Question: I understand what you say in my mind, but in my heart I feel that I am completely not ready to cancel myself in order to unite with others. How can I desire this?

Answer: We will never desire to advance to higher spiritual states. And it’s good that we realize this ourselves! A person understands that he does not desire true spirituality on any condition, as opposed to some kind of fairy-tale world he invented where he will fly with angels and do anything he wants, where he will receive total power and see all the worlds from one end to the other.

If we begin to understand the meaning of real spiritual reality, which is above any egoistic benefit, we can only imagine, then obviously we do not want it. We have to understand that all the changes in us are made only by the upper Light that reforms. It has to elevate us and give us new qualities. Only by way of realizing these qualities, by understanding, feeling, and controlling them, will we be able to look at the world through them. That is how I will gradually become a new person.

I will begin to feel that above the animate body with which I identify myself today, a certain equivalence with the Upper One becomes built inside me —a new form or Kli called “the human” in me, meaning “one who is similar to the Creator.” ("Adam," "man," comes from the word "Domeh," "similar"). This person will be riding on top of my “donkey” ("donkey," "Hamor," comes from the word "Homer," "matter"), on top of my previous desires. Thus, a person who has straddled a donkey understands and feels the Creator. But the donkey doesn’t!

This formation of the human in us takes place by virtue of the Light that reforms. It’s not that we desire this on our own, of course not! Our donkey (meaning we today) does not want the human to come! After all, the human will begin to rule over the donkey.

Meanwhile, the donkey wants to receive what it wants. That is why, naturally, today we do not desire the true spiritual state. The more we advance, the more we gradually begin to understand that the spiritual world is completely not what we expected and we no longer want it.

Further advancement is possible only by virtue of the influence of the group, which will imbue us with the importance of spiritual attainment. Only to this degree will we be able to advance, but we will not find the forces to do this in ourselves.
[38136]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/16/11, Writings of Rabash

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If I don’t take forces from the group, then I will inevitably reach the state of total emptiness where I won’t have any forces to advance (and in general, I have to reach this state). That is, I won’t want to advance an inch closer to spirituality the way it appears to my egoistic desire.

Then I won’t know what to do. Should I leave everything behind and go home? But what will happen to me next? Thus, I find myself in a position like a car in idle, unable to force myself to move forward. But I also can’t move in reverse or make a turn to the side because no matter where I look, 360 degrees all around, I don’t see any way out.

A person can remain in this state for years! It continues until he finally begins to understand that the group is the only means, the source from which he can receive the force to “endure” spirituality. And when he receives this force from the group to tolerate bestowal, as well as the understanding that it’s important to go out to attack and conquer this spiritual state, then he begins to advance.

From here it becomes clear that only the connection with the environment opens up the opportunity for us to take a step forward. It’s similar to a seed in the soil that has to absorb all the salts and minerals from the soil in order to grow. The growth of the soul in this person later on will take place under the influence of the forces he received from the environment.

By himself, he has only a Reshimo (spiritual gene). He lived like a “donkey,” existing on the animate level, and then he attained the “neutral” state (like idle mode) where he did not want to keep advancing anymore. This means that his material, animate Kli has exhausted itself like a grain that decomposed in the soil, and from then on there was nothing more he could do.

That is when it becomes clear whether or not he had a point in the heart because now it becomes the only point that separated from the entire egoistic desire! Now it remains alone and a person does not want to advance forward with it. However, if he now attaches to this point the desires and impressions from the environment, the inspiration from the greatness of the goal, then he will be able to advance with that point. There is no other means.

That is why our entire soul is outside of us; it is in all the forces, thoughts, and values that we receive from the environment. All that remains of us is a tiny point, the only thing we have. This point is the means of connecting between our “donkey” (egoistic matter, desire) and the human in us. It is called “the point in the heart,” the drop of the spiritual seed.

Just like there are intermediate, transitional levels between all the levels: corals between the still and vegetative, the mythological “Kelev Sadeh” which is half plant and half animal, and the monkey between the animate and human degrees, so the point in the heart is the means or trampoline for jumping upwards, from man to the Creator!
[38133]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/15/11, Writings of Rabash

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Question: How is it possible to unite the whole world if nations, countries, and religions are so different from each other in every way?

Answer: These are egoistic differences. When we unite spiritually they disappear and we all become as one man with one heart.

