Love of Friends - Kabbalah Mediafiles.kabbalahmedia.info/files/eng_book_ahavat-haverim_web.pdf ·...

Kabbalah.info

Love of Friends

The Purpose of Society

3

The Bond

6

Love of Friends

9

Preparing for the Gathering of Friends

67

3

The Purpose

of Society

We have gathered here to establish a society for all who wish to follow the path and method of Baal HaSulam, the way by which to climb the degrees of man, and not remain as a beast.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “The Purpose of Society”

4

A few men gathered together in one place under one leader and in the spirit of fortitude—which is above human capability—stand resolute against all who rise against them. Surely, they are men of great courage and firm spirit and their determination strong enough not to budge even one small step backward. They are fighters of the first order who engage in a war against the evil inclination until their last drop of blood. Their goal is only to win the war for the honor of the Creator.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 2, Letter 8

5

This is why we gather here: to establish a society where each of us follows the spirit of bestowing upon the Creator. And to achieve bestowal upon the Creator, we must begin with bestowal upon man, which is called “love of others.” The love of others can only be with revoking one’s self. Thus, on the one hand, each person should feel lowly, and on the other hand, be proud that the Creator has given us the chance to be in a society where each of us has but a single goal: for Divinity to be among us.


6

The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)

This is to speak of the Arvut (Mutual Guarantee), when all of Israel became responsible for one another, because the Torah was not given to them before each and every one from Israel was asked if he agreed to take upon himself the Mitzva (precept) of loving others in the full measure, expressed in the words: “Love thy friend as thyself” (as explained in Items 2 and 3, examine it thoroughly there).

7

This means that each and every one in Israel would take it upon himself to care and work for each member of the nation, and to satisfy their every need, no less than the measure imprinted in him to care for his own needs. And once the whole nation unanimously agreed and said, “We shall do and we shall hear,” each member of Israel became responsible that nothing shall be missing from any other member of the nation. Only then did they become worthy of receiving the Torah, and not before. With this collective responsibility, each member of the nation was liberated from worrying about the needs of his own body and could keep the Mitzva, “Love thy friend as thyself” in the fullest measure, and give all that he had to any needy person, since he no longer cared for the existence of his own body, as he knew for certain that he was surrounded by six hundred thousand loyal lovers, who were standing ready to provide for him.

9

Love of Friends

Therefore, I remind you above all, the relevance and importance of the love of friends at this time. On that depends our existence and in which our approaching success is measured. Therefore, move away from all the imaginary activities, and dedicate your hearts to the thinking of thoughts and to the invention of the right inventions to truly connect all your hearts into one heart and then you will literally realize the saying of “Love Thy Neighbor as Yourself.”

Writings of Baal HaSulam, Item 57

10

The Kabbalists explain this simply: you have a group and toward that group you need to build yourself as someone who bestows. Their entire spiritual development depends only on you. Their connection to each other, their ability to form a single boat, a single vessel, depends entirely on you. A failure of any one of them is caused by you, by the level of your concern for them and by no one else.

Dr. Laitman, Daily Kabbalah Lesson Preparation 8/18/09

One cannot raise oneself above one’s circle. Hence, one must suck from one’s environment, and one has no other counsel, except through much work and Torah. Therefore, if one chooses for oneself a good environment, one saves time and efforts, since one is drawn according to one’s environment.

The Writings of Baal Hasulam, Shamati, Article 225 “Raising Oneself”

11

The choice is only in identifying the right lack, the broken connections between us, where the Creator directs us initially. Look there! If we see that lack, that level of hatred among us, the extent to which we need to connect differently but are unable and unwilling to, then we see that uncovering the bad relationships among ourselves, the mutual loathing, are true events. We are capable of anything except overcoming these events and will do anything except connect with others. These are the true events and the focus of our work. We discover at the end that these events, these lacks, are all from the Creator, and without the Upper Force we cannot even begin to connect with others.

Dr. Laitman, Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/23/09

12

If one does not have any desire and craving for spirituality, if he is among people who have a desire for spirituality, if he likes these people, he, too, will take their strength to prevail, and their desires and aspirations, although by his own quality, he does not have these desires and cravings and the power to overcome. However, according to the grace and the importance he ascribes to these people, he will receive new powers.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article 99 “He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous”

I hereby instruct you to begin to love one another as yourself, share your friend's sorrow and rejoice at your friend's happiness as much as possible. I hope you will carry out my words in full.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, Letters, Letter 39

13

According to a person’s submission to the group, he discovers the NHY (Netzah, Hod, Yesod) of the Upper. There is no other way to check himself because he does not see the Upper. When dealing with spirituality, a person’s Upper is the other. From the other he will receive awakening, strength, everything. A person can receive this from the entire Kli (vessel) because it is part of him, and he discovers this slowly. A human being cannot identify the Creator except as it appears in the connection within the created. That connection is called “the light of Shechina,” (light of Divinity). The Creator is revealed in the Shechina, in the collection of connected souls.


14

“Each will assist his kinfolk” – and no one is capable of assisting himself, no one! Only the friends can help. If one receives from them the feeling of mutual bonding (Arvut) and they provide him with the condition that enables him to demand, then that person will reach spirituality. If they don’t, then he won’t reach it. What can one do? Pay them? Give them gifts? A person doesn’t know, but it all depends on the desire in their hearts, which is hidden from him and over which he has no control. Therefore, everything depends on mutual consent, on collaboration, on mutual connection. These are the only things that can bring it about. We must feel the challenge as an internal challenge, as the greatest challenge we face, as something that threatens our lives. We can look at it as if it were a serious family problem that has just been revealed, where everything else pales in comparison.


