Receiving the Torah means getting to know the Creator who is revealed in our connection with each other. Events that happened at Mount Sinai indicate necessary conditions that need to be realized: to feel an exile from the state of connection and unity and the lack of sensation of the Creator that is being revealed inside of this connection to the extent of groaning from the work.

And all of this happens under Pharaoh’s blows, which we go through trying to connect despite all the rejection, hostility, and hatred that gives egoism an opportunity to escape. But still, we aspire toward connection and are ready to accept it in any shape or form in order for it to happen.

Then we cross the Red Sea and reach Mount Sinai, although there is still a long way to get closer to that state. And then we gather at Mount Sinai (the mountain of hatred); this means, we finally managed to unite around our hatred and to accept the condition of a mutual guarantee: to become one man with one heart. Under such circumstances, a force of correction becomes revealed to us. It turns out that in order to gain this power, it is necessary to go through a number of states by increasing and clarifying our demand, which means building a vessel suitable for the correction, both in the mind and in the heart. By realizing that we need nothing else but that, we will receive the revealed method of correction and the power allowing us to go above reason.

With this power we can fight against our egoism, which continuously grows, but now it grows consciously and under control. It is clear that we are making unpleasant discoveries and revealing new evil in the left line, but then we correct it in the right line. So we gradually learn how to correct all our egoism to finally enter the land of Israel.

The most important moment in this work comes after elation and ascent achieved as a result of a big convention. After all, there comes a new phase, beginning with a hardening of the heart, a new invitation to Pharaoh, who hardened even more. And then, above all, commitment to lower oneself and accept this process is important. Although we still do not feel that such states are absolutely necessary for us, we must accept them as inevitable, that is to trust the higher teacher leading us forward.

It is the Creator who hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and here we need to rise to a certain level of canceling ourselves by accepting this hardening and working with devotion. It is necessary to accept the fact that there is none else besides Him, and strive to stay connected, no matter how hard the state comes in.

And such difficult challenges are usually given after big gatherings, the general feeling of inspiration and connection. But we must realize that difficult states that come afterward is a time of real work. Now you are given an opportunity to properly treat a new egoistic nature, a new broken Reshimo, which you must work with.

But the mind and the heart forget about it, and a person gets confused thinking that everything that is happening is the truth and not a game coming from above. There, the general opinion of the group and mutual support should come to the rescue. Apart from confusion and mixed feelings everyone goes through, a person must receive a second point of view from the group that is beyond this confusion, in order to show where this special state and all mixed feelings are coming from. It comes from a new Reshimo that purposely is revealed to us by the Creator to perceive it correctly.

All development goes through the stages of HaVaYaH beginning with the “tip of the letter ‘Yod’“, that is completely unknown to us. Then passes the stage of “Yod-Hey,” the development from top-down, and then “Vav-Hey,” our preparations, perceptions, and reactions from below. Thus, when a new state is put in us in the stages of “Yod-Hey,” it is important to learn how to properly accept it. Not everyone is capable of doing it yet. We should not blame them but the overall strength of the group that did not provide sufficient support, knowledge, and feeling that all these states are given to us in order to advance.
[77940]
From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/15/12, Writings of Rabash

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No matter how difficult spiritual attainment appears to be, in reality, there is nothing simpler. Imagine a system that is completely unified, wholesome, connected between all its parts, all minor details. Everything operates in absolute harmony and aspires towards a single goal—everything is aimed towards connection, making a common analysis, in other words, the Creator, which exists between us.

We reveal Him as a consequence of the harmony that arises between us through our constant efforts to connect between us harmoniously. As a result of finding harmony inside our desires, we reveal the Light that fulfills them.

The Creator is in us! We are in the world of Infinity, so let us reveal at least the very first, the easiest and smallest degree of this perfect state. To reveal it means to make yourself correspond to it, become equal in qualities, attain balance with the Light that fills it at least on the very first degree—Nefesh de-Nefesh de-Nefesh of the world of Assiya.

