Recently, we marked the remembrance day of Baal HaSulam, our great teacher, who in our days brought Light from Above to the entire humanity. He revealed the wisdom of Kabbalah to our generation so we could use it and with its help rise from the animate to the human degree, to know how to perform all the actions and achieve the opening of our eyes. This is the only way, without knowing it, we can see where we actually are.

Baal HaSulam was such a great man that we are not even able to properly appreciate and thank him for what he did. We are indebted to him for our spiritual life to the same extent as we are indebted to the mother and father for the life of the animal body. Only it’s not the material life but spiritual life in which we reach eternity and perfection, the upper worlds, the state which we now cannot even imagine right.

Baal HaSulam worked very hard for this. He wrote for so long, working dozens of hours without breaks that his hands went numb, and it was necessary to unclench his fingers to release a pen from them. He gave himself a break for 2.5 to 3 hours of sleep a night and half an hour in the afternoon in order to stay focused, and the rest of time he worked. It was like this throughout his life.

During the war, he was willing to sacrifice all his attainment and asked the Creator to lower him from his spiritual degree only to be able to somehow help unfortunate people suffering in this world and not even realizing for what. And the Creator heard his request and helped him do it. Even Moses could not get that from the Creator when he asked Him to make him responsible for his people and divert punishment from them.

Baal HaSulam was at such a high degree that the Creator told him, “I have no one closer than you out of all humanity.” He was a true giant. Let’s hope that we will be able to appreciate his height, his value. On one hand, he was connected with the Creator, and on the other hand, he could go down to each person to feel in what form he needed to convey explanations to him. He was able to write so delicately, so as not to offend any religious or secular and bring them closer together as much as possible.

His legacy was passed into our hands. We got all these tools through Rabash who adapted this method for realization in the group. Throughout the years of study and work, we began to understand what is written in these works, to implement it, to bring closer all other groups, and by this increasingly appreciate the tremendous contribution made by Baal HaSulam. He was the first of the Kabbalists who revealed the stage of liberation.
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From the Talk during the Meal Dedicated to the Memory Baal HaSulam 9/15/13

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Question: Why does a person fall deeper each time? How can he attain eternal adhesion?

Answer: We fall deeper and deeper every time because increasingly stronger, coarser, egoistic desires are revealed to us. As it is written, “He who is greater than his friend, his desire is greater than his.” We need to be immersed into greater egoism in order to reach the greater reflected Light through working on it. The lower we descend into our desires, the higher we rise due to correction, one against the other.

Otherwise, it is impossible. Such are the laws even in material physics, not just in the spiritual one.

A descent contains all the information about the next step. The problem is only that, when in descent, we lose sensitivity and cannot feel it. If we had felt what we get from a descent, you would understand what powerful tools we get.

The only problem is that all the sense organs stop working in descent and we cannot reveal anything. In essence, the difference between descent and ascent is that the Light comes, gives us a new attitude toward our egoism and toward the Creator, and we need only to tie this into one—Israel (our longing for the Creator), the Torah, and the Creator—and then we will use the egoism that has been revealed to us correctly.

Changing our attitude to what is revealed in descent is called an ascent. However, most important is a descent because it is the revelation of new desires in which we then experience a new world—higher, exalted, expansive—and it always happens during the revelation of darkness. As it is written, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/13/13, Shamati #33 “The Lots on Yom Kippurim and Haman”

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From an article by Rabash, “Destruction by Old Men Is Construction”: “‘Destruction by old men is construction; construction by young men is destruction’ (Megillah 31b). Old men are those who are regular in service to the Creator. Young men are those at the beginning of their work. Destruction is what descent or fall is called. That previously they had some kind of ascent in the work, which was considered to be constructive, meaning that they thought these were ascents. But the destruction at the time that they felt some kind of fall, which comes from the concealment of the Creator, that is to say that the Creator conceals Himself from them, this is called destruction.

The destruction of the old men, when they say that the Creator sent the concealment to them, it is found that they are already found in construction, being that the Creator is taking care of them; and from this they receive vitality. And the essence of faith is revealed at the time of descent; this is to say at the time that He doesn’t enlighten a person, for then he is standing before the dilemmas. Either he will say, “I don’t need any benefit, rather I want to give satisfaction above, and it is not important to me what I feel, or God forbid, the opposite.”

