Question: Where in The Zohar can we find the description of mutual bestowal between a person and the group?

Answer: It’s everywhere and in every instant! The entire Book talks solely about it. The Zohar describes to us the point of connection between us: The souls unite together in Malchut and then, from their connection, they establish a connection with Zeir Anpin (ZA) or the Creator (Kadosh Baruch Hu). This is called “Israel (those who aspire to the Creator), the Torah (the Light), and the Creator are one.” The Zohar describes everything from the point of these three connected components: 1. every one of us, 2. all of us together, and 3. the Creator.

The text constantly speaks of the point of connection of these three components in their diverse manifestations: multiple states in their approximation and ascension, up to their complete adhesion. We feel the diversity of the spiritual world or even the variety of our corporeal sensations today from within the same point of connection or lack thereof. Beside this point, nothing else exists.

That same point of Malchut of the World of Atzilut, which feels that it isn’t connected with the others and the Creator, is called Malchut of this world. When this point starts acquiring a connection with the others and the Creator, then we can talk about the types of connection between us, and that is spirituality.

This continues until we reach the World of Infinity that we perceive within this Malchut as well, within the connection between the three components. When this connection becomes infinite, it is defined as Malchut of Infinity. In other words, only Malchut of the World of Atzilut in all its manifestations is the place where the connection between us and the Creator in it are revealed.

Therefore, The Zohar describes nothing but what is occurring in the point of connection and only adds information which can enable us to assemble a more accurate picture. This is similar to how I look at a blurry image on the computer screen and don’t know what the problem is. A specialist arrives and explains to me in detail what exactly needs to be corrected.

Thus, the Baal HaSulam’s Commentary to The Book of Zohar provides us with the detailed information about components that we should focus on in order to construct an integral picture.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/10/10, The Zohar

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Baal HaSulam, Shamati #161, "The Matter of the Giving of the Torah": "I labored and did not find, do not believe." We must understand the meaning of “I found.” What is there to find? Find concerns finding grace in the eyes of the Creator.

It is written about actualizing the method of correction: “I labored and found.” What kind of odd motto is this? I can understand the “labored,” but the “found” part is very unclear.

If I correct myself so as to achieve love of others, in this good attitude toward others and connection with them, I find not just anybody but the Creator Himself: the all-inclusive force of nature which binds everything into one whole system. Everything depends on labor. I must invest myself and sweat as I try to gather the entire system, to construct relationships with others, to establish the correct connection, and to feel it out in the darkness.

In this I labor, and then I ultimately find the Creator the moment the system’s parts unify. Thus, I reveal the universal force, and it becomes my inner life force. And if I don’t labor and conduct this search, I will lack the understanding and impressions necessary to unite all the souls.

Indeed, it is up to me to attain this system and learn to control it, just as every cell cares for the body as a whole, even though we have yet to reveal this. The same principle applies to all of creation: Each element is interconnected with all others and the whole system, as in a hologram. This is perfection.

For this reason it is impossible to forgo labor in actualizing the method of correction for then I would never be able to connect, understand, and absorb everything within.

But in spirituality, although he is rewarded with being favored, he must still pay the full price later—the measure of the labor that everyone gives. If not, he will lose the Kli.
[22999]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/8/10, "The Matter of the Giving of the Torah"

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Dear Friends, please ask questions on the passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

Following the Paths of Kabbalists

Since the mind of the world is one, divided among numerous carriers, it turns out that if two people are clothed with the same mind, they think about a single issue. If there is any difference between them, it is actually in its greatness or smallness. By nature, the small surrender before the great. Hence, the small who think the exact same thought as the sages ponder the same topic as the sages, and unknowingly surrender and unite with the sages, according to the nature of Creation. In this way the entire world becomes corrected.
– Baal HaSulam, A Sage’s Fruit, Talks, “Permanent Delight and Excellent Enslavement”
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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Law of Root and Branch

The corporeal mount before us, called the Mount of Olives, also has spiritual connection with that name. …If one with attainment named this mountain so, he certainly understood everything that is hidden behind this name, unlike a regular person who reads the same name.… [Some time ago] it so happened that a simple person regarded its soil good for olives, or that he saw many olive trees growing on it, or something of the kind [which is why he named this mount thus. The spiritual root is expressed in every detail in all worlds that stem from them].
– Baal HaSulam, Ohr HaBahir (The Bright Light), The Mount of Olives
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Baal HaSulam, Shamati #38, “The Fear of God Is His Treasure”: In His treasury, the Creator has only the treasure of fear of God.