For this it is necessary to achieve equality of all parts of the common vessel. But how can it be achieved when equality cannot be measured? The only thing that can be measured is the difference between one and the other, Delta. But when things are identical, we cannot appraise them because we lose the scale for measuring them. How can two absolutely black colors be compared, or how can one compare white to white? We need a certain difference to appraise things.

However, we must verify our equality, because if I am not completely equal to another I cannot consider him my friend—I am not connected to him by a mutual open connection. And this is why we need two qualities: reception and bestowal. I must bestow to the group as someone big in relation to those who are small, giving them the greatness of the goal, the recognition of importance of the Creator and friends. And on the other hand, I must lower myself to the same extent in relation to them in order to receive influence and support from them, as I perceive them as the greatest people of the generation.

In other words, I achieve maximum bestowal and maximum lowering of myself. And these two maximums lead to my equality. I cannot build equality on its own, just by considering myself equal—this equality is not worth anything. Equality is only revealed as a consequence of two extreme states: the highest and the lowest.

And when everyone in the group works this way: in the maximum and the minimum, giving everything to the group and receiving strength, awakening, and inspiration from them, then it is as if they were becoming connected by a single open pipe. Before, we all used to connect to each other through pipes, through which the energy flowed, but now, they all merge together and we get one big lake, one common reservoir is being discovered.
[77934]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/15/12, Writings of Rabash

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Question: What do you mean by the notion of “love”?

Answer: I mean that every one of us constantly lives others’ concerns.

It works the same way in the group, where we begin to work in practice mode so each of us wishes to create the most comfortable state for others. That is, I have to understand and feel others. I must continually send them the corresponding signals – verbal, physical, thoughts, and etc.

I must exist in mutual guarantee with them, where every one of us provides all the others with such an attitude or sensation among us that I am sure that by influencing them, I receive the same influence from them upon myself. Therefore, we constantly ascend together above our egoism into qualities opposite to it. This kind of mutual work is the most important work in the group.

After adopting this method, we will constantly feel repeated descents into egoism, “gravity,” and the emergence of various obstacles. This will continue until the full correction, until our full ascent above egoism.

However, in any state within the group and even outside – at home, and with others, I will immediately focus on the same idea, the same practice. And as a result, I will be able to interact with the whole world correctly.
[77260]
From the talk about integral upbringing on 2/27/12

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The attributes a Kabbalist discovers internally in contrast to the Light make him feel the exile without which it is impossible to reach redemption. Of course, it is impossible to feel redemption, which is the feeling of the attributes of the Creator: bestowal, love, connection, unity, if you haven’t felt the opposite impressions, the state of exile, the opposite selfish attributes.

So it says: “Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart.” Pharaoh symbolizes the back of the neck, the direct opposite of the Creator, by which the whole essence of the redemption is revealed to us from the deep darkness of exile.

We should be ready to feel all the bitterness of exile, which is threatening and repulsive, and which deprives us of our powers and obliges us to sigh because of this kind of work. But it is impossible to feel the attribute of bestowal, the Creator, in any other way except by the attributes of the created being himself, which are revealed as “the benefit of the Light from within the darkness.”

A great deal of work and the strong support of the group is needed in order to reach that. By connecting and mutually bestowing upon each other first only externally and then internally, we help one another, as it says: “Each one shall help his friend.”

Helping others isn’t only about spurring and encouraging a little, but rather, it stems from understanding the system. To the extent that each one understands and knows his own ego and in contrast to it has some understanding, a feeling of the Creator’s bestowal, he wakes up by himself, like an integral part of the general system and begins to help others by drawing the Surrounding Light.

If we connect, at least to some extent, even if it is only externally, each one draws even the slightest Reforming Light, thus bestowing upon each other. This is why it is so important to have a good strong connection that will help us rise above our mutual hate, above the repulsion and the distance.

If we take all these problems realistically, we can account for being indifferent and hating each other. But at the same time, like grownups who are experienced with the internal work, we understand that we have to overcome the repulsion and to heal ourselves with the help of the upper Light, that heals all the illnesses of the ego, that can change us and connect us.