The earthly differences actually don’t separate us at all. One person likes to spice up his food with pepper and another one doesn’t. One person holds ceremonies this way and another person that way. This doesn’t make us different at all. On the contrary, that is exactly when we begin respecting one another.

Being dissimilar does not obstruct us from coming together spiritually. On the contrary, by uniting above our egoistic differences, we make them even more powerful and all of that power is aimed at spiritual unity.
[38149]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/15/11

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The 613 Mitzvot (commandments) and the building of the Tabernacle signify the correction of the 613 desires in man. In order to construct the correct, reformed connection with the others, we must connect with them through 613 channels, similar to the vessels that connect all the organs in our body.

We need to correct these desires by having changed their egoistic intention to use others for self-gratification to the desire to bestow. Thereby, we will achieve a state where we will be interconnected by a global, integral connection as it exists in Nature and as our current world demands us to do.

Imagine that from each person, 613 desires expand like tentacles, stretching toward all the others. All of the desires intertwine and create a binding grid between us. In addition, each desire contains five levels of coarseness: 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. All of this interweaves and tangles into one big, thick layer permeated by an enormous amount of the various types of ties.

This collective desire consisting of all our desires is regarded as Shechina (Divinity), the Tabernacle (“Mishkan” or dwelling place), the Temple, the receptacle, our integral vessel of bestowal, Knesset Israel (Assembly of desires for the Creator).

People who strive to go “straight to the Creator” (Yashar El) and desire to reveal Him bring all their desires together (Knesset or assembly) and build the collective desire where the Creator is revealed. This is the work to construct the Temple, the “house” of the vessel which you have built from your desires so that Divinity would unfold in it, meaning the spiritual property of love and bestowal, or the Creator.

In addition, you receive what initially had been prepared for you and all of us: the Light that fills this collective desire. So, it is regarded as the deposit, a guarantee (Pkudin, deposits, from the word Pikadon, recommendations, commandments, Mitzvot). You sacrifice (Makriv) your desire by nullifying your egoism and, thereby, bring yourself closer (Mekarev) to the Creator’s revelation.
[37853]
From the Lesson on Weekly Torah Chapter 3/3/2011

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There is a rule: “For social life, take after the collective, in spiritual life, take after the individual.” For example, I enter a group. Does this group represent the majority for me? Do I have to listen to my friends? I see three hundred men before me—this is a force.

If they demand something from me on the corporeal level, that’s one thing, but what if they are dictating their terms on the spiritual level? Do they understand more than I do? Are they, taken together, smarter than I am? How should I behave in regard to them? Do I have the right to influence the group? After all, if they are the majority, then I have to lower my head and accept their opinion.

On the other hand, we are talking about spiritual life and therefore, one must follow an individual as opposed to the majority. Am I that individual?

These aren’t simple questions and they are relevant to every group. In the corporeal sense, everything is pretty clear when it comes to the majority. However, even there we see many movements, parties, governments, and mafia. There is no common opinion in the world.

It’s actually quite simple for us. I establish a separation between the spiritual and the corporeal life, and then my corporeal existence is narrowed down to the vital necessities. I should be content with that.

I ensure a normal life for myself: home, work, family, bank, social security, health insurance, vacation, pension, and so on. This is where I follow the majority and do what’s considered the norm. Here my obligations toward society end. In our world I’m set. This is how I realize the concept of “follow the majority,” which refers to obligatory social conditions.

Besides this, all of my attention and strength are directed at my spiritual development. In my spiritual life, I work with the group. Rabash writes that one must lower himself completely before the group. I lower myself before a spiritual society as I do with the majority.

Where is my freedom then? After all, I have to follow my own opinion when it comes to spirituality.

In reality that’s exactly what I do because I determine the degree of my connection to the group. No one is taking this freedom away from me. This is the meaning of the law of “follow the individual.” Each one of us is an individual and decides freely to be a part of the  group. There are no laws obliging us to do this and no external pressure. We apply the same principal in our dissemination of Kabbalah: Whoever wants it takes it, and who ever doesn’t is free to say no.

And so your freedom consists of you lowering yourself before the society without there being any pressure to do so. In the corporeal world, the society obligates you, but in the spiritual one, no one does, including the Creator. You must mature and come to this decision on your own.
[37809]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/11/2011, “The Freedom”

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We exist in a system of laws at work. There is the upper force that influences us and desires to bestow good. Hence, it created the will to enjoy, which it can fill with pleasure.

