Entries in the 'Spiritual Work' Category

Spiritual Scrutinies

236.01The scrutiny should be for the will to receive, which is the quality of judgment, to be included in the quality of mercy, and by this the body will become a Kli that is fit to receive the light of the soul (Rabash, Assorted Notes, 353, “Abraham Arose“).

It is about clarifying what state a person is in: whether he is with the desire to receive, the desire to bestow, or both desires together.

To achieve this, one must awaken themselves toward spiritual ascent so that they can turn to the Creator and demand that He grant them an upper degree, from this upper degree, they can once again turn to Him, thus renewing themselves on this new degree. It is in the Creator granting us a new degree that His attribute of mercy is revealed.

By examining ourselves to see what more we need to do, we awaken within ourselves the attribute of judgment (the desire to receive) and strive to include it within the attribute of mercy (the desire to bestow) until we see that our desire to receive can be filled with the light of Hochma in the light of Hassadim. In this way, we begin to correctly perceive all that exists.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/17/24, Writings of Rabash “Abraham Arose”

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Fulfill the Creator’s Task

938.03Therefore, if we hold on to the learners of the Torah and become strengthened by them, so they can draw the power of Gevura, we will have the full measure of the blessings and we will be able to extend blessings on the whole of Israel. (Rabash, Assorted Notes 354, “Abraham Gave All that He Had”)

To draw the power of Gevura means to attract the forces that a person feels they lack. We must strive to gain the strength to go against egoism.

This work is distributed among us according to our natural desires, intentions, and qualities.

Therefore, each person should find out the specific task the Creator has set before them and gradually work toward fulfilling it.

To “hold on to the learners of the Torah and become strengthened by them” means that you seek to connect with your friends and support each other in advancing toward the goal.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/18/24, Writings of Rabash “Abraham Gave All that He Had”

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Questions about Spiritual Work—202

281.02Question: From where and in what way does a person receive the energy to bestow?

Answer: A person receives it from above in proportion to their desire to come closer to the Creator. The Creator provides this energy so that the person has the strength to ascend toward Him.

Question: For a whole week the Creator has not let me attend the morning lesson. I even tried not to go to sleep before the lesson, but I fell asleep 10 minutes before it started. I cannot manage to attend a whole lesson to participate in the preparation for the convention. Where should I begin my scrutiny?

Answer: Pray! Ask! Ask the Creator to remove your fatigue, to open your eyes, and to let you see where you truly are.

Question: Why are there so many souls today that are dissatisfied with the surrounding world? Even people well-versed in Kabbalah cannot move toward spirituality. They have no strength for it. What does this depend on?

Answer: It depends on the fact that they are focused only on receiving, not on bestowing, and therefore they remain in such a despondent state.

Question: What does the state of Gevura mean in the ten? What qualities should we develop to match this state?

Answer: Gevura means overcoming obstacles when your egoistic desires confront you and you strive to overcome them.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/18/24, Writings of Rabash “Abraham Gave All that He Had”

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Questions about Spiritual Work—201
Questions about Spiritual Work—200
Questions about Spiritual Work—199

Not as a Guest

938.01Question: Soon we will have a convention, and it is clear that the Creator is inviting all of us. How can we be perfect guests so as not to disappoint Him?

Answer: The word “guest” is not appropriate for someone attending the convention. I do not want to see a single “guest” there. I want to see friends who come to unite, not just to visit.

I come to the congress to integrate with everyone, to feel the Creator’s influence through them, to dissolve into the others, and in this dissolution, to connect with the Creator.

I come so that the surrounding force of light can affect me to the extent that I no longer feel myself. The moment I stop feeling myself, I begin to feel the Creator.

A person cannot simultaneously feel both themselves and the Creator. It is one or the other. That is why I come to the convention, and not as a guest.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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Elevate the Importance of Prayer

571.02Question: In recent lessons we have been reflecting on what we lack in order to bring contentment to the Creator and came to the conclusion that we lack the importance of prayer. How can we elevate the importance of prayer across the entire world Kli?

Answer: The importance of prayer indeed depends on the entire world Kli.