“Construction by old men is construction.” If the “concealment,” rubble, comes to old men, then upon it they build a new level, from experience. An old man is a sage who acquires the way of Torah.

And the young men (the youths) who don’t have experience in the work, even when they merit construction, ascent, they cannot build anything, and with these ascents in the meantime, they build contradictions, ruins, descents, disappointments, until the Upper Light influences them and transforms them into old men, and then they “restore” all the rubble and the contradictions that they built in the process of building from above; this is to say, they raise the shattered “Reshimot” and correct them. And in this way they begin to build upon the rubble. And all this is thanks to their faith. The “Light of faith” is what the Upper Light is called, the Light of bestowal that illuminates the person and makes it possible for him to pass from “destruction” to “construction.”

The rubble, the “contradictions” (conflicts) are the difficult thoughts and doubts that dominate a person and conceal the unity of supervision from him. From our experience it is known that if the person continues to be stubborn, then the Upper Light acts on him gradually and “One penny and another penny accumulate into a large sum.” And so ultimately he reaches a state that through discernment of the conflicts, from the descents and the disappointments, he begins to ascend.

Otherwise we cannot ascend, rather only through feeling the exile, the lowness, in other words, through feeling the shattering, feeling the crisis. Only from this state do all the creatures begin the way of their ascent.
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From the Preparation to the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/13/13

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Question: How do you maintain the right intention when performing dissemination over the Internet when it is not a physical exercise and a friend cannot remind you about the intention?

Answer: You are disseminating the correct material over the Internet. They direct you correctly themselves and in fact you have no distractions unless you intentionally divert your attention.

Foreign desires are awakened in you at every moment: to surf other sites or leave the computer and do something else. In this case, certainly you must restrain yourself. Disconnect all the external sources like television and radio, disconnect your access to other websites such as news sites, various entertainment sites, and so forth. Disconnect all the external sources like television, radio, disconnect your access to other Web sites such as news sites, various entertainment sites and so forth. Do everything possible to limit your “beast” so that it will not be attracted to any place, for there is nowhere to be attracted. Lock it in a cage and force it to work.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/25/13, Question and Answers with Dr. Laitman

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The worst thing regarding our physical and spiritual state is frivolity. There is nothing worse than this. Some small smirk, movement, or act of disrespect, and that’s it. Everything within me falls. It is terribly necessary to be afraid that, with this, you are liable to harm a friend, but you could harm yourself many times more.

It is necessary to always be in “serious joy” but from the heart. Even if your condition is the worst but excitement comes from the heart, this will help. In no way or manner should there be any showing off unless you are intentionally playing at this to cheer a friend. It is very necessary to maintain our level and constantly be concerned about rising further and further all the time. Don’t forget about the most important thing: preparation.

I advise those who have the opportunity to connect to the live broadcast of our morning lesson. Although I say that it makes no difference when you watch it, it is also possible to watch later, but if you can, this is the true time. There is psychological importance to this for a person. The spiritual energy that exists in the world, it is found here.

But when a person feels that right now there is no need to seize this state and fear for it to pass, meaning, he is in a relaxed state, he  gets up, pauses the computer, sips coffee, and so on; he is not glued to the screen.

Therefore, I strongly urge you, I recommend, if possible, to see part of the live broadcast of the lesson at least, and don’t miss our connection and unity on Sunday evening.

You see yourselves what the meaning of preparation is: We all are preparing for the state of the completion of correction, of full adherence of everyone together with the Light. All of our lives, all of our spiritual elevation, is called “preparation,” and therefore, it needs to precede all of our activities. Before the lesson, I need to get up at least a quarter of an hour before in order to read something. I need to do something with myself. I need to hear something on the way to the lesson.

Read Psalms or some excerpts from our literature, something not connected to anything, which gets you tuned up in the right way. A violinist or cellist tunes his instrument no matter what melody he will play later. So, we also need to tune up our “instruments,” and then, in a lesson we will play.

I can’t imagine that I would come to the lesson without tuning myself for it. It is not important for me to know what I will do with you. Believe me, I sat down now, I looked at the subject of the lesson, and started it. This makes no difference to me, but I must tune myself up before then!

