Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)” Item 17: The giving of the Torah had to be delayed until they came out of Egypt and became a nation of their own, so that all their needs were provided for by themselves, without dependence on others. This qualified them to receive the above Arvut, and then they were given the Torah.

The condition for the giving of the Torah, the method of correction, is readiness for mutual guarantee.

In general, the Torah is the Light that Reforms, which helps a person to the degree that he is ready to be a guarantor. In other words, the Torah works for a person if he is ready to unite with another, up to the point of loving the other.

If the person is not ready for this, the Torah doesn’t work for him, the Light is not shed. After all, the Light only comes as a reaction to a person’s effort to do something for another.

This principle resembles an electrical system with resistance (R). Depending on the amount of resistance between me and another, the Light that Reforms, the Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif –OM), will come.

There is no other possibility. Hatred can burn between us. Our relationship can be negative (-), neutral (0), or positive (+), it makes no difference. The main thing is that these relationships will be such that work will be done, that the friends will exert efforts.

To do this, we need to study so as to learn what we have to attain. We also need the group that establishes the order of activities.

So, the Light that Reforms also called the Torah influences us. And it acts upon us on the background of inner clarification discerned through the evil inclination, which is what provides the resistance.

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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/1/13, “The Mutual Guarantee”

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Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)” Item 17: When the sons of Israel came out of Egypt and became a nation of their own all their needs were provided for by themselves, without dependence on others. This qualified them to receive the above Arvut, and then they were given the Torah.

By uniting among ourselves and building a mechanism of general interconnection out of many people, we create a perfect, whole system. We don’t need anyone in this mutual connection: Everything happens internally, among us.

So, these particular conditions were created in those times, and the external environment didn’t influence the sons of Israel. Thus, they became a nation that exists in a state of interconnection and attributes itself to the upper force.

In that case, the nations of the world cannot hurt the nation of Israel in any way. It is because it is on a different level, lives in a different range of frequencies, and simply doesn’t intersect with or touch others.

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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/1/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam “The Mutual Guarantee”

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Question: What does a person feel when he is receiving the Torah?

Answer: He feels that his attitude toward others is changing. He begins to understand that precisely in relationships with others, there, in the middle between them, is a place for the new world, new states, new development above at a higher level.

By establishing a mutual connection, we form between ourselves the third factor: the upper one. This is the soul; this is the Creator whom we reveal. This is the upper world, which lies not just anywhere but precisely between us in the form of the middle line.

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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/1/13, “The Mutual Guarantee”

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The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion, Selected Excerpts

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Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”: Therefore, the Creator did not find a nation or a tongue qualified to receive the Torah, except for the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose ancestral merit reflected upon them, as our Sages said, “The Patriarchs observed the whole Torah even before it was given.”

The “Forefathers” are the first, most pure level where the desire to receive is still very small. Therefore, they didn’t need to overcome the evil inclination because true evil had not been fully revealed.

At that time, the work amounted to a separation, a rejection of evil, but not discovery and clarification of evil. This was easy: On one side, there was Abraham, and on the other side, there was Ishmael; on one side, there was Jacob, and on the other, Esau. All these states were simple, “transparent”—they were small Lights, Aviut of level zero. Therefore, the forefathers acted according to the entire Torah, meaning they realized the principle of “and you shall love your friend as yourself,” and from this they discovered “and you shall love the Lord your God.” The work was easy because it was done on the highest “strata” of desire, with refined density, in which all serious problems had not yet been discovered.

Then this corrected network helped to correct Aviut of the first degree, deeper “layers.” Of this it is said that the merit of the patriarchs stood with them, even for their descendants. So the process is as follows: We always stand and rely upon corrections that our spiritual predecessors performed.

Further, as Baal HaSulam writes in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” the Talmudic sages made new and additional corrections. With this they inserted the Light that Reforms into the method for us. Then, we advanced forward specifically through the Light, whereas previously penances had been more or less sufficient, as it is written: “Eat bread with salt, drink little water, sleep on the ground, lead a sorrowful life, and labor in the Torah.” Which is to say, in spite of all this we needed a method, the Torah, but this was along with physical torments since they are connected to Aviut of zero, first, and parts of the second levels.

And finally, from the time of the exile and on, the sons of Israel, who became the GE, began to mix with the nations of the world, meaning the AHP, and then we required the Light that Reforms in order to carry out corrections. The Talmudic sages supplied us with this possibility, removing the need for penances and giving us the Light that Reforms along with the merit of the corrections that they made in the common network. Its help is sufficient now and we can correct ourselves.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/7/13, “The Mutual Guarantee”

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Baal HaSulam, from “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”: If a handful from Israel betray and return to the filth of self-love, without consideration of their friends, that same amount of need that is put in the hands of those few would burden Israel with the need to provide for it themselves.

