is not a simple continuation of the regular growth of the fetus, but it signifies a total revolution and an exit to a new level of perception. This transformation can only happen by virtue of the Light’s influence upon us.

When the Light finishes raising my desires to the first ten Sefirot, I am born on the new level in the new ten Sefirot, on the next level.

There are several revolutions like this: the first is when we go from the period of preparation into the new world, through the Machsom, and begin to work in the small spiritual state. Then, after this miracle of coming out of Egypt, there is a gradual ascent, the state by Mount Sinai and the revelation of the upper force, the miracle of Chanukah. All of this seems to be one process, beginning from the passage of the Red Sea and on. A revolution in a person’s perception of reality takes place, and all of this occurs by virtue of a change in his desires under the Light’s influence.

A miracle is when all of my previous desires undergo instant change, a total revolution.
[63966]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/22/11, Writings of Rabash

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Question: Judging by the sensations of the last few days, we are entering the next state after the convention and can already make a new attack. In the near future we are planning to concentrate internally, to unite together quietly, to enter the picture of the spiritual reality. What would you advise us to focus our efforts on?

Answer: There is the current state and the desirable one, and there is the transition between the two, which we have to overcome. The means to go from one state to the next can be similar to a convention: a focus of our efforts, hopes, forces, joy, actions, and events, where we are all together and we focus all our efforts over a few days and try to realize them non-stop.

But there are also other means that can help us go from one state to another. Kabbalists used them mainly for more internal concentration, which they attained by making external actions only in order to concentrate everything in the inner actions.

That is to say, they assembled together, preparing all of the external conditions so they would not interfere and would help them focus, such as by meeting in a cave, an isolated, quiet place, away from all possible external disturbances, and in a special state of day or night, which also influence a person. In short, they arranged everything so the friends could unite with one another internally, with the help of inner, more spiritual efforts.

Obviously, we must also make actions like that. But for that we need preparation and the realization of the great importance of this event, so we don’t end up with something boring or useless, something that doesn’t provide fulfillment.

Every person must understand that progress is possible only by virtue of efforts, that “penny by penny adds up to a great capital,” and that in the sum of these efforts, in the efforts to unite them together, in one place, in one Kli or vessel, we attain the common might that is called a cry, a demand—and then the gates open up to us.

We carried out a great preparation in Israel and in the whole world during the convention, and now we must perform several opposite actions—in more internal concentration, in humility. Let’s try to do this. How effective this will be is up to us.
[63955]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/22/11, The Book of Zohar

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Question: Sometimes when I read The Zohar, I feel something pulsate in me. Is The Zohar a live system, and are we able to absorb spiritual models through its words?

Answer: Kabbalists describe the system of connections between us. This altruistic connection between everyone’s private desires forms us into the image of the Creator (since the entire system of desires is exactly like the force of Light which created it, the Creator).

Kabbalists reveal this system to us—each one according to his degree, his nature, and the root of his soul. They explain the way it works, how our actions evoke corresponding reactions—MAN (appeal) and MAD (response).

They reveal Nature and nothing else. When you reveal it—as if you were looking at a 3D picture without concentrating on its superficial image, but with your eyes unfocused, confusing them—you will begin to see the picture inside.

You become free from the power of your corporeal mind and feelings, you will abandon your egoism—and then this picture can carry you deep inside it. You enter it and discover an entire world: still, vegetative, animate, and human levels, which lead their own lives.

This is what The Zohar reveals. You read it and imagine a regular picture of this world. But The Zohar reveals the inner picture to you. You will see this inner picture when you defocus your corporeal “vision” by rising above your egoistic desires and qualities of perception—towards bestowal.
[63794]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/21/11, Zohar for All

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Question: Why is it so hard to kick a habit?

Answer: Actually it isn’t hard.  Take smoking, for example. If every time I took a cigarette to my mouth I were to get an electric shock, a few attempts would be enough for me to quit smoking and I would never start smoking again even if I knew that the “punishment” was cancelled. It is because now I don’t identify cigarettes with pleasure, but with an electric shock. This association is already “recorded” in the desire, and so from now on cigarettes don’t exist for me, I am afraid of them.

Question: But what should you do if rather than quitting an old one, you have to start a new habit, for example, starting the habit of getting up for the morning lesson?

Answer: Simple, you have a business, so imagine that each time that you don’t get up for the morning lesson, an income tax inspector comes to visit you. If you get up on time, a stream of endless customers visit you and all your business dealings are successful. This way, whether you want to or not, you associate the success of the business with a certain action, with waking up for the lesson. Then you cannot stop yourself from getting up anymore. This is how a habit becomes a second nature.

We can see it clearly in religious customs to which a person becomes accustomed as a child. He is used to singing certain parts of the prayer. If you suggest that he should just read them, he won’t be able to. He will only get confused, not knowing what he says.

