Question: How can I check myself in order to be sure that I am moving in accordance with the instructions of the original sources, and not submitting to my own egoism?

Answer: For this purpose, there is the month of Elul, the last month of the year. The world was created five days before the creation of man, and the day on which man was created is called the first day of the new year. Those previous five days represent the five levels before the level of human, the five phases. And you need to check your world, meaning your environment.

After all, you live and perceive yourself relative to your environment, you check yourself in relation to it. You live together, you and your environment. So, before you are are “born” as human, check the environment that will be surrounding you. Accordingly, you will be able to see what kind of person you will be.

What environment do you choose? In other words, what do you want from your life, the entire world, the group, and the books, and what do you hear from your teacher? Check how you relate to all of this and what you want to achieve.

This is not easy. A person is faced with a very difficult calculation here. The opinion of the outer society exerts a great influence on us, forcing us to keep asking: “Where am I, and where is everyone else? There are millions, billions of them, while I am only one person.” It is not easy to remain on the path if this is a personal path, and not a commonly accepted path among the masses.

You need to keep clear of confusion here. According to which criteria do you check this path? It is not evaluated according to the standards of regular people. And you don’t need to believe anyone, everything can be checked and analyzed. So perform this analysis and build your own relationship toward the environment, the teacher, the books, and the Creator. This is what is called the “repentance” of the month of Elul.

These are very delicate clarifications, and they become ever more delicate over time. It is as if they are hung up in emptiness, not supported by solid ground, but by faith above reason. This is because having checked everything in your ego, you need to separate completely from it and build your spiritual relationship above it.

Without egoism, without checking inside of it, you cannot check yourself. That is why you have to be grateful for all of the egoistic thoughts and desires such as jealousy, hate, lust, ambition, and arrogance relative to the world, enemies and friends, criticism of friends, the teacher, and the Creator. Everything can be checked, and based on this foundation, your new level can be built, which is called a new beginning.

After you check your entire world and your current condition, you will begin to see, above all of this, the image of the goal toward which you are aiming. After you have admitted to all of the possible transgressions of your egoism (the words of repentance from the prayer of Rosh Hashanah) and checked and understood your true essence, then you can imagine what its opposite means. Otherwise, there is no way.

That is why the Creator created the evil inclination and in addition, the Torah, the means for its correction because the Light that Reforms is contained in it. However, if you do not have the evil inclination, if you have not discovered and seen your egoism, you do not need any correction. If you do not intend to be corrected, the Torah is not for you.

First of all, you need to feel that there is nothing worse than you, that you want to swallow everyone else, prevail above them, you are jealous of everyone, and hate everyone. Do you see yourself as the worst person in the world? Can you justify your bad relationship to someone after you have thoroughly checked it?

If you see that every sinner is truly revealed inside of you, and you have no choice remaining, then you arrive at the repentance prayer of Rosh Hashanah. You exalt the quality of bestowal, love of the other, meaning the Creator, and you want it to start ruling inside of you.

“I created the evil inclination” means the repentance of the month of Elul, the five days before the beginning of the new year, the time period that it took to create man. During these days, the world of man is being created, his terrible world. He is the one who sees it as terrible, instead of seeing the world full of Light and goodness where only the Creator rules, only love and bestowal.

However, thanks to this, one arrives at the beginning of the new year, the new level. He has the Torah, the means for correction, the Light that Reforms. Now, he knows how to use the force contained in nature, how to extract it for the sake of his correction, and with the help of this upper force, to return to the good. For me, the upper force is the higher quality of bestowal, as compared to my egoistic forces.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/2011, Writings of Rabash

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Question: What are spiritual efforts?

Answer: 30 years ago I wrote in my very first book that our world rests upon a force field that controls it. The difference between our world and the spiritual world is: to whom do the kingdoms (Malchut) submit? In this world Malchut acts for the sake of egoism, while in the spiritual world it acts for the sake of bestowal.

We have to draw the connections we feel from this world to love for the neighbor, to common mutual bestowal, meaning to a state in which the upper world becomes revealed. And that can only be done in the group and under the proper guidance.

