Question: What does it mean: “to connect with the friends’ sparks?”

Answer: To connect with the friends’ sparks means to connect our desires to the Creator. After all, the friends have come here since there is a spark in their great desire that yearns for spirituality, for equivalence of form and connection with the Creator. I am also here because of that desire; it is what has brought us to the group.

We have to connect in these desires, to connect only by the reasons that have brought us here. Let’s take only the ones that have brought us here out of all the thickness of our desires and discard all the rest like a bag full of liquid garbage, and connect the sparks from which our spiritual vessel will be created.

It will be only its upper part, and everything else is formed from the garbage we have discarded when we have annulled these desires. It isn’t easy to discard them, since we have to annul each of these desires one by one.

When we try to connect and want to love, hate is suddenly revealed in order to show us that there is no natural love in us. In the meantime it seems that you love everyone naturally and that you treat everyone nicely, as is accepted in our world—they don’t work on love and so they don’t discover hate.

In order to reach love, we must first discover the opposite—hate. But we don’t work on hate, we aspire for love, the more you yearn for love and really work on it, the faster you discover that you hate and that you don’t love. You are told the truth from Above.

To discover love means to see the friend as the greatest in our generation, and to look only for the positive attributes in him, to try and feel that his desires are more important than your desires, just like a mother feels towards her child.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/12/12, The Zohar 

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I hope we will tighten our connections so much that we will reach the level where we really feel one another. Today we have a couple of million people around the world, but many of them we don’t know. If we could see all of those who watch or listen to us…

When we begin to mutually feel one another like a mother feels her child at a distance, and even much greater than that, then there will simply be one permanent worldwide convention.
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From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/8/12, Lesson 4

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Question: You said that a person should turn to the Creator through the group. What does that mean? Do we have to read Shamati together or have a workshop: what should we do?

Answer: I think that a person should behave very simply: First to take a short course in the wisdom of Kabbalah and then to study in a group. He has to participate in our lessons as much as he can, at least in the third part of the lesson, and to participate in workshops several times a week—that’s the least he can do.

Besides, we have a huge library, an archive of lessons and talks translated to many languages. It shouldn’t be a problem to find something to do.

A person should dedicate a certain amount of time to dissemination, since by that we not only bring our message to the world, but also join the next level.

We have to bring humanity the information about the correction, the advancement, and the attainment of the next state. Otherwise how can we erase the deficiency that is now being revealed in people?

We speak about the fact that there is none else besides Him. So what is humanity’s problem? How can it correct itself?

We have now reached a “round” state, in which we totally depend on one another. The third phase is now being revealed and we are beginning to ascend to it from our current state; this is called a crisis.

The truth is that a “crisis” in Greek means “birth”—the birth of something new.

So we have to show humanity that we are on the border of a new world now and this new world is integrality.

The first spiritual level, the world of Assiya, is now being revealed only in its external outline, integrally, since the spiritual world is integral. We are starting to see that with our properties, we are unable to cope in this system. A network of absolute mutual connections is descending upon us, and we cannot do anything here. This is precisely how today’s crisis is expressed in education, in science, in economy, in every aspect.

So we first have to tell people about this, and second, to teach them the method of how to ascend internally to the next qualitative level, which means to change towards integrality, towards a mutual connection.
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From the Novosibirsk Convention 12/8/12, Lesson 3

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Now, after 2000 years of exile we return to the Tower of Babel, which in the meantime has grown even more. We have returned to the great grief of the ego, to the huge tower of human egoism that we have erected and find ourselves at a dead end not knowing what we should do with our lives.

Everything that we have built on the foundation of egoism doesn’t bring us any solutions: We are left with nothing; all we built in the world is crumbling and is overwhelmed by crisis.

Today, we should refer to the same solution that was found in ancient times, in the days of Abraham—unity. However, not only on group, which was then named “the people of Israel,” is supposed to unite, but rather the whole world has to finally connect and forever.

As an example, let’s use the Maccabean Revolt to which the holiday of Chanukah is dedicated. This story happened at the time of the Second Temple and its downfall. As always, the egoistic force, which at that time was called the “Greek power,” endangered the group, which was called “Israel”; the Greek power tried to separate Israel.