All our life is made up of habits. The desire is just “raw material,” like a computer without software, the “metal” that needs to be filled with data, with software. This is what education is about; it uses the force of a habit.

When I work internally, I also have to “record” in the desire actions that are not natural for it. It takes much energy and I do it reluctantly, and here too there is the game of reward and punishment.

Question: How can it be done?

Answer: Ask your friends to help you. You cannot do it alone. You cannot manage without the environment.

Suppose you decide to lose weight. You go to a place where everyone tells each other how terrible it is to be fat and how healthy it is to be slim. You listen to them over and over again, until you internalize the message. If you managed to put an internal check mark next to it, you are protected from gaining weight again as long as you are not “tempted” by some new pleasure that is on a higher standard than the one you achieved.

The desire is a “piece of metal,” an empty disc. It will play whatever you upload on it. So throughout life you can make yourself get used to what you think is important.
[63725]
From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/20/11, “The Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Question: In the post “Anti-Wall Street Protest In New York” you wrote: “This is still neither the feeling of crisis nor an anti-crisis protest, like in Israel, but merely students’ freedom games.”

No, these are not “students’ freedom games,” Dr. Laitman. The protest has drawn protesters of diverse ages and occupations. These protests are being mirrored in many cities across the U.S. simultaneously and are a perfect ground to plant the Arvut (mutual guarantee) movement.

Answer: You are right, this quickly changes, matures, and evolves.

Question: I feel strongly that we need the force of unity. In the dissemination to the 99% project, many of us write true and even inspiring words. Nevertheless, the public often responds to these posts as if we were dreaming idiots, unaware of the nature of mankind. It isn’t the words that create the change; it will be the unity and the intention behind the words. May we continue to strengthen our spiritual intent and unify!

Answer: You are right, only the force of mutual guarantee between us, the one percent, will be able to affect the 99 percent and will arouse in them an aspiration towards unity.
[60810]

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Question: What does the law of loving the other give us?

Answer: By means of loving the other we can reach love of the Creator, which is the purpose for which we begin our development. The purpose of creation is to reach love of the Creator.

The Creator initially had a perfect love of the creature according to His nature of good that does good. Bringing the creature to this goodness means bringing it to the point of adhesion with the Creator.

It turns out that love of the Creator is the purpose of our development, its final point. It is reached through keeping the 612 commandments (various preparations in our 612 egoistic desires in order to turn them toward bestowal), which are necessary to reach the last, 613th commandment of love and bestowal toward each other.

Each rule consists of a connection in a variety of details. Following the example of the “holy group,” that is, the society built on the laws of bestowal and consisting of a few people united by one goal, our aim is to reach a higher purpose through giving to each other.

Giving in itself is not a purpose. If we gather together only to give to each other, we build an egoistic formation by enjoying each other. Such a union is advantageous to me because ten of us can reach more fulfillment than one. Everyone will receive pleasure from the other nine.

However, such bestowal doesn’t take us out of the egoistic law of receiving for oneself. Only if we bestow upon each other in order to bestow upon the Creator can we be called a holy group that wants to reach bestowal. Otherwise, we would build an egoistic society in order to mutually profit from each other.

A perfect spiritual structure should consist of not less than ten people, according to the ten Sefirot of a spiritual body. Then bestowal of one toward the other will bring us to bestowal toward the Creator since together, we want to become the full ten Sefirot.

Malchut is included in the first nine Sefirot (Tet Rishonot). Thus, ten Sefirot of bestowal (ten Sefirot of the Direct Light) are formed. And the first nine Sefirot get included into Malchut and form ten receiving Sefirot (ten Sefirot of the Reflected Light). Thus, we come to mutual bestowal. The need for such an action gives us the right to receive the power, the fulfillment from Above, and is called a prayer.
[63207]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/15/2011, Writings of Rabash

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Question: The term “integrity” is more or less clear from the global perspective, but what does it mean “to be integral” for an individual person or a family?

Answer: A classic example of integrity is a connection in the form of cogwheels. We are interconnected like a mechanism that consists of cogwheels that are interlocked with each other. Any movement from one of them forces an analogous movement in all the rest to the same direction.

In addition, this connection is not yet complete today: For the time being, it is like we are in a bonding box, at some distance from each other, and gradually we come into contact with each other. That is, there is some osculatory movement in regard to one another, which is already starting to form serious linkage.

Over the next few years, we will reach such linkage where the cogwheels will spin with each other in an absolutely coordinated fashion. Imagine that you are under a hard pressing on all levels of your life, and your thoughts, desires, actions, and decisions depend completely on the society and the circumstances around you. You will feel like you are in jail, in complete slavery!

This state is unbearable. A person will wish to break free, to simply dash out from there in any direction, and even die rather than feel the constant, horrible pressing on all the levels: mental, spiritual, and emotional.

