Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot“, Item 107: Hence, after one attains the illumination of the face in such a measure that each sin he had committed, even the deliberate ones, is turned and becomes a Mitzva for him, one rejoices with all the torment and affliction he had ever suffered since the time he was placed in the two discernments of concealment of the face.

…has now become a cause and preparation for keeping a Mitzva and the reception of eternal and wondrous reward for it.

From this we learn that the more I have suffered, the more I am rewarded now. So does that mean that it is worthwhile to suffer in order to receive a greater reward later? That’s what it sounds like in our language, in our egoistic perception. The past is not erased; the correction is in turning it from sorrow to delight. Instead of a vessel that has suffered from darkness, from lack and emptiness, from wars, from diseases, from pains, which mean from lack of filling, we now feel a filling and in it we feel a reward and love.

Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 108: This is similar to a well-known tale about a Jew who was a house trustee for a certain landlord. The landlord loved him dearly. Once, the landlord went away, and left his business in the hands of his substitute, who was an anti-Semite.

What did he do? He took the Jew and struck him five times in front of everyone, to thoroughly humiliate him.

This is about the ego and about the point in the heart in a person, about how the ego dominates a person now and beats the “point in the heart” called “Jew” (Yehudi), which stems from the Hebrew root “unity” (Yehud). This point wants to unite with the Creator and suffers because it cannot do so. This means that it receives blows from its ego.

Upon the landlord’s return, the Jew went to him and told him all that had happened to him. His anger was kindled, and he called the substitute and commanded him to promptly give the Jew a thousand coins for every time he had struck him.

The Jew took them and went home. His wife found him crying. She asked him anxiously, “What happened to you with the landlord?” He told her. She asked, “Then why are you crying?” He answered, “I am crying because he only beat me five times. I wish he had beaten me at least ten times, since now I would have had ten thousand coins.”

In the earthy representation of this story, this seems coarse and egoistic, but we understand that the Torah tells us about a person’s internal world. Whoever understands this interprets it correctly.

“A person is a small world,” in which there are two opposite sides: a point in the heart and the heart itself. The heart hates the point in the heart that yearns for unity with the Creator.

The greater the desire to receive that is revealed in us, called the cruel egoistic heart, the more strongly it seizes the point in the heart and doesn’t let it advance. The point in the heart makes different attempts to escape it and to advance, and so it suffers from its domination and from its own slavery, from the tormenting exile. The tension and the struggle between them constantly grow and the point in the heart feels more and more pain since it cannot unite with the Creator.

This creates a vessel and so the filling arrives, which is called “upon the Landlord’s return.” The reward is felt in the same sufferings, in the same empty places that were created during the exile. This means that it isn’t the desire to receive itself that becomes in order to bestow, but the struggle against it
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/25/12, “The Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot”

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Question: How is awe of the Creator demonstrated in our work with the world?

Answer: Awe of the Creator is expressed in awe before the world, whether we can correct it. I really should be afraid of whether I am doing everything to make the world not only avoid suffering (although this is the initial stage of awe), but also to come to the Creator the easy way. After all, the Creator is not interested in having someone suffer for even a moment, and the suffering of the world depends only on how I will lead it to the Creator. I am responsible for it. This will gradually appear before us like a great mission with great responsibility.
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From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/9/12, Lesson 5

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Instead of holding on to the principle of “there is none else besides Him,” my thought depends on different factors, which I see before me. Instead of looking ahead to see beyond people, beyond the mechanism, beyond all the natural phenomena, and to see just the Creator and myself, I, like a shortsighted person, look at objects that are close to me and see them as the factors my freedom depends on. Just like Don Quixote, I fight windmills, lifeless “scenery.”

As a result, the Creator has to intensify the evil and the sufferings, so that I will have to take a better look at what my life depends on. He does it so that I will not be able to stop this search.

We see this in the example of the state of Israel: Ahmadinejad, the Hamas, threats, missiles, Mubarak instead of Sadat, Mursi instead of Mubarak…the Creator constantly hardens the heart of Pharaoh. Why is that? Because the Jewish People don’t want to see the real reason for what is happening. In the meantime, all the minor reasons were only meant for one thing—to bring Israel to the Creator, so we have to be grateful to them for that. They are merely means.

Accordingly, the people are required to be a bit more clever in order to see who they are dealing with and who is managing the world. The troubles only remind us what the goal is, and it is easy to get rid of them if we turn to the Creator. But we don’t turn to Him in order to receive “rewards,” but in order to correct ourselves, in order to adhere to Him and by that bring Him contentment. Then the current “reminders” will be annulled, and then the “angel of death” will turn into a “holy angel.”