The created being receives pleasure particularly by becoming identical to the upper force: perfect and eternal. To achieve this, one must attain the same sensations, level, depth, power, and status as pertains to this upper force.

The primary force is regarded as the Creator, whereas the secondary one is the created being. This secondary force must undergo transformations while accumulating various impressions until it ascends all 125 spiritual degrees. It has to experience them on its own, through an independent quest, understanding, awareness, perception, and effort to attain all of it while aspiring to reach a state prepared for it by the upper force.

Hence, the creature’s evolution implies an element of personal participation, one’s own feelings and thoughts, an awareness of my own existence and attainment. But the creature doesn’t have the opportunity to do anything on its own except for one thing: desire to change. In fact, the force of transformations, their program and order come solely from the original giving force, the Creator.

One’s success in the work is determined by learning to divide one’s entire advancement into two parts: the work assigned to the creature and the work carried out by the upper one. They are partners, but their integral work is distributed according to what pertains to man and what to the Creator.

The key is not to try to do the Creator’s job, attempting to reform oneself and the world. A person’s job is to desire change. And these changes must occur above my nature, which is regarded as “above my reason.” This means that the direction of my transformation, as well as the properties and internal sensations that are being formed in me are totally incomprehensible to me since I receive a new nature.

Having no idea where one is or what he is moving toward is a sure sign of a new nature appearing in a person. After all, if man knew and felt everything in advance, all of the changes would occur in agreement with his egoism, his nature.

When a person grows within his own nature, he is somewhat aware of what is expected and makes choices to benefit his present egoism. But in spirituality, when we wish to obtain a different nature and become equal to the Creator, we always move towards something unknown and unpredictable. We only draw the developing forces upon ourselves.

However, essentially, there is only one force which is divided into several components according to its use: our individual, initial desire, “the point in the heart,” the power of the group, the force of the study, and finally the force that actually acts upon and reforms us called the Surrounding Light.
[37441]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/8/2011, The Importance of the Study

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Question: Do Kabbalists reduce the world’s disasters by virtue of their spiritual progress?

Answer: Of course. Moreover, no one is bigger or smaller in this regard. People think that a great Kabbalist can just pray and make a plague go away. But in reality, it’s the other way around: Precisely the newcomers who have a point in the heart that has just awakened, who are confused and don’t understand anything yet, can do more than the old-timers with their distant, small desire.

Much like a little child who becomes the head of the family, people who have just set out on the spiritual path and who still seem far away from the “real business,” can do more than the “veterans” with their simple desire and their pleas.
[37931]
From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 3/13/11

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Question: In one of your lectures you said that a person must add the Creator to his list of friends. What does that mean in our spiritual work?

Answer: If you ask psychologists, they can tell you about what happens to a young couple who has recently gotten married. When they start living together, after the honeymoon period is over, there comes a period of mutual complaints, dissatisfaction, tension, and conflicts, and now they have to work really hard in order to continue living together.

These periods can be long or short, and this depends entirely on the example they saw in their parent’s home. At this time, a young couple needs advice from psychologists or parents to help them connect on the basis of mutual respect and compromise, instead of love.

They have to learn how to avoid pressing each other’s buttons, which cause the conflicts between them while they remain inside theirs egos and are egoistically attached to their partner. This is what happens in our daily life. However, this approach doesn’t work in our spiritual development.

While advancing in spirituality, a person does have to look for these points of tension and make them visible instead of concealing them because “the Torah will come out” precisely from these points. If a person views them correctly, wishing to discern and utilize them in order to reform himself, then instead of demanding something else, he strives to attain his own inner evil.

This is possible only when a person walks along with the Creator, as if holding onto His hand, as it is written, “Come unto Pharaoh with me!” One has to discern this Pharaoh, this evil within, and then tame and reform it, unify with it, and flee from it. But while working with the evil, a person must always be bound to the goal and use the Creator’s force.

All conflicts, arguments, and tensions can be revealed between the friends in the group only on the condition that they strive for unity, if they make efforts to come together. Only then will they see that they hate one another and don’t have any desire to be one. Therefore, they must bring the Creator into it so He may reform this hate. After all, it is the Creator who shows man where his evil resides. This is the place where He doesn’t dwell, the place without Light.
[37869]
From the lesson on 2/25/11, Writings of Rabash

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