We need to prepare people to perceive their contact with everyone else as something wonderful and pleasant. In general, this state is completely opposite to our nature, but it is approaching relentlessly, and it scares me to think about how humanity will begin to enter it.

We are slowly coming closer to this state. I see how it provokes various revolutions, governmental changes, collapse of families in one place, collapse of monetary or economic systems in another, and so on. This will increase with every month and every year. If a person does not feel comfortable in this state, he simply will “explode” before the world war. Nothing will matter to him; he will be forced to free himself from these chains! Therefore, we need inner psychological compensation for this unbearable state.

A modern person does not wish to interact with anyone: It is like we locked ourselves in our apartments, with our computers, and that’s it. At work we also are one on one with the computer. After work, we run to the supermarket, buy something pre-made, throw it in the microwave, eat it, then again rush to our computers, and then to sleep. At times we may see our lovers or a few friends, but that’s all.

Human beings have created this life in accordance with our inner demand. However, if one sees that whether he wants it or not, others are bursting into his inner world, into this comfortable dungeon of his from which he cannot run; he will feel that he is being more and more obliged to do something. At that point, we certainly will see big explosions.

I imagine that state and psychologists can understand it also. It is the same as jumping off the hundredth floor of a building that is on fire.  You tell this person, “but you will certainly die!” and he replies  “Yes, but right now the fire seems scarier than a second in thin air, without the flames.” A person doesn’t think about what will happen later. I’m afraid that these states are approaching whether we like it or not.
[63704]
From a talk on Integral Upbringing, 11.12.2011

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Question: The modern man truly finds shelter within the walls of his apartment. He also tends to search for information that is faceless and unobtrusive and watches some kind of funny sitcoms on TV. And it’s unclear how this global interconnection will affect a person. If I’ve locked myself up inside my apartment, how will all these concerns you are talking about reach me?

Answer: They will reach you through unpleasant states. If everything continued as before, nothing bad would happen because of it. You lock yourself up in some kind of cocoon and you exist inside it—this is a comfortable state for you. You don’t want to change it, you don’t want to marry, have children; you don’t want to have close relationships with your friends because this is usually considered an obligation. Your parents have become a complete nuisance: You have to call them and, what’s even worse, visit them and so on.

If everything continued like this, this would be the best thing in the world—I was born, detached from my parents, made myself a cell inside this hive and that’s it, I exist in it. But the thing is that the goal of nature is to bring us to a balance with itself, that is, to make us integral, absolutely interconnected, like elements of one analog system.

All parts of this system depend on each other, and if there is a surge, a disturbance in a certain part of the system, it is passed on to the whole system, the whole system also comes to a disturbed state, and then gradually balances itself according to its laws and comes back to a standstill. We proceed….

And in any of these states of balance or imbalance, all the elements affect each other. It is an absolute interconnection! And this is the interconnection that the person feels, especially in a non-static state.

In a static state everything calms down. And when all the bonds are equal, I find myself in the center of them, like a spider in the middle of the web, and I feel balanced. I have to coexist within these boundaries, but because they are balanced around me and I am in the middle, I don’t feel their pressure. This is how everyone feels.

But the system is alive and natural. Nature always directs us to a certain state, set out as the goal of its existence. That’s why we will feel constant disturbances, slants, lack of balance, disruptions in homeostasis. And that’s why we will feel unwell.
[63699]
From a talk on Integral Upbringing, 12/11/11

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Question: Is the point of unity situated between spiritual and physical unity? Or does physical unity not exist at all?

Answer: Physical unity makes no difference here. When we meet, we constantly subconsciously search for this point within us. Now we will begin to work with this and will understand it.

It was important to reach the state of our point of contact. Now, when it has been achieved, we just need to develop it. And even those who have not reached it can come to feel this contact since it’s already our common acquisition.

Now we just have to broaden this point in spite of all the obstacles. We need to understand that the obstacles are meant precisely in order to broaden it, to make it grow. I hope that over the next few months we will form the first ten Sefirot from it. And that will be the first demonstration of our soul.

In these ten Sefirot we’ll begin to feel the forces, plan, flow, and the entrance and exit of the Light. We’ll begin to feel all the movements in them like in a live organism, and we’ll begin to live our common inner life. A soul, rather than just a point of contact, will emerge within us. The Creator created one creature, and each of us will begin to feel himself or herself in it. In other words, it will be our “hostel.”

And gradually we’ll start to perceive our physical bodies as something that accompanies us. The broadening of the point of unity, the expansion of this higher quality will begin to prevail over everything to such an extent that we practically will not associate ourselves with our bodies. We’ll perceive ourselves as living only in the point of unity. Meanwhile, our bodies gradually will become more and more distant, irrelevant, and unneeded, until they dissolve completely as if they do not exist.
[63446]
From the Sunday Virtual Lessons Series 12/11/2011

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