When we look at our life in this world, it seems as if we are forced to spend many hours on unnecessary activities. Life is arranged in a wasteful manner with so many hours spent on sleep, food, work, and family. A person is left with some nuggets of time at the end.

Some people calculate and figure out that they have only a few moments remaining out of their entire life and are unclear why they live their life..

But on the other hand, we understand that our entire material life is built in accordance with spiritual roots. In our world there is nothing that would not have been a consequence of the higher world, since all material branches derive from their higher spiritual roots.

Even simple activities in our world, like sleep, work, and eating seem like a waste of time, but in the upper world they have a spiritual form. Apparently, our world is designed correctly, no matter how irrational it may seem to us. First of all, we need to take this as a hypothesis, and then we’ll see.

Our life seems a little too short or too long, confusing, and without any meaning, but is apparently arranged in the best way to achieve the highest goal. And if so, it’s necessary to ask, “Where is that secret reason, that correct goal towards which we should strive? What exactly is there to choose from in this life and how do we delve into this analysis?”

Even during those times when we are in spiritual work studying, we aren’t always able to properly concentrate. What can be depicted as the most important and necessary? What can be accomplished during this life in order to make it successful and to correctly use this chance given to us?

We come to the most important point in which all our work and effort are concentrated. This is the place for which we all should strive and seek: the revelation of the Creator. This is the only place towards which we should direct our efforts, to try to get as close as we can until we can touch it and then start building it.

It’s been written that we create the Creator. We need to build a vessel, a joint desire assembled from the many different and strange desires that are foreign to each other. The capacity of the vessel is determined by the contrast and connection of all components, which will be revealed to us as the property of bestowal that is located above the properties of reception.

The confrontation of these two properties, one against the other, is how we reveal the Creator. As it is written, “Love covers all crimes,” which is built above hatred.

It’s clear that the most important thing is to build this common place for us that is combined from our desires. Therefore, everyone has to find out what kind of wish is being talked about, what we want it to do, how one organizes and builds the correct desire, how to correctly direct it, what its effect will be, and what we need to feel within it.

Interesting enough, none of us have such a desire that is good enough for the revelation of the Creator! If it’s present within us, we would need only to increase its size and the power at the expense of our association. But everything is based on exactly the opposite, which is the annulling of the opposite desire existing within a person.

In Kabbalah, this is called a screen and reflected light We need to build such desires internally and see that they are contained in this particular desire that appears as an opposite, as an aspiration to bestow. Only in this desire are we able to connect with each other and achieve such a powerful quality and strength that it would start emitting light by itself. Therefore, the most important thing is that common place that we must attain.
[149124]
From the Convention Association “Day One” 12/5/14, Lesson 2

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The Light created a desire to receive and after that divided it into five phases. The “root” phase – Keter still belongs to the Light. And from it the first phase emerges that belongs to the desire, to the Kli, to Hochma. The Hochma phase is a desire to receive that wants to be bestow like Keter and becomes Bina.  Bina produces Zeir Anpin, a unique Kli that integrates reception and bestowal within itself. And Zeir Anpin produces Malchut that includes all of the characteristics within itself and wants to get everything without taking account of anything; the main thing is to be filled.

These states are called the Four Phases of Direct Light because they are created by the Light that extends directly from above to below. The last phase, Malchut, which is the only true Kli, the creature, is also divided into five parts: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4.

Desires on levels 2, 3 and 4 are very strong, difficult, and especially egoistic. They are called receptive desires, the AHP. The desires on levels 0 and 1 are lighter desires, Galgalta ve Eynaim (GE).

The goal of creation is to bring all of Malchut to the state of Keter, like the Creator. For this to happen, many actions take place, including a shattering. And now it is up to us to correct everything. It is interesting that there are parts of Malchut that are not ready to be awakened to correction by themselves and require external awakening. And there are parts that awaken by themselves and yearn for the goal of creation, for the Creator. They already want to attain the heavens and the upper world here in this life. Such people come to study the wisdom of Kabbalah; they want to know the meaning of life: What are we living for?