15

How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. These are the friends, as they sit together inseparably. At first they look like people at war, wishing to kill each other, then they revert back to a state of brotherly love. The Creator, what does He say about them? “How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” The word “together” indicates the presence of Shechina (Divinity) with them. Moreover, the Creator listens to their discourse and He is pleased and content with them. And you, the friends who are here, just as you were previously in a state of love, so you should remain inseparable from now, until the Creator rejoices with you and calls peace upon you and by your merit shall there be peace in the world. “For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, ‘May peace be within you.’”

The Sulam Commentary on The Book of Zohar, vol. 7, “After Death,” 64-65

16

I have formed orders for you so that you may be sustained in each and every situation without regressing, the most unique of which is adhesion among friends. And I guarantee that this love is capable. I will remind you of everything good that you need; and if you are steadfast in that, come what may, you will surely go from strength to strength in spiritual ascension.


And besides the great power hidden in it, you should know that there are many sparks of sanctity in each person in the group. And when you collect all the sparks of sanctity into one place, as brothers, with love and friendship, you will certainly have a very high level of sanctity…Love of Friends.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “One should always sell the beams of his home”,

17

To be “glued” to the group means to be devoted to the goal of the group, to this process, its task, message, feeling and the importance of the responsibility and mutual bonding (Arvut). Let us assume that a person just came back from a three-day congress and during these three days there were several moments when one felt that he completely lost himself in the group; not like an outside observer, but as if he did not exist as an individual. Then that person understands that if he remained at that state, the group could pull him forward without any control or awareness on his part. Therefore, the only type of control one needs is a way to avoid exiting that state, to immerse himself in the group for good. That is what is meant “to be inside the group.”


18

Each one should try to bring vitality to the society, hopefulness, and infuse vigor into society, so that each member of the society will be able to say to himself, “Now I am making a fresh start at this work.” Meaning, prior to joining that society, he was disappointed in his progress regarding the work of the Creator, whereas now, society has infused vitality and hopefulness into him, for through the society, he has attained security and the strength to prevail, as he now feels that he can attain wholeness. And despite all of his previous thoughts—that a high mountain stands before him, and that he was unable to conquer it, that they were truly powerful obstructions—he now feels that they are completely inconsequential. He received all that from the force of society, since each and every one attempted to establish conditions of encouragement and revitalization in society.

The Writings of Rabash, vol.1, “What to demand from the Gathering of Friends”

19

“And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” This is the goal that must be before everyone’s eyes when laboring for one’s friend’s needs. This means that he labors and toils only to be liked by the Creator, that He said and they do His will.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”

Which issues should be discussed at the time of gathering? Firstly, the goal must be apparent to all: this gathering should result in love of friends, that each of the friends will be awakened to love the other. This is called, “love of others.” However, this is the outcome. To bear this darling son, actions must be taken, which will yield that love.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “What to demand from the Gathering of Friends”

20

We need to understand that all of our involvement in spiritual work other than love of friends is imaginary. What does this mean? It means that such efforts do not yield the expected benefit – spiritual progress. A person can excel in study and in many other things, however, if he does not combine all these things with the intention of clinging to friends, he does not form in himself the spiritual Kli (vessel). While time goes by and he does not listen, his involvement in Kabbalah is called “imaginary.” Therefore, Baal HaSulam hangs all the group’s hopes on the unity between friends.


And there should be careful watch in the society, disallowing frivolity among them, since frivolity ruins everything.


21

When one sees that his friends have reached a higher degree than him, that causes elevation from every aspect.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “Concerning Faith Above Reason”

When we begin to feel the love of friends, joy and pleasure are instantly kindled. That is the rule: we enjoy experiencing newness. The fact that his friend loves him is new to him, as he has always known that only he, himself, cares for his own welfare and benefit. However, the moment he discovers that his friend cares for him, it arouses incomparable joy, and he can not worry about himself anymore, as one is able to exert himself only in the presence of pleasure. Since he now takes pleasure in caring for his friend, inevitably there is no place for self-consideration.


22

If one connects with others, he draws to himself the light of Torah, “the Correcting Light.” What does a person correct? He corrects his ego and his hate toward the other. Toward the Creator, a person cannot discover anything. He is still hidden from that person. One must work on himself in relation to the other; “From the love for the other to love for the Creator.” That is the way it works. If a person does everything possible to connect with the other in order to connect with the Creator, he discovers that he cannot do it. If one has the right group and he receives from it the importance of the goal, then he requests that a force from above appear to him, that the Creator will be revealed in the connection between us. The revelation of the Creator among us that turns the hatred into love is called “testimony” or “revelation.”


23

To be integrated in one another, each person should annul himself before the others. This is done by each seeing the friends’ merits and not their faults. But one who thinks that he is a little higher than the friends can no longer unite with them.


The advice for one to be able to increase his strength in the rule, “Love thy friend,” is love of friends. If every one is nullified before his friend and mingles with him, they become one mass, where all the little parts that want the love of others unite in a collective force that consists of many parts. And when he has great strength, he can execute the love of others

.The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “According to What Is Explained Concerning “Love Thy Friend”

24

This too, I will ask of you: to make great efforts in love of friends, to find new ways to increase the love among the friends, and to nullify your bodily passions, for this is what casts hate, and among those bestowing contentment upon their Maker, no hate may be depicted. On the contrary, mercy and great love exists among them, and these words are simple.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, Letter 11

By assembling a few people who agree that they have to achieve love of others, when they annul themselves before one another, they are all intermingled. Thus, in each person there accumulates a great force, according to the size of the society, and then they can execute the love of others in actual fact.