Question: So whom are we working with, with the group or with the external world?

Answer: All of reality, including the external world, including me and the group, are in the Creator. The external world gives me a negative impulse (1), by constantly evoking me to turn to the Creator (2). But I know that I cannot turn to Him directly. First I have to turn to the group, and then together with it to the Creator. Only then will I have a vessel, a desire for it, while nothing will help me if I work individually.

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Question: Why, according to the whole historical process, does the rescue come as a result of big pressure, at the most difficult moment, after a long time that we were preventing ourselves from hearing about it? For what purpose are all these difficulties?

Why is it required to reveal the Creator, the connection between us, in such torments and tension that we see ourselves at a dead end and only at the last moment, suddenly the answer is revealed? Why wouldn’t we all begin to occupy ourselves in the integral education, in the wisdom of Kabbalah, and walk comfortably toward the goal by having such a solution in hand?

Answer: You know yourself that our ego is working as “help against us.” And only under tremendous pressure do we agree to separate from it. And also this is not immediately, but only after many blows— the ten plagues of Egypt, in darkness, under terrible tension, and in haste—are we finally willing to escape from it. Otherwise, no.

And this is not because we are so weak, but because the ego is very strong. This ego helps us later to reveal the whole eternal spiritual world. Once we connect, we immediately begin to reveal and feel it. Right here in this life we reveal the upper world; about this it is said: “Your world you will see in your life.” I hope that we will reach it.

If we will now perceive all this pressure as force that is given to us precisely as help, then we will see that it works on our side. One needs only to receive it in understanding and we will succeed.
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From Weekly Torah Portion 12/4/12, The Zohar

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It is impossible for anyone to calculate the measure of work that he needs to invest in order to move to the next stage. It is impossible to say about an ordinary person, who meanwhile is living his normal corporeal life like everyone else, how many corrections he will need in order for the point in the heart to open in him, the spiritual spark. Also it is impossible to say how many actions he will need to make with this spark in order to reach the first revelation, meaning to connect it with the other sparks.

In the first degree we are connecting our suffering, and then in this measurement of suffering that was connected, finally the spiritual spark is revealed, meaning, a valuable question is reveled in a man: What is the meaning of my life? This spark directs him to the goal, to the answer for the question, “What is the meaning of life.”

After that, he again begins to work in the group that changes him, because he is not able to change by himself. Man finds himself under the influence of the environment and he changes, because it changes. So in the period of preparation, he tries to put himself under the influence of the environment in the most beneficial way for the fastest progress to transfer from the path of suffering to the path of Light, the Torah, the wisdom of Kabbalah.

With that ends the preparation period: preparation for the covenant of self-annulment for Arvut (Mutual Guarantee), rising above the thoughts and disturbances in order to achieve connection of our sparks.

The whole work is done through the influence of the environment upon a man. Therefore, it is impossible to calculate in advance the toil that is demanded from him and the precise situation or state that needs to happen so he will receive the revelation. This is because the revelation depends on the state surrounding him.  This state is not coincidental, but to calculate it one needs to know and take into consideration the whole system, and this is impossible from our degree.

From a higher degree it is possible somehow to calculate it, but here there is an additional condition. Each degree includes four phases, a whole HaVaYaH, and in order to rise to the pure calculation, one needs to raise the HaVaYaH. That is, only from the world of Yetzira, one can observe the world of Assiya. And if one exists in a high degree of the world Assiya, it is impossible to calculate what will happen in a lower degree of the same world, because your corrections in the degree of this world (in the Light of the Nefesh) is still not determined.

But due to a man strengthening his connection with the environment, he progresses. Finally, the concealment disappears and he comes to revelation.

Baal HaSulam writes in the “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot” Letter 54: It is true that after the Creator sees that a man completed the measurement of his work and finished everything that he had to do in his power of choice and strengthening in the Emuna (faith) in the Creator. It means that he proved that he yearns for the quality of bestowal that is called Emuna. And then the Creator helps him and he is rewarded with the attainment of the revealed Providence, it means the revelation of the face.

This help from the Creator cannot come before he finishes his measure of work. It is worthwhile to remember this always, so as not to request revelation, that is, one needs to request from the Creator help to complete the work and not for the revelation. This is a result of our work. A corrected Kli (desire) is felt as the revelation of the upper world. The revelation does not come from someplace outside the man himself, by becoming corrected from not being corrected, by finishing his correction, in this state that until a moment ago was not corrected, suddenly he feels the corrected state that is called redemption.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/3/12, “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot” 

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Question: It is written that the righteous lament lacking suffering in their lives since it is pain that expands the vessel of perception.