Many ask this question, especially in their childhood from the ages of 5 to 10. But after that a child grows and stops asking about this. The moment that sexual attraction develops in him, he forgets these questions about the meaning of life. What can be done about it? That’s life. Society suppresses them in a person and he stops thinking about the meaning of his existence.

Among some of the people there are spiritual Reshimot (remembrances) that force them to search for the meaning of life. And other people are not ready even to imagine questions like these. But all of us are parts of the same Kli, everyone must reach correction.

The uniqueness of the integral Kli is that each part includes all the rest of the parts within itself. It is impossible to correct the source phase or the first phase without including all the rest of the phases within them. This is the law of the integral system.

Even our body functions according to the same principle, even though we are not aware of it. According to eastern medicine there are points on the hands and the feet which represent all the organs of the body: the kidneys, the heart, all of the organs. And this is truly so.

So to correct ourselves, we must be drawn towards correction of the whole world. There is no choice! In our day this is an obligation! In previous periods Kabbalists would correct themselves since there was no possibility of speaking openly with people about the wisdom of Kabbalah and about the meaning of life. So Kabbalists were in concealment. It was even forbidden to open one’s mouth to speak about Kabbalah publicly.

This situation continued until 30-40 years ago. It was forbidden to talk about the wisdom of Kabbalah in the street, as someone was liable to hear. If someone found out that you were studying Kabbalah, people would simply shy away from you. It was considered to be criminal. And bookstores didn’t sell books about Kabbalah.

So throughout the generations, beginning from ancient Babylon, Kabbalists corrected what was possible, meaning themselves. Even thirty years ago they secretly learned the wisdom of Kabbalah. And only in our times has Kabbalah emerged from hiding and become common knowledge.

But along with this, we must correct the world; otherwise, we cannot correct ourselves. It was enough for Kabbalists of the past to correct themselves, but for us this is no longer enough. Many sources have been written about this.

Baal HaSulam writes in the article, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”: But the end of the correction of the world will only be by bringing all the people in the world under His work, as it is written,”And the Lord shall be King over all the earth (meaning over every desire); in that day shall the Lord be One, and His name one” (Zechariah, 14:9).
[148212]
From the Congress In Verona “Day Two” 11/22/14, Lesson 4

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Question: What can you say about American unity?

Answer: America is a nation in which nobody is ashamed of showing his ego in a framework determined by social law.

The United States is the dominant power, pressuring and guiding the world, pushing it in the direction that it thinks is correct. Certainly, in playing the role of a hegemon (leader or dominance), the American people first and foremost require unity, for absolute separation dwells there now. The main thing is not to touch each other: This is yours and that is mine.

So from the point of view of the wisdom of Kabbalah, the present state of this nation in our global world is first of all a threat to America itself. This is because we are under the control of an encompassing natural system that manages us. In the present situation, America is completely opposite to the system of collective integral leadership that is now being revealed.

The Americans are very great individualists and the fall, which is liable to happen, threatens not only them but the whole world as well. So I would want to see America in particular, more than any other nation (certainly other than Israel), use of the wisdom of Kabbalah, which will make it possible to cushion this fall.
[148920]
From KabTV’s “A Special Opinion” 8/17/14

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Question: I don’t know how I will hold on for the three hours of the lesson because I feel tired, heavy, and lack energy; my body feels as if it is full of lead. Is there some kind of quick solution to overcome the heaviness of heart?

Answer: It is known that the whole reason for heaviness in the work is that a person doesn’t feel the Creator. So it is simply necessary for me to be conscious all the time and to try and remember that the Creator portrays all the feelings of my reality: everything I see, hear and perceive through my five senses, including my perception of myself and the world. I get everything from Him.

It is the Creator who is making this feeling of heaviness for me, since everything that I feel comes from Him. If I don’t forget this, then I will be looking for how to deal with the state that I receive from the Creator. The main thing is not to forget that in each and every moment, through feeling myself and the surrounding world, I have contact with the Creator.