The Writings of Rabash, vo1, “According to What Is Explained Concerning “Love Thy Friend”

25

When we gather, each one should keep in mind that he has arrived with the goal of nullifying his self-love, meaning, instead of thinking of how to fill his will to receive, one should concentrate, as much as possible, on the love of others. That is the only way he can acquire the necessary desire and need to receive the new attribute called the desire to bestow. From the love of friends he is able to attain the love of the Creator, meaning that he desires to bestow contentment upon the Creator. Hence, that is the only means of acquiring the need, the understanding that bestowal is vital and essential and that it was acquired by the love of friends.

The Writings of Rabash, vol.1, “The Love of Friends”

26

We cannot concentrate on the books and see what is written in them because we are missing the spiritual material: the Masach (screen) that is constructed by connecting with the desires of the friends, like pixels in that screen. Then we can see the spiritual picture clearly. When we are able to consider the desires within the group and connect their desires together, desires given to them by the Creator, then we connect those points together regardless of what state these desires are in. They can even be small desires like those of Rabbi Yossi Ben Kissma. Regardless, we take these desires that the Creator has given and connect them together. It is important for us to connect with them. Then on this background we can feel what is written in the book.


27

It is written, “In the multitude of people is the king’s glory,” indicating that the more numerous the people, the greater their force is activated, meaning they create an increasingly powerful atmosphere regarding the Creator’s greatness and importance. For each and every one feels in his body that all the actions he would like to carry out for the sake of spirituality, to bestow unto the Creator, are invaluable, as he has been entitled to merge with those who are worthy of serving the King. Hence, with every slight action he performs, he is filled with joy and pleasure, for now he has a way of serving the King.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, Essay “The Agenda of the Assembly”

The friends should mainly discuss the issue of the Creator’s greatness.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, Essay “What to Demand from the Assembly of Friends”

28

In each and every friend there is a point, and when they join together and discover hatred, love, and various other things, they make progress. The entire climb on the spiritual steps reflects the extent to which these points are connected. Between the points the hatred is revealed, but through study we act in order that a greater love will be revealed. The light affects us and connects us somewhat. If we connect, even slightly, we “click together,” we become like a “fetus.” Who is that “fetus?” It is our “baby,” the one we form from connecting our points.


After I have already attained the clothing, sparks of love immediately begin to shine within me. My heart begins to long to unite with my friends, and it seems as though my eyes see my friends, my ears

29

hear their voices, my mouth speaks with them, my hands embrace, and my feet dance in circles with them, lovingly and joyfully. I transcend my corporeal boundaries and I forget the vast distance between my friends and me. The outstretched ground of many miles shall not separate us, and it seems as if my friends are standing in my heart, seeing all that happens there.

And I become ashamed of my trifling acts against my friends, and I simply exit the corporeal vessels, as it seems to my eyes that there is no other reality in the world, but my friends and I. Finally, even the “I” is annulled, absorbed, and subsumed within my friends, until I stand and declare that there is no other reality in the world, only the friends.

The Writings of Rabash, vol.2, Letter 8

30

Each and every one must pay attention and think, how he can help his friend, uplift his spirit, because regarding one’s spirit, anyone can find a needy place in one’s friend, which he can fulfill.

The Writings of Rabash, vol.1 “They Helped Everyone His Friend”

In his articles about the group, Rabash writes that we need to awaken the friends so they can awaken us in return. However, before that, we need to understand that without this, we are doomed. One needs to feel that only in the connection with the group can he realize himself and feel spirituality and bestowal. A person brings himself to the group and needs to toil in it. He needs to hear from them that it is important. The group needs to reveal the point of breakage to him, what he needs to repair, and where the place of repair is found. Otherwise, one may do things in a place that is not broken at all.


31

Indeed, I feel you all, that within you, today has been replaced with tomorrow, and instead of “now” you say, “later.” There is no cure for that but to strain to understand that error and perversion – that only those who need salvation today are salvaged by the Creator. And those who can wait for tomorrow will obtain their wit after their years, God forbid. This came upon you due to your negligence of my request to exert in love of friends, for I have explained to you in every possible manner that this remedy is sufficient to complement for your every deficiency.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, Letter 13

32

It is said, “From the love of people to the love of God.” It is precisely in the connection among people that a person discovers the Creator. It is not that one pays his dues in one place and receives a reward in another. At the very place where he connects with others, in the same network of souls, he discovers the Correcting Light; there he discovers the Creator. As a person connects more with others, he is moved from place to place by the Light that he discovers. Namely, a person changes his attitude toward others and discovers the connection between them and then the Creator is revealed between them. That is how I reach spirituality.