Answer: It is not about the suffering of the ego when a person, looking back on the life he has lived, feels bad about missed opportunities: “There I missed the opportunity to get rich, here to make love, and here to take a break!” and so on, so that in his old age he would be reproaching and chewing at himself. This is a terrible state!

Spiritually, there is no such thing, since we discern where in my life I was unable to exert extra effort for the sake of connection with others, for the sake of their and my correction, for the sake of rising over our egoism onto a higher level, the human degree.

But this isn’t suffering because to the extent that I am experiencing it right now, I immediately correct it.

Question: Then what do the righteous mean by “suffering”?

Answer: They worry about missed opportunities and instantly fulfill them.

After all, they still experience desires. Conversely, they sort of pick up where they left some “unfinished business” in life. For example, at present I wish to see my students in a perfect state. This is my greatest wish, and it is already implementing the rest.
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From KabTV’s “Foundations of the Integral Society” 3/11/12

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Question: Many people find it easier to believe in God rather than in the method of mutual guarantee…

Answer: We have already seen throughout history that blind faith in God leads to nothing. It may ease a person’s life, but it isn’t what is required of us.

We are required to intervene accurately, toughly, and wisely in nature. We have to create an additional good force in nature, in order to balance the evil force that was created that way on purpose so that a person himself will balance his evil egoistic nature, and create a better, balanced state in it, and thus develop and rise.

We have to act subconsciously, to build a second nature together with the egoistic nature and connect the two in a balanced way—it is in the balance between them without erasing our ego, but by using it as it is and by that adding a positive attitude towards others to it, thus balancing it.

It is a whole system that begins to raise us above our world. I hope it will succeed because I simply don’t see any other way out. Eventually it will bring us to the level of eternal existence that is whole and logical.

But how much suffering will our people have to go through before they begin to hear this, to open our home page, for example, and to penetrate into this method a little. Since it is against our ego, people are immediately repelled by it and don’t believe it. It seems silly and illogical to them—where are the missiles, where are the military forces? People have always counted on power, but it is only now that we begin to understand that it isn’t the solution. For the first time in our existence we begin to see that the solution is not in military operations.

Eventually people will understand the truth, but it is a pity that we may have to go through much suffering in order to capture people’s attention a bit, to summon fear in people for their future, and to force them to listen.
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From a Talk about the situation in Israel 11/22/12

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Our spiritual path is divided into two parts.

The first part is rather difficult since we don’t exactly see what we are doing. But this is precisely what helps us renounce our egoism. If we could see what we are doing, then our egoism would participate in this process and only grow, and we would never be able to break away from it. So since we can only go forth with our eyes closed, that is, through separating from our egoism, gradually severing it from ourselves and transitioning to connection with the friends by exiting ourselves into the property of bestowal, then of course this is difficult for us.

Our path is based on the fact that we draw the upper Light, which influences and corrects us. In other words, I am unable to correct myself, I cannot rise above my egoism, I can’t do anything with it at all, but I can draw the upper Light upon myself.

Therefore, exertions in the wisdom of Kabbalah are very interesting and differ from exertions in our world where I directly affect an object, an area, or the properties that I wish to change:  Here it is different. If I want to change something, then I have to draw the Light upon that object, that dimension, or those properties, so that the Light would change them. Thus, I’m constantly addressing only the Light so that it would change these properties.

How does the Light know which properties to act on?

It’s very simple. If I’m advancing toward the property of love, of mutual bestowal, toward the property of connection with the friends, if I’m trying to unite with them, then I discover that I’m an enormous egoist who wants to exploit them, who wants only personal gain, and who couldn’t care less about everyone else. When I discover this in myself and it evokes enormous suffering in me, then I begin to ask the Light to correct me. In revealing my inner egoism, I begin to turn to the Light and ask for it to change me.

That is, I prepare an enormous uncorrected desire, reveal it in myself, and I feel how disgusting it is to me, how repulsive, how much I don’t want for it to exist inside me; it’s like a cancer that I want to cut out of myself—and then I turn to the Light so that it would perform this surgery on me.

Thus, we have a very clear progression on our path: I’m moving all the time toward connection with the friends, towards the purpose of creation, the property of bestowal and love. I’m always moving towards exalting these properties, parameters, and definitions above myself, to make them my highest values. In the end, I reveal how opposite I am to that, how much I don’t want it, how artificial it all is in me, and so on. And then, from this bitterness, I cry out to the Light.