Before the nighttime lesson, Rabash would take a walk in the street for half an hour. I would get up an hour and a half before the lesson even though I only needed to walk fifty meters or less. I needed to take a hot shower, cheer up, read something from his materials that wouldn’t divert my attention from the lesson but, on the contrary, would tune me up properly.

Sometimes it happens that you read some material, and after that, it is difficult for you to regroup and come. You arrive and suddenly, a completely different subject has been prepared for you. This is a responsibility, for in front of me there are tens of thousands of students sitting around the world!

This is how each one of us must feel because we are working on a common Kli, vessel. I am not tuned to anything in particular. I am tuned to that connection that you can give me at any moment, and if you cannot, then even the lesson is lacking.

Sometimes, your state, your connection, opens me up so much that the speech really flows freely and fluently, and this doesn’t depend on the number of people. Rather, this depends on the quality of the connection. Sometimes you succeed, and then wonderful material appears. Therefore, it is necessary to take all this into account and be good children.
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From the St. Petersburg Convention “Day Two” 7/13/13, Lesson 4

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Question: What does the dialog between letters and the Creator that is described in The Book of Zohar in chapter “Letters of Rabbi Hamnuna Saba” mean?

Answer: We want to clarify the properties of each force (a letter) relative to Keter (the goal, the white Light) that act in the general system of our universe that was made by the Creator. The system defines relationships between the power of bestowal and the force of receiving.

There are two forces: “something out of something” (Yesh mi Yesh) and “something out of nothing” (Yesh mi Ain) and there is a system of relationships between them. How is it possible to make “something out of nothing” similar to “something out of something?” How can the desire to receive become like the desire to bestow? The desire to receive cannot turn into a giving desire, but it can copy the latter by acting like it. This type of behavior is called “receiving for the sake of bestowal.”

For that, it is necessary to have a sensation of the Giver since we are not yet concerned about Him; all we worry about is how to fulfill ourselves. In order to receive for the sake of bestowal, we have to sense the one to whom we are giving and use our desire in accordance with what the Giver wants.

Our desire turns into a method of pleasing the Creator, so we need energy and properties that we did not have previously. We want to “get acquainted” with the One to Whom we bestow and we should understand why we are doing this. In other words, we have to detach from ourselves and start feeling somebody else’s internal world.

What properties, forces, and augmentations are necessary to achieve this goal? We have to resolve this problem. We have to go through a certain process in order to achieve the goal. This question is clarified to us by the letters. Malchut asks Keter if she can become similar to Keter with the help of the letter “Samech.”

Keter responds to Malchut that it’s not possible. She can only cover a part of the path to meet Keter; she can only go a small portion of the road, to the place where Malchut separates from herself and receives support (Simcha) (derivative of the letter “Samech”). At this point, Malchut does not depend on the desire that she had in the beginning of her journey. It’s as if she floats in the air.

What’s next? Correction cannot be accomplished this way. On the contrary, if Malchut wants to proceed, she has to receive for the sake of bestowal. “Samech” doesn’t want to receive. This letter aspires to bestowal, to “Hafetz Hesed,” nothing but that. It’s like a righteous man who lives alone in the woods and doesn’t have even a shirt, but he doesn’t need one.

That’s why it’s necessary to cancel “Samech” since the force that envelopes this letter becomes a hindrance to it. We need a developmental power of the letter “Mem” that consists of two letters: “Dalet” (two doors – Delet) that have to open and let the fetus go out in order to continue its development. These doors are two opposing forces that fight with each other. That’s why they are called the door hinges (Tzirim), or labor pains (Tzirim), meaning the pain of advancement. The second power that cancels “Samech’s” protection is getting stronger and the fetus starts getting additional desire to be pleased that was previously under the power of egoism, but now it transitions from receiving to bestowal.