I have contact with the Creator now! And so I must constantly think, “How is He bestowing to me and how am I bestowing to Him? How do I obtain equivalence with Him, His revelation, and pass from this feeling of concealment that doesn’t let me clearly feel that we are connected together and adherent to each other?”

Even before my characteristics begin to reach equivalence of form with the Creator, by feeling this world (Olam), which symbolizes hiding (Alama), or concealment; meaning when I am feeling my body and the environment, I am constantly in connection with the Creator. We must try to be in such a sensation that passes through the skin, through the body, the emotion and intellect, the thoughts, and everything there is. All that I feel reaches me from the Creator, as well as the thoughts and desires that are changing within me.

This is because I never lose contact with the Creator. Then, I will be able to look for how it is possible to be connected even more strongly with Him and how to establish reciprocal connection, love, and mutual bestowal.
[149074]
From the Preparation to Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/7/14

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Question: How does a person succeed in understanding that he depends on the environment?

Answer: Blows “straighten” the desire to enjoy, give it shape, like kneading dough and sometimes beating it. A person cannot reach the same result by himself because the protective power of the ego will not let a person suffer.

He doesn’t want to bow, not even to diminish himself a little bit. He will twist himself in every possible way; the main thing is not to allow a change in his form, which is advantageous for the ego.

It is said that there is no happier moment in a person’s life than when he discovers the failure of his own power and that only a prayer remains for him. And that prayer must pass through the environment, through the society; you have no other way. The Creator is found within the environment, within the group, within the whole, the people. So when you turn to the Creator, you must turn by way of the collective Kli.

You must be included in the same Kli in which the Creator is found. There is no Light without a Kli, so if you want to turn to the Creator, you must turn to the same Kli He is found in.

I need electricity, so how can I get it? You don’t catch lightning from the sky; instead you connect to a battery or an outlet where electricity is found. You must connect to it wherever it is and get the electricity from it through an instrument.

You cannot turn to the Creator directly, egoistically, the way you wanted to and thought of doing before. Rather now you understand that the Creator is found within a society. Although you reached this awareness through blows, you can spare yourself from blows and save time through speaking and reading about it, ultimately shortening the time through this influence.

The result is still the same, but you have already begun to search for Him within the Kli where He is found. All souls are searching for how to connect to Malchut de Atzilut, for that is where the Creator is revealed.

Zeir Anpin is disconnected from us and we don’t know what it is. We get a copy of it and its influence through Malchut. Through our efforts, Malchut clings to Zeir Anpin and receives Light from it according to our deficiencies. We work by way of the Kelim. Even fulfillments are our Kelim.

In every circumstance in our lives we never measure the power itself but only its influence on something. This is because we are creatures.
[149011]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/4/14, Writing of Rabash

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Question: What do you expect of the coming convention?

Answer: First we need to regard the convention seriously and to spend every minute and every hour of the convention in a collective inclination to connect in order to reveal our collective attribute of bestowal in which we will discover the Creator.

At the same time we shouldn’t forget all the groups and all our friends who are not able to be with us in person for various reasons. We will not forget anyone.

We will also not forget the whole Israeli nation or the whole world as well.

We will constantly try to implement the inner impulse each of us has for connection during all the activities and the events in the convention in order to feel the hearts of the friends as one heart.

This is the feeling we should have as a result of the convention and we should try to hold on to it and keep it during the weekdays. In a couple of weeks we will have another convention and once again we will see to what extent our efforts in connecting help us advance.

If everyone is serious about his task of his contributions, we will really be able to achieve something.

Everyone should show others how serious he is and his readiness to attain the goal, to attain connection. He should show others that he works with an open heart with regard to others and to what extent he is attracted to the connection between them, to actually be connected heart to heart. This is the impression and the inspiration we should receive from everyone. Everyone has to set an example as to how much they want and yearn to be connected and how much they want to shatter all the partitions between us.

We must get closer and closer to one another so that everyone will see to what extent he annuls the shell (Klipot) of his body (Guf). It is our obligation to continue these efforts.
[148939]
From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/4/14, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Question: What is the meaning of a social consensus, thanks to which it is possible to solve all of our problems?