This is because those few will not pity them at all; hence, the fulfillment of the commandment of loving one’s friend will be prevented from the whole of Israel.

This is talking about an incontestable mutual guarantee, about group responsibility that links everyone into one whole so strongly and tightly that the life and death of everyone depends on this. If one of them were to violate the Arvut, all would be sentenced to death. This is already something  greater than the usual interdependence.

Therefore, everyone in a group needs to understand that this is a condition that cannot be changed. The issue here is not the faces of the friends, not their nature or their habits. To me, none of this matters. The main thing is: Am I creating with them a system of mutual guarantee like this or am I not?

Along with this, none of us know what is going on with the others. It is as if each is responsible for his plug sealing a hole in the shared boat. However, no one sees this. No one even feels what he himself is doing. When I take out my plug, I don’t notice that our ship is sinking.

We work in conditions of complete concealment, and we need to demonstrate responsibility, to yearn for adherence and unity; we need to remember that we depend on the upper one. Only He will unite and protect us.

Efforts on the way will help us understand what else we are missing.

Thus, these rebels cause those who keep the Torah to remain in their filth of self-love, for they will not be able to engage in the commandment, “Love thy friend as thyself,” and complete their love for others without their help.

I need to reach a state where I require the Torah, the method, to be united with the friends. This is my goal, and I am concerned only about that. Unity with friends is the supreme value in my eyes, and in order not to harm them, not to betray them, I require the help of the Creator, of the Torah.

I am dedicated completely to the group and fear only one thing: harming the friends. So, I ask the Creator: “Help prevent me from causing harm. This is all that I need from you, nothing else.”

Meanwhile, I am not thinking about how to satisfy Him. That level is still far from me. Being concerned about it now would be like not being concerned at all. What is waiting for me now is not love for the Creator, but love for people, love for the friends.

However, I am not ready to love like this. I only hate them, am jealous of them, reject them, or at the very least, don’t care about them. I forget about them all the time. So, I ask for strength from Above to be devoted to my friends, to be responsible for them, and to do everything that depends on me only so that I will be incorporated wholeheartedly in a group.

So, nothing will remain of me at all other than this intense concern that fills all my thoughts and feelings.

This is all that I ask from Above when I know that I cannot maintain this kind of devotion by myself. This is all I expect when I rely on help that will come and not leave me so that I will be able to protect my friends.

This is the first level that we need to attain, and if I truly want this, I merit receiving the Torah. You see in a case like this that I really need the Light that Reforms that will unite my vessels, my shattered desires, that will correct my soul, transforming it into a boat for everyone. In it, I will hold and protect my friends, making sure that nothing bad will happen to them.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/5/13, “The Mutual Guarantee”

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Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”: And you evidently find that the giving of the Torah had to be delayed until they came out of Egypt and became a nation of their own, so that all their needs were provided for by themselves, without dependence on others. This qualified them to receive the above Arvut, and then they were given the Torah.

I need a big desire to receive called “Egypt,” and I need to make an internal decision. I don’t have the strength to actualize this, but I have the strength to clarify and to conclude that I want to leave this Egypt, that I must rise above it.

In a way, I already feel that it is possible for me to get help from Above. Through my clarification, I understand that spiritual advancement is none other than a mutual integration between everyone into one vessel and its correction by the Light.

I require this Light. I agree to do everything that depends on me. I understand the urgency, necessity, and feasibility of what is happening and require only Light.

In such a circumstance, I am ready to receive the Torah, meaning the method of correction. I have all that is required for this need: a vessel of the proper size, deficiencies, necessities, awareness of the imperative of correction, connection, and also an inner struggle with myself for or against connection.

I already understand and feel all this, I agree with the spiritual way and want it. I lack only the Light that Reforms. I am ready to work with all these components that are found in me to obligate the influence of the Light that Reforms.

So, I reach a tipping point: From my side, I have attained all that has been required for a first contact, and I finally contact the upper Light.

It is important to remember here that the Creator is not the one who accepts a decision to give me the Light that Reforms. Rather, it is I myself who establishes this. Therefore, one shouldn’t expect any kindness and mercy from Above, as it is written: “A fool folds his hands, and sits and eats his own flesh.” Nothing just comes from Above—it is specifically I who opens all the doors.