There is nothing that is absolutely and entirely good. There is no letter or force that could help us in all circumstances with the exception of the letter “Bet” that means “blessing.” The letter “Bet” doesn’t depend on anything at all, only on the Upper. The ways of receiving its blessing (meaning the Returning Light) can be learned from the wisdom of Kabbalah. The remaining properties reveal and correct because of this blessing.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/27/13, The Zohar

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Question: In any person, there is a psychological matrix of what a leader should be like. When one sees somebody who is different from the rest of the crowd, one internally regards this person as a “distinct unit.” Is it true that fanatic leaders emerge as a result of the fact that the masses perceive them as such? Is it feasible to have a harmonious transition, when instead of having fanatical leaders there will be sages who come to power? In other words, should sages be also included in the psychological matrix of the way people envision their leaders?

Answer: Yes, it is true. For that, two conditions should be observed. First of all, a sage has to understand that he is a leader (or even a dictator in a sense) and impose his ideas on the society for the general benefit of others.

The sage has to get out of his constricted space and descend to the level of the general public in order to be accepted by the society and start working for the public. He has to create a small group of like-minded people and disciples who disseminate his ideas.

In fact, these people should be doing the work of prophets; they have to go to the world and spread (preach) the sage’s ideas. In general, we have already seen these historical examples at the time of establishing new religions.

On one hand, it’s a very serious and important work that the sage has to conduct. On the other hand, it can only work if the society is ready for it and if it displays social and evolutionary concern which signifies that the general public needs the knowledge that the sage offers.

That’s why the sage and the society have to cross. The society has to “catch” what the sage is talking about, the concept, and regard it as something necessary for survival. If this is the case, their interaction starts: The public has to consent to learn from the sage, to be “under” him and follow his disciples.

This process doesn’t depend on the public, but rather on our evolutionary development. Our way of development is called “a crisis” since we cannot predict anything at all, and we are breaking away from our past way of life.

Soon we will see the contradictions between what is possible and what actually is in humans and civilizations. In a world of abundance, there will be hunger. Unlimited possibilities to stay healthy will not prevent the entire world from being sick. Irrespective of having huge sources of energy, the world will suffer of its shortage, etc.

Confused and ravaged by numerous conflicts and countless problems, powerless and tormented, humanity will not succeed in finding the answer to: “Why this is happening to us? Where is this leading to?” On the other hand, the inner question will gradually emerge: “What do I live for? Why do I suffer?”

This is how we are constructed in this evolutionary development; our internal desires progressively transform, and ultimately humanity will develop a need to reveal the meaning of life. Therefore, our next stage is disclosing what the meaning of our earthly existence and the existence of the universe.

In this case, it won’t be difficult for the public to determine who can guide them—a person who can make their lives meaningful. And then there will be a sage, his prophets, disciples, administrators, educators who will be the leaders of society and will organize humanity in a proper way. This group will be similar to the Biblical Sanhedrin and it will become “the spiritual peak of the world.”
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From Kab TV’s “Through Time,” 3/18/13

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Question: How can we help friends during a descent?

Answer: There is no need to specifically identify someone who is in a descent. Instead, within a group, you always should maintain high spirits, an elevated mood, the importance of the goal, and shared commitments to remain in connection and mutual guarantee. We still lack mutual responsibility.

If all this is in the group, then we will be able immediately to turn these descents into ascents and achieve revelation. The only thing we lack is a stronger connection. People do not feel their commitment to each other. Everyone still thinks that he acts on his own, and he just has colleagues at work, as in a factory: He came, worked, got paid according to his work, and went home.

We transfer our attitude toward usual external work to spiritual work. We do not yet realize that spiritual work is only in connection, in contracting oneself in order to turn into one whole, in mutual guarantee, and become one man with one heart, and only then can we get paid! Indeed, the reward is to create a place where the Creator could be revealed. By that, we will please Him and reach adhesion with Him according to His will.

We do not pay enough attention to this point of unity and do not realize that this is where all the work is realized and rewarded. We still lack this feeling because it is necessary to feel this, not to remember the words, so that the heart would pull me there all the time and wish to be there.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/13/13, Shamati #33

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Question: It is written that prayer is said to begin with gratitude. Is there any gratitude in the prayers of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement)?

Answer: First of all, the prayers on Yom Kippur are linked to the prayers of Rosh Hashanah that are designed to exalt “crown” of the Creator as king of the world. With this we elevate the goal, bestowal, love, it is a great attribute that we must attain. It manages the entire world, dwells everywhere, and controls everything.