Our sages said, "Make for yourself a rav and buy for yourself a friend." This means that

33

one can make a new environment for oneself. This environment will help him obtain the greatness of his rav through love of friends who appreciate the rav. Through the friends’ discussing the greatness of the rav, each of them receives the sensation of his greatness. Thus, bestowal upon one’s rav will become reception and sufficient motivation to an extent that will bring one to engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lishma. They said about that, "The Torah is acquired by forty-eight virtues, by serving friends and by meticulousness of friends." This is so because besides serving the rav, one needs the meticulousness of friends, as well, the friends’ influence, so they will affect him with the obtainment of his rav’s greatness. This is so because obtaining the greatness depends entirely on the environment, and an individual cannot do a thing about it whatsoever.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”

34

A person is always facing a system that can influence and furnish him with the importance of achieving spirituality, but it depends on the extent to which he submits himself to that system. This is one’s free choice, and if he can’t realize it or absorb the importance of spirituality from the group, then he cannot make progress. A person can sit 100 years in the group of the great Shimeon Bar Yochai, and it won’t help him because it doesn’t depend on their greatness, but only on the extent to which he opens himself to receive their inspiration. The question is: Is he willing to bow his head? If so, to that extent, a person can be influenced by them. Only to that extent can one move from “bitter versus sweet” to “truth versus lie.” Otherwise it is as if a person is in the right process of clarification but it’s completely intellectual instead of emotional. Namely he does not climb above his Kli (vessel), meaning we do not overcome our desire, because our Kli is our emotion.


35

Only the group can help a person not lose the spiritual picture and stay with it, search for it, and strengthen it all the time. If a person does not strengthen this picture at every moment, it disappears. In spirituality we do not consider velocity but acceleration. In other words, we need to increase our effort constantly to remain in our current state. This is because we always work against an ego that keeps growing. Therefore, we need to continually increase our drive for spirituality. We cannot do it any other way and must constantly toil to even remain at the same level.


36

How can we form the connection? When we come to the same place, study the same lesson and material, talk all the time about one thing, sing and eat together, then we create such external conditions that a person starts to follow the path. The important thing is that it attracts the Correcting Light. It is not that we strengthen the connection between us; the strengthening comes from inviting the Light and the Light strengthens the connection.The connection exists but it is dormant. We all exist in the same network but we cannot feel it; it is not activated. When we want it to work and happen, then according to our effort, we attract the Light to enliven that network—like a dead body that comes back to life. As Baal HaSulam says, “we were like dreamers.” When we start waking up from sleep or from unconsciousness, this strong desire invites the Light that enlivens the connection between us.


37

We might say that he who thinks that he is deceiving his friend, is really deceiving the Creator, since besides man’s body, there is only the Creator. This is because it is the essence of creation that man is called “creature” only with respect to himself. The Creator wants man to feel that he is a separated reality, hence, when lying to one’s friend, one is lying to the Creator, and when saddening one’s friend, one is saddening the Creator.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article 67 “Depart from Evil”

It is impossible to receive bestowal by the society if one is not cleaved to the society, meaning, that he appreciates them. To that extent he can receive from them influence—not by his own efforts, but only by cleaving to the society.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “The Essence of the Severity of the Prohibition on Studying Torah to Idol Workers”

38

It is written in The Zohar that initially the members of the group gather and hate each other; do not want each other, and are fed up with being together. They do not believe that their connection will lead to anything and have already tried it many times. They have all kinds of calculations, contentions, and complaints against each other. In spite of all this, they come and sit together and start connecting above all these impulses, above all these desires, the hatred, jealousy, haughtiness, etc. They understand that what they feel is for a reason and that it comes from the Creator. Then everyone starts working against his nature—happy that he can start connecting to others above his ego, above this hatred. A person feels how much he hates the other, yet he proceeds to do something toward him. These conflicting forces are in a person. One is his Aviut (coarseness), and the other will be the Masach (screen) on top of the Aviut.


39

When the society gathers, to the extent that its thoughts assumed the greatness of the Creator, “each one in accordance with his measure was stimulated to assume the greatness of the Creator.” For each and every one feels in his body, that all the actions he would like to carry out for the sake of spirituality, to bestow unto the Creator, are invaluable, as he has been entitled to merge with those who are worthy of serving the King. Hence, with every slight action he performs, he is filled with joy and pleasure, for now he has a way of serving the King. Thus, he can proceed the entire day in the world of happiness and joy.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. I, Essay “The Agenda of the Assembly”

40

For when the friends unite into one mass, they receive a force by which they are able to revere the goal of their work, which is to attain Lishma (for Her name).

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, Essay “The Need for Love of Friends”

If he has love of friends—and the aspect of love, the rule is that one wishes to see one’s friend’s virtue and not his deficiency—it follows then that if he sees a deficiency in his friend, it is a sign that the deficiency is not his friend’s but rather his own. Meaning, he has damaged the love of friends; consequently, he sees deficiencies in his friend. Therefore, he must now see that it is not the friend who will correct himself, but rather he, himself is in the need of correction.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, Essay “The Order of the Gathering of Society Part 1”

41

If a man feels the importance of rising to a higher level, he approaches his surroundings and gets from there strength to turn to the light through the darkness. Our problem is just in discerning what “darkness” is. “Darkness” is a lack of bestowal, a lack of spirituality, a lack of revelation of the Creator. If one finds himself in the thought that he is deficient of bestowal, then naturally, he will approach society out of the darkness. He doesn’t have to think about it twice, for the mere definition of darkness—lack of bestowal—points him towards the society. What does he get from them? He receives strength to live in this darkness as if it were the Light. This is because the feeling of darkness is only in relation to our desire to receive, and in relation to the desire to bestow, it is Light. After we receive this support from society, we then turn to the Upper and ask it for the Surrounding Light. Then, the Upper corrects us, and we reach the form of bestowal, and the darkness turns to Light.