Even though we talk about mutual relationships between a person and the upper one, it is actually I who construct the upper one. The upper Light is at absolute rest. Everything depends solely and only on my vessel, on my desire. If I am ready to open the valve, the faucet, then the upper Light arrives and performs the required action.

Everything depends on the person, on his efforts with the primary sources, with the teacher, with the group, with dissemination. Everything begins from below. If I have enough of a strong and correct desire below, then He will open the gates and activate all the spiritual forces from Above. A foundation of everything is the preparation by the lower one.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/5/13, “The Mutual Guarantee”

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The Book of Zohar, Weekly Torah Portion, Selected Excerpts “Bamidbar“

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The Torah, “Exodus, Jethro,” 19:16 – 19:19: And it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and sound of a shofar exceedingly loud; so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mount.

And Mount Sinai was altogether in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and the smoke ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount trembled greatly.  

And when the voice of the shofar sounded long, and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.

Everything that is described in the Torah happens within us. The above excerpt describes the first appearance of the property of bestowal that a person feels inside his properties. They are are still egoistic and contrary to bestowal, but at the same time, they already aspire to similarity, to uniting with these properties, and start to feel that it is something valuable and superior. Inside these qualities, we keep re-assessing our values. However, this process is accompanied by the fear of losing and devastating our internal egoism: “What shall I be left with? Where is my family? Where are my loved ones? How can I possibly give them up?”

After all, we are attached to this world by the threads of various connections. Something is closer to me, something is farther; this one I love, the other one I hate.… Everything is compartmentalized. Our whole existence is about these threads. This is how our lives are set up.

Only a few people are able to decisively cut these liaisons off and will see what  happens next. For us, it’s worse than death since we completely lose self-control. Our egoism cannot tolerate it. This sensation can be compared with the birth process when a little child goes out of his mother’s womb and happens to be in the world that completely separates him from her. Can you imagine somebody who gives us life being cut off? It’s as if being deprived of oxygen.

What’s next? No more egoistic anticipations, no dreams of the future…, There is nothing to which you are accustomed to!

Question: So, does it mean that the training we go through does not prepare us for this stage?

Answer: A preparation period is meant to make you understand that you are not ready yet. Animals that live next to us do not comprehend these issues. This condition can be felt only by the property called “man” in us; it has nothing to do with the property of the “animal” in us. A preparation period is essential to lift us to the level at which we start feeling these nuances. Otherwise, why would this revelation happen, relative to whom?

The awareness of our oppositeness and unpreparedness is already an attainment. We begin realizing that the property of bestowal is contrary to us, that we are not there yet, or that we simply don’t understand it (negation of negation). Thus, we advance.
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From KabTV’s “Mysteries of the Eternal Book,” 2/18/13

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And all the people answered together, and said: ‘All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto the Lord.

And the Lord said unto Moses: ‘Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe thee forever.’ And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.

And the Lord said unto Moses: ‘Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,

And be ready against the third day; for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. (The Torah, “Exodus,” “Jethro,” 19:8 – 19:11)

We begin to come in contact with the attribute of bestowal, to be attracted to it, and to absorb it from its highest point that is called “Moses” (from the word “Moshech” or ” to move,” to pull”), which pulls itself from within the ego. In this way it receives upper energy, an upper attribute, and thus begins to feel in what way it is now possible to continue to work for the bestowal to the Creator.

He begins to acquire the same absolute attribute, like the Creator, Whom he is now facing. He feels the Creator, but still doesn’t belong to Him. They are joined, but in an external way.

A person understands that he now needs all of his egoistic attributes so that as much as he is able, he will pull them to him, to strongly pull within the point in the heart which is in contact with the Creator, to enter gradually within it from his ego, to connect, to add the entire nation, those attributes that he left for a while, within the point that is called “Moses.”

For this reason they need to go through a certain period of final preparation: three days of detachment from their ego and correction of their external attributes, so-called “garments.”

In each one of us there are five levels: the root (Shoresh), the soul (Neshama), the body (Guf), the clothing (Levush) and the palace (Eichal). The inner part, the root, soul and body, we already corrected. Without that, we wouldn’t have departed from Egypt, the point in the heart wouldn’t have detached from the ego. And now, we need to correct the clothing, so-called “garments” on the soul, and afterwards also the palace, the rest of the attributes of the world.

The first three discernments are: the root, the soul, the body. That is, if we express it in a picturesque way, then in the beginning we correct all that exists in my body, in the flesh, my inner part. And the clothing is what is on me. That is what I exchange, what I can take off and wear. The palace is the rest of the world.

“And they washed their garments” means to wash the uncorrected attributes with the Light of Hassidim and to correct them.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 2/4/13

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