And in this category of “Greek authorities” were included many who were previously in the group of Israel. In other words, people who used to live in a spiritual level, fell en mass from the spiritual level to our material plane when they began to act according to their egoism instead of rising above it and connecting with others.

So the affects of global egoism, which appeared in the form of “Greeks” led to the destruction of the Temple.

History tells us that an uprising of Maccabees took place at that time; they began to fight this power. It was more of a spiritual war than a material combat. Their only goal was to bring their people to unity. By achieving unity, they attained victory: they managed to correct Jews who were following the Greeks and their customs, and the Greek invaders were forced to retreat.

In this way they were able to rebuild the Temple (Beit HaMikdash), then there is the building (Beit) of mutual love and bestowal, and so they achieved correction.

We need to learn from this history how to reach correction when we were in such a deep crisis. Today, the resolution is still the same. It differs from the previous situation only by the fact that at that time they had a group of Maccabees who were known to the entire nation as a distinct family, a dynasty of priests.

Today, there is nothing like that. We are in a total confusion and have no idea how to live further. It seems that we have a state of Israel on the land of Israel and have built the Israeli nation, but none of them correspond to the internal definition given by Abraham.

However, this situation can be corrected in an instant. Indeed, at the moment we join together in mutual guarantee, we will elicit the upper force according to the law of equivalence of form that will combine us into one whole. This is how we regain bliss and joy and feel powerful.

We become happy because we reveal the upper force that again reigns between them, and opens the spiritual world. After we connect even a little bit, just to modify our predisposition and direction, we immediately will feel that the upper force empowers us from the inside.

We don’t even have to fight any longer; the Creator will struggle for us, since it is the only force that previously was elevating our egoism and creating hardships, particularly to make us rise above them. If we try to elevate above them and make the slightest effort to achieve it, the upper force will complete the work for us. That’s why the Greeks simply left. This is what is called a “spiritual war.”
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalists Write” 12/4/12

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Today, we are under attack by a physical force; it is fierce and dangerous, posing a serious threat, and is fanatically committed to its goal. It demands from us the same kind of dedication to our goal, that is, our unity.

If we unite today (I hope it will happen), we will immediately feel that there is a spiritual power that supports us. On behalf of the upper governance, this force will abandon our adversaries, since It manifested Itself as an opposing force to the Creator.

Today, we are in a situation identical to the time of Maccabees. A shadow of a new Palestinian state is floating on the horizon; many European countries have already spoken in support of it. At the same time, there is no unity in the nation of Israel. Everybody defends their personal opinions, specifically right before the elections. We lack the upper force that supports us. However, It will descend to us only on the condition that we become united.

Consequently, the only solution that works for us is to return to our genuine principles: “Be as one man with one heart,” “All who belong to Israel are friends,” and “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” These principles are the conditions that bind our nation. If Israelis had this kind of attitude and treated each other this way, we would rehabilitate all physical forces as well as all sorts of negative spiritual impacts on us.

Everything depends on our internal organization and on how we implement the method of connection through integral education, learning how to unite, how to communicate, how to organize so as to act like a common single body. The moment we reach a more intimate connection, mutually reciprocal, we will immediately feel that the upper force supports us. All of a sudden, the darkness and black clouds that are pressing on us disappear, and we see the Light.

Hanukkah is a celebration of Light; there is a tradition of lighting candles by using one lit candle in the center that is called the shamash. Our task is to become the central candle for the whole world. The Israeli nation is a shamash that kindles all the other candles around the world.

It is said that Israel has to serve as the Light for the nations of the world and show them the Light that comes from those who have managed to annul their egoism and connect with each other. When they achieve this state, they gain a sensation of the Light, of the upper force, that can be transferred from one nation to another, from country to country. Everybody becomes ignited as candles!

Hanukkah is a special holiday relating solely to spirituality. It is not restricted by any religious limitations or prohibitions, since it is above all possible limitations. It is not subject to any religious or even national characteristics, as it symbolizes that all must come together and rise above their matter, to be similar to the Light, to a burning candle.