42

themselves, to unite into one group, who understood there is no distance of thought between them from the point of view that they understand the necessity of working in love of others. Thus, each one will be capable of making concessions for the benefit of others and upon that, they will be able to unite—unlike other people who do not have such an understanding of the necessity of work in love of others, hence, they are not able to unite with them.

The Writings of Rabash, vol.1, “Make for Yourself a Rav and Buy for Yourself a Friend”

Do what you can and the salvation of Lord is “as a blink of the eye,” and what stands before you this day is primarily the unity of the friends. Exert in that as much as you can: for it compensates for all deficiencies.


43

It is an immense effort when one must judge his friends to merit, and not everyone is capable. At times, it is even worse: sometimes one sees that his friend degrades him. Moreover, he even heard slander—meaning that he heard from another friend—that he said about him that this friend (called so and so) said things that are inappropriate for friends to say about each other. And he needs to subdue himself and to judge him to a scale of merit. And this is an immense effort…Therefore, when one makes the effort and judges him to a scale of merit, it is a remedy. For by making the effort, which is called, “awakening from below,” he is given the strength from above to be able to love all the friends without exception. This is called, “Buy yourself a friend,” for one must make an effort to achieve love of others.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “What to Demand from the Assembly of Friends”

44

There is none so wise as the experienced. Therefore, I will advise you to awaken within you fear of chilling the love between us, although the mind denies such an image. Still, exert yourself, if there is a way to increase the love, for one who does not add, that is held against him, as well. It is similar to one who gives a splendid gift to his friend; the love that appears in his heart at the time of action is unlike the love that remains in his heart after the fact. Rather it gradually cools and wanes until one may completely lose the blessing of love. Thus, the recipient of the gift must find a way to make it new in his eyes, every day.


45

He who strives to continually choose a better environment is worthy of praise and reward. But here too, it is not because of his good thoughts and deeds, which come to him without his choice, but because of his effort to acquire a good environment, which brings him these good thoughts and deeds.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”

We need to keep going over these special things that belong to revelation of the Creator within us. In other words, we need to have just one request: that the quality of bestowal will rule us. We want this to be revealed in our points in the heart and in the connection between us. This is the vessel we expect to feel within.


46

“And a certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. “And the man asked him, saying, ‘What seekest thou?’” meaning, ‘How can I help you?’ “And he said: ‘I seek my brethren.’” By being together with my brothers, that is, by being in a group where there is love of friends, I will be able to mount the trail that leads to the house of God. This trail is called “a path of bestowal,” and this way is against our nature. To be able to achieve it, there is no other way but love of friends, by which everyone can help his friend.

The Writings of Rabash, vol.1, “Love of Friends”

The value of the society is in its ability to bring forth a different atmosphere, which will only be to work in order to bestow.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “The Need for Love of Friends”

47

Every student is required to honor his fellow associates as though he were the Sage of the Generation. Then the surrounding society will affect him as though it were a vast assemblage, because quality outweighs quantity.


Rather, it is one person who can help another by seeing that one’s friend is low. It is written, “One does not deliver oneself from imprisonment.” Rather, it is one’s friend who can uplift his spirit. This means that one’s friend uplifts him from his state into a state of livelihood. Then one begins to acquire confidence and wealth once more in life, and he begins as though his goal is now near him.

The Writings of Rabash, vol.1, “They Helped Everyone His Friend”

48

Other than the point in the heart, we need to invent every other deficiency. Where from? From the group, because all of our vessels, are the points in the heart, that are connected together by the Creator. On their own, they cannot connect. We have to try and assemble the vessel, the connection between us, only between the points in our hearts to our egoistic desires. The ego remains below, but the points in the hearts, the yearnings for the upper; we have to make efforts to connect them together. What if we don’t succeed? Then we will have the gate of tears.


One has no other tactic but to always pain himself with the troubles of the public, just as he suffers with his own troubles.

The Writings of Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to Talmud Eser Sefirot” letter 125

49

Only the environment can help a person not lose the spiritual image and be in it, to search for it or enhance it all the time. If a person doesn’t constantly enhance this image, it immediately disappears. In spirituality there is no importance to speed, only acceleration. In other words, we have to work all the time increasing our efforts in order to remain in the current state. This is because we are working against our ego, which is growing all the time, and therefore we need to be increasing all the time our force for spirituality. There is no other way for a person to do it; one has to exert efforts all the time to at least remain at the same level.


50

There is a unique remedy in adhesion of the friends. Being that the opinions and thoughts transfer from one to another through their adhesion, thus each one consists of the other’s forces. Accordingly, each one possesses the force of the entire society. Hence, although each person is one, however he possesses all the forces of the society.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “The Need for Love of Friends”

Concerning love of friends, which is founded on the basis of love of others, by which we can attain love of the Creator: it is contrary to what is generally accepted in love of friends. Meaning that concerning love of others: it does not mean that the friends will love me, but rather that I should love the friends.


51

Everything depends on how we hold each other together, and how we think that our success depends on our friend, because he influences us back. So on an egoistic level, a person wants everyone around him to be great and if they are all great, they will give him those surroundings, this enforcement, so that he will be great too. If he is in a state of love of others, to the degree that he is in love of them, in a desire to connect to them, then he purchases from them a deficiency for spirituality, the importance of spirituality. He is impressed by them the way a parent is impressed by their little child, because he is loved. Even though this is not important to them, but what is important to him is important to them. This is the power of love.