As we come closer to spirituality, we gradually begin to reveal this net of connections and to feel that our entire world is superimposed on this net of forces. A person imagines that he is constantly in this world, which is entirely permeated by a net of forces that controls him. This net is called the upper governance. And a person’s effort lies in how much he desires to become included in this net and awaken in it as an independently acting participant.

Only the forces of bestowal operate there: ZON and Aba ve Ima. Some ascend while others descend. There are also permanent states, as well as special days called the beginning of the month, the beginning of the new year, holidays, and weekdays. These are all parameters of changes occurring in this system.

If we wish to reveal this net through our world, through the connection between us, so it would openly be revealed above us and between us and we would see that we are inside of it and activate it with our desires, that means we make efforts.

At first a person reveals this net individually, as if seeing it in front of him. It’s similar to how in our world, every person thinks that he is the main protagonist while others are just secondary characters that depend on him. He does not think they have a big influence on him, either good or bad.

But the more included I become in this system, the more I feel the world and the more clearly I see how it influences me in either the good direction or the bad, and how I can influence it: where my influence is possible and where it is not. Just like our material capabilities of changing the system are limited, so I am limited in spirituality. I can influence others only by causing them to advance, by bringing more vital force and health to this entire system.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/1/11, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: The world already sees the collapse waiting for it in the near future. However, except for us, no one is doing anything, and nothing good is happening.

Answer: If we had worked correctly, the world would have woken up from the dream. They won’t awaken, if we won’t wake them up. It is only us who are guilty of what’s happening. People are unable to come to their senses themselves; they awaken only if you shake them up.

This concerns everyone without an exception, including the world leaders and the experts. Some of them already have a spark of understanding. They see the real situation at least a little bit, but still do not change their way of thinking, still don’t grasp that they are the ones who must change, and not the world. We used to change the world egoistically, while now it is man who needs to change.There are scientists who are already writing about this, but their words are still very external, as they themselves don’t understand what stands behind them.

Thus our work is needed until these scientists decide to come and sit together with us at a lesson.

Only we can “shake-up” the substance of humanity. That’s why I make no claims to anyone. The creation of mass media that influences the environment correctly is also up to us. Everything is placed upon our shoulders and not somebody’s else.

Hence, looking at the world, I only learn how to approach this “baby” and bring a spoonful of nourishment to his mouth. Here everything depends on us.

Question: So what is it that we are not doing?

Answer: We do not disseminate. How do you influence the world? How do you convey to it what you receive during the lesson? We are not doing enough. After all, we are entrusted with the work of correction: to organize ourselves, to organize the connection network between us, and to stretch it over all our worldwide groups. We have a hundred groups, and millions of people listening to us without establishing contact with us.

But for some reason we lack the strength and wisdom in order to build the structure correctly. We still cannot present the message so that it will attract people and introduce the new program into them. They are not guilty of anything. In fact, they are ready to absorb more than we give them.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/23/2011, “One Commandment”

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Question: Is there a way to check what effect the environment has on my inner state?

Answer: You can judge this by the extent to which you want to connect to them. This is called the influence of the environment. After all, I reveal spirituality through my connection with them. I exist in them, in the connection between us, and not in my animal body.

It is said that one finds spirituality “within himself.” Not within the animal, but within the system of connections that I build and am connected to. Through my inclusion into all of them, I reveal the general quality of bestowal, which constitutes the revelation of the Creator.

Based on this I check to what measure the environment inspires me towards the importance of the connection, unity, greatness of the Creator (which dwells between us), and love towards friends as a fundamental law of the Torah? If I clarify this state and this reality more and more, I’m advancing correctly.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/28/2011, Writings Of Rabash

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Question: How should I relate to material pleasures?

Answer: You need to think about nothing else but how to bow your head and become included in the correct environment. After all, we are designed particularly for this; we were born and exist in this world only for this purpose. And this is especially true in our time! Therefore, in our life there is no other goal, action, or calculation except to adhere to the environment that can lead me to a connection called mutual bestowal and guarantee.

