We must always consider the goal, which is to “do good to His creations.” If the evil inclination comes to a person and asks him all of Pharaoh’s questions, [such as “Why? For what? To what purpose?” and so on, he should not reply with lame excuses, but say] “Now, with your questions, I can begin with the work of bestowal” (Rabash, Article 22, “The Whole of the Torah Is One Holy Name”).

Without the objections of our egoism, called “Pharaoh,” it is impossible to carry out spiritual work since it is impossible to always remain in one line or under one force. Without contrast, we cannot perceive anything. If we were surrounded by completely transparent white light, what would we see? After all, we can only discern through light and shadow.

Therefore, the main thing the Creator created is darkness—egoism. This egoism is essential for us! When questions arise, they come from our egoism, which disagrees with something. We must clearly understand this.

In other words, questions are necessary. It is precisely through questions that we advance. However, one must know how to formulate them correctly. This requires studying the material and learning how to structure and ask questions properly.

This means that we should not say about the questions of the evil inclination [egoism] that it came to us in order to lower us from our degree. On the contrary, now it is giving us a place to work, [and by answering these questions] we will ascend on the degrees of wholeness.

That is, any overcoming in the work is called “walking in the work of the Creator,” since each penny joins into a great amount.” That is, all the times we overcome accumulate to a certain measure required to become a Kli for the reception of the abundance [light].

Therefore, never dismiss questions that arise within you. Collect them and answer them. There is always a way to respond to them, even if only partially at first and then more fully.

Eventually you will see how all questions and answers connect and complement one another and form a complete picture of shadow and light. It is precisely through this process that a clear perception of the Creator emerges.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”

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It is said that many will falter on the path to Lishma—meaning, they will abandon the journey toward drawing closer to the Creator without reaching the level of Lishma and attaining bestowal. Many begin this advancement but later give up. This is not because the Creator supposedly did not desire them, but simply because they did not apply enough effort to achieve bestowal.

It is said that when a person arrives at the upper court, they are asked only two questions.

The first question is “Did you engage in Torah?” Did you strive by all possible means to draw the light that brings one back to the source?

The second question is “Did you hope for the salvation of the Creator?” Did you expect that this light would come and correct you?

This is accessible to every person according to the root of their soul. There are souls with greater desire and those with less, but each will ultimately achieve their correction.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/19/24, “On the Verge of Lishma“

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Why is it so important for us to turn to the Creator? Because we have nothing besides a relationship with the only upper force in the world, which includes everything and controls everything.

Moreover, this is not an unfounded statement but something we must reveal explicitly and clearly. We reveal this from our conviction that “There is none else besides Him.” That is, we attain Him both from His presence and the fact that it is the only force, both from His positive as well as negative components.

If this is the only force that created us and gave us unique properties not only to exist, but also to attain the Creator, then, of course, it is very important for us to know what these properties are, how to develop and realize them, to truly understand this force, attain, value, draw near it and, possibly, do some more actions on yourself: for your sake or His it doesn’t matter.

It turns out there is no way to distance yourself from it, to isolate yourself from it, on the one hand. On the other hand, there is no way not to affect it. We are created in such a way that we act on it anyway, we are in it. It turns out the most critical question is not just how this force treats us and what it wants from us, but how we influence it in general.

This topic is the most important in our lives because we and this force are the only ones that coexist: we are in it, and it determines our lives in everything.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/5/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “Turning to the Creator”

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Question: What principles can let me know that I am on the true path?

Answer: You are on the path of truth if you follow the instructions of the Kabbalists mechanically. These instructions have been clearly outlined over centuries.

The conditions originate from the first person to attain the Creator, known as Adam (from the word “Adomeh“—similar), because he was the first to reach similarity with the Creator through this method. The Kabbalistic methodology for attaining the Creator has been passed down from him.

How can you be sure that you are progressing? It is not by relying on your inner sensations and thoughts, even if they seem absolutely correct.

Do you know how many people in the world believe they are in spirituality, attaining, understanding, and feeling the upper world? But these feelings are not proof of being on the path. Proof must first and foremost be rooted in the reality of our world.

Thus, consistent study is crucial, preferably within a group. If there is no physical group available, then a virtual group is mandatory. Our daily lessons are structured step by step. If you miss them, you lose a lot, even if it seems to you that you understood everything today, even though you missed a couple of weeks of lessons.

If you have been absent for a couple of weeks, even if you feel like you understand things today, it doesn’t mean you understood everything correctly or at all. Systematic study within a group is the foundation.

Additionally, dissemination and other auxiliary activities are vital. Perhaps not everyone has the opportunity to write, but everyone can help distribute our materials online. Share them wherever possible. Try it.

However, you must remain connected to the central dissemination center. Incorrect dissemination can harm you. Moreover, dissemination connects you with us, to the central global group. Without this connection, progress is impossible.