There are four levels of development:

1. This material world where we all exist;

2. The level (degree) of “preparation,” people who have the point in the heart and raise its importance above this world, above egoism, exist at this level;

3. Repentance (correction) from fear, the level of Bina, Hafetz Hesed at which a person turns into a righteous man. At this stage all 613 desires of the soul are being corrected to “bestow in order to bestow.”

4. Repentance (correction) from love, a degree of the complete righteous, a level at which all 613 desires are corrected into “receive in order to bestow,” similarity to the Creator.

The degree of fear is extremely important; it is a stepping stone on the way to becoming similar to the Creator. The Light gradually, little by little, increases egoistic desires in a person who rises above them and chooses to associate himself with the point in the heart. Later on, at the level of love, he starts using his desires “to receive in order to bestow.”

Thus, the degree of fear represents a vessel through which a person reveals the Creator (the Light of Infinity) when he reaches the next level, that of love. Developmental stages change each other at the pace of their own, and fear is the only thing that we have to worry about constantly since fear is diligent work on the screen and Reflected Light to keep us above our desires at all times.

Of course, all the work is done by the Light, but we have to ask for it ourselves. The group’s task is to carry out the goal and elevate its significance by maintaining unity and connection within which a general vessel emerges: the intention for the sake of bestowal, rising above one’s egoism.

This is how we help each other, unite our points in the hearts, and shape from them the vessel into which we receive the treasure. When our unity will manifest itself, the Light will immediately reveal itself in it too.
[22352]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/1/10, Shamati #38

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Baal HaSulam, “600,000 Souls”: And when a single soul is purified from all its filth, it will draw onto itself the whole of the soul of Atzilut, and through it, all the souls of its generation will be completed. This is the meaning of one being dependent on the other.

This is the result of complete mutual connection of all souls. Hence, no soul can ascend without taking all souls along with it; its ascent depends on them. It is an integral system where all parts are mutually linked. By correcting itself, every soul corrects its connection with the other souls, thereby bringing them closer to correction as well.

To correct oneself amounts to mending one’s connection with the others. Their individual state remains unchanged; I am only preparing them for corrections that they will later undergo. In fact, I precede them as a previous generation. I establish a connection with them without their awareness or understanding of what I am doing.

I employ the entire system of souls so as to correct the connections within it to the best of my ability. However, the souls who are not yet ready for it cannot understand and feel my actions. They haven’t arrived at correction yet, but I use them in it, and that is called the preparation of sons by the fathers. It is similar to how in our world where we improve the world for the future generation, and our children who come after take advantage of everything that we have prepared for them.

We correct the connection between us, our “layer,” until the differences between the souls get erased, and from our side, the entire humanity is corrected. But they themselves don’t feel it. When their time of correction arrives, they will receive all the necessary tools for it.

Why are they entitled to this? I, too, received assistance from the previous generations, from the "older" souls, some time ago. Each new generation is born with even greater egoism, and without such preparation, they cannot accomplish the work. We are all doing relatively the same work: Those who must correct greater egoism receive greater assistance.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/10, "600,000 Souls"

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Question: Is it possible to prepare for the revelation of the broken connection between us?

Answer: This is done during the time of preparation. It is the first stage of advancement in the wisdom of Kabbalah, which is the method of the revelation of the Upper World and the Upper Force to everyone in our world.

A person comes to Kabbalah, but no matter how much he has read or been told about it, he does not grasp what it is all about. What is required are not efforts to remember or the ability to understand, but the influence of the Light that comes as a result of attempts at uniting rather than efforts in study. Then, he gradually begins hearing, that is, feeling his internal reactions to what he hears and reads. Certain internal sensations arise in him.

Try reading a book to a cat. Why doesn’t it listen? It’s because it lacks the senses that would react to your information. The cat doesn’t have a “place” (desire) to receive, feel, and conceive the information. Similarly, a person that comes to the science of Kabbalah can’t perceive our information. It’s not because he does not know the words, but because he doesn’t yet have the internal models of sensations and thoughts which enable him to react to The Book of Zohar.