Thus we provide one another with the Reforming Light, and this is what helping others means. We forge an alliance among us so that even when a person is in descent, others can help him and pull him out and save him from this state.
[76827]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/26/12, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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When I’m dealing with a friend like a worker when we are involved together in dissemination, when we are working on translations or with equipment, or in any kind of work, I supervise him and he is under me. These are our corporeal situations. We understand that we must manage business in this manner.

But the moment we enter the group, there are no differences between us. We only look at our “points in the heart,” only at the yearning of each one for the Creator. And then the revelation of hatred is beneficial, since then I have with what to turn to the Creator for help, since by myself I cannot do this.

On the level of our world, we find ways to get along: We go to a bar together, sit together, clarify the relationship between us. In spirituality, this doesn’t help. We must have the Upper Light.

Thus, as much as the hatred and evil is revealed between us grows, the request for the Upper Light will grow as well. We raise our MAN (prayer, Mayin Nukvin- female waters) to it; we ask for help and yell until it arrives.

It can be that help doesn’t come, since we still don’t have enough recognition of evil. After all it is said, “The world was created either for the complete evil or complete righteous.” First you need to attain the level of “complete evil.” This level is obtained when you long for the goal and see how far away you still are from it. And according to the measure of your longing, you determine the measure of the distance.

There are those who passively belong to the group and don’t participate in the shared connection. They don’t even imagine how powerful this work is, that it’s an ocean of all kinds of attributes and feelings, great pressures, that are impossible to even get close to it, this work repulses people ad nauseam, to the state of being completely powerless.

All of these states bring us gradually to the recognition of evil through the general support that is so important here, through mutual Arvut, when you feel the urgency of the friends, and it obliges you. Then you are able to attain the level of “complete evil” and discover your ego among the others. And this ego won’t be beastly, since the connection needs to be directed to the attainment of the supreme goal and only on it.

We aren’t a corporeal group that wants to assemble together in order to pass time, to play football, or build a mutual business. Our goal is different, to attain the attribute of bestowal and mutual love.

And immediately it is discovered how opposite we are to this. We must feel that this oppositeness draws our full attention. Thus, people who long for the Creator understand the condition that everything that happens to us happens only to discover these states.

And the Light helps us. It is thus structured and descends together with the desires (they are found one against the other), as it bestows on the desires only to the measure that they are able to cope with it, able to bear these feelings of oppositeness. And in spite of all these unpleasant feelings and the great disappointments, are able to yearn for connection and the goal.

There is no other system. It is built on the oppositeness of the two forces of nature: reception and bestowal, the Light and the desire. There is nothing else. It is a practical and scientific system. The only thing that should be taken into account is that we need to be more serious in its realization.
[76207]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/25/12, Lesson 5

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The Creator is not attained without a group. On the other hand, a group without the Creator is not a group, but “a seat of the scornful.” So I, the group, and the Creator make up one whole. This is what is meant by “Israel, the Torah and the Creator are One.”

The Torah is the force that welds us into a group if we want to unite in spite of the repelling force. So the Giving of the Torah and mutual guarantee are connected. After all, mutual guarantee by itself is impossible. We don’t implement it but demand that it be implemented. This is called “the miracle of the exodus from Egypt.” We only participate in it; the changes are not performed by our power, but only according to our desire.

Our job is to want so badly, as much as we possibly can, and then the answer comes. At the same time we are already making the “golden calf,” like in the time of the Giving of the Torah. It happens, but we don’t forget to cry out! We have to be prepared and to demand the maximum, as much as we can. To demand and not to think about what will happen later. A general demand is required here. Then we will receive the power of unity, and if our egoism rises the next moment, as the system is programmed, it isn’t our problem.

