Changing The Importance Through The Group

The desire for spirituality that we receive is equal to a small point only. And we will never receive more than that point, except that alongside this small point we are also receiving a group, an environment. If we wish to increase this desire from a tiny desire to a desire that is more important than all our other desires, we must integrate in a group, to want to be in it as much as possible, to want to subjugate ourselves before it as much as possible, to want to ascribe as much importance as possible to the group. And then, the collective importance of the goal that encompasses the group will influence us and it will not be difficult for us to toil in the spiritual work.

It is written that exertion is above the human force. What does it mean "above the human force"? And if we are incapable of this, why are we required to do something that is above our power? I can lift 20 kg only, but I am told to "lift 100 kg." "I can't." They reply: "No, find a way to do that."

In our work we are also incapable of ascending from one level to another, and we are not even capable of asking to ascend, because we are incapable of asking for something that is higher and completely reverse to our current desire. And it is on the condition that I correctly interpret what "spirituality" is-that it is bestowal and love of others, that it is to stop thinking of myself and accept the fellow-men's desire as more important than my own, to serve it. In such an exiting out of ourselves, we begin to feel the spiritual world, the Upper Force.

Do we want it? No. Are we capable of this? No. We have been given one point only, and with regards to all the rest we are told "exert efforts." What is "exertion"? It is above your power. But how do we go above our power? Kabbalists say that the means to do it is connection with the group. The group gives us power, brainwashes us, gives us a desire in our heart, and builds everything anew in us. Even though we object; we subjugate ourselves before the group, and want to be with them, it does influence.

And then one begins to receive the importance of bestowal, of love of others, of all kinds of strange things that no one needs. Suddenly, he begins to hear that there is something true in those things, which do not confuse him with something unrealistic for no reason, but it appears that precisely in exiting out of himself he attains something special, eternal, complete, great, a higher dimension, going outside of his skin. And all of this happens through changing the importance, changing the values.

The Essence Of A Person’s Work

They say that the Light exists in the system of souls and comes from there. They also say that the difference between the "I" in the current state, and the "I" in the next state, is that in the initial state I am not connected to the rest of the souls, whereas in the latter state I am connected to them.

Therefore, if I want to awaken the Light, I must forcefully connect to other souls, to desires like mine, who want to attain spirituality. This latter state, and there, between us, I will find the "Light that Reforms." And then I will move from the first state to the second state. This is "the essence of a person's work."

Therefore it is written, "From the love of mankind to the love of the Creator." Precisely in the connection between human beings I discover the Creator, and not that I pay at one place and later on receive some kind of compensation or a bonus at another place.

In the same place where I connect with others, in that net of souls, I reveal the Light that Reforms. There I reveal the Creator. And the more I connect to everyone, I simply move from one place to another through the Light that I discover. Meaning, I change myself, change my attitude toward everyone, discover the connection between us, and then it is revealed to me that the Creator exists between us. This is how I attain spirituality.   

They Are As Important To Me As The Creator

The connection comes out of each one being prepared to be a guarantor to the other. As Baal HaSulam writes in the "The Arvut" article - I promise the other, with all my strength, support in attaining spirituality, in attaining the importance of bestowal, as he obligates himself to do toward me. We are not lacking a thing besides this. We connect for this purpose only, and we do not pay any attention to the external qualities of the people who are here, who they are and what they are.   

It may be that there are people here whom I would never connect with, but out of lack of choice I come and truly honor them as the greatest of the generation, as special people, because the Creator chose them and gave them a desire for Him. For that I respect them, and not for anything else. And then it turns out that they are as important to me as the Creator, because they are the means that was given to me in order to reach Him. Not a means that I toss out afterwards, but a means in which, inside the connection between us, I reveal the Creator. And it is forbidden that this connection will stop. 

When we reach spiritual levels and I discover that I am connected to them, in this connection I reveal the Creator in level number one. Later on the ego rises, my will to receive disconnects me from them, and spirituality, the feeling of the Creator disappears. And then again I am working with them on an even greater connection between us, reach this connection in level number two and inside this connection the Creator is revealed to the degree of connection among us. And then again the ego is revealed, again I fall to hatred toward them, to the will to receive, to the evil inclination, and again the Creator disappears. Light and vessel, Light and vessel, Light and vessel, thus we ascend through the levels.