This is why the “time of preparation” is required. During this period, we construct different models of sensations, relations, and reactions to spiritual definitions in our desire (matter). Construction of these new sensory cells of spiritual definitions in us occurs only through studying Kabbalah in a group which evokes influence of the Upper Light. It’s this Light that creates in us models, cells of new and previously incomprehensible sensations of the Light, bestowal, and connection and other spiritual discernments.

It takes a lot of time before a person acquires a set of sensory reactions to the main spiritual definitions. This is the essence of upbringing in our world. If you were to place a child in a senior class, you’d see that he does not understand what’s required from him and can’t comprehend anything.

Baal HaSulam writes that there is a time of giving and a time of receiving. Giving initiates the process that leads to receiving. However, giving and receiving can’t happen together. That’s because a “place” needs to be created inside a person to feel the lack of what is being given to you.

All of our advancement on the spiritual path comes down to creating an inner ability to feel the Upper World. It is around us right now, but we do not feel it. The Creator is already giving it to us, but we don’t have a desire for it yet. We don’t feel the need for bestowal and love although that’s precisely the spiritual world.

So, how do we reveal spirituality? There is Light in the Creator’s giving, and it influences and awakens us according to the rule, “Light develops Kelim” (vessels). The Light “plows” desires, and more and more, they understand and want the Light, the quality of bestowal. The time of giving ends, and the time of receiving begins.
[21947]
From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/10, The Zohar

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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

The Law of Root and Branch

Kabbalists have found that the form of the four worlds, named Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya, beginning with the first, highest world, called Atzilut, and ending in this corporeal, tangible world called Assiya, is exactly the same in every item and event. This means that everything that eventuates and occurs in the first [highest] world is found unchanged in the next world, below it, too. It is likewise in all the worlds that follow it, down to this tangible world.

There is no difference between them, but only a different degree [quality of desire], perceived in the substance of the elements of reality in each world.
– Baal HaSulam, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”
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Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

Each lower world [sensed in the desire to receive] is an [opposite] imprint of the world Above it [sensed in the desire to bestow].
– Baal HaSulam, “The Essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah”

All the stubbornness we detect [relative to our sensory organs] in the conduct of nature [of our egoism] in this world [our initial properties] is only because they are extended and taken from laws and conducts of Upper, Spiritual Worlds [that descend to the level where they clothe in the opposite property of reception instead of bestowal].
– Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”

Now you can understand that the Mitzvot in the Torah are no more than laws and conducts [of nature] set in Higher Worlds, which are the roots [foundation] of all of nature’s conducts in this world of ours [which is an opposite imprint of the Upper World]. The laws of the Torah [the laws of the Upper World] always match the laws of nature in this world as two drops in a pond.
– Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”
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Baal HaSulam explains in the article “Arvut” that no one can attain the goal without help from one’s friends because otherwise a person won’t have the fuel, the “spirit of life.” A person on the spiritual path must arm himself with a great desire after revealing the breaking between us because the force of hatred between us lays bare the evil inclination. Even The Zohar talks about how the friends in Rabbi Shimon’s group revealed hatred, and only after that did they reach love, level by level, by means of the Light they evoked through mutual study.

The goal is also something we discover inside our interconnection. By gradually restoring the connection between us with the help of the Light, we reveal 125 levels until reaching unity with the Creator. Thus, we attain the Creator Himself, the force of the Light that Reforms. If, however, we don’t base everything on the revelation of the place of the breakage and its correction, then our actions will bear no connection to spirituality.

Indeed, we have just one contact with the spiritual world, and that is the place of the breakage of the connection between us. It is written, “I created the evil inclination.” This is what we have to find and reveal. That is why our entire work is devoted to discerning the quality of connection between the friends on the path to revealing the Creator: myself, the friends, and the Creator (or Israel, the Torah, and the Creator).

We are looking for a connection between us in which the Creator is concealed. This is the key that opens the door to Him. By correcting our attitude to our interconnection, we find the quality of bestowal and love, and that is how we reveal the Creator. This is the only way a friend can help a friend. This constitutes our only free action. All other acts are compulsory, puppet-like. We shouldn’t demand anything from each other besides the desire to help.
[21964]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/26/10, “They Helped Everyone His Friend”

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