The Covenant of Friends

Question: It is written, "Don't believe in yourself until you die," meaning until your egoism dies. How, then, can I be sure that I'll reach the goal and won't lose the path?

Dr. Laitman's Answer: I have a spiritual goal and the means to attain it, and I have to hold on to them. I cannot be sure about tomorrow, which is why I have to make a covenant with the group and the Creator today in order to guarantee that I will reach the Upper Goal!

If I can't manage to stay on the path, then I will fall into the animate existence and will view life from that level. Then the Creator will not take me into consideration at all.

Alternatively, I can bind myself to the group and give myself over to them completely so they will guard me. Then I am tied to the group and I can't fall, as if I'm on a ship caught in a storm where the sailors tie themselves to the deck so they don't get washed into the sea by the waves. Every person should see himself as being in such a perilous state.

I have to organize the covenant between us while I am still full of energy and inspiration, while I am in the state of ascent. That's when I sign the covenant because I understand that later on there might be a time when I won't be able to justify the spiritual goal. Everything will seem hopeless and bad and I won't have a doubt that I am right about that.

Therefore, it is written, "Don't believe in yourself until you die." If a person doesn't give himself over to the group so it governs him, then he will be governed by his own egoism and won't have a chance to break out of it. It's useless to waste time in vain: Either make the covenant or go back home to sit on the couch.

From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/17/10, Shamati #52