So there’s a big problem here: People who aren’t capable of realizing this and who aren’t capable of suffering will not be able to go through this path. Moreover, the suffering is qualitative. A person feels it during normal life, even when everything is going really well for him. This is the suffering of love, when I would like to connect with the friends, when I know that it’s necessary, but I see that I can’t. Only this kind of suffering is meant here—no other!

It’s not about whether or not I know the subject well, not that I’m a wise guy or say, impatient—no! The only thing that I need to reveal is my rejection of connection with others. Only this! Bestowal! When I’m repulsed by connection with others, when I suddenly begin to despise it, to not want it, this is precisely the property that I need to grab onto and to ask for its correction. This is the entire secret of Kabbalah. There is nothing else!

Therefore, the first part of our path is a gradually increasing revelation of evil within us, and then, in a single moment it becomes corrected. This is why there are two phases to our advancement.

The first phase is when throughout a few years we accumulate enormous, heavy, and lengthy suffering.

And then, in a single moment it becomes corrected, and we open our eyes and see a completely new picture around us. It turns out that the entire creation functions in the property of bestowal and love: The entire world works this way, while to me in my egoistic properties it appeared that it was built on properties of egoism, conquering, violence, brutality, and so on.

This is similar to how laboriously a rocket heads for its orbit in outer space, but afterwards, during orbit, in weightlessness, a calm suddenly sets in: Everything is quiet, the engines stop working, and you are out in space.
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From the Virtual Lesson 11/18/12

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Question: Why is the spiritual path based on troubles? Why does the Creator advance those who yearn for the goal by suffering?

Answer: The Creator doesn’t advance us. There is the law of the Lights and the vessels, and the Creator doesn’t participate in this mechanism, “He has given a law and it shall not be broken.” He is not the one who fixes all the troubles and the problems—we summon them upon us by ourselves by not using this law correctly.

Suppose I take a jar with a sticker on it that says “poisonous acid” and drink from it. Who fixed that? The Creator or me? In fact it is I who caused myself harm, and although the Creator made the acid harmful to the human body, I am to blame: I counted on something exceptional, on a miracle, and there are no miracles.

Even the exodus from the exile in Egypt is called “a miracle” but only with regard to those who are in the 49 gates of impurity, in the last phase of the exile. They really don’t understand how it is possible to move from this state immediately to the revelation of the Creator. When a person discovers that he is evil in every way, redemption seems like a miracle to him.

But in fact, it is only the law that always operates everywhere. We only have to learn the laws of reality, the laws of nature, and to use them correctly. Both our corrections and the whole world are subordinate to these laws. The system of laws surrounds us unexceptionally.

Question: So how do we solve the problems and the suffering that are revealed?

Answer: First we are grateful for them: “Thank you for reminding us what is important, we need to hold on to the right direction and think about something totally different.” When my parents punish me, I shouldn’t think about the punishment or about my parents, but about one thing: What did they mean, what do I have to attain by the punishment? If I don’t think about it, the blows won’t help, and I won’t be able to soften them either.

In the meantime, we are trying to soften the blows in Israel today by building different systems against missiles. This, of course, is also necessary, but in fact, the state, like a small child, wraps itself in something soft just so not to feel the parents’ blows. Taking such measures will only provide us with a temporary solution that will help the people choose the right way and to follow it. But it is the correction and nothing but that, which will eventually remove all of the threats. When we receive blows, we have to think about what caused them.
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From the 4^th part the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 11/28/12, “Exile and Redemption”

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Opinion (George Monbiot): “Never mind the economic crisis. Focus for a moment on a more urgent threat: the great food recession that is sweeping the world faster than the credit crunch. You have probably seen the figures by now: the price of rice has risen by three-quarters over the past year, that of wheat by 130%. There are food crises in 37 countries. One hundred million people, according to the World Bank, could be pushed into deeper poverty by the high prices. …

“There is plenty of food. It is just not reaching human stomachs. Of the 2.13bn tonnes likely to be consumed this year, only 1.01bn, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, will feed people.

“I am sorely tempted to write another column about biofuels. From this morning all sellers of transport fuel in the United Kingdom will be obliged to mix it with ethanol or biodiesel made from crops. The World Bank points out that ‘the grain required to fill the tank of a sports utility vehicle with ethanol … could feed one person for a year.’

“While 100m tonnes of food will be diverted this year to feed cars, 760m tonnes will be snatched from the mouths of humans to feed animals – which could cover the global food deficit 14 times. If you care about hunger, eat less meat.”

My Comment: But if we could establish equal reasonable allocation of the necessary food, no one in the world would have felt hunger or lack; Earth can feed billions more people with coordinated organization of people, but more people will suffer from hunger in the uncorrected state of society in order to come to its correction.
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