This is exactly what we need today. By achieving it, we would certainly change ourselves completely and the condition of the world in general. Actually, this is what the entire world anticipates from us.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalists Write” 12/4/12

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During the time of the Hanukkah holiday, it is obvious that today the world requires the same kind of correction that was once achieved as a result of the Maccabean revolt. It is a spiritual war for the sake of finding “a jar of oil for the sacred fire.” It means that we unite together and reach the minimal connection that is sufficient to combine the sparks that are present in each of us, merge them together, and end up being as one burning candle, as a jar of oil for the lamp.

Then, one candle will light all other candles, thus rising above this world, which is denoted by the eight candles of the Hanukkah lamp. This is exactly what we are supposed to do at the present time. The holiday of Hanukkah is a symbol of the Maccabean revolt against the narrow-minded approach of the world, huge egoism and protectionism, isolation and separation from each other. The world tries to live by the rule: “Every man for himself,” and people don’t know what to do next because this statute leads them to crisis.

We don’t know where this world is headed. We feel as little children who are lost and don’t see the way out. Until recently, this world was governed by egoism that took a very primitive form: money and power. People regarded themselves as big, strong, important, and powerful.

Today, they have lost control over the world and have no idea what will happen to them tomorrow. Old liaisons are destroyed. The world cannot be controlled by military might or financial means. The most influential people of this world lost control over others and seem to be quite helpless.

Under these circumstances, we have to expand Kabbalah dissemination and make it as extensive as possible. This wisdom was transferred from one generation to another and finally reached us. It was brought to us from ancient Babylon, which at that time was experiencing precisely the same conditions as we are now. Today, we have to make the same correction that Abraham did.

However, Abraham laid the foundation for all faiths and religions; it was adequate for their developmental level at that time. Our time requires using his power at a higher level to raise the entire world to a spiritual degree. At that time, this methodology served the purpose of evolving the world, whereas at this time, it has to finally correct it.
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From the Weekly Torah Portion 12/4/12

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Question: The holiday of Hanukkah symbolizes and folds within itself a miracle. But now this force needs to be used for correction. Does this look like a very logical process, or will it also happen as a miracle?

Answer: The miracle is by that, that inside our connection, the upper force is revealed; we do not connect with each other just because. Inside our connection we reveal a special warmth, one form, that is called existence “as one man in one heart.”

And then inside this heart that is assembled from all the hearts, a force is revealed that is capable of raising us to a higher degree. On one hand, this is a very logical process. By our connecting, we bring ourselves to harmony, to equivalence, and to a greater similarity to nature. But on the other hand, after our connection, an additional force that does not exist in this world is suddenly revealed between us, and this is a result of our connection.

This force reveals to us new senses, and it is doing what could not be done in this world—true connection. Until the point that I begin to feel that the whole world is parts of my body. Strangers become the closest to me, simply as part of myself, of me. And this is a true miracle.

But each one can repeat this miracle, as a scientific experiment upon oneself, and achieve the same result. This is to say that we are revealing this miracle in a practical manner, but still it arrives as a discovery. “I toiled and found.” And this is the meaning of to find the “pitcher of oil” for the holy menorah.
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From the Weekly Torah Portion 12/4/12

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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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Question: How is it possible after the convention to continue feeling that I have no individual abilities, but only the abilities of the group?

Answer: Before you didn’t have any individual abilities either, and you were part of the group, but now it is clearer, and accordingly more is demanded of you. The more that is revealed to you, the more you are demanded to participate, mentally, emotionally, and actively in overcoming.

It is very clear that by very small efforts, we have already discovered that within our collective vessel an illumination is emerging. The problem is that we attained this by physical connection between us and not by spiritual connection. In the meantime it is a very big deficiency.

In addition, it happens thanks to the fact that I am incorporated in the group using the force to connect with them. This means that there is still al lot of work that has to be done on the part of our group in order to reach a true inner connection among the friends. Then the Light that is equal to this connection will arrive.