Our collective problem is to demand the correction of the egoism that is given to us now, only that, and no more. A person is assessed according to the current circumstances. We must only feel what is necessary as much as we can in our readiness to attack.
[76357]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/24/12, Workshop 2

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All of our many years of study (we have people who have already been studying for 10-15 years) are only intended to make you reach a state when you begin to work in the group, as you realize that there is nothing else. And everything that you have done over the course of many years was only intended to finally make you understand that the only thing that can change you and reveal to you that what you want is right in front of you, even though it is the very last step.

We usually take a very long time to get there, convincing ourselves and trying to somehow wriggle out of it, go somewhere aside. We study Kabbalah, do anything we need to do in regards to dissemination—anything at all—just to avoid working in the group.

And even once we already understand that there is no other solution, still, at the very last moment, we escape finding reasons to not participate in this process. We cannot allow ourselves to close our eyes, throw ourselves into the group, like in water, and completely disappear in it. A lot more time passes, months, sometimes even years, until a person finally enters the group.

But we can shorten this time with our joint effort, and we will try to do it.

The length of time a person has been studying does not matter, neither does his knowledge, whether he is smart or not, strong or weak, persistent, stable, or lazy. When you enter the group and join its common force, we “disappear” in it, you dissolve in the common qualities of your friends to such extent that you acquire the integration of all their abilities, and they all become yours.

No need to come up with excuses for yourself, such as I am still young, I am not yet ready for this, maybe after some time, at the next convention. Now! There must be no other thoughts! There is nothing else beside this place and this action that we must take.

And the action is very simple—try to perform the so-called First Restriction (Tzimtzum Aleph), rise as much as possible over our egoism without taking any of its persuasions, reasons, catches, and quirks into consideration; we must understand that this points to the faults in our aspiration, our intention.

When my intention and aspiration are not strong enough, I will feel something distracting me. And this every disturbance points to what I need to add to my intention to seriously direct it and make it strong enough in its size and vector. In other words, I need to be aimed straight towards the goal and to have enough strength to direct me towards it.

This is why we perceive disturbances as a given. We never resent them, we never become mad at ourselves; on the contrary, every time they appear, we rise above them, and invest ourselves even more into becoming closer with others.

The main thing is to have patience towards our friends, like we are patient with small children, our favorite small child. There is nothing we can do about it; it is also our egoism, which does not allow us to connect with others and shows us where we must bring ourselves closer and position ourselves.
[75085]
From the Vilnius Convention 3/23/12, Lesson 2

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Question: In order to come out of Egypt our ego has to go through the “ten plagues,” what does that mean?

Answer: The ten plagues of Egypt are the ten plagues that a person feels on himself, on his ego, which help him get rid of the ego. If I didn’t feel the blows, I would want to stay in the ego. But because I feel the blows while in my ego, they help me break away from it.

Each blow is stronger in quality than the previous one. Suppose I lost everything that I have in gambling, (although it isn’t about that at all), the next blow can be the loss of someone dear, etc. Actually nothing in the world happens with money and not with one’s relatives and not with anything, but the inner feeling is as if you lose everything.

There is an article in the book Shamati about that, when a person enters spirituality he thinks that he leaves the whole world, his family, and that he is detached from everything. This detachment is necessary. The ten plagues help us rise systematically above certain layers of our ego until we totally exit it, which means that we escape it.

Above the last level we are in total darkness making one more effort. The darkness symbolizes that we don’t know what is expected ahead. But since we are headed towards the attribute of bestowal, the darkness helps us.

If you are moving forward towards the Light, your ego is only too happy about it. But when you are moving forward in the dark, you can be sure that the ego will not disturb you, won’t do you any evil, and won’t take everything for itself afterward.

Question: That means that this is some kind of a trick?

Answer: This “trick” was in Egypt before the ten plagues, when no matter how hard we tried, everything was aimed at the ego. Therefore, “The children of Israel cried from the work” in building the two cities Pithom and Ramses.

Here, however, this is it, here we are headed towards the dark and not towards the Light as we were used to saying. What is more, all these blows and all the advancement are based only on our growing connection, which brings the group to this state where on the one hand the ego is revealed, the great internal hatred, and on the other hand, the clear recognition that only mutual guarantee can lead the group forward. What does that mean?