The Creator means the characteristic of bestowal and love. He has no other image so He is clothed in the Kelim, and so we get to know Him, get to know the force that acts in creation. We respect, appreciate, and exalt this property above all.

This is the meaning of Rosh Hashanah; we celebrate the “head” (Rosh in Hebrew), which is the characteristic of bestowal. It is the most important, runs everything, attracts us, and we want to reach it, to be like it, and to be integrated within it.

Whereas Yom Kippur shows us how we are still far from this. We examine, discover, the defects and see that in the meantime we lack corrections so that we will acquire the characteristic of complete and full bestowal. We regret this when we uncover and prepare our flaws for work.

After that come the days of correction and on Purim we finish it.

Question: This is saying that on Yom Kippur there is only regret that we are not yet corrected?

Answer: And this is a great joy. In fact, I am not sorry but joyful. The shattered Kelim are revealed to me and now I can fix them. That’s right: My regret, the repentance, and the “forgiveness” are linked to joy, since I have finally discovered the evil in me and now am totally trembling with desire to correct it. I am happy that I have discovered this and I am grateful for this.

Try to read the prayers on Yom Kippur with happiness instead of crying and you will discover something completely different in this.

How is it possible to cry when we are found next to the Creator? You see that now if you are sorry, you are attesting that the Creator is the one who caused the sorrow, and this means even that the Creator is not the Good Who does good? In fact, there is no such thing. The Creator reveals the shattering to you so that you will be happy and will correct the flaw. With this you will be able to resemble Him yourself. And on the contrary, if He had created you like Him without your independent participation you would simply be “stuck” to Him like duct tape.

But no, He now gives you the opportunity to identify the differences, prepares the state for you that seemingly says, “In these characteristics you are different from Me. Carry out the work and you will be like Me.” How could it be that you would cry; for He has related to you this way and has given you the opportunity to be like Him?

On the contrary, you are happy: “Indeed, we have erred and betrayed. Indeed, I am guilty, I am a thief, I am a liar…”, and you have pleasure from what you have discovered. You are happy that He created you opposite Him and that this opposition shows you how it is possible to be like Him and to merit adhesion.

This says: “To serve the Creator” is the work of the Creator. So how is this linked to crying? You see with this you bring Him contentment. You are thankful that He is the one who has placed everything in front of you and you are grateful that He created you the opposite.

Essentially, it is as if you are “kissing the stick”, the whip that strikes you; and in this way you neutralize the evil inclination. Now it is no longer bad, since thanks to your change in attitude, it becomes good.

Question: This is to say, we are happy that we discover that we are opposite the Creator?

Answer: No, we are happy because by means of this He gives us the opportunity to be equivalent to Him. I thank Him for the preparation that I have done, for His mercy towards me both in the past and in the future. All that He does, including the shattering and the terrible disasters through which we have passed, the essence of all this is complete kindness. This is exactly what we discover. Everything depends on my outlook on life; that is precisely what we must change.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/13/13, Writings of Rabash

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Question: With us in the World Kli, the entire group is united with its own uniqueness. On what internal and external level must the group be in order to go out to disseminate with the right intention and action? For if the group is not prepared and not connected enough, then it’s liable to cause harm to the action. As it is said, “It is preferable to sit and do nothing.” How is it possible to examine the amount of readiness of the group to go out to the wider public?

Answer: If the group is connected, then you will feel that you can do everything. The Creator doesn’t put any difficult problems before you. None whatsoever!

If I am connected with the group into a single whole body, then together, I and the group are filled with the upper force and in this case the Creator is found within us. And then I can be sure that I am conveying the higher power to the 99% of humanity and there is no problem with them. They will really begin to “unfold” in front of me; they will smile at me in response. I will not see anything else besides smiles. I assure you! They will listen to you very willingly.

The Light does everything. It builds, realizes, and molds. And you only need to open a passage for it through you. Nothing more than this is needed!

Therefore, all the claims that you don’t understand, don’t know enough, and are not organized enough, all these are nonsense! It’s up to you to make yourselves into a “pipe,” so that the Upper Light will pass through you to all the rest. And then you will immediately feel a good relationship and good will from their side.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/25/13, Question and Answers with Dr. Laitman

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