Hevruta - Following Lesson 5 - Principles of the Work in the Ten

Strengthening the Group: The Kabbalistic Approach

Last Sunday, we focused mainly on one central principle: the need to strengthen the group.

This is a broad principle, so we explored what it means in practice and how this strengthening is done according to the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Michael and Avihu introduced the concept of "playing the next degree" (Hebrew: *mischak*, "game"), which we will explore further today.

We will look at two main themes:

* Strengthening the environment and the spirit of love of friends, by increasing the importance of the goal.

* The concept of "game" or "playing," and what the Kabbalists teach about it.

The Principle #9

We all strive to strengthen the spirit of the group

29. RABASH, Article No. 4, 1984, "Each One Shall Help His Friend"

"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."

30. Rabash. Article 30 (1988) "What to Look For in the Assembly of Friends"

"Each one should try to bring into the society a spirit of life and hopefulness, and infuse energy into the society. Thus, each of the friends will be able to tell himself, “Now I am starting a clean slate in the work.” In other words, before he came to the society, he was disappointed with the progress in the work of the Creator, but now the society has filled him with life and hopefulness. Thus, through society he obtained the confidence and strength to overcome because now he feels that he can achieve wholeness. And all his thoughts—that he was facing a high mountain that could not be conquered, and that these were truly formidable obstructions—now he feels that they are nothing. And he received it all from the power of the society because each and every one tried to instill a spirit of encouragement and the presence of a new atmosphere in the society."

31. Rabash, Article No. 30 (1988) "What to Look for in the Assembly of Friends"

"...when a group of people gathers and wishes to work together on love of friends, they must all help one another as much as they can.

And there are many discernments about that, since not everyone is the same, meaning that what one needs, the other does not. However, there is one thing in which all are equal: Each and every one of the friends needs high spirits. That is, when the friends are not in a good mood, they are not all the same in their needs. Rather, each has his own reason for being unhappy.

Therefore, each one must contemplate how he can bring about a good mood to the other."

32. Rabash, Article No. 30 (1988) "What to Look for in the Assembly of Friends"

"During the assembly, it is forbidden to evoke the left line. Only when one is alone is he permitted to use the left line, but not more than half an hour a day. But the essence of man’s work is to go specifically by the right line, as is written (Shamati, No. 40). But two people together must not speak of the left, for only thus can they receive assistance from the society."

Practical application: Playing the next degree

In response to your letter from Tuesday, Marheshvan 3rd, to your first question regarding the fact that you need to stand guard to awaken the love in the hearts of the friends, and that this matter does not sit well with you to speak in a proper manner, specifically this I see as a necessary thing for you. As you know from what my father and teacher, of blessed memory, said, that from between a man and his friend one learns how to behave in the aspect of בין אדם למקום (between man and the Creator). For the upper Light is in a state of absolute rest, and one must always awaken the love "until our bridal love is desired." That is, they show you from above that in this way you must always awaken the love of His blessed Name. And you must always stand guard, all day and all night, that is, both when you feel the aspect of day and when you feel the aspect of night. For we say to the Creator – for Yours is the day, also Yours is the night. That also the night, that is, the darkness of night, also comes from the Creator for the benefit of man, as it is written, "Day to day utters speech, and night to night reveals knowledge." The conclusion from this is, you must awaken the hearts of the friends until the flame rises by itself, as the sages said about "when you kindle the lamps," and through this you will merit to awaken the love of the Creator, blessed be He, upon us.

(Rabash 2, Letter 24)

There is a clothing of falsehood and there is a clothing of truth. And this is similar to a little girl five years old who plays with a doll, that this girl plays with the doll as if the doll is truly a child with feeling, and even though the doll does not answer, she speaks to it. And at that time, if there is in the house a small child half a year old and he is crying, and they say to the five-year-old girl: Go and play with the real child and we will also benefit that the child will not cry. And in no way will she agree. That is to say, she is not able to receive pleasure from a true clothing, but only from a clothing of falsehood. But the pleasure, we see that the girl feels real pleasure.

Whereas, when the girl grows up and becomes eighteen years old, she is already compelled to receive pleasure from a clothing of truth. Likewise, before we grow up, we receive pleasure specifically from not for His name (Lo Lishma), which is considered a clothing of falsehood, and this is called a shadow, concealment, that then there is a place for work, and the vitality is received from things of falsehood. And afterwards, when one is rewarded, then one receives the aspect of the Light of faith.

(Rabash, Letter 12/b)

Our sages said regarding the matter of the Matronita who asked what the Creator did after creating the world. The answer was that He sits and plays with the Leviathan, as it is said, "This Leviathan You have formed to play with" (Avodah Zarah, page 3). The concept of the Leviathan signifies adhesion and connection (from the expression "as a man cleaves to his wife"). That is, the purpose is the connection of the Creator with the created beings, which is merely a form of play and not a matter of desire or necessity.

The difference between play and desire is that whatever comes from desire is out of necessity, and if one does not achieve one's desire, one is lacking. However, with play, even if one does not achieve the thing, it is not considered a deficiency. As people say: "What I did not achieve what I thought, it does not matter." This is not so important because all the desire one had for the thing was only in play and not in seriousness.

(Baal HaSulam. "Shamati" 16. "What is the Day of the Lord and the Night of the Lord, in the Work")

Playing the Next Degree

The Kabbalists describe "playing the next degree" (Hebrew: mischak, "game") as a practical tool for advancing spiritually.

It is a way of directing our intention toward the next degree, where we are more similar to the Creator, with a greater ability to bestow.

The question is: how do we develop a desire for a state that we do not yet possess? If we already had that desire, we would already be on that degree.

Baal HaSulam and Rabash explain this through the example of a little girl and her mother. One plays with a doll, while the other cares for a real baby. Through this example, they show how "playing" helps us grow into a new reality.

But what does "playing the next degree" mean in our work in the ten?

Since bestowal is an inner quality, it is not always obvious how to "play" it.

Let's have a short discussion:

How do we understand the concept of "playing" today? What could it mean in the practical work of the ten?

Q&A