When you see that there is great hatred, you are ready to connect with everyone in order not to ever worry about anything for yourself, but only about others. All your enemies are also ready to care about one another. This readiness is revealed despite the great hatred, when you can’t even imagine how it is possible to wish these people good, and that you now have to think about them as the most important thing and in no way think of yourself. A serious, juicy detachment from the ego is taking place here!
[74545]
From KabTV’s “Foundations of the Integral Society” 4/1/12

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Question: Can the Book of Exodus help us get out of egoism?

Answer: The fact is that any spiritual action must first be reflected in our world. That is why the story of getting out of egoism was first shown in a small group of people, and today it is repeated in the whole world.

No book in the world can help us with that. Only by passing the stages of correction, will we be able to understand and comment on it correctly.

This is a problem because people read it like a historical novel. But I see in it the description of the most serious internal changes in a person, which he must pass through in relation to the group and together with it, finding within himself a force that is called “Moshe” (Moses) from the word “Limshoch” (to pull out). This force pulls the group out of egoism and raises it to the revelation of the Creator.

Moshe is the point of connection that we reveal between us, and which guides us. The upper Force is revealed inside this point.

Thus, we come to Mount Sinai, to the mountain of hatred, around which we stand. It divides us, and we see only hatred in front of us, but we stand around it because we have nowhere to go.

In spite of this hatred, we have to guarantee for each other in our collective mutual guarantee. But if we get stuck in hatred, in egoism, that will be the place of our spiritual death.

Question: But after the exodus from Egypt, there was no state when a whole group got out of egoism. Next, only individuals exited, but not groups. There is no such experience. What should we do?

Answer: You should continue to work. And we are doing it. What is the difference? The work in the group was described then, so it came from there: “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” “from the love of friends to love for the Creator.” That is all described in those sources.

That is why there are no other principles. The spiritual system, the system of all the worlds does not change; it is manifested in the same way just on the lower layers of egoism, which must be corrected. But the laws remain the same.
[74543]
From KabTV’s “Foundations of the Integral Society” 4/1/12

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Rabash, Dargot HaSulam (The Steps of the Ladder) 924, “And the Lord spoke to Moses”: Actually we cannot receive anything from Above, from nature, before a person comes to the decision that it cannot be in nature. Only after he despairs from nature, can he ask for help from Heaven, so that he will be helped above nature.

We should try to connect and perform actions of bestowal among us in order to evoke the Reforming Light. When the Light influences us we will feel that we are less and less worthy of connection. It says: “Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart.” By wanting to resemble the Creator, we are getting closer to Him and at the same time feel that we are drawing away from Him.

Here a person is required to do special work: He doesn’t escape the battle, but understands that this hardening of the heart will help him reveal the necessity for the power of bestowal, no matter what, without any preliminary conditions. Eventually a person is ready for everything, no matter what, independent of the conditions, the group, the world. One way or the other the main thing is to acquire the power of bestowal, the power of connection

- What for? What will you gain from it?

- Nothing, except for the power of bestowal itself.

It isn’t enough just to talk about it. We should try to attain this attitude towards others by working in the group and in dissemination. It doesn’t have to be expressed externally, but if a person tries to reach others, then he really encounters the king of Egypt and sees that his ego won’t let him do anything.

Then a person goes through the “Ten Plagues of Egypt” and sees how under the influence of a special force from Above, his ego gradually surrenders. Every time “Pharaoh” raises his head and insists, he receives another blow. This detaches a person from the ego and enables him to finally escape it.

Escape where? A person escapes from Pharaoh, which means from the power that separates him from others. First it is just an escape, rising above it, and then a person begins to practically work on connection. In Egypt, in the desire to receive, he couldn’t do that. This is how we reach the “Receiving of the Torah,” which means mutual guarantee, and start the period of “forty years in the desert.”
[74455]
From the  4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 4/4/12, Writings of Rabash

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