We must think about this, strive for it, and continuously awaken an even greater desire within ourselves to turn to the Creator and ask Him to elevate us. Everything depends solely on our request and His response.

Question: Is it correct to turn to the Creator with the intention that only He can grant us the quality of bestowal and love?

Answer: Of course, that is exactly how it happens. However, to reach such a plea to the Creator, we must first feel how distant we are from Him and how incredible the Creator’s action is when He helps us rise.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/17/24, Writings of Rabash “Abraham Arose”

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Constant Scrutinies

249.01Question: What is the correct connection between the qualities of the Creator and the qualities of creation in man?

Answer: The qualities of the Creator are the properties of bestowal and love. The qualities of creation are the egoistic properties of man. This is how he was created; he thinks only about himself and doesn’t want to get close to others.

Therefore, we must think carefully about what the Creator is striving for, what man is striving for, and how they can help each other in this movement.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/18/24, Writings of Rabash “Abraham Gave All that He Had”

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Timely Correction

276.02Question: What does timely correction within the framework of allotted time mean?

Answer: Timely correction involves urging our soul to ascend so that it triggers illumination, which will fill it. By doing so, we continuously rise, and our ascent will be for the sake of the Creator.

Question: What should a person feel after correction? What should they realize?

Answer: To the extent of their correction, a person should realize what they have corrected and their state relative to the Creator and all created beings. This is their merit. They should feel it and, accordingly, thank the Creator for giving them such gifts.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/17/24, Writings of Rabash “Abraham Arose”

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Tune into the Prayer

528.02Question: When we compose a prayer together in the ten, it still doesn’t feel as internal as when you have a personal dialogue with the Creator. Did Kabbalists discuss prayers with each other and compose them, or is this a modern practice?

Answer: Kabbalists often spoke with each other, but only about ascending to the next degree.

Question: Should the prayer that comes from your heart align with the one we express in the ten?

Answer: Yes, a person cannot have multiple prayers.

Question: Let’s say I genuinely want to pray for my friends, for the world, for the sages, and that is my true pain, which I can awaken when I am alone. I can’t immediately articulate it in dialogue within the ten. Should I first try to tune into the prayer rather than just write something down, which might end up as a collection of words?

Answer: Yes, we must reach a state where there is a clear, unified yearning among the friends in the ten for moving forward, for the Creator, for a connection between them that evokes a response from above.

Question: How did Kabbalists prepare themselves for prayer? For us, it seems like we read texts and then quickly transition to prayer as if it is something evident. But preparation is the most important part.

Answer: This is the preparation. It is like tuning a musical instrument: if it is tuned correctly, the melody will be harmonious.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/15/24, Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati 20 “Lishma [for Her sake]”

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Conscious Calculation

938.05Question: In the ten we build the force of the Creator, the force of love. What does it mean to be merciful in the relations between us? What is mercy?

Answer: Mercy lies in the fact that we wish to see our friends only in good connections between them and close to the Creator.

Question: How do we feel whether we are in the intention for the sake of giving? If a person merits such an intention and feels he is working for bestowal, does this not exclude the state of “Lishma?”

After all, in the intention for the sake of bestowal, he acts without thinking about it, without any calculations.

Answer: What do you mean by “without any calculations?” He must see his desires and intentions, sort, and implement them. This is how he will come to Lishma. Any of our actions are a conscious calculation.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/17/24, Writings of Rabash “Abraham Arose”

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The Correlation between Connection and Dissemination

268.01Question: What is the correlation between connection and dissemination?

Answer: First of all you must strive for connection. Secondly, you must engage in dissemination so that it helps connection because connection is the most important thing.

On the other hand, you cannot unite if you do not disseminate, since together they lead to one goal. You cannot think about yourself without thinking about the world, since you exist so that through you the force of connection will come to the world.

So do not even hope that you will find unity without working with the world. You are obliged to work with it not only to attract people to campuses [Kabbalah classes], but so that they know about the need for connection.

In this way, when they listen to you at least once, they will automatically become included in your message even if they have no knowledge of it. If you have contact with them, that is it, now this field that you have awakened also passes through them.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/28/19, “Questions and Answers”

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