If I suddenly find such an environment and I am brought into it, it is organized from Above. This is how the Creator helped Abraham to gather people and create a nation. We receive this example of building the environment and society from our teachers, from Kabbalists; however, it is built from Above as we cannot do it ourselves. But once there is some initial state, we need to strengthen it and invest our effort into this society.

We evaluate and check ourselves according to this criterion. All our work is only relative to the society: To what extent do I want to get the force of bestowal out of it, which will change me?

A person cannot change anything in himself. The problem is that we get confused and hope to change ourselves. A person thinks: “Now, I will check myself, I will gather all my strength and change!” But this is impure work called idol worshipping because I see in myself the Creator’s forces and believe that I will be able to do something without Him.

In reality, I have only one freedom: to stick to the right environment.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/28/2011, Writings Of Rabash

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Question: Please clarify the meaning of this this sentence: “The greatest hero is the one who turns his hater to a friend” (the post: “The Illness Is Clear: It’s Time to Treat It“). Does it mean that when one receives hatred from someone, one shouldn’t connect with that hatred, but leave it untouched so that it returns to the sender?

Answer: One should reach a sensation that everything comes from the Creator, and hence, everything has a place in the world, while we can correct the world only by our own correction.

Question: In the post “Join The Work,” you call for everybody to create a “declaration of intentions.” Where can we send it to?

Answer: Please send it by email to the “Arvut” (Mutual Guarantee) movement.

Question: No matter how I sympathize with the suffering of any country, nation, and so on, I’m not sure it relates to Kabbalah since according to Bnei Baruch, Kabbalah has nothing to do with the corporeal world. Is it not better to stay within the limits you describe in the forums?

Answer: Kabbalah talks about the correction of man in this world and his ascent, in his sensations, to the upper world or dimension. This is happening namely today and namely in real events. See Baal HaSulam’s articles “Mutual Guarantee,” “The Peace,” and “Messiah’s Horn.”

Question: These articles should stop. Did you not see President Obama tell Israel that we, the US, would always stand by them. Why is this topic being brought to the attention of the world when this is not true?

Answer: Politics has nothing to do with the truth.…
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Question: What examples of mutual guarantee can we present? How can we show concern for a fellow human being? Should we organize protests in favor of those on hunger strikes or for Gilad Shalit who has been a prisoner of war for several years?

Answer: If this stems from our desire to support the connection between us, from the yearning for love toward others and unity, then everything is correct. However, if the external actions are motivated by a lust for power and self-affirmation, there will be no success.

Having advanced a little further, we will have to learn and teach others that there is no work and no effort except that aimed at connection. Everything comes only from there. Do you want Gilad Shalit back? Unite more strongly. Do you want to end poverty and provide everybody with affordable housing? Unite more strongly. Do you want to reduce the cost of food? Unite with each other, and you will see how everything gets better, gently and nicely.

Only unity and love can help us. It all comes down to one principle: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

You can shout and rebel as much as you want—this will bring only new failures and problems. Bad news will come from everywhere, and the nation will split into many parties, plunging into frictions and quarrels. If you do not follow the principle of love your neighbor as yourself, if you do not come into compliance with the all-encompassing power of nature, which builds and corrects everything, then all is lost. Nothing will help you. Protests will lead to destruction like in Egypt. There is a living example of a country devastated by violence.

Therefore, we have only the law, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” If you want to go to a demonstration with this, please do. We already took to the streets the motto about mutual guarantee, which is above all. It is said that love covers all transgressions, and that is why you can inscribe it on your banner.

However, all the other slogans are vicious and destructive at their core. If you demand lower prices on cottage cheese, they will be reduced at the expense of something else, and as a result, you will get nothing.

We must require correction, but not additions that will cause cuts elsewhere. We want the correction of the world that will raise us all. Protesters try to demonstrate their strength, desiring to snatch something from others, but this is not correction. Ascent should be universal, not selective. One should not rise at the expense of another.