52

We should know that love is bought by actions, by giving his friend gifts. Then each and every gift he gives to his friend is similar to an arrow and a bullet piercing his friend’s heart, and even though his friend’s heart is like stone, nevertheless each and every bullet pierces it. The result of numerous holes is an empty space, and then the giver’s love enters this space. The warmth of love attracts sparks of his friend’s love to him, and then the clothing of love is woven from both loves, for this clothing to cover them both. That means that one love surrounds and envelops both of them, and the two of them have inevitably become as one man, since the clothing covering them both is one clothing. Thus, they are both annulled.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “The Whole of Man”

53

We should know that “two is the minimum for ‘many’.” This means that if two friends sit together and think how to increase importance of the Creator, they already have the power to receive further strengthening of the greatness of the Creator, as in awakening from below. For this action, awakening from Above subsequently approaches, and they begin to sense the greatness of the Creator.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “The Agenda of the Assembly”

You should know that numerous sparks of sanctity exist in each member of the group, and as you gather all the sparks of sanctity into one place, as brothers dwelling together, in love and friendship, you will surely reach a very significant stature of sanctity at that time from the Light of Life.


54

We turn to the same source and attract it together, to reveal it, and our power, that we are ready to connect in order to reveal Him, this is an enormous force. For the connection between us is exactly suited to His major attribute: that He is One, Single, and Unique. And if above the difference between us, the rejection between us, we build this attribute: One, Single, and Unique, then by this we attract Him, and can really hope for renewal.


It all depends on each and every person, to the degree that he agrees to be included with all the rest of the souls, the ingredients of the same vessel, Malchut de Ein Sof, the Shechina, but before man is included in it, wants to be included and can’t, he feels the sorrow of the

55

Shechina. How does he feel it? His yearning is for being corrected, and he can’t yet get this, so he begins to feel his yearning as sorrow. Why is his yearning referred to as “the sorrow of the Shechina,” and not “his sorrow?” It is because his yearning starts as desire to fill it, the Shechina, and the general vessel, all the rest of the souls, and not himself. This is why it is said a man is included in the “Sorrow of Shechina,” that his desire now is sorrow of why he can’t continue the Light through his private soul, to the rest of the souls. Thus he moves from the sorrow of “what do I have,” inside my vessels, to “what is inside of all the rest of the souls,” inside the Shechina. He moves from the question, “what pleasures me, to “who am I pleasuring.”


56

At the very beginning of the assembly, we should speak in praise of the society, Each one should try to express their appreciation and explanation of the importance and greatness they have assumed, and not speak of anything other than praise of the society until its praise is exposed by the friends. And then it should be said, “We have now completed part one of the friends’ assembly and begin part two. Meaning for each and every one to say, in his opinion, what actions we can perform, actions in order for each and every one to be capable of buying love of friends. In other words, what each one can do, to buy his heart, to love each and every one of the society. When part two is completed, which is suggesting what can be done for the benefit of the society, part three begins, concerning the execution of the actions which the friends decided should be done.


57

Every gift one gives his friend is like a bullet creating an empty space in a stone. Even though the first bullet does not impact the stone other than with an insignificant scratch, the second bullet, upon hitting the same spot, already dents it and the third makes a hole. The bullets he continues to shoot then cause the hole to develop and become an empty space in his friend’s heart of stone in which all the gifts collect. From each and every gift, sparks of love are created until all the sparks of love collect in the space of the heart of stone and become a flame. Because the difference between a spark and a flame is in this: since in a place where there is love, there is also external exposure, meaning a disclosure of his inner burning love to all the nations, and the fire of love burns all crimes encountered along the way.


58

One needs to reveal the force of love and bestowal within himself, according to the definition of the Creator, which is “come and see.” In this definition the form needs to be seen in which we all need to be all the time, in the group, at study, in dissemination, in all our general and private actions, in the group and also on his own. For if we do not bind all our thoughts and desires to revelation of the Creator in us, the revelation of the property of bestowal and love of others in us, we aren’t in connection to the wisdom of Kabbalah at all, and are perhaps learning wisdom but not Torah. Because the wisdom of Kabbalah is in order to reveal the force of love and bestowal which is in us, and this is called to “reveal the Creator”


59

Every student is required to feel that he is the smallest of all the friends. Then he will be able to acquire an appreciation of everyone’s exaltedness, as the great is not capable of receiving from his inferior—not to mention being inspired by his words. Only the small is inspired out of appreciation of the great.

The Writings of Rabash, vol. 1, “Concerning Love of the Friends”

Our sages said, “When writers envy, it increases wisdom.” Meaning, when all the friends observe the society, that they are situated at a high degree, both in thought and in actions, then it is natural for each and every one to be compelled to raise to a higher level, than what he has according to the attribute of his body. It is found now that he has new attributes, which the society bore in him.


60

The desire was broken in to pieces, and a choice was given, that if a person wants to add desire, it could be added from others. This way, to the degree that he connects with others desires, he adds desire above the level of a beast, and the additional desire that he purchased from others is called the “Man” in him. The whole system is built in a way that every single one of these parts of desires, private souls, will have to buy additional desire from the rest of the souls, and in this great yearning which he purchases from others, he arrives at a desire called the “Man.” This way he justifies the creation, justifies the Creator, and becomes a righteous man as well.