Answer: Social consensus symbolizes that we have become a single body. It’s very simple! We agree that the people of Israel are a unique people upon which depends the fate of the world, all peoples, and even the mood of the Creator, if it is possible to say such a thing.

Social consensus is the same level to which it is possible to bring the people of Israel living in the land of Israel to common knowledge, awareness, and emotion. Suppose that today we agree that the price of yogurt is way too expensive. Now together with this, we need to reach a consensus that only through our connection and unity can we bring down the price of yogurt by half.

Yogurt is just a typical example. You could use anything else as an example. There are enough examples of high costs in Israel. But who is to blame for this? We ourselves are to blame for not connecting with each other.

Only general education will make it possible to determine what kind of mutual connection there is between us and to actually realize this connection through bringing changes to society. So we invite everyone to take part in our discussion circles.

Gradually a person begins to change. This is called “the influence of the environment on a person.” The environment will change his heart, as there is no other force. The person is not ready to change himself and only the force of the environment does this.

Television must help social unity, such as we do on Channel 66 (in Israel). It is necessary to work on this to create a warm atmosphere in schools so that there won’t be problems such as those that there are now. According to the opinion of sociologists, if 10% of the total population begins to organize something, then they obligate everyone else to participate. In such a manner we can bring consensus to the entire society.

Question: But in what way is this call for equality different from those attempts that humanity has already taken for many years?

Answer: I suggest a working tool, like a screwdriver or a key, through which it is possible to solve our common problem and that of everyone personally at its root by going back to maintaining the balance of nature.

As far as it seems, all previous approaches have been unsuccessful, for the condition of the world is becoming worse and worse. Whereas in the present case, we are beginning to understand the law of existence of human society, the process that it is going through, and the methods that make it possible for us to adhere to this inevitable process, such that we will feel ourselves more and more in every coming point of our development.

This is not talking about trying to convince the government to lower taxes. The solution is found within nature itself, and it requires balance from us. If we don’t establish balance, then all of our various attempts to correct the situation will cost us dearly and will bring even greater loss and damage on a deeper level.

If we don’t heal this illness at its root now, through correction and consolidation of society, then it will break out even more strongly in in another place. Suppose that we gather a particular crowd and go out to a demonstration to make the price of yogurt cheaper by half and we succeed in this. Instead of this, a capitalist will raise the price of other necessary products by 5% and it will follow that we haven’t gained anything.

This is because we have not acted according to the law of nature, according to its trend, but  have instead acted according to our understanding. And when we rely on our intellect, it always follows that we want to correct something egoistically, with the result being worse. The same previous destruction remains In nature and it grows even more. We are then forced to suffer even more, so that eventually we may understand the need for the correction of society.

The problem of the price of yogurt doesn’t exist by itself, rather it is pushing us towards connection with others. Whereas you are saying that you could get its price lowered in another way. But in general we are not talking about yogurt but about social consensus!

Yogurt is only an excuse for making it possible for us to unite. We exist in a global system that is interconnected, a small global village that is embraced by a general crisis.

There was once a very popular slogan: “The people demand social justice!” Today it is possible to change it to this: “The people demand social consolidation!”
[148484]
From a Talk, 4/13/14

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Workshop

Writings of Rabash “Shlavei HaSulam,” “What ‘You Have Given the Strong to the Hands of the Weak’ Means in the Work”

Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah” 

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In the footsteps of the Messiah insolence will increase and honor dwindle; the vine will yield its fruit [abundantly] but wine will be dear; the government will turn to heresy and there will be none [to offer them] reproof; the meeting-place [of scholars] will be used for immorality; Galilee will be destroyed, Gablan desolated, and the dwellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them. [Talmud, Chapter “Sotah” 49:6].

In the world a sum total of two states exist, upper and lower, and from them the birth of the next step is possible.