To do this, we need the Light that Reforms. So, apart from unity, we have nothing else to ask. Other methods will not help, but on the contrary, will be devastating. That is why today’s leaders, politicians, and financiers can do nothing with the global crisis.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/2011, “The Nation”

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Baal HaSulam, “The Nation”: Man hasn’t reached the stage of his perfection yet and stands in the middle of his development. He is subject to the war of the positive and the negative forces, loyal messengers that lead the entire humanity to the final perfection.

Question: Do these forces operate in a human society?

Answer: No, they don’t because society completely pertains to the animate level of development. In order to rise higher, society needs to join those learning to correct themselves. The masses do not have their own impulse for correction. The wisdom of Kabbalah only gives them the willingness to lower their heads before those who are able to move forward, like AHP that cancels itself before Galgalta ve Eynaim (GE).

Even though egoistic desire has a lot of power, it is incapable of more. It does not have opposite forces that represent two inclinations. There are only two forces of the same order and they compensate one another. This is why the masses do not work above reason. They have built political, economic, scientific, social, educational, and cultural systems based on their egoistic, mutual understanding.

However, today everything is becoming submerged in the crisis because the world is revealing the system destined to elevate us higher, time after time. The old power, old programs, tendencies, and models can no longer help us. The previous approach does not work on the new challenges. This is why in the end, all the efforts only reveal a greater depth of the crisis, its absolutely uncontrollable nature, and our inability to fix the situation. The future world is finally here.

Gradually, through big, sorrowful mistakes, people will understand that a new, wholesome image of nature is being revealed here that demonstrates an absolutely new form of humanity. This concerns relationships in families and between generations, between people and countries. Seven billion people truly must become a single system, regardless of all the inner contradictions.

You are asking about two forces of development. So, the negative force is on the inside, and the positive force connects the people on the outside, despite the negative. However, this only happens when they join Galgalta ve Eynaim and receive advice from there, like a flock ready to follow the shepherd.

As Baal HaSulam writes, it is enough to have one shepherd and a thousand heads, and they can be sure that they will reach their destination safe and sound. In other words, they are guaranteed to reach the good state. Everything depends on how much they will lower themselves before him.

As it is written in the “Introduction to The Book of Zohar”: “If a line of a thousand blind walk along the way, and there is at least one leader amongst them who can see, they are certain to take the right path and not fall in the pits and obstacles, since they are following the sighted one who leads them. But if that person is missing, they are certain to stumble over every hurdle on the way, and will all fall into the pit.”

In this way, the modern crisis must reveal the following two things:

1. People will not be able to find a solution following their own reasoning and understanding because they are in a new world, a new network of interconnections. The mutual guarantee is being revealed between them, but they are unable to figure out its laws and do anything correctly. They do not know how to manage this network of the mutual guarantee.
2. The only solution is to accept the advice of those who study, who aspire toward the mutual guarantee and live for it.

This way, the entire world will reach mutual correction. Both forces are needed for it: the positive, Galgalta ve Eynaim, people who direct themselves “straight to the Creator,” and the negative, the “nations of the world.”

Both of these forces complement each other, but not equally. Similarly to how the way a cooling force eventually defeated the destructive power of fire and locked it up inside a firm shell during the formation of the earth, here too, the sizzle of the egoistic desires must submit to the balancing power of bestowal and accept its form, regardless of the roaring fire within it.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/25/2011, “The Nation”

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Question: What will integral education give people? What will it build in them?

Answer: Through integral education, I build a correct attitude toward my own qualities and I’m able to use them for the well-being of others. It doesn’t matter what my desires are. I become free and find expression for everything that there is within me. If my intention is directed towards benefiting others, I don’t need to analyze and categorize my qualities as good and bad. I simply use all of them for the sake of good.

This is when I’m truly free. I’m not afraid of my environment, I’m not afraid of myself or the Creator. I can bestow with my qualities and I’m capable of anything. Everything is revealed before me, and the Light of Infinity flows through me.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/27/2011, “The Nation”

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