Those who walk the path with us but isolate themselves significantly prolong their journey. As humanity progresses, even technologically, the importance of collective work becomes increasingly evident.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”

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Is there a specific standard prayer one must use to address the Creator in order to awaken His desire to respond? Yes, such prayers were composed by the sages of the Great Assembly. This was done before the destruction of the Temple, several centuries BCE. Foreseeing that the group of people known as the nation of Israel would descend from their spiritual level, they composed prayers.

Before this there were no prayers. Every individual was raised on such a spiritual level that they instinctively knew how to address the Creator, just as a child instinctively knows how to call out to their mother. But when the people fell from their degree of perceiving the Creator, they forgot how to turn to Him.

It was precisely for this state, which appeared after the destruction of the Temple and the subsequent exile from the spiritual state, that is, the loss of the sensation of the Creator, that the sages of the Great Assembly compiled a collection of prayers.

This collection, called the Siddur, exists to this day. “Siddur” comes from the word “Seder,” meaning order, referring to the orderly manner of addressing the Creator depending on various states.

Of course, this order is purely formal because, regardless of a person’s spiritual state, it prescribes addressing the Creator in the morning, afternoon, and evening with a specific set of words. However, for us it works differently. Unlike others who have descended from that spiritual degree, we strive to independently establish connection with the Creator.

Therefore, while we can use a prayer book, these are not our words, not our prayers, not our desires. For a prayer to be effective, it must come from our own heart and desires. Thus, prayer is meaningful, but only when it comes from within and not just from a book. Still, it can sometimes be useful to compare oneself to written prayers.

There are prayers written by King David, found in Tehillim (Psalms). These are profound prayers through which the king addressed the Creator. From them, we can see the spiritual level he had attained!

There are also other writings, such as the Proverbs of Solomon (King Solomon), and so on. Over the centuries, many Kabbalists have left us prayers.

But the focus is not on them; the real question is whether I align with them. This is the challenge. Therefore, while one can read these prayers, it is vital to strive to create personal prayers: expressions we construct in addressing the Creator and gathering all our feelings. The outcome of our feelings, the analysis of our states, this is what prayer truly is.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”

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Question: If the realization of a descent is an ascent, what is the state of joy when you want to inspire the group? Is it egoism?

Answer: Not necessary. It may not be ego. The fact is every state must be checked.

Let us say you are inspired. Is this inspiration from the Creator or you? Of course, in the end, it all comes from the Creator. No feeling, no thought can arise in us except from Him. The worst and the best thoughts still come from the Creator.

Your participation in this depends on the root of your soul and on the kind of relationship you have with the group. In general, connecting with the group and striving forward regulates the steps we must take.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”

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Question: The more we progress, the more our animalistic desires grow. How can a group or a “ten” help a friend rise above these desires to draw closer to the Creator? In what form is this help expressed?

Answer: In every possible way. How can a “ten” assist any friend in any state whatsoever? First and foremost, through example.

Beyond example, there is mutual support and unconditional assistance. But generally speaking, it is through example. Examples can be both positive and negative.

I can demonstrate my dedication and aspiration toward the Creator by providing a positive example to my friend. Conversely, I can unintentionally hint at a negative example. However, this is very difficult to define precisely. One must be cautious about this.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam “There Is None Else Besides Him”

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The more you invest in the group, the more difficult states you will encounter, states designed to help you rise above them. And you will come to appreciate these states because the group will create and sustain an environment where it is seen as positive when egoism reveals itself. This gives you a reason to turn to the Creator through your friends.

As for relationships with your friends, the law is very simple: “From love of your neighbor to love of the Creator.”

This means that you must first realize this in your connection with each other, and only then in your connection with the Creator. The connection with the Creator is revealed in the center of the group, in the bond between friends.

Where they feel their common center, the connection with the Creator will manifest from their shared state, from what is called a minyan. A minyan is a “ten.”
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/4/19, Preparation for convention in Moldova “The Work in Concealment”

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Question: It is said that everything depends on the observer: either I suffer and see the righteous suffering as well or I enjoy and see those working for the Creator also enjoying.

So what exactly is my work? Is it to ensure these states change quickly, or do these states exist simultaneously and I need to perceive both?

Answer: Your work is to reach a state where the Creator changes your worldview, and you simultaneously move forward at the same pace.

Question: Can I create this pace myself, or is it impossible to achieve this through a request?

Answer: That depends on you.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/21/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam “Concealment and Disclosure of the Face of the Creator – 2”

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Question: On what basis is the Creator revealed?

Answer: The Creator is revealed in the opposition between darkness and light, when there is a certain condition of rejection of friends in the group and a certain condition of their rapprochement in the group.

In the difference between the dark and light forces, reception and bestowal, when we make a restriction, screen, and so on, the Creator begins to be revealed.

Attaining the Creator presupposes two qualities that are opposite to each other and coexist with each other, since they are necessary only for becoming like the Creator, only for His revelation.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/3/19, Writings of Baal HaSulam “There Is None Else Besides Him”

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