The Hidden Force That Emerges When We Unite

For the last five weeks we've been focused on the same topic - the principles for building a spiritual society. We want to make all this more practical for you.

How can people from different backgrounds and cultures build real unity between them?

How can each of us raise the importance of what we're doing together?

Today we'll continue learning the principles of how to build the ten and the society, and strengthen others. We don't need to be perfect but we need to provide one another with good examples and fuel.

Our goal as always is to acquire the attribute of bestowal. We were all chosen by the Creator and we're all very special because the Creator awakened our point in the heart.

We'll complete this course at the end of October when we have the big convention - you'll all get certificates. You'll be able to go into the Arvut system and see more advanced lessons.

We saw in an advanced lesson this morning - Rav said that a person with a will to receive can't even see himself reaching bestowal. But thanks to chen hakdusha - this inclination to spirituality and bestowal is awakened.

Today we'll complete the list - we'll talk about the 9th and 10th principles.

#1 - The need to increase importance of meetings and the path

#2 - Equality has to do with our investment in the society. There is no way to measure this - it's not based on what we see with our eyes.

#3 - We maintain the individuality of each friend because precisely the connection between different people creates unity.

#4 - Personal example to the friends.

#5 - We spoke about buying friends - friend in Hebrew from the word chibur - connection. We need the desires of each friend for spirituality to build our vessel.

#6 - We each have a small deficiency so in order to the friend we need to remember that seeing faults in others is the kettle calling the pot black.

#7 - We don't publicly or directly criticize the friends - try not to gossip or speak behind someone's back. Not because we're nice people, but because it harms the network we're building - it injects poison into our network.

#8 - No frivolity. We watch what we say - only talk about things that are relevant to our connection. No politics, etc. Especially at the beginning it's extremely important to only speak about the things we determined in advance.

The 9th principle is that we're all acting toward raising the vibe of the ten and the group. We all have a very weak point in the heart - but when we put them all together we have the strength to attract the light. We need to learn about each friend's attributes in order to raise their spirits in the way most suitable for them. It's really an art form. People may be healthy or wealthy but there is one thing that every person always needs - raising the mood.

Rabash is saying that the spiritual path is created in a way that we can't advance on our own - we need the help of friends. Meaning another person with a point in the heart. We may be very strong people with discipline and successful in the corporeal world - there is no connection to those natural skills, or skill that we developed - to advancing on this path. In the first 5-6 years people often have the misconception that if they're good at learning they'll be good at learning Kabbalah. The opposite also applies - I can also be a very simple person who is drawn to spirituality.

We don't even have a choice in all these things - being smart or successful. We think people like poets or artists are more connected to spirituality because of their special skill. But there is no connection. The potential we need to develop has to do with a person's yearning to connect with others. Even if a person has millions of followers on social media - there is no connection between those things and spirituality.

So what is connected? We see there is one thing we all have in common - and that has to do with raising our spirits. The path is purposely built for me to need my friends and vice versa. Connecting the friends by raising the spirit is the best thing we do for one another. We need to be thinking about this at all times.

The Tenth Principle: We need to develop a sense of mutual responsibility, a guarantee towards the group.

We have a saying in the wisdom of Kabbalah: If not me - then who? If not now - then when?

Everyone should strive to be an integrator (responsible for and about the group), to feel that the connection of the group depends on them.

"The Tanna explained the matter of guarantee, by simulating two people who would come in a ship. And one began to be gloomy under him, and to make a hole in the ship. His companion said to him: "Why are you gloomy?" He said to him: "What do you care? Isn't it that I am gloomy under me and not under you?" He said to him: "You fool, we will both perish together in the ship!" " (Baal HaSulam. "The Guarantee", letter 18)

Each One Shall Help His Friend

Article No. 4, 1984

We must understand how one can help his friend. Is this matter specifically when there are rich and poor, wise and fools, weak and strong? But when all are rich, smart, or strong, etc., how can one help another?

We see that there is one thing that is common to all—the mood. It is said, “A concern in one’s heart, let him speak of it with others.” This is because with regard to feeling high-spirited, neither wealth nor erudition can be of assistance.

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 lift his spirit.

This means that one’s friend raises him from his state into a state of liveliness. Then, one begins to reacquire strength and confidence of life and wealth, and he begins as though his goal is now near him.

It turns out that each and every one must be attentive and think how he can help his friend raise his spirit, because in the matter of spirits, anyone can find a needy place in one’s friend that he can fill.