61

The whole basis, for us to be able to receive joy and pleasure, and to be allowed to enjoy, and even more so, is a serious obligation to enjoy the act of bestowal. We have to work on one point, namely: to appreciate spirituality. This is expressed in paying attention to “Whom I am facing,” and “To whom am I speaking,” and “To whose precepts am I adhering,” and “Whose Torah am I studying.” Meaning to take notice of the advice on how to appreciate the giver of the Torah. And since the person (as far as he is concerned) has not yet merited the attainment of any Light from Above, then he must search for people who are more or less similar to him, who are also seeking to increase the importance, to be in some contact with the Creator in whatever way possible. Since the thoughts of many are involved, then each one can receive assistance from his friend.


62

If we are talking about the Creator, we have to examine Him—how He is with respect to everyone. Then I examine Him with respect to the creatures; what is He like now? Look at the revelations that need to take place! I have to connect with all the souls and feel, within all the souls, how He relates to everyone. This has to happen within each and every soul as well as the feeling of how He relates to this and that soul, meaning to connect these souls to me and feel this.


You must awaken the friends’ heart until a flame rises from it, by which you will merit the awakening of love of the Creator, Blessed be He, upon us.


63

Baal HaSulam is sorrowful in his greeting to his pupils, how they are not using the vessel, the special instrument—the only one that exists—to awaken towards the correct direction by adhesion amongst them. Each of them really has nothing, but together, when they begin to awaken the spiritual goal, they begin to locate the spiritual goal, because from the start, they are in opposition to each other, in clashes towards each other, in rejection. When they begin to awaken the common spiritual goal, then despite themselves, they build the same desire. They are in hatred towards each other, and they have to build above it a connection. Then between them a spiritual vessel is created, which none of them could have built on their own.


64

If one sees how the friends are situated at a higher degree than him, and he sees within reason that he is utterly low compared to the friends, and sees that all the friends keep the times that have been decided on for coming to the seminary, and they are more interested in all that occurs among the friends, helping each one in every way possible, and they immediately implement all the counsels in the work that they hear from the teachers, etc. it surely affects him. It gives him strength to overcome his laziness, both when he needs to wake up, when he is awakened before dawn, and while studying. His body is more interested in the lessons, since otherwise, he will lag behind the friends


65

“There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples.” Haman said that in his view, we will succeed in destroying the Jews because they are separated from one another: hence, our force against them will certainly prevail, as it causes separation between man and God. And the Creator will not help them anyway, since they are separated from Him. This is why Mordecai went to correct that flaw, as it is explained in the verse, “the Jews gathered,” etc., “to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life.” This means that they had saved themselves by uniting.

Writing of Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article 44 “There Is a Certain People”

66

A person needs to think of his friends, the way a mother is concerned for her little children. And not because they are small—they are the greatest of the generation—but his participation in them must be as such. Because his part in them, they cannot fill and correct, and towards this part they are little; this part only he can do. A person must imagine to himself that inside each of them, there is a rotten part, which gives them the sensation of death, prevents them from healing, and he, only he can treat this part.


67

Preparation for Gathering of Friends

1. “Before the gathering, one must exalt every one of his friends.” Why am I going to the gathering? What do these friends give me? What do I want from my life? Why did I end up here anyway? And so on. I must awaken these questions within me ahead of time and never extinguish them. Otherwise, I will not succeed.

68

However, this has to be done in a purposeful way. I am going to the gathering of friends. By my focusing on the preparation for the gathering, I begin to clarify why I need it.

Perhaps, it is simply that the gathering is scheduled on a specific date and I will have to lose yet another evening? Perhaps I would feel awkward not showing up?

Or, I awaken such desire within me, that even if nothing was scheduled, if no one was here and no one wanted to come, I would gather everyone by force. This is the meaning of the words that before the gathering of friends, one must come to realize the importance of his friends. I cannot reach the goal without them, and not only “without them,” but without their necessity of reaching the goal. In essence, their realization of that necessity is my fuel. What will come of me if I don’t participate in the gathering of friends at least once a week, and resort to its help every day after that, until the next

69

gathering? If that’s the case, I simply cross out my whole life.

Therefore, we must come to realize the importance of “building up the significance of friends.” I must understand for myself why I chose specifically these friends. Rabash writes about this.

2. “One must check himself as to how much effort he makes for the group.” They are so important that I understand that without them, I will not have the vessel for the revelation of the Creator, for the admittance of Shechina, for filling the One who dwells in the Shechina, and for everything else that I can possibly imagine. As much as the goal is essential to me, the Kli needed to achieve it must be just as essential. It is impossible for the goal to be important and for the group not to be. That simply indicates an

70

insufficient understanding of the goal and of the means to achieve it. Yes, the goal is the Creator. However, the means is the “place” where He is revealed; that is, the corrected group.

If that’s the case, then who can prepare this Kli? Is it myself, someone else in the group, Rav, or the Upper Forces? By thinking about this and accumulating inner definitions, I come to understand that the creation of this Kli is one hundred per cent up to me. Unless I apply maximum efforts to contribute my share to the group and awaken it towards the creation of this Kli, my friends will not achieve anything.

Moreover, I have to be one hundred per cent sure that if my friends fail to awaken one hundred per cent towards forming one hundred per cent of this Kli, then my hope of reaching the goal equals zero.

I will not reach the goal unless I awaken them.

71

Unless they awaken thanks to me, they will not reach the goal, and consequently, I won’t either. It is essential to realize this reciprocity. This is what brings me to the sensation of guarantee.

I am in the hands of the group, helpless and weak. How can I influence my friends so that I acquire a guarantee from them, so that they give me their Kli? Nothing in this world will help me obligate them to do this—only love.