In the meantime it is lacking within the group and among the groups. We have to connect more strongly with one another. I think that this convention has shown everyone that we are closer to one another than we thought. All the groups felt close and people understood that we have no choice but either to advance toward an even greater connection or leave.

We will soon see how this happens: There will be people who will come gladly and there will be those who will leave cursing. This is how the clarification is done.

We now have to fulfill what we felt in the convention. In order to fulfill that, a person needs constant self-control with regard to his attitude towards the world that is managed by the Creator. Am I aware of the fact that I am in a world that is managed by the Creator? Do I perceive the world as a place where by focusing on the fact that everything is done by the Creator I will eventually find the Creator in this world?

World (Olam – also means concealment in Hebrew) is concealment on the one hand and the revelation of the Creator on the other hand. The world is concealed because I don’t reveal the Creator. But because I intend to reveal Him, to identify with Him, and to receive everything that happens as the absolute good and benevolent and there is none else besides Him, then by that I accept this concealment, and then the concealment of the world becomes a revelation.

This is all I have to say about this. Don’t expect anything beyond this and don’t think that as we advance I will have new words. But the same words will be clearer to you. If someone else begins to read, it would mean nothing to him, just like people who read the Torah and understand it literally. These are ordinary words, since in spirituality there are no words.
Besides, it is forbidden to reveal more than is allowed. We have to understand that the teacher is an educator who has to do his job.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/11/12, “Questions and Answers Regarding Novosibirsk Convention”

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Rabash, Shlavei Sulam (The Rungs of the Ladder), (1984/85), Article 13: “Mighty Rock Of My Salvation”: …Wherever he walks, he is eagerly searching for a place where perhaps someone will be able to give him the power to bestow.

Question: How do I find this power?

Answer: Seek the means that will help you to come to bestowal.

When a person begins his work, discerning the Creator’s action over him, he continuously remains in the state of search and helplessness: “How do I find the Creator? How do I draw Him close to me? How do I move and excite my affection, how do I use my mind to comprehend Him? Where do I reveal His action? What veil conceals it? How do I ‘turn’ myself in order to highlight His connection—even if it is negative, only to manifest it?”

A person starts changing his facets and properties desiring to unveil the Creator thereby. Such is the nature of our work. It isn’t simple; it requires enormous energy; it burns tons of “calories” and demands great effort in a tireless “chase after the Shechina.” Gradually, a person gains experience on this path and learns to overrule himself. This is the key.

And the Creator, based on one’s previous years and one’s life in the group, prepares all sorts of surprises for him. One’s personal errors start surfacing, or somebody makes him angry, or he feels insulted and feels the urge to put the offenders in their place in the heat of the moment, but suddenly stops and thinks: “Aren’t I supposed to work on myself by the principle ‘There is none else besides Him’?” But how? I am on the warpath now, and I am expected to remember Him?

Question: Rabash says that one has to find a group where everyone “craves the power of bestowal.” What does it mean?

Answer: In the group, we don’t receive normal incentives: money or respect. After all, the friends are getting pushed by the upper force, and gradually they assume a spiritual path. Then this force starts receding so that they can draw energy from spirituality on their own, without blows from behind.

Question: How do I draw strength from the spiritual so I advance not for the sake of honor and other egoistic rewards?

Answer: You can draw strength only from unity; otherwise, it won’t be spiritual growth. I strive to link in, to sink into the group, so I can be impressed by the friends. I don’t collect their strength for myself, but I do get impressed and respond to their giving, their love, and their spirit. Seeing them for the first time, I feel sorry I looked; after all, now I will suffer because I don’t participate in what they do. I wish they wouldn’t awaken brotherly love—I would be more at ease, would feel better, be more content. But then I tell myself: “Wait a minute, but this is exactly where you can gain strength, impressions; it can shake you up and ignite! So instead, let them be exalted in my eyes and inspire me to follow them.”

In the end, the group, the teacher, the Creator, and the Kabbalists’ books—these are the only positive factors I have to advance. And all the friends must link together as one; none of them is supposed to be lesser than the others. Only as equals can we move toward the goal.
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From the 2^nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/11/12, Writings of Rabash

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