Practical Advice by Rabash
We have gathered here to establish a society for all those interested in following the path and method of Baal HaSulam—the way to climb the runs of man, and not remain as a beast.
--“The Purpose of Society 1”
We have gathered here to establish a society where each can follow the spirit of bestowal upon the Creator. And to bestow upon the Creator, we must first bestow upon man, and this is called “love of man.”
Love of man can only be with self annulment. On the one hand, each of us should feel humbled, and on the other hand, we should be proud that the Creator has given us the opportunity to partake in a society whose members have but one goal: to discover the Creator among us.
--“The Purpose of Society 1”
By being together in a group, like brothers, with love of friends, we can rise to adhesion with the Creator. This ladder is called “the path of bestowal,” and it is against our nature. Therefore, to be able to achieve it, there is but one advice: love of friends. Through it, each can help his friend.
--“Love of Friends”
The advice for achieving bestowal and the rule, “love thy friend,” is love of friends. If each is annulled before his friend and mingles with him, the small parts that want love of man become a single mass, united into a collective force. And each person has such great strength, he can realize the love of man. And then each of them can achieve love of God.
--“According to What Is Explained Concerning Love Your Friend”
The greater the society, the more it can affect each member, and produce a stronger atmosphere of the greatness of the Giver. In that state, everyone feels that bestowing upon the Creator is the greatest thing that one could have.
Accordingly, each person is happy that he’s been awarded with being among people who are privileged with giving to the Creator. Then, everything that one does in order to achieve bestowal brings him joy and happiness.
Also, to the extent that we think of the greatness of the Creator during the gathering, we cause each one to feel the importance of the greatness of the Creator. As a result, everyone is in a state of joy all day long.
-“The Order of the Association”
Everyone should try to instill everyone with a spirit of liveliness, hopefulness, and energy. Each of the friends should overcome his disappointment from not achieving bestowal, and will receive, through the group, hope, the strength to prevail, and confidence that he will achieve perfection.
What he previously thought—that he did not have the strength to acquire the quality of bestowal because the obstructions were too formidable—now he considers these obstructions as nothing. And he received all that from the force of the society, since everyone tried to bring support, hope, and a new atmosphere to the group.
--“What to Ask of the Assembly of Friends”
The goal of the assembly of friends must be clear to all: this result should be that each friend will awaken to love the other. This is called “love of man,” and this is what we must talk about.
--“What to Ask of the Assembly of Friends”
“When authors (also people who count, in Hebrew) are envious, wisdom mounts.” This means that when all the friends regard the society as being of a high degree, both in thought and in action, it is natural that each of them will have to rise from his qualities to new qualities, which the society has begotten in him.
--“Concerning Above Reason”
“One does not deliver oneself from imprisonment.” Rather, only a friend can help a friend in decline, and lift him from his state to a state of liveliness, so he acquires strength and confidence as though his goal is very near now.
--“They helped every one his friend”
One who sees that the friends are at a higher degree than his, helping each other, realizing what they’re learning in action, and sees within reason that he is in utter lowness, it certainly affects him. It gives him strength to overcome his idleness, for otherwise he will remain behind the group.
--“Concerning Above Reason”
There is a special power to adhesion of friends: through it, thoughts traverse from one to another, and each person is integrated in the powers of the whole society.
--“The Need for Love of Friends”
If one has love of friends, he sees the friends’ merit, and not their faults. It turns out that if he sees a drawback in his friend, it is a sign that the drawback is in him. Therefore, now he should see that it is not his friend who needs correction, but he himself is in need of one.
--“The Order of the Assembly 1”
If everyone extols all the other friends as though they are the greatest in the generation, the environment will affect him as a great environment, because quality is more important than quantity.
--“The Order of the Assembly 1”
Two is plural. Thus, if two friends sit together and think about how to increase the importance of the Creator, they already have the strength to receive great reinforcement in the greatness of the Creator, by way of their own awakening. For this act there is a subsequent awakening from the Creator, and they begin to feel the greatness of the Creator.
--“The Order of the Association”
The benefit from society is that it can introduce such an atmosphere that there will only be work in order to bestow.
--“The Importance of Society”
It is permitted, and even a must to enjoy from an act of bestowal. Therefore, one should focus on a single point—appreciating that. This is expressed in paying attention to whom I turn, to whom I am speaking, whose commandmentsam I keeping, and whose law am I studying. In other words, we must seek advice how to appreciate the Creator.
Before a person is awarded with illumination from above, one must seek likeminded people, who are also seeking to heighten the importance of the Creator, to be in touch with the Creator, and to receive help from the society.
--“The Order of the Association”
To be integrated with one another, everyone should annul himself before the others. This is done by seeing the merit of the friends, and not their faults. However, those who think that they are higher than the friends, cannot unite with them.
--“The Purpose of the Society 2”
Every student must feel that he is the smallest among the friends, and then he will be able to receive the appreciation of the greatness from everyone. This is because only the smaller can be impressed by what the greater one appreciates.
--“The Order of the Assembly 1”
When he sees that the friends are at a higher degree than his own, it elevates him.
--“Concerning Above Reason”
People who agree to unite in a group understand that there is no disparity of opinions among them. They understand the necessity of the love of others. Hence, each of them will be able to make concessions for others, and they will be able to unite around that.
--“Concerning Love of Friends”
By gathering people who all agree that they must achieve love of others, when they annul themselves before each other, they are all integrated in one another. Thus, each friend accumulates a great force, according to the greatness of the society, and then he can execute the love of others in actual fact.
--“They helped every one his friend”
A “righteous” is one who wishes to keep the rule, “love thy friend as thyself,” whose only aim is to exit self-love and take upon himself the nature of love of others.
--“According to What Is Explained Concerning Love Your Friend”