Even if they don’t want it right now, only with love can I obligate them to love me. Of course, provided that they have the point that aspires to the goal. Such is the law of love: If one person begins to love another and desires to achieve reciprocal love, he is bound to achieve it. The same happens in the material world. If there is any connection at all between the ugliest girl and the most successful guy (and, after all, we’re all in a group and connected with one another), then by bestowing onto him with gifts, treatment and everything else,

72

she can obligate him to love her. A great abyss may separate them, but if they have even a rudiment of connection, then “love will cover all faults.” No one can withstand this kind of attitude of the lower one towards the Upper, or from anyone towards anyone else altogether.

Therefore we have to understand: Unless I love my friends to the full one hundred per cent, they will not awaken and give me the vessel needed for attaining the goal. My friends awakening to the full one hundred per cent depends not on them, but exclusively on my love for them. This immediately scares me. Do I love them? Do I put my whole soul into them? Am I willing to do anything for them? Can I renounce myself, completely nullify myself, and only serve them according to the law of love? If I can, then this will undoubtedly arouse reciprocal love from them.

I turn to my friends, not to receive, but with bestowal. This is why it is said: “my friend’s material

73

part is my spiritual part.” In my eyes, my friend is whom I want to continually give to in the material aspect. This is a spiritual aspect to me, for in doing this, I will receive spiritual strength.

I have to be sure that I will receive a guarantee from my friends as a result of my actions. It is not love that I demand from them. After all, if I demanded love, my intention would be to receive. No, I demand from them a guarantee. What is a “guarantee”? It is confidence in attaining the Creator.

“Confidence” means that my friends’ reciprocation of my love gives me the confidence to suddenly stop thinking about this world. I become like a baby in its mother’s arms. It doesn’t know where it is; it doesn’t know anything, but senses that it’s in the right place. It need not worry about anything.

In much the same way, when I give the group my love, it gives me such strength, such a guarantee

74

in return that I no longer think about this world; I acquire an opportunity to disconnect from it. Obviously, I continue to live and act in it, but I don’t care about what happens here. I feel that this whole world is mine anyway, conversely, that it does not bear any relation to me: It does not matter how it is formulated. I do not feel dependant on it. Instead, I feel that I’m establishing contact with the Creator alone.

This is what we acquire from the group in return for love: confidence, a guarantee.

3. “Pray for the Creator to help us and to give every one of us the strength and the desire to love his neighbor.” The beginning and end have to be connected to one another. You begin with the Purpose of Creation and finish with it. Not one of your actions can be successful unless

75

it begins with the Creator. The Creator gives you the desire, strength, and direction at the beginning of the path. As well, when it seems to you that you began the action, in fact, He is the one that did. This is why you felt what you felt.

And now when you turn to the group to receive the confidence to turn to Him, you ask Him for strength. As in each action it is “The Torah, the Creator, and Israel Are One,” they will be connected in one point, the way Baal HaSulam describes in his Letters page 63. Otherwise this action won’t succeed. The force to turn to the Creator and to do the Creator’s work has to be within you one hundred percent. You perceive the Creator like a baby who is holding on to his mother and expects her to act for him. The baby only hangs on to her and shows her what to do. We all know how small children act.

76

4. “One has to think that the Creator has already accepted his prayer and be joyful when he is with his friends.” The Creator gives a person the strength to love his friends, and there is no doubt that a person will receive a guarantee from them in return. As a result, he will unify with the Creator, because the guarantee realizes this condition, this opportunity for him. If the prayer is wholly accepted and the Creator performs this action in a person, he “is together with his friends in joy.” It is necessary for the joy to manifest genuinely as a clear result of clarifying the whole process. Otherwise it will be “mirth of mockers.” (see Psalms 1:1)

77

5. “As much as he can, every member of the group must speak about the importance of the group, that the group benefits him in a way he can never benefit himself.” All of us speak of the importance of the group, of the treasure that we have. In essence, this is what allows us to reveal the Shechina, Malchut, or the common Kli where the Creator dwells. When we reveal this Kli, we will suddenly discover that we are in there, together with the Upper Light. We cannot realize this individually; every person depends on his friends, whom he can obligate only by his love, and the Creator will perform all of the actions. This is why we raise the common MAN to the Creator: So that He will perform this action through us and for us, so that we unite with Him and become like Him.

78

6. “At the conclusion of the gathering, we have to feel the state of perfection.” If we carry out all of the above, as if we have attained the full one hundred percent of the goal, then we should feel confidence and joy from having established a connection with the final state. It exists, and if we haven’t yet achieved it in action, it means that the path is still not traveled. However, this path and the actions we perform while on it are also a great honor—no less than the honor of reaching the final goal. The Creator receives pleasure precisely from those people who are on the path, and are making the effort. When we do this, we give him no less pleasure than when we acquire the payment. It is with that joy that we must leave the gathering of friends, so that this joy will truly inspire us throughout the whole week.

Every person must remain vigilant, so that he always remains in the Light and in the vessel at the

79

same time. The analysis of the six above conditions, those same sensations and details of perception, must be revived within each and every person—to be in the same feelings, discernments and feeling of life. This is the preparation for the gathering of friends.

Kabbalah.info

Love of Friends - Kabbalah Mediafiles.kabbalahmedia.info/files/eng_book_ahavat-haverim_web.pdf ·...

Documents

Transcript of Love of Friends - Kabbalah Mediafiles.kabbalahmedia.info/files/eng_book_ahavat-haverim_web.pdf ·...