The first state is one in which the upper force is revealed to man. People wait for it, yearn for Him, understand and grasp what they attained. This state is called the “way of Torah,” the way of the Light, of recognition and wisdom, and we paved it by ourselves by restricting time and inviting upon ourselves the developing forces of nature.

But in the other state, it is the opposite: Man denies it completely, enters into his ego, and does in it whatever he wants. The land of Israel or the desire for the Creator, for bestowal and love, is not important to him. This state is completely opposite to the first state, and when we come to its completion in a hardened state, it is then that we are ready for the revelation of the Messiah, because even the smallest Light will show us our ultimate futility and we will begin to feel the need for the bestowal of the Upper Light on us.

Such a contradiction between the situation in the present and the future state can be felt as a very strong yearning by a person for the next degree, or on the contrary, a complete distancing from it. Then a tiny quantity of Light will be enough for us to see that we are in darkness. And without it we will not feel anything.

Today we don’t feel that we are in darkness at all, as if we don’t have eyes, there is no Light. And if He will illuminate a little, we will feel darkness. And if not, then it will be enough for us with what we exist. This is our world now.

Remark: But complete darkness is prior to the coming of the Messiah.

Answer: Meanwhile we are not in complete darkness because everything is measured against man. Therefore, if man does not determine his state as complete darkness, we will not be able to talk about it.

Humanity needs to determine the two states. The regular feeling of darkness by people is because of the pressure of the Kabbalists and from the masses. They were able to torture and slaughter the Kabbalists. A state like this of humanity is one of the signs of the coming of the Messiah.

Question: So why is the Messiah not coming?

Answer: The people did not understand it; they only saw the terrible execution of Rabbi Akiva, without understanding that he is making the last step to eternity. Precisely at this time came the death of twenty four thousand of his students and the destruction of the temple.

And also today, the people do not understand yet in what period they live. People don’t feel that they need the force of the Messiah. Therefore we need to teach and educate them and disseminate the method of connection and unity.
[148364]
From KabTV’s “Will the Messiah Come?” 11/14/14

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Question: How can a person still annul oneself?

Answer: One does this out of desperation and hopelessness. This takes place on the condition that the person doesn’t run away. If one comes to class twice a week instead of seven times and doesn’t become included in the group, one prolongs time. Of course, nothing is ever lost, and even the smallest exertion still counts. But the question still stands, how big is this contribution?

Put together a clear schedule for yourself, such as group work and dissemination, and then begin to implement it without any desire. The heart is where the deeds are. That’s the way our world is, and it’s a good thing that it’s been designed this way. After all, we can awaken our hearts with the help of deeds.

People adopt someone else’s child, put forth efforts and begin to love this child. At first, they don’t have any natural love towards it, but later this child becomes more loved by them than a biological child. The point is that this requires a lot of effort.

We’ve put a lot of effort into our spiritual development as well. But it still needs to be analyzed to find out what it gave us. We fall into despair, and this is very good! The disappointment shouldn’t throw us back home—in the place where the children of Israel cried out from the hard work.

A man is obliged to embark on the next level of work, but one escapes it, since after all, one gets disappointed. A person thinks that the result is obvious, and can’t comprehend that disappointment is this result. This should be a desired and correct result at a person’s current level.

While a person thinks that no results were ever achieved and there was no success, he accuses the group, the teacher himself, and decides to quit. The only one thing to blame here is the misunderstanding of the revelation to a person that one does not have the power to get closer to the Creator. What could be better than such a state?

There should be no happier moments in life than when all of the attempts of a person fail. We see that the friends who were with us for years didn’t understand this and left. Each one of us can be in their place, as it is said “Do not believe in yourself until the day you die,” that is, until death of egoism and complete correction of your desire.

In this state, it is necessary to drag yourself to the lesson by force and try to wake yourself up, engage with the group and get the group’s strength. This is where the work is.

There’s nothing particularly to enjoy when you wake up and feel inspired right off the bat. But if you wake up with an effort and drag yourself by force and start to awaken and force yourself to work, then you really do the job. You must love this work by which you awaken yourself from the state of unconsciousness.
[149017]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/4/